Chapter 521: So What If I Leverage Foreign Status to Bolster My Own Weight?

For Zhou Yi's once-a-year visit to Taiwan, almost the entire entertainment media of Taiwan, and even political media, gave it the highest level of attention—

This was reflected in concrete actions as reports on him cycled daily.

"The Biggest Winner of This Golden Melody Awards Is About to Arrive!"

"The King of a New Era in the Music Scene!"

"Zhou Yi Returns to Taiwan: Beware of Fans Gathering at the Airport to Welcome Him"

"Akina Nakamori Arrives in Taiwan, Suspected to Be Coming Specifically for Zhou Yi"

"Unstoppable Charm: Japanese Diva Directly States She Wants to Meet Zhou Yi!"

"Tao Zhe Absent from This Golden Melody Awards; Zhou Yi May Be the Culprit!"

"Beware of Zhou Yi's Ideology..."

"..."

Compared to the entertainment media making a huge commotion with drums, gongs, firecrackers, and noise, some political media acted as if facing a great enemy; those who didn't know might think Zhou Yi had done something unforgivable by heaven and earth, and some even held an attitude of anger at the youth of Taiwan for not striving—

How can you go to welcome the plane of such a bandit?!

He is brainwashing you!

How can the young people of Taiwan be so decadent!

Yet even so, it still could not stop the enthusiasm of Zhou Yi's Taiwan fans to welcome his plane—

Fortunately, Warner had made preparations at the airport in advance; otherwise, a large-scale stampede would not have been impossible.

Zhou Yi's identity was special after all; if anything happened involving loss of life that allowed others to make a big deal out of it, it was something Zhou Jianhui did not wish to see.

"Zhou Yi! Zhou Yi! Zhou Yi!"

"Zhou Yi, I love you!!"

"Ahhh Zhou Yi!!!"

July 30, 9:43 AM.

When Zhou Yi, according to the schedule officially announced by Warner, appeared punctually outside the airport chatting and laughing with Sun Yanzi, the fans surrounding the railings on both sides instantly went wild on the spot, waving their fan signs, photos, posters, albums, and even Zhou Yi's Q-version keychain merchandise in hand, each shouting hoarsely.

As the city in the Chinese music circle most deeply influenced by Japanese fan culture, the prevalence of various fan cultures within Taiwan Province was beyond doubt.

Plus, these fans could basically only see Zhou Yi once a year during the Golden Melody Awards period; those who didn't know might think the Cowherd and Weaver Girl were reviving in modern times. After years of such KFC-level treatment, the crystallization level of Zhou Yi's Taiwan fans was imaginable.

Just one word: Loyalty!

Zhou Yi was also very considerate, stopping his fast exit steps; while constantly signing with a flourish using a signature pen, he was also happy to satisfy various photo request needs, truly responding to every demand.

Sun Yanzi, who came out just before and after him, was also "forcibly" pressed into service under everyone's gaze, signing Zhou Yi's signature with her own body.

However, usually, after signing, Sun Yanzi would playfully draw a simple Q-version smiling face of Zhou Yi to indicate that this thing was signed on his behalf rather than by Zhou Yi himself; instead, this made the fans even more crazy.

Just kidding!

Once a year, unique!

A turtle speed of one meter per ten minutes was no longer enough to describe the speed at which the two moved their steps; if they hadn't already communicated with the airport authorities, they would surely have received who knows how many complaints.

And at the end of the road, many reporters were waiting there.

Obviously, they knew they couldn't squeeze past those crystallized fans who had been hungry for a year. When Zhou Yi and Sun Yanzi walked the signing path for nearly half an hour, they were also getting numb from waiting. If it weren't for Warner's burly bodyguard team watching, they would surely have gone up to squeeze in too.

Finally, after the two finished signing and taking photos, the reporters were surprised to find that the two of them each had a bunch of extra things in their hands—

Those were gifts from fans, the kind where they would cause a scene if not accepted.

"Zhou Yi! What is your opinion on Tao Zhe breaking into the American music scene? Will you provide him with assistance?"

"Zhou Yi, Zhou Yi! There are rumors that Tao Zhe's non-participation in this Golden Melody Awards is because of you; is this true?"

"Yanzi, do you think you can finally stop being a runner-up at this Golden Melody Awards?"

"Zhou Yi, what is your opinion on creating the record for the most nominations in Golden Melody Awards history? Some say this is unfair conduct, that you are leveraging foreign status to bolster your own weight; what is your view on this?"

"..."

With the two of them carrying large bags of gifts in their left and right hands respectively, the swarming reporters surrounded them completely with microphones, asking about their attention to this Golden Melody Awards.

Sun Yanzi's personal nominations for this Golden Melody Awards were just two: Best Mandarin Female Singer, with the nominated song being "Lydia"; the album "Leave", nominated for Best Album.

And Zhou Yi's nominations, in the eyes of professional media, the industry, and the public, were hard to say whether they had a prestige boost—

Best Album: "Lianshan";

Best Album Producer: "Lianshan" Zhou Yi, "Leave" Zhou Yi;

Best Lyricist: "Dad and Mom", "Qingming Rain Above", "Fireworks Cold in Yi";

Best Arranger: "In the Name of the Father", "Ghost";

Best Composer: "Fireworks Cold in Yi", "Lydia", "Today You Marry Me";

Best Music Video: "In the Name of the Father", "Fairy Tale".

Best Mandarin Male Singer: "Lonely Mr." Zhou Yi.

A total of just seven awards, artificially creating fourteen nominations, directly creating the most nominations record since the establishment of the Golden Melody Awards.

It must be known that when the nomination list first came out, the industry was in an uproar.

Admittedly, the quality of Zhou Yi's previous album "Lianshan" was indeed very high, but not to such an exaggerated extent.

Many musicians who did not enter the judging sequence criticized this Golden Melody Awards, delayed due to SARS, for bowing to Zhou Yi merely because Zhou Yi's achievements in Europe and America were too dazzling, so they had to comply with the public opinion of the entire Taiwanese music community and give him an explosive number of nominations.

This is called leveraging foreign status to bolster one's own weight!

It is unfair conduct; it should be boycotted!

"Opinion? What opinion can I have?"

Zhou Yi, holding a bunch of gift bags in both hands, sneered: "Since they have said so, what else can I say? I am leveraging foreign status to bolster my own weight, so what? If you are not convinced, go abroad for a trip; if you have my achievements, fans will naturally debate the scriptures for you; stop moral kidnapping here."

"Yao Qian, for the sake of fairness, justice, and openness, didn't even allow Elva's album to be selected, yet you are still here whining and moral kidnapping; what a character."

"..."

Here he comes, here he comes!

It's still that Zhou Yi!

Although Zhou Yi's words were clearly making excuses for the Golden Melody Awards and even cited Yao Qian's failure to register Xiao Yaxuan as backing, the aggressive tone targeting those rumors remained as familiar as ever—

Enough to make all the major reporters smell the scent of money.

"Tao Zhe's album 'Black Oranges' released last year received only one nomination this time for Best Mandarin Male Singer. Outside rumors claim you squeezed out his nomination, that you deliberately suppressed him, which is why Tao Zhe is not attending this year's Golden Melody Awards, simply refusing to share the stage with you. Is this true?"

"Fake news. I just got off the phone with Tao Zhe not long ago, setting up connections for him to release an English EP in the US, and even introduced my manager to him." Zhou Yi dismissed the rumors casually.

Tao Zhe was already furious with some of the Golden Melody Awards judges. Last year's 'Black Oranges', which he considered his career-best album, won awards until his hands went soft in Hong Kong and on the mainland, yet in Taiwan he got nothing, with the Golden Melody Awards yielding only a 'King of Songs' title that was obviously just a consolation prize for participation.

What the hell is the point of coming?

The main thing is to start promoting songs in the US, arranged by Warner.

After Zhou Yi's success, Tao Zhe's heart this year is no longer on the Mandarin music scene, just like Wang Lihong last year.

"Do you think Jay Chou can still pose a threat to you at this year's Golden Melody Awards?"

"..."

As a local Taiwanese, Jay Chou was clearly viewed as the biggest star capable of ambushing Zhou Yi at the Golden Melody Awards.

The difference is that Zhou Yi is one person, while he has an entire team with nominations.

Both debuted in the same year.

Although currently, in terms of overall achievements, Jay Chou can't even see Zhou Yi's taillights, he is still the only one among the younger generation in Taiwan worth mentioning.

Precisely because of this, although Jay Chou's personal nominations for 'Eight Degrees Space' were only for Best Album and Best Album Producer, he was exceptionally satisfied—

"Being able to get two nominations under Ah Yi's high pressure, I am already very content. Whether I win the award or not, I'll leave it to fate, but in the future I will do everything possible to surpass him."

Unlike the resentment Zhou Yi remembered him having towards this year's Golden Melody Awards, when speaking about the awards in the interview, Jay Chou was utterly convinced and respectful.

As for how to surpass...

"Uh, I'm still researching that. Currently, I've learned several hundred English words, there's progress." Having witnessed Zhou Yi's achievements, Jay Chou, who was now following Zhou Yi's lead, proudly lifted his head and announced his learning results.

"Did Zhou Yi help you?"

"Yes."

Once this topic came up, Jay Chou couldn't hold back, his tone filled with grievance: "He knew I was learning English, so mysteriously he found me a set of learning materials, saying they had miraculous effects.

"As a result, I went home and opened it, and it was a certain program from CCTV's Spring Festival Gala. 'Come' is come, 'go' is go, nod yes, shake head no, to greet say Hello..."

Jay Chou, who could recite that Tangshan-accented English teaching backwards back then, almost shocked a batch of reporters to death.

Now that they had caught the main culprit, they naturally wanted to ask for clarification—

Amidst Sun Yanzi's suppressed laughter, Zhou Yi, with no right but full confidence, said: "Don't worry about so much, just ask if this is English teaching or not."

Just ask if you taught English or not?

If you taught it, then it's teaching.

Is there a problem?

No problem.

"That's too ridiculous, I want to strangle you!"

After the interview ended, Zhou Yi and Sun Yanzi, who went to their respective hotels by car, soon welcomed Jay Chou's first visit—

He, whom they hadn't seen in a long time, knocked on the door and immediately went to strangle someone.

Now, whenever he learned English, his mind was full of that demonic accent; all thanks to Zhou Yi messing with his Dao heart!

"It's already good I didn't play 'Calabash Brothers' for you, and you're still whining."

Zhou Yi dodged with a wicked smile, stating his original plan.

"You damn dog, if it weren't for Little Pig asking me to arrange a meeting with you, I'd have plucked you to death right now." Jay Chou, who was currently still an inseparable good brother with the Master of Group Exercise, cursed while laughing.

"He asked to meet me?"

Hearing this, Zhou Yi felt somewhat strange.

The Master is currently still active within Taiwan, hasn't even sung his album on the mainland yet, and his interaction with him was limited to a nodding acquaintance at the previous Golden Melody Awards; what on earth would he want with me?

"Probably that Akina Nakamori. This time the Golden Melody Awards assigned him as the translator for Akina Nakamori, and Akina Nakamori indeed really wants to see you, after all, your reputation has spread to Japan."

Clearly, while saying these words, Jay Chou's eyes revealed unmasked envy.

It wasn't envy that Zhou Yi could meet Akina Nakamori; after all, this Showa-era songstress is already 38 years old this year, not only old but her temperament is somewhat haggard after experiencing emotional tribulations.

But rather envy of Zhou Yi's influence.

Even veteran songstresses are rushing to cross the ocean to find Zhou Yi; this influence is truly unique.

(End of this chapter)