By mid-September, the music charts remained unchanged for three consecutive days.
On September 16th, "Ten Years" suddenly surged, surpassing "Heartbreaking Romance," "True Lover," and "Men Cry, It's Not a Crime" to claim the top spot.
It was an undeniable hit!
The song's quality was one factor; Shen Lang's exceptional vocals were another; the radio station's powerful reach was a third; and the hype surrounding the Wang Cheng and Qin Jiajia incident provided a fourth boost.
With perfect timing, the right place, and the right people, failing to reach number one would have been truly unthinkable.
When Shen Lang heard the news, he scratched his head. "My chart-topping song hasn't even been released yet, and it's already at the top?"
Chart promotion involves actively pushing songs onto various music charts, such as the reputable radio charts and the Chinese Music Billboard, to maximize exposure.
On September 17th, Shen Lang's first official chart-promoted single, "Jiangnan," premiered on "Midnight Melodies."
As before, Yanjing Music Radio's programs were flooded with listener requests for the song throughout the day.
By September 23rd, "Jiangnan" was soaring up the charts. Just seven days after its release, it had already climbed to the second position.
The next day, Shen Lang's second chart-topping single, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," premiered on Midnight Melodies.
Building on the momentum generated by "Ten Years" and "Jiangnan," it debuted at tenth place.
Three days later, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" had climbed to third place on the charts.
At this point, Shen Lang's songs occupied all three top spots.
This unprecedented surge in popularity sent shockwaves through the music industry and beyond.
As of today, over thirty-five radio stations nationwide had recommended Shen Lang's songs.
Even before the album's official release, Shen Lang's tear-jerking and emotionally resonant voice had already permeated every street and alley across the country.
Huang Weiqing and Na Xing's faces turned green with envy. This was simply too overwhelming.
Na Ying, however, remained as steady as an old dog, unwavering in her belief in herself.
On September 25th, riding the wave of immense popularity, Shen Lang's debut solo album, Shen Lang: Radio Love Songs, went on sale nationwide.
The master tape had actually been completed and sent to the factory half a month earlier.
But manufacturing and distribution took time.
Only now could it finally be released.
The initial batch consisted of 50,000 copies: 30,000 cassette tapes and 20,000 CDs.
The 170,000 Yuan investment was enough for this quantity. A second batch would only be produced once the initial sales revenue was recouped.
Rongcheng, Good Song Audio-Visual Store.
As night fell, the store's lights gradually dimmed, and the hustle and bustle of business faded away, replaced by the tranquility of the evening.
"Another day gone by," Lao Qian muttered, finishing his cleaning and preparing to close up. Just then, a voice called out, "Boss, wait! We want to buy a disc."
Lao Qian paused with his hand on the roller shutter, turning to see a young man and woman hurrying toward him.
In these tough economic times, every sale counted. He couldn't afford to turn away customers.
Lao Qian re-entered the store and switched the lights back on.
"Thank you, Boss."
The couple was none other than Wang Cheng and Yu Xinyue, whom Shen Lang had helped reconcile. They had been working late and had searched several streets before finding this audio-visual store still open.
Since their reconciliation, they had become die-hard fans of Shen Lang. Now that he had released his debut album, they were determined to support him.
"What disc are you looking for? I'll help you find it."
"Shen Lang's album, Shen Lang: Radio Love Songs. Do you have it?"
"Oh, that one? Yes, we do."
Lao Qian hurried to the new releases section, grabbed a CD from the shelf, and said, "You're lucky! This is the last one. We received fifty copies this morning, and they sold out almost immediately."
Yu Xinyue took out her wallet and asked, "How much?"
Lao Qian smiled. "Twenty yuan."
Wang Cheng raised an eyebrow. "A CD for twenty yuan? That's expensive!"
Typically, an album costs between twelve and twenty-five yuan. This range varies depending on the medium—cassette tapes versus CDs. Cassettes average around twelve to twenty yuan, while CDs are slightly pricier at fifteen to twenty-five yuan. However, CDs usually contain music videos, as they're often VCDs or DVDs. CDs without music videos tend to be cheaper.
"Young man, it's worth it!" Lao Qian insisted. "The three songs on this album—'Ten Years,' 'Jiangnan,' and 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'—have swept the music charts, dominating the top three spots. The quality is unmatched. And we sell about fifty copies a day in this small, out-of-the-way shop. Imagine how popular it is! Twenty yuan is a steal."
Since this was a radio station release rather than a publishing house, they lacked experience and hadn't set a suggested retail price.
Audio-visual stores set their own prices for new releases.
Naturally, they adjusted prices based on demand. If an album was selling well, they'd charge more to maximize profits. If sales were slow, they'd lower the price to clear stock.
"Alright, seeing as you're here so late to buy this, you must really like it. I'll give it to you for 18 yuan," Lao Qian said.
"Thank you, Boss Owner," Yu Xinyue replied.
Running a business required flexibility. It wasn't just about today's sales; steady, long-term growth was key. Lao Qian tried to upsell: "Want any other albums? Na Ying's new album, Heartbreaking Romance, is excellent and cheap—only 15 yuan. If you take both, I'll give them to you for 30."
That's like getting each album for 12 yuan, Yu Xinyue thought.
She counted out 18 yuan and handed it over. "No, just this one will do."
Wang Cheng shrugged. "We don't like her."
Lao Qian watched the two happily leave, scratching his head in confusion.
Na Ying was the undisputed queen of Mainland Chinese pop, renowned for her exceptional voice and singing skills. Her new album had sold well in its first two weeks, prompting him to restock heavily. But this week, sales had plummeted. Even bundled discounts couldn't move the remaining copies.
What's going on? he wondered. Am I really stuck with this stock?
Meanwhile, in Yanjing...
At Gao Yuanyuan's home.
She and Zhou Xun had just returned from the wrap party for their film, Seventeen-Year-Old Bicycle. On the way home, they stopped at Good Song Audio-Visual Store and bought Shen Lang's debut album.
When they arrived, Gao Yuanyuan's parents were already asleep. She led Zhou Xun into her room.
"Wow, is Shen Lang really this handsome?" Zhou Xun exclaimed, studying the album's front and back posters under the light.
Shen Lang held a guitar, his short, choppy hair accentuating his sharp features. His eyes were deep and tinged with a faint melancholy, surpassing the looks of Hong Kong and Taiwan's top male stars like Nicholas Tse, Edison Chen, Jimmy Lin, and Takeshi Kaneshiro.
Hearing this, Gao Yuanyuan quickly closed the door and hurried over for a look. She had long imagined what the owner of such a beautiful voice, capable of singing so movingly, might look like. Now, she was genuinely stunned. His styling was impeccable, and his appearance truly striking.
As his debut album, the music video could be skipped, but the posters were essential for attracting attention. Shen Lang had meticulously designed them himself and hired a professional photography studio for the shoot. His natural good looks, combined with flattering filters, made him irresistibly handsome.
The album cover featured a prominent tagline: Love is like a song, permeating every corner of life. In the quiet of the night, it gently plucks at the heartstrings, harmonizing with the notes as we feel each other's breath.
"Quick, let's play it!" Zhou Xun urged, unable to wait.
"Okay," Gao Yuanyuan finally tore her gaze from the poster, opened the case, and inserted the CD into the player.
The first song, the album's title track, "Ten Years," filled the room. They didn't skip it, choosing instead to listen quietly, because no matter how many times they heard it, they never tired of it.
.....
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