[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-444":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Rising in 1979",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2261152,4412,"Chapter 444","rising-in-1979-chapter-444",444,"\u003Cp>The show ended, but there was no clip of Zhou Huimin announcing her withdrawal from the finals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>TVB cut that segment because they still needed Zhou Huimin to attract viewers, and they were confident they could persuade her to compete next week.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Anita Mui, this meant Ah Min had changed her mind, and thus she would become the biggest obstacle on her path to victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming guessed he’d still write new songs for Ah Min; he wasn’t sure if “Season of the Wind” could compete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Chongqing Building, Li Jiaxin and her two daughters had just finished watching the show; seeing Zhou Huimin advance to the finals by a massive margin, and recalling how she had exchanged glances with Wei Ming during her performance, Li Jiaxin felt a pang of irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmph, little fox spirit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her sister Li Jiaming was still excitedly saying they absolutely had to watch next week’s episode, and that many girls in her class loved Zhou Huimin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmph, traitor!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overnight, Zhou Huimin’s fanbase exploded like spring bamboo shoots after rain; her rise to fame was unstoppable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when Zhou Ma heard her daughter still wanted to compete in the finals, she hesitated slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s there to hesitate about?” Wei Ming asked Zhu Lin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not from Beijing Film Studio—would it be appropriate for me to go there to watch your short film?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not appropriate, but what can you do? You’re so famous now; coming to Beijing Film Studio is an honor.” Wei Ming was inviting Zhu Lin to see his work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Wei Ming’s persuasive tongue, Zhu Lin finally agreed, and only then did he mention buying a house for Gong Ying’s parents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know you’re filial, but my parents’ house is spacious enough—you don’t need to worry about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said that, but she was still pleased Wei Ming had been honest with her about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her delight, she rewarded Wei Ming once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by Xiao Wei’s performance tonight, he must’ve been very well-behaved in Hong Kong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course—he didn’t even take advantage when Zhou Huimin was right there in front of him; that takes serious willpower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Early the next morning, Wei Ming, Zhu Lin, and Gong Ying from Nanluoguxiang arrived one after another at Beijing Film Studio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Wei Ming had returned, Liang Xiao immediately notified the two studio heads of Children’s Film Studio and Beijing Film Studio, and several deputy heads and actors also wanted to come see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, Ge Cunzhuang brought his wife Shi Wenxin and his son Ge You; though they’d already accepted Wei Ming’s invitation, they still wanted to gauge his caliber to adjust their expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Huaiyan also brought his daughter Jiang Shan, who was on summer break, to watch the film; Wei Ming glanced at Jiang Shan—she was the same age as Ah Min but looked even younger; Ah Min wasn’t even allowed to watch, let alone her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming whispered a few words to Jiang the editor-in-chief, and Jiang Huaiyan promptly escorted Jiang Shan away; before leaving, Jiang Shan shot Wei Ming a furious look—surely this hateful handsome brother was behind this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as she left, Chen Huai’ai entered with Chen Kaige, followed by Guan Zongxiang and his son; Old Guan was currently filming Old Bao in “The Bao Family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Shan, still angry, pointed her chin at Guan Zongxiang’s nearly one-meter-ninety-tall son: “He’s my age too!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fine, Guan Hu was kicked out too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Kaige sat down calmly; he now understood his father’s plan. Though becoming Wei Ming’s assistant director was unacceptable, if Wei Ming failed to handle the project himself, and he could step in, then it might work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most surprising arrival was Li Hanxiang—he had deliberately delayed shooting by an hour just to see the quality of Wei Ming’s short film; beside him were Liu Xiaoqing and Liang Jiahui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last to arrive was the newly appointed Film Bureau director Shi Fangyu, accompanied by two colleagues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Director Shi and the two studio heads had very low expectations for this short film; as long as it properly used cameras and lighting, they didn’t even expect any sophisticated cinematography to pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But damn, after just one minute of footage, they were stunned—this, this was incredible!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Chen Kaige, the arrogant talent, was instantly captivated, not blinking once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also understood why Hu Zi and little Jiang Shan had been kicked out—this film was indeed a bit risqué; the female lead wore only a bra for almost the entire runtime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Hong Kong, no one paid much attention, since nothing was exposed, but during the screening at Beijing Film Studio, many frowned slightly, thinking the boundaries were too far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But compared to the film’s revolutionary audiovisual language, what did that matter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most had seen some foreign films; even compared to the most avant-garde French New Wave, Wei Ming’s short was outstanding!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying and Zhu Lin in the back rows were also stunned—Xiao Wei’s filmmaking ability was terrifyingly impressive!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang Jiahui was equally awestruck; he felt Xu Jin, who wasn’t known for acting, had an uncanny aura under Wei Ming’s lens—so richly textured!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn, this glasses-wearing guy is perfect for me!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even thought acting in this short might be more fun than acting in “The Empress Dowager.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While they watched “The Witness,” two groups of visitors arrived simultaneously at Zhou Huimin’s home in Hong Kong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One group was from TVB and Capital Records, including the familiar Li Xiaotian; the other was from PolyGram, where Zheng Donghan had personally brought Tan Yonglin to play the friendship card.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the time, no adults were home, so she called Lin Ni down from upstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ni Nai’s first move revealed her expertise: “I get it—you want Ah Min to compete in the finals, and you want to release an album for her. No conflict—she can appear on the show and release the album too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Donghan smiled: Fine, let PolyGram release the album.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Capital Records’ general manager Su Xiaoliang also recognized the value of the few songs Ah Min had, and her immense commercial potential; letting her go to PolyGram would be arming the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he asked: “So, Miss Zhou, are you planning to sign with PolyGram?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Zhou Huimin was about to speak, Lin Ni interrupted: “Well, it’s not impossible—PolyGram is an international giant, after all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, that won’t do,” Su Xiaoliang said. “If you appear on our show but then sign with another company, how can we maintain credibility?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Ni sighed: “Then maybe we’ll just skip the competition altogether. Ah Min was already reluctant—she’s only doing this for Little Li’s sake.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xiaotian’s chubby face instantly lit up like spring sunshine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Xiaoliang glanced at Zheng Donghan, who was waiting to pounce—damn, why did he have to show up now? Some things couldn’t be said openly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even if it was awkward, he had to say it: “Miss Zhou, have you considered signing with Capital Records? If you agree, we’ll promote you as our top star.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Donghan smiled: “Does ‘full support’ include winning the New Singer Competition?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was accusing them of rigging the contest; Su Xiaoliang replied with righteous indignation: “I believe Miss Zhou’s talent makes winning the championship effortless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Ni said: “Mr. Su makes a good point—if she wins the championship but doesn’t sign with you, it would seem inconsistent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Xiaoliang beamed: “Exactly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Ni: “Then we won’t compete—she’ll just perform one song on the show to satisfy the audience. What do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, this?” Su Xiaoliang hesitated—his goal was to persuade Zhou Huimin to compete, and this did count as participation, enough to guarantee ratings and buzz—but could they still sign her to Capital Records?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He and Zheng Donghan exchanged glances; both knew it was nearly impossible to fully secure Zhou Huimin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t just some rich girl or promising prospect—behind her stood a creative genius on par with Huang Zhan and Gu Jiahui; they couldn’t offend her or manipulate her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Su Xiaoliang and Zheng Donghan each compromised: Su agreed Zhou Huimin would only appear on the show, not compete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the three songs she performed on the show would be recorded and released as a mini-album by Capital Records.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In return, TVB would allow Haoli Lai to insert an advertisement during the finals and help promote Zhou Huimin’s songs at the Jade Solid Gold Awards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PolyGram would produce Zhou Huimin’s first solo album, featuring Wei Ming’s Mandarin and Cantonese songs: “First Love,” “The Maiden’s Prayer,” “Little Insect Flying,” “In Pairs,” “Pink Memories,” “A Rare True Lover,” and “Tomorrow Will Be Better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the final song Zhou Huimin performed in the New Singer Competition would be reserved for Capital Records’ album; any missing tracks would be commissioned by PolyGram.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Zhou Huimin wouldn’t sign contracts with either company—only album agreements—so she could collaborate with PolyGram this time and Capital Records next time, depending on who found better songs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, both sides hoped to simply grab ready-made material—waiting to see how many more top-tier songs Wei Ming would write for Zhou Huimin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before leaving, Zheng Donghan made a suggestion: “I think Ah Min should start her own company, solely signed to her, to manage her personal brand, and then collaborate between companies—it would be simpler.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, Zhou Huimin discussed it with Lin Ni; Ni Nai suggested consulting Wei Lingling: “She’s a college student—she’d definitely understand this!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Huimin nodded—college was still necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After watching it three times, the screening of “The Witness” finally ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Hanxiang had to leave—otherwise the entire crew would be delayed; today they were filming the big scene where Biao beats up foreigners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He barely had time to say to Wei Ming: “This is a short film that will go down in cinema history!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang Jiahui and Liu Xiaoqing declared: “Any role in any future film—just call us!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Cunzhuang brought his son to Wei Ming: “Xiao Wei, when are we shooting this movie?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even used his hometown dialect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Kaige and his father also looked at Wei Ming; Chen Huai’ai no longer wished for his son to replace him—he only hoped his son could learn from Wei Ming, who was truly a treasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t decide that,” he said, turning to Director Shi and the two studio heads. “We still don’t know if ‘The Children of the Spring’ will be approved.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1732,"2026-06-19T16:30:59.356Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3e29fb22ae429aa5cfaad0a7cc9528c1c2beb587d26a856ac21307a05d825525","rising-in-1979-chapter-445","rising-in-1979-chapter-443",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]