harleyscars Chapter 99 Miss Hong Kong Pageant
Chapter 99 Miss Hong Kong Pageant
The afternoon sun streamed through the blinds, casting shadows across the mahogany desk in the office. Lin Zhou held a Marlboro between his fingers, wisps of smoke rising slowly, blurring the sharp lines between his brows. Across from him, his secretary, Chen Man, stood ramrod straight, holding a folder in her hands, a hint of helplessness on her face.
"President Lin, as you instructed, the registration procedures for Zhonghua Records have been completed, and the recording studio there has also been inspected and approved." Chen Man's voice was crisp and clear, but she couldn't hide a hint of frustration. "The equipment is all top-of-the-line imported from Japan and the United States, the mixing console is also the best series in the world, and the acoustic decoration of the recording studio was done by the best team in Hong Kong. The estimated effect is that it will rank among the top three in Hong Kong. The recording engineer and mixing engineer have also been finalized. Two of them are senior veterans poached from Diamond Records, now PolyGram, and they are very experienced."
Lin Zhou nodded slightly upon hearing this. He flicked his cigarette ash and a faint smile appeared on his lips: "Very fast, thank you for your hard work."
"But..." Secretary Chen changed the subject, her brows furrowing slightly, "We contacted several singers who are somewhat famous in Hong Kong, as well as a few established singers who perform in nightclubs, but the results were not very good."
She opened the folder and pointed to the list: "Some have already signed long-term contracts with other record companies; others think that Zhonghua Records is a new company with little foundation and are afraid of ruining their reputation, so they would rather stay in a small company and endure the hardship than come here. There are also a few who directly asked for exorbitant signing fees, saying that if they don't have that amount, there's no point in discussing it."
Secretary Chen said, her tone tinged with resentment, "We have such good facilities and ample funding, yet those singers are all so arrogant and conceited, it's really..."
Lin Zhou listened, but his face showed no surprise. He stubbed out his cigarette in the crystal ashtray, leaned back in his leather office chair, interlaced his fingers in front of his lower abdomen, and looked very calm.
"It was expected." He said calmly, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger. "The Hong Kong record industry, it's not that big, but it's not that small either. It's long been divided up by PolyGram, Capital Artists, and the Hong Kong offices of International Records."
Those singers with some fame are either controlled by big companies or tied to them, their fates intertwined. The reason they're unwilling to come is simply because they feel that Zhonghua is a latecomer; no matter how successful they are in the tech field, they're still outsiders in the music industry.
Chen Man was taken aback for a moment, then realized, "President Lin, you expected this to happen?"
"Otherwise, did you think I only asked you to prepare the hardware and personnel?" Lin Zhou chuckled, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes. "Funding, equipment, technology—these are inanimate things. People are dynamic. If we don't have any ready-made singers, can't we train our own?"
"Train them ourselves?" Chen Man hesitated. "But training singers isn't something that can be done overnight. It requires a lot of time and energy, and no one can say for sure whether they'll achieve results..."
"Time and energy are the last thing we at Zhonghua lack," Lin Zhou interrupted her, his tone confident. "Besides, I have enough good songs. As long as we can find the right talent, becoming an overnight sensation is not difficult."
His words were not unfounded. Any one of those classic songs from decades in the future could easily create a sensation in Hong Kong today. What he lacked was never the songs themselves, but rather a vehicle to make them popular.
"Mr. Lin, you've even written songs?"
"Yes, I wrote quite a bit, but it needs to be kept secret for now."
Seeing Lin Zhou's confident demeanor, Chen Man's unease gradually subsided. Having followed Lin Zhou for so long, she knew that this young boss never fought an unprepared battle.
Lin Zhou tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, his gaze fixed on the window. Hong Kong in the 70s was brimming with vitality and brimming with opportunities. Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind like lightning.
He sat bolt upright, his eyes lighting up: "By the way, Secretary Chen, do you remember the newspaper reports a while back about TVB preparing to hold its first Miss Hong Kong pageant?"
Chen Man was taken aback, thought about it carefully for a moment, and nodded, saying, "It seems like that's true. I wonder if it's been held yet? I haven't been paying attention to this matter recently."
"Whether it's held or not isn't important. What's important is that this beauty pageant is a great place to discover talent." Lin Zhou's tone was somewhat excited. "The Miss Hong Kong contestants are all outstanding in appearance and have remarkable temperament. If we can pick a few with good voices and properly package and train them, they might just become rising stars in the music industry."
The more he thought about it, the more feasible the idea seemed. Beauty pageant contestants naturally attract attention and generate buzz, saving a significant amount on upfront advertising costs. Moreover, most of these girls came from ordinary backgrounds and hadn't been signed by major companies; with sufficiently generous terms and the support of Zhonghua's resources, they wouldn't hesitate to agree.
"Go check now." Lin Zhou looked at Chen Man and spoke faster. "See if TVB is holding the Miss Hong Kong pageant this year. If they are, contact them immediately. Our Zhonghua Group is willing to fully sponsor this year's competition, on the condition that we have the right to sign the top ten contestants after the competition."
He paused, then added, "If TVB doesn't hold it this year, then you should contact the TV station's senior management directly and talk to them about cooperation. We, Zhonghua, will provide the money and effort to organize a Miss Hong Kong pageant ourselves! We will take care of the venue, publicity, and prize money. They only need to provide the platform and broadcasting channels."
Chen Man's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but praise, "President Lin, this idea is brilliant! A beauty pageant is an eye-catching gimmick in itself. We can attract a lot of attention and select suitable candidates at the same time—a win-win situation!"
"Go and get it done." Lin Zhou waved his hand, a smile on his face. "I'll be waiting for your good news."
"Yes, Mr. Lin!" Chen Man replied, turned around and walked quickly out of the office. The sound of her high heels hitting the ground was rapid and powerful, full of energy.
Lin Zhou watched the office door slowly close, then stroked his chin, his smile deepening. Technology and entertainment have never been two parallel lines. Once Zhonghua Records truly takes off, he'll launch the handheld recorder, and then link it with his handheld recorder business. Only then will the Zhonghua Group's empire truly be fully established.
About half an hour later, Secretary Chen Man reappeared at the office door, holding a newly printed fax paper in her hand, her face beaming with barely suppressed joy.
"Mr. Lin, I found it!" Chen Man walked quickly to Lin Zhou and handed him the fax paper. "TVB did hold the Miss Hong Kong pageant this year, and the competition ended at the end of this month! The champion is named Li Yue'e (just kidding, I don't know what that young man's mother's name is), and the first and second runners-up are also well-known models in Hong Kong."
Lin Zhou took the fax paper and quickly glanced at the information on it.
"Great." He said softly, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. "Now that the competition is over, go and collect all the information on the top ten contestants of this Hong Kong beauty pageant for me, including their hometowns, ages, heights and weights, and... most importantly, their vocal qualities and hobbies, the more detailed the better."
He paused, then added, "Also, find out if they are currently signed with any company. If not, immediately arrange for someone to contact them and tell them that Zhonghua Records is willing to tailor-make an exclusive career development plan for them, providing a one-stop service from packaging and training to album release. In terms of treatment, they will definitely not be disappointed."
"Understood!" Chen Man nodded vigorously. "I'll get on it right now and make sure all the documents are organized and delivered to your office before the end of the workday!"
Watching Chen Man's hurried departure, Lin Zhou leaned against the window, the smile on his lips growing wider and wider.
So what if there aren't any ready-made singers? He wants to build a star-making factory of his own, so that those who once looked down on Zhonghua Records can see who the real star-making master is.