[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty":3,"chapter-the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-chapter-15":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The King of 2000: A Mandopop Dynasty",{"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},2301271,4501,"Chapter 15: Chapter Fifteen: The Young Zhou Dong Crawling Down the Hallway","the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-chapter-15",15,"\u003Cp>Form-fitting clothing, tailored to perfection, accentuated the woman’s curvaceous, fiery figure; at just over 1.6 meters tall, her beautiful, sweat-drenched face perfectly embodied the industry’s ironclad rule: “Red qi nourishes the person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fashion and sensuality displayed by Sun Yanzi and Zhang Shaohan at this moment were absent here, and Zhou Yi instinctively brightened—then offered a friendly introduction: “Hello, Miss Xiao, I hope I haven’t disturbed you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yaxuan, in the early 2000s, was the only woman to dominate the young female singer charts before Sun Yanzi emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Debuting at the end of 1999, her debut album, produced and released by Virgin Music, sold out within just one week, toppling numerous established stars as a newcomer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To date, her debut album’s sales are on track to reach 500,000 copies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s a terrifying number.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the rising tide of piracy threatening the physical music industry, a newcomer selling tens of thousands of albums solely on Baodao was undeniably an instant smash hit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, for many netizens today who never witnessed her peak, their only two impressions of Xiao Yaxuan are likely the nickname “Meat Grinder for Fresh Meat” and the infamous live performance scene: “I say hey, you say hey.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, up until 2005, Xiao Yaxuan remained the second most popular figure among the “Big Four, Little Three,” trailing only Sun Yanzi. Her signature songs—“The Most Familiar Stranger,” “A Solo Splendor,” “Love’s Main Theme”—were all released in these years, sweeping every street and alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially “Love’s Main Theme.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the “Big Four, Little Three,” Xiao Yaxuan was the first to explode in popularity through dance-pop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is precisely why, when Cai Yilin later transitioned into dance-pop and surpassed her, factions of their fanbases became hostile toward each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, it’s fine—I’ve already finished practicing, otherwise I wouldn’t have come out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the first major star Zhou Yi encountered after arriving on Baodao, Xiao Yaxuan didn’t treat him with disdain despite his obscurity; instead, she kindly offered advice: “If you’re here to practice dance, I suggest you change out of these clothes first—the dressing room is on 302.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>T-shirt and jeans work fine for daily wear, but wearing them to dance is asking too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone who finds their way here to practice dance is either a rising star backed by the company or an industry veteran; seeing Zhou Yi’s young, unfamiliar face, Xiao Yaxuan figured making a small goodwill gesture wouldn’t hurt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As everyone knows, Xiao Yaxuan is a visual addict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you for the reminder, Miss Xiao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing the pop star’s kindness, Zhou Yi returned a polite smile: “But this is my first time here—I’m just here to get familiar today, probably won’t be dancing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First time? Are you a new artist from Warner?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yaxuan hadn’t forgotten the staff’s earlier mention of Warner, and she was curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Virgin Records’ undisputed top female artist, having debuted over half a year ago, Xiao Yaxuan naturally understood the industry’s ecosystem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But wasn’t Warner’s planned newcomer this year a woman?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How did it become a man?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is Warner throwing up smoke screens?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No wonder—I thought I’d never seen you before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yaxuan nodded, choosing not to press further—after all, further questions would touch on Warner’s album strategy—and offered the usual platitude: “Keep going—you’re so handsome, you’ll definitely blow up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thanks for the good wishes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi smiled and watched as the future dance queen swayed away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, setting aside her later messy love life, Xiao Yaxuan, now entering her career peak, had a physique that ranked among the top female stars emerging in the millennium.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the female stars he’d met so far, Sun Yanzi—no need to elaborate—came from a wealthy family and carried a clean, simple aura;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Shaohan was similar, even thinner at this stage, purely the wholesome neighbor-girl type.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only one Zhou Yi could think of who clearly surpassed Xiao Yaxuan in looks, physique, and even height was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Hao, currently still studying at the Central Academy of Drama, not yet the nation’s darling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the way, when was “Pink Lady” filmed, the drama that made Cheng Hao famous nationwide?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling Cheng Hao’s refusal of “Li Wei as Official” yesterday, and with nothing else to do, Zhou Yi began recalling this childhood favorite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It aired in April 2003—so it must’ve been filmed in 2002?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re Zhou Yi?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, his teacher—a middle-aged man with shoulder-length hair tied into a ponytail—appeared precisely at the dance studio door, holding a file from Warner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi snapped back to attention and rose from his chair: “Yes, Teacher Liu Xiong, I’m Zhou Yi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The file says you danced in mainland China before—what style?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A bit of street dance, but not much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can you split? Ever trained fundamentals?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After closing the studio door, Liu Xiong cut straight to the point without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi was honest: “No, never.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t a professional dancer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiong didn’t mince words: “Go change—Warner prepared your gear. Room 303, locker with your name on it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not gonna make me split, are they?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi’s eyelid twitched imperceptibly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turns out, he was right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, his suspicion was correct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Relax, no pressure—I’ll monitor your condition. I just need to assess your physical attributes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Push hard—imagine your upper body as a heavy hammer, press down as far as you can...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Liu Xiong, ever expressionless, held Zhou Yi to his own high standards, the latter finally experienced his first real pain in life—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaah! Pain! Pain!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t mind it—this is normal. Your physique is excellent. Believe in yourself—there’s still plenty of potential to unlock.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“????”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi, having failed to elicit sympathy, clung to the bar, face twisted in agony—his hesitant, struggling posture stirred Liu Xiong’s hunter’s instinct, and the teacher stepped in himself—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaaah!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time in his life, Zhou Yi truly wore the mask of agony—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fuck! After this album, I’m never dancing again!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singing-and-dancing idols suffer this much from the start?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Relax—given your muscle mass, your flexibility isn’t bad. When I trained Guo Fucheng, I was far harsher—he never made a sound...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi wanted to say, “Teacher, times have changed,” but knowing this was still the early 2000s, where endurance and grit ruled, he swallowed the words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suffer now, reap rewards later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s all he could tell himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. Now let’s check your waist and hips—huh? Your waist and hips are actually decent?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As one of the most critical areas in dance, waist flexibility determines whether a dancer can even enter the field, let alone reach the top.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Liu Xiong’s surprise, Zhou Yi, who had screamed through the previous test, now moved with surprising ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi could only scratch his head, offering no explanation—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m just naturally gifted!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of the dark month ahead, Zhou Yi’s eyes slowly lost their light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Liu Xiong dragged him through a series of basic tests, Zhou Yi, his dance training over, looked like a pampered boy just drained by a wealthy woman— Jingshenweimibuzhen .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he walked into the massage and relaxation area, freshly finished with muscle recovery, Xiao Yaxuan stepped out of the adjacent therapy room and saw him—her expression was startled: “Mr. Zhou, you’re...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just call me Zhou Yi, Miss Xiao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weakly, Zhou Yi forced a smile: “First time ever—I’ve been utterly broken.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First time always hurts. Once your body adapts, it’ll get easier.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As someone who’d been there, Xiao Yaxuan instantly understood, her eyes crinkling in amusement: “Don’t call me Miss Xiao—we’re colleagues. Call me Elva or Yaxuan. Elva’s my English name.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>………………………………………………………………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baodao, Alpha Company, ALFA Recording Studio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young man with bangs hanging nearly to his eyes removed his headphones, stood up, and gave a thumbs-up to those in the studio: “Done. No issues.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew, finally finished. Hey, Jielun, wanna go play basketball to unwind?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside Jielun, a man in a gray tank top, his muscular frame clearly visible, leaned back and exhaled, then turned to invite him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sure, I’ll just wash up at your place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Jielun, having completed the demo recording, nodded without hesitation—then, as if remembering something, turned to his friend: “Henghong, you said that guy who could kick a basketball into the hoop with his foot—was that real? You’re not pulling my leg, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why would I lie to you? Even if I lied to anyone, I wouldn’t lie about something like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Henghong rolled his eyes and nodded toward a graceful figure exiting the studio: “Ask Wen Lan—she was there too. You just arrived late and missed it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“True. I can confirm—he wasn’t lying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Lan, having just finished recording, also sighed in relief and smiled: “That guy was actually really handsome—I think he’s even better-looking than Xie Tingfeng from Hong Kong, and taller too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a rising female singer, Wen Lan was no stranger to the currently popular Xie Tingfeng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though they’d never met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forget it—you’re overthinking. Real talents exist among the common folk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his friend still fixated on his earlier claim, Liu Henghong chuckled: “If you want to do it, just practice harder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, since becoming close, he’d noticed this stubborn streak in Zhou Jielun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You could call him shy or quiet, laugh at his mumbled lyrics during demo recordings—he wouldn’t argue. But if you said he was bad at basketball, he’d argue every detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, maybe he’s from a soccer team—professionally trained to kick, so kicking a basketball into the hoop isn’t that strange.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Lan, who also understood Jielun’s stubbornness, smiled: “But if you’re going to play basketball later, can I join? I just finished recording ‘Hell Angel,’ no schedule today—might as well relax.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a female singer who debuted with an album at the end of 1999, Wen Lan was now the most famous among the trio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though that fame was still relative—the tallest among dwarfs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Genghong needed no explanation—he was clearly past his prime, and Zhou Jielun was still an unknown, currently writing and selling songs at Alpha Company.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of the songs he wrote weren’t wanted; over 90 percent were rejected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, let’s pack up and get going.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Genghong was a man of action; as soon as the plan was settled, he strode forward, picked up the basketball left on the resting area, and headed out the company gate: “Let’s play at the court near my place—we can shower right after.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Liu Genghong’s home was the closest to Alpha Company, his bathroom had naturally become the group’s shared shower room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Wen Lan rarely went there; only Zhou Jielun visited regularly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on, come on—I’ve come up with a new shooting technique, really cool…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Jielun, his eyes brightening at the mention of basketball, slung an arm around his best friend’s shoulder and enthusiastically explained his painstakingly developed new skill—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only to lose decisively in the pickup game that followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lost badly…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Night fell, and the basketball court’s lights couldn’t soothe Zhou Jielun’s wounded spirit. Even as they returned to Liu Genghong’s place to shower, he kept muttering, explaining his new shooting method—eight shots, six airballs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t stop thinking about it, even while showering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Probably because he took so long, he emerged an hour later to receive identical disapproving glares from Liu Genghong and Wen Lan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you didn’t come out soon, I was going to call the police,” grumbled Liu Genghong, the homeowner who had already prepared to shower but had waited this long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Lan, watching a variety show on the sofa, laughed uncontrollably: “Eat first, Jielun—I saved this for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere inside remained peaceful—no one noticed the odorless, colorless gas leaking—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until Wen Lan on the sofa first felt something wrong, collapsed, and began foaming at the mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Genghong! Something’s wrong! Wen Lan’s foaming at the mouth!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Jielun, a young man who’d never seen anything like this, panicked, leapt up—and suddenly felt the world spin, collapsing straight to the floor!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jielun?! Wen Lan?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Genghong, also sensing something was wrong, frantically called for help—but due to his blurred consciousness and slurred speech, the operator mistook it for a prank call and hung up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No! This won’t do! Jielun! I’ll keep calling—you crawl out and knock on the neighbors’ doors for help! Hurry!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Genghong shook his head hard, struggling to hold onto his last shred of clarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pale-faced, Zhou Jielun crawled like a caterpillar out of the living room and into the hallway, wriggling under the dim light, trying to reach a door to beg for help—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Holy shit! What’s that on the floor?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Zhou Yi returned home after completing his daily training, under the stars and moon, he saw the wriggling mass in the hallway and was startled out of his wits!\u003C\u002Fp>",2119,"2026-06-20T07:33:41.161Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","98595137a05275428df1cc0a5000008332520c8f03bc96c710047c67eec99d9d","the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-chapter-16","the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-chapter-14",883,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-cover.jpg"]