Chapter 63: Decision to Start a Company

  "This... why don't you go eat first, we'll talk again when we meet tomorrow," said Uncle Inoue.

  "Alright." Zhou Xiao replied.

  Hanging up the phone, Zhou Xiao returned to the private room once again.

  "Congratulations, a brand new member of the million single club singer!" Sakai Izumi said as Zhou Xiao walked in and personally poured him a full cup of drink.

  "Huh? Did you know, sister? I was going to surprise you." said Zhou Xiao.

  "That's a million-seller single, and when it was announced at night, another million-seller, everyone in the company was excited to death." said Sakai Izumi.

  What a huge business is the sale of one million copies? At the price of Zhou Xiao's entry-level single, selling out one million copies would bring in total sales of 1.05 billion yen, which is equivalent to over 80 million RMB! And this is just after MS for the first day! Based on the sales of over 500,000 copies on the first day, "Little Love" will at least gain tens of millions of sales in the next week. Even if Zhou Xiao has to pay a large amount of taxes, his total income will still exceed 100 million yen.

  As for the company, this million-dollar single is purely a windfall. By releasing "Small Love", they ultimately benefited about two to three times that of Zhou Xiao, of course, this money isn't just one person's, but several hundred million in liquid assets is still very important for the company.

  "Sister, since I'm also a millionaire singer now, this meal today is on me!" said Zhou Xiao.

  "What's there to brag about with a million yuan? My sister earns much more than you, and one meal won't bankrupt me." said Sakai Izumi.

  The two of them had a great time eating this meal. After dinner, Zhou Xiao declined Sakai Izumi's offer to send him home and walked back to his current rental place by himself.

  On a summer evening in Tokyo, neon lights filled the night sky. Zhou Xiao walked alone quietly, savoring that special joy.

  For a month now, even when he could sell 100,000 CDs the day before, Zhou Xiao's nerves had been on edge. Now, his nerves finally relaxed.

  Whether it's starting a company or investing in something, it all requires money, so Zhou Xiao is also very clear that the tens of millions of yen he has on hand may be depleted quickly. However, Zhou Xiao is not worried because his reputation has already been established. Perhaps J Storm will consider carefully whether to use his songs again, but with the birth of a million-seller, they will likely make their decision even faster. And as "National Flower" makes its move, it's not just AP that will be affected - Zhou Xiao will also leave his mark on Japanese music history.

  No longer worrying about where to live tomorrow, next week or even next month, no longer thinking about how to eat the cheapest, no longer enduring that leaky house. Becoming rich overnight can make people very happy, and being ruthless can ignite passion. But the most thrilling thing is when you step on someone, seeing those who once despised you now lying at your feet. However, compared to those things, walking alone in Tokyo's streets at midnight, feeling relaxed from the inside out, finally waking up from a nightmare that lasted for a month, and having no way back but moving forward with ease - isn't this also intoxicating? The sense of accomplishment may be experienced many times in one's life, but what Zhou Xiao is feeling now, perhaps can only be felt again when someone has crawled out of the abyss, panting heavily, lying solidly on the ground.

  Tokyo is a very beautiful city, and this beauty is not about its scenery being picturesque, but when you build a city to be so massive yet still need to ensure its style, the flavor that it exudes itself.

  This beauty can be the inclusive and affectionate New York, like a kaleidoscope. This beauty can also be Beijing's CBD and alleys, super malls and fried liver stalls, with a majestic and elegant charm.

  Like the previous two super cities, Tokyo's beauty is also diverse and profound. The endless stream of people, the unique restaurants in the alleys, and the dazzling night scene that seems to turn the world upside down, spreading stardust on this land, are all the charm of this city.

  Whether in reality or in Japanese dramas, countless joys and sorrows have been performed under the orange-red Tokyo Tower, the neon lights of Ginza that never sleep all night, the unique tranquility in the midst of noise at Senso-ji Temple, the eternal characteristics and trends of Omotesando, and the stunning cherry blossoms along Meguro River...

  Zhou Xiao had been living here for a month, but only now did he finally lift his head and look towards this city where he might need to live for a very long time.

  He won't fall in love with Tokyo, just like his past life self wouldn't fall in love with Beijing either. His home will forever be that small town he came from. But he does indeed like it here, because here has everything necessary for his life, and also his dreams, as well as the dreams of many more people in the future.

  This city is crushing the dreams of young people every moment, but at the same time, it is also realizing the dreams of another group of young people. Now, he is on the way to realize his own dream. In the future, I hope he really has time to build another stage for those people to realize their dreams.

  The next morning, Zhou Xiao met with Uncle Inoue.

  Even after a night's consideration, Uncle Inoue couldn't possibly say he wanted to quit and follow Zhou Xiao, but he could still take a day off and casually found a coffee shop with Zhou Xiao. Uncle Inoue said, "Speak up, what do you want to do?"

  "First, we need to set up a company that has the qualifications for filming TV dramas and movies, as well as managing artists. For music, we can outsource it to Being Company. For film and television production, we can start by renting equipment, and after completion, hand it over to a distribution company for release."

  "You... well, let me tell you. Mr. Inoue knew he couldn't persuade Zhou Xiao, so he took out a pen and said while calculating with Zhou Xiao: "If you want to make a movie, it's definitely not enough just with you alone. Unless you're making a film that can be done with just one camera, the initial investment required to set up a crew is at least tens of millions, even if you rent the lowest-level hardware. And to operate an artist, first you need to hire several qualified agents and establish a company entity. These two things can actually be relatively simplified, but at the same time, your company will definitely not be big."

  "It's okay, just get it started first and I'll invest a bit at a time later!" said Zhou Xiao.

  "Will your film invite newcomers?" Uncle Inoue asked.

  "It shouldn't be a problem, this first film from the actors to the director should all be experienced professionals, what I need to do is just invest and take care of the on-site drama."

  "So why do you still want to set up your own brokerage firm?"

  "Because I want to sign a few people in China," said Zhou Xiaodao.

  "How many people have you signed in China? How did you end up running to China again? You've got your hands full, haven't you?" Uncle Inoue asked.

  Chinese artists becoming popular in Japan is not unprecedented, the most notable ones being Li Xianglan, Teresa Teng and Wong Chia-yu, but there are few successful examples of those from mainland China.

  "If we don't do it now, it will be too late." Zhou Xiao's words had a deeper meaning, implying that if they didn't do it now, someone would do it in 2001 or 2002.

  "Alright, then who do you want to sign?" Uncle Inoue asked.

  "I think there are over ten people who want to sign." said Zhou Xiao.

  "A dozen people!?!" Uncle Inoue was astonished at the number. It's normal for a brokerage firm to sign people, but signing over ten people all at once is unusual, especially for such a small company. The training costs alone after signing would probably be enough to bankrupt this new company.

  "That's right, a dozen or so people, they will form a combination later. These twelve people don't sing songs because they are a pure music band. They play instruments including erhu, pipa, yangqin, guzheng, flute and hulusi and other traditional Chinese musical instruments. They are all Chinese girls who know Chinese folk music!"

  "Chinese folk music?"

  "That's right, I've already thought of a name for this combination. They are... the Twelve Girls' Band! ... How is it? Doesn't it sound cool and awesome?"

  "...lose everything? I think you'll lose everything..."