1990: Starting from Baojia Street

It is highly likely that Zhou Yan will not take over the soundtrack work of "The Emperor and the Assassin" in the end. If Zhao Jiping has time at that time, let Zhao Jiping do it. Anyway, the original soundtrack was made by Zhao Jiping, and he did a very good job.

"The Emperor and the Assassin" has excellent performance in both visual effects and music, and Zhao Jiping's contribution is naturally part of this.

Zhou Yan felt that there was really no need for Chen Kaige to look for him. He could just go directly to Zhao Jiping. The two had worked together more than once and had always cooperated well.

Of course, Zhou Yan could understand it. After all, compared to Zhao Jiping, he was definitely more famous internationally.

Chen Kaige's new film certainly wants to go international, and Zhou Yan's international fame will definitely be beneficial to the film.

In fact, there was one thing Zhou Yan didn't know. The budget for Chen Kaige's movie was very high, and Xu Feng didn't like the script very much and advised Chen Kaige not to shoot it.

Of course Chen Kaige was unwilling to do that, so he tried to find other investors, one of which was Neon’s New Wave.

The Japanese company wants to invest in Chen Kaige's movie, so of course they hope that the movie can get good box office in Japan, and Zhou Yan is the one who can guarantee the box office.

Nowadays, Japanese people like Zhou Yan so much that if they knew that the movie was composed by Zhou Yan, there would definitely be a lot of people going to the cinema to watch the movie just for the music.

It can even be said that Zhou Yan's participation can maintain the lower limit of the movie's box office.

The investment issue has not been finalized yet. After all, the budget is too high and the Japanese company is also quite cautious.

But if Chen Kaige can get Zhou Yan on board, New Wave's attitude will change.

Although Zhou Yan has not promised to participate in the soundtrack production, he has agreed to take over the job, so Chen Kaige's trip was not in vain.

Even if the final soundtrack is composed by Zhao Jiping or Wang Liping, the name of Zhou Yan Studio can still be filled in the music production column.

After talking about his own affairs, Chen Kaige asked about Zhou Yan's recent work, "What is the progress of James Cameron's movie now? Have you contacted James Cameron?"

Zhou Yan nodded. "Well, when I went to the United States a few days ago, I met with James Cameron and had a brief chat. The movie is still in the early preparation stage and has not started shooting yet."

Chen Kaige sighed, "I really want to know the scale of a movie with a budget of 150 million US dollars."

Recently he has been particularly sensitive about film budgets, because "The Emperor and the Assassin" requires a budget of tens of millions of RMB, and this budget has already discouraged most domestic investors.

With Tang Chen's current financial situation, he is definitely able to invest in this movie, but Xu Feng doesn't like the script and is unwilling to spend so much money on it.

Xu Feng's trust in Chen Kaige is completely different from when he was filming "Farewell My Concubine".

Xu Feng's change of attitude was not due to the poor performance of "Feng Yue", but mainly due to Chen Kaige's current attitude. Chen Kaige nowadays is hardly willing to listen to other people's opinions.

After Xu Feng talked with Chen Kaige about "The Emperor and the Assassin", he told Chen Kaige bluntly that this was a project that was bound to fail and asked him not to do it knowing that it was impossible.

But Chen Kaige didn't listen to a word of Xu Feng's advice.

He even thought that Xu Feng's level was holding him back, and if he didn't want Xu Feng to invest, he wouldn't even go to Xu Feng to talk about the new movie.

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "Although I haven't been to the filming site yet, from the information I have now, their investment is indeed huge. For this movie, they found the original shipyard of the Titanic, assembled more than 10,000 people, and built half of the Titanic in proportion, as well as smaller ships and super-large reservoirs."

Hearing Zhou Yan's words, Chen Kaige exclaimed, "This is indeed a big deal."

In addition to being amazed, Chen Kaige was also very envious. After all, he couldn't even get a budget of tens of millions of RMB now.

But there is no point in being envious, as the national conditions of the two countries are different, and the resources he can obtain now far exceed those of other domestic directors.

For ordinary directors, it is difficult to get a budget of even several million, let alone tens of millions of RMB.

Many directors in the system have worked hard for many years but cannot even get a project quota, let alone make a movie. And it is even more difficult for directors outside the system to attract investment.

Many directors outside the system run around and beg for help from everyone, but in the end they can only get investments of a few hundred thousand yuan.

Chen Kaige sat in Zhou Yan's office for a while and finished his cup of tea. When Zhou Yan was about to add more water for him, the phone on the desk rang.

Hearing the call, Chen Kaige stood up and said, "If there's nothing else, I'll leave first and won't delay you."

"Uh, okay, I won't see you off."

"You're welcome." Chen Kaige waved his hand and then said, "Come to my house for dinner when you have time. Ask your sister Ping to cook two of her signature dishes and we'll have a few drinks."

Zhou Yan smiled and nodded, "Okay."

The "Sister Ping" mentioned by Chen Kaige is Ni Ping. Although the two have not obtained the marriage certificate yet, they are basically living together like a married couple. And judging from their current situation, good things should be coming soon.

Because of the appearance of Zhou Yan, Chen Kaige and Chen Hong basically had no interaction, so there has never been any problem in the relationship between Chen Kaige and Ni Ping.

I have always heard that Ni Ping is a good cook, but Zhou Yan has never tasted her food. Chen Kaige always asks Zhou Yan to visit his home, but he has never formally invited her. Instead, he always wants Zhou Yan to treat him to a meal, and he has succeeded many times.

When Chen Kaige left the office, Zhou Yan picked up the phone, "Hello."

"Hello, Mr. Zhou Yan." Akina Nakamori's voice came over.

She spoke Chinese, and her pronunciation was slightly better than before.

"Well, hello, Ms. Nakamori."

Akina Nakamori's Chinese level was only enough for her to say hello, and then she spoke in Japanese. When she finished, the translator next to her said, "Mr. Zhou Yan, Miss Nakamori will arrive in Yanjing tomorrow. I want to ask if you have time."

"Tomorrow?" Zhou Yan looked surprised.

A few days ago, he heard from Shizuka that Akina Nakamori wanted to come to Yanjing with her when she had her concert.

However, Shizuka Kudo's first concert in China will not be held until the end of July, which is still some time away.

"Well, is there a problem?" asked Akina Nakamori.

"Tomorrow is fine, but I have to go to Hong Kong the day after tomorrow. If you come, the mission will be more urgent. What time will you arrive in Yanjing tomorrow?"

"It will land at three in the afternoon."

"Three o'clock in the afternoon." Zhou Yan frowned.

If Akina Nakamori doesn't land until 3 p.m. tomorrow, even if she goes straight to the studio, it will be evening, and Zhou Yan won't be able to take her to record at night, so she only has one day left, the day after tomorrow.

"How long will you stay in China?" Zhou Yan asked again.

"This time it's ten days, but it will be over in a while, and I should stay longer next time."

Hearing her say this, Zhou Yan nodded, "Since you'll come next time, there's no need to rush. How about this, don't come tomorrow, go to the hotel and rest first, and come to the studio to find me the day after tomorrow morning. By the way, do you want me to send someone to pick you up?"

This time, Kudo Shizuka came with him, and Zhou Yan was worried that she was unfamiliar with the place and wouldn't be able to find the way.

"Oh, no need. I have already contacted the people at Tomson. The company will send someone to pick me up."

Zhou Yan knew that Akina Nakamori was going to sign a contract with Tang Chen, and he had mentioned this to Liang Youxing before, which made this happen.

"Okay, then we'll see you the day after tomorrow morning."

"Okay, see you the day after tomorrow morning."

After talking to Akina Nakamori, Zhou Yan called Zhang Youan.

After the call was connected, Zhou Yan asked, "Akina Nakamori is coming to Yanjing tomorrow, did you know?"

Zhang Youan smiled and said, "Of course I know that. I asked her to come here early."

"Why?" Zhou Yan asked puzzledly.

"Let her come to sign the contract." Zhou Yan rolled his eyes. He was not satisfied with the answer. There was no need to be so anxious about signing the contract. In fact, there was no need for Akina Nakamori to make a special trip to China for the signing. The signing could be completed in Japan.

"Just to sign the contract, nothing else?"

"Not really. We'll bring her to China for promotion. Since we've signed her, we can't just focus on the Japanese market and neglect the domestic market. Liang Youxing has arranged a few interviews for her to get her started."

Zhou Yan pondered for a moment and asked, "Are you going to make a Chinese album for her?"

Zhang Youan suddenly laughed, "Whether or not to make a Chinese album depends on you as the music director, right?"

Tang Chen does not have a position of music director, only a head of the music business department, but Zhang Youan often jokes that Zhou Yan is the music director of their company.

In fact, this is not wrong, because Tang Chen’s music department revolves around Zhou Yan. At least until now, Zhou Yan can decide all matters related to music.

Liang Youxing, the head of the music department, was also very clear about his position, so he often came to ask Zhou Yan for instructions. This time, he tried his best to sign Akina Nakamori, and it was entirely because of Zhou Yan's suggestion.

It was not just Zhang Youan who thought Zhou Yan was Tomson’s music director, other people in the company thought so too.

"I don't have time to make a Chinese album for her."

He has been very busy recently and has no time to make albums for others.

"Let's not make the album for now. You should make the Chinese songs first. Don't you think it's a bit of a waste to only make the song "Snow Flower" in Japanese? Why don't you take the trouble and make a Chinese version of the lyrics, just like the songs I made for Kudo Shizuka before."

Zhou Yan narrowed his eyes. If he wanted to make "Snow Flower" into a Chinese song, it would certainly not be a difficult task for him. The lyrics were ready-made, and there was more than one version. He could just copy them.

The key question is, if he comes up with the lyrics, can Akina Nakamori sing it?
"It's easy for me to write lyrics, but is Akina Nakamori's Chinese proficiency up to par?"

"Look at what you said. When you wrote a song for Kudo Shizuka before, didn't you also ask her to learn Chinese and reach standard pronunciation? Why is it different this time when you write a song for Nakamori Akina? Nakamori Akina will soon be a singer of Tomson, and you are the music director of our company. Isn't it easier to ask for this?"

Hearing Zhang Youan mention the music director again, Zhou Yan curled his lips and said, "You guys make the request this time. I'm only responsible for coming up with the lyrics."

"Then can we lower our requirements a bit?" Zhang Youan asked.

Zhou Yan shook his head and said, "That won't work. The pronunciation still needs to be better. I can't say it's perfect, but at least the fans can understand the lyrics."

Zhang Youan said, "Aren't you still making a request?"

"..."

Zhang Youan laughed, "Okay, let me ask her about it, and I'll have our Chinese teacher go and give her some training later."

"Does our company have Chinese teachers?" Zhou Yan asked puzzledly.

"Yes, I just hired him."

"Isn't it just for Akina Nakamori?"

"That's not the case. We plan to sign some more people in Japan later, and we will definitely teach them Chinese then," said Zhang Youan.

Zhou Yan nodded, "That's a good idea."

"Not bad, I'll be back to Hong Kong the day after tomorrow, see you then."

"Ah."

……

Early in the morning on the 12th, Akina Nakamori arrived. In addition to the translator, she was accompanied by a Tang Chen staff member named Li Xing, who was based in Yanjing and was also known by Zhou Yan.

It is still very hot in Yanjing in July, especially today. As soon as the sun came out in the morning, it was dry and hot.

However, Akina Nakamori was dressed warmly, with a long-sleeved brown shirt on the upper body and loose black trousers on the lower body. The whole outfit was dark in color.

However, she looked much better than the last time Zhou Yan saw her, and there was a smile on her face.

After a few pleasantries, Zhou Yan asked them to sit down, and then said, "Since you will come again next time, we will not record the song this time, but I will take you around the studio later."

"Okay, please."

"It's not a problem. I heard that you have an interview scheduled in Yanjing. Is it today?"

"No, the first show is tomorrow, on Yanjing TV."

Zhou Yan smiled. It was Yanjing TV again. Because of his relationship, Yanjing TV had a lot of cooperation with Tang Chen.

When Shizuka Kudo came to China before, she was also interviewed by Yanjing Television.

"Since it's Yanjing TV, don't feel too stressed. We have a good relationship with them."

"Yeah, I heard."

Zhou Yan thought about it, then took out a piece of paper from the drawer and handed it to Akina Nakamori.

Looking at the Chinese characters and the music score on the paper, Akina Nakamori was full of confusion.

"These are the Chinese lyrics of 'Snow Flower'," Zhou Yan explained.

Hearing the Chinese lyrics of "Snow Flower", Akina Nakamori asked in surprise, "Have the lyrics been written?"

Liang Youxing told her about singing the Chinese version of "Snow Flower" on the phone after she arrived in Yanjing yesterday.

But Liang Youxing said that Zhou Yan would write a Chinese version of the lyrics later. Akina Nakamori didn't expect to see the lyrics today. This efficiency was beyond her imagination.

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "I took some time to write it last night. The lyrics are not difficult. During this time, you can ask the translator to teach you the pronunciation."

Without Zhou Yan saying anything, Akina Nakamori was already pointing at the lyrics and asking the translator, and the translator also carefully explained the meaning of the lyrics to her.

After listening to the translator's explanation, Akina Nakamori said in surprise, "The meaning of these lyrics seems to be completely different from the Japanese version."

Zhou Yan nodded, "Of course it's different. You can study the lyrics later. Now I'll show you around the studio, and then we'll go to the recording studio to try out the sound."

There are many Chinese versions of "Snow Flower", among which the more famous ones are "Falling Snow" and "Sorry, I Love You", and Zhou Yan copied the latter because he felt that the lyrics of the latter were more suitable for Akina Nakamori.

Hearing Zhou Yan say this, Akina Nakamori carefully put away the lyrics, then stood up and followed Zhou Yan out of the office.

The studio wasn't big, so Zhou Yan took them on a brief tour.

They happened to meet the piano boy group rehearsing, so he took her to say hello to the members.

The band members had performed in Neon before, and many of them were familiar with Shizuka Kudo, so they could speak a few poor Neon words.

The enthusiasm of the crowd made Akina Nakamori feel very good. After leaving the training room, she was full of smiles, "Everyone is very friendly."

"Ah."

Zhou Yan nodded, especially the boys.

Akina Nakamori has a very special look. Even when she smiles, she gives people a pitiful feeling. When she doesn't smile, she has a hint of coldness.

"Come on, I'll take you to the recording studio now."

Zhou Yan said one more sentence, and then took the lead and walked towards the recording studio. (End of this chapter)