Huayu: A master director who debuted as a singer

Chapter 102 Profits from the Hong Kong Coliseum Concert

Master? Godfather?

Zheng Hui felt his heart skip two beats and his blood flow accelerate.

This is not merely a fleeting honor; it represents an extremely terrifying social influence and an unshakeable divine status.

But Zheng Hui is not only a time traveler who pursues artistic heights, he is also an ordinary person, a businessman who values ​​tangible benefits.

He wasn't completely blinded by Zheng Donghan's grand promise. Instead, he quickly calmed down and asked in return, "Mr. Zheng, I understand the artistic height and historical status."

But let's be business. These people, burdened by the pressures of life, don't even know which way the door of a record store faces. The reason "Floating Life" sells well is because young people are driving up sales.

If I were to completely tailor an album for them, abandoning the pure love song market, wouldn't I be taking too much risk in terms of sales? Would the record company agree to such a near-suicidal positioning?

Zheng Hui's pragmatism and composure earned Zheng Donghan's silent admiration once again.

This young man always knows what conditions to discuss in what situations, and he will never be fooled by a few passionate and pretty words.

"Okay, since you asked about sales volume, let's do the most crucial business calculations."

"Buying cassette tapes and CDs is certainly not the primary consumption habit of these adults. But don't forget, they hold more than 80 percent of the wealth in this society."

"If you can truly break them down with music and shatter their defenses, the amount of money they're willing to spend on you will be beyond your imagination."

"For example?" Zheng Hui asked, leaning forward.

"For example, concerts." Zheng Donghan finally unleashed his trump card.

"In the second half of this year, the company originally planned to take advantage of the momentum of your third album release to officially launch your solo concert tour. As for the Hong Kong Coliseum show, I have already asked the public relations department to use their connections to communicate with the Leisure and Cultural Services Department."

The Hong Kong Coliseum is now considered a sacred place by Chinese singers. Only by performing on the four-sided stage of the Coliseum can one be truly recognized as a superstar by the Hong Kong music scene and even the entire Chinese music scene.

"Originally, with your current qualifications and song repertoire..."

Jung Dong-han held up three fingers and shook them. "I plan to apply for three to five days of availability for you this fall to test the waters with a medium-sized series of concerts."

"Why only three to five days?" Zheng Hui frowned. "Aren't the sales of my book 'Floating Life' enough to support me holding more screenings?"

""

"It's not that sales are insufficient, it's a problem with the purchasing power of our fans."

Zheng Donghan patiently explained to him, "You've only been famous for a little over half a year, Hui Zai. Your current fan base is still mainly students and young men and women."

Students have boundless enthusiasm, but they don't have money. They might save up a month's allowance to buy you the cheapest ticket to the mountaintop, but they can't possibly buy tickets for three or five consecutive shows to see you.

"And those young men and women who like you because of your love songs are not very loyal."

If you hold too many shows and the duration is too long, and subsequent tickets don't sell, leaving a large number of empty seats, it will be a devastating blow to your reputation and the company's stock price.

Many so-called rising stars in the Hong Kong music scene suffered a major setback at the Hong Kong Coliseum, never to recover, simply because they underestimated their box office appeal and fan purchasing power.

"But! If your album, which strikes right at the heart of ordinary people, can truly stand the test of time and resonate deeply within them, then the situation will be completely different!"

"These adults, they can easily spend thousands or even tens of thousands of yuan on a single meal at a business dinner without batting an eye. If you become their confidant, their spokesperson for venting their emotions, what will they do?"

"They don't care how much the tickets cost! They'll just buy the most expensive VIP tickets in the front row! They'll bring their wives, their business associates, and some will even book an entire section of seats just to show their support!"

"As long as you have this core group of people with terrifying spending power to support you, plus your original huge base of young fans."

A mid-sized concert can be transformed into an epic mega-concert in no time!

Zheng Donghan stared at Zheng Hui: "If there really is such a divine album as a base, I dare to apply to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department for at least ten days of slots at the Hong Kong Coliseum!"

Even if we hold fifteen consecutive shows, I guarantee every single one will be sold out, with tickets in extremely high demand!

Zheng Hui wasn't unfamiliar with money, but he hadn't actually calculated the concert expenses in detail in his previous life.

"Mr. Zheng, since we're settling accounts, let's go for the most practical ones."

Zheng Hui asked without hesitation, "If I could hold ten or even fifteen shows at the Hong Kong Coliseum, how much could I personally earn?"

Upon hearing Zheng Hui's incredibly direct question, Zheng Donghan burst into laughter.

He likes people who are driven by very clear interests; as long as they have desires, they can unleash unlimited potential.

"Okay, I'll settle this score with you clearly today."

Zheng Donghan pulled a pen from the pen holder on the table, picked up a piece of white paper, and started drawing as he quickly said, "The Hong Kong Coliseum has a capacity of 12,500 people. What is the biggest expense for holding a concert there?"

It includes venue rental, the steel structure construction of the stage, the rental of top-notch lighting and stage equipment, and the salaries of a large team of backup dancers, singers, and top musicians.

"These things are fixed costs. Let's say you build a four-sided stage and it costs two million Hong Kong dollars."

If you only hold one show, then you'll have to bear the cost of two million on your own for that one show. Add in other expenses, and even if the tickets sell out, you might work for nothing, or even lose money.

"But if you hold five shows, then the two million stage cost is spread down to four hundred thousand per show."

"Therefore, there's an ironclad rule for holding concerts—the more shows you have, the lower the marginal cost, and the more exponentially your profits increase!"

Zheng Donghan drew a circle on the paper with his pen tip: "Based on the current market conditions and your current net worth, if you open five shows..."

After deducting all hardware costs, venue commissions, security, and taxes, plus the share our company takes as the organizer.

The net profit that ends up in your pocket, at most, is around three million Hong Kong dollars. After all, you've only been famous for half a year, so the ticket prices can't be set as outrageously as the Four Heavenly Kings."

"But what if you could run ten games in a row!"

"No changes are needed to the stage design, lighting, or stage structure! We only need to pay extra venue rental fees and daily staff labor costs."

Profit margins are skyrocketing! After ten shows, your personal income will be at least between eight and nine million Hong Kong dollars!

"If the market response is as enthusiastic as I predict, we can secure 15 slots from the municipal council—"

Zheng Donghan raised his head, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Zheng Hui.

"Twenty million Hong Kong dollars! Absolutely no problem! And it's all real cash flow!"

As soon as the concert ends, there's no need for the long settlement period like with record royalties; the full payment will be deposited into your account that same week!

HK$20 million in cash!

This financial analysis made Zheng Hui's blood boil.

Although record royalties are high, they are paid in installments, and payments are made gradually from distributors at home and abroad.

Moreover, in this era of rampant piracy, the sales of physical records may hit a ceiling at any time.

The 20 million for the concert was a huge sum of money that he could immediately pocket as long as he stood on that four-sided stage and sang for more than ten nights!

What's even more terrifying is that this is only his initial income, which comes from less than a year since his debut, when his market value and ticket pricing are still limited.

Once this album is released, his divine status will be completely solidified in the Chinese-speaking world. When he goes to the mainland and Taiwan for tours in the future, this number will increase exponentially!

For Zheng Hui, who was reborn, 20 million Hong Kong dollars might not have been an astronomical figure in his previous life.

But in 1999, when even the price of housing in Beijing's Second Ring Road was only a few thousand yuan per square meter, this was an extremely terrifying amount of initial capital.

With this huge cash flow backing him up, he can go to the Beijing Film Academy in the second half of the year. Whether he invests in making movies or lays out plans for the future internet industry, he will be incredibly confident and can do whatever he wants!

"Hui-zai, think about it."

"An album that can resonate with the deepest feelings of adults can not only elevate your status in the history of Chinese music to an incredible level, but also earn you a reputation that grants you immunity from all consequences."

It can also upgrade your concert, at least doubling, and even tripling or quadrupling, your income.

"A double harvest of fame, status, artistic achievement, and a huge amount of money."

Zheng Donghan spread his hands and looked at Zheng Hui: "Will you accept this challenge?"

Zheng Hui leaned back on the sofa, his brain working furiously.

On one hand, there are easy, catchy love songs that you can make money by simply humming a few lines with your eyes closed—safe but mediocre.

On one hand, it is extremely challenging, requiring extremely deep emotions to sustain it. If it fails, it may be ridiculed as forcing new words to express sorrow. But if it succeeds, it can bring both fame and fortune, directly achieving the concept of a god.

Is there even a choice? As a reborn person, why should I be conflicted?

"Accepted!"

"Mr. Zheng, your eloquence is truly remarkable. No one else could have drawn such a big, round, and irresistible pie in the sky." Zheng Hui smiled as he looked at Zheng Donghan.

Zheng Donghan laughed and said, "This is not just empty talk; it is the most solid business blueprint I have created based on your talent."

"As long as you can produce a masterpiece that meets this standard, I, Zheng Donghan, am putting my words on this right now: even if I have to turn the entire Hong Kong music scene upside down, I will still secure ten shows at the Hong Kong Coliseum for you!"

"It's a deal." Zheng Hui nodded.

"However, Hui-zai," Zheng Donghan said, his smile fading, and solemnly reminded him, "Writing songs that dissect human nature like this can't rely on showing off skills or piling up fancy words. It has to be heartfelt, it has to be raw."

"You're only nineteen, after all, and your life experience is too limited. If you really can't figure it out right away, you won't be able to find that sense of life's vicissitudes."

I suggest you spend more time in the quieter bars in Lan Kwai Fong at night, where you can see people who are drunk and refuse to go home.

Or go to the Star Ferry Pier in the early morning and see the numb and exhausted faces of those rushing to catch the last ferry. Observe them, and try to understand them.

"I see."

Zheng Hui did not offer much explanation.

He certainly doesn't have the real experience of being in his forties or fifties or being brutally beaten down by life. But in his mind, he holds the most top-tier musical treasure trove for the entire Chinese music scene for the next twenty years.

Those truly legendary works, created by countless musicians with their lives on the line, have long been deeply etched in his memory.

"Mr. Zheng, you should take care of the mess at the company first. I'm going back to the hotel."

After saying goodbye to Zheng Donghan, Zheng Hui turned and walked towards the door.

"Leaving already? In such a hurry?" Zheng Donghan called out in surprise from behind.

"Time is of the essence, and 20 million is beckoning me." Zheng Hui waved his hand without turning his head. "I'm going back now to figure out how to force these old men who are struggling to make a living in society to shed tears."

Stepping out of the Universal Music building, the midday sun in Hong Kong was quite dazzling.

Zheng Hui opened the car door and got into the Mercedes.

"Dashan, go back to the Peninsula Hotel. Tell the front desk that for the next two days, no one is allowed to disturb me except for calls from Li Zongming and Mr. Zheng."

"Okay, boss." Lin Dashan immediately told the driver arranged by the hotel to start the car.

Zheng Hui leaned back in his chair, looking out the window at the towering buildings and hurried pedestrians.

A divine album written for ordinary people.

Setting aside romantic love, it reveals the essence of life.

In his mind, the melodies that were originally a jumbled mess began to settle and filter rapidly.

Jay Chou's songs were eliminated, JJ Lin's songs were eliminated, Jeff Chang's songs were eliminated. All those sentimental, tearful love songs were thrown to the winds.

What remains are melodies that one wouldn't normally dare to touch, because touching them would make one's soul tremble and make it difficult to breathe.

That's a sigh for the mess left after youth has passed;

That was the cry of someone adrift and helpless on the streets of a foreign land;

That was a deep sense of guilt towards my aging parents;

It is also the inner monologue of every nameless person struggling in the mire of life.

How do you write about this group of people whose edges have been smoothed out by life?

Several distinct melodies, yet all equally soul-stirring, surfaced deep within my mind.

It's about the regret of lost youth—"Youth is like a rushing river, once gone, it never returns, and there's no time to say goodbye—"

That's a sigh about how time has smoothed out the rough edges—"I once dreamed of traveling the world with a sword, to see the splendor of the world—"

That was the lingering sorrow in the wine glass late at night—"One glass to tomorrow, one glass to the past, supporting my body, making my shoulders heavy—"

In the end, all the emotions converged into a lyric that could see through and shatter all the pretenses a person had made throughout their life, freezing the moment completely.

"To all those upright yet ordinary, nameless people, I salute your silence and every roar of anger—"

If you only need these few songs, you can release this album.

These ordinary, struggling people, who are overwhelmed by life's pressures and would never normally bother with idol worship, would willingly empty their pockets.

Just so that in the dark environment of the concert, I could follow him on stage, let go of all pretense and dignity, and cry my heart out without any restraint.

The core direction of the third album is now completely solid.

"The Nameless Man," "Drifting North," "Old Boy," "Sorrow," "Once You Were," "Father"

He is ready to sharpen his knives and witness the moment when these hit songs will slaughter the entire Chinese music scene.

"Dashan, drive faster," Zheng Hui urged, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

"I can't wait to start writing songs."

>