"I stayed up all night listening to Midnight Melodies yesterday, waiting for Shen Lang's Father's Prose Poem. I burst into tears the moment it started. I remembered how my father had laughed so hard he fell back on the bed when I got my college entrance exam results, but he never lived to see me graduate, get a job, and take care of him in his old age."
"Resenting my father, becoming my father, understanding my father, but never measuring up to him."
"Harvesting crops, outdoor movies, blue Dacron shirts, round cookies, sewing machines... This song evokes childhood memories for our entire generation. Just like the song, my father's love was deep and passionate, yet restrained."
"Could this have been written on the spot too?"
"Whether it was written beforehand or composed live, it proves one thing: Shen Lang's songwriting ability is otherworldly!"
"Hey, where are those people who said Shen Lang could only write melodramatic love songs? Come out and get slapped!"
Shen Lang's final episode of Midnight Melodies concluded perfectly.
His performance of "Father's Prose Poem" brought tears to countless listeners' eyes, cementing his image as a 22-year-old musical prodigy.
As the saying goes, even the finest wine needs to be discovered. Once word spread, there was no stopping the momentum.
With his rising fame, Shen Lang's album, Shen Lang - Radio Love Songs, experienced another surge in sales. The second batch of 150,000 copies sold out completely, bringing his total sales in Mainland China to 200,000.
For a debut album by a newcomer to achieve such numbers, especially during the record industry's decline, was beyond anyone's expectations.
The distribution rights for Mainland China were subsequently acquired by Yanjing Universal Music Publishing House, which promptly ordered 300,000 copies—a bold move considering the album had been out for fifteen days, and pirated copies were already flooding the streets.
Their market research showed a promising overall sales trend for the album.
Even with the impact of piracy, there was still room for legitimate sales.
However, they weren't the only ones with courage; Chen Yaochuan possessed it too.
First, leveraging New Sony Records' influence, he launched a comprehensive promotional campaign across Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia.
Then, he distributed one million copies in three waves: 300,000 to Treasure Island Province (Taiwan), 70,000 to Fragrant Harbor (Hong Kong), 30,000 to Macau, and 500,000 to Southeast Asia combined.
If these copies sold out, Shen Lang would become the highest-selling Chinese-language artist worldwide for 1999-2000.
In the original timeline, this honor, certified by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, went to Elva Hsiao, whose second solo album, Red Rose, achieved total sales of 1.5 million copies.
However, it was still too early to celebrate.
Monday, October 9th.
Shen Lang's first day away from Yanjing Music Radio was anything but idle.
His plan for the day was to register the copyrights for the songs he'd been transcribing in the morning and visit an internet cafe in the afternoon to gauge current trends in online entertainment.
Another item had been added to his agenda: Chen Yaochuan hadn't secured a contract with New Sony Records and needed to find a manager. Commercial matters like endorsements, advertisements, and variety show appearances required professional handling.
After his morning run, Shen Lang took a cold shower, changed into clean clothes, grabbed his backpack, and prepared to leave.
Ring-ring!
His phone rang.
"Hello, who's this?"
"Xiao Shen, it's me, Wu Zhoutong."
"Brother Wu, what's up?"
"Remember that hotline call you took last night?"
"Brother Wu, are you testing me? It hasn't even been half a day—how could I forget? Just get to the point."
"Right. The middle-aged man who called is an entrepreneur from the Coal Capital. He came to the station early this morning wanting to buy the rights to your song, 'Father's Prose Poem.' He's still here. Can you come over?"
Shen Lang hung up the phone, his jaw dropping in astonishment.
A Coal Capital entrepreneur? A Coal Boss?
Buying a song?
What was going on?
Pegasus?
Did he make the boss happy?
No, he made the boss cry...
Shen Lang couldn't make sense of it.
But since the man had come all the way here, courtesy demanded he go and meet him.
He rode his 28-inch rod brake bicycle to the Broadcasting Building.
First floor reception hall.
"Hello, Qian Guofu."
"Hello, Shen Lang."
The man before him was nothing like Shen Lang had imagined.
Whenever the term "Coal Boss" came up, a stereotype flooded his mind: thick gold chains, Rolex watches, and golden belts—the epitome of China's nouveau riche.
But Qian Guosheng, in his black suit, white shirt, red tie, and polished leather shoes, looked more like a lawyer.
Qian Guofu was equally surprised by Shen Lang.
He hadn't expected him to be so young and handsome.
It was hard to believe that this was the man who had composed and performed "Father's Prose Poem."
"I heard President Qian came to buy my song?" After exchanging pleasantries, Shen Lang cut to the chase.
"Your song is beautifully written and sung. Don't laugh, but I cried like a baby last night," Qian Guofu replied, not directly answering but making his admiration clear. "Every little thing a father does seems insignificant, yet those ordinary acts pierce the hearts of us children."
"With all due respect, President Qian, you're not a singer, nor are you involved in the record industry. I don't see much practical use in buying this song," Shen Lang said, voicing his confusion.
"Because I like it. Is that reason enough?" Qian Guofu replied with a smile.
"..." Shen Lang.
It wasn't that it was impossible.
He just didn't see the point.
If you like it, why not just buy the album and play it on repeat?
Perhaps the wealthy think differently.
If they like something, they want to own it, to make it theirs.
Even if he were willing to sell, he'd only grant a license. The copyright would never be transferred.
At that moment, Qian Guofu slowly began, "Let me tell you a story..."
He was actually telling his own story.
His family.
His father.
Gradually, Shen Lang understood why Qian Guofu wanted to buy the song.
The turning point in Qian Guosheng's life came in 1997.
The Asian Financial Crisis swept through China, and the coal industry was no exception. The county's state-owned coal mines began to be privatized. A mine with an annual output of 300,000 tons was offered for only 40 million yuan—a steal. He seized the opportunity.
From then on, he upgraded his operations, moving beyond small-scale ventures to include coal mines, coking plants, and coal washing facilities.
In 1999, the company acquired ten small coal mines in just over a year through mergers, equity investments, leases, and contracting.
Now 45 years old, Qian Guosheng had amassed a fortune of over a hundred million yuan.
Yet his wealth hadn't brought him closer to his family; instead, it had driven them apart.
His father had passed away from illness just a month prior.
Last night, after a few drinks, Qian Guosheng was overcome with nostalgia for his father.
As fate would have it, the radio was broadcasting Midnight Melodies. On a whim, he called the hotline to share his feelings.
Luck was on his side, and he was selected.
Shen Lang's performance of Father's Prose Poem, a five-minute song that captured the essence of his father's lifelong love and resilience, moved Qian Guosheng to tears.
He spent the entire night sleepless, the melody and his elderly father's kind face haunting his thoughts.
At five in the morning, as if struck by a sudden realization, he drove straight from the Coal Capital to Yanjing to buy the song from Shen Lang.
"I'm willing to sell it to you, but my situation is a bit complicated. There's something I need to explain..."
Shen Lang fully understood Qian Guosheng's profound regret over his father's passing.
If he wanted to buy it, then I'd sell it. I'd just treat it as selling it to another singer.
But I needed to make my terms clear. Whether he still wanted it after that was up to him.
"The copyright is useless to me. I'm buying it so you can shoot a music video from my father's perspective."
Qian Guosheng wasn't doing this to make up for anything.
It was simply to honor his father.
To express his longing for him and his guilt.
.....
Advance Chaps at patreon(.com)/Venerable_Star