Exciting 1979!

Chapter 370 The Righteous Yet Evil Zhou Huimin, the Scumbag Yet Warm Wei Xiaoming

Master Guo then asked him if he knew how his three colleagues who went to Hong Kong were doing now.

Liu Rulong had initially considered asking Master Guo to go to Hong Kong, but he hadn't made up his mind at the time, and he didn't know that the real boss was actually the person next to him.

"It's good. The salary is definitely not as high as in Japan, but it's still two or three thousand Hong Kong dollars. Fortunately, the language barrier isn't that difficult."

Not only did the three people from the Shanghai Animation Film Studio stay, but even one of Ah Long's university classmates chose to drop out of school and work with him after witnessing the prosperity of Hong Kong.

Hearing that his colleagues' salaries were so much lower than his, Master Guo felt a little smug, thinking that choosing Japan was a wise decision. However, when Wei Ming brought up the language issue, he became confused again.

He has a probationary period, and if language issues affect his work, he might be fired. But his family is counting on him to earn money and go back home to live a good life, so he might have no choice but to stay in Japan and wash dishes.

Then he transitioned to the underworld? That's the path Ah Long took in his past life.

This was Wei Ming's first time landing in Tokyo in this life. He couldn't help but think of how, in his previous life, every time he came to Japan, Ah Long would pick him up and arrange a full range of services, and then...

"Jackie Chan is here!"

"Jackie! I love you!"

"Ah, don't stop me, let me touch your big nose!"

Before Wei Ming could even lament the changes in things, he was assaulted by the screams of Jackie Chan's fans.

A plane from Hong Kong had just landed, and Jackie Chan was on it. He was there mainly to promote his Hollywood blockbuster, "Cannonball Run."

Although he is not the male lead in principle, the Japanese film company promoted him as the male lead, and the poster placed him and former 007 Roger Moore in the center position.

After all, Jackie Chan had already earned billions of yen at the Japanese box office with films such as "Drunken Master," "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow," "The Fearless Hyena," and "The Young Master," making him another action superstar with super box office appeal in Asia after Bruce Lee.

Could this group of crazy women be the "No Jackie Chan, No Marriage" group?
Once most of the people had dispersed, Wei Ming and Master Guo were also separated by the commotion, but it didn't matter, since they weren't originally on the same path anyway.

At the exit, Wei Ming spotted a small, thin figure in the crowd holding a large sign that read "Welcome Wei Ming" in Chinese.

At that time, Wei Ming's literary works had not yet been translated and published in Japan. His fame was limited to the two songs he collaborated on with Sarah and the songs adapted by Masashi Sada. Without his English name, no one would know who he was.

"I didn't expect you to come pick me up in person," Wei Ming said, shaking hands with Masashi Sada. "Don't you have an assistant?"

"How can we use an assistant to welcome such a distinguished guest as you? Of course, we should come in person to show our sincerity." Wei Ming's songs greatly relieved Masashi Sada's financial pressure, and his gratitude was very sincere.

After leaving the airport, Wei Ming got into his car, a Toyota, and then transferred from the airport to the train station.

He knew that Wei Ming had come to Japan mainly to watch the football game, so they took the Shinkansen directly to Osaka.

Although flying is convenient, it requires changing airports, and since it's a form of tourism, taking the train allows you to enjoy the scenery along the way.

The remaining two days of the Women's Volleyball World Cup matches have all been scheduled in Osaka.

Masashi Sada plans to bring Wei Ming back to Tokyo for his concert after the women's volleyball tournament ends.

On the bus, Wei Ming saw the street scene of Japan in the 80s for the first time. The high-rise buildings were full of vitality, but it was not much different from what Wei Ming saw more than ten years later.

After all, the Plaza Accord is just a few years away, and Japan's booming economic momentum will be severely hampered.

What year was that again? 198...5? Wei Ming tried hard to recall the details of the Plaza Accord.

I had heard about it in domestic media before, and the impression was reinforced when Wei Ming's company made a short drama involving rebirth.

On the way, Wei Ming also talked to Masashi Sada about Cheng Long, whom he had met at the airport.

Masashi Sada said, "Jackie Chan, oh, I've seen his Drunken Fist, it's really amazing..."

Seeing that he was about to show off while driving, Wei Ming quickly reminded him, "Be careful while driving. Let's have a drink after we get out of the car before we start sparring."

However, it's clear that Jackie Chan is very popular in the Japanese market recently. With a box office of 10 billion yen for a movie, that's roughly equivalent to 500 million US dollars, which is much more than in the Hong Kong market.

Masashi Sada scratched his head: "Among the Chinese who are famous in Japan, in the film industry it's definitely Jackie Chan from Hong Kong, in the music industry it's Teresa Teng from Taiwan, and in the literary world it's you."

"Me? Does anyone know me? I mean, the novelist."

Masashi Sada: "Of course I have. I recently read an article by a Japanese writer about you, and every word was filled with admiration and respect."

“Write about me? I don’t know any Japanese writers, but I do know a few publishers.”

"Yes, there is a new writer named Haruki Murakami who wrote a novel called 'Hear the Wind Sing.' He said he met you in Frankfurt, Germany. He said you are highly respected abroad and are a leading figure in Asian literature. He also greatly admires you for setting aside your status as a great writer to promote the country's culture."

Haruki Murakami? He was also in Frankfurt at the time?!
Putting aside his pride? He was probably referring to the last two days of live-streaming sales.

Wei Ming smiled. He never expected to have such a connection with this future leading figure in the Japanese literary world. He wondered if the man would say something like, "At thirty-two, I stood in the corner like a lackey," when he watched him talking eloquently with Günter Grass on stage.

"I should go to the bookstore and buy one of his books when I have time."

Masashi Sada: "You can understand it?"

"Since I've come all this way to Japan, I should at least bring back some Japanese specialties."

"I can give you my whole album!"

Wei Ming: "That's also an option."

The two of them laughed at the same time, but what Wei Ming really wanted was another Japanese specialty.

They arrived at the train station, and Masashi Sada took care of everything for Wei Ming, including buying tickets, which was very thoughtful.

Tokyo is undoubtedly Japan's largest city. In recent years, Yokohama's population has surpassed that of Osaka, but Osaka remains Japan's second largest city in terms of economy and culture.

Once on the train, the Shinkansen from the largest city to the second largest city only takes three hours.

The two places are 500 kilometers apart. To put it in perspective, this is roughly equivalent to traveling from Wuhan to Nanjing, which would take almost an entire day. And that is precisely what motivates us to catch up.

~
Zhou Huimin, her mother, and Wei Lingling and her daughter arrived in Tokyo yesterday and spent the last two days sightseeing in Tokyo.

Amin thought Aunt Ling was really amazing; she played with the three of them and resolved their work matters with just a few phone calls.

She then suggested that everyone visit Osaka, Japan's second-largest city, and then fly back to Hong Kong from there.

Osaka, along with Nagoya and Kumamoto Castle, are known as Japan's three most famous castles, each with its own unique scenery compared to Tokyo.

When Amin got on the bus, she was wearing headphones; it was a Walkman player her mother had bought for her.

Sony's little device is a favorite among music lovers. You can carry it with you and listen to music anytime, anywhere. You can listen to lots and lots of songs on your way home.

With this in mind, Amin was extremely optimistic about the development of the music industry. She believed that as this product became more popular, cassette tapes would definitely sell better and better in the future.

Because this product is so popular in Japan that production capacity can't keep up, it hasn't been sold overseas yet. Zhou Huimin only saw it at a classmate who had been to Japan. Many foreign tourists who come to Japan also buy one of these Japanese specialties.

In addition, Amin also had a lot of popular cassette tapes by Japanese singers in her bag. These songs, which are quite different in style from Cantonese and English songs, would keep her entertained for quite some time.

Suddenly, Vivian Chow, who was walking and listening to Seiko Matsuda, looked up abruptly and took off her headphones.

"What's wrong?" Wei Lingling asked.

Zhou Huimin shook her head with a silly smile: "I think I just saw Ah Ming."

Of course, she knew that was impossible.

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Zhou in front couldn't help but shake her head, thinking, "What a foolish woman!"

Shortly after the four people boarded the train, it began to accelerate. After listening to one cassette tape, Zhou Huimin changed to another.

However, as soon as the familiar melody began, her eyes widened in surprise, and her pupils dilated slightly.

"Amin, what's wrong with you again?"

She excitedly shoved an earphone into Wei Lingling's ear. Wei Lingling asked, "Is this... my first love?"

Zhou Huimin nodded, then took out the outer packaging of the cassette tape from her bag. Inside, there was a piece of paper with the creator's information and lyrics. Amidst the Japanese, Chinese characters, and English, she was pleasantly surprised to see several "Mr. Why".

Vivian Chow said, "Some Hong Kong singers often cover Japanese singers' works, but I never expected that Japanese singers would also cover Ah Ming's works, and not just one of them!"

Wei Lingling commented, "This man sang quite well."

"I think it's so-so. He doesn't understand first love at all." But Amin thought she would buy another box and send it to Amin when she got to Osaka.

The Tokyo to Osaka line is a very important Shinkansen line, and it was the weekend, so even though the price was high, the train was still mostly full. Suddenly, Zhou Huimin got up and went to the restroom between the two trains.

She might have had an upset stomach because she wasn't used to the sashimi she ate today.

Zhou Huimin had just gone in when Wei Ming arrived. They waited for a while, but the person inside still hadn't come out.

"Could it be a large size?"

Wei Ming hesitated for a moment, then ran to the restroom in another direction.

After relieving himself, he returned to his seat and said to Masashi Sada, "We've gone halfway, haven't we?"

"Yes, we'll be arriving in Nagoya soon, and we'll be stopping there for a while." Masashi Sada also brought some local snacks, like dorayaki, since their arrival time was neither too early nor too late.

"You can eat this first, and I'll treat you to Kobe beef when we get to Osaka."

Wei Ming laughed heartily: "I love eating beef so much."

Then he thought of Amin, who doesn't eat beef, and wondered what she was doing right now. It was Saturday, so he wondered if she was playing the piano or taking vocal lessons.

A: She's taking a dump.

Amin, wearing headphones, finally came out. Seeing that there were still people queuing outside, she felt a little embarrassed. Listening to music while going to the toilet made her feel less rushed.

This is just listening to music; if you could watch TV while using the toilet, you could probably go on the toilet forever.

As she was leaving, she glanced back and saw several young people surrounding a man wearing glasses, holding pens and notebooks. He looked somewhat familiar; was he a Japanese celebrity?
When she returned to her seat and finished listening to Masashi Sada's new album, she was about to change to a different cassette tape when she suddenly exclaimed "Ah!" again.

Lin Ni was both annoyed and amused: "Little Amin, why are you making such a fuss about taking the Shinkansen? What's wrong this time?" Zhou Huimin pointed behind her, then pointed to the man on the cassette tape cover: "I think I saw this singer in the next carriage!"

Wei Lingling asked with a smile, "Then how about we go over and get to know each other? And then tell him: I'm the original singer."

Vivian Chow: "Okay, okay, I also want to ask him who he got the authorization from. Does Ah Ming know?"

One sentence jolted Wei Lingling awake. Right, who did she ask for it from? Melinda? Wasn't I supposed to be in charge of the Asian business? Could this be an unauthorized business activity?

Wei Lingling's legal DNA kicked in immediately. Japan is a country with a strong legal system that values ​​copyright. Could she be about to make a fortune this time?
At this point, Zhou's mother said, "I don't think it's necessary. We can't communicate, and he looks a bit sleazy. What if he's a bad guy?"

At this point, they arrived in Nagoya, and people started getting on and off the train. The carriage was a bit chaotic, and Zhou Huimin temporarily abandoned the idea.

After the train started moving again, Wei Lingling stood up and said, "I'm going to use the restroom too."

However, she seemed to be in the bathroom for quite a while. When she returned, Vivian Chow asked her, "Aunt Ling, did you see that singer?"

Wei Lingling shook her head: "I even took a look, but I didn't see it. Maybe it got off in Nagoya."

"Oh, what a pity."

Another hour later, at a speed of 200 kilometers per hour, the train arrived in Osaka.

Wei Lingling had already packed her luggage and urged them to hurry up: "It's getting dark, and if we don't hurry, there won't be any taxis left."

On the other side, Wei Ming and Masashi Sada strolled leisurely. Someone was there to pick them up after they left the station. Masashi Sada had booked a hotel in advance, and this was the car the hotel had sent.

The hotel we chose was the Hotel Royal Rikka, a long-established luxury hotel in Osaka, one of the best in the city, offering both traditional service and Western-style facilities. Its cylindrical high-rise building was once a landmark of the city.

Masashi Sada is currently burdened with huge debts. He wouldn't have stayed in such a luxurious hotel if he weren't entertaining important guests. Fortunately, he only stayed for two days.

After entering his private room, Wei Ming put down his luggage, loosened his belt, and prepared to go eat beef with Masashi Sada.

However, just as he opened the door, the door to the room opposite also opened, and Wei Ming's eyes widened immediately upon seeing the person on the other side.

"what!"

The person opposite him also stared wide-eyed in surprise, looking at Wei Ming in disbelief: "Ah Ming!?"

“You silly child, stop being silly. If you keep doing this, Mom will never take you out to play again.” Zhou Huimin’s mother’s voice came from behind her.

Then Zhou's mother saw Wei Ming across the door.

At the same time, the door to the room next to the Zhou family mother and daughter opened a crack, and Wei Lingling and Lin Ni were observing this scene.

Seeing the sparks in the eyes of the two young people, Wei Lingling felt a surge of joy, as if all her efforts in arranging this whole thing had been worthwhile.

Lin Ni focused her attention on Wei Ming, who was the eldest grandson of that dead man in the family. He was quite handsome and even resembled her brother-in-law's deceased youngest son.

When Masashi Sada came out of his room to find Wei Ming, he saw Wei Lingling standing in the corridor and quickly went over to bow to her. They had met before on the train.

According to Wei Ming, the young and beautiful woman was his aunt. She claimed to be in the next carriage with some important clients. They chatted briefly, and she found out their hotel and the floor they had booked before leaving.

Moreover, she said she had booked another hotel, which Wei Ming found regrettable at the time.

“Ms. Wei, so you’re also at this hotel. That’s great! I’ll go get Wei Mingsang.”

Wei Lingling: "No need to call him, he's very busy right now."

"What are you busy with?"

“Of course it’s about dating,” Wei Lingling laughed. “But we have three old women here who don’t know anyone here. Could you arrange a local specialty meal for us?”

They went outside the hotel to eat. Wei Ming and Amin, who didn't speak Japanese, stayed in the hotel to enjoy the service from the yakitori and tempura chefs. Amin wanted to try everything except sashimi with Amin.

Amin never expected her mother to let her and Amin go out to eat alone, and now she is completely overjoyed.

Wei Ming was so full of himself that he was about to overflow, and he thought to himself: Wei Lingling, you are worthy of being enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple!
No wonder the aunt refused to sit with them on the train and even reminded Wei Ming not to go over and disturb her and her business partner's discussion.

No wonder they asked them so many detailed questions about the hotel they booked, even asking about the floor.

No wonder he disappeared as soon as he got off the train; he was trying to surprise himself.

Wei Lingling, you've got this in your life!

Just after taking a bite of tempura, Wei Ming and Zhou Huimin looked up at the same time, their eyes met, and they both smiled.

Wei Ming asked, "What are you laughing at?"

“I’m just so happy,” Vivian Chow said. “We didn’t even discuss it beforehand. I never expected to meet you abroad. Isn’t this fate?”

Wei Ming: "Our fate was sealed the moment you wrote the letter for Lao Gui."

As he said this, Wei Ming couldn't help but grab Amin's hand; he was overjoyed to meet an old friend in a foreign land.

Vivian Chow didn't flinch. She pursed her lips, secretly pleased. Was this a confession? Did that mean she already had her first love?

With her other hand, she pulled out her Walkman: "I heard your Japanese friend's album on the street."

"Besides watching the game, I also went to his concert to support him. This album sold over a million copies, making him a lot of money."

Wow, a million tickets! He must be really rich!

"Yes, he's very rich, and he still owes the bank more than 2 billion yen."

"Huh?!" Vivian Chow's mouth turned into an "O".

Then Wei Ming told her about Masashi Sada's unfortunate experiences, which made Zhou Huimin sigh with emotion.

After finishing his eel sushi, Wei Ming asked, "When are you going back to Hong Kong?"

Zhou Huimin sighed: "I already asked for leave on Friday, so I have to leave tomorrow afternoon. I have to go to class on Monday."

Wei Ming: "Then we can go watch the game together tomorrow, the Chinese women's volleyball team versus the American team."

"Yeah, yeah, let's cheer for the women's volleyball team together!" Amin was now really into something.

Meanwhile, Lin Ni, who was eating Kobe beef outside, asked Zhou Ma, "Sister-in-law Zhou, how could you let your daughter be alone with that Wei Ming guy?"

Wei Lingling tugged at the gossip's mother, but Lin Ni remained unmoved, staring at Zhou's mother.

After taking a bite of beef, Mrs. Zhou said, "I've figured it out. With Lingling around, no matter how closely I keep an eye on him, he'll still find a way to take advantage of me. Why make him a nuisance?"

Wei Lingling smiled apologetically, "Auntie, they're just kids, nothing will happen to them. My Xiaoming is very sensible, right, Mr. Sada?"

Masashi Sada nodded weakly and helplessly. Although he couldn't understand what they were saying, he knew that Wei Ming had gone to have a sweet romance with the daughter of the lady next to him.

But when I was in China, weren't there already two beautiful and elegant ladies with Wei Sang? So they weren't Wei Sang's lovers?

~
Old villas on Huating Road in Shanghai.

Gong Xue sneezed, wrapped herself tighter in the blanket, and said to Zhu Lin with a flushed face, "It's all your fault. You insisted on rubbing my back, and you rubbed it for so long. I think I'm catching a cold."

“You’re too weak,” Zhu Lin said helplessly. “Then I’ll go make you some ginger soup.”

"Do you know?"

"No, I usually just tough it out. I take medicine when I can't take it anymore, but you can teach me."

"Never mind, you should come up and sleep too," Gong Xue said, lifting a corner of the blanket. "It's not serious, I'll just rub it in and it'll be fine."

Zhu Lin burrowed under the covers: "Then I'll transfer some warmth to you."

The two beautiful girls hugged each other without any barriers, seeking warmth from one another, but the conversation inevitably turned to Wei Ming.

I wonder what he's doing in Yanjing right now.

He's singing karaoke with Vivian Chow right now.

Karaoke originated in Japan in the 70s and gradually became popular, also providing singers with an additional source of income.

Now even big hotels like the Ritz-Carlton Royal have opened karaoke rooms. When Wei Ming found out, he immediately dragged Zhou Huimin inside to sing.

Wei Ming's singing level is only average for a regular karaoke bar, and the songs on the copyright here are mostly in Japanese, which he finds difficult to sing, so he mostly listens to Amin singing.

Amin usually listens to Japanese songs and can sing some classic ones, so in her previous life, when she participated in the New Talent Singer Competition, she sang a Japanese song for the first time and was eliminated.

After singing Momoe Yamaguchi's "Sayonara no Mukousawa" (Beyond Goodbye), which is also Rongzai's "The Wind Continues to Blow," Amin sat next to Wei Ming, close to him.

This small room is dimly lit and has various psychedelic lighting effects, making it perfect for doing naughty things.

But Amin didn't do it, so Amin clung to him tightly, wanting to take the initiative.

Wei Ming, however, did not take the bait: "My aunt entrusted you to me, and I cannot betray her trust."

“My mom doesn’t actually trust you at all,” Amin said, tilting her head up.

Wei Ming turned his face away and sighed, "A gentleman doesn't deceive himself in the dark." (The rules of Qidian are paramount!)
Even Tang Sanzang was no more than this when he had to get past Sister Lin.

Hearing Wei Ming's words, Amin admired him even more. She rested her head on Wei Ming's shoulder and said, "I'll definitely dream about you tonight. Will you dream about me?"

Wei Ming: "I can't."

Amin looked at him: "Why?"

Wei Ming: "Because I'll be thinking about you so much I can't sleep, and if I can't sleep, how can I dream?"

……

(Today's guaranteed minimum)
(End of this chapter)