On November 9th, Chen Yaochuan reappeared after nearly a month's absence. His beaming face made it clear he had good news. Shen Lang didn't need to guess. His album had been a massive hit in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and other parts of Asia. As the driving force behind this success, how could Chen Yaochuan not be overjoyed? He was probably waking up laughing in his dreams.
But there was more to it than just that. Chen Yaochuan had defied internal opposition to accept Shen Lang's copyright terms and sign him to New Sony Records.
"Xiao Shen, let me clarify one thing," Chen Yaochuan explained a clause in the contract. "These copyright terms only apply to songs you compose yourself. If the company provides songs for you to sing, the copyright for those songs belongs to the company."
"Understood," Shen Lang replied. He knew this was the biggest concession they would make. All he wanted was to retain the copyright for the songs he had "borrowed." His plan was to develop under the shelter of a major label before establishing his own company or studio.
The contract Chen Yaochuan had secured was unprecedented in the entertainment industry. The revenue split varied depending on the album's content: 50/50 for albums featuring Shen Lang's original compositions and 60/40 (in the company's favor) for albums with songs provided by the label. This didn't matter to Shen Lang, as he had no intention of recording songs written by others.
The contract term was two years. With the copyright terms accepted, there was no reason not to sign.
With a bold stroke of the pen, Shen Lang signed himself into New Sony Records as an artist.
"Xiao Shen, rest assured," Chen Yaochuan declared solemnly. "As long as I'm at New Sony, our plan to make you a 'Heavenly King Superstar' will never change."
"President Chen, I'm deeply honored by your faith in me," Shen Lang replied. "But let's take things one step at a time." He had no desire to rush things and risk failure.
The thrill of instant success was undeniable.
But a star without a solid foundation was like a castle in the sky, destined to crumble.
He wasn't interested in building a "beautiful dream" that would vanish upon waking.
"As you wish," Chen Yaochuan agreed. The freedom he granted Shen Lang could be summed up in four words: "carte blanche." Shen Lang could decide what to do and how to do it, though the company's professional team would also offer tailored plans for his consideration. "Do you have any immediate plans?"
"President Chen, since you value me so highly, I naturally don't want to disappoint you," Shen Lang said. "Here's my plan: I'll release a single at the start of next year, followed by an album in the first half of the year." This was his plan regardless of whether he signed with a company or not.
"Excellent! I'll have the promotion team get to work immediately," Chen Yaochuan said, his excitement barely contained.
Nurturing a Heavenly King Superstar was every music producer's ultimate ambition.
In Chen Yaochuan's eyes, Shen Lang was destined to become just that.
Rounding up, it was practically a free achievement for him.
Ring ring ring~
Shen Lang's phone rang. "President Chen, excuse me, I need to take this call."
"Hello..."
"Now?"
"Okay..."
After hanging up, Shen Lang turned to Chen Yaochuan. "President Chen, could I borrow the company's recording studio?"
Chen Yaochuan chuckled. "Use it as you please. Consider it your own home." He even drove Shen Lang there himself.
On the way, he asked curiously, "Are you recording a single already?"
Shen Lang shook his head. "Not exactly. Zhou Jianhui from Warner Music contacted me recently to write a song for their artist, Sun Yanzi. He just called to say they've arrived in Yanjing and want me to coach her on the song. They're also asking me to be the male lead in the music video."
"Oh..." Chen Yaochuan smiled. "Zhou Jianhui? I know him well."
Both men worked for the world's three major record companies. Zhou Jianhui was the General Manager of Warner Music's Treasure Island Province Taiwan branch, while Chen Yaochuan was the President CEO of Sony Music's Treasure Island Province Taiwan branch. Their positions were roughly equivalent. Given the small size of Treasure Island Province Taiwan and the companies' competitive relationship, it was no surprise they knew each other.
Half an hour later, they arrived at New Sony Records' Mainland China headquarters in Yanjing. Despite being called a "headquarters," it was merely a three-story villa.
The first floor housed the reception area and equipment storage.
The second floor contained various offices.
The third floor was home to the recording studio.
Shen Lang and Chen Yaochuan arrived first.
After waiting for about ten minutes, Zhou Jianhui and Sun Yanzi finally arrived.
"Yaochuan? You..." Zhou Jianhui's heart sank as he saw Chen Yaochuan with Shen Lang, a premonition of trouble brewing.
"Haha, Jianhui, Xiao Shen is now part of New Sony," Chen Yaochuan declared triumphantly.
"Congratulations," Zhou Jianhui said through gritted teeth.
"Don't be like that," Chen Yaochuan replied with a smile. "Didn't you and Yanzi sweep the Treasure Island Province music scene with just one album?"
"Let me introduce you," Zhou Jianhui said. "This is President Chen Yaochuan of New Sony Records."
"Hello, President Chen."
"Hello."
Zhou Jianhui then introduced Shen Lang: "And this is Shen Lang, the musical prodigy who wrote your songs."
Sun Yanzi extended her hand, her face lit up with a youthful smile. "Hello, I'm Sun Yanzi."
Shen Lang's lips curled into a charming smile as he shook her hand. "Hello," he said.
Future "underrated singer."
These words seemed almost impossible to associate with Sun Yanzi.
Many netizens expressed disbelief upon reading them.
Are you talking about Sun Yanzi, the debut artist who beat Jay Chou to win the Best New Artist award at the 12th Golden Melody Awards?
Are you talking about Sun Yanzi, who stood at the pinnacle of the Chinese music scene and practically swept every major award?
Perhaps the original poster hadn't anticipated that their casual share would spark such heated debate.
Even Sun Yanzi herself responded: "This 'underrated singer' appreciates everyone's attention. New music coming soon!"
Statistics showed that in the early 2000s, album sales by Jay Chou and Sun Yanzi alone accounted for 40% of the entire Treasure Island Province Taiwan market—nearly half the industry.
Thus, a saying circulated in the Chinese music scene: "For men, there's Jay Chou; for women, there's Sun Yanzi."
It was the year 2000, and Sun Yanzi had just made her debut.
She perfectly matched Shen Lang's memory of the girl who sang "Darkness..." Standing around 160 centimeters tall, she was slender with short hair, giving her a slightly androgynous look at first glance. Her preferred attire consisted of tank tops and jeans.
In terms of appearance, Sun Yanzi didn't fit the traditional mold of beauty. Apart from her large, bright eyes, her features were unremarkable.
Compared to her contemporaries, she lacked Jolin Tsai's dynamism, Elva Hsiao's swagger, and Fish Leong's tenderness—almost none of the usual attention-grabbing elements.
This led to the infamous assessment: "Throw Sun Yanzi into a crowd, and you wouldn't be able to pick her out."
Yet she possessed a unique style and presence. While not breathtakingly beautiful, her distinctive charm—that blend of approachability, freshness, and effortless coolness—was uniquely hers.
And that's precisely what made her irreplaceable.
.....
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