Chapter 39: Zhou, Wang, Lin Mobilize

On January 1, 2000, a morning newspaper called The Daily New Report was founded in Jin City.

While most mainland morning papers still focused on cultural and serious news, this paper, launched on New Year’s Day for good luck, also quietly established an entertainment news department to keep up with Hong Kong’s trends.

A young man named Han Binjiang saw an opportunity and quickly joined the newspaper, fulfilling his dream of becoming an entertainment reporter.

He thought he could thrive here, living a glamorous life in the wealthy entertainment industry in his own way—but he soon realized the so-called “entertainment news” here differed significantly from what he’d imagined.

His boss wanted results but lacked experience, so he simply issued blunt orders: get stories or get paid less.

Since he was assigned to film news, and driven by the mindset of “better to do something big than sit idle,” Han Binjiang set his sights on the hottest female star in China at the time—

Zhang Ziyi from the Central Academy of Drama.

Unfortunately, he miscalculated.

At that time, Zhang Ziyi offered him no news explosive enough to make him famous, even though she often associated with people from Hong Kong.

Feeling his own inadequacy, he simply began shuttling between Hong Kong and the mainland.

His innate instinct told him that Zhang Ziyi, connected to Hong Kong’s circle, must have something big.

On June 20, 2000, while in Hong Kong, after eating a char siu rice meal, he bought the latest issue of the industry veteran magazine Next Magazine.

Having found nothing substantial in recent weeks, he hoped to see what these hardworking veterans had uncovered to help him earn his freelance pay.

He didn’t expect what he saw next—

Next Magazine, whose pages usually featured only Hong Kong or Taiwan, had now, unusually, printed the words “mainland.”

“Explosive! Xiao Yaxuan Breaks Ties with Mentor for Love of a Mainland Man!”

On the full-color page, Xiao Yaxuan, the rising pop star who had swept Hong Kong with her song “The Most Familiar Stranger,” drove her wine-red Ferrari, with a handsome man beside her.

Both wore identical sunglasses, oblivious to others, seemingly deep in conversation; it was clear they were enjoying themselves, and Xiao Yaxuan looked delighted.

Flipping inside, it got even wilder.

The article detailed private meetings, meals, entering and exiting hotels together, even claimed Xiao Yaxuan was severing ties with her mentor and leaving Virgin Music for Warner—all written with vivid, believable detail.

It was as if the reporter had been hiding under the Ferrari, overhearing every rebellious word Xiao Yaxuan spoke.

Since the original source of this news came from Taiwan, and relying on the tiny network he’d built over the past half-year, Zhuo Wei quickly had someone buy every major Taiwan entertainment newspaper from the past week.

Old stories like “Liu Ruo Willingly Becomes Her Mentor’s Third Wife” or “Li Zongsheng Suspected of Infidelity, Marriage in Crisis” had vanished; nearly every entertainment paper now devoted its front pages to a man named Zhou Yi.

Born in 1981, from the mainland, male, signed artist under Warner Music.

Around him swirled mostly rumors about his relationship with Xiao Yaxuan, plus endless speculation about his background.

At the time, Taiwan’s entertainment media industry still lagged slightly behind Hong Kong’s, mostly sticking to conventional reporting, with few truly sensational stories.

At least, that’s how Han Binjiang saw it.

But this gave him a glimpse of opportunity.

Driven by his still-unforgotten “practical spirit” and under the banner of “seeking truth,” Han Binjiang boldly applied for funding from his superiors—

“Screw Hong Kong—I’m going to Taiwan to find news!”

On June 26, 2000, The Daily New Report’s new entertainment section published a major headline—

“Mainland Male Star Shines, Taiwan Pop Princess Xiao Yaxuan Lost in Love!”

“Role Model of Mainland Male Stars, First Among Young Talent, Must Be Included in the Four Little Phenomena of the Millennium!”

…………………………………………………………

“…”

When Zhou Yi saw this newspaper, it was already the afternoon of the 27th.

He had just gone to the newsstand as usual to buy a paper, checking for any big news he might exploit, when he spotted his name on one and snatched it up.

After reading it carefully, he glanced at the reporter’s name—

Byline: Zhuo Wei.

Well, old acquaintance!

No, one-sided old acquaintance!

Has this guy been around this long?

Zhou Yi scratched his fingernails, lost in thought.

No wonder the article’s style felt vaguely familiar, like a shadow from the future—it was written by the early mainland paparazzi king.

A whole article built on pure speculation, twisting and turning, somehow made Zhou Yi’s success through looks alone sound like he’d brought glory to the nation.

Those who knew it was Xiao Yaxuan might laugh, but those who didn’t might think it was American sweetheart Britney Spears.

“Even paparazzi in this era still worship Hong Kong and Taiwan…”

He hadn’t taken it seriously, just sighed and moved on.

After all, the mainland was vast, and The Daily New Report, founded only this January, had limited influence, confined mostly to Jin City.

But on June 28, after another media outlet with significant influence jumped in, Zhou Yi’s expression turned peculiar.

Southern Metropolis Daily, Entertainment Front Page: “Mainland Poor Boy Falls for Taiwan Rich Heiress?”

Founded in 1997, Southern Metropolis Daily was one of the three most important and highest-selling sections of the Southern Daily Media Group—its influence dwarfed The Daily New Report’s.

With its report, small mainland entertainment outlets instantly found a source of easy copy.

Within two days, praise and ridicule flooded in; Zhou Yi’s name, despite having no real substance, gained a sliver of fame through papers led by the Southern group.

Especially when his father back home called, and his first words made Zhou Yi freeze: “Yi, I read in the paper you brought glory to the country? Dating a foreign girl?”

“Your mother and I aren’t old-fashioned—you should date, don’t worry about family.”

“...”

Glory to the country? What the hell?

Leaving aside whether he was dating anyone, what version of this story had traveled all the way to Jiangxi?

Xiao Yaxuan had only studied in Canada—how did she become a foreigner?

Zhou Yi bought several Southern-group newspapers and found them increasingly absurd—exactly matching his stereotype of Southern media.

“Glory to the country… Hahaha, sorry, sorry, I don’t usually laugh, but this time I just can’t help it—hahaha…”

Cheng Hao, who had also read the papers, rushed to Zhou Yi’s new apartment to mock him.

She laughed loudly.

“What are you laughing at? ‘Glory to the country’ is a prestigious story—don’t you think more middle-aged and elderly people know my name than yours?”

Zhou Yi shot her a sideways glance; her laughter stopped instantly.

Hmm… maybe there was a twisted bit of truth to that?

Having reclaimed his right to mock, Zhou Yi tossed all the newspapers into the trash and walked past her, humming cheerfully.

“I’ve got to go—Zhou Jianhui’s here, says he wants to change the songs.”

“Must Love” and “Happy Worship” were the two he’d planned to promote together, but Zhou Jianhui rejected the list outright and told him to pick two others.

The reason? Practical.

“Zhou Yi, Zhang Shaohan is from Fong Mao Records. You’re at peak exposure now—promoting these two songs means giving away your popularity to her. Not worth it.”

Borrowing Xiao Yaxuan’s popularity was fine; sharing it with another newcomer like Zhang Shaohan was not.

Zhou Jianhui was all about realism.

“Fine, then switch to ‘It’s Me’ and ‘I Love You Only.’”

Zhou Yi, utterly indifferent, switched the songs without hesitation.

He’d originally chosen “Happy Worship” and “Must Love” only because of their popularity on the mainland.

Since they were rejected, he’d go straight for the Zhou-Wang-Lin trilogy—

“Give Me a Song,” “I Love You Only,” “It’s Me.”

On June 30, amid a haze of ambiguous noise, Zhou Yi’s self-titled album Zhou Yi had quietly arrived at distributors’ warehouses nationwide, fully stocked.

The three selected songs were sent to radio stations across the country.