Huayu 1995

Chapter 310 No Chance of Usurping the Throne (Seeking Monthly Tickets at the End of the Month)
The salon was held in an exhibition hall, a long, narrow one with a very high dome. It seemed that someone had previously held an art exhibition there, as some traces remained.

Now there are many long tables in the middle, as well as all kinds of sofas full of artistic flair.

People can drink in pairs or gather in groups of three or five to have a lively discussion.

Most of those who come in are certified creators with existing works.

Without Su Chao leading the way, Zhou Jielun wouldn't have been qualified to come in at all.

Being by Su Chao's side, he felt exceptionally carefree, as if he had become incredibly awesome.

When he went to get the wine for Su Chao, someone asked him who he was.

He humbly stated that he was Su Chao's apprentice.

Yes, his only apprentice!
The other party was shocked. Holy crap, Su Chao, who is not even nineteen years old, is already considering passing on his legacy?

"If you can't drink, just drink less alcohol and ask the waiter for warm water or coffee. Just follow behind me and listen to me talk to others. Don't say anything unless they ask you."

Su Chao's instruction to Jay Chou was definitely not about teaching him how to create music.

Even without Su Chao, Jay Chou would have officially risen to prominence in the music scene in a few years.

He mainly taught Jay Chou how to conduct himself and how to mold the boy into the person he wanted him to be.

Meeting Chang Yu-sheng was an accident.

For Su Chao, Zhang Yusheng was a non-existent person.

After all, just over half a year ago, he was still navigating the ocean of the internet. When people mentioned Zhang Yusheng, aside from his few classic songs, they mostly lamented his untimely death.

"Mr. Chang Yu-sheng, I am Su Chao. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Su Chao took the initiative to go up and greet them.

"I know you. Your songs are all amazing. Just call me Xiaobao."

Zhang Yusheng had just finished a chat with a friend, and the content of their chat was actually about Su Chao.

His friend both hated and feared Su Chao.

They resented his excellence, saying that few young Taiwanese creators could compare, yet they knew their own abilities were insufficient and worried that they would be utterly humiliated by a nineteen-year-old during their exchanges.

Chang Yu-sheng did not have similar troubles.

He believes that everyone's creation is a gift from the god of inspiration, a result of their own efforts and emotional resonance.

There's really no need to have opinions just because you think someone else's work is good.

No matter how much you complain, it won't affect anything.

“Then I’ll call you Brother Bao. When I was little, I listened to your song ‘My Future Is Not a Dream’ and it inspired me a lot.”

Whether in his past life or this life, this song has genuinely inspired Su Chao.

It's not that you have to be inspired for half your life to be considered inspiring; very few people can be inspired for half their lives by a song.

If something can bring you even a little bit of positive emotion at a certain juncture or time in your life, then that can be considered an encouragement.

If you calculate it that way, many people have been inspired by the song "My Future Is Not a Dream".

"Thank you. The song 'My Future Is Not a Dream' is also very important to me. It's because of this song that I became famous."

Chang Yu-sheng pointed to a two-seater sofa, indicating that they could sit down and chat.

"That year, I was eleven years old, haha~"

It wouldn't be wrong for Su Chao to say that he grew up listening to Zhang Yusheng's songs.

"That year, my father failed in business and couldn't collect the millions of checks he wrote. He was about to sell the land in Lishan Orchard to lose money when 'My Future Is Not a Dream' was released. I told my father not to sell the land. I think he brought home 600,000 yuan the first time. Over the next two or three years, I helped my father pay off his debts. This song saved our whole family!"

Zhang Yusheng did not discuss specific creative techniques with Su Chao.

He believes that everyone has their own style.

You can't learn something just by studying it if it's not your own.

He talked about some trivial things behind the songs.

Su Chao talked about "Goodbye" and how he made a name for himself in nightclubs with this song.

Jay Chou was surprised; he hadn't realized that his mentor had also experienced such a down-on-his-luck period.

Like him, his family was also of modest means. Sometimes he had to work at a restaurant to earn pocket money, otherwise he might not have been able to afford to buy cassette tapes.

"Let's exchange contact information, and chat again sometime!"

Zhang Yusheng and Su Chao had a pleasant chat. Zhang Yusheng even invited Su Chao to his home, while Su Chao invited Zhang Yusheng to visit the mainland.

However, Su Chao is going back tomorrow.

There's definitely no time to visit Zhang Yusheng's home.

Su Chao watched Zhang Yusheng leave, but he didn't forget to leave his things behind.

A song titled "Saying One Thing and Meaning Another" earns 50 points of advanced singing skill experience.

The former was bought for 60,000 yuan.

The latter spent 200,000.

There was also a creation experience value, which Su Chao didn't want because the discount wasn't very good.

Your words were hypocritical / Your heartfelt promises / Have all drifted away with the west wind / A fool's dream / My cherished reliance / Is like a withered and faded flower...

"Saying One Thing and Meaning Another" is one of Su Chao's favorite songs.

Although the discount wasn't much, Su Chao still shamelessly accepted it, planning to include it in his third album, which will be released in the second half of the year.

This song will be written in the middle of next year.

Given Su Chao's current popularity, there's no need to worry about him clashing with Su Chao.

During our conversation earlier, Chang Yu-sheng mentioned that he had bought both of Su Chao's albums.

As for what will happen to Chang Yu-sheng after buying "Saying One Thing and Meaning Another," it is, after all, his final masterpiece.

It doesn't have to be so "last".

Su Chao knew that Zhang Yusheng was in a car accident on October 20, 1997, and died after being in a coma for several days.

The reason I remember it so clearly is because Su Chao's birthday was on this day in his previous life.

Su Chao planned to do something that day to prevent the car accident from happening.

You could invite Chang Yu-sheng to visit the mainland.

After Su Chao's invitation, it was clear that Zhang Yusheng was quite interested.

The magnificent landscapes of mainland China are indeed very attractive to creators.

Alternatively, Su Chao could come to Taiwan, get him drunk, and then send a driver to take him home, thus avoiding the car accident.

Su Chao is not a good person.

With so many accidental deaths every year, if he were always trying to interfere in other people's lives and deaths, he'd be working himself to death. So, this time he was essentially doing his job for a fee.

The reward was this song, "Saying One Thing and Meaning Another".

If Chang Yu-sheng knew that he had traded a song for his life at age 31, he probably wouldn't have thought Su Chao was a heartless businessman.

Next, Su Chao interacted with people around the scene.

He can indeed learn a lot, and if he comes across creative experience points that are particularly cheap, he will buy them and use them.

Who knows, maybe one day he'll be able to write his own songs.

Su Chao learned a lot of good songs from this salon.

Besides Chang Yu-sheng's "Saying One Thing and Meaning Another," there are also "Little Snow," "Turning Point," "Warm," "Peerless," "Quicksand," "Conquer," "You're Ruthless," "Standing on the High Hill," "Crying Sand," "Can I Hold You?" "We're All Night Owls," "Destined," and "Thank You for Your Love 1999."

I bought a total of fourteen songs.

Excluding "Saying One Thing and Meaning Another," the other thirteen songs only cost a total of 300,000 RMB.
On average, a song costs only 20,000 to 30,000 yuan.

Of course, this is not all for today, but Su Chao can't possibly buy them all; money shouldn't be spent like this.

Not all of these songs are worth 20 yuan each.

Most of the Su Chaos don't think they'll be included in the third album.

But he still bought it.

It was for the Red Star Production Company.

Old Chen is going to give him more stocks.

Some time ago, he bought back the shares of most of the other shareholders at a high price.

It's an attitude of consolidating power.

However, while one side is repurchasing shares from other shareholders, the other side plans to give even more shares to Su Chao.

Chen Jiantian made it clear.

He lacked a sense of security, and faced with a creative genius like Su Chao who could be considered a top-tier artist even in the Hong Kong and Taiwan music scene, he had no reason to keep Su Chao.

Anyway, he's all alone, so having so many shares wouldn't be of any use to him.

The money can be saved for retirement in the future.

It's clear that Su Chao is a loyal young man. If he ends up in a nursing home, Su Chao won't abandon him and ignore him.

Therefore, he planned to completely hand over the Red Star Production Cooperative to Su Chao.

Let Su Chao take the lion's share.

From Su Chao working for him, to him working for Su Chao.

Su Chao did not refuse.

He has great ambitions and many ideas and actions, which inevitably makes him feel constrained in Chen Jiantian's Red Star Production Cooperative.

The business world is like a battlefield; even fathers and sons, brothers, can turn against each other, let alone partners who are on good terms for a time.

Su Chao didn't want to test human nature.

He was determined to completely control the Red Star Production Cooperative sooner or later.

He's determined to be this emperor.

I just didn't expect Chen Jiantian to be so savvy.

They didn't even give him a chance to usurp the throne.

Since that's the case, he decided to take over the Red Star Production Company entirely.

In return, he will allow Chan Kin-tim to earn more money, and in the future, all music-related businesses will be handed over to this music godfather to manage.

His dream of creating a musical utopia will also help him realize it.

Now that the Red Star Production Company belongs to us.

Then Su Chao has an obligation to think more about the company's future.

Therefore, he will likely give more of today's fourteen songs to singers signed to his company.

Apart from those who were already barely alive, Su Chao plans to focus on developing Xu Wei, Han Hong, and Zhou Xun.

We will sign some other promising singers in the future.

Han Hong holds a military position and is therefore unable to sign a regular contract.

However, it's not impossible to cooperate.

The songs Su Chao bought today are quite suitable for her; we can sell them to her at cost price later.

He sold a song to someone else for 200,000 yuan, and sold it to her for 50,000 yuan.

It moved her to tears.

"Brother, what time is your flight tomorrow? I'll come see you off!"

Jay Chou has seen the world today.

Many creators have even inquired about who this young man is. Su Chao said he is a student he mentors and that he has great creative talent.

Jay Chou received a lot of encouragement.

Therefore, he thought he would see Su Chao off tomorrow to show his filial piety.

"There's no need. Tomorrow is Monday. Go to class and study hard. Don't fail to get a score even with the discount. If you encounter any difficulties, call me or your agent. What you might find difficult to solve is nothing to me."

Su Chao felt a little guilty because Jay Chou respected him so much.

Those who are reborn are truly beings who manipulate fate; they can not only manipulate their own fate, but also control the fates of others.

"Big brother, can I go to a karaoke bar to sing?"

Jay Chou heard today that both Chang Yu-sheng and Su Chao had experience singing in nightclubs.

He felt he could do it too.

"Don't do it before the college entrance exam. Focus on your studies. If you have financial difficulties, you can ask me for an advance on your salary and pay me back after you start working."

Su Chao wouldn't mind doing more favors.

"Then can I work part-time at a karaoke bar when I go to university in mainland China?"

Jay Chou is now full of hope for the future.

“Okay,” Su Chao said after thinking for a moment, “I definitely wouldn’t let Zhou Jielun work like a slave after graduation.”

“I have a band that I can recruit you into after you go to the mainland.”

(End of this chapter)