The Chinese music scene in 2000 was a battleground of legends, with divine songs and albums emerging every month.
In the upcoming November, Jay Chou would release his groundbreaking debut solo album, Jay, a work that would defy fate itself.
No history of the Chinese music scene can be written without mentioning him.
To many, he seemed like a lucky man.
But that wasn't the whole story. Looking back at Jay Chou's journey, he had endured his share of hardships.
At the dawn of the millennium, Jay Chou approached Jacky Wu. "Brother Xian, I want to release an album."
Jacky Wu casually replied, "If you can write fifty songs in ten days, and ten of them are selected, I'll help you produce an album."
Jay Chou was overjoyed. He had finally caught a break. Fueled by his burning passion for music, he bought a case of instant noodles, locked himself in his room for days, and worked through sleepless nights, composing song after song.
And he succeeded. Pushing through that door completely transformed his life.
As the year drew to a close, perhaps in anticipation of the 21st century, December promised to be particularly lively.
October had come and gone, leaving behind Wang Banbi's first solo album, Fireworks, after his departure from the band; Sun Yanzi's second album, The Happiness I Want, riding the momentum of her debut; and Zhou Chuanxiong's transformative album, Transfer, featuring classics like "Twilight," "Notebook," and "Betrayal."
The month's divine song was "Ten Years," dominating music charts for a full month, while the divine album was Shen Lang: Radio Love Songs, whose sales soared.
It could be said that none of these albums posed a real challenge.
Na Ying: ?!
She had managed to hold her own earlier, but by this point, she was completely outmatched.
Her album, Heartbreaking Romance, sold 470,000 copies in Mainland China and 810,000 across Asia.
It failed to replicate the success of her previous two albums, Conquer and Simply, falling short of even a million copies.
Nevertheless, these figures still made her the best-selling female artist in Mainland China, preserving her title as the "Queen of Heaven of the Mainland."
Meanwhile, Shen Lang received news from Chen Yaochuan, who was personally overseeing the campaign.
In just twenty days, Shen Lang's album had achieved its sales target of one million copies across Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and other parts of Asia.
Notably, it sold 330,000 copies in Taiwan, ranking third for the year, behind Tao Ze's I'm OK (420,000 copies) and Jacky Cheung's Walked Through 1999 (400,000 copies).
This figure also made Shen Lang the best-selling mainland Chinese singer in Taiwan, surpassing all others.
Meanwhile, Yanjing Universal Music Publishing had news of their own.
Their bold efforts had reclaimed 300,000 copies from pirated sales.
Combined with the 200,000 copies Shen Lang sold independently, his total sales in mainland China reached 500,000.
Without a doubt, Shen Lang was the best-selling male singer in mainland China this year, surpassing all others.
Among all artists, he ranked second only to Faye Wong.
His total sales across Asia reached 1.5 million copies—a staggering number.
While he hadn't broken any national record sales, he had essentially secured the title of the year's best-selling album.
The most remarkable aspect was that this was a newcomer's first solo album, sending shockwaves through the Chinese music scene.
"I can't believe it!"
"Is this data fabricated?"
"Did they include pirated copies?"
"He's still too young. Half of these ten songs—'Ten Years,' 'South of the Yangtze River,' 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms,' 'That Girl Told Me,' 'Absolutely Devoted,' 'It's Not That Simple,' 'Just Once,' and 'Dear, That's Not Love'—could have sold this much on their own."
"He's got that 'last Heavenly King of the millennium' vibe."
"Let's hope he doesn't peak too early and fade away."
The industry was divided into two camps:
One camp questioned the hype.
The other watched with cautious optimism.
Yet both sides couldn't deny the exceptional quality of Shen Lang's album, a clear contender for album of the year.
Newspapers and magazines ran extensive features, propelling Shen Lang's fame to new heights.
Music companies came knocking once more.
This marked the second phase of his career.
Warner Music remained the frontrunner.
This time, Zhou Jianhui, CEO of Warner Music Taiwan, personally made the trip.
"Ah, I see..."
Shen Lang had assumed they were finally accepting his copyright terms to sign him, but that wasn't the case.
"Mr. Shen, your talent is undeniable. Stefanie and I are both eager to collaborate with you," Zhou Jianhui said, adopting an approachable demeanor rather than the usual CEO's aloofness.
Stefanie was Sun Yanzi's English name.
Wasn't she releasing her second album in December?
Zhou Jianhui's mission was to commission Shen Lang to craft a custom-made lead single for her album.
He couldn't persuade the other executives to accept Shen Lang's copyright demands for a full contract.
But for a single song, he could make that decision himself.
Shen Lang was genuinely surprised.
By this point, the album's post-production should have been nearly complete.
The album definitely needed a lead single.
A last-minute change was rare, but understandable.
To boost sales, they needed a stronger lead single.
Sun Yanzi's album, The Happiness I Want, was a collaborative effort by five music producers: the Lee brothers (Lee Si Song and Lee Wei Song), Bao Xiaobai, and newcomers Chen Xiaojuan and Xue Zhongming. Their goal was to surpass the success of her previous self-titled album.
The lead single from that album, also titled "The Happiness I Want," was composed by Lee Wei Song specifically for Sun Yanzi, showcasing her exceptional vocal skills. It aimed to surpass the classic track "Cloudy Day" from her previous album.
Zhou Jianhui had more to consider.
Sun Yanzi was at the peak of her career, and her success would determine Warner Music's future.
He needed this album to be flawless.
That's why songs from Shen Lang, whose first solo album had swept across Asia, became his safety net.
Of course, "lead single" was just a polite term; the song's quality would ultimately decide its fate.
"With President Zhou's generous offer, how could I refuse?" Shen Lang accepted the project without hesitation.
Firstly, he couldn't sing all his songs himself, and some weren't suited to his style.
Secondly, although rivals are common in the industry, Sun Yanzi was one of the female singers Shen Lang most wanted to collaborate with.
Lastly, why turn down money?
"Then let's have a pleasant collaboration!" Zhou Jianhui said, unsurprised. He had personally come to show respect and sincerity.
"A pleasant collaboration indeed!" Shen Lang replied with a smile.
"Just one thing, Mr. Shen," Zhou Jianhui reminded him. "Stefanie's album is scheduled for release on December 9th, so we need this done quickly."
"No problem," Shen Lang said confidently. "Give me three days."
"Actually, there's no need to rush," Zhou Jianhui said, worried about quality. "Quality should come first. As long as it's ready by the end of this month, that's fine."
"Understood," Shen Lang said, not arguing. He would follow the client's wishes.
After signing the contract with Zhou Jianhui and sharing lunch, Shen Lang saw him off to the airport and returned to the Yan Jing Grand Hotel.
Qian Guosheng had arranged to meet him there that afternoon.
"Old Shen, this music video of yours is terrible!" Qian Guosheng greeted him bluntly.