Chapter 108: Asia

"Congratulations, Zhou Yi—you’re tonight’s biggest winner. Can you share your thoughts right now?"

"Thoughts? How to put it? Like drinking the first cold Coke on a hot summer day—pure relief?"

After the Golden Melody Awards ceremony ended, Zhou Yi handed all his trophies to his parents for safekeeping, then joined the crowd backstage for the unified press interviews.

Facing the cameras, Zhou Yi, clearly in high spirits, gave a spontaneous ad for Coca-Cola, his sponsor. Then, he raised a hand to smooth his slightly tousled bangs as if checking himself in a mirror, grinning and teasing, "I’m such a great product spokesperson—I suggest Coca-Cola give me a bonus after seeing this news."

"..."

The Dongfeng TV female host, encountering such a flamboyant reply for the first time, momentarily lost her composure and couldn’t immediately respond.

Fortunately, Sun Yanzi, ever kind-hearted, noticed the host’s awkwardness—her improvisation skills clearly didn’t match Wu Zongxian’s—and stepped in to help: "If I were Coca-Cola, I’d deduct your bonus—you stole my Best New Artist award."

The Dongfeng TV host snapped back to reality and shot Sun Yanzi a grateful look, then hurried off to interview the next person without delay.

Zhou Yi’s level is just too high—she’s no seasoned pro like Wu Zongxian; she can’t control the scene. They need an elder veteran.

"Congratulations, Zhou Yi."

Since they were backstage, away from the flood of cameras, Jay Chou had regained his composure and no longer carried the disappointment from the award ceremony. He walked over, laughing, and punched Zhou Yi lightly on the chest—

"But I’m confident about my album this year. Next year’s Golden Melody Awards, I won’t lose so badly."

"That’s not so certain—my second album isn’t just for show."

After feigning a grimace and pretending to rub his chest, Zhou Yi raised an eyebrow smugly: "Let’s see who buys whom a bubble tea when the time comes."

"Get lost."

Jay Chou, still very conscious of his physique, laughed and scolded: "I’m not you—I don’t even like bubble tea. Go ahead and drink it all. When you turn into a fat ball and your physical condition drops, I’ll surpass you without breaking a sweat."

"..."

Zhou Yi’s expression turned slightly odd.

I get the logic—but why does it sound so weird coming out of your mouth, Jay Chou?

"Let me introduce you—this is Fang Wenshan. I mentioned him to you before—he wrote the lyrics for many of my album’s songs." Because Zhou Yi had never been to Taiwan before, Jay Chou had never had the chance to introduce Fang Wenshan to him.

Now, taking advantage of the Golden Melody Awards, he brought his longtime collaborator to meet Zhou Yi in person.

"Pleasure to meet you."

Zhou Yi politely extended his hand. Fang Wenshan, still unknown in the industry, hurried to shake it warmly: "Nice to meet you, sir—I’ve heard so much about you."

With Jay Chou’s introduction, even Sun Yanzi exchanged contact information with the lyricist.

Another significance of awards ceremonies like the Golden Melody Awards lies here—

Whether you knew each other before or not, any musician appearing on this stage had reached the pinnacle of the industry within the past year—this was a way to expand your network.

Some, like Fang Wenshan now, needed Jay Chou’s fame to help build connections; others, like Zhou Yi, simply stood still and attracted a swarm of admirers—both male and female.

"So sometimes, being too brilliant is a sin."

"Sin? You looked pretty happy swapping numbers with those female singers."

Sun Yanzi, also a focal point tonight due to her three nominations and the massive sales of her past two albums, rolled her eyes at the man, then stared at the long list of new phone numbers on her phone, sighing: "How many New Year messages am I going to have to send?"

"Is there a chance you’re just receiving their congratulations?"

"But I have to reply—otherwise it’s rude."

Sun Yanzi muttered in annoyance, when suddenly a loud, cheerful laugh rang out—so loud it carried across half the backstage area.

She looked up, following the sound, and saw Na Ying, beaming with excitement, surrounded by a crowd, chatting animatedly.

"It’s Na Ying—I heard she’s already signed a contract with the company and will officially join Warner after the Golden Melody Awards. The official announcement should come tomorrow or the day after."

Tugging gently on Zhou Yi’s wine-red suit sleeve, Sun Yanzi tiptoed and whispered into his ear: "This isn’t even a secret in Taiwan anymore."

Chen Zeshan, Warner’s deputy general manager, had received board approval for his plan to build a “Queen’s Palace,” and Na Ying was his first target.

After Warner’s Zhou Jianhui successfully bet on Zhou Yi and Sun Yanzi last year, turning the company around, Chen Zeshan now had even more confidence in poaching talent.

Zhang Huimei, who had hinted at refusal last year, had now softened her stance—especially after learning Na Ying had committed to Warner.

"I also heard the company plans to throw her a grand welcome ceremony—like a wedding—with flower girls. I really want to be a flower girl, scattering petals—it sounds fun. Want to come?"

Sun Yanzi blinked, turning to Zhou Yi, who clearly wasn’t interested. He shook his head: "No time. I’ll only make it to the celebration party in two days—after that, I’m busy with my album."

He’d just won four major awards at the Golden Melody Awards—Warner had to throw a massive party to justify its reputation as a moneyed giant.

In fact, his estimate was still too conservative.

After spending only a short time backstage, Zhou Yi received a call from his agent, Qian Jiang—

"The company has booked a hotel. We’re holding your celebration on the 10th. Budget: one million."

Six.

In this era, one million wasn’t a small sum.

Zhou Yi hung up, blinked, and for a moment didn’t know what to say. He could imagine how long Zhou Jianhui had been holding back—only now, in this perfect moment, did he unleash such a massive spending spree.

The next day, he saw just how powerful Zhou Jianhui’s money could be—

"Golden Melody King! The Hottest Newcomer of the Millennium, Zhou Yi, Makes a Glorious Transformation!"

"Four Golden Melody Trophies, Album Sales Approaching Two Million—Zhou Yi Is Now Undisputed Asia’s Little King!"

"Conquering All of Asia! Zhou Yi Did It in Less Than a Year!"

"Night of Golden Melody Records! The Little King Arrives! Zhou Yi’s Momentum Only Grows Stronger!"

"The Two-Zhou Rivalry Ends! Zhou Yi Wins Four Out of Six! Jay Chou Suffers Total Defeat—All Nominations Lost!"

"..."

Not only Taiwan’s media, but mainland and Hong Kong outlets, too—all on May 6th, simultaneously featured Zhou Yi’s sweep of four major awards on their entertainment pages, officially crowning him “Asia’s Little King.”

Warner’s strength as an international company was evident here—its powerful traditional media channels instantly broadcasted Zhou Yi’s achievements worldwide.

(End of Chapter)