Chapter 897: This Song is Addictive

The voice on the other end of the call hummed in question. "Hmm? The song isn't good?"

"It's not that it's bad…"

"If the song is good, then what's the problem? Are the lyrics inappropriate?"

"Uh… no, the lyrics are excellent. Very in line with the Olympic spirit."

The person on the other end grew impatient. "If the song is fine and the lyrics are suitable, then what's stopping you from making a decision? Don't forget—she's one of our most important international friends. If there aren't any major issues, just approve it!"

"That's not the problem… it's just… well, the song is rock."

"…Rock?" There was a pause, followed by a light cough before the voice continued, "You old-timers need to start looking at the world with fresh eyes. I don't see an issue with rock! Send the song over—I want to hear it myself."

"Yes, right away!"

Hearing that their higher-ups were willing to take responsibility, the committee members finally sighed in relief. Great! No matter what public reactions this song stirs up, it won't be on us. Whoever had a problem with it could take it up with someone else!

That very night, Laila's song Survival was uploaded to the official Olympic website along with the other shortlisted tracks, allowing the public to listen and vote.

For the Chinese people, the 2008 Olympics was a monumental and deeply prideful event. The entire nation was invested in its preparation.

The selection of the official Olympic songs was one of the most anticipated aspects of the event. It was also one of the few ways the public could directly participate in shaping the Games. Each song underwent rounds of public evaluation and scrutiny before it could be approved.

The competition had already produced many incredible tracks, especially those commissioned by established composers. These songs were of exceptional quality.

That's why, when people visited the website and saw a boldly featured recommendation with the names Laila Moran—the world-famous Hollywood director—and Roy Ji Xing—the youngest Oscar-winning actor—many were left stunned.

"What the hell?!"

Countless people had the same reaction.

Laila Moran? Roy Ji Xing?

One was a household name in Hollywood, a director even the Chinese public was deeply familiar with.

The other was a popular A-list actor they frequently saw on their screens.

Why were these two involved in the Olympic song selection?

And more importantly… a director wrote a song? Was that even listenable?

Most people had no idea that Laila was the songwriter behind Baby and had penned two other hit songs before. Since she rarely composed, many didn't associate her with music at all.

Driven by curiosity, a flood of people clicked on the link.

And once they listened… they were hooked.

Laila had Roy perform the song in two languages—English in the first half, and Chinese in the second. Even if listeners didn't understand English, they could still catch the passionate message in the latter half.

More importantly, Roy's Chinese was impeccable.

The slight remnants of his foreign accent didn't make him sound unnatural—instead, it made his voice even more magnetic and sultry.

The top-tier recording engineer had already called his performance flawless, and after only minor touch-ups, Laila had sent the track straight to China.

Now, the internet exploded.

"This song is addictive! I can't stop bouncing my leg to the beat."

"Leg bouncing +1! Most of the other songs are warm and inspiring, but this one? This one makes me feel pumped!"

"Leg bouncing +10086! This song is a complete anomaly among the Olympic tracks—it's so different in style, yet I can't stop listening! Am I crazy for thinking a song like this would make an awesome Olympic anthem?"

"Leg bouncing + my ID number. Anomaly? More like a breath of fresh air! The song is great, but is it too casual for the Olympics?"

"After listening to so many ballads and orchestral pieces, this rock track feels so unique and fresh! I'm voting for it."

Thousands of comments poured in, and the consensus was clear:

The song was catchy, energetic, and irresistibly addictive.

Even those who didn't understand the lyrics could feel the powerful rhythm and uplifting energy. Meanwhile, those who did understand resonated deeply with the motivational message in the words.

As the public overwhelmingly embraced the song, the original doubters on the committee fell silent.

If the people loved it, then what was the problem?

Without hesitation, officials reached out to Laila—not only to express their admiration for the song but also to invite Roy to perform it live at the opening ceremony.

This was a golden opportunity, and Laila had no reason to decline.

She immediately arranged for Roy to rehearse with a professional band, fine-tune the arrangement, and prepare for the grand Olympic stage.

For Roy, this meant his schedule had just gotten insanely packed.

Between filming a movie and rehearsing for the Olympics, he barely had a moment to breathe.

Fortunately, the actual performance was still months away, giving him plenty of time to wrap up his film and perfect his performance.

Laila, on the other hand, was just as busy.

She was juggling:

✔ Managing her business expansions

✔ Promoting her film

✔ Leading The Lord of the Rings team to dominate award season

She was exhausted—but in the best way possible.

Because with that exhaustion came a growing collection of trophies filling up her awards room.

After all, who wouldn't trade a little more exhaustion for honor and legacy?

Time flew by.

Before anyone knew it, the end of the year arrived.

And with the stroke of midnight, 2008 was here.

Despite being on the other side of the Atlantic, Laila's household still maintained the tradition of watching China's Spring Festival Gala every year.

Due to her contributions—both through the song and her film's massive influence—the Gala even sent her an invitation to perform on the show.

Last time, her guest appearance had been a massive success, introducing the Chinese audience to two foreigners who spoke near-perfect Mandarin.

Unfortunately, Laila was far too busy this time, so she had to politely decline.

Then… came the Golden Globe nominations.

Two years ago, the Golden Globes had shamelessly snubbed Laila, sparking an industry-wide controversy over whether their actions were discriminatory.

The backlash had been severe, and the following year, their viewership tanked.

The only reason the Golden Globes held global significance was because they were expert marketers—they knew how to attract attention and bring in big audiences.

But if they lost their audience, then why would celebrities even care about their awards?

After suffering a brutal year, the Golden Globes were forced to tread carefully this time.

No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't possibly ignore Laila and her record-shattering Lord of the Rings.

Did they want to exclude her? Absolutely.

Could they afford to? Not.

Not only did they have to include her, but they also had to give her multiple nominations—otherwise, their credibility would sink even further.

Laila was thrilled by the situation.

Or, as she would put it in modern internet slang—

"I love watching you guys hate me but being unable to do anything about it."

When she saw the nomination list, she could almost feel their bitterness through the screen.

And that, of course… made her even happier.