So what if I work with celebrities?

"Wow, Zan-ge, I love you to death!" Zhang Aijia jumped up, wrapped her legs around him, and the two spun around in the living room.

How did you come up with this song?

Xu Zan grabbed at something with his left hand, then his right, laughing as he said, "Like this, like that, bang, I figured it out!"

"Zan-ge~" Sylvia Chang said coquettishly, "Which record company do you think I should release my single with?"

The 1970s saw a boom in the record industry, with record companies springing up everywhere in Taiwan. These included Universal Records, which launched the career of Teresa Teng; Hai Shan Records, which held the top spot in Taiwan; and Life Records, which controlled distribution channels in Southeast Asia…

Even some magazines and foundations can release records.

Just like with Hsu Tsan's films and records, the Hung Foundation would also send a sum of money to his company's account every month.

That's why people say that once you become famous, it's easy to achieve "financial freedom." A good record can earn you enough money each year to support an ordinary person for ten years without eating or drinking.

"Why let the profits go to outsiders? Why go to other companies? Wouldn't it be better if we published it ourselves?" Xu Zan said.

"I'll do whatever you say!" Sylvia Chang's mind was full of thoughts about releasing an album, which had always been her wish. She never expected that Xu Zan would be able to do it just by saying it.

She was completely inconspicuous in the Taiwanese music scene, and her singing skills were only average. So, despite making so many movies since her debut, she has never released a single album.

Most Hong Kong and Taiwanese stars transition from acting to singing, and vice versa, demonstrating remarkable versatility. The fact that they don't release albums suggests their abilities in these areas are relatively average.

Hsu Tsan does not own a record company, but he does own a music magazine. With his extensive financial investment, "Gunshi" music magazine has become a leading music magazine in Taiwan.

Young people with this need will definitely consider "Gunseok" first.

"Er Mao, how about we start a record company?" Xu Zan said.

Duan Zhongyi didn't expect that the boss he hadn't seen in a long time would make such a big deal out of it. Recently, the business of Gunshi magazine had indeed reached a bottleneck.

The growth rate of business in Taiwan has slowed down. There are only so many people who like music, and the market is too small. We have just started to establish channels in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, and it will take some time before sales explode.

"Sure, but we don't have many singers," Duan Zhongyi said.

"Don't try to fool me about being a singer. I've heard you're on good terms with those college students who play folk songs," Xu Zan said with a smile.

Fearing his boss might misunderstand, Duan Zhongyi quickly explained, "Brother Zan, let me explain. You know the folk songs they're playing haven't been market-tested, so it's a rash move..."

"So we need to do market research, send people to various high schools and universities to conduct questionnaires, and see if these students will buy these kinds of records when they are released..."

Hsu Tsan mentioned some common research methods from his previous life. At least the situation in Taipei needs to be understood. If the young people here like it, the central and southern regions will soon follow suit.

"By the way, for our first album, we heavily promoted Sylvia Chang. I wrote a song for her to sing!"

"Um...no problem, when will it be released?" Even if Duan Zhongyi was stupid, he could tell that this was the boss's way of coaxing a woman, so he had no choice but to agree.

"Hurry up! You can handle the recording and distribution."

Hsu Tsan decided to go all out and planned to start promoting campus folk songs in 1977 to directly win over young people in Taiwan who love music.

"What do you think about us starting with a singing competition?"

"What do you mean?" Duan Zhongyi didn't understand. Singing competitions are not uncommon in Taiwan; they happen almost every year.

Television stations, radio stations, and record companies will hold events, offering prizes to attract a large number of citizens to participate, increase company visibility, and incidentally see if there are any good seeds.

From distant figures like Qingshan and Xie Lei, to middle-aged figures like Deng Lijun, and more recently, Liu Wenzheng, all have participated in singing competitions.

"I got Qi Yu to participate in the Zhongshan Hall concert, and she became an instant hit. Not to mention Yang Xian's records have always sold well. This shows that young people appreciate folk music."

"Could we hold a large singing competition where young people can sing songs? We could allow them to wear their own clothes, without heavy makeup or extremely precise pitch."

"It's that feeling of freedom!"

Duan Zhongyi wasn't sure if this approach would work, but he absolutely had to listen to his boss's opinion. The two discussed it.

The singing competition is called the "Golden Melody Award". The first round has a champion, runner-up and third place, with prize money ranging from 20,000 to 8,000, and they can also get a nice guitar.

It also includes singing, songwriting, and instrumental groups.

Duan Zhongyi was dumbfounded. Wasn't this just a job posting? Just by listening to the scale of the event, you could tell it would cost a lot of money.

But if it really succeeds, it could soar to great heights.

"But, Zan-ge, what if they win the championship and don't join us..."

"Ha, that's easy. Just participate in the competition and you'll sign a contract, with priority given to joining 'Gunstone' Records. Let's set the contract at five years!" Xu Zan said.

"Damn that crook!" Duan Zhongyi didn't dare say it out loud, but repeatedly praised the boss for his wisdom.

After dealing with this matter, Xu Zan flew directly to Hong Kong with Brigitte Lin, Sylvia Chang, and Hu Huizhong. Three women make a drama, and Xu Zan was in for a tough time.

It was Hu Huizhong's first time flying to Hong Kong, and she kept looking out the window at the white clouds filling the sky. She could sense that the other two women had different feelings for Zan Ge.

She didn't care. What man isn't fickle? Even eunuchs would seek out palace maids as lovers, let alone someone as talented and handsome as Zan-ge.

"Zan-ge, are you thirsty?" Zhang Aijia asked with concern as she lay on her side in the chair.

"Uh, it's alright."

"Brother Zan, are you cold?" Lin Qingxia was not to be outdone. She called over a flight attendant and asked for a blanket.

Since listening to my best friend's theory, I've learned that you need to be cunning when dealing with men. You can't just pretend to be aloof and wait for others to come to you, especially men who don't lack women.

The drinks and blankets arrived, but Hu Huizhong took them all. She took a sip of her drink, covered herself with the blanket, and said with a grin, "Thank you, both of you sisters."

Lin Qingxia and Zhang Aijia were so angry they were itching to lash out, but there were too many people around, so it wasn't the right time to retaliate.

Xu Zan was also a bit of a headache. These girls were not ordinary girls; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them delinquents. Only Lin Qingxia was relatively well-behaved; the other two were troublemakers during their school days.

He couldn't expect them to follow him wholeheartedly with just a few words; people need to build relationships over time.

However, being served by three beautiful women along the way was quite enjoyable for Xu Zan. He didn't need to express any emotional opinions; he could simply enjoy it silently and avoid trouble.

The person who picked them up at the airport was still Huang Jiaxi from the production department. They went directly to Shaw Studios, which was practically a huge city compared to the few offices of Panda Entertainment.

Of the four, only Hu Huizhong had never been before. Their car passed many film studios, and they could see celebrities coming and going.

She was completely at ease, extending her hand to greet these people. Although Luo Lie and the others didn't recognize her, they knew she was a guest of the Shao family when they saw that the driver was Huang Jiaxi.

Luo Lie and the others waved and greeted each other very cooperatively, just like old friends.

In Boss Shao's office, Xu Zan met the renowned director Li Hanxiang for the first time.

"Director Xu, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Li Hanxiang, with a strong Northeastern accent, smiled broadly.

"Director Li, I've finally met a senior figure in the Chinese-language film industry!"

Xu Zan was very polite. He was a man with a dark face and a dark heart. He had experienced many ups and downs in the film industry and was no simple person.

"It's been months since I last saw you, Mr. Xu, you've stirred up quite a storm on the island!" Master Shao said with a smile.

"It's all a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding!" Xu Zan said.

"Director Xu is a big shot, and he seems to look down on the Shao family." Master Shao said with a change in expression.

Xu Zan was well aware that Shao was unhappy that he hadn't received "Eight Hundred Heroes" separately. After all, the gentleman's agreement was made by both of them, and now it was Xu who had broken the agreement first.

The other person in the room, Li Hanxiang, had done something similar.

"I had no choice. The decision of China Film Group is not something a small director like me can change! If you don't believe me, you can verify it with Chairman Mei," Xu Zan explained.