My Years as a Copyist in Taiwan

"Akina, would you like, uh, would you like to hear my opinion?"

"I'd love to hear everything Mr. Snail has to say!"

"You'd better not make this movie." Zhao Wen stopped, turned around and looked seriously at Nakamori Akina.

Zhao Wen had paid attention to this melodramatic and ambiguous movie, so he clearly remembered that "Love Departure" grossed more than 11 billion yen and nearly 2 million NT dollars at the box office. He was one of the earliest fans to collect movies.

Akina Nakamori's new album "Girl A" is already a huge hit and will be incredibly popular next year. "Love Departure" sold so many copies entirely because of her fame, and Kondo Haruka has completely boosted his own value by taking advantage of Nakamori's popularity.

If he were just an ordinary scumbag, older Chinese men might at most sigh in pity. But Kondo Haruka harbors the most insidious and selfish soul—

They grovel before the dog society, harbor extreme hostility towards mainland China, are heartless and ungrateful, and have no conscience. In the end, they kick Nakamori Akina into an endless abyss.

Akina Nakamori looked up, but didn't say anything. She just looked at Zhao Wen with some surprise.

"Do you know what your most precious thing is, Akina?" Zhao Wen couldn't directly tell Akina about her tragedy, so he could only offer indirect advice.

"The most precious thing... I don't know..." Akina pondered for two seconds, shook her head and said she didn't know, then looked at the prophet snail with clear eyes.

"Your most precious thing is your talent. And your talent is all in your voice! Filming too many idol dramas will only wear away your most precious qualities, trap you in a sweet persona and squander your talent."

Zhao Wen circled back and let out a long sigh, which made Akina realize that Mr. Snail really cared about her, since he even sighed.

"You should just focus on singing on stage. If you continue down this path, you'll become one of the top three divas of the Showa era, no less than Momoe Yamaguchi, Teresa Teng, or Miyuki Nakajima!"

These three are the light in Akina Nakamori's eyes, especially Momoe Yamaguchi, who is the idol who has supported her all the way to today.

"Mr. Snail, I..."

"Don't lack confidence, you will definitely succeed, but not in front of the camera."

After saying that, Zhao Wen continued walking forward. He knew that Cai Cai would be pressured by Yan Yin's agency to sign the official contract for the movie at the end of December. It was only October now, and there was plenty of time to stop it.

You will definitely succeed!

But not in front of the camera!

Akina Nakamori, who consistently ranks among the top in both the "Three Great Divas" and "Five Great Divas" versions, fell into deep thought.

Actually, when Yanon's agency talked to her about the movie, Nakamori Akina always felt uneasy.

She preferred the feeling of holding a microphone and singing, not acting as a naive young girl in front of a camera and reciting stiff lines. But everyone around her said it was a good thing, an inevitable step to fame, so she gritted her teeth and agreed.

Now that Mr. Snail said that, all the pent-up emotions in my heart surged up at once, and my brows furrowed together.

"Hey, Akina, you've gone the wrong way!" Zhao Wen suddenly turned around and reminded the bewildered Akina.

"Ah! Oh—" Nakamori Akina, who had already walked far beyond the recording studio, was carrying a half-full glass of water and walked back quickly with a flushed face.

"Ugh!"

The girl had a cool and aloof look in her eyes, and her whole being was so pure. Even though she was already a rising star in the Showa era music scene, she was still as clean as a blank sheet of paper at heart.

The overwhelming pity in Zhao Wen's heart was beyond words.

She was like a moth drawn to a flame, throwing herself into a scam with everything she had, only to have her career collapse and her dignity vanish. She spent half her life trapped in the shadow of betrayal in love, constantly enduring excruciating pain.

As the old saying goes, the best way to solve a problem is to address the person who created it.

However, Zhao Wen immediately suppressed the thought as soon as it arose.

That's too extreme and too violent. I'm a cultured person now.

He knew all too well that, whether it was the 1980s or the high-tech era decades from now, what could resolve the vast majority of disputes in the world and sever the ties between cause and effect was never brute force, but capital.

Does he consider himself a valuable asset? Zhao Wen looked at his hands—

With Kodansha on the left, Tokuma Shoten on the right, and the Tokyo Three Musketeers squatting outside, this is practically a "hunting trip in Mishu"!

"This old man, in a moment of youthful exuberance—"

"Leading a yellow dog on the left, holding a falcon on the right, adorned in brocade hats and sable furs, a thousand horsemen sweep across the plains!"

Raising his hand, sinking his elbow, his singing may lack professionalism, but his boldness of "I am the only one who can do it" is genuine.

However, the Gao Bozi singing style has the word "high" in it, and even Zhao Wen, who is not even a professional amateur, was choked and coughed after just three lines.

"Mr. Snail, come and have a drink of water. Although I can't understand the lyrics, the spirit is really strong!" Suzuki Toshio had been listening attentively since Zhao Wen sang the first line, and now he hurriedly came out to pat Mr. Snail on the back.

"The pressure is so intense!" Miyazaki Hayao clapped his hands. These few lines of the essence of Chinese culture had already deeply impressed the old man.

「なんという歌声だ、forceful forceが灾じい! まで声いてくる!」

President Tokuma stood upstairs, secretly sighing to himself, "The cultural heritage of the Chinese is simply despair-inducing!"

......

While Zhao Wen was making a fortune by opening two bookstores in Dejian, Taiwan was already in an uproar—the eighth episode of "Princess Pearl" had ended, and its ratings officially surpassed "Chu Liuxiang" to reach 71%!

The entire island of Taiwan was completely dominated by this melodramatic drama that didn't belong to this era!

Adam Cheng's portrayal of Chu Liuxiang swept the island in the first half of the year, relying on the core male audience of martial arts dramas. However, "My Fair Princess" had a much wider audience.

From 70-year-old grandmothers wiping away tears while watching the plot, to 7-year-old girls clamoring to be princesses, even office workers who don't usually watch period dramas will watch a couple of episodes with their families after get off work.

Girls at school started braiding their hair into pigtails that looked like dog tails; notebooks and postcards with images of Little Swallow were sold out as soon as they hit the shelves in stationery stores; dessert shops changed their names to "Shufangzhai Sweet Soup" to follow suit... The nationwide craze for watching the drama swept across the island like a whirlwind.

The entertainment sections of major newspapers were once again dominated by this drama.

The United Daily News, of course, had to lend its support, writing in its front-page entertainment commentary:

"Princess Pearl" breaks away from the slow and drawn-out style of traditional Chinese period dramas, with a brisk and efficient pace, vivid and lively characters, and every word and action is full of drama. Mr. Snail's screenwriting skills are evident, as he can portray both the tenderness of love and the exhilaration of chivalry, achieving a rare balance between highbrow and lowbrow appeal, suitable for all ages...

The review in the *China Times* pointed out the core reason for its popularity:

"Unlike martial arts dramas, 'My Fair Princess' touches people with the most basic human emotions. Xiao Yanzi's impulsiveness and frankness, Ziwei's gentleness and resilience, and Qianlong's majesty and tenderness—every character is believable. Rather than saying that the audience is following the Qing Dynasty story, it's more accurate to say that they are following the unrestrained liveliness and sincerity."

Even the Min Sheng Daily, which has always favored local arts and culture, gave it high praise: "The costumes, props and sets are exquisite and meticulous, and the dialogue is vivid and natural. It is in no way inferior to imported Hong Kong dramas and can be called a benchmark for local self-produced dramas. The Mr. Snail brand has been able to stand the test of time, whether it is a novel or a screenplay."

Then, Lord Li Ao also made his appearance...