Have you ever been a celebrity? Why are you writing about entertainment?

"Have you heard? That Chinese singer named Yu Wei has two songs that have consecutively reached the top three on the Oricon New Songs Chart."

Music producer Ryuichi Yamada gently flicked his cigarette ash into the ashtray, his gaze sweeping over his colleagues in the room.

This includes veteran music critic Miho Sato, Ken Kobayashi, head of the planning department at a record company, and two popular arrangers.

When a foreigner suddenly appears on their leaderboard, and twice at that, industry insiders can't help but pay attention.

"Sore ga Daiji is a good inspirational song," Yamada continued. "So what exactly does this Chinese guy want?"

The song is a good song, there's no doubt about that.

When the first song came in, they were simply amazed by Yu Wei's Japanese proficiency and musical talent, but when the second song followed, they had to figure out Yu Wei's purpose...

Arranger Nakamura interjected, "This man isn't old at all; as far as I know, he's only in his early twenties."

His casual joke surprised everyone present. In his twenties? You mean, this musician who released two high-quality new songs in just ten days is only in his twenties?

At such a young age, let alone whether he has the talent for music composition, he probably doesn't even have enough time to learn Japanese...

"You don't know?"

Seeing everyone's surprised expressions, Nakamura Yuya finally realized that they didn't know him at all.

Yamada and the others shook their heads in unison. Yu Wei's two songs had a retro style, and they had once thought he was an old man who would become more and more eccentric with age. Who knew he was so young?

In Japan, there are certainly top-tier original musicians in their twenties, but without exception, they are all recognized musical geniuses. It seems that this person has talent that is no less than theirs.

"I've been following him for a long time."

Yuya Nakamura chuckled knowingly: "When I first heard 'Castle in the Sky,' I was blown away and have been following it ever since. You guys don't know, he..."

He wanted to continue sharing his admiration for Yu Wei, but was interrupted by a few coughs from Yamada, who said, "Let's focus on this song instead."

They're a group of musicians, after all; they can't just gossip when they get together.

“From the perspective of the music itself, the most subversive aspect of this song, ‘Sore ga Daiji,’ lies in its simplicity. The four-chord structure runs throughout, yet it creates an amazing emotional tension.”

To make the presentation more intuitive, Ryuichi Yamada played the song. The intro had a bright rhythm but also carried a hint of melancholy, creating a unique sense of contradiction.

When the song enters the first verse, Yu Wei's voice begins, without much embellishment, but every word has a high quality.

"(Things we cannot admit defeat to, things we cannot give up on)"

Things that cannot be avoided, things that must be believed

When you're on the verge of failure, these are the most important things.

Apart from Yuya Nakamura, the others visibly frowned. These words were simple and direct, yet contained astonishing power.

As creators, they understand how difficult it is to make such straightforward lyrics not sound didactic. Yu Wei's writing style turns these words into a declaration, a dialogue with himself.

What bothered them most was that the melody of the song was designed to perfectly match the rhythm of Japanese pronunciation.

In particular, the phrases “负けない事、投げ出さない事” have each note falling on the natural stress of the words.

The precision with which the lyrics and music are matched is rarely seen in modern J-POP. The fact that they could apply Japanese language skills to this extent left even the native Japanese speakers somewhat dumbfounded.

The Chinese man taught them how to write Japanese songs...

Yuya Nakamura couldn't help but interject, "The most exquisite part is the piano melody in the prelude; just eight notes establish the emotional tone of the entire song."

"The transition from verse to chorus is almost without any buffer, which is unconventional in Sakura pop music."

He made no attempt to hide his identity as a "Yu Wei fanboy." He had previously only paid attention to him silently, but now that Yu Wei had come to his aid, he wanted to be the first Yu Wei supporter.

This time, no one interrupted him. They were genuinely curious about Yu Wei, and it wouldn't hurt to share some gossip.

"The lyrics are the key to its popularity," music critic Sato also commented. "No matter when, the themes of admitting defeat, giving up, and escaping resonate with people. This isn't empty encouragement, but rather perseverance after acknowledging difficulties."

Yu Wei's two songs are not just good in quality; their starting point is also extremely suitable for the atmosphere of cherry blossom culture, and some of them even hit the nail on the head.

The sincerity and perseverance of "Sore ga Daiji" perfectly align with the collective psychology of society, shifting from the pursuit of superficiality to valuing the fundamentals.

No matter how you look at it, these two songs are a scary sign; this kid came prepared.

If it were simply about expanding into new markets and seeking a breakthrough, he would have made some attempts. Yu Wei's actions clearly indicate that he is confident his song will be a hit.

Rather than being willing to try new things for music and career, he seems to be making thorough preparations before playing his cards one by one.

Although it wasn't aggressive, Yu Wei's casual demeanor still made them feel like they were facing a formidable enemy. What exactly was Yu Wei planning to do after making so many preparations?

If not for music and career, then perhaps he came with a mission...?

Everyone keenly sensed a hint of conspiracy; this kid was destined to become a major threat to the cherry blossom music scene!
"We must take some action."

Regardless of Yu Wei's purpose, they couldn't stand by and watch outsiders run wild on their turf. If they kept doing this, how could they, the Sakura musicians, survive?
It's fine to share music, but you can't take away someone's livelihood!
……

"Come out quickly, we have guests."

Yu Wei, who was typing away, came out of the bedroom upon hearing the news and immediately saw Sakura Rio following behind Qi Luoan.

Aside from Sister Liu coming to discuss work, it seems like they haven't had any other guests at their home before; this is the first time a friend has visited.

Yu Wei never expected that Qi Luoan would bring back a Japanese girl on the first day of school. Did he pick up a female college student?

Qi Luoan's situation is special, so she can apply to skip class, but she has to tell the substitute teacher that she's going to do that today.

After a chance encounter with Rio Sakuratani, she decisively brought this junior home. The two had a good relationship, and on the other hand, Rio was a true Sakuratani fan.

It just so happens that Yu Wei has been busy developing the cherry blossom market recently, so Qi Luoan thought he should find someone knowledgeable to understand the situation.

"Good afternoon, senior..."

Rio Sakuratani has made considerable progress in her Chinese, but she still felt a little shy when she saw Yu Wei.

In the past, Qi Luoan would have felt awkward seeing this scene, but now they have a relationship where they know each other well, so there's no need for them to feel jealous over something like this.

Look boldly, admire boldly—that's the confidence of a real girlfriend!
In terms of etiquette, the Sakura people were impeccable. Sakura Rio didn't cause them any trouble at all, and even acted as if she were the host, almost cooking them a couple of dishes.

The conversation quickly turned to the two songs that had been released overseas, and Yu Wei was also quite curious about what the Sakura listeners thought of him.

Only a minority of people will leave comments in the song comment section; most people just chat without commenting.

"Won't they be xenophobic?"

"No, no." After translating Yu Wei's meaning with her phone, Sakura Rio hurriedly waved her hand, seemingly afraid that he would misunderstand.

Everyone thinks you are... the chosen one.

"?"

Yu Wei was stunned for a moment after hearing this. Either like it, or be indifferent or hate it. What kind of evaluation is "chosen one"?
They dare to say they wouldn't even admit it themselves; the Japanese are just too immature.

Actually, this word is already a simplified version translated by Rio Sakuratani. Sakuratani netizens, who are known for their chuunibyou (delusional) tendencies, have given Yu Wei an even more exaggerated evaluation.

Japanese netizens initially just wanted to have some fun, but they were shocked after learning about Yu Wei's life.

What does it mean to become famous nationwide within a year?
He didn't become famous overnight with just one work; he was a household name, known even to the old men in the village.

In other countries, this kind of thing would at most earn a "wow" comment, but in Japan, this legendary experience instantly awakened their collective inner fanaticism.

"The Imperial Den talks about Yu Wei, the Demon King of Dreams." (End of this chapter)