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

Chapter 979 Chinese Seven Specializations: Looking Back, "The Boy" Is Still There

If it were just a single lyric, Cheng Hao might not have thought much of it, but the timeline was perfect, and with multiple cross-verifications, she couldn't help but overthink it.

The Book of Changes has a rich history of using songs to metaphorically represent people.

Just like the poem "Writing Poems for You" from before—

If it weren't for the familiarity of the lyrics, she wouldn't have been so narcissistic as to believe that the song was actually based on her.

The song title written at the top of the manuscript paper made her eyes sparkle: "Still Love You".

A surge of secret joy crept into my heart, eliciting delightful sounds.

When Zhou Yi, who was still working on tedious documents at his desk, saw Cheng Hao come down, he looked up and said, "Did my mom give you special treatment? You're smiling so happily?"

"Really? Do I look happy?"

The woman's smiling, crescent-shaped eyes rendered her rhetorical question utterly meaningless: "Maybe it's because you came back that I felt liberated."

"My nickname shouldn't be Zhou Bapi, right?" Zhou Yi tilted his head and laughed, following her lead.

Cheng Hao waved the transparent file bag in her hand: "That's hard to say. I think there are definitely people who would call you a swindler, like those who didn't get a share of the pie, and it just so happens that you have the surname Zhou."

Judging solely from the lyric divisions of the song "Stand Up," she doesn't think it's a song that absolutely requires four people to sing. It seems more like Zhou Yi deliberately reserved that number of people to divide the pie equally.

"As for them, I don't care. If people in America could speak Mandarin, there would be far more people calling me a shrew."

Thinking of the chaos in the American music scene caused by his exposure of discrimination, Zhou Yi smiled like a weasel that had stolen a chicken, his schadenfreude written all over his face.

Producers, as the supreme rulers of the American music scene, receive just as much of the profits as top singers. Asian singers like Zhou Yi should theoretically be just giving them money, yet they haven't gotten a single penny from him so far.

Now, the conflict has been exposed and infighting has broken out. Some frustrated mid-level singers genuinely believe that, as the I Ching says, they are being discriminated against, which is why they are so mediocre. Under the influence of these emotions, the two sides are gradually drifting apart.

As for why it's not the bottom...

Singers from the bottom rungs of society don't deserve to have names, they don't even have the chance to be discriminated against.

The producers EMI initially hired to produce Elva Hsiao's EP are now being resented by some innocent producers who were dragged into the mess.

If it weren't for the overall production of the EP "Elva" angering Zhou Yi, he probably wouldn't have made such a sweeping generalization.

At least that's how it appears on the surface.

Thankfully, Zhou Yi provided a huge safety net for Elva, otherwise she might have lost to Utada Hikaru back then.

"Alright, I'm not going to banter with you anymore. I'm going to China Film Group now."

Knowing that he couldn't win an argument with him, Cheng Hao left home with great joy, drove to the China Film Group office at the Beijing Film Studio, and handed the proof along with its attachments to Han Sanping.

Today, even Han Sanping noticed that Cheng Hao's spirits were different from usual, unusually good.

Zhou Yi, who was still at home adjusting his schedule while working, returned to his computer room after finishing the contract and began to write the lyrics and music for his upcoming Chinese seventh album.

As his seventh Chinese album, this album's concept can be seen as a continuation of this year's "25," or as a summary of his personal journey over the years.

Therefore, he named this album "Boy".

Children are often synonymous with childlike innocence, and the album title reflects this sentiment, signifying that Zhou Yi has maintained a pure and innocent heart despite the ups and downs he has experienced over the years.

The first song on side A is "Those Adventurous Dreams You Have," one of Lin Junjie's representative works.

After the release of his English album "25," rumors about his little-known first love spread like wildfire in the streets and alleys. This song, "Those Dreams You Dared to Dream," is precisely a reflection on past failed relationships from the perspective of a modern adult.

This also perfectly complements the second song.

The second song on side A is "Boy," a signature hit by Liang Bai.

A failed relationship, an immature boy—both songs tell a story that can never be relived.

What's past is past.

In the adult world, there aren't that many things we can't let go of, and the public doesn't need to keep speculating about this. I'm also always looking forward; there's no need to drown in the past.

The third song on side A is "Always Online," one of Lin Junjie's representative works.

The lyrics use the ethereal nature of the internet age as a vehicle to highlight the sweetness of the romance, taking the internet, a distinct feature of the new century, as the starting point for a new love story.

The fourth song on side A is "I Don't Want You to Be Alone," one of Wu Yuetian's representative works.

Loving you means caring about you. Even if the world ends, I wouldn't want you to be alone, and I would still love you.

The fifth song on side A is "Still Love You," Wang Leehom's last representative work during his Sony era.

This is a song written for Cheng Hao after "25".

Even as time goes by, I gradually become less like the person I used to be, and you also become somewhat unlike yourself. But in my eyes, your smile remains beautiful.

The sixth song on side A is "Because of Love," a classic representative work by Chen Yixun and Wang Fei.

A song written for Sun Yanzi after "25".

The main principle is to treat everyone equally.

The seventh song on side A is "Sparrow," one of Li Ronghao's representative works. It's a song written for all the "sparrows" who come from similar backgrounds to him, following "25."

After love comes career.

Even sparrows have lofty ambitions.

Even if one comes from a poor background or has a bad family.

After a bowl of chicken soup, I made a name for myself in the turbulent early 2000s.

The first song on side B, "Turkish Ice Cream," is a work that represents a brief moment of inspiration for Jay Chou, and is his most technically impressive piece in his later career, ranking among the best in his entire career.

Choosing this song was, without a doubt, a display of technical skill.

Because this is the domestic business empire he built as a "sparrow".

The second song on side B is "Medal," a rare breakout hit for Luhan after he went solo.

"And the wounds I've suffered are my medals."

The lyrics, constructed through scenes from ancient Greek mythology, create an epic feel that, combined with One Ear's experiences abroad and the musical empire he built overseas, speaks volumes about its greatness.

Even if I have to face the Western gods alone, I will hold tightly to the weapon I call my dream.

The third song on side B is "A Mess," which is Tao Zhe's most outstanding rock song, bar none.

In terms of professionalism, it is even stronger than Tao Zhe's other classic masterpiece, "Black Orange".

Because Zhou Yi himself had been shot, the lyrics at the beginning of this song also needed to be changed.

Change "Eight years have passed in the blink of an eye" to "One year has passed in the blink of an eye";
Change "Is this my home?" to "Is this where my wound is?"

The song directly targets the United States, the country that brought him to the brink of death: America is a mess, and it is America that made the world a mess.

The reason I'm still willing to speak out is because I still have a childlike heart that hasn't been extinguished—

The fourth song on side B is "Chasing Dreams with a Pure Heart," one of the representative works of the band gala.

It is precisely because they have witnessed the chaos in the United States and the mess it has created that they are determined to confront it, even if it may incur the wrath of the United States.

The spirit of being willing to sacrifice one's life for idealism permeates the lyrics of the song.

If you keep asking why a singer has to go to such lengths, then I can only answer that it's because there's still a part of me that hasn't crumbled, even after I've entered the entertainment industry.

The fifth song on side B: "The Place in My Heart That Has Not Yet Collapsed", by Wu Yuetian.

"A grand ranking, a sensational awards ceremony."

"When people's hearts become the market, and the market becomes the battlefield."

"Singers chase sales figures, journalists chase clicks; neither is more kind than the other."

"Whether it's a superstar or a super king, whether it's a lowly soldier or a veteran, the end of the performance is always desolate."

Every line sings of the bizarre and fantastical aspects of the entertainment industry and reality, directly addressing the harsh realities of the music scene and criticizing current affairs.

The sixth song on side B is "Rice Fragrance," one of Jay Chou's representative works.

"If you have too many complaints about this world, and you're afraid to keep going after you fall, then turn on the TV and see how many people are bravely continuing to live for their lives..."

This is the "boy" of the I Ching before it collapses, the "innocence" before it collapses, and the "pure heart" before it collapses.

This year, he's approaching thirty in the traditional Chinese sense. The once arrogant and domineering Zhou Yi has gradually softened his edges with the passage of time, but what remains unchanged is his kind heart.

The seventh song on side B is "Proud Youth," a representative work of Nan Zheng Bei Zhan.

Even with his edges smoothed out, he's still the same boy he always was—

That boy who was throwing a tantrum.

At the same time, he inspires everyone who hears his songs and everyone who idolizes him.

Seven years is enough time for a person to go from junior high school to university, from high school to becoming a corporate slave, and from graduation to getting married and starting a family.

The Book of Changes (Zhou Yi) could also say that it has indeed accompanied a generation's growth.

Love, career, ideas, inspiration.

This is a stage that all his fans go through, and it's also the path Zhou Yi himself has walked over the years.

Now, Zhou Yi breaks them down one by one, treating them as topics of conversation over tea and after meals, chatting with those who have listened to this album face-to-face as if with an old friend—

Seven years have passed. Looking back, the boy named Zhou Yi still stands at the top of the pyramid of memory, attracting everyone with his laughter and witty remarks.

He has experienced far more hardships than most people can imagine over the years, yet he still retains a childlike heart.

Seven years have passed, and looking back, "The Boy" is still there.

(End of this chapter)