"Are you talking about the Golden Boy and Jade Girl?" Chen Xiaoqi asked.
"Yes!" Liu Zhiwen nodded. "New Era is making a huge noise, launching a massive promotional campaign for the Golden Boy and Jade Girl across television and radio. It looks like they want to build the Golden Boy and Jade Girl into Mainland China's first generation of idols."
"That is indeed a possibility!" Chen Xiaoqi handed Liu Zhiwen a cigarette, and the two men began puffing away in a cloud of smoke. Taking a drag, Chen Xiaoqi said, "Still, our Mainland market really needs idols of our own. If they succeed, it might not be a bad thing after all."
Clearly not wanting to dwell on New Era, Chen Xiaoqi gestured toward the cassette of Wandering Song.
"Have a listen to this tape first! The quality is truly remarkable. If not for certain special circumstances, I wouldn't have handed this over to Pacific Audio & Video; China Record would have released it ourselves."
At these words, Liu Zhiwen looked at the cassette with a mixture of doubt and curiosity.
Chen Xiaoqi was the editor-in-chief of China Record in Yangcheng and also served as the director of the newly established China Record Planning Department.
Liu Zhiwen simply didn't believe that Chen Xiaoqi would willingly give up a truly great record to Pacific Audio & Video. If he were in Chen Xiaoqi's shoes, he would have chosen to keep the release for China Record.
Yet, knowing Chen Xiaoqi as he did, Liu Zhiwen had to admit that the man's musical taste and eye for talent were exceptionally high. Since he was giving such a strong recommendation, it was highly unlikely that the cassette lacked substance.
Glancing at Zhou Ziheng, who was sitting quietly on the sofa, Liu Zhiwen pulled over a cassette player and inserted the tape.
*Hiss...*
Perhaps due to extended use, the player's internal static was quite loud.
But after only a few seconds, the sound was drowned out by a melodious tune.
The intro of Wandering Song began to play.
Hearing the prelude, Liu Zhiwen, who had been somewhat indifferent moments before, froze and began to listen attentively.
"The wandering soul far from home misses you,"
"Dear Mother."
"The wanderer's footsteps tread the ends of the earth,"
"With no home to return to."
……
In the office, apart from the sound of the cassette player, the silence was terrifying.
Neither Zhou Ziheng nor Chen Xiaoqi spoke; they simply listened to the music while quietly waiting for Liu Zhiwen's reaction.
"The lyrics and melody are a bit too simplistic. Still, the tune is catchy—releasing it isn't completely out of the question!"
As the chorus ended, Liu Zhiwen had already formed a rough judgment of the song's commercial potential. While mildly interested, he was hardly blown away.
With that, his right hand reached toward the player, intending to turn it off.
"This is just one of them. The other tracks on here are not only just as good, but some even surpass it. Have a listen to the rest."
Unsurprised by Liu Zhiwen's verdict, Chen Xiaoqi interrupted his motion to switch off the player and urged him to keep listening.
Hearing this, Liu Zhiwen paused, hesitated for a moment, and pulled his hand back.
The first song, Wandering Song, ended, and the second track began to play.
It started with a simple guitar strum—quite ordinary at first—before other instruments joined in, making the entire melody instantly captivating.
Zhou Ziheng's vocals rang out.
"Tonight I've come once again outside your window,"
"Your shadow upon the curtain is so lovely."
"Having quietly loved you for so many years,"
"Tomorrow I must leave."
……
Clean and ethereal vocals, paired with a beautiful melody, instantly hooked Liu Zhiwen.
He quietly lit a cigarette, a look of reminiscence washing over his eyes.
Outside the Window quickly came to an end. This time, Liu Zhiwen didn't reach for the player, waiting instead for the third song to begin.
The third track was Wandering.
Then came New Migrant Worker Ballad.
This song also featured a deeply captivating intro. From the very first notes, a subtle sense of melancholy began to permeate the air.
"Leaving parents and friends behind,"
"Waving goodbye with eyes full of tears,"
"Through wind and rain, pausing not for a breath,"
"Along the long road I walk in silence."
"How many winters, summers, springs, and autumns,"
"Facing the flowing traffic and towering buildings—"
……
The singing flowed like a story being told, painting a vivid picture in Liu Zhiwen's mind of a migrant worker carrying a bag into a big city, utterly alone and toiling away through immense hardship.
The songs continued, one after another.
Child Far From Home, What We Call Life, Double Ninth Wine, Time to Go Home, Gazing at My Hometown, and Ninth Ninth Daughter's Red Wine.
Liu Zhiwen did not skip a single track, listening to every song from beginning to end.
By the time all the tracks had finished playing, over forty minutes had passed.
Switching off the cassette player, Liu Zhiwen looked at Zhou Ziheng with a new level of seriousness. "Did you write all of these songs entirely on your own?"
Zhou Ziheng nodded. "Yes, the lyrics and composition are all mine."
"You are exceptionally talented—better than most singers I know."
Turning to Chen Xiaoqi, he added, "Xiaoqi, thank you. For recommending such a remarkable talent and cassette to us, I owe you one."
Chen Xiaoqi smiled. "We can talk about that later. Let's get back to the tape itself. What are your thoughts?"
"Sign him, of course! Such a phenomenal cassette—if I were to turn this away today, I'm afraid my time as deputy manager would come to an end before long," Liu Zhiwen said almost without hesitation.
"I mean, how do you plan to release this cassette?" Chen Xiaoqi asked, shaking his head.
Liu Zhiwen frowned. "You mean..."
"Weren't you just lamenting the fact that New Era is mimicking Hong Kong and Taiwan to cultivate our own Mainland idol acts?"
Pointing at Zhou Ziheng with a smile, Chen Xiaoqi said, "What do you think of him? His looks are certainly no match below Mao Lin's level! Add in his talent for writing his own lyrics and music, and don't you think he'd make the ultimate idol?"
Hearing this, Liu Zhiwen looked at Zhou Ziheng once again.
Zhou Ziheng showed no awkwardness, meeting his gaze head-on.
Liu Zhiwen gave him a thorough, appraising look and couldn't help praising, "His looks really are quite impressive."
Then he shook his head. "You know as well as I do that Pacific Audio & Video isn't a dictatorship run by me alone. I don't have the clout to single-handedly forge a Mainland mega-idol. All I can say is that I will do my absolute best. How far he goes will ultimately depend on whether he has natural audience appeal."
"Having your word is enough!" Chen Xiaoqi was very satisfied with the response.
He stood straight up. "I won't meddle in the signing process. You two can negotiate that yourselves."
Pausing for a moment, as if afraid Zhou Ziheng might get the short end of the stick, he added, "Old Liu, you and I both know the quality of this cassette. Calling it a guaranteed hit is no exaggeration. I certainly wouldn't want to see it fail to find a release at Pacific Audio & Video, only to end up at New Era or White Swan."
Chen Xiaoqi said this on Zhou Ziheng's behalf.
He was telling Liu Zhiwen not to let slip an opportunity over contract disputes. If Pacific missed out, Zhou Ziheng would undoubtedly take the tape straight to New Era or White Swan.
Especially New Era.
The four major record companies in Yangcheng were all state-owned enterprises, yet each had different backing.
China Record, originally formed from a consolidation of record companies dating back to the 1940s and 50s, belonged to the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television, boasting the most powerful background.
The other three companies were all provincial entities under Guangdong Province.
White Swan was a provincial-level institution approved by the State Press and Publication Administration, established on the foundation of the Pearl River Film Studio.
Pacific Audio & Video was funded and established by the Guangdong Provincial Radio, Film, and Television Bureau, essentially making it the eldest son of the province.
As for New Era, it was established by the Yangcheng Cultural Propaganda Department, making it the second son.
When New Era was founded, its capital amounted to a mere 120,000 yuan.
Yet this tiny enterprise had grown increasingly prosperous over the years, matching and at times even exceeding Pacific in its moneymaking speed.
When all were sons, and the second son kept getting stronger, one could only imagine how anxious the eldest felt.
Among the four major labels, Pacific and New Era both operated under the jurisdiction of Guangdong Province, making their rivalry all the more fierce.
If Liu Zhiwen failed to seal the deal with Zhou Ziheng and drove him into the arms of New Era—and the tape subsequently achieved massive success—Liu Zhiwen would undoubtedly face harsh criticism.
"Xiaoqi, how can you say such a thing? For your sake alone, I'll give him an exceptional contract offer." Hearing this, Liu Zhiwen wore a bitter expression.