"Five million?" Nakamori Akina frowned and looked at Cao Zhiqiang, "Zhiqiang-san, don't make random guesses. How is this possible?"
Cao Zhiqiang smiled at Akina Nakamori, shrugged slightly, and then looked at Nobuo Tomioka again.
Well, Cao Zhiqiang is not talking nonsense, but he is too confident in this song.
Because in Cao Zhiqiang's previous life, the initial sales of this song, that is, the first week sales, were 925,000 copies. This result was not updated until B'Z's "LOVEPHANTOM" appeared in 1995.
Although in the previous life, the first release of "Kun no Tsuru" was in 1992, and the music environment is completely incomparable with that of 1983, a good song is a good song, and even if there are technical reasons and other reasons, it will not be too different. Far.
Because in Japan in 1992, although the CD medium had begun to fully rise, the cassette tape had not completely withdrawn from the stage. As for the Internet, it could only be said to be a niche concept at the time and had not taken the world by storm at all.
In other words, compared with 1983, in terms of music storage media, there was not much difference.
After all, cassette tapes also have excellent sound quality, especially in Japan, a developed country.
Not to mention, vinyl records were still very popular in Japan at this time, and the sound quality of these records was not bad either.
Therefore, although Cao Zhiqiang never expected that the song "Kun no Tsuru" would achieve initial sales of 925,000 copies in 1983, if it were 500,000 copies, he could still look forward to it.
Because the entire Japanese music scene was in a slump during this period. The biggest reason for the sluggishness was not that the appreciation level of the Japanese public had become lower, but that music creators collectively failed and could no longer create truly good songs.
Therefore, the more the music scene is in a downturn, the more the masses are in urgent need of good songs to wash their ears.
So in this era where everyone is silent, this song of his comes out of the blue. Not only does it light up everything, it will definitely achieve a good result.
"Mr. Tomioka, don't be too pretentious." Cao Zhiqiang asked simply, "What is the sales volume of this song in the first week?"
Nobuo Tomioka sighed, shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Cao Sang is really confident... Yes, as Cao Sang said, the first week sales of this song were 521,000 copies, which is very eye-catching!"
"Ah!" Akina Nakamori covered her mouth again in surprise, "This, 521,000? Mr. Tomioka, are you not mistaken? It's not 52,100, but 521,000?"
Nobuo Tomioka nodded at Akina Nakamori: "Yes, it's 521,000! This result is simply unprecedented. Even I can't believe it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come to announce the good news in person."
Having said this, Nobuo Tomioka looked at Cao Zhiqiang and smiled slightly: "Cao Sang, congratulations, you have made history!"
Cao Zhiqiang laughed: "Is this making history? You won't tell me that there has never been an initial sales volume of more than 500,000 before, right?"
Nobuo Tomioka shook his head: "At least since the emergence of the Oricon list, no one has ever surpassed you in initial sales, so I say that you have made history.
This time, as long as the new Oricon weekly list is officially announced tomorrow morning, you will definitely become famous! "
Nakamori Akina was so happy that she didn't care that others were still present. She quickly walked over and grabbed one of Cao Zhiqiang's arms and kept shaking it: "Zhiqiang-san, you really became famous in one fell swoop. If you really did it, I knew you would succeed. , I didn’t expect to succeed so quickly and be so strong, I, I’m so proud of you!”
"Ahem!" Cao Zhiqiang smiled bitterly, "Ming Cai Sang, don't be like this, there are others here."
"Hey!" Akina Nakamori let go of Cao Zhiqiang's arm and stuck out her tongue playfully.
Immediately afterwards, in order to cover up her embarrassment, Nakamori Akina turned to the laughing Tomioka Nobuo and said: "Ah, Section Chief Tomioka, look at me, I'm so happy that I even forgot to entertain you! I'll give you whatever you want to drink. Prepare!"
"Then let's have coffee." Nobuo Tomioka said with a smile, "The Oiran coffee last time was good, so that's it."
"Hi!" Nakamori Akina smiled like a flower, "Here you go, just wait a moment!"
After Akina Nakamori left, Nobuo Tomioka smiled and said to Cao Zhiqiang: "Cao Sang, it's really unexpected that your debut single is so popular this time.
Well, I just came here. In addition to congratulating you, I also want to discuss something with you.
So, our club has decided to take advantage of this momentum and arrange a series of programs for you, including TV interviews and radio interviews, and maybe even shoot photo posters for you.
To put it simply, we are very optimistic about your future, hope to re-sign an artist contract with you, and then make great efforts to package you and take your singing career to the next level.
Cao Sang, with your strength and the strength of our club, this is a strong alliance, I believe it won’t take long..."
Just as he said this, someone suddenly interrupted: "Well, I'm sorry to bother you."
Nobuo Tomioka was stunned and turned around to look, only to find that at some point, the young man in a suit came over and bowed slightly to him with a professional smile.
Because he was interrupted mid-sentence, even though the other party was very respectful, Nobuo Tomioka still frowned: "Who are you? What's the matter?"
Obviously, the person who came to interrupt in the middle was none other than Yuno Watanabe, the pure literature editor of Kodansha.
Being questioned so rudely by Nobuo Tomioka, the younger Yuno Watanabe was a little embarrassed. After all, he knew that his behavior just now was indeed a bit presumptuous, but he really couldn't help it.
Ever since, Watanabe Yuno subconsciously looked at Cao Zhiqiang, meaning to ask him to make an introduction.
After seeing Yuno Watanabe's look for help, Cao Zhiqiang smiled softly and said: "Tomioka-san, I forgot to introduce you. This is the editor of Kodansha, Yuno Watanabe."
After introducing Yuno Watanabe, Cao Zhiqiang said to Yuno Watanabe: "Watanabe-san, this is the head of the publicity department of Warner Pioneer Records, Mr. Nobuo Tomioka."
"Ah, it turns out it's from Warner Records." Yuno Watanabe quickly bowed to Nobuo Tomioka at an almost ninety-degree angle again, "Hello, Tomioka-senpai, I'm Yuno Watanabe, nice to meet you here!"
Having said this, when Watanabe Yuno stood up, he handed over a business card he had prepared with both hands: "Please take care of me!"
Because Cao Zhiqiang made the introduction and it was still at Cao Zhiqiang's home, Tomioka Nobuo accepted Wanabe Yuno's business card just for Cao Zhiqiang's sake.
After a quick glance, I found that he was just an ordinary editor, even if he was from Kodansha, it was nothing to Nobuo Tomioka.
But for Cao Zhiqiang's sake, Tomioka Nobuo nodded, and then asked a little rudely: "Watanabe-san, I was talking about business with Cao Sang, and you suddenly came over to interrupt. What do you want to say?"
Watanabe Yuno quickly bowed again, and then said apologetically: "I'm sorry, I know my behavior just now was rude, but I really have something serious to ask."
After a short pause, Watanabe Yuno asked: "Well, Mr. Tomioka, I just heard you say that Cao Sang seems to have just released a song. This song seems to be doing well. The initial sales in the first week, It turned out to be as high as 521,000, making history on the Oricon weekly chart, right?"
Nobuo Tomioka frowned and said, "Of course, that's right. Who do you think I am? Do you think I said that on purpose to brag in front of you?"
"No, no, of course not." Yuno Watanabe waved his hand quickly, "Why would I think so? You misunderstood."
"Humph!" Nobuo Tomioka said dissatisfied, "Then what do you mean?"
Watanabe Yuno then stood up and said to Nobuo Tomioka very respectfully: "That's right, Mr. Tomioka, if what you said is not booing, then is the song you mentioned the one that is very popular recently? A song - "Kun's がいるだけで"?"
"So what?" Nobuo Tomioka nodded.
"Yes, that's easy!" Watanabe Yuno chuckled, "Actually, I thought the name of the singer of the song "Kun no Tsuru" seemed familiar to me, but now that I compare it, I can see that it's the same person."
Speaking of this, Watanabe Yuno turned to look at Cao Zhiqiang and complained slightly: "Cao Sang, it's so hard for you to hide this from me. Why didn't you say that you are a singer and the one who sang the song "Jun がいるだけで" singer?
I also wanted to remind you before that I would like you to change your pen name so as not to have the same name as the singer of the song "Kun がいるだけで", which would cause bad influence.
But if the singer of "君がいるだけで" is the same person as you, then it's totally fine. No, I should say, this is even better, very good! First class! "
"Hey!" Tomioka Nobuo frowned and asked Watanabe Yuno, "What are you talking about?"
Watanabe Yuno then looked at Nobuo Tomioka, smiled and said: "Mr. Tomioka, I'm afraid you don't know that Cao Zhiqiang-san has written a book before and submitted it to our Kodansha. I hope that in our talk Tanshe published a book.
Although Cao Zhiqiang Sang is a newcomer and I have never heard of his name in the past, his work is really good. Anyway, I personally and our editor-in-chief like it very much, and we have decided to print and publish it.
I came here this time to formally negotiate a publishing contract with Cao Zhiqiang Sang. "
"Oh, that's it." Nobuo Tomioka nodded, then looked at Cao Zhiqiang, "Cao Sang, can you still write? Or in Japanese?"
Cao Zhiqiang smiled slightly: "Why, can't you?"
Nobuo Tomioka shook his head: "That's not true. It should be said that I should have thought of it a long time ago. After all, you can write such a good Japanese song. It's not surprising to write another Japanese song.
But, after all, you are Chinese, you can speak Japanese well, your Japanese is so good, and you are still so young... Do you really have no Japanese relatives? "
Cao Zhiqiang shook his head: "No, I told you before. I don't have any Japanese relatives or Japanese teachers. I am self-taught."
"Awesome!" Nobuo Tomioka shook his head, "That's amazing. If that's true, then you are really a genius!"
"Ahem, excuse me." Yuno Watanabe said, "Is this, Cao Zhiqiang-san, Chinese? Not Japanese?"
"Yes." Tomioka Nobuo said, "You don't know?"
"How is this possible?" Watanabe Yuno frowned and said, "I'm not surprised that a Chinese can speak Japanese and write Japanese songs. Even if he can write Japanese, he can still speak it.
But, Mr. Tomioka, do you know that in the book written by Cao Sang, not only did he have a very good understanding of Japanese society, but the characters in it were all typical Japanese, and he had a deep understanding of it.
This style of writing, that kind of description, if I hadn’t lived in Japan for a long time, I wouldn’t have been able to write that unique charm.
So, I thought Cao Zhiqiang-san was from Tokyo, but I didn’t expect that he was actually Chinese?
This, this is incredible!
How could a Chinese know Japan and the Japanese so well? "
"Is there anything strange about this?" Cao Zhiqiang said lightly, "China and Japan have close exchanges. Even now, there are many Japanese in the country.
What's more, wasn't "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword", which most represents Japan, also written by a foreigner? "
"That's different." Watanabe Yuno shook his head, ""The Chrysanthemum and the Sword" is very famous, but in fact it only describes the surface and does not really go into depth. In other words, that is the perspective of foreigners looking at us. The real Japan won't really recognize it.
But yours is different. Yours seems plain and simple, but it profoundly reveals the current social reality and life atmosphere in Japan, especially the description of the characters. If you don’t know us very well, it would be impossible..."
"That's enough!" Cao Zhiqiang simply waved his hand, deliberately showing an impatient look, interrupting Yuno Watanabe's analysis.
Well, Cao Zhiqiang did it on purpose. He was afraid that something would happen if the other party continued to talk.
Because indeed, although "Norwegian Wood" is just a popular novel, its understanding of Japanese society and Japanese young people is very profound, otherwise it would not have resonated with so many people and become a phenomenal best-seller.
Especially the description of the characteristics of the times is difficult to write for someone who is not a Japanese who has actually lived here.
Of course, no matter what, this is a book after all. If you have to use genius to explain it, it is not impossible to pass the test.
"Watanabe-san!" Cao Zhiqiang said calmly, "Existence is reasonable!
Even if I am a foreigner, even if I don't really understand Japan, it doesn't mean that what I imagine is necessarily wrong.
Just like the book The Chrysanthemum and the Sword, although you say that real Japanese people would not think that this is a true portrayal of Japan, in fact, that is only a small number of people.
As far as I know, many Japanese people recognize the descriptions in "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword", otherwise it would not be so popular in Japan.
This shows that even foreigners’ perspectives and imaginations may not be to your country’s taste.
Also, if the content I imagined based on my own experience and analysis really matches the characteristics of the Japanese era, it can only be said to be a coincidence. Please do not over-interpret it!
As the saying goes, existence is reasonable.
Sometimes, just because you can't do it yourself doesn't mean that others can't do it either, do you understand? "
Watanabe Yuno was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said: "You are right, maybe I am overthinking."
Cao Zhiqiang said: "It's good to know. Also, what exactly do you want to say? It's best to go straight to the point and don't go around in circles. Our time is precious."
Watanabe Yuno nodded and said to Cao Zhiqiang and Tomioka Nobuo: "That's right. I remember that the singer of "Kun no Tsuru" is Morinaka Aizumi. If this is Cao Zhiqiang-san, it is a stage name, no. Wrong?"
"Yes." Nobuo Tomioka nodded, "Then what?"
Watanabe Yuno said: "Then, the pen name used by Cao Zhiqiang-san to submit articles to us for Kodansha is also Morinaka Aizumi, which is also a pen name.
If it's not a person, that's a bit of a problem. I would advise Cao Zhiqiang Sang to change his pen name.
But if this is actually one person, then they can definitely cooperate! "
"Huh?" Nobuo Tomioka's eyes lit up, "You mean..."
"That's right!" Yuno Watanabe chuckled, "Anyway, we have decided to give birth to Cao Zhiqiang. If we can confirm that singer Morinaka Aizumi and writer Morinaka Aizumi are the same person, we can definitely have a song book linkage!
When the time comes, what we publish will certainly be enhanced by the fame of singer Morinaka Aizumi.
But on the other hand, our publication can also add a writer's personality to singer Morinaka Aizumi, which in turn inspires fans.
In this way, it is true win-win cooperation, don’t you think? "
(End of chapter)
