1990: Starting from Baojia Street

Zhou Yan wrote Spring of the Cowherd Class at home for a while, and then went to Yanjing Studio.

Now the Yanjing Factory is very different from before. Although Chen Zhigu is still the factory director, he is basically in a semi-retired state. All matters in the factory, large and small, are controlled by the deputy director Han Sanping.

This transfer of power was carried out in a completely stable manner without any bloodshed.

Zhou Yanyou noticed that there were obviously more ornaments and potted plants in Han Sanping's office than the last time he came here, especially potted plants. There were more than a dozen pots placed near the window.

Looking at these potted plants, Zhou Yan joked, Third brother, you have an oxygen bar in the office.

Seeing Zhou Yan, Han Sanping's eyes narrowed with a smile, Hey, it's all a gift from my colleagues. It's hard to refuse such kindness.

Zhou Yan smiled. Where there are people, there are rivers and lakes. These people at Yanjing Factory can naturally see the situation clearly. They know that the factory is no longer named Chen but Han. Sending potted plants and ornaments is also a signal to stand in line.

But Zhou Yan knew that Han Sanping didn't care at all whether others took sides or not. He was a very pragmatic person and could be used by him as long as he could help him achieve his goals.

He came to Yanjing Factory to do business performance.

The biggest achievement of Yanjing Factory recently is naturally from The Sixth Sense, so Han Sanping smiled so happily when he saw Zhou Yan.

The performance of Farewell My Concubine was also very good, but it had nothing to do with him. It was Chen Zhigu's performance.

After sitting down, Zhou Yan asked with a smile, Is the factory busy lately?

I can't say I'm very busy. Han Sanping sat down opposite Zhou Yan and lit a cigarette. The factory is undergoing structural adjustment recently and there are many meetings. The main project is Growing Up. Other projects have been put on hold for the time being, including Teng Wenji’s project.”

Han Sanping talked about Teng Wenji's project alone because he knew that Zhou Yan had a problem with Teng Wenji.

Before, Chen Zhigu only passively delayed Teng Wenji's project, but when he came to Han Sanping, Teng Wenji's project was immediately blocked. Now that Teng Wenji wanted to make a movie, he had to find an outside film company to invest.

Just like Chen Kaige, Chen Kaige did not cooperate with Yanjing Film Studio this time when filming Fengyue, mainly because Chen Kaige was still thinking about the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Taiwan Golden Horse Awards.

If we continue to cooperate with Yanjing Factory, Feng Yue will not meet the selection criteria for these two awards.

It's just that Teng Wenji's connections are all within the system. No film and television company is willing to spend real money to make a movie for him. Isn't that obviously a loss of money?

For Han Sanping, the project that stuck Teng Wenji was just a favor for Zhou Yan.

Do you have any ideas for a new movie? Han Sanping asked again.

I have some ideas recently, but they are not mature yet. I will tell you after Sister Feng and I finalize the project.

Han Sanping blew out a puff of smoke and looked at Zhou Yan with a smile through the smoke floating in the air. Do you have any ideas to cooperate with our factory for this project?

Zhou Yan said very simply, Of course I am willing. My cooperation with Yanjing Factory has always been very pleasant. Besides, now that you, Third Brother, are here again, I feel more at ease about our cooperation.

Han Sanping laughed and said, That's right. As long as I'm in Yanjing Factory, brother, I guarantee that you won't suffer any loss. Except for having no money, I can support you in anything. If you need people, I will give you people. If you need equipment, I will give you Equipment, if you need a space, I will give it to you. The structure of the Yanjing factory is aging, but the talent reserve is still available. I can assure you now that the people in the factory, from top to bottom, can come and use it as long as you need it. Including myself.”

Third brother, what you said made me almost burst into tears. Zhou Yan made a joke and asked, I heard that there is something about the movie's account split?

Han Sanping nodded, Your news is correct. The superiors have already negotiated with foreign companies. The Fugitive will be the first blockbuster blockbuster to be released in November. If this starts well, the movie's blockbuster model will also be released. Introducing foreign blockbusters will become the norm, which will undoubtedly have a strong impact on our original model, but it also gives us opportunities.

It's also time for you, third brother, to show off your ambitions.

If Chinese films want to develop, it cannot rely on just one or two people. It must rely on the joint efforts of all filmmakers. After saying this, Han Sanping may have felt that his words were a bit too official, and said with a smile, We brothers talk behind closed doors. I'll just say it directly. To achieve many goals here, we need more help from you and Mr. Xu. Now that The Sixth Sense has achieved such good results, it's a good opportunity to strike while the iron is hot and make a few more movies. , the first person to eat the crab has risks, but it also has great opportunities.”

If we can help, it's our duty to help, Zhou Yan said.

Han Sanping nodded and did not go into details. It was too early to say anything now.

He leaned back and said, When you have time, call your second brother and Siqi. Let's have a meal together. The brothers haven't gotten together for a long time.

No problem, I'll make a round in a few days.

Okay, then I'll wait for your news.

…

After leaving Yanjing Factory, Zhou Yan went to the studio. There was no one in the studio at the moment. The Piano Youth Orchestra has been touring various places during this time, and No. 43 Baojia Street was also performing outside.

Although Zhou Yan was not with him, the Piano Boys' tour was still quite popular. After all, the songs they played were all the original ones.

However, because Zhou Yan did not go, the ticket price was relatively lower.

Letting them tour various places is not to make money. One is to promote Zhou Yan's music, and the other is to give the members some opportunities to exercise.

As time goes by, the number of members in the orchestra has increased. Originally, the orchestra was basically composed of students from Yangyin University, but now some students have graduated and have not left the orchestra.

When members graduate, they can choose to stay or leave.

Zhou Yan personally encourages them to leave after graduation. If there is a chance, Zhou Yan still hopes that they can go to some top schools or orchestras in Europe for further studies.

If they are playing with other people's things, they have to admit that they are not playing as well as others.

Although Piano Boy is very famous now, the quality of the orchestra is not even top-notch. There is a clear gap with the top orchestras in Europe. That is to say, the folk music is relatively better.

Zhou Yan hopes that they can go out and see the world. If they are willing to come back in the future, their band's door will be open at any time.

Most of the members who learn Western instruments choose to study abroad or join other top domestic orchestras, while more members who learn folk music stay.

The wages of those who stay are much higher than when they were in school, which also increases the orchestra's daily expenses. However, the profits from their outing performances can still fill this gap. Now that Zhou Yan supports the orchestra, it is not a loss. money.

As soon as Zhou Yan arrived at the office, Liu Hang, the general manager of the studio, came over with the report.

Boss, this is the breakdown of our studio during this period. Please take a look.

Put it down, I'll look at it later. Zhou Yan put down the pen in his hand and asked Liu Hang with a smile, Mr. Liu, you have worked hard during this period, are you still used to working here?

Liu Hang shook his head, I'm still not used to it because it's too leisurely. Boss, I still think that the aroma of wine is also afraid of the deep alley. Our recording studio is so high-end, we should let more people know about it, so that we can do business. .The recording studio has been idle, and I feel quite anxious.”

Zhou Yan smiled, Liu Hang had already told him this once.

Liu Hang is a native of Yanjing. He went to England to study music. Later he came back and made an album, but the response was very poor.

After that, he retreated behind the scenes and went to work as a producer at a music company in Pengcheng.

Xu Junrong knew him, and when he learned that Zhou Yan wanted to find a general manager for the studio, he recommended Liu Hang to Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan personally interviewed Liu Hang. Liu Hang's musical talent was average, but he was very familiar with music production and was involved in classical music and pop music. The key was that he had management experience and his way of dealing with people satisfied Zhou Yan.

Compared with Xu Junrong, Liu Hang is not as smooth, but Liu Hang is more passionate about music than Xu Junrong.

It seemed that Liu Hang was really anxious, otherwise he wouldn't have said this twice in a row.

After all, Liu Hang is not a person who hangs around. When he comes to Zhou Yan's place, his salary is not low, so he naturally wants to show his worth. He doesn't want to come here and act like a gatekeeper.

He also has his own career plan. If the studio is always like this, he would rather resign. Even if the boss is Zhou Yan, he cannot change his mind.

Zhou Yan comforted Liu Hang and said, Don't worry, the studio will be busy after a while.

With that said, he pressed his hand again and motioned Liu Hang to sit down.

When Liu Hang sat down, he continued, Let me do the math for you and you will know. The soundtrack for Westward Journey will be recorded in about December, and the soundtrack for Grown Up will be recorded in January at the latest.

I know these two jobs, but they are too little. The remuneration for these two jobs is not even enough to pay wages for people like us.

The soundtrack of Feng Yue will also be recorded here. In addition, the soundtrack recording work for two films of Yanjing Studio will be started here in the near future. I have discussed this matter with their studio leaders. we have a deal.

The two movies Zhou Yan was talking about were The Seductive Girl and MJ Story. The movies have been shot and are in post-production. It was Han Sanping who took the initiative to hand over these two jobs to Zhou Yan's studio.

Hearing that there were three more jobs, Liu Hang's face showed a hint of joy, and he was finally busy.

Don't worry, boss, I will definitely lead people to do these jobs well.

Zhou Yan smiled and said, You may feel free now, but don't ask me to be too busy later. The nature of our studio is special, and jobs will come to you slowly. I didn't take the initiative to find jobs, and I also hope that you can have one. A step-by-step process.”

Liu Hang patted his chest very confidently and said, Don't worry, boss, as long as it doesn't exceed the maximum load of our recording studio, I can handle it.

Zhou Yan nodded, Okay, I understand. I will find some work for you during this period.

Thank you very much, boss.

After Liu Hang thanked him, he suddenly felt a little strange. As an employee, he had to thank his boss even if he asked his boss for a job. Isn't this completely reversed?

Normally, it would be the boss who urges his employees to carry out business, but now it is him who urges the boss to carry out business.

Okay, go ahead and do your work. I will look at these reports.

After Liu Hang left, Zhou Yan did not rush to read the report. Instead, he started writing the synopsis of Spring of the Cowherd Class. He planned to spend two days writing the synopsis and two weeks to write the script.

You don’t have to wait for Xu Feng to watch it later, you can start drawing the storyboard of the movie directly.

He believed that Xu Feng would definitely be satisfied with the script when he saw it. Even if Xu Feng was not satisfied, he would have filmed it himself. A production worth tens of millions would not be a problem for him at all.

Even if Zhou's company is not involved, as long as he says he wants to make a movie, there will definitely be a lot of companies lined up to come over with money.

After writing until the evening, Zhou Yan stopped writing and took advantage of the opportunity to read the report sent by Liu Hang.

In fact, there is nothing interesting to see. During this period of time, the studio has not carried out any business, and the income is basically non-existent. The expenses are also staff salaries and daily expenses. It is clear at a glance, and there is no truth in it.

After reading the report, Zhou Yan went to the cafeteria to have a meal.

Although the studio is not large, Zhou Yan still set up a canteen.

This canteen is not big, and there are usually only two chefs busy. The meals cooked every day are not fixed. The staff of the logistics department need to count the number of people eating the next day one day in advance. The canteen will make decisions based on the counted people. meal.

Zhou Yan has always attached great importance to the canteen. Setting up a canteen does not actually cost much, but it can greatly improve the happiness index of employees.

Ordinary people's pursuits are very simple. They are nothing more than food, clothing, housing and transportation, of which food and housing are the most important. Zhou Yan cannot arrange housing yet, so he will solve the food problem for them first.

There are few people eating in the cafeteria during this period. If the Piano Youth Band and the Baojia Street No. 43 Band are there, there will actually be one or two hundred people coming to eat. The cafeteria is not big, and they have to come in batches.

Sometimes Yu Hua and the others would come over and eat here, but only once or twice. Although Yu Hua was not thin-skinned, he was embarrassed to eat too much.

As soon as Zhou Yan ordered braised pork and sat down, the pager in his pocket rang. It was Zhang Youan calling.

Since he was eating, he was in no hurry to go back.

Recently, Zhou Yan has also been thinking about getting a mobile phone. Several mobile phones have been released this year, and they are much smaller than before, so it is not a big problem to stuff them in a pocket.

In fact, the reason why Zhou Yan didn't buy a mobile phone was not because of its large size. The main reason was that he didn't like the feeling of answering the phone at any time. Like now, if Zhang Youan and the others wanted to find him, they could just call his pager. If it was an emergency, the pager would be enough. The words are enough.

If it's not an emergency, Zhou Yan doesn't have to worry, he can just call back later.

But if you buy a mobile phone, you will have to answer Zhang Youan's call now, which will affect his meal.

Zhang Youan didn't edit out the specific things. It shouldn't be an urgent matter, so Zhou Yan wasn't in a hurry.

After eating slowly, Zhou Yan walked around the two recording studios and touched the Steinway he bought for a million dollars, and then returned to the office to call Zhang Youan.

After the call was connected, Zhou Yan asked, What's the matter, Lao Zhang?

Ogi Production contacted us and asked if you could help Kudo Shizuka compose a song. Zhang Youan got straight to the point and was not muddled at all.

Zhou Yan was also very straightforward and refused directly, No, I don't have time.

Don't refuse in a hurry. Listen to me, Ogi Productions wants to release a Mandarin album for Shizuka Kudo in mainland China.

Why did they suddenly have this idea? Zhou Yan asked curiously.

Because they want to help Shizuka Kudo open the market in mainland China. In addition, they also want to release a Mandarin album before Noriko Sakai and seize the title of the Neon Singer's first Chinese Mandarin album. Zhang Youan explained.

Zhou Yan twitched his lips, What's so worth grabbing about this thing?

Noriko Sakai wants to enter the Chinese market because she has already gained a large number of fans in China with Panasonic Electronics' advertisements. This time she releases a Chinese album just to harvest that wave of traffic.

Originally they wouldn't have had this idea. Wasn't it because they sang three of your songs that they came up with this idea?

Zhou Yan himself was not interested in this matter at all, but when he heard that Kudo Shizuka was going to sing a Mandarin song, he became a little interested.

Can Kudo Shizuka speak Mandarin? Zhou Yan asked curiously. The last time we met, Kudo Shizuka couldn't speak Chinese at all.

I think I just started learning, but singing doesn't require that high a language level.

Zhang Youan is right. When foreign singers sing Mandarin songs, domestic fans don't really pay much attention to the singer's pronunciation. As long as they can roughly tell that the singer is singing in Mandarin, it doesn't matter if they can't even tell.

But I have a request. Zhou Yan said.

Zhang Youan grasped the key point, So, as long as her language level meets the requirements, you can write for her?

Well, if her Mandarin level is up to par, I will consider writing it for her.

Just in time, Shizuka Kudo will go to Yanjing in a few days. Then you can chat in person and test her Mandarin level.

What is she doing in Yanjing?

There is a show. Since Ogi Production wants to open the Chinese mainland market for her, it must make preparations in advance.

Zhou Yan nodded, Okay, just ask her to come to me in the studio when she comes to Yanjing.

No problem, I'll talk to the person in charge of Ogi Production.

…

As soon as Qiu Huaichang arrived at the station in the morning, he was called into the office by deputy director Zhong Yuchun.

When he arrived at Zhong Yuchun's office, Qiu Huaichang was a little nervous.

Some time ago, he led a team to Neon to shoot a special program. The shooting was originally good, but something went wrong when he came back. Half of the material they shot before was damaged, and the effect of the program produced with the remaining material was very unsatisfactory. In the end, this The album program was cancelled.

It was not the first time or two for Qiu Huaichang that the program was canceled, but this time it was because they themselves made a major mistake, and this program cost a lot of money, and it cost a lot for them to go abroad.

He had already been scolded by the department leaders before. Could it be that Director Zhong was here to make a last-ditch attack?

Seeing that Qiu Huaichang was a little nervous, Zhong Yuchun also knew why. He said, Xiao Qiu, your mistake last time caused a lot of losses in the station.

Qiu Huaichang immediately admitted his mistake, This time it is indeed all my fault. I will definitely learn from it and never make the same mistake again in the future.

Zhong Yuchun nodded, Your attitude towards admitting your mistakes is good. We don't want to deny a comrade just because of a mistake. This time there is an opportunity to make up for it. Do you want to do it?

Of course I have, Zhongtai, what kind of mission is it?

There is a female singer from Neon who is coming to Yanjing, and she took the initiative to contact us and said she wanted to be interviewed by our station. It just so happens that you understand Neon, so I can leave this job to you.

Who is the neon female singer? Qiu Huaichang asked curiously.

Shizuka Kudo is quite famous in Neon now.

Qiu Huaichang was quite surprised to hear that it was Shizuka Kudo. He had worked in Neon and knew that Shizuka Kudo had been extremely popular in Neon in recent years. Not only in Neon, Shizuka Kudo was also very popular in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Very high.

Unexpectedly, Shizuka Kudo would come to Yanjing and even take the initiative to arrange an interview with them.

After being surprised, he was also very excited, because this was a good job. If it was done well, it would definitely make up for the mistake last time.

Zhong Tai, don't worry, just leave this matter to me. When will she come to Yanjing?

Next Thursday.

Qiu Huaichang calculated that there were still ten days left.

No problem. During this time, I will study Kudo Shizuka's information and prepare in advance.

Although he knew that Shizuka Kudo was very popular, he actually didn't know much about Shizuka Kudo. Since he wanted to interview Shizuka Kudo this time, he must study the information about Shizuka Kudo carefully.

Okay, you go back and prepare. I will let you contact them when the time comes.

After coming out of Zhong Yuchun's office, Qiu Huaichang set out to collect information about Kudo Shizuka, including what songs she had sung, what interviews she had accepted, and what movies she had made. These were all to be collected.

Collecting information is not an easy task. Even if they are in the TV station, it is difficult to obtain video information of Kudo Shizuka. However, after all, he has been in Neon, so his access is wider than others.

A few days later, Qiu Huaichang was studying a video of Kudo Shizuka being interviewed. The video was nothing special, but the more Qiu Huaichang watched it, the more he felt that this section seemed familiar.

He rubbed his eyebrows and thought for a long time, then suddenly stood up suddenly, with a look of disbelief on his face, No way!

Then he ran to the information room.

As soon as he entered the data room, he shouted, Lao Zhang, where are the materials I shot in Neon last time?

Zhang Changjiu from the data room raised his head and glanced at Qiu Huaichang, It's all been filed, what do you want to do?

I want to see one of the tapes again.

Zhang Changjiu said expressionlessly, If you want to see it, go to the leader to sign the note, and then come to me with the note to get it.

Old Zhang, please be accommodating. I'll take it over and take a look at it. It will take ten minutes at most. I'll return it immediately within ten minutes.

Not even a second without a note.

Seeing that Zhang Jiujiu was not accommodating, Qiu Huaichang had no choice but to write a note to Zhong Yuchun to sign.

Zhong Yuchun looked at the note and frowned, Aren't you preparing for Kudo Shizuka's interview recently? Why are you thinking about the previous tape again?

Qiu Huaichang said excitedly, I discovered something very important and must confirm it.

whats the matter?

Qiu Huaichang hesitated because he was not sure now. If he told Zhong Yuchun but found out that his guess was wrong, the leader would definitely be angry.

But if you don’t say it, the leader may not be willing to approve it.

He thought for a while and explained the situation, I think a passerby I interviewed in Neon before is probably Kudo Shizuka.

Zhong Yuchun narrowed his eyes, Is this the case?

I'm actually not sure...

Zhong Yuchun nodded, raised his hand and signed his name on the note, Really, just go and have a look. Remember to write me a reply after reading it.

After getting the note, Qiu Huaichang nodded repeatedly, Okay, I'll confirm it now.

Taking the note to the information room again, Qiu Huaichang got the videotape as he wished, and then went to find a video recorder to play it.

Looking at the girl wearing a bowler hat and sunglasses, Qiu Huaichang narrowed his eyes and paid full attention.

The more he looked, the more he felt that this was Shizuka Kudo. The crooked mouth, the voice, and the tone of speaking were all the same as Shizuka Kudo.

Especially when he saw the girl later saying that she was coming to Yanjing and wanted to visit Yanjing TV Station, Qiu Huaichang was sure that this was definitely Shizuka Kudo. There could be no such coincidence in this world.

This also made him understand why Shizuka Kudo took the initiative to interview Yanjing TV. It turned out that everything was just because of the interview at that time.

Afterwards, Qiu Huaichang told Zhong Yuchun about this matter. Zhong Yuchun was also very surprised. He did not expect such a coincidence.

At that moment, Zhong Yuchun also decided to restart the previous project. Although there was a lot less material, as long as there was Shizuka Kudo, it was completely enough.

…

Three nights later, Yanjing TV broadcast a special program dedicated to the brilliant achievements of Zhou Yan's new movie The Sixth Sense.

There is nothing unusual about this program. The contents discussed in it have been reported by other media. The only interesting thing is the few interviews with passers-by in Neon.

What surprised the audience was that the interviewee this time was the popular neon queen Shizuka Kudo.

Many viewers don't know Shizuka Kudo, but it doesn't matter, because the program also specifically introduces Shizuka Kudo's popularity in Asia.

Originally, the scandals between Shu Yan and Kudo Shizuka were only spread in Neon, Xiangjiang and Taiwan, but because of this program on Yanjing TV, the two of them were discussed together in the mainland.

Unlike the previous time when Kudo Shizuka publicly expressed her appreciation for Zhou Yan in front of reporters, this time she was unexpectedly interviewed, which seemed even more dramatic.

Zhou Yan also saw this interview, but his first reaction was not to believe it was a coincidence. He thought it should be a script designed by Yanjing TV and Shizuka Kudo.

It seems that Ogi Productions really wants to let Shizuka Kudo enter mainland China, and it has taken such pains.

However, he was quite critical of the hype method that bound him together.

What Zhou Yan didn't know was that this matter had nothing to do with Omu Productions. When they learned about the news, they were very surprised.

However, the effect created by this news made Ogi Production very satisfied. They just wanted to bind Zhou Yan for hype, but they had not yet taken action. This time it was an accident.

…

After Shizuka Kudo arrived in Yanjing, she took a short rest in the hotel and then took a car to Zhou Yan Music Studio.

On the way there, Kudo Shizuka was still reciting the Mandarin she had recently learned, wanting to catch up on the Buddha's feet temporarily.

After this period of study, she can speak a lot of Chinese, but there is still a long way to go before she can communicate with people normally.

Assistant Nangong Songzi said with a smile, Shizuka, in fact, if you sing, you only need to memorize the pronunciation of the lyrics. Daily communication is not required.

But Zhou Yan's request is more than that.

Nangong Songzi curled her lips and said nothing. In fact, Ogi Production was not very concerned about whether Zhou Yan could be invited to write songs. Anyway, Kudo Shizuka had already sung three of Zhou Yan's songs, and they hoped that Zhou Yan could participate in Kudo Shizuka's performance a week later.

Kudo Shizuka, on the other hand, was so interested. She didn't really want to have anything happen to Zhou Yan.

This is not what Ogi Production wants to see. Although they don't mind a scandal between Kudo Shizuka and Zhou Yan, if the two really fall in love, it will definitely affect Kudo Shizuka's career.

After arriving at the studio, under the guidance of the staff, they met Zhou Yan in the practice room.

At the moment, Zhou Yan is writing the songs to be used in Spring of the Cowherd Class. The songs in this movie are already good, but Zhou Yan has a lot of ideas to put into it, so he is writing the script and the music at the same time.

He was even planning to compile Morning, First Snow, Red Sun into it and write a singing version.

When Kudo Shizuka and others arrived, Zhou Yan was playing the piano, so they did not disturb Zhou Yan, but listened quietly.

Looking at Zhou Yan's silhouette playing the piano, Kudo Shizuka smiled. When she smiled, her big and bright eyes would narrow into two crescent-shaped slits. She really liked Zhou Yan's style.

Nangong Songzi was nearby. When he saw Kudo Shizuka's expression, he couldn't help but roll his eyes. This thing is going to be bad.

She felt that there was something wrong with the company's strategy, and Kudo Shizuka should not be allowed to have too much contact with Zhou Yan, as problems could easily arise. (End of chapter)