novelraw Chapter 32 Very Coca-Cola, Worship of Happiness
Chapter 32 Very Coca-Cola, Worship of Happiness
After mailing the letter, Zheng Hui didn't linger. He immediately had Lin Dashan drive them straight to Shenzhen.
Shenzhen, Luohu District, Golden Years Dance Hall.
This was one of the hottest venues in Shenzhen in the late 90s. Even before entering, you could feel the floor vibrating with the heavy bass.
Pushing open the soundproof door, a wave of heat and the smell of tobacco hit you.
Colorful spotlights swept wildly through the smoke, and the dance floor was packed with men and women swaying their heads.
Zheng Hui found a booth in a corner and sat down, with Lin Dashan and Chen Jianguo flanking him on either side, warily watching their surroundings. This kind of place was a melting pot of all sorts of people.
On stage, a woman is singing. Her voice is high-pitched and carries the flavor of the grasslands; she is singing A-mei's "Standing on the High Hill".
"The continuous green mountains stretch for hundreds of miles..."
The high note pierced through the noisy background and went straight to the top of his head.
found it.
The woman's name was Linghua, and the bald man wearing sunglasses who was spinning records on the DJ booth on the side of the stage was Zeng Yi.
They are still called the Cool Fire Duo, and they are the mainstays of this nightclub.
After the song ended, thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
Linghua bowed and left the stage, and Zeng Yi also took off his headphones and jumped off the DJ stage.
Zheng Hui waved to the waiter: "Bring those two over and tell them we have business to discuss."
A few minutes later, Zeng Yi and Linghua came over.
Zeng Yi looked at Zheng Hui, his brows furrowing slightly. The young man in front of him looked like a student, but the way he sat there didn't seem like he was there to have fun.
"Boss, are you looking for us?" Zeng Yi asked, shielding Linghua behind him.
After inviting the other person to sit down, Zheng Hui said, "Director Zeng, right? I'm Zheng Hui, a singer."
"Zheng Hui? The singer?" Linghua exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise. "The Zheng Hui who sang 'Stubborn'?"
Zeng Yi was also taken aback for a moment, then realized what was going on and his attitude immediately changed: "So it's Mr. Zheng! My apologies! We've been listening to your songs, they're so popular!"
Guangdong has many talented singers, but if we're talking about who's the most popular right now, it's Zheng Hui. His songs are playing everywhere in Guangdong.
"Let's skip the pleasantries." Zheng Hui got straight to the point: "I've written a new song and need a female voice. I just listened to Linghua's voice, and it's perfect. I'd like to ask her to record it for me."
"However, this song only requires the female vocals, so we only need Linghua. Of course, I won't use her for free. The recording fee is ten thousand yuan, paid in cash."
Ten thousand yuan!
Zeng Yi and Linghua exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.
In 1998, they would work themselves to the bone singing in nightclubs for a month and only earn a few thousand yuan. This ten thousand yuan, just for recording one song?
"We'll accept!" Zeng Yi replied without hesitation. "If Mr. Zheng thinks highly of us, we'll accept!"
Money is one thing, but being able to collaborate with a rising star like Zheng Hui, even if it's just recording a few words, is a good opportunity for them.
"But there's a condition," Zheng Hui said, looking at Zeng Yi. "Any profits from this song have nothing to do with you. After you finish recording, you'll get paid, but you'll also have to sign an agreement waiving any future profits."
"Okay!" Zeng Yi readily agreed. They had no reputation whatsoever, so how could they be qualified to talk about copyright?
"Let's go then, back to Guangzhou to record." Zheng Hui stood up.
……
Guangzhou, White Swan Recording Studio.
Linghua stood in front of the microphone, a little nervous. This was her first time in such a professional studio.
Zheng Hui stood to the side, also wanting to record: "Don't worry about the techniques, just try following the beat, like calling sheep on the grassland, understand?"
Linghua took a deep breath and nodded.
The accompaniment begins, with dynamic drumbeats and synthesizer sounds.
Zheng Hui spoke first:
"Those who have forgotten their names, please follow me. Now, let us worship happiness..."
He has an excellent sense of rhythm and clear pronunciation.
As Linghua listened to the sounds through her headphones, her body swayed involuntarily. When the female voice came on, she opened her mouth, and her voice burst forth:
Happiness is contagious, so please be generous! Come on!
The metallic voice instantly brought the song's emotions to a climax.
The recording lasted three hours. Zheng Hui meticulously refined every detail, striving for perfection in every vocal transition and every breath.
After the final take, Zheng Hui took off his headphones and gave Linghua a thumbs up.
"Passed."
Zeng Yi and Linghua left with ten thousand yuan in cash, expressing their deepest gratitude.
Zheng Hui handed the newly burned master tape to Li Zongming, who had been waiting nearby.
"Brother Li, you need to make a trip to Beijing."
"To the capital?"
"Yes, I'm a Macao resident, so registering the copyright with the Guangdong Copyright Bureau is a bit troublesome. Also, I want to promote this song nationwide, so I have to register it with the National Copyright Administration. This can't be delayed; it has to be done before Wahaha hears it."
Li Zongming took the master tape: "Understood, I'll fly tonight."
……
Three days later, in the conference room at Wahaha headquarters in Hangzhou.
Li Zongming put a cassette tape into the tape recorder.
Boss Zong sat in the main seat, with several senior executives from the marketing department sitting next to him.
"President Zong, this is the song Zheng Hui specially composed for Very Cola—'Happy Worship'."
Li Zongming pressed the play button.
The intro, an electronic dance music style, immediately grabbed everyone's attention.
Immediately afterwards, Zheng Hui's rap and Linghua's high notes intertwined, sending chills down the spine.
"If I forget you exist, what is there to expect..."
"Whether you're in love or heartbroken, come with me, let's dance and worship happiness..."
People in the conference room began to shake their heads involuntarily; the song was so magical that the joyful mood quickly spread.
As the song ended and the music faded, Zheng Hui's voice clearly uttered a line:
"Very Coke, worship happiness!"
When Boss Zong heard this, his eyes lit up immediately. This line was brilliantly added! It perfectly combined the song title, brand name, and product concept, and it was also catchy.
"Great!" Boss Zong slammed his hand on the table. "We'll take this song!"
The marketing manager hesitated, "Mr. Zong, isn't this style... a bit too avant-garde?"
Boss Zong looked at him with displeasure: "Avant-garde? Who are we going to sell to? Young people! What do young people like? They like this kind of avant-garde!"
Once this song is played, who would dare say we're a paradise?
He turned to look at Li Zongming.
"Mr. Li, we've signed Zheng Hui as our spokesperson. We've also signed the contract for this song."
"One million a year, three-year contract!" Boss Zong held up one finger. "In addition, we'll give you another five hundred thousand annually for the use of this song. A total of four and a half million!"
Li Zongming suppressed the wild beating of his heart and maintained a calm expression.
"President Zong is very agreeable. However, Zheng Hui has one small request."
"you say."
"He wanted his image printed on the VeryCola bottle."
Boss Zong was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"This kid's interesting. He's trying to use our channels to get himself banned!"
How extensive is Wahaha's distribution network? With annual sales of hundreds of millions of bottles, it can reach every corner of China. Printing their logo on the bottles provides exposure that's even more terrifying than appearing on CCTV.
Boss Zong waved his hand dismissively: "It's mutually beneficial. With his face printed on the bottles, the students will be even more eager to buy them. It's a win-win situation!"
When Li Zongming walked out of the Wahaha building, he felt like he was floating.
With an order worth 4.5 million, plus the previous 4.5 million from BBK, Zheng Hui earned 9 million before tax in just a few days.
He took out his phone and dialed Zheng Hui's number.
"Hey boss, it's done! Get ready to count the money!"
On the other end of the phone, Zheng Hui stood on the balcony, looking at the dazzling night view of Guangzhou, feeling refreshed and relaxed.
With Wahaha and BBK, two nationally renowned distribution channels, his name and appearance will truly become famous throughout the country.
"Brother Li, when you come back, remember to bring me some Hangzhou pastries."
After hanging up the phone, Zheng Hui unscrewed a bottle of Very Cola and took a big gulp.
The bubbles burst in my mouth, stimulating my taste buds.
This is the taste of 1998, the taste of success.