Chapter 164: Ready to Ride the Wind
Li Ronghao stared blankly at Zhou You, his lips moving as if to say something, but in the end, nothing came out. On the surface, he seemed calm, but inside, waves were crashing.
He wasn’t naive about the world; in fact, he was a seasoned veteran who had weathered many of society’s harsh lessons. Years ago, he’d been tricked into coming to Beijing and had seen plenty of the darkness in people’s hearts. He no longer trusted easily. This visit was mainly because he had regular business dealings with Miao Xia, and she’d mentioned that Zhou You was from the same hometown, so he figured he’d come check it out. After all, there’s a saying: “Dear or not, it’s a fellow townsman; beautiful or not, it’s hometown water.” Though nowadays, it’s often townsfolk who cheat townsfolk and acquaintances who swindle acquaintances, he still wanted to see for himself.
“Mr. Zhou, what are the conditions?” Li Ronghao asked after a thoughtful pause. If the terms were too harsh, he definitely couldn’t agree.
Zhou You watched Li Ronghao stand frozen for a few seconds, unsure what he was doing. He couldn’t read the look in his eyes either, making it hard to gauge his mood. He hadn’t realized that having small eyes had this advantage—like wearing sunglasses, it helped protect you.
“Conditions? What conditions? I don’t know the rules of your industry. How much does it cost to release an album?” Zhou You was a bit thrown off by the question, not sure what he meant.
“Mine is pretty simple. I write the lyrics and compose the music myself, which saves a lot. Total cost won’t exceed 100,000 yuan,” Li Ronghao had already calculated it. He only needed expenses for the recording studio and post-production arrangement.
Zhou You couldn’t believe an album could cost so little. He’d always heard that singers’ albums started at hundreds of thousands or even millions.
“That little is enough?”
“Yeah, this doesn’t include an MV. Otherwise, the price would be impossible to calculate—it’s basically unlimited,” Li Ronghao explained with a smile, seeing Zhou You’s surprise.
“I’ll cover all the costs. Just write good songs without any pressure. There are no conditions. I simply like you as a person and your music. You heard at the dinner table earlier—I’ve spent millions on documentaries just out of passion.” Zhou You blurted it all out, afraid Li Ronghao might overthink things.
“Also, are there many independent musicians out there? How’s their situation?” Zhou You was curious. He’d once watched a documentary called *The Secret of Music* about how a song is made, which touched on the production process and the many behind-the-scenes musicians involved.
Li Ronghao, who already had a dazed look when silent, became even more stunned hearing Zhou You’s unconditional support. Before he could process it, Zhou You asked about independent musicians’ survival. Was this big shot always so scatterbrained?
“Oh, I’m not sure what to say. This is our first meeting, and Mr. Zhou has really surprised me. I’ve always been buried in music, knowing little about the outside world. Plus, I’ve been cheated before, so I don’t believe in free lunches. That’s why I’ve been hesitating. Please forgive me,” Li Ronghao said honestly. Lying was pointless, and he wasn’t one to flatter—otherwise, he wouldn’t be an independent musician.
“People like me? There are plenty. We’re all struggling. I’m one of the lucky ones—I can make a living from music. Many others have to work side jobs just to eat,” Li Ronghao summed it up simply. This industry was only slightly better than the documentary world, but neither was much to brag about.
Miao Xia, listening nearby, saw Zhou You supporting another newcomer and could only sigh at Li Ronghao’s good fortune. Sun Li, busy studying for her graduate exams, didn’t know much about the music scene, so this was a chance to learn.
Noticing Li Ronghao’s hesitation or confusion, Miao Xia couldn’t bear to let this opportunity slip away. She cut in, “Ronghao, this is your first time meeting Mr. Zhou, so you don’t know him well. He’s famously generous and big-hearted in the film industry. Your amount is nothing—his other investments run into millions or tens of millions. If you feel uneasy, treat it like an investment model.”
Zhou You’s eyes lit up at that. He recalled that many of the best songs from later years were created by independent musicians, and his heart stirred. If he gave them a boost, might even better music emerge? Most independent musicians had simple needs—just enough to eat, and they’d be motivated to create. The barrier was even lower than for documentaries, and the funding needed was probably minimal.
So he said to Miao Xia, “Teacher Miao, that reminds me. I set up a documentary fund in Shanghai with a 5 million yuan quota to support independent documentary directors. I’m thinking of starting a fund for independent musicians too. What do you think, Teacher Miao? You’re an industry insider.”
Li Ronghao and Miao Xia exchanged glances, then both looked at Zhou You. “Mr. Zhou, are you serious?”
Zhou You took Sun Li’s hand. “How could it be fake? First, I love music, but these days, there are barely a few songs worth listening to in a year, and that frustrates me. Second, Sun Li is part of this industry now. Making a contribution paves the way for her and builds a good reputation.”
“But I don’t know the specifics. I’d like to follow the documentary fund model—pick a few people as reviewers to handle qualification checks, set funding amounts and conditions. Keep it simple, adjustable anytime, or you can suggest improvements.”
Li Ronghao felt like his worldview was being turned upside down. Had his past experiences been in a fake society? Did people like this still exist? He looked back on his bumpy life journey, and if there weren’t so many people around, he might have cried on the spot.
Miao Xia got to know Zhou You anew that day. His previous projects were all investments, which made sense, but this time, he was buying a reputation with money, with no guarantee of success. Yet, given his attitude, any musician he supported who made it big would remember his kindness. It was a bit idealistic, maybe because he’d earned enough money and was starting to chase his dreams.
Regardless, it was good news for the independent music scene. As for the discontent of big entertainment and music companies, Zhou You clearly didn’t care—he wasn’t part of that world anyway. Besides, if the entertainment industry were that united, there wouldn’t be so many headaches.
Miao Xia said excitedly, “No problem. I’ll draft a rough plan and try to get it done in a few days. But I’ll need Ronghao’s help reviewing it. I’ve dealt with a lot, but not as much as you.”
Li Ronghao clenched his fist. “Sure. I’m part of this community. I know what they need and where the focus should be. I’ll also gather some opinions from others to make it better.”
Zhou You couldn’t help but smile. Having someone to do the legwork was enough. He added, “Don’t make the conditions too harsh. Help where you can. It’s not easy for anyone.”