My Years as a Copyist in Taiwan

Chasing Dreams with a Pure Heart

"Here's the thing, this old friend's son, Song Shaoqing, is very talented. I heard that you're casting for your 'Love Letter,' and I think he's perfect for the role of young Fujii Itsuki. I hope Mr. Snail can give me the opportunity."

Ke Junxiong had already realized that the plan to get people into the crew might fall through, as the other party didn't seem to take him seriously. But he still put on a brave face and introduced the child next to him.

Upon hearing the name Song Shaoqing, Zhao Wen took a closer look at him and couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

Another piece of trashy writing, and extremely hypocritical by nature. He's the Taiwanese star most hated by mainland netizens in the future, and he wants to play the young Fujii Itsuki? Give him some face! Do you think you're surnamed Han too? Why don't you just fly to the moon?

Without any pleasantries, Zhao Wen directly declined: "I'm sorry, this role is too important, we've already decided on the actor."

Ke Junxiong was completely humiliated.

Damn it, it's fine to refuse, but you should at least be more tactful. I'm a double Best Actor winner, and Wang Yu is my older brother!

Ke Junxiong's anger surged, but he still forced a smile on his face, though a hint of gloom had crept into his eyes.

A young man with a flat nose behind him pointed at Zhao Wen and was about to speak, but Ke Junxiong quickly pulled him back.

Chen Erfeng, who was behind them, slowly withdrew half of her leg.

Watching the group of scoundrels leave dejectedly, Zhao Wen secretly wondered if one of them was the one who had pierced the wrist artery of the great hero Gu back then.

When Zhao Wen grabbed Nakamori Akina's arm, her mind seemed to go blank for a moment, and all her thoughts stopped.

This is intimate contact with my husband! This is the first time my husband has touched my body!

Sir, are you saying I can't shake hands with other people...? I don't think so, I've shaken hands with fans before...

Zhao Wen turned his head and saw the warm Akina. He was a little surprised. Could it be that I used too much force and hurt her? I didn't use any force!

Wu Deng and Rong Ge arrived shortly afterward, but Zhao Wen didn't tell them about it because he hadn't figured out how many chapters Ke Junxiong, this "sect" handyman disciple, would survive.

The news that Mr. Snail would be holding a fan meeting in Tainan on January 6th was broadcast throughout the island by radio stations.

Even in remote islands like Penghu's Huayu and Lanyu, where transportation is difficult, a small number of young people would take a boat and then a high-speed train to Tainan after hearing the news that Zhao Wen was going to hold a large fan meeting at the Tainan Baseball Stadium.

By noon on the 6th, tens of thousands of people had gathered outside the Tainan Baseball Stadium.

The baseball stadium can hold a maximum of about 12,000 people, but thankfully there is Yian's "Snail House".

Although the meet-and-greet was free, Yi'an asked Zhao Wen for permission to prioritize issuing tickets to registered members of Snail House.

Currently, "Snail House" has more than 7000 members across Taiwan, and at least 4,000 of them came to Tainan to attend the meet-and-greet. As a result, many unofficial fans desperately wanted to join "Snail House" on the 5th.

The hard requirement to join "Snail's Home" is to collect all six books published by Zhao Wen and keep all the purchase receipts as proof.

Previously, the activity of participating in the confession contest with receipts had instilled a habit among book fans that they would never throw away the receipts from the cashier when they bought books. Now, these receipts have become a hard requirement for joining the membership.

On January 5th, Mr. Snail's works were once again snapped up by a large number of book fans. Some were only missing one or two books and rushed to the bookstore to complete the set.

Some people, even though they've already borrowed and read all the books from others, are still willing to pay to buy all six volumes, just to get a complete receipt and qualify for membership in Snail House.

In just one day, Snail Home saw a surge of 3,000 new members.

Looking at the packed stadium, Qian Baihui sighed softly. She had worked hard for almost two years, but she never expected that she would suddenly have to sing in front of thousands of people. She was really nervous.

Akina Nakamori was a little more relaxed, after all, she had already proven herself in a small venue with more than 2,000 people, but she couldn't understand Mandarin, which made her feel even more lost. The staff had to guide her throughout the process on what to do next.

How could this scene be complete without the Tokyo Three Musketeers? They make international calls to Snail Literature and Art every day, looking for Miss Yi'an to inquire about Mr. Snail's daily life. As a result, on the very day Zhao Wen returned, they learned about the baseball stadium meet-and-greet.

A grand event.

At this time, Zhao Wen left Tokyo, and the three scoundrels were preparing to restart the great cause of the Tokyo branch of "Snail House". When they encountered such a "big event", they naturally put the branch aside and hurriedly took dozens of bodyguards to Tainan.

In Tainan, it gets dark very early. Long after the baseball stadium lights came on, Mr. Snail, the star of the night, was finally about to take the field. Zhao Wen planned to blow up the crowd with "Chasing Dreams with a Pure Heart." He wouldn't sing this song at other people's concerts or fan meetings. As everyone knows, after this song is sung, the next few singers are basically doomed, because countless GALA performances have proven this rule.

But today is different. Today is a fan meeting. After the song, there will be a long time for casual conversation, which will hardly affect Akina and Chiyoe's performance later. Moreover, Chiyoe will sing a female version of "Chasing Dreams" at the end.

Decades later, although this song was once listened to on repeat by the vast majority of young people, a very small number of critical music critics pointed out that it exaggerated the social repression too much and was a bit of forced sentimentality.

But if this song were played in Taiwan today, it wouldn't be considered a forced attempt to express sorrow.

The economy is currently booming, but the reality is filled with indifference and constraints (200 words omitted). Luo Xiaozuo's "Zhi Hu Zhe Ye" was released last year, and young people were already drawn to this kind of "unyielding spirit of ordinary people." Zhao Wen believes that "Chasing Dreams with a Pure Heart," which portrays the struggles and stubbornness of ordinary people, will definitely surprise Taiwanese music fans.

At that time, there was no modern rock heavy electronic music, but this song was not so strictly controlled. It used two acoustic guitars, a drum set, and an electric guitar as a foundation. There were no fancy solos, and the focus was on the screams of the human voice.

Luo Xiaozuo's live performance quality is roughly the same.

To save some effort, Zhao Wen also hired a beautiful female host, who was speaking loudly at that moment:

"Now, please welcome the star of this meet-and-greet—Mr. Snail, Zhao Wen!"

All the spotlights focused on Zhao Wen.

The cheers from the crowd instantly rose, with thousands of voices chanting "Mr. Snail!" Because the members of "Snail House" made up so many people, the cheers resonated, causing the entire baseball stadium to tremble slightly.

Zhao Wen, dressed in a simple cotton shirt, work pants, and canvas shoes, held up the microphone: "Thank you very much..."

9

"Mr. Snail!" Many undisciplined non-members of "Snail House" in the audience couldn't help but shout, interrupting Zhao Wen's speech.

"Thank you all so much for coming. I thought it would just be a regular fan meeting, but you all came from all over the world, some even from faraway foreign lands. I'm truly touched. Now that things have come to this, I must dedicate a song to you as a token of my gratitude!"

Another thunderous roar erupted from the audience. These fans, born in 83, had never experienced what it meant to be "pampered by fans." They simply felt that Mr. Snail was the person who could best connect with them on a deeper level.

"I've written a new song. If you've ever felt lost, if reality has ever crushed your dreams, then this song is for you: 'The Heart of a Dream Chaser.' And for everyone!"

The acoustic guitar intro begins softly, its simple tone spreading out in the evening breeze of the open baseball field.

Zhao Wen enunciated very clearly this time because he wanted everyone to be able to hear the true meaning contained in the lyrics.

Where exactly is this world full of flowers? If it truly exists, then I will definitely go there. I want to stand on the highest peak there, regardless of whether it's a cliff or not. The verse is smooth and silky, everyone can hear it clearly, and when the first line of lyrics enters the ear, they all begin to ponder, until Zhao Wen exerts his chest strength, forcefully hits the high note, his voice is stretched to the limit, and suddenly breaks out of tune as he runs forward, facing the cold stares and ridicule. How can one feel the vastness of life without experiencing hardships? Fate cannot make us kneel down and beg for mercy, even if our arms are stained with blood!

The moment Zhao Wen's voice cracked, everyone in the audience held their breath for a second; it felt as if something had struck their hearts hard.

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