Huayu 2002, I'm going to dominate the music scene!

Lin Qiuli also noticed Song Mo's resentment. After spending time with Song Mo, his impression of Song Mo had changed drastically.

Previously, he had always thought that Song Mo was an arrogant and difficult person to get along with.

But after getting to know him for a while, he found that the young man actually had a very good personality and was very considerate in his interactions with others.

Having been in the entertainment industry for decades, he understands one thing very well: if a young person has excellent qualities in all aspects, such as good looks and talent, but still cannot become famous, there is only one reason: their personality must have a huge flaw.

The reason he said he wanted to work things out with Song Mo was because he thought Song Mo, who made a lot of demands for a contract, was a difficult person to deal with.

Such a person may appear flawless to fans, but for those who work with him, it's a nightmare.

But now he realizes he was wrong, and very wrong.

This young man has his own ideas, but he can also listen to other people's opinions. He now regrets that he did not agree to be Song Mo's album producer. He believes that if he had taken the lead, Song Mo's album would definitely have reached a higher level.

Song Mo had finished his promotional trip to Singapore. Before leaving, he specially invited Song Mo to have dinner at a Bak Kut Teh restaurant near the headquarters.

The shop is small, hidden in a small alley, with an old lantern hanging at the entrance, and the wooden tables and chairs worn smooth from wear.

Lin Qiuli was clearly a regular customer. The owner greeted him with a smile and spoke to him in Fujian dialect. He didn't need to order any food and went straight into the private room.

Song Mo sat down, and Lin Qiuli poured him a cup of tea. She picked up the cup herself, took a sip, and then leaned back in her chair, her gaze fixed on Song Mo's face, as if she were considering something.

"How are you feeling after running around these past few days?" he asked.

Song Mo thought for a moment: "It's alright. The fans here are quite enthusiastic. Quite a few people came to the autograph session."

Lin Qiuli said with a smile, "Young man, you have a good appearance, so naturally you are popular. These past few days, all the young people here have become obsessed with you. In this respect, you have a huge advantage over your senior brothers."

Song Mo laughed when he heard this. He was right. People are visual creatures. Who doesn't like handsome men and beautiful women?

Of all the singers signed by Ocean Butterflies, Song Mo has the most striking looks.

Whether it's A-Du or Lin Junjie, all I can say is that they're not ugly; they don't really have much to do with being handsome.

However, he still politely said, "It's all thanks to the help of Teacher Lin and others, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to gain so much this time."

Lin Qiuli nodded silently. Just as she was about to say something more, the boss came in with a tray. Two bowls of steaming Bak Kut Teh were placed on the table, and the aroma instantly filled the air.

"Qiu Li, the usual, original flavor, with extra ribs!" The owner patted Lin Qiu Li on the shoulder, then looked at Song Mo and added with a smile, "Young man, take your time eating. Call me if you're still hungry!"

Song Mo quickly got up to take the tray, smiled and thanked the owner. Only after the owner left did he sit down and pick up his chopsticks.

Lin Qiuli looked at him, her expression becoming more serious: "Although you've achieved good results in Singapore and Malaysia, and have built a solid fan base, I must remind you not to be arrogant. Jay Chou's 'Ye Huimei' sold 80,000 copies in its first week, breaking our record here. You must have heard about that, right?"

Song Mo picked up a piece of stewed pork ribs that had become tender, put it in his mouth and chewed slowly. Hearing this, he nodded slightly, his tone calm but with a hint of helplessness: "Teacher Lin, I know. Senior Brother Lin told me about it a few days ago."

He was indeed quite helpless about this. He had run all over the major shopping malls and music stores in Singapore these past few days, doing his best to promote the products, but in the end, the sales were not as good as the sales of a few posters by Jay Chou.

Lin Qiuli sighed, picked up a spoon and stirred the bak kut teh in the bowl, and slowly said, "Also, the first-week album sales figures from Taiwan are out."

Song Mo paused in her chopsticks, looked up, and said with a hint of surprise in her eyes, "So fast? I thought I'd have to wait a few more days."

He was actually always thinking about the sales figures from Taiwan, since Taiwan still dominates the Chinese music scene.

Lin Qiuli gave a wry smile, her tone tinged with regret: "I specifically asked my friend in Taiwan to keep an eye on things and let me know as soon as there were any results. The results weren't ideal; we barely broke 50,000 in the first week. Based on my understanding of the Taiwan market, if we can ultimately sell 120,000, that would be pretty good."

He was from Taiwan and had extensive connections there. His market predictions were always accurate, so Song Mo naturally believed him.

He was somewhat helpless about the number 120,000. He had thought he could at least reach 150,000 and compete with Lin Junjie.

Seeing his somewhat disappointed expression, Lin Qiuli continued, "Do you know how many Jay Chou sold in Taiwan? 100,000 in the first week, and now it's almost 200,000. At this rate, the final sales could reach 350,000. If nothing unexpected happens, he'll basically be the best-selling record in Taiwan this year."

Song Mo raised his head, looked at Lin Qiuli, forced a smile, and said with a hint of self-deprecation, "Teacher Lin, are you trying to comfort me or discourage me?"

Lin Qiuli waved her hand, leaned forward slightly, and her tone softened considerably: "I'm not trying to comfort you or discourage you, I'm just expressing my feelings. In my opinion, your 'Pen, Ink, Paper, and Inkstone' is in no way inferior to 'Ye Huimei,' and you even put in more effort in your promotional tour, but your sales just can't beat it. Do you know why?"

"Because he has the foundation from his previous albums," Song Mo said softly, his eyes gradually returning to calm. "Fans are built up one album at a time, not overnight. Jay Chou wasn't this popular from the start either; he also started from scratch. It's just that he started three years earlier than me, and he has three more years of experience and accumulation."

Lin Qiuli nodded approvingly, picked up her teacup, and gently clinked it against Song Mo's cup.

"That's a very important reason, but there are two other reasons you didn't mention: the timing of the release and media opinion."

Upon hearing this, Song Mo fell silent. The two reasons were certainly correct.

When Bi Xiaoshi decided to have Song Mo release her music overseas as soon as possible, Lin Qiuli didn't quite agree. After all, this was Jay Chou, and even Sun Yanzi, a less popular singer who was considered on par with Jay Chou, couldn't compete with him in the same period.

As for the media, it's naturally the same topics that the island's media had previously hyped up, comparing Song Mo and Jay Chou together and deliberately stirring up trouble, which made many of Jay Chou's fans very unfriendly to Song Mo, who they called "Little Jay Chou."

Song Mo sighed and said slowly, "This release date has both advantages and disadvantages, but since this is the outcome, we can only accept it."

Lin Qiuli nodded and continued, "It's like this, I'm telling you this not so you'll worry about the current sales figures. You've only been in the industry for a short time. The results of your first album are already far beyond those of many artists from the same period."

"I've been in the entertainment industry for decades. I've seen too many people become famous overnight, and I've also seen too many people give up after a setback. You have talent and are willing to work hard. All you lack is time and experience. I'm really looking forward to your next album."