My Years as a Copyist in Taiwan

Zhao Wen picked up the tabby kitten, took the two girls, ate double steaks at the old man's place at the alley entrance, and then went to Meiling Acupressure Center.

Before starting the physical therapy, Zhao Wen counted out 10,000 New Taiwan Dollars from his wallet and gently handed it to Chen Meiling: "Aunt Chen, I'm going to Taipei to take care of some business. I'll be back in about three or four days. I'd like to trouble you to look after Dingding for a few days. Please take this money and use it to buy her some snacks and meals as living expenses for the next few days."

Chen Meiling glanced at the bills, her brows immediately furrowing. She reached out and pushed the money back, her tone even tinged with annoyance:

"What's wrong with you, kid? I always charge you a full fee for your physiotherapy sessions; that's business. But for you to stay for a couple of days is just adding another pair of chopsticks. I've known your mother for years. You're giving me your living expenses? Aren't you looking down on me?"

"That's right, Wen, you're being too polite." Aunt Xu chimed in with a laugh, trying to smooth things over as she stuffed the money into Zhao Wen's hand. "Wenwen comes here every day after school, and she comes to my house with Wenwen. They eat and drink together, so there's no need for you to pay extra. Just put it away! You can go without worry~"

Zhao Wen gasped. How could Aunt Xu's words be so chilling? She was practically telling me to go on my way.

Unable to persuade the two, Zhao Wen had no choice but to take the money back. He then turned to Wenwen and told her to be a good girl and listen to Aunt Chen and Aunt Xu, and not to run around and cause trouble. Seeing the girl obediently nod in agreement, he finally felt relieved.

The next morning, Zhao Wen, carrying a small bag, boarded the EMU100 Tze-Chiang Limited Electric Train bound for Taipei.

This train is also known as the "English Lady" because it was manufactured in England and brought over from there. It is currently considered to be one of the world's top-tier trains.

As the train left the speed-limited sections of Tainan city, its speed gradually increased, eventually stabilizing at its maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour. The ride was exceptionally smooth, with almost no noticeable bumps. In 1982 Taiwan, this was the pinnacle of land speed; the journey from Tainan to Taipei took only three hours and forty minutes!

Zhao Wen sighed inwardly. The old joke about tea eggs that everyone used to make fun of on the internet in his previous life sounded arrogant and ridiculous, but now that he was in this time and space, he understood the source of that sense of superiority.

However, this advantage is ultimately only temporary—forty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river; a temporary period of prosperity and leadership proves nothing at all.

It was nearly noon when they arrived in Taipei. Lin Xinjun was already waiting at the exit. She had originally planned to help her dear benefactor with his luggage, but when she saw that Zhao Wen was only carrying a small bag, she was very disappointed.

The DVD release of "You Are the Apple of My Eye" has earned him over two million NT dollars so far, more money than he's ever seen in his entire life. So seeing Zhao Wen feels like seeing a family member.

He handed over a bottle of iced soda and said, "This afternoon, Luo Xiaozuo held a press conference in the city for his new album, his first Mandarin album. It's causing a sensation in the industry. People are saying this album will completely change the old style of Taiwanese folk songs, an epic album! Your album..."

Zhao Wen's heart skipped a beat.

Luo Xiaozuo—that was the name etched at the very top of his playlist in his past life. He knew better than anyone how groundbreaking the album "Zhi Hu Zhe Ye" was. He never expected to stumble upon this historical moment so soon after arriving in Taipei. He immediately asked, "Brother Lin, can I go in and take a look? I really like it."

"What's so difficult about that?" Lin Xinjun laughed and patted his chest. "Teacher Tony is familiar with Rolling Stones. I'll just talk to the recording studio and get a couple more seats. We'll go over after we finish eating."

The press conference wasn't extravagant in scale, but its level of formality was truly rare.

In this era, when new artists released albums in the Mandarin music scene, they mostly relied on radio promotions and bookstore sales. It was extremely rare to hold a special press conference for a new artist's album, let alone invite the chief writers of the entertainment section of the China Times and Min Sheng Daily, or senior editors from several professional music publications to attend.

The venue was packed. The front row was filled with industry professionals and media reporters, while the back row was crowded with college students and independent musicians who had come after hearing the news.

Zhao Wen followed Lin Xinjun to sit down on the side, and his gaze immediately fell on Luo Xiaozuo on the stage: black-rimmed glasses, calm expression, and a sharp aura about him, which was out of place with the gentle and tender atmosphere of the music scene at that time.

These are idols from two lifetimes. When he transmigrated, the godfather of Chinese music was already 72 years old, yet he was still organizing a global concert tour, completely crushing the pretentious and affected sorcerers.

Behind the idol, a billboard prominently displays the words: "A Mandarin album that will subvert the trend of Taiwanese folk songs and carry social criticism is about to be released!"

The press conference was devoid of any flashy gimmicks. Luo Xiaozuo didn't say much, only calmly discussing his creative philosophy. "Lukang Town" and "Love Song 1980" were played on the spot.

The acoustic guitar began to strum, and the entire audience fell silent—completely different from the mainstream campus folk songs and tender ballads of the time. The lyrics contained questions about the times and a sense of melancholy for the homeland, rough yet sincere, like a dull knife slowly grinding on people's hearts.

Zhao Wen sat in the audience with his eyes closed, listening intently, his heart filled with emotion.

This album will create a huge wave; it will completely rewrite the direction of Chinese pop music!

Standing at this point in time, witnessing my idol on stage ushering in a new era, the sheer awe and shock of transcending time is overwhelming.

"Rolling Stones' move is really bold," Lin Xinjun said in a low voice. "Instead of distributing their products first, they're targeting university students, intellectuals, and music critics, building a reputation through internal auditions and newspaper reviews, and then expanding to the general public. It's the first time a newcomer has dared to do something like this."

Zhao Wen knew very well that this was the power of tiered marketing: first capture the most influential circles, and then rely on their word-of-mouth to penetrate the mass market. This approach was used repeatedly over the decades, but in 1982, it was absolutely groundbreaking.

As the press conference ended, it was nearly dusk. Zhao Wen was still not completely detached from reality and memories, staring blankly at the staff working on the stage.

"Awen, let's go."

"Okay."

"Luo Xiaozuo is a newcomer, why do you like him so much?"

"Have you heard of 'Whether,' 'The Story of Time,' and 'Love Song 80'?"

Lin Xinjun nodded, understandingly saying, "Of course I've heard of him. He's really good. So you've been paying attention to him all along."

"Just you wait and see, 'Zhi Hu Zhe Ye' will soon sweep across Taiwan and the entire Southeast Asia!"

The two didn't linger and made a detour to Tony's recording studio.

Lin Xinjun kept rambling on the way: This recording studio is very famous in Taipei. The owner, Weng Qingxi, is Teacher Tony. He composed and arranged most of Teresa Teng's classic songs. Every time Teresa Teng returned to Taiwan to record songs, this studio was her first choice!

Zhao Wen then realized, what Tony the hairdresser—no, Tony the hairdresser!—was none other than Weng Qingxi from his memories!

The lyrics were written by Zhuang Nu, the music was composed by Weng Qingxi, and the songs were sung by Teresa Teng – a golden trio in the Chinese music scene!

Wouldn't it be an honor to be able to record a song in his studio?

Weng Qingxi was actually not familiar with Lin Xinjun at all. Although the recording studio was also rented out to businesses for 2200 yuan per studio hour, he didn't need to perform in person most of the time. However, the other party paid too much and directly opened the studio for 2500 yuan per studio hour!

Moreover, it was for "Mr. Snail". Although it was said that this "Mr. Snail" was only an 18-year-old kid, with the hit single "Those Years" as a precedent, Teacher Tony had no choice but to take it seriously.

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