Chapter 115

At 09:08 on June 6, 2001, in the capital, the launch event for Zhou Yi's new album "Jiangnan" was underway.

Even though the official start of the event was still one hour away, the venue was packed with media reporters, all armed with cameras and microphones, their necks adorned with identity badges issued earlier by Warner, clearly stating their companies and organizations.

In casual conversations, every topic inevitably circled back to the man who, over the past week, had ignited a nationwide "rule of law" trend—Zhou Yi.

Though his debut had not yet reached a full year, he had accomplished what countless entertainers over the past two or three decades had desperately wanted to do but never managed.

Whether or not Warner was merely stoking hype, Zhou Yi's sheer courage was truly astonishing and admirable to everyone in the industry.

Of course, most still doubted him.

A nineteen-year-old boy, whether called impulsive or overreaching, was still understandable given his age.

As Yang Shoucheng, the CEO of Emperor Entertainment in Xiangjiang, had said in a previous interview: "If I had achieved Zhou Yi's results at nineteen, I'd be even more arrogant."

"As Zhou Yi himself said, isn't it the nature of youth to be bold and fiery?"

"Whether it's Xie Tingfeng or Zhou Yi, both dare to say no to paparazzi and rumors—that's precisely the sharp edge of this new generation of youth…"

Though he himself didn't understand why Warner was so willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with Zhou Yi against the media, Yang Shoucheng still took the opportunity to boast.

After all, Xie Tingfeng was equally defiant in front of the press, especially toward paparazzi.

But under Emperor Entertainment's pressure, Xie Tingfeng had repeatedly suppressed his outbursts.

In Yang Shoucheng's view, this was the true way to deal with paparazzi—they were a stubborn skin disease, a festering sore in the entertainment industry, not to be ignored.

Warner was spoiling Zhou Yi too much.

Filing so many lawsuits at once? Only a giant like Warner could afford to ignore the cost; any smaller mid-sized company would collapse under the strain.

To hype Zhou Yi's album launch today, Warner had also invited numerous foreign media outlets—

Japanese, Korean, and even American ones.

Several white men with "TIME Magazine" badges on their chests stood out conspicuously among the sea of Asian faces.

No wonder many joked that Zhou Yi's treatment couldn't possibly be explained by being a "Warner favorite son"—he must be a "Warner actual father" level.

If this backfired, the damage wouldn't just fall on Zhou Yi—it would hit Warner too.

Honestly, when these people appeared, some media members unfamiliar with Zhou Yi's overseas achievements were taken aback—

Though all were under Warner's umbrella, wasn't it insane for Zhou Jianhui to directly bring TIME Magazine reporters here to support Zhou Yi?

Is Zhou Yi really your father?

One hour later, at 10:08.

Dressed in a sharp suit, Zhou Yi walked onto the stage with Zhou Jianhui, Warner's general manager, and Song Ke, head of Warner Maitian Music.

Below, the eagerly waiting reporters all snapped their shutters—

Simultaneously, every one of the dozens of reporters on-site received a gift from Warner's staff: a deluxe CD of Zhou Yi's new album "Jiangnan."

It fit perfectly with today's album launch theme.

On the album cover, Zhou Yi stood proudly beneath the Lushan waterfall, strikingly handsome—just standing there, he gave the impression of a refined young master.

Whether in composition, lighting, or lines, it was flawless.

Fuck!

This face is genuinely fucking handsome!

Warner clearly knew how to sell albums—the poster included with the deluxe CD showed Zhou Yi looking absolutely stunning.

If any wealthy housewives in Xiangjiang saw this, they'd buy up the first batch of albums in a flash.

Many Xiangjiang reporters, the moment they saw the poster, could already foresee the storm this album would stir in Xiangjiang.

Tall, straight-backed, good posture, and damn handsome—definitely a housewife killer.

Zhou Yi's album audience would likely extend far beyond just the youth.

"I feel a bit awkward giving you all albums—it's like an old woman selling melons, praising her own goods—and I'm shy."

Onstage, Zhou Yi adjusted the microphone, saw the press officer signal him, then smiled and teased: "But I have no choice—Zhou and Song both say it's the rule, so I'm just following orders. Please don't mind."

"Of course, if you have complaints, feel free to talk to Zhou or Song—they're the ones who decided this. I'm just an innocent singer."

After this unconventional opening, Zhou Yi, relaxed and at ease, began friendly Q&A sessions in order, calling on several reporters who had received red envelopes.

"My expectations for this album? At the very least, it shouldn't be worse than my first. If possible, I hope its sales exceed my first album—that would count as progress."

"Two million copies? No, no, I never said that—you did."

"Has the lawsuit affected me? Honestly, yes—but I have no other strength except stubbornness. I'll fight these media outlets that spread malicious rumors to the end—I refuse any settlement."

"Why name the album 'Jiangnan'? Because it's the central concept—I won't spoil more, but I can say this album is a new personal experiment."

"…"

After repeatedly answering questions from domestic media, Zhou Yi finally called on the foreign reporters.

The foreign journalists were polite, especially the Korean reporter who knew Zhou Yi's songs from last year had gone viral in Korea after being covered: "Mr. Zhou Yi, given your dance tracks in your first album gained a large fanbase in Korea, do you plan to release songs in Korean?"

"Not yet, because I don't understand Korean well. If I'm to write songs in Korean, I'll need to learn it first."

"Thank you very much to the Korean fans for their love—I'll do my best to learn."

Zhou Yi smiled, speaking fluent English, and casually made a big promise.

When the Japanese reporter asked his question, it caught Zhou Yi off guard: "Mr. Zhou Yi, what do you think about your song beating Utada Hikaru to become the theme song for Jackie Chan's 'Rush Hour 2'?"

"I don't know—you should ask the film's producers. Maybe my song was just more suitable?"

"Many fans in Japan call you the successor to the Dance King. What do you think of that title?"

"Thank you for the fans' kindness—I'll keep working hard."

"…"

As the Japanese and Korean reporters chimed in, Zhou Yi's achievements—his songs being licensed for cover versions by Japanese and Korean singers—suddenly became clear to some underinformed mainland reporters, leaving them stunned.

While other mainland singers were still earning RMB, Zhou Yi was already earning USD?

In this era, with just this achievement alone, Zhou Yi was already far ahead. Why hadn't Warner loudly promoted this before???

After the new album launch conference ended, just as Zhou Yi had expected, numerous influential mainland media outlets immediately reported his story of "sitting at home, lying down, and earning US dollars."

"The Light of the Chinese Music Scene! The First Person to Counter-Attack the Japanese and Korean Music Scenes!"

"The Number One in the Mainland! Japanese and Korean Fans Long to See Zhou Yi!"

"Zhou Yi's New Album Released! One Song Captures the Graceful Charm of Jiangnan!"

"..."

Compared to the mainland media's behavior of praising in a rigid, by-the-book manner, the Hong Kong media were much more unrestrained—

"Punching Leon Lai, Kicking Guo Fucheng! Little Guo Tianwang Zhou Yi Rules in Japan and Korea!"

"Japan and Korea Bow to His Might, No One Else Will Do! Little Guo Tianwang Zhou Yi Wins the Hearts of Japanese and Korean Women!"

"..."

"Bow to His Might" is actually quite passable.

Due to the profound depth of Chinese characters, Zhou Yi momentarily couldn't quite pin down what exactly this term meant.

However, the mainland audience was quite surprised; had Zhou Yi actually become so successful?

Could he actually go out and show off his power and glory?

In the year 2001, an era desperately needing to build confidence, Zhou Yi, as the sole survivor selling copyrights back to the Japanese and Korean music scenes, immediately sparked curiosity among the social backbone generation accustomed to buying newspapers and reading news daily.

At the same time, almost simultaneously, music stores across the two shores and three regions began playing a single song; its beautiful and moving melody, carrying the lingering charm inherent in Chinese culture, floated into the hearts of every passerby—

"We who do not understand the torment of love, hate, and romance all thought that loving was as fickle as the wind and clouds,

"Believing that one day of love outweighs eternity,

"Freezing time in that very instant~"

(End of this chapter)