My Years as a Copyist in Taiwan

Actually, Zhao Wen still had some reservations about singing "Norwegian Wood" live in front of thousands of people, since the vinyl record was entirely produced by a so-called "million-dollar sound engineer".

But upon closer reflection, what skills do I, Mr. Snail, need to sing a song? Isn't my talent enough?

My idol, Luo Xiaozuo, the godfather of Taiwanese music, does he even have singing skills? If singing skills are divided into four levels, then my brother Xiaozuo is universally acknowledged to only be a fourth-level performer! I, Zhao Wen, am only at level 4.5, and I sing with emotion here, so what?!

Moreover, the original composer of this song, 500, has even more obvious shortcomings. By academic standards, he is only at a mid-to-lower level.

The 500's vocalization is extremely unscientific. He has a naturally raspy voice, weak breath support, can only force high notes, and is very prone to going off-key. His vocal range is also narrow, and he is too lazy to practice professional techniques such as mixed voice and vocal transitions.

However, in terms of stage storytelling and humanistic expression, he is at the pinnacle, in a class of his own!

500's singing is like rambling; his husky voice carries a sense of vicissitude, compassion, and criticism, perfectly matching the rural and social themes he writes. Therefore, no one can capture the weight of the original when they cover his songs.

Decades later, music critics unanimously agreed that his voice itself was an instrument, and his flaws became his unique style, making him one of the most recognizable figures in the Chinese music scene.

So today I'm going to compete with the top 500 experts to see who is the most authentic!

Furthermore, Zhao Wen is confident that this song written by 500 will definitely resonate with fans of the novel "Norwegian Wood." The song's arrangement combines American rock with melancholic folk music, and the melody is restrained and melancholic.

For Showa-era Japanese, this kind of pop-rock with a sense of desolation and loneliness was a completely unfamiliar yet captivating auditory experience. At that time, the spiritually empty and socially alienated Japan needed just this kind of feeling.

"Are there places in my heart that I have never been?"

The lake there is always clear, and the air is filled with tranquility.

The bright white moon shines on the earth, hiding memories you don't want to mention.

He didn't bring a band; Zhao Wen himself was the band! Acoustic guitar, two microphones—having just reached mastery of the guitar, half influenced by 500 and half by Luo Xiaozuo—he truly had all the book fans wide-eyed and speechless within seconds of the intro…

Zhao Wen is very handsome, extremely handsome. At this moment, he used a strange singing style to nakedly express a kind of vicissitude that could never belong to him.

Why is it strange? Because 500 deliberately mispronounces words; he was born with a poor pronunciation!

But at this point, does his unclear pronunciation matter? Almost no one below understands Mandarin...

Almost all the book lovers here have finished reading "Norwegian Wood." Those who have truly understood the book will automatically bring the characters' regrets into the melody.

This is why many book fans become music critics after listening to the 500 concert, saying that this song is a musical extension of the text of "Norwegian Wood"!

Back in the day, this song was always played on repeat at school events, literary salons, and book club gatherings; it was a universally recognized background music among book lovers.

You said that sincerity can always start anew, and true love can always last.

His languid, husky voice and stunningly handsome appearance perfectly fulfilled every fantasy the female book lovers in the audience had about *Norwegian Wood*. So when Zhao Wen sang the most heart-wrenching line at the end, "Only shackles in my heart, how can I break free?", he saw that Konoe Kazuma, who was closest to him, was already in tears. And—

On the other side, a girl who had been swaying to the melody the whole time suddenly rolled her eyes back, fell backward onto the crowd, and slowly slid to the ground...

As expected, something bad happened...

Zhao Wen didn't rush to help the girl immediately; there was no need for him to go. The people around the girl had already helped her up and were taking her out.

Zhao Wen raised the microphone: "Quiet かに, どいてください."

It was a very stiff tone, but it was Mr. Snail speaking—Quiet, please move aside!

After Zhao Wen repeated himself to the book fans, they finally realized that someone had fainted! So they spontaneously took the girl and quickly carried her out from under their heads.

There are three ambulances on standby not far from here, so the golden time for rescue should not be wasted.

"It's regrettable that our meeting ended this way. Let's all wish this lovely girl well and hope she's alright. At the same time, I express my deepest apologies to her!"

After Zhao Wen finished speaking, he bowed very sincerely.

After the translator finished writing these words, fans exclaimed, "Mr. Snail, it's not your fault!"

"Even if I die right here, it's none of Mr. Snail's business!"

"Mr. Snail, please rest assured, this is a female athlete. I recognize her; she's in excellent health and will be fine..."

I wonder if these words were made up by the book's fans to reassure him...

The great novelist Haruki Murakami, wearing retro aviator sunglasses, quietly squeezed into the crowd.

Haruki Murakami is most obsessed with this kind of detached melody. He doesn't speak Chinese, but that doesn't stop him from strongly feeling the desolate atmosphere that the song embodies. Compared to the shock brought by the words of the novel, the former has a stronger impact on him!

This is just a child! His thoughts are truly ashamed! He not only wrote words that resonated with my heart, but he could also sing the music that matched the story. What kind of level is this?

The girl had been sent away for a long time, and Zhao Wen had returned to the backstage area. The stage was now controlled by a guest host from Tokyo TV.

The host had never heard such a song before. It seemed to belong to a different era, a cool and aloof rock? Yet it touched people's hearts so deeply! She was still in shock for a long time, and just held the microphone and looked gently at all the book fans who were still unwilling to leave.

What a joke! These book fans are all prepared to fight to the death all day long, and some of them are even lucky ones who have a number!

This is a number plate of love from Mr. Snail...

Zhao Wen and his brother Deng exchanged glances. Deng, no longer using idioms, exclaimed, "Wen, damn, you're really awesome!"

"......" I still prefer the way you speak eloquently, Brother Deng.

Tetsuko Kuroyanagi clapped softly: "Mr. Snail, I always thought there were no perfect men in this world, but today I've realized I was wrong!"

With the translator not backstage, Zhao Wen could only respond to the female writer's compliment in broken Japanese: "Ms. Kuroyanagi, you flatter me. You are the epitome of my highest level of female ideal!"

This Japanese writer, who will be extremely popular with mainland readers for decades to come, was so charmed by Zhao Wen's sophisticated rhetoric that his eyes lit up.

It was impossible to eat at the Imperial Hotel; there was no way we could leave. The book fans were determined to have their fill of fun throughout the entire event. Only a few people might not be able to hold it in and leave to find a place to pee.

Kodansha anticipated this situation that morning and ordered a super-sized takeout meal from the Imperial Hotel, which was placed in Zhao Wen's lounge. It was exceptionally lavish and enough for everyone, including Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, to enjoy.

The girl who fainted earlier seems to be alright. Zhao Wen had Tengyi call the hospital to inquire, and they said she's regained consciousness and intends to continue attending the book signing this afternoon despite her minor injury, because she has a number...