[{"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-79":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},2301335,4501,"Chapter 79: They Sang Songs I Wrote","the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-chapter-79",79,"\u003Cp>In just three days, a rumor that had only spread within a small circle swept through the entire domestic entertainment industry like a hurricane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some mainland artists who were already active in both the mainland and Hong Kong fared better—their ability to promote in Taiwan was not a major issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Hong Kong entertainment circles were grinning from ear to ear, especially entertainment companies already seeking cooperation with the mainland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to the explosive popularity he gained nationwide last year, Zhou Yi, who had just officially become the top male singer on the mainland music scene, suddenly drew widespread attention amid this ban wave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who received similar treatment included the group that rose to fame with “My Fair Princess.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Bingbin was fine—she had already left Qiong Yao’s company and could not land any roles in Taiwan’s entertainment circle anyway; now backed by Hong Kong’s Madame Chen Shufen, she had no overlapping interests with the Taiwan circle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Wei, however, was in deep trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While filming Qiong Yao’s TV drama “Love in a Rainy Season,” she was utterly stunned by the escalating rumors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the main cast of “My Fair Princess,” there were only three mainlanders total.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now Fan Bingbin had been rescued by Hong Kong’s Chen Shufen, Zhou Jie himself had a mainland employer and had just starred in the huge hit “Young Bao Qingtian,” leaving her alone signed under Qiong Yao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had expected to be the sole protégé with a brilliant future—but now, not only was her future gone, she might not even get to act again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry, don’t worry—the company won’t abandon you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s just that you can’t promote—you can still film TV dramas. As long as you don’t officially appear on Taiwanese screens for interviews or promotions, ‘Love in a Rainy Season’ can still air.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, the company has connections in Hong Kong—after finishing ‘Love in a Rainy Season,’ we’ll help you expand your path in the mainland and Hong Kong film and TV circles.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiong Yao’s daughter-in-law He Xiuqiong understood the anxiety of her top artist and immediately called Zhao Wei to reassure her the moment the news was officially announced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After calming Zhao Wei, He Xiuqiong looked down at the dozen newspapers on her desk—all front pages covered this story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to Zhou Yi’s formidable reputation from last year’s domination of Taiwan’s music scene, his name and photo appeared repeatedly on every newspaper’s front page—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhou Yi, the Millennium Music Miracle Is About to Fall!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Zongsheng: This Is a Shame—Zhou Yi Should Not Be Treated This Way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Warner: Zhou Yi Is Still a Gem of the Chinese-Language Music Industry!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without exception, every page gave its space to Zhou Yi—the man who had shaken Taiwan’s entire music industry last year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Serves him right! Let him show off so much! And he helped Fan Bingbin—now he can’t even save himself!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Same office. Same people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged man who had previously been scolded by He Xiuqiong for scheming against Zhou Yi was clearly in high spirits: “Good thing Fan Bingbin ran away fast—if she hadn’t, once this restriction order came down, I could’ve forced her to quit if she refused to bow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time He Xiuqiong didn’t rebuke him either—her tone carried equal schadenfreude: “Who knew something like this would happen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A month ago, Zhou Yi had interfered and ruined her deal with Fan Bingbin—of course she had been furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But there’s no need to be too happy—he still has popularity. Unless Taiwan completely bans his albums, he’ll still gather some fans on the island.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After their triumphant celebration, He Xiuqiong set down her coffee cup: “Without promotion, his album sales will plummet drastically.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For an artist of this level, Taiwan’s music market was a tens-of-thousands-unit powerhouse. Losing such a massive chunk of revenue was excruciating for both Warner and Zhou Yi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for He Xiuqiong, seeing her enemy Zhou Yi and Warner suffer losses was even sweeter than winning the lottery herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Warner can’t change this decision—just having Sun Yanzi, tied to Warner’s ‘twin stars’ branding, can’t maintain Zhou Yi’s high popularity on the island.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Xiuqiong leisurely added sugar to her coffee, turned on the office TV, and prepared to check media reactions—only to see a promotional press release from Fuhai Records for their female singer Zhang Shaohan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During a TV appearance promoting her album, Zhang Shaohan, with her doll-like big eyes, openly spoke of her friendship with Zhou Yi: “Yes, both lead singles on my album were written by Zhou Yi. He’s a very gentle, considerate man.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In fact, to help me deliver these two songs perfectly, Zhou Yi specifically set aside time to help me with the arrangement and recording.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s truly an incredibly good person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When he first approached me to sing ‘Chase the Dream,’ I hadn’t even debuted—I only got noticed because he heard my vocal tone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Shaohan, who had gained fame through her unique voice in “Chase the Dream” and “Must Love,” directly invoked Zhou Yi in her album promotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fuhai Records also arranged for the two songs Zhou Yi wrote and composed—“Fable” and “The Original Dream”—to be promoted on major radio stations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On Taiwan’s current music charts, two songs already held the top two spots: Sun Yanzi’s “Little Luck” and “Green Light.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t understand why this is happening, but I can firmly tell everyone, and his fans, that Zhou Yi is absolutely not a bad person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His personality is excellent—he’s a true gentleman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Yanzi, who had reignited last June’s sales frenzy with her second album “The Happiness I Want,” also gave numerous media interviews while appearing on Taiwanese variety shows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially on Wu Zongxian’s program, to build momentum for Zhou Yi, she openly shared amusing stories from before her debut when she played around with Zhou Yi in the company.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some were even backed by surveillance footage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surveillance showed Zhou Yi and Sun Yanzi playfully roughhousing, full of energy—especially Sun Yanzi’s infectious giggles, which added charm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even privately called Sun Yanzi “Teacher”!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Warner released these surveillance clips, they sparked a massive wave of discussion in Taiwan, and Zhou Yi’s timeless quotes quickly became everyday catchphrases among young people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, though Zhou Yi hadn’t been in Taiwan since February, stories about him were everywhere on the island.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this wave of buzz burned even hotter with Zhang Shaohan’s involvement—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two songs, “Fable” and “The Original Dream,” perfectly suited to her vocal tone, immediately shot into the top ten charts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The uniform credits—“Lyrics: Zhou Yi,” “Composition: Zhou Yi,” “Arrangement: Zhou Yi”—echoed the top two songs on the monthly chart, “Little Luck” and “Green Light,” which also had Zhou Yi credited for everything except vocals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to Warner’s released archival surveillance footage, Zhou Yi’s witty, offhand remarks and his chemistry with Sun Yanzi had already ignited a storm in Taiwan; when Zhang Shaohan’s two bomb-level songs dropped, fans erupted in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most direct consequence was that Zhou Yi’s debut album tracks, which had been gradually losing chart position, suddenly surged like they’d been injected with adrenaline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chase the Dream” and “Must Love” re-entered the top five, and even revived two dance tracks previously overshadowed at release—“Dance Gate” and “It’s Me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dai Peini, the singer-songwriter who had just released her second album, was heartbroken—because these two songs re-entering the charts pushed her new single “How” out of the rankings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell is this?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t initiate the ban—why am I the one getting hurt?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While fans were still buzzing, Virgin Records’ top female artist Xiao Yaxuan officially announced her new album’s release date and revealed its first and second lead singles—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Main Theme of Love”;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Sun Never Sets.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lyrics: Zhou Yi. Composition: Zhou Yi. Arrangement: Zhou Yi again…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the first half of February 2001 was dominated by “Fable” and “The Original Dream” battling Sun Yanzi’s songs, leaving people amazed that Fuhai had found another powerhouse—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>then the second half of February 2001 belonged entirely to “The Main Theme of Love” and “The Sun Never Sets.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially “The Main Theme of Love.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yaxuan, already immensely popular, became a sensation overnight thanks to “The Main Theme of Love”—sales broke 100,000 in four days and reached 180,000 in the first week, making her the only female artist in early 2001 who could rival Sun Yanzi’s album sales and popularity, who was singing “Green Light” and “Little Luck.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Shaohan, lacking initial popularity, trailed in album sales, but her two singles stubbornly held their ground against the two veterans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even “The Original Dream” frequently overtook “Green Light” and “The Main Theme of Love.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Green Light,” “Little Luck,” “The Main Theme of Love,” “The Sun Never Sets,” “Fable,” “The Original Dream”—six songs, all credited solely to Zhou Yi except for vocals, gave Taiwan’s music industry a brutal lesson in early 2001!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Yanzi, Xiao Yaxuan, and Zhang Shaohan—three female singers closely tied to Zhou Yi—took turns atop the charts, leaving music industry insiders and listeners stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And under their unified support, pressure from Warner and Coca-Cola arrived immediately—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This combination punch left Taiwan itself bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait, when did all these record companies become so united?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aren’t they supposed to be competitors?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taiwan had originally been reluctant to include Zhou Yi in the Golden Melody Awards—but now they were truly trapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason? Simply because Zhou Yi’s six songs were too addictive, propelling Sun Yanzi, Xiao Yaxuan, and Zhang Shaohan far ahead of everyone else on the charts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout February 2001, Taiwan’s music scene witnessed a rare three-way standoff among three female singers, with Liang Jingru’s “Courage” from Rock Records barely clinging to ninth place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for Zhou Yi’s fans loving his artists by association, “Chase the Dream” and “Must Love” might not have even cracked the top ten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taiwan had wanted to downplay the influence of this mainland singer, since this man was far stronger than Na Ying and beloved by too many young people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they couldn’t stop Sun Yanzi, Xiao Yaxuan, and Zhang Shaohan from openly supporting him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was infuriating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could they really ban Sun Yanzi from Singapore? Or ban Xiao Yaxuan and Zhang Shaohan, who were local to Taiwan?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taiwan, only daring to restrict mainland artists, was paralyzed—discussing Zhou Yi’s sudden surge in popularity and attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And to make matters worse, just then, Zhou Jielun—who had risen to fame last year with his debut album “Jay” and earned the title “Second Newcomer After Zhou Yi”—revealed on a variety show something that further cemented Zhou Yi’s image:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhou Yi is my good friend. Without him, I, Genghong, and Wenlan would have been dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the variety show, the candid Zhou Jielun sat in the interview seat, his youthful face under a baseball cap brimming with loyalty for his friend, and gave a detailed account of his life-or-death bond with Zhou Yi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A large screen behind them played the original news footage—blurred images of Zhou Yi and Zhou Jielun standing upright, sharply contrasting with the half-dead Liu Genghong and the unconscious Wen Lan lying on a stretcher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those two were lying down; these two were still standing, talking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Zhou Jielun also spoke up for me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the mainland, in Beijing, Warner Maitian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yi, who had remotely orchestrated a song battle from Taiwan, looked up in surprise at Zhou Jianhui sitting across from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wu Zongxian probably tried to stop him, but Zhou Jielun—he’s just that kind of guy, loyal to his friends.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Zhou Yi calmly munching on raisins, Zhou Jianhui’s eyelid twitched slightly: “Saving three lives is enough to generate massive public sympathy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’ll have to include him in the Golden Melody Awards—even Coca-Cola can now run ads about you normally, except you still can’t appear on stage or promote.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saving three lives alone made him an exemplary idol, especially since Zhou Yi had always kept it quiet, never mentioning it publicly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Zhou Jielun hadn’t revealed it himself, no one outside their circle would have known about this remarkable feat of Zhou Yi’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Understanding Zhou Jielun’s heartfelt assist, Zhou Yi pursed his lips, his eyes now filled with quiet satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, there’s another good piece of news.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this young man manipulate public opinion so skillfully, Zhou Jianhui’s tone was oddly tinged: “The mainland has heard about your glorious deeds.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let’s call them glorious deeds—for instance, Korean and Japanese companies are requesting rights to cover your songs; and you saved three people but kept a low profile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Jianhui handed a letter of invitation to Zhou Yi, who picked it up, glanced at it, and raised an eyebrow in surprise: “An official China-Korea music festival?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2105,"2026-06-20T07:33:41.161Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","96e0299b91adee6aba678983f929de162434fe89391689f9ad8fcaf55c7b731d","the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-chapter-80","the-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-chapter-78",883,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-king-of-2000-a-mandopop-dynasty-cover.jpg"]