Chapter 35

"My teacher has already arranged the theater for filming and the performers for 'Hua Tian Cuo,' but you'll need to cover the costs for this period."

"No problem. You might not know, Warner's short on everything except money like mine."

Zhou Yi pointed proudly at the newspaper in the woman's hand: "This is my capital."

"So it's gossip, then?"

"Not exactly. To be honest, Xiao Yaxuan has been after me."

Zhou Yi unfolded the newspaper and pointed to Xiao Yaxuan's photo beneath his own portrait, dead serious: "I just thought her sincerity wasn't enough, so I turned her down—for now."

Hearing this, Cheng Hao's eyes curled into a smile: "What kind of wording is that? 'After you'? You really think you're Tang Seng's flesh, that every woman wants to take a bite?"

"I'm way handsomer than Tang Seng, and besides, the Elder's demeanor is all solemn and dignified—not my style at all."

"..."

"Demeanor? Really?"

Cheng Hao, feeling distinctly uneasy, snatched back her own purchased newspaper and gave the man a glare: "Alright, spit it out—how do you want me to help you shoot the MV?"

"If I remember right, your final exams are coming up soon."

"Exams aren't urgent."

For Zhou Yi, the law department's final exams were easy to pass—he wasn't worried at all. Instead, he pulled a cassette tape with a beautifully packaged cover from his pocket and waved it in front of Cheng Hao: "Before that, let me give you a gift."

On the cassette's cover, Zhou Yi's outfit radiated a timeless kind of coolness; one glance struck Cheng Hao right in the sweet spot, her face filled with surprise: "Your album cassette is already out?"

"Not yet. This is just a special early compilation I rushed to make—many parts are still unfinished. Since you helped me out so much, it'd be rude not to give you something."

Zhou Yi handed the cassette to Cheng Hao with unreserved generosity: "Money? You don't need it. A bag or watch? Too cliché. This feels more meaningful."

"But you can't leak it—at least not before my album officially releases."

"Because if I fail, this might be the only unfinished cassette album of my life."

In the year 2000, cassette albums had not yet been phased out and remained one of the mainstream ways music was distributed.

Compared to CDs, which typically cost between 20 and 30 yuan, cassettes cost only around ten yuan—lower in both purchase and usage cost, making them far more accessible to the general public.

Of course, pirated ones cost even less.

A cassette sold for seven or eight yuan, nine yuan—common enough. A CD at fifteen yuan? Also common.

Some unscrupulous pirates even slashed CD prices down to ten yuan, regardless of quality—as long as you could hear something. It was truly a slap in the face for every major music company.

"You've got some conscience. I didn't waste my time helping you."

Upon hearing this was the only unfinished cassette album, Cheng Hao happily accepted it, her face glowing with satisfaction: "So when's your album coming out?"

"July 1st. The first day of summer vacation."

Zhou Yi, brimming with confidence, waved his hand with the air of a man swallowing the world: "Just watch how I carve my way through this summer—the most fiercely competitive season in the music industry."

As the golden season for album releases, every summer was the peak of music traffic—and also the fiercest battleground.

From May through September, if an album could break through this brutal competition, it stood a high chance of dominating the market, riding its high rankings to rake in massive profits afterward.

He had to prepare for his final exams in June, so promoting the album would be impossible. After consulting with Warner's general manager, they decided to release it on July 1st.

Though summer vacation start dates varied by region, July was unquestionably the beginning of summer—the perfect time to ignite fans' purchasing desire.

Summer, after all, meant heat.

"Go for it! Crush Ren Xianqi and Xie Tingfeng!"

Watching the man's confident demeanor, Cheng Hao, grinning, joined in the chant.

As the two generations of superstar kings straddling the turn of the century, Ren Xianqi and Xie Tingfeng were the iconic figures of Taiwan and Hong Kong respectively.

Ren Xianqi, whose song "Heart Too Soft" swept across Asia, remained at his peak as he entered the millennium, having just released his new album "Wandering for Love," featuring hits like "Spring Flowers Will Bloom," "Can't Die," and the bombastic "Endless Horizon."

Xie Tingfeng, who had just appeared on the mainland's New Year's Eve Gala, had surpassed Ren Xianqi in popularity, replacing the fading Four Heavenly Kings as Hong Kong's sole rival in face value, with his song "Thank You for Loving Me 1999" winning countless fans.

And the mainland? The mainland had nothing.

While these two gods clashed, mainland media could only split into two camps, cheering for one side or the other.

"No problem. Starting July, I'm the number one of the mainland music scene!"

Zhou Yi's bold declaration before Cheng Hao drew no sneer—only her gentle, smiling encouragement:

"Good. Starting July, you're the number one of the mainland music scene. So, Mr. Number One, what are your thoughts on your album going platinum?"

Cheng Hao mimicked an interviewer, fist clenched.

"Thoughts? None. If I must say something..."

Zhou Yi, acting especially arrogant—or perhaps childish—stopped walking, tilted his head up at a forty-five-degree angle toward the sky: "There's not a single one who can fight."

Cheng Hao, playing the audience, clapped loudly and cheered, "Bravo!"

……………………………………………………

Three days later, May had passed; the scorching summer of June had officially arrived.

Zhou Yi, back alone on the Peking University campus, received a message from Zhou Jianhui: the summer release schedules of every major record company.

Zhou Yi's fading memory sharpened as he saw the album titles and song names on the list.

The Chinese-language music scene in the year 2000 had officially entered an era of generational transition. This summer, it would witness a brutal, bloody battle.

Li Ming of Hong Kong's Four Heavenly Kings released his album "BJ Station" at the end of May; the electronic dance track "The Night Gets More Organic" reaffirmed his status as the prince of Chinese-language electronic music.

On June 2, Zhang Xinzhe, Sony Music's prince of love songs, released his new album "Faith," led by the title track "Faith."

On June 5, Wang Lihong, another rising star under Sony Music, released his new album "The First Day Forever," featuring a remixed version of "Descendants of the Dragon."

To Warner's marketing analysts, this man—who in 1999 had won both Golden Melody Award for Best Singer and Best Album Producer, the youngest double winner in the award's history—was unquestionably Zhou Yi's fiercest rival.

Meanwhile, Warner had received another piece of news.

Xie Tingfeng, currently the hottest singer in mainland China, had also set his second new album for July 1st.

"Should we delay? Zhou Yi? Xie Tingfeng's popularity is too high, and this is a Mandarin album." After analyzing Xie Tingfeng's current advantages, Zhou Jianhui, Warner's general manager, advised.

Even with pre-release hype and Warner's ongoing efforts to maintain media presence, Zhou Yi still had no foundation.

The young people's market is only so big; if Xie Tingfeng takes an extra share, others get less.

"No need, I have this confidence."

Zhou Yi, who insisted on claiming a share of the summer blockbuster season, refused.

June 9.

On the day Zhou Yi's "Flower Field Mistake" music video began filming, Singaporean singer Sun Yanzi, under Warner Music, officially debuted with her self-titled album "Sun Yanzi"!