Chapter 327: Tomorrow Will Be Better, Hearts of All Chinese Connected

The next morning, Wei Ming finished breakfast at the hotel and headed downstairs to begin his busy day.

There he saw Tan Yonglin waiting in the lobby.

"Ah Lun, you came to see me for something?"

Tan Yonglin said: "Ah Ming, didn't you mention before that you wanted to compile all the songs you wrote for us into a collection?"

Wei Ming: "I've been hesitating, since this might affect your album sales."

Tan Yonglin was deeply moved: "There might be some impact, but you've given us the songs for free—how could we possibly care about that? Besides, this is for a good cause."

"Do B Ge and A Rong feel the same way?"

"Yes, and PolyGram is willing to handle this and donate all profits to the disaster areas."

Wei Ming hurriedly said: "You guys at PolyGram aren't trying to squeeze me dry, are you? Let me be clear—I probably won't write a single song for one or two years after this. I'm sick of seeing sheet music."

He could guess why PolyGram was so eager—Wei Ming, who wrote fast, wrote well, and handled both lyrics and melody, was practically made for exploitation. But writing so many songs at once was also a torment for him; writing lyrics was easy, but composing melodies was not.

"No, no—our general manager just admires what you've done and wants to meet you," Tan Yonglin grinned.

"Zheng Donghan?"

"Yes, would you like to meet him?"

Wei Ming: "Alright, lead the way." Several singers at the concert were from PolyGram—he should go thank them.

Still, Wei Ming wondered why Tan Yonglin had come in person—he knew Wei Ming's hotel phone number.

Only as they left the hotel did he reveal: "Ah Ming, you wrote 'Only Time'? Do you know how stunned I was when I heard it? Absolutely brilliant—sacred, mysterious, piercing straight to the soul!"

"You knew I wrote it?" Wei Ming was surprised.

"Dong Shu told me—apparently someone from headquarters told him, so he's very curious about you."

Wei Ming thought: Could this be about 'Only Time'?

He smiled: "You like it that much? Then use it at your wedding."

Tan Yonglin nodded, thinking: You don't know—I'm already married, just secretly.

Wei Ming thought: You don't know—I know you're married. I mean your second wife.

Not that he remarried—this was polygamy. No wonder they got along so well.

Tan Yonglin led the way; Wei Ming followed them to PolyGram.

At this time, PolyGram had firmly held the top spot among Hong Kong record companies, thanks not only to its wealth of musicians but also to its vital technical support—largely due to Zheng Donghan's management.

Wei Ming saw no trace of Zheng Zhongji on Zheng Donghan's face—the son was nothing like his father.

Zheng Donghan was impressive: at just twenty-four, he was already general manager of Hong Kong PolyGram and had successfully broken Deng Lijun into Japan, the world's second-largest music market.

What he admired most about Wei Ming was that he thrived even in the world's largest market—the United States.

At this point, left-wing newspapers had not yet publicized Wei Ming as the creator of 'Only Time'—Zheng Donghan had learned of it from PolyGram's London headquarters.

And London had learned of it from The Times.

The day after the Prince's wedding, The Times published an interview with Diana conducted the day before the ceremony.

The article mentioned and thanked David Emmanuel and Elizabeth Emmanuel, the designers of her wedding dress, as well as the composer of 'Only Time' for her wedding.

To ensure they wouldn't miss the name, it recommended his two books, 'The Game of the Brave' and 'The Lion King,' noting that even people his age were reading them and drawing courage from them.

"Unfortunately, this outstanding artist from distant China could not attend the wedding in person to hear his own composition, as he was raising funds for his country's disaster victims."

Given the article's space, any reader who saw it would surely become curious about him, his two books, and how a Chinese man could write such an excellent English song.

If Britain had had Weibo then, it would have topped the trending charts.

Zheng Donghan was curious too—his own company had already collaborated with Wei Ming last year and had no idea he was this talented.

So when headquarters ordered him to contact Wei Ming and secure 'Only Time,' he immediately sent Tan Yonglin, who had the closest ties to Wei Ming, to invite him over—and agreed to help produce the album.

Unfortunately, after pleasantries, Wei Ming bluntly stated: 'Only Time' now belongs to MCA.

Zheng Donghan wasn't surprised—Wei Ming's first English song had been with them, and it had become a hit. Unless MCA had stolen his money, they'd likely continue working together—MCA wasn't stupid.

"No problem—I only regret not recognizing Ah Ming's value earlier."

Wei Ming feared he'd ask for a price hike or to keep writing songs for them—but Zheng Donghan didn't say that.

Instead he asked: "Mr. Wei, didn't you say that any singer who joins the concert gets a brand-new, custom-written song for free?"

Wei Ming froze—was this guy trying to get his artists to exploit him this way?

"Mr. Zheng, the concert has limited time and must include donation segments—so we've already reached the maximum number of singers."

We've confirmed about fifteen or sixteen singers—two songs each makes over thirty songs already, fully booked.

Zheng Donghan: "Can't you add just one more? I heard there's no band for this concert."

Indeed, there was no band—the Wynners hadn't reunited because Peng Jianxin and Ye Zhiqiang weren't interested, so Beyond had kept their signature song.

"Band? Are there any bands in Hong Kong now?" Wei Ming asked.

"Not current bands—past ones," Zheng Donghan stood up, removed his glasses, and grew excited: "Could you write a song for our Playboy Band? We're middle-aged now, but we can still rock!"

Xinyicheng.

Huang Baiming was reading the newspaper's entertainment section, where one item reported that Qingniao Film Company was preparing to shoot its new film 'Mistaken Marriage for Seven Days,' directed by Tan Jiaming, starring Chung Chun-tao, Chen You, and a newcomer named Ye Tong—who looked promising.

As he read, Teddy Robin walked in.

"I know who wrote that song!"

"What song?"

"The Princess Diana red carpet song!" Teddy Robin said—they'd watched the Prince's wedding together and jokingly nicknamed the song that.

But Huang Baiming had little musical talent or interest, and asked casually: "Oh, who wrote it?"

"That mainland guy—Wei Ming!"

"Ah!" Huang Baiming was startled: "Is this guy connected to everyone?"

"The key is the quality of the work!" Teddy Robin said. "One song like that—I could never write it in my life."

Seeing how highly Teddy Robin spoke of the young man, Huang Baiming adjusted his glasses: "I heard he promised any singer who joins the concert a free, custom-written song. You're not tempted?"

The short Teddy Robin leapt onto the sofa and sat down: "Even you know about it?"

"McKee just talked Xu Guanjie out of joining last week," Huang Baiming chuckled. "That kid embarrassed him badly."

Teddy Robin: "Then just don't tell him."

As left-wing newspapers pushed the story, Wei Ming's new song 'Only Time' being officially chosen by the British royal family for the Prince's wedding became a sensation in Hong Kong.

Later, neutral papers like Ming Pao and right-leaning ones like Oriental Daily also reported it—though Oriental Daily's tone was subtly sarcastic.

Wei Ming's fame surged again, and with it, sales of Ming Pao (serializing 'The Legend of the Heavenly Book'), Ta Kung Pao, and Wen Hui Bao all skyrocketed.

Along with this odd tale, his charity concert was also spreading—Hong Kong citizens grew increasingly interested, though no one yet knew which singers would perform or where to buy tickets.

"Wait—where do we buy tickets?" asked Huang Guoxing from Kuangren Comics, who also wanted to attend—the boss had written dozens of new songs, they heard.

"Yeah, I want to go too," said Feng Zhiming, the youngest. "I've been writing so long—I need to relax."

At that moment, the company's second boss, Liu Rulong, walked in holding a stack of tickets.

"I've heard your wishes. Here are the tickets—finish your work before 5 p. . on August 8th, and you can go to the concert."

"Ah!"

"Wonderful!"

"Boss, you're the best!"

"Dragon Brother, you're the best!"

The room erupted. Liu Rulong added: "But this is a charity concert—buying tickets helps disaster victims. Free tickets wouldn't be right."

"How much is one ticket?" asked Niu Lao.

"One hundred."

"What? A hundred!" The mainlanders were the first to protest—how could it be so expensive? That was their monthly salary back home.

In fact, this price was already cheap for Hong Kong concerts—it was kept low because it was charity and held outdoors.

Still, even this low price was steep for young comic apprentices.

Liu Rulong laughed: "Just kidding—the tickets were already paid for by Ah Ming."

"Damn, Dragon Boss, you can joke too!" someone shouted, then quickly ducked into the crowd.

Liu Rulong: "Alright—I'll hold onto the tickets. Ah Ming paid for them. After the concert, I'll treat everyone to late-night snacks."

The room erupted again—Liu Rulong was slowly learning how to manage a company.

At this point, tickets had not yet gone on sale—Wei Ming had bought a batch at full price in advance to give away.

He gave them to Kuangren Comics, Langning Toy Factory, Qingniao Film Company, Yuan's Clan, Holiland Fast Food—and even gave some to Xu Jinjiang to pass along to classmates or friends.

Xu Jinjiang had thought the tickets wouldn't sell and worried about Wei Ming's concert. In the office, Song Duanyou, Zhao Liuyi, and others also feared the tickets might not sell—or might not sell out.

They had already prepared to mobilize every Hong Kong contact to buy tickets—this event could not fail. The right-wing forces were waiting to laugh at them.

August 5th was the official ticket sale date!

On August 4th, Wei Ming met a singer from Taiwan at a hotel.

His name was Chen Peter, born in 1943—in Chengdu, his mother's hometown; his father was an Air Force officer.

Later, due to war, he and his parents moved to Taiwan and lived in a military dependents' village.

In his youth, Chen Peter formed a band with a man named Tao Dawei—whose son was Tao Jiji.

Though Chen Peter was obscure in later years, he was highly famous then—his song 'Smiling Through Tears' was sung everywhere in Taiwan, and 'Alibaba' was also a massive hit.

But he was not only a singer—he also composed songs for others, like Fei Yuching's 'A Single Plum Blossom' and 'The Setting Sun Again,' and Liu Wenzheng's 'Late' and 'A Love Affair'—which was why his own fame remained modest; his classics were sung by others.

Later, in 1988, when cross-strait restrictions eased, Chen Peter immediately returned to the mainland and shifted his focus there.

At this time, he was deeply concerned for the mainland—he had long learned of the Sichuan floods from overseas newspapers and had even proposed that Taiwan's people donate to help.

But few responded—Taiwanese people had learned their lesson: during those three years, they had donated before, only to find most of the money never reached the victims—it ended up in the Chiang family's pockets.

But his suggestion caught the attention of Master Wei, who pointed him toward a clear path: Go to Hong Kong—I'll handle the rest.

Upon their first meeting, Chen Peter said: "I deeply admire Mr. Wei Ming's talent. I've listened to your several Mandarin songs and these two English ones—especially your recent hit 'Red Carpet Anthem'—it's far beyond what I could ever achieve. But I'm a musician myself, so I can't take your songs; otherwise, I couldn't answer to Taiwan."

Wei Ming laughed heartily, already pulling out 'One Cut of Plum.'

"Then thank you, Mr. Chen, for your generous help," Wei Ming said, gripping Chen Peter's hand tightly.

Chen Peter said: "But I'd like to ask you for a small favor."

"Go ahead."

Chen Peter: "When I came to Taiwan, my grandmother and younger brother stayed behind on the mainland. We lost contact for over thirty years—I don't know if my grandmother is still alive, or if my brother survived the flood. After the waters recede, could you help me find them?"

Wei Ming gave four words: "It's my duty."

Hearing Wei Ming's firm promise, Chen Peter handed him a piece of paper with addresses and the names of his grandmother and brother.

Afterwards, Chen Peter followed Wei Ming to a rehearsal hall for the first official dress rehearsal, where Zhou Hui and her choir classmates were also present.

Upon hearing each new song they'd never heard before, Chen Peter, Zhou Hui, and her classmates were stunned.

All these outstanding songs were written by Ah Ming alone? This is nothing short of a miracle!

Though Chen Peter's strength lay in Mandarin and English songs, he could still tell quality—he recognized these as nearly matching the singers' most classic tracks, even surpassing their previous best.

Even if he'd started writing only since the flood began, it had been just one month—one month producing a roomful of classics. No wonder the British princess praised him endlessly. One wonders when Taiwan's music scene will ever produce someone like this.

On this day, Ming Pao, Sin Pao, Ta Kung Pao, Wen Hui Bao, Economic Daily, TVB, and Rediffusion announced the names and lineup for the charity concert.

The 'Tomorrow Will Be Better' Charity Concert!

Performing Guests:

The Playboys, Sally Yeh, Lo Wai, Kwan Cheng Kit, Lam Tsz Sang, Wang Ming Chuen, Tan Yonglin, Chung Man Tao, Chen You, Zhang Ming Min, Chen Baiqiang, Ye Zhentang, Zhang Guorong, Xu Xiaoming, Cheng Yu Ling, and more.

A wave of shock—how luxurious is this lineup!

And this wasn't even the full list—Sarah Brightman was the surprise guest, unlisted; Chen Peter, for the sake of discretion, hadn't mentioned himself either.

After the lineup was announced, Michael Hui of Cinema City couldn't find Teddy Robin.

Meanwhile, Huang Baiming, Xu Ke, and others planned to sneakily buy tickets to attend—it was only 100 dollars. Normally, concerts by Sally Yeh or Kwan Cheng Kit cost two or three hundred—this was an unbeatable value.

The only regret for fans was that the concert focused on Wei Ming's new songs written for these singers. As longtime fans, who wants to hear your new songs? We want the classics!

August 5.

Hong Kong's major tycoons—Ho family, Li family, Cheng family, Hsu family, Pao family, Ho family—each received invitations to the 'Tomorrow Will Be Better' concert.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong citizens lined up at three ticketing points: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories.

Excluding tickets bought by Wei Ming and Xinhua News Agency, roughly twenty thousand tickets had been sold.

At the Kowloon ticketing point, Xu Jinjiang arrived early to queue.

He'd given away all his complimentary tickets to classmates—even the one he'd planned to keep for himself, he gave to Liang Jiahui, saying he needed two to go with a girl.

So Xu Jinjiang decided to buy another ticket himself—to support his friend.

But he hadn't expected so many people in line—this, this, wasn't the concern supposed to be unsold tickets?

Wei Ming: I was worried you wouldn't get tickets, so I gave you the extras!

"Hey, can you please not cut in line?" Xu Jinjiang whispered, noticing someone ahead of him.

The man sneered at him and showed off his arm tattoo. Xu Jinjiang shrank back: "I'm fine."

As he stepped back, the line ahead seemed to grow longer. Xu Jinjiang felt a bad premonition.

Sure enough, when it was his turn, the clerk said:

"Sold out."

"How can it be sold out? There were so few!" Xu Jinjiang couldn't accept it.

"Today's batch is gone. More tickets will be released tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? I won't be free tomorrow."

The clerk said: "Then try the New Territories ticketing point—there might still be some left."

Xu Jinjiang rushed to the New Territories ticketing point—but it was sold out too.

Helpless, Xu Jinjiang tracked down Liang Jiahui.

"Ah Hui, that, uh, the ticket…"

"Thanks so much—the ticket's already been given to her. My girlfriend loves it," Liang Jiahui patted Xu Jinjiang's shoulder, sincere.

Xu Jinjiang hesitated, then finally asked: "Uh, you don't mind if I go with your girlfriend to the concert, do you?"

Liang Jiahui said nothing—just gave him a look. Xu Jinjiang backed off: "Never mind—I'll think of another way."

Xinhua News Agency.

By noon, they'd received the statistics: all five thousand tickets sold on the first day. All three ticketing points reported insufficient supply, so newspapers immediately began hype.

They also decided to stop releasing five thousand tickets daily—on the next day, they'd release the remaining fifteen thousand.

Even so, by August 6, all tickets were sold out—and Xu Jinjiang, thanks to his ample ticket quota, finally got one.

After buying his ticket, scalpers had already gathered outside the ticketing point, trying to sell their tickets at high prices. By the time Xu Jinjiang left, he'd heard bids of 300 dollars.

He'd underestimated Ah Ming—this guy had real substance.

August 7. Peninsula Hotel.

The newly crowned global superstar Sarah Brightman checked in quietly.

A month later, her work topped the global music charts again, as if a celestial being had descended.

Just now, 'Only Time' debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100!

First week on the chart, number one—the entire global music industry exploded.

For Sarah's safety on her first trip to China, she brought a bodyguard.

"Melinda, are you sure you won't share a room with me? You said you'd be my bodyguard—how can a bodyguard stay in the next room?" Sarah teased, though she understood the logic.

Melinda rolled her eyes: "Hurry up and pack. Let's go eat—Hong Kong's food is excellent."

She'd often transited through Hong Kong on her way back to Britain—she knew it well.

Rehearsal hall.

The final rehearsal had just ended. Wei Ming addressed all participants: "Perfect. Thank you all for dedicating so much time to this concert. Tomorrow is up to you."

He bowed deeply. The entire hall erupted in applause—especially Ah Min, whose palms were already red from clapping.

But when she suggested going out to dinner with Ah Ming afterward, he refused.

"Ah Min, Sarah's arrived in Hong Kong today—I need to pick her up. Another time."

"I love her so much! Can you get me her autographed cassette?"

"Leave it to me," Wei Ming thumped his chest.

Several hours later, on the big bed at the Peninsula Hotel, after lovemaking, Wei Ming said: "Ask Sarah to get some autographed cassettes—she's still popular here. Good for gifting."

Melinda punched him lightly: "You say that? I told you to greet her first—you were in such a rush."

"You don't understand. I've been under a lot of pressure—I set myself a goal: raise ten million for the disaster area through this concert."

He was under pressure—and hadn't had sex in half a month. He needed release.

Melinda gently stroked him: "How much have you raised so far?"

"So far, it's just ticket sales—two million. But we have to deduct costs."

Many didn't want payment, but venue fees were unavoidable.

The remaining eight million gap depends on whether the tycoons step up.

August 8.

Wei Ming didn't linger over the Peninsula's mattress or Melinda's soft fragrance—he arrived at the venue early.

A huge banner fluttered in the center: "Tomorrow Will Be Better—All Chinese Hearts United!"

(January 8000, 9000 monthly ticket bonus update)

(End of Chapter)