[{"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-45":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},2301301,4501,"Chapter 45: The Pioneer of Mandarin Pop Hip-Hop","the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-chapter-45",45,"\u003Cp>\"Mainland Singer Zhou Yi Shines Brilliantly, Album Sales Top Taiwan’s Monthly Chart!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Renowned Music Producer Zhang Yadong: I deeply admire Zhou Yi—he’s a genius.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pu Shu: Zhou Yi is a genius; I’m not his equal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Biggest Surprise of the Millennium in Chinese-Language Music!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"……\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the sensational, shock-driven headlines of Hong Kong and Taiwan media, mainland outlets appeared relatively plain when praising Zhou Yi, with many newspapers still bearing an unmistakable official tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who know understand this is reporting on the mainland’s musical pride; those who don’t might think they’re reading political news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the only mainland singer capable of reversing the mainland’s musical disadvantage against Taiwan’s scene, even though he hadn’t yet returned to hold autograph sessions, the media had already built up the momentum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Sun Nan, go play somewhere else—you’re no longer important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To show sincerity, Zhou Jianhui formally issued official invitations to several major mainland newspapers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>August 8th, a highly auspicious date.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warner, having rented out an entire hotel for the celebration, wheeled in a massive ice sculpture inscribed with the number “30.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a round of retrospectives and forward-looking remarks, General Manager Zhou Jianhui personally invited Zhou Yi, dressed in a sharp suit, onto the stage, smiling as he handed him the hammer: “Congratulations, Zhou Yi—go ahead and smash it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi took the tool, instinctively weighing it in his hand, then, under the gaze of thousands, struck the ice sculpture before him—its glittering surface glowing under the lights—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRASH!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the instant ice shards flew everywhere, pre-prepared fireworks erupted!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cheers!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi raised his champagne, radiant with pride; his tailored suit perfectly accentuated his figure. At 1.83 meters tall, and nearly 1.85 meters with shoes, he towered above his peers in this era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The invited journalists, clustered in one area, snapped photos of the dashing young man in his suit, capturing his triumphant, unforgettable image in sharp focus!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below, representatives and artists from record labels—Rock Records, PolyGram, Virgin, Fuhua, Universal, even Sony—all clapped enthusiastically—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, Xiao Yaxuan of Virgin, Sun Yanzi of Warner, and Zhang Shaohan of Fuhua cheered the loudest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Yanzi never stopped smiling; Xiao Yaxuan hadn’t taken her eyes off Zhou Yi since the moment he stepped on stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Congratulations, congratulations! How quickly time flies—I never thought I’d be riding on your coattails.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yaxuan, holding her champagne, clinked glasses with the man, then, with a wry smile, glanced subtly toward the nearby actresses whose eyes kept flickering in their direction: “They’re green with envy right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Feel free to ride my fame—just remember to pay me protection money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After clinking glasses, Zhou Yi tilted his head with a grin, sizing up the woman’s outfit: a striking navy-blue knee-length dress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Xiao Yaxuan, who had consistently shared her popularity with him even when he was still an unknown, his attitude toward her was naturally far different from how he treated other unfamiliar female singers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their easy familiarity spoke volumes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he was confident his fame came from songs that all charted, several even hitting number one—Xiao Yaxuan couldn’t possibly have foreseen this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite the immense pressure from Virgin, she still chose to support him; to say he felt no gratitude would be ungracious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Between you and me, do I really need to pay protection money?” Xiao Yaxuan feigned surprise, blinking and raising an eyebrow at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course. I treat everyone equally. Even if Sun Yanzi or Zhang Shaohan showed up, they’d have to pay me protection money too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Zhou Yi finished speaking, Sun Yanzi’s lively voice came from behind—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Protection money? Did you run into a Taiwan gang?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taiwan gangs, once as notorious in the entertainment world as Hong Kong’s triads, had softened since the new millennium but still existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, Chen Xinhong, lead singer of Mayday under Rock Records, who also released an album in July, had underworld ties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m planning to become a gangster—any protection money you’d like to hand over?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi turned around, and there stood Sun Yanzi and Zhang Shaohan—one with short hair, one with long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the more energetic Sun Yanzi, Zhang Shaohan seemed somewhat restrained, politely addressing him as “Yi-ge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl maintained a proper distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Zhou Yi was no longer the ordinary guy who used to joke and play around with her months ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Congratulations, Shaohan—you’re famous now too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi raised his glass to Zhang Shaohan, smiling to ease the tension: “But you’ll have to get your company to pay extra protection money—my appearance fee’s gone up a lot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Shaohan couldn’t help but smile, nodding eagerly like a chick pecking rice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Sun Yanzi quickly livened the mood: “What about me? Zhou Yi, we’re from the same company, same boss—how can you even think of charging me protection money?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nonsense. Even brothers have to settle accounts clearly. For that ‘free ride’ mentality of yours? Double the fee.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“??? You dare? I dare?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Yanzi reached out, and Zhou Yi swiftly slapped her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching this exchange, Xiao Yaxuan narrowed her eyes slightly, sipped her champagne, then resumed chatting with her best friend Sun Yanzi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the distance, the mainland paparazzo Zhuo Wei, who had quietly slipped in using Hong Kong connections and was targeting the biggest story of the night, instinctively snapped a photo of the scene: one man and three women laughing and teasing each other—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until a super heavyweight appeared with a woman in his arms, entering his frame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zongsheng, Liu Ruo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One a towering monument in Taiwan and all of Chinese-language pop music, an unavoidable name—a top-tier songwriter;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other, the queen of Rock Records.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Jianhui, acting as host, introduced them directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I listened to your album. Amazing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zongsheng, his beard now streaked with gray, smiled warmly: “You’ve opened an entirely new frontier in Chinese-language music. Remarkable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I lost to you on the final day—I fully accept it,” Liu Ruo said, studying the man before her, her eyes brightening as she spoke kindly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You flatter me, Brother Zongsheng, Sister Ruo—I only had the advantage of releasing later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smooth-tongued Zhou Yi climbed the ladder, while Sun Yanzi, sensing the shift, stayed silent, pulling Zhang Shaohan and Xiao Yaxuan aside to watch the drama unfold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this pleasant chat, Liu Ruo even pretended to complain that Zhou Yi had acted dishonorably by ambushing her, a 31-year-old veteran, using humor to quickly bridge their social gap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You wouldn’t believe it—I was still revising the script for my new drama when my company called, telling me to return immediately for more promotion work on ‘Afterwards.’ I thought they were scamming me, planning some surprise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Turns out it was a surprise—but the surprise was so big it turned into a shock.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Liu Ruo recounted the drama of their rivalry, she gestured toward Li Zongsheng: “Now I don’t even have time to study my new character.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your drama hasn’t even cast all the actresses yet—the script isn’t finished. Is it really that urgent?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zongsheng, equally playful, teased back: “Zhou Yi, don’t listen to her—her drama’s a manga adaptation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve heard of ‘Seductive Women,’ right? The plot needed massive changes—she’s basically just sitting around doing nothing right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d heard of it—how could he not? He just hadn’t read it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the manga’s name, Zhou Yi’s mind instantly flashed to a drama he’d watched as a child in his past life—a wildly popular one—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pink Women.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His first impression of Cheng Hao came from that drama’s “Millionaire’s Dream.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Hao became nationally famous precisely because of that drama and that role.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the two veteran and young Chinese-language music creators grow increasingly animated, the reporters, Benzhelaidoulaidejingshen , still snapped some photos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, major media outlets in Taiwan published reports of Li Zongsheng and other music giants appearing at Warner’s celebration, offering blessings to Zhou Yi, and sharing their opinions in interviews—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I believe Zhou Yi is an unparalleled musical genius. His talent in music astonishes me, and his vision for the future direction of Chinese-language music is extraordinarily precise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just as Tao Zhe pioneered R&B in Chinese-language music, Zhou Yi has single-handedly created the hip-hop genre within it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Or rather, he introduced this musical style into Chinese-language music.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In this regard, Zhou Yi is unquestionably the pioneer—the pioneer of the entire Chinese-language music industry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“BREAKING! Li Zongsheng Names His Successor! Zhou Yi May Become the New Leader of Chinese-Language Music!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“【I’m Not His Equal】: Li Zongsheng Admits He’s Past His Prime—Perhaps This Is Zhou Yi’s Era Now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Surrounded by Beauties: Popular Singer Zhou Yi’s Romantic Luck Is Unmatched…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid a flood of praise, one newspaper’s tone stood out as oddly out of place—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the photo, Sun Yanzi, Xiao Yaxuan, and Zhang Shaohan clustered around Zhou Yi, laughing and chatting with him, even engaging in frequent physical contact.\u003C\u002Fp>",1473,"2026-06-20T07:33:41.161Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","961053057c850fc90b72aaaeafb481c04532997099656c8d23158b9238cf8845","the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-chapter-46","the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-chapter-44",883,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-cover.jpg"]