Chapter 885
The Future King of Chinese Pop in Ximending
Yizhou, Ximending.
The afternoon sun slanted into the narrow windows of an old office building, casting irregular patches of light on the scratched floor.
The air was filled with the smells of cheap takeout meals, a faint smell of smoke, and a faint musty smell from years of poor ventilation.
This is Alpha Music Studio, a small workshop struggling to survive under the shadow of many giants in the Asian music scene.
In the far corner by the window, behind a secondhand desk piled with messy sheet music and discarded manuscripts, sat a thin young man with slightly disheveled hair.
His brows were furrowed, and he almost bit the cheap ballpoint pen in his hand flat. His other hand was unconsciously drawing messy musical notes on the manuscript paper printed with musical staves.
His name is Jay Chou, a man with musical dreams who, at this moment, can only do odd jobs, write songs, and occasionally run errands to buy lunch boxes as an "assistant".
The future king and superstar of the Chinese music scene is now just a marginal figure who is almost invisible in the company.
He exhausted almost all his energy in order to get a chance to debut and release the solo album he had always dreamed of.
Boss Wu Zongxian, the "Brother Xian" who is a big name in the variety show industry in Taiwan, was once the only hope he could look up to.
He tried his best to impress, almost humbly trying to please Wu Zongxian, and in the end he was given a task that was so demanding as to be almost impossible: to write fifty catchy, high-quality songs that could be approved by Wu Zongxian himself within ten days!
This is undoubtedly a formidable obstacle.
But Jay Chou gritted his teeth and persevered.
At this moment, his manuscript paper was densely covered with writing, and he was in the final sprint to complete the last few poems.
"Lovely Woman," "Starry Sky," "Black Humor"... many of the melodies that later became wildly popular were painstakingly written out of his pen in this humble room, under the watchful eyes of someone whose eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep.
He was immersed in his own world, shutting out the noise of the outside world, and only wanted to seize this last, slim chance.
"Wow! Really?!"
"Brother Xian sold the company?!"
"Is the new boss really that generous? He raised my salary before I even started?"
"Hey Jay! Jay! Can't you hear me?!"
A sudden burst of excited and incredulous chatter erupted like thunder in the relatively quiet office, instantly pulling Jay Chou out of his musical reverie.
He raised his head blankly, adjusted his black-rimmed glasses that had slipped down to the tip of his nose, and saw the excited, somewhat distorted faces of several colleagues he didn't usually interact with.
"Jaylen, what are you sitting there for? This is amazing news!" A colleague with an afro rushed to his desk and excitedly patted him on the shoulder. "Our company has a new boss! I heard he's a super rich tycoon! He hasn't even arrived in Yizhou yet and he's already saying he'll give everyone a raise! Haha, this is a steal!"
"New...new boss?" Jay Chou's mind was still reeling, and he felt a buzzing in his head.
He looked at his colleague's face, spittle flying everywhere, and then subconsciously looked down at the thick stack of sheet music in his hand, the result of countless sleepless nights, with a drop of sweat still on it from being patted on the shoulder earlier.
"Sold it? Brother Xian...sold the company?" he muttered to himself, his voice hoarse.
The news came so suddenly, like a bucket of ice water poured over his head, instantly extinguishing most of his tense nerves and burning hope of the past few days.
"Then...then what about what he promised me? I'll write fifty poems right away...right away..." His voice was low, trembling with disbelief and immense disappointment.
The ladder to his dream collapsed just as he was about to reach the top.
He recalled Wu Zongxian's evaluation of him in front of the media: "Zhou Jielun? This guy is a bit too ambitious. He's okay at songwriting, but his singing is just so-so. I can't even understand what he's saying. Singing is more difficult than speaking. He can't even speak clearly, so how can he sing clearly?"
These words pierced his heart like needles, but he never gave up, only wanting to prove himself with these fifty songs.
Are we now even being deprived of the opportunity to prove ourselves?
An indescribable anger suddenly surged from the bottom of my heart, mixed with the grievance of being abandoned and the despair of shattered dreams.
He clenched his fists tightly under the table, his knuckles turning white from the force, his nails digging deep into his palms, bringing a sharp, stinging pain.
He kept his head down, his bangs obscuring his eyes, only his tightly pursed lips and slightly trembling shoulders revealing the turmoil in his heart.
Why? Why should he be so easily dismissed and sold off after all he has given so much, with the light at the end of the tunnel in sight?
Just as anger and resentment were churning within him, and he was about to lose control of his emotions, a clear, calm female voice with a distinct mainland accent suddenly rang out behind him. The tone was steady yet carried an undeniable power, completely different from the chattering Taiwanese accents in the office.
"You must be Zhou Jielun?"
The voice wasn't loud, but it instantly drowned out the chatter in the office.
Everyone instinctively fell silent, their gazes turning towards the doorway.
Jay Chou was startled, and his clenched fist unconsciously loosened.
He turned around stiffly.
A young woman was standing at the door.
She was tall and slender, wearing a well-tailored beige business suit, her hair neatly pulled back, revealing her smooth forehead and delicate features.
She carried a simple yet elegant briefcase, her makeup was exquisite, and her demeanor was capable. She seemed completely out of place in this shabby and cluttered music studio, as if she had stumbled upon this place from another glamorous world.
Lu Nini's gaze calmly fell on Jay Chou, with a scrutinizing tone.
"It's...it's me."
Jay Chou stood up somewhat awkwardly, subconsciously tugging at the hem of his wrinkled T-shirt.
"Who are you, young lady?"
He was intimidated by the other party's overly formal and powerful aura, and temporarily forgot his anger from before.
"I am the secretary of your new company's boss. My name is Lu Nini."
Lu Nini's voice remained steady as her gaze swept over his slightly disheveled hair, the stubble on his chin, and his overly casual attire, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
"You can call me Miss Lu."
She stepped forward, ignoring the curious and inquisitive gazes of the others in the office, and directly gave the order: "Go shave, tidy yourself up, and change into something presentable."
Her tone left no room for negotiation: "Wait for me at the company entrance in half an hour. The boss wants to see you, and I'll take you there."
"Meet the boss?" Jay Chou was completely stunned, his heart pounding uncontrollably.
A new boss? They specifically asked to see him? Why? He's just a nobody assistant writer!
Did Brother Xian mention something to him before he left?
Or did the new boss see my work?
Countless questions instantly filled his mind.
"Yes." Lu Nini nodded in confirmation, seemingly feeling that she had explained things clearly, and turned to leave.
"Wait... Miss Lu!" Jay Chou hurriedly called out to her, blurting out, "Is the boss... in Yizhou? Where should we meet?" He imagined it might be in a luxury hotel or a high-end office building. Lu Nini stopped and glanced back at him, a barely perceptible "I knew it" knowing glint in her eyes.
She added calmly, "Give me your ID number, or the original of your ID card. I'll help you book a plane ticket."
"Airline ticket?" Jay Chou was even more confused.
"Our flight is at 3 p.m.," Lu Nini said succinctly. "We'll fly to Hong Kong first, then detour through Hong Kong to Shenzhen. The boss will be waiting for you in Shenzhen."
boom!
Jay Chou felt like another bomb had exploded in his head.
The new boss never came to Yizhou!
The new boss is in Shenzhen?!
The new boss is a businessman from mainland China?!
Brother Xian actually sold his company to a mainland company?!
A series of shocks left him speechless.
He subconsciously glanced at his colleagues who had just been excitedly discussing the pay raise; their faces were also filled with astonishment and disbelief.
Has a mainland Chinese company acquired Alfa Romeo?
This was an extremely rare occurrence in the music scene of Yizhou at that time.
“Pengcheng…the mainland…” Jay Chou’s mind was in complete chaos.
His impression of the mainland was vague, limited to television news and some hearsay.
What's the name of this company? Century... Oh right, Miss Lu just mentioned something about Century? "Century Group"?
The name sounded vaguely familiar, like I'd heard it somewhere before, but I couldn't quite place what it was about.
To be able to acquire a company and then take an unknown nobody like him to meet them, one must be quite capable.
Oh well, whatever!
A faint voice rose from the depths of his heart.
At least the boss is Chinese.
He disliked dealing with those blond, blue-eyed, aloof foreigners. Wouldn't it be easier to communicate with Chinese people? Perhaps…perhaps this sudden change was actually an opportunity? His new boss specifically requesting to see him couldn't be a bad thing, could it?
Seeing Lu Nini's calm gaze as she gestured for him to produce his ID card, Jay Chou suppressed the turmoil and countless questions churning within him, took a deep breath, and tried to make his voice sound steady: "Okay... okay, Ms. Lu, I'll get it right away. The ID card... I'll get it for you now."
He frantically began rummaging through the drawer.
Just as Jay Chou was gathering his composure and preparing to face the unknown future.
In a private lounge on the top floor of the Century Tower in Shenzhen.
Lu Yang was leaning back on the comfortable sofa, listening to Wang Jing's voice, tinged with self-satisfaction and a hint of flattery, coming through the satellite phone:
"...Mr. Lu, it's all taken care of! Alpha Music, including the company and all the artists' contracts, all for a package price of 1000 million New Taiwan Dollars! Absolutely a steal! Wu Zongxian thinks he got a bargain, hahaha!"
On the other end of the phone, Director Wang Jing, who had just successfully completed the "small task" assigned by Lu Yang and was in high spirits, clearly heard Lu Yang's slightly surprised whisper:
"How much? 1000 million New Taiwan Dollars?"
To Wang Jing, Lu Yang's tone seemed to carry an incredulous... sense of cheapness?
Wang Jing's heart skipped a beat, thinking that he had quoted too high a price and displeased Lu Yang. He quickly explained, "Ah? Mr. Lu, you misunderstood! Actually... this price is not low in the Yizhou market! You don't know, this Alpha Music is just a small workshop. Apart from the boss Wu Zongxian having some fame and value, the so-called artists he has signed are, to be honest, all mediocre and worthless! Wu Zongxian himself only sold the company; he had no intention of signing them as artists."
He emphasized the "good deal" of the transaction and the "worthlessness" of Wu Zongxian, fearing that Lu Yang would think he was incompetent.
After a few seconds of silence on the phone, Lu Yang's relaxed laughter and approval came through: "Okay, 10 million New Taiwan Dollars it is. Director Wang, I'm very satisfied with your efficiency. As for Wu Zongxian..."
Lu Yang's tone was nonchalant and dismissive, "Let him go wherever he wants, whatever makes him happy. What I want is the company itself and its team structure, not Wu Zongxian himself."
Wang Jing breathed a sigh of relief and was about to express his loyalty again when Lu Yang's voice came again, this time with a clear target:
"By the way, Director Wang, that young man I asked you to keep a special eye on, have you had much contact with him before?"
“Zhou Jielun?” Wang Jing quickly searched his mind for the name, soon connecting it to the quiet, somewhat dull-looking creative assistant at Alfa Music. “Oh! That young man! I spoke with him! As you instructed, I chatted with him for a bit. Hmm… he seems quite introverted, not very talkative, but I heard from Wu Zongxian and others that he writes songs very diligently and has accumulated quite a few works. Speaking of which…”
Wang Jing recalled a detail: "I heard he even wrote a song for Andy Lau in Hong Kong! But unfortunately, it seems it was rejected, haha..." Wang Jing's tone carried a hint of industry insider's teasing about the "normal" situation of newcomers' submissions being rejected.
“It’s okay if he’s rejected.” Lu Yang’s voice showed no surprise, but rather a sense of certainty. “I’ve looked into it. He’s very talented, he just hasn’t found the right way and opportunity to express himself.”
Lu Yang subtly revealed his intentions, calmly dropping a bombshell that shocked Wang Jing: "I plan to arrange for him to release his first solo album next year."
"Next year?! First...first album?!" Wang Jing almost bit his tongue on the other end of the phone. He recalled Jay Chou's unassuming appearance and the experience of being rejected by Andy Lau... The new boss's regard for this newcomer seemed to far exceed his expectations? This seemed subtly different from Lu Yang's casual attitude of "just playing around" back then? Wang Jing keenly sensed something unusual.
“Yes.” Lu Yang answered affirmatively, “So, Director Wang, you’ll probably need to put in more effort regarding Jay Chou’s affairs. Keep an eye on any ideas or difficulties he may have in his creative process and report them to Lu Nini or Wei Shu in a timely manner. Now that we’ve bought this company, we need to carefully plan the development path for this ‘potential newcomer’.”
Lu Yang deliberately emphasized the words "potential newcomer" with a meaningful tone.
"Understood! Understood! Mr. Lu, rest assured! I will keep a close eye on this kid! I will report to you immediately if anything happens!" Wang Jing immediately patted his chest to assure him, but his heart was churning. Acquiring a small company for fun was one thing, but for the boss to personally plan an album release for an unknown newcomer, and expect it to be next year?
This level of investment and expectation... Could it be that this slovenly kid named Jay Chou really has some extraordinary talent that he hasn't noticed?
It seems that my understanding of this "small task" was too superficial before.
Meanwhile, in that simple office in Ximending, Yizhou.
Jay Chou had quickly shaved off his beard and changed into a relatively neat white shirt and jeans.
This is the best outfit he can show off.
He nervously handed his ID card to Lu Nini, who was waiting at the door.
"Ms. Lu, this is my ID card."
Lu Nini took it, quickly checked the information, and nodded: "Okay. I'll keep this for check-in; I'll return it to you when we land in Hong Kong. Now, come with me." She turned around crisply.
Jay Chou took one last look at his messy desk piled high with his painstaking manuscripts, took a deep breath, picked up an old canvas bag containing a few changes of clothes and his precious creative manuscripts, and started walking to catch up with the capable figure that represented an unknown new world.
Outside the office building, the hustle and bustle of Ximending hits you.
The sunlight was a bit too bright.
Jay Chou narrowed his eyes, watching Lu Nini walk towards a gleaming black sedan that was clearly much more upscale than any of the cars around it. He felt a mix of confusion and indescribable excitement.
Shenzhen…Mainland China…New Boss…
His musical journey seems to have taken a completely unexpected turn, veer onto a new track leading to the unknown.
The first stop on this track is the port city, and then it will be the legendary special economic zone in the mainland that he has never set foot in before—Shenzhen.
What will that mysterious new boss, whom he has never met but who specifically asked to see, bring him?
Is it a ladder to realizing dreams, or just another illusion shattered?
Unsure of what to do, he could only clutch the canvas bag containing the sheet music tightly, steel himself, and walk towards the black sedan. (End of Chapter)