The opening of China Entertainment Group gave Jay Chou a head-on confrontation

Chapter 905 Pioneers in Sino-US Tuition Fee Reconciliation
"He really made me cry to death!"

"This is Spike! This is Spike's vision!"

"He didn't even extricate himself from the situation."

"I know this, I've studied it. It's called criticism and self-criticism, which means you should always have a gun pointed at yourself..."

"???"

"Where did you learn it? Give me a way to find out..."

"Spike didn't discriminate against us because we're in America. Instead, he patiently advised us to study hard. He really... really doesn't understand the American school system at all!"

"How much debt did Spike owe in school? How can he say that so casually? I studied hard and graduated from college seven years ago, and I still have outstanding loans."

"He seems to have graduated from one of the best and most famous universities in China, according to what Yahoo says. That means it wasn't a community college, and the tuition, book fees, accommodation fees, administration fees, and living expenses are probably comparable to Harvard's..."

Unsurprisingly, the Fox News interview sparked a wave of criticism in the United States after it was released.

It's not that he said there aren't many good people in the entertainment industry. In fact, everyone in the US knows perfectly well that celebrities aren't good people, and they're used to it. Only die-hard fans are willing to turn a blind eye.

On the contrary, the idea in the Book of Changes that one should study hard and make progress every day, and become a doctor, engineer, teacher, firefighter, or other profession that contributes to society after graduating from university, has drawn criticism from many American netizens.

Was it because I didn't want to learn?
Let alone good schools, you don't even mention how expensive the tuition is for any decent university.

Attending a bad community college or similar school is practically pointless, and the interest rates on loans for slightly better schools are terrifying!

"Spike became a big star in China before he even graduated from college, so of course he could pay off his loans!"

Why not eat meat?
Why not eat meat?
Why not eat meat?
"No wonder it's Spike. He just said not to idolize celebrities because most of them are trash, and then he showed up himself to prove it."

"Words and actions must be consistent!"

"Considering he's not American and doesn't know the actual situation, it doesn't matter. Many celebrities encourage their children to study in this way, so let's just use this template."

"Pretty much, Spike suffered because he wasn't American."

"..."

As a bit of fun, it's quite amusing and won't hurt Zhou Yi's core fan base or casual listeners who are willing to buy his albums—going to university isn't impossible, and a loan is still a loan, it just means the repayment period will be longer, it's not a big problem.

If you don't want to take out a loan, a man with good modeling skills can find a rich woman, and a woman with a good background can find a sugar daddy. If you really can't do modeling well, you can gamble on whether the taste of rich people is really that good or not.

Everyone has a bright and promising future.

As a foreigner, the Book of Changes was simply an expression of his good wishes.

"If I remember correctly, Spike studied law, and he graduated from one of the top law schools in China."

"Law school? God, how many years did it take him to pay off his loans?"

“My parents used to be Chinese. Let me explain. If nothing unexpected happens, Spike’s school fees will be very low because he has scholarships that can fully cover the costs and even leave a surplus.”

"Get out of here, you traitor! Even without a scholarship, Spike could go to school without any problems, and Spike has never said that he received a scholarship during his university years..."

"what?"

"???"

The completely skewed online public opinion left Qian Jiang somewhat bewildered and amused.

This is nothing.

There are even cases of Chinese students openly reconciling accounts with American university students.

In various online communities across the United States, there was even a small wave of Zhouyi fans and related strangers displaying their tuition fees.

Of course, along with this wave, many accounts dedicated to so-called "academic ability" and "degree" have emerged, claiming that American schools are more prestigious and therefore have higher tuition fees—primarily using traditional and simplified Chinese accounts, with English accounts as a secondary feature.

As for the issue of student loan interest rates?
What kind of loan?
I do not know.

Next question!
Let's talk about the Grammy Awards this year, and not get involved in singer-related issues; it's not harmonious.

This has really stumped the domestic media outlets responsible for broadcasting this year's Grammys.

During the Grammy pre-show analysis, everyone looked at each other, unsure of what to say, except for Zhou Xun, a friend of Zhou Yi, who laughed out loud.

Although the broadcasting and distribution fees for this year's Grammys reached a new high in China due to the influence of the I Ching, this did not pose a challenge for Shanghai Media Group.

Starting in November 2005, the entertainment program "Entertainment Online" under the group's variety division, in conjunction with Oriental Star Company, actively contacted the Grammy Organizing Committee and successfully secured the exclusive live broadcast rights for the media.

They defeated all their competitors to achieve this, taking only three weeks from the initial negotiations to the final signing.

All I can say is that they gave way too much.

This is the first time in nearly ten years that Shanghai has provided exclusive, full coverage of such a large-scale, top-level international awards ceremony.

Zhou Xun, Ke Yimin, popular Super Girl Zhou Bichang, last year's Super Girl champion Zhang Liangying, and famous Taiwanese musician Tao Zhe were all invited to be guests on the show.

Zhou Xun even held two positions simultaneously.

In addition to attending the Grammys, she will also be a guest on the "Entertainment Online" program, along with Gong Li, Gu Changwei, and others, to cover the opening and closing ceremonies of the 56th Berlin International Film Festival.

Of course, this only applies to traditional media.

Unsurprisingly, the live streaming sector on the internet was once again won over by Sohu, which had become incredibly wealthy after its rapid growth.

"Wait a minute, how come Zhou Yi talking about studying hard can spark a discussion among his American fans? Isn't that just polite talk?"

"Judging from the pictures that have been reposted, it seems that tuition fees in the United States are different from those in China? Attending a normal university there requires taking out a huge loan, which may take twenty or thirty years of work to pay off."

"Huh? How is that possible? Isn't America all you can eat for a dollar with fried chicken, and you can buy a house after washing dishes for two months?"

"..."

For Chinese fans of the I Ching who were encountering this for the first time, the more they looked at the reposted images and discussions from abroad, the more surreal it seemed.

This...this...this isn't right, is it?
Although the age range of netizens in 2006 had expanded significantly, those willing to discuss the Grammys were mainly college students and self-proclaimed elite working professionals—all of whom were either currently in college or had already graduated.

"What is this? Is the I Ching opening my eyes to the world?"

"Wait a minute, could this be a rumor?"

“I’m studying abroad, and nobody in my circle takes out a loan.”

"The circle you're talking about, it's not entirely made up of Chinese people, is it?"

"..."

Reality is surreal, so surreal it's unbelievable, shaking the worldview of this generation of netizens.

Although some media figures have tried to muddy the waters, they have no say in what's happening in the US.

Countless media outlets, eager to create buzz, flocked to the Grammy Awards red carpet, hoping to get some juicy news from that man.

"Spike! Spike, over here! Spike, look this way!"

When a Cadillac SUV pulled into view, the media reporters who were filming singer Donni Rai, who was deliberately exposing herself, immediately abandoned her and turned their attention to the man who stepped out of the car he was representing.

Wearing a creamy white custom Armani suit with gold trim and cloud patterns, adorned with perfectly restrained tassels and sequins on the forearms, back, and hem, he looked so handsome that screams frequently erupted from both sides of the red carpet.

"Spike!"

"Spike!!"

"Spike!!!" The focus of the flashing lights was mesmerizing, and Donni Rai, the previous female singer who had finally managed to gain some attention through a wardrobe malfunction, felt a little depressed.

Although he's a legend, I deliberately omitted him, so shouldn't you all show me a little more respect...?

Do I have to run around naked to get the spotlight?

The female singer, who deliberately struck a pose resembling a "rear-entry" position to expose herself and attract attention, straightened up after realizing no one was paying attention to her, composed herself, and quickly walked forward.

Spike! How many trophies do you think you can win tonight?

"Spike, do you think you can break another Grammy record tonight?"

"Spike, your American fans and Chinese fans are arguing over tuition fees. What's your take on this...?"

"Spike..."

Zhou Yi, carrying a flashlight that looked like it could blind anyone, signed autographs for fans. He chose the brown-haired female reporter who was most willing to show her ambition: "Excuse me, Miss Reporter, I didn't hear you clearly. What did you ask?"

fuck!

That's sexist!

That will send you to hell to meet Satan!
The reporters were burning with rage, wishing they could transform into Superman and punch this bastard.

“Louise, just call me Louise.”

The female reporter, who never expected to be called out, was overjoyed. Under the intense gazes of her male colleagues, she stepped forward, straightened her back, and flaunted her cleavage: "I'm from the French newspaper Le Monde."

“Well, I know Le Monde.”

After signing his name, Zhou Yi stood smiling in front of her camera and affirmed her: "Eva showed it to me, and it's very beautiful."

Eva Green, the French art icon, has made countless French artistic young men hate the existence of the I Ching.

"Spike, your American fans and your Chinese fans are arguing over tuition fees. Did you intentionally start this conflict?"

“I don’t know. I didn’t go to college in the United States. Before graduating from college, I had never even stepped out of China.”

Facing the camera, Zhou Yi shrugged: "And I don't think there's anything wrong with what I said, because I got the opportunity to succeed through learning, so I hope that everyone in this world can discover and seize opportunities through learning."

"As for the tuition fees in the United States, I only just learned about it, and to be honest, I was quite surprised because, influenced by China's basic education system, I have always believed that learning and students are one of the fundamental aspects of a country."

"But I think you should look for problems within America itself, instead of asking me."

What's wrong with this country? You all need to think about this!
Although he didn't expect his words to lead to this outcome, it didn't stop Zhou Yi from adding his own commentary. After all, the issue of college tuition fees is something Americans have been complaining about for countless years.

Domestically, the "Entertainment Online" program.

To everyone's surprise, the foreign translator of the Book of Changes was so shrewd that his brain almost went blank, and for a moment he didn't know whether to translate the dialogue or not.

Isn't this an entertainment program?

But then I thought about how he was shot in America, so it's impossible for him not to feel resentful.

Yes, that makes sense, very reasonable.

“I can really relate to what Zhou Yi said. Tuition fees in the US are just too expensive. Tuition at any decent university is unbelievably high, and that's just tuition. When I was studying in the US, I had to buy my books from upperclassmen…”

Tao Zhe, a seasoned American who graduated from UCLA and even worked as a police officer in the US, didn't need a translator at all and had many reflections on the show.

Now that's great, they're giving us a firsthand account.

The official chat room was flooded with question marks.

While Tao Zhe was sharing his experiences and observations in the United States, Zhou Yi had already walked the red carpet and entered the venue.

Mariah Carey, who has returned to her peak, and Madonna, who is still young at heart, are among the many female singers who have turned their attention to him. Kelly Clarkson, the American Idol champion who started as a bar hostess, was so excited that she immediately stood up from her seat.

The Book of Changes (I Ching) is also one of her idols.

When she participated in the talent show "American Idol" back then, she also covered a song from Zhou Yi's first English album, which was a global hit at the time.

"Hi Spike, I'm Kelly Clarkson, just call me Kelly. I really love the song you wrote for Elva, 'Because of You.' It's such a shame that Elva didn't get a nomination because of the EP."

Zhouyi: "..."

Madonna: "Spike, the musical persona you created for Elva is really cool. I think we can discuss it."

Everyone's playing the independent woman card and profiting from political correctness. From Madonna's perspective, Zhou Yi is indeed a talent worth exploring.

She thought her marketing skills were the best in the world, but she never expected there were still experts out there.

Because of Edgar Jr., she didn't believe at all that Warner was involved—even though everyone else said so.

That leaves only one possibility: Zhou Yi himself and his team.

"It's a good thing you're not in the pop category, otherwise I think you would have crushed all those people." Mariah Carey, who is more familiar with the situation, has been enjoying the limelight so far tonight, and even had the mind to joke about Zhou Yi's nomination being placed in the rock category.

"If it were a popular category, would they go up to receive their awards right after you?" Knowing the final result, Zhou Yi could only retort with a joke.

Of course, in her view, this was a sure thing.

As a top diva who has returned to her peak, she came to the Grammys this year with a total of 8 nominations, determined to sweep them all.

"Camera on Zhou Yi! Camera on Zhou Yi!"

"Who wants to watch foreigners!"

"I want to see Zhou Yi and the beautiful women around him!"

Holy crap, those breasts are huge!

"The Grammys have started, can you guys calm down? Zhou Yi's awards are all later, the pop categories that start first don't even apply to him, but his lover next to him is probably going to wreak havoc in the pop categories..."

The 48th Grammy Awards officially began amidst the attention of audiences both at home and abroad.

Veteran Madonna, who served as the opening act, still exuded wild charm—the 48-year-old wore a sexy purple bodysuit and stockings, and after appearing on a rising platform, she danced a hot dance with male dancers, remaining as sexy and hot as ever.

Zhou Yi also joined in the applause.

Putting everything else aside, Madonna's physique is truly amazing. She's almost fifty years old and can still spin and jump like a young person without getting out of breath.

But just thinking about it, even when she's really old enough to be a grandma, she can still do squats and jumps continuously at her concerts...

Yes, that's definitely powerful.

At this moment, Mariah Carey was still chatting and laughing with Zhou Yi.

Until the pop music awards ceremony after the opening ceremony, Kelly Clarkson, a former barmaid and winner of the American Supergirl competition, caused the first major upset of this year's Grammys—

She won Best Pop Female Vocal Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album, surpassing Mariah Carey, who was considered the biggest favorite by everyone!
"Fuck!"

"An upset right from the start?!"

"I've never heard of Kelly Clarkson before. She's not even a singer; she's just a barmaid! Why?!"

"Wait a minute, Mariah Carey's 'The Queen Returns' last year was a surprise hit, so Spike...?"

"No way?"

(End of this chapter)