Chapter 34: I

Jingcheng, Zhi Xiangshu Yinxiangdian.

Boss Zhou Linfeng hadn't sat down once since early morning, rushing around the store nonstop.

The entrance was packed with all kinds of vehicles: taxis, private cars, delivery trucks, and more.

At first glance, you'd think old Zhou's record shop had closed and turned into a parking lot.

"Boss, are you done yet? How long have we been waiting?"

"Yeah, taking forever just to grab a cassette—you're making me late for work!"

"I'll buy it after work—I'm already running late."

The drivers impatiently honked their horns and shouted loudly.

Old Zhou wiped sweat from his fat face and handed out cassettes or CDs one by one to the drivers.

"Here's your 'Wolf Loves Sheep'—see you later!"

"Here's your 'Wolf Loves Sheep'—take it, that's fifteen yuan."

The drivers took their albums and drove off happily.

Some others, upon receiving the album, muttered under their breath:

"I asked for 'Blue Lotus'—why did you give me this?"

Old Zhou smiled apologetically:

"Sir, 'Blue Lotus' is just one song on this album. The other tracks are great too—go home and listen carefully."

Then three or four girls in school uniforms walked over—they looked like high school students.

"Boss, do you have 'Fairytale'? That's by the new singer Cheng Chen!"

"I want 'Love Transfer'."

"'Fairytale' plus one."

After getting their albums, the girls chattered excitedly about Cheng Chen's photo on the cover.

Some said he looked like Liming, others said he looked like Liu Dehua; a chubby boy beside them muttered sourly:

"He looks like Ma Dehua."

He immediately got pummeled by a few girl's tiny fists.

Then several more groups of students came in—some bought Zhou Jielun's 'Octave Space', others wanted A Du's 'Darkness'.

But Cheng Chen's 'Wolf Loves Sheep' was the best-selling album.

"Phew."

After a morning of nonstop customers, Old Zhou looked at the spot where 'Wolf Loves Sheep' albums had been stacked—now marked: SOLD OUT.

The heavy stone in his chest finally lifted.

When Tianhai Records first came to propose a partnership, he'd hesitated upon hearing it was a debut album by a newcomer.

If not for their previous smooth cooperation and Tianhai's solid PR, he definitely wouldn't have taken the risk to promote a new artist.

Even so, he'd only ordered a symbolic 600 copies.

He never expected them to sell out entirely in just one morning.

This newcomer is terrifying!

After thinking for a moment, Old Zhou suddenly realized—he immediately called to demand more stock of 'Wolf Loves Sheep'!

…

Cheng Chen is famous!

As for how famous, Cheng Chen himself hadn't felt it yet.

Even when Wang Tianxiao called, screaming hysterically that all ten thousand albums had sold out in one morning and she urgently needed to order more stock of 'Wolf Loves Sheep',

Cheng Chen remained unmoved.

Cheng Chen had imagined his fame would mean fans recognizing him on the street.

Demanding autographs, photos, crying and begging him to father their children—that's what real fame looked like.

That's fame.

As for now…

He was still working as Lai Dao's translator on the 'Heaven Sword' set, and the people around him showed no change in attitude toward him.

Only when Cheng Chen got off work and walked home did he notice the street speakers had switched from "I should be under the car, not in it" to "Wolf loves sheep, love's insane—who knew they truly loved once."

Even a few girls recognized him and shyly asked if they could have an autograph.

Cheng Chen was delighted—he signed his name elegantly on their albums.

He even gave them a warm smile,

asking if they had any other requests.

After all, they were his fans—he'd kneel to spoil them!

Only at this moment did Cheng Chen realize—he really was… famous!

The explosive popularity of 'Wolf Loves Sheep' was sustained and growing—overnight, it seemed everyone hummed a line or two of "Wolf loves sheep, love's insane."

More and more record shops called Tianhai Records, demanding restocks.

Even channels that had previously rejected Wang Tianxiao's partnership now called nonstop, pressing her for 'Wolf Loves Sheep' albums.

Although Tianhai Records was rushing to increase production, Wang Tianxiao had clearly underestimated 'Wolf Loves Sheep''s impact.

Under conditions of market shortage, pirated copies were exploding.

Piracy existed in every industry, but entertainment was especially vulnerable.

The piracy problem could never be fully solved, creating opportunities for some.

These people had sharp instincts—they always tracked the hottest, earliest emerging business opportunities across industries.

There are many wealthy people who became millionaires through piracy.

Clearly, Cheng Chen and his "Wolf Loves Sheep" have already caught the attention of these scalpers.

……

About a week after "Wolf Loves Sheep" was released, the promotional campaign for "Hip-Hop After Work" had already ended.

Yet listeners still occasionally called in to request songs, and similar things were happening on other radio stations.

When one listener requested Cheng Chen's "Blue Lotus" on a music radio station and was told the host had never heard of it, he erupted in curses.

Fortunately, the clever producer cut the line under the excuse of "listener disconnected," averting a near-broadcast disaster.

The album "Wolf Loves Sheep" became a massive hit; music reporters rushed to invite Cheng Chen for interviews and shows, only to find they couldn't locate his contact information at all.

They had no choice but to reach out to Tianhai Records, but Cheng Chen at this point only wanted to quietly grow rich and refused to meet anyone.

With the album selling wildly, Wang Tianxiao naturally followed Cheng Chen's lead and turned down all interviews for him.

Unable to book him, reporters turned to print media, lavishing praise on "Wolf Loves Sheep" in music magazines.

It seemed as if Cheng Chen was poised to replace A Du as the "King of Heartbreak Ballads."

But this title had barely surfaced when it was viciously attacked by an obscure little magazine.

The magazine was called "Folk Voice"; though not widely known, it was highly respected and authoritative within the folk music circle.

"'Blue Lotus' more than anything symbolizes a spiritual force:

the yearning for freedom and Zhi Zhuo, finding hope and one's own direction amid 'chains everywhere,' standing up, and moving forward.

Undoubtedly, Cheng Chen and his 'Blue Lotus' were the most beautiful gift to the folk music scene in 2002…"

The editor's note of "Folk Voice" opened with a lengthy tribute to "Blue Lotus."

This voice in defense of "Blue Lotus" came from a major figure in the folk music circle, invited by the editor-in-chief of "Folk Voice" to write these words.

But soon, just as "Folk Voice" had criticized entertainment magazines, "Just Love Rock" — symbolizing rock spirit — also spoke out.

"'Blue Lotus' is not pop trash, nor is it damn folk — that's ROCK! Welcome to the world of rock…"

……