1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 230 New Year’s Eve

"...Look at the busy world, is it still lonely and spinning non-stop..."

In the recording studio of Jiuyi Entertainment, Zhai Yuan squinted his eyes and sang a cappella.

There’s no technique, it’s all emotion.

Some songs can truly be called masterpieces that will be passed down through the ages. The lyrics of "Tomorrow Will Be Better" sound simple, soothing and catchy. In fact, in order to write the lyrics for this song, Baodao gathered people from the music and cultural circles, and revised Luo Dayou's first draft sentence by sentence, and it took the help of countless new people to create it.

Zhai Yuan finished singing quickly.

He turned to look at Zhou Huimin: "What do you think?"

Zhou Huimin inexplicably developed a star-chasing feeling. The soothing and gentle music became more and more appealing the more she listened to it. When she looked at Zhai Yuan, her eyes were filled with admiration.

I thought he was here to take advantage of me again today, but I didn't expect there would be an unexpected surprise.

Zhou Huimin nodded like a chicken pecking at rice: "Master is so amazing."

Zhai Yuan suddenly looked at her with deep eyes: "Hui Min, if one day I can no longer write songs, will you still love me?"

Zhou Huimin blushed and hit him. The image of Zhai Yuan as a master she had just built up in her mind collapsed. "Nonsense."

Zhai Yuan laughed twice. Time was tight and the task was heavy, so he didn't bother to tease the little girl. He just picked up the lyrics book and handed it to her.

"I'll sing it again. Please help me memorize the music and compose it as soon as possible."

Just as he was about to speak, Ye Yuqing pushed open the door of the recording studio.

As soon as she entered the room, she hugged Zhai Yuan's arm affectionately: "My idol, no wonder I couldn't find you in the office. Did you come to see me on purpose?"

Seeing her intimate behavior with Zhai Yuan, Zhou Huimin turned away with a complicated look in her eyes.

Zhai Yuan said seriously, "Stop messing around! We have serious things to do!"

When Ye Yuqing learned that he had a new work, she smiled and took on the task of composing the music, and reached out to snatch the lyrics book from Zhou Huimin.

Zhou Huimin, who has always been in a weak position, held the notebook tightly this time and did not let go.

Ye Yuqing frowned and looked at her, and put a little more force on his hands.

Zhou Huimin's knuckles were slightly white, but she still firmly grasped the lyrics book, and for once, she was tough: "I just heard it before you, so it will be easier for me to do it."

Ye Yuqing's eyes became sharper, and Zhou Huimin lowered her eyelids unconfidently.

Zhai Yuan coughed lightly: "Can't we both do it together?"

When Ye Yuqing heard him speak, the arrogant expression on her face disappeared immediately, and she leaned close to Zhai Yuan's ear and said, "My idol, do you want to have a threesome?"

…………

After the simplified notation is made.

Invite James Wong and Joseph Koo to the company to compose the accompaniment for "Tomorrow Will Be Better".

Both men noticed that there was some discord between Zhou Huimin and Ye Yuqing.

In the end, it was Zhai Yuan who knocked on the table, put on a stern face and took control of the situation.

"So I often tell people in the know, A-Yuan is my idol. He can handle even this kind of situation. Sooner or later, he will surpass Cai Lan."

Huang Zhan looked at Koo Ka Fai standing beside him, seeking his approval: "Hey, Bei Duohui, did I say that before?"

Joseph Koo, who was in his fifties, looked much more composed than James Wong. Perhaps because he was not very familiar with Zhai Yuan, he smiled politely and said, "Mr. Zhai wrote a very good song."

Zhai Yuan asked, "Uncle Hui, thank you for the compliment. I need to use this song urgently. Can you make the accompaniment today?"

Joseph Koo and James Wong were accustomed to Zhai Yuan's magical way of creation. After a few discussions, they walked to the piano and tried out a few keys.

He said conservatively: "It shouldn't be a problem."

Huang Zhan added: "There is nothing wrong with Bei Duohui saying this."

Joseph Koo smiled and said, "It was mainly because Mr. Zhai took care of the most difficult creative process, so the rest of the process was relatively easy."

As usual, he and Huang Zhan were paid tens of thousands of yuan in fees. Zhai Yuan left his signature on the team and locked the two of them in the recording studio to compose music.

The recording was completed that evening.

Zhai Yuan called Xia Meng and told her that he had prepared a new program. Xia Meng was stunned when she heard it on the phone.

I just mentioned this at his birthday party last night, and just one day later, he created a new song?

She originally thought that using "Pearl of the Orient" to make up the number was enough, but she didn't expect Zhai Yuan to have such speed. She has been in the circle for decades, but she has never seen anyone with such ability.

Even the behind-the-scenes team of the golden voice Zhou Xuan was not so exaggerated!

Xia Meng subconsciously compared Zhai Yuan to the stars of her own era. She calmed down over the phone and said, "It's a little late today. I'll visit your company tomorrow morning."

Early the next morning.

When Xia Meng was invited into Jiuyi Entertainment by the front desk receptionist.

Zhai Yuan has already led the company's contracted artists to learn to sing new songs in the conference room.

"Mr. Zhai, Miss Xia Meng is here."

It has to be said that even though Xia Meng has retired from the film industry for many years, her status in the film and television industry is still very high.

Especially when older actors like Liang Xiaolong and Luo Jiaying saw her, their eyes were full of admiration. Thinking back to the time when the Three Princesses of the Great Wall were absolutely well-known, they thought that the reputation of them must have been well-known in their time.

Young artists such as Zhong Chuhong, Lan Juying, Wan Ziliang and Zhang Guorong also stood up to greet them.

The youngest ones, Ye Yuqing and Zhou Huimin, are a little bit worse off. To them, Xia Meng is a legendary figure.

Xia Meng greeted everyone, took the tea handed to her by the staff, and said with a smile, "Everyone, please continue. You don't have to be so polite."

Zhai Yuan handed Xia Meng a copy of the lyrics and smiled at the other artists, "Sister Meng is here to give us guidance. Everyone, listen carefully to my instructions and get ready to sing!"

The singing of the stars begins.

"Gently awaken the sleeping soul
slowly open your eyes
Look at the busy world

Are you still spinning alone...”

The song is over.

Xia Meng listened quietly and let out a sigh.

Xia Meng asked, "You didn't really create this on the spur of the moment, did you?"

Zhai Yuan smiled and said: "It's not that exaggerated. This song has been prepared for a long time."

Xia Meng's eyes were filled with doubt. "Tomorrow will be better. This idea fits in well with what I told you last night... but judging by the lyrics, the tone seems a bit grander."

Zhai Yuan sighed, "Actually, it's not just Hong Kong's current situation. I saw on the news the famine in Ethiopia and the wars still raging in parts of the world. I felt deeply saddened, so I incorporated all those complex emotions into the film."

The artists in the conference room widened their eyes upon hearing this.

I feel like the copies of lyrics in my hands are shining with positive energy.

Caring about the world? Are you still the Mr. Zhai we know?

Xia Meng's face also flashed a trace of surprise, and seeing Zhai Yuan's resolute expression, he could not help but nod again. In the 1980s, the famine in Ethiopia had killed more than 400,000 people, and the rebellion and civil war in Ethiopia had also been a major international news in the past two years.

She said with some regret: "It's a pity that it's a little late now, otherwise we could bring this song to the Spring Festival Gala program in mainland China."

Zhai Yuan smiled and said it didn't matter: "As long as I can create something and call for world peace, my goal has been achieved."

After hearing this, women like Zhong Ronghong and Lan Juying looked at Zhai Yuan and felt that he was standing in the light.

In fact, Zhai Yuan first came up with the idea of copying this song when he was writing the script for "A Better Tomorrow". In the original film, Michiko Nishiwaki taught students to sing in chorus. Later, he changed it into another English charity song, and "Tomorrow Will Be Better" was temporarily shelved. If Xia Meng hadn't mentioned it last night, he would have forgotten about this song.

It was a close call, Luo Dayou almost snatched it away.

Zhai Yuan said to Xia Meng, "It's a pity that it doesn't fit the theme of Hong Kong as well as the Pearl of the Orient."

Xia Meng shook his head and said, "The artistic conception and spirit are far superior, but this is enough."

…………

2 month 16 day.

"Lucky Stars" took advantage of the holiday before the end of the year and its box office soared.

New One City then released a movie called "Gong Xi Fa Cai".

Compared with the two major companies, 1024's creative team is still a bit weak.

The production volume is low, and Zhai Yuan only selects high-quality films for the directors, so the shooting period is extended a lot.

Just when the audience thought that there would be no new films released on 1024.

That afternoon, the theater put up a new poster, and a mainland film called "Kapok Robe" was released in five theaters of the 1024 theater chain to fill the vacancy.

What are you doing with a few hundred yuan a month?
On the screen, Zhai Yuan had a preconceived impression and felt that even if Yu Rongguang shaved his head, he did not look like a compassionate monk at all.

It is hard to say that this movie is not suspected of following the trend of "Shaolin Temple". Ever since Jet Li's bald image became popular, departments at all levels in the mainland have also begun to pay attention to the development of film and television, and have focused their market focus on overseas regions headed by Hong Kong.

The production companies are Hong Kong Jiaming Entertainment and Fujian Province's Straits Culture Company. The distribution is mainly placed by the Shuangnan Cinema Line, and the China Film Co-production Company assisted in the filming.

"The trend of co-productions is becoming increasingly clear. In a few years, filmmakers will be moving north on a large scale."

Zhai Yuan sat in the theater and thought to himself that he had already made arrangements in advance. After the new year, several films were scheduled to be filmed in the mainland. By accumulating some resources there, the advantages in the future would be infinitely magnified.

2 month 19 day.

New Year's Eve.

The gala held inside Yindu kicked off.

TVB sent a film crew to shoot and broadcast the footage in the Cantonese region.

The programs prepared by mainland artists are unremarkable. Firstly, the talented actors have all appeared on the Spring Festival Gala stage tonight, and secondly, the temporary troupe set up by Yindu does not have much professional performance experience.

So Zhai Yuan led the company's artists to the stage, and the song "Tomorrow Will Be Better" sung by the stars became undoubtedly the highlight of the entire evening.

The TV stations in the Cantonese area compiled the data the next day.

During the period when the Jiuyi artists performed, the local audience reached its peak. In just five minutes, it actually caught up with the ratings of the Spring Festival Gala.

The catchy lyrics, introduced by the host, clearly highlighted the theme: "Mr. Zhai Yuan, Mr. Wan Ziliang, Mr. Zhang Guorong, Ms. Zhong Chuhong of 97 Entertainment... hope to cheer for the world through this song. At the same time, we all believe that with the arrival of , Hong Kong's future will be even better..."

…………

New Year's Day.

morning.

TVB edited the performance of the Nine One Entertainment stars at last night's gala, deleted the obvious biased parts, and broadcast a pure enjoyment version separately on TV.

Not long after, the song "Tomorrow Will Be Better" became a hit among the 1024 member group.

"Sister Qing, does your idol have a new work?"

"Oh my god! If I had known Mr. Zhai was performing at Yindu last night, I should have gone straight there."

"I heard this song when I turned on the TV this morning. Idols are really sharp."

"Tomorrow will be better. I heard a music critic say this song is about world peace. I think the idol is really at a very high level."

"Little singers like Tan Yonglin and Liu Dehua only know how to have romances. How can they compare with Mr. Zhai?"

"When will the single be released? A chorus of people will drown out my idol's voice."

Fans in the fan circle have already shown a tendency to pull down other artists, and they make publicity on their own initiative, and they even look down on superstars.

Then the music critics’ highly professional analysis came out.

The profession of music critics has always been divided into two camps. One relies on the traffic of the singers' black fans and tries their best to discredit them, while the other relies on the traffic of the singers' fans and praises them mindlessly.

It’s hard to discredit “Tomorrow Will Be Better.”

Some people were able to find some flaws in Zhai Yuan's last album "Pearl of the Orient", saying that his lyrics were superficial and the content was empty.

Let’s not talk about the excellence of the lyrics this time. The intention is to put on the golden body of world peace. Anyone who dares to touch it again will undoubtedly be regarded as a clown seeking attention, and it will be difficult for him to survive in the circle in the future.

People from all walks of life came to take advantage of the popularity and received rave reviews.

Film review magazine "Film Biweekly" also weighed in: "Compared to film companies like Jiahe and New One City, Zhai Yuan only released one film, "A Better Tomorrow," in its own theaters during the Lunar New Year holiday on October 1024th. Perhaps the reason for this is that he focused more on the song "Tomorrow Will Be Better," forgoing commercial success for a voice of peace."

Then, Shi Qiuyi received a sponsorship fee transferred to him by Shi Nansheng.

"Mr. Zhai thought your article was very well written. He will consider providing free venues for the Academy Awards this year. He also hopes that the jury will carefully review the film 'Wushuang'. Also, the leading actress of 'God of Gamblers, Ms. Lan Juying, also wants to win an award, no matter how big or small."

After Shi Nansheng finished his phone call with Shi Qiuyi, he held his forehead and felt that his career had another stain.

The Academy Awards are not a good thing!

Jiuyi Entertainment has another 15-day long holiday this year.

But only three days into the holiday, various record companies couldn't help but call.

At first, it was just a record company in Hong Kong. Chen Shufang, headed by Huaxing, led Zhang Guorong and Mei Yanfang to visit the company in person, hoping to use their connections to get the distribution rights for the song.

Soon after, the record company in Taiwan also found an intermediary to act as a lobbyist and communicated with Jiuyi privately, under the banner of music without borders, hoping to get a hit song for their own singer.

Zhai Yuan didn't have time to deal with this group of people. He didn't need that little money now. How could he sell his original work that he had worked so hard on so casually?
He left Shi Nansheng's phone number and asked her to deal with the record company outside.

In the Deep Water Bay Garden Villa.

Zhai Yuan sat on the sofa.

At the side was Chen Shufang, who came closer with lowered head and a submissive look. Next to her sat Zhang Guorong and a slightly nervous Anita Mui.

Chen Shufang said, "Mr. Zhai, when you signed the contract with Leslie, you promised to write three hit songs for him every year. This year, we won't bother you too much. We only need this song, 'Tomorrow Will Be Better.'"

Zhang Guorong bit his cigarette and threw it to Zhai Yuan along with the cigarette box: "Hey, boss! Can you give me some face?"

Zhai Yuan shook his head: "Not good!"

(End of this chapter)