OBS Chapter 45 Xu Zhongming, Take a Bet
Chapter 45 Xu Zhongming, Take a Bet
Zhou Weidong took another cigarette from the pack, lit it, and took a drag. Only then did he speak:
"Xu Zhongming is the owner of Jingwen Records."
Li Si'an waited for him to continue.
"Behind Jingwen Records stands China Record Corporation—China Record Corporation. China Record Corporation's distribution channels are through Xinhua bookstores nationwide, reaching every county-level administrative region. If an album can get into Xinhua bookstore's system, it's equivalent to being distributed throughout all of China."
Zhou Weidong flicked his cigarette ash and continued:
"I met Xu Zhongming back in the 1980s. Around 1986 or 1987, I was working as a brothel manager, taking Cui Jian, Mao Amin, and others all over the country."
What was Xu Zhongming doing back then? Making cover song cassettes—finding a bunch of unknown singers to cover popular Hong Kong and Taiwan songs, Teresa Teng's, Liu Wen-cheng's, whatever was popular, he'd cover it. After recording, he'd sell them.
"Back then, he often asked me for help. I had a lot of singers under me, one was available today, another was free tomorrow, so when he needed someone, he would come to me, and I would introduce him to people. We became familiar with each other over time."
Li Si'an asked, "What methods did he use to sell cassette tapes back then?"
Zhou Weidong smiled.
"What other way could it be? An unofficial way, of course. Back then, there were few legitimate channels, and it was even harder for things from Hong Kong and Taiwan to get in."
The cover tapes he made were distributed underground—at train stations, bus stations, night markets, and street stalls. He distributed them wherever there were crowds.
He flicked the ash from his cigarette.
"Later, he got in touch with China Record Corporation, and Jingwen became a partner of China Record Corporation, which opened up the Xinhua Bookstore channel to him. But he never gave up his underhanded methods."
Zhou Weidong looked at Li Si'an.
"So what does Xu Zhongming have? On the surface, it's the nationwide Xinhua Bookstore system, a legitimate state-owned channel."
He paused, then continued, "Many of those who used to set up street stalls and do odd jobs have made it big and become major wholesalers in the area. He's always had a good relationship with these people."
Therefore, he relied on a two-pronged approach to audio-visual distribution. Think about it, if an album were handed to him, where could he distribute it? Xinhua Bookstore could reach county towns, and his underground distribution network could reach townships.
"As long as the song is good, it will sell very well once it's in his hands."
Zhou Weidong turned to look at him, his tone becoming increasingly serious.
"However, there are two things you need to be aware of."
Li Si'an sat up straight.
"First of all, the song has to be good." Zhou Weidong looked at him.
"No matter how wide Xu Zhongming's channels are, even if they stretch to the ends of the earth, if your song isn't good, why would anyone pay to buy it? Channels are the canals, and songs are the water. Without water, no matter how wide the canals are, it's all for nothing."
He picked up his teacup and took a sip.
"The second thing..." Zhou Weidong put down his cup, a slight smile on his lips.
"Xu Zhongming suffered a loss at the beginning of this year. He collaborated with Sony to import that American Grammy Best of the Best album, which was all in English songs."
He thought the Grammys were a prestigious title, and that Chinese music fans would recognize them, so he gritted his teeth and printed over a million copies. But what happened? The Chinese audience for English songs was still a minority. The stock piled up in the warehouse, unsold.
Li Si'an listened without interrupting.
"So Xu Zhongming's current situation is this: he has unsold inventory and has lost money."
If you bring him a good album at this point, whether he accepts it or not depends on his gambling mentality.
Zhou Weidong leaned back into the sofa. "If he's a gambler and thinks your album can make money and help him cover his losses, then this deal can go through."
But if he gets bitten by a snake once and becomes afraid of a rope for ten years, and shrinks back—then it's hard to say.
He paused, looking at Li Si'an.
"Ultimately, the root of the problem lies with your song. If the song is good, he has the capital to gamble. If the song is bad, why would anyone take the fall for you?"
Li Si'an didn't say anything, but reached out and took the bag she was carrying, unzipped it, and pulled out an envelope.
He placed the envelope on the coffee table and pushed it in front of Zhou Weidong.
"Uncle, take a look."
Zhou Weidong glanced at him, picked up the envelope, and opened it. Inside were three stacks of musical notation paper, neatly folded. He pulled out the first stack and spread it out.
"fairy tale".
He didn't say anything, and turned the pages one by one.
After finishing the first stack, he pulled out the second one, "Running." This time he read it for a longer time, tapping his fingers lightly on his thigh until he reached the last page.
Then he pulled out the third stack, "The First Time." After looking at all three scores, Zhou Weidong gathered them together, aligned them, and placed them on the coffee table. He didn't speak immediately, but picked up his teacup and took a sip.
"Did you write all three of these yourself?"
"Um."
Zhou Weidong then pulled out the sheet music for "Running" and opened it.
"This one's good." He pointed to a section of the score with his finger. "The rhythm is energetic."
It's not one of those mushy love songs that makes you want to move along. The lyrics are great too—"Flying with dreams as wings, daring to love and act, bravely venturing forth"—that's the vibe.
He looked up and glanced at Li Si'an.
"You wrote this to yourself, didn't you?"
Li Si'an smiled, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Zhou Weidong leaned back on the sofa, looking at the sheet music in his hand, and turned two more pages.
"Fairy Tale" and "The First Time" are also good. The melodies are catchy and the lyrics are clear. But for someone my age, these kinds of love songs are just so-so."
He placed the score for "Running" on top of the list, saying, "This one is different. This one has a lot of energy, perfect for kicking things off."
He carefully gathered the three score sheets, put them back in the envelope, and placed them on the coffee table at his side. Then he looked at Li Si'an.
"We have the stuff. Now it all depends on Xu Zhongming's gambling instincts."
He patted the envelope on the coffee table and said, "Leave the sheet music with me for now."
Li Si'an nodded.
Zhou Weidong leaned back on the sofa, his fingers gently stroking the envelope, as if he were pondering something. After a while, he spoke, his speech much slower than before.
"In a couple of days, I'll go see Xu Zhongming. I'll put all these things in front of him and have a good talk with him."
He looked up at Li Si'an.
"If this goes through—if he's willing to take on your album—then we can move on to setting up our company."
You provide the songs, I provide the connections, and he provides the distribution channels and funding. With all three of us contributing, your album can be successfully produced.
Li Si'an listened without interrupting.
Zhou Weidong's tone turned serious.
"But if he doesn't accept it—that Hsu Chung-ming rejected your album—then this news will most likely get out."
He paused.
"There are no secrets in this industry. Xu Zhongming is the boss of Jingwen, and his judgment carries weight in the industry. If he looks at your work and doesn't accept it, others will find out as soon as they ask around."
"When you want to sign with another company later, they'll start to wonder—even Xu Zhongming didn't approve, so is this guy's stuff really that good? At that point, forget about the terms of cooperation, even getting a contract will be uncertain."
He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and looked at Li Si'an.
"So this trip to see Xu Zhongming is a gamble. If you win, the road will be open. If you lose, the price you get when signing contracts with other companies will probably have to drop."
The house was quiet for a moment. Then came the sound of Ma Xiaoqin washing dishes in the kitchen, the tap running.
Zhou Weidong stared at Li Si'an.
"I've made things clear to you. Whether you dare to take this gamble is up to you."
Li Si'an leaned back on the sofa, not in a hurry to answer.
He looked at the envelope on the coffee table. Three songs: "Fairy Tale," "Running," and "The First Time." Something he brought from a past life, something no one in this era had ever heard before.
Xu Zhongming is the first. If he doesn't acknowledge it, the road ahead will indeed be more difficult.
But Li Si'an knew in his heart that these three songs would be top-notch anywhere.
He raised his head.
"bet."
Zhou Weidong looked at him without saying a word.
"I have confidence in these three songs," Li Si'an said. "If Xu Zhongming is a discerning person, he should be able to see that."
Zhou Weidong stared at him for several seconds, then nodded, picked up the envelope, and stuffed it into his coat pocket.
"Okay. Then you'll wait for my message."