Chapter 531: This Is What I Deserve

"So, our current problem is that we must silence the outside world, or at the very least, prevent this kind of rhetoric from spreading further."

With the backing already confirmed, Zhou Jianhui still considered inviting a great scholar to defend his case.

Experts are something you have and I have; it all depends on how they are used.

Besides, musicians can also endorse Zhou Yi; let's start with the Warner music producers and artists.

"How many of my Chinese songs have been sold on the Apple Music Store?"

Just as Qian Jiang and Zhou Jianhui were exchanging public relations opinions from a professional perspective, Zhou Yi, who had been stroking his chin in thought, suddenly spoke up with a question.

"What?"

At this out-of-the-blue remark, the two exchanged a confused glance. Then, seeing the global data, a reassuring and familiar smile immediately curled Zhou Yi's lips.

Soon, under Warner's operation, the massive machine began to turn, and numerous experts speaking up for Zhou Yi appeared on various music and variety shows in Taiwan—

"I believe Zhou Yi's award win has set a new benchmark for the Chinese music scene.

"His works demonstrate extremely high artistic standards and an innovative spirit, blending multiple musical elements and styles, breaking through traditional creative models.

"This spirit of bold exploration and innovation will inspire more Chinese musicians to break free from constraints, boldly try new musical forms and modes of expression, and bring more diverse and rich musical works to the Chinese music scene.

"This is the significance of his overwhelming victory at the Golden Melody Awards."

Professor Jin, a music expert of Fujian ancestry, faced off against Professor Lai, who had been jumping around for several days, on the show, and began to truly sing Zhou Yi's praises: "Moreover, Zhou Yi's success has clearly and powerfully broken down regional barriers.

"As a singer from the mainland, his outstanding performance at the Taiwan Golden Melody Awards further proves that excellent musical talents in the Chinese music scene are not divided by region, and excellent works can transcend geographical limitations to win widespread recognition and praise.

"This will undoubtedly promote exchanges and cooperation between the mainland and Taiwan regions, as well as the entire Chinese music circle, driving Chinese music to integrate and develop on a broader scale, forming a more closely-knit musical community..."

Led by Professor Jin from Taiwan, the Warner camp began a full-scale cleanup operation—

Having made a fortune over these years thanks to Zhou Yi and Sun Yanzi, Warner (China) was long no longer the rotten boat with only three nails it used to be; it was extremely powerful, simply throwing money around—

Money can make the mill grind even ghosts!

Taiwan's "New News": "All-Rounder Musician, Zhou Yi Creates a Golden Melody Myth!"

"Taiwan Daily": "Album Production Strives for Perfection, Zhou Yi Receives Multiple Honors"

"United Daily News": "One Superpower and Many Strong, a New Era for the Chinese Music Scene Arrives"

"Commonwealth Magazine": "This is Zhou Yi's Era"

"..."

On August 4, contrary to many people's expectations, Warner this time not only chose not to cool things down but instead poured oil on the fire at every point of controversy, acting as if they were about to blow Zhou Yi up into a rare species found nowhere else on earth.

Over in Hong Kong, they went even further, doing whatever would grab the most attention—

Hong Kong's "Sun Newspaper": "Sun Yanzi Dressed as a Teacher, Zhou Yi Publicly Whipped! Smiling and Enjoying It Extremely!"

Clicking in, it was Sun Yanzi saying she had obtained her teaching qualification certificate and the Queen of Songs trophy, so she could rightfully teach Zhou Yi how to sing.

"Apple Daily": "Zhou Yi Unleashes a Killing Spree, Golden Melody Awards Bloodshed, Jay Chou and Wang Lihong Admire and Praise Him as Awesome!"

Clicking in, it was a photo of Zhou Yi holding a pile of trophies being interviewed in the press area, with singers like Jay Chou and Wang Lihong, who returned empty-handed this time, watching him enviously from not far away.

"Sing Tao Daily": "Zhou Yi Sweeps the Golden Melody Awards Like a Humid Southern Front, Female Stars All Say It's So Wet!"

Clicking in, it was photos and reports of Zhou Yi hugging various female stars congratulating him...

"What the hell is this nonsense."

Zhou Yi looked at it with an expression of an old man on a subway holding a phone, while Sun Yanzi beside him was already rolling on the sofa, laughing so hard she held her stomach—"I'm dying of laughter hahaha."

Jay Chou, having put down his beer bottle, was also very dissatisfied: "Why did they write me as a homosexual?"

He was, after all, a staunch supporter of heterosexuality, having already changed female companions several times.

"That's just how things are over in Hong Kong."

Wen Lan handed two bottles of beer to Liu Genhong and Fang Wenshan, joking with a smile: "This is already considered restrained; if they wrote without holding back, it probably could only be published in Hong Kong."

Since Zhou Yi had come to Taiwan for the first time in a while, Jay Chou naturally took charge and organized a gathering.

Fish Leong, a good friend Sun Yanzi had met while promoting her album on TV shows in Taiwan in the past, also came to this gathering.

"Ah Yi, are you really okay? This Golden Melody Award is clearly targeting you." Jay Chou, who had already become a minor Heavenly King in the entertainment industry, was not stupid.

To be honest, he was a bit angry.

In the past, he really thought the Golden Melody Awards were very important, valued the award highly, and prepared meticulously every time.

If it weren't for the fact that Zhou Yi, who had more nominations this time, was overshadowing him and his chances of winning weren't that great, he had even considered bringing his grandmother to the scene to watch the award ceremony, which was enough to show the importance of this award in his heart.

But now, this whole operation by the Golden Melody Awards had completely shattered the filter in his heart.

"It doesn't matter; they can't kill me with praise by doing this, and it can only increase my exposure."

Zhou Yi, picking at the fruit plate with his right index finger, curled his lips, chewing on the fruit pulp without caring in the slightest: "It's just impotent rage."

Some people felt it was too much of a loss of face, so they could only add some eye drops to him besides fairness.

One can only say that there is a reason why awards like the Taiwan Golden Melody and Golden Horse are getting worse and worse and have less and less presence.

Fortunately, I also have backing!

After eating and drinking their fill, the group was about to slip away quietly, but when they went down to the parking lot, they were chased and interviewed by a sudden swarm of paparazzi. Even with bodyguards blocking them, the paparazzi still pursued relentlessly—

"Zhou Yi! Zhou Yi! Do you feel ashamed, do you feel you stole other people's chances to win awards?!"

"Zhou Yi, Zhou Yi! Did Warner manipulate the Golden Melody Awards!"

"Jay Chou, may I ask if you have already broken off all ties..."

"..."

A string of questions buzzed like noisy, annoying flies.

"I don't feel that way; all of these are what I deserve."

After casually leaving that sentence behind, the calm Zhou Yi got into the passenger seat of Sun Yanzi's car and fastened his seatbelt—

In Taiwan, he didn't have a driver's license; it was Sun Yanzi who did.

Sun Yanzi, with a smile in her eyes, stepped on the gas: "You really don't hold back with what you say; the newspapers will criticize you again tomorrow."

"That's not necessarily true."

A hint of amusement curled Zhou Yi's lips.

The next day, just as the Apple Daily, Next Magazine, and other newspapers and magazines were preparing to stir up more trouble for Zhou Yi, an incredibly shocking figure exploded simultaneously across the two sides of the strait and Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, directly silencing all current debates about Zhou Yi—

"Blowing Chinese Style Abroad! Zhou Yi's Chinese Songs Break One Million Sales in the US!"

A shocking news story, first released on the mainland and then rapidly spreading throughout Hong Kong and Taiwan under human intervention, caused those who had previously been whining about Zhou Yi winning awards to shut up voluntarily...

Mainland's "Entertainment Circle" Weekly: "Zhou Yi: Talent Blooms, Song Sales Break Records"!

"Zhou Yi's musical works feature a unique style, moving melodies, and poetic lyrics, showcasing his profound musical foundation and distinctive creative style.

"Precisely because of this, as everyone knows, his songs are not only loved by a vast audience domestically.

"Nowadays, his Chinese songs have achieved astonishing sales figures on the Apple Music Store, with sales exceeding one million copies, a remarkable feat that has set a new historical record for Chinese song sales in the US..."

Although this news took a clever approach—after all, the most downloaded single paid Chinese song by Zhou Yi on the music store had only just broken two hundred thousand, while others were in the hundreds of thousands or tens of thousands—the sheer volume of his Chinese songs made up for it.

Adding up all the sales directly exceeded one million copies; this figure was simply too intimidating—

Over one million in sales, purely Chinese songs, and sold in the US. This included songs from the "Lianshan" album, currently the focal point of controversy.

"Zhou Yi's Songs Sell Hotly, Promoting the Development of China's Music Industry!"

"Zhou Yi: Conveying Chinese Culture Through Music"

"Zhou Yi's Chinese Songs Sell Big in the US, A Testament to His Strength!"

"..."

"This is too ridiculous, bro! We're fighting to the death here, while Zhou Yi is silently outputting? Isn't this better than those singers who just brag?!"

When these news stories were forcibly pushed out by Warner, the confusion wasn't limited to fans of other singers; even Zhou Yi's own fans were stunned—

"Hey man, if you're this awesome, why didn't you say so earlier? Just let the results speak for themselves, saving them from saying you only win Chinese awards thanks to your English albums!"

"Chinese Style isn't for blowing smoke to the inside; it's for blowing it abroad. Domestic musicians should rely on music to go global. Zhou Yi has done it; no one else has yet. This is the real reason he swept the Golden Melody Awards!"

"A bunch of guys who only know how to be tough within the nest! If you have the guts, go sell out there! Sell it! You only envy Zhou Yi's achievements and trophies, never thinking about how he got them!"

"Every day you talk about how high your idol's talent is. Damn, genius is nothing! If you threw a brick at the singer's section at the Golden Melody Awards ceremony, you'd hit geniuses from childhood to adulthood in the eyes of bystanders. So what?"

"Genius is just the threshold to seeing Zhou Yi, understand?"

Arrogant Zhou Yi fans, armed with the million-copy achievement, began to relentlessly attack.

On the mainland, an article written personally by Hu Feipan, then Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the "Global Daily," was released—

"On August 5, 2003, Chinese songs by our country's young singer Zhou Yi sold hotly on the Apple Music Store, with sales exceeding one million copies.

"This is sufficient to prove that Zhou Yi's musical works not only possess high artistic value, but he himself is also an envoy for the dissemination of Chinese culture.

"His songs integrate elements of traditional Chinese culture, interpreting the charm of Chinese culture through modern musical language. Through widespread dissemination on the Apple Music Store, Zhou Yi's songs have allowed more people to understand and love Chinese culture, making positive contributions to the international dissemination of Chinese culture..."

(End of Chapter)