Chapter 54 San Mao
It takes only one hour and forty minutes to fly from Hong Kong to Taipei, and it takes about 1:00 a.m. when we arrive at Chungzheng International Airport, it is exactly one:00 p.m.
Zhongzheng International Airport was one of the "Top Ten Constructions" in Taiwan promoted by Chiang Ching-kuo in the 1970s. It was opened before the Spring Festival in 1979 and is currently one of the most advanced airports in Asia.
When he got off the plane, Chen Chong felt a little emotional. After the airport was completed, it was named after the former President of the "Republic of China" Chiang Kai-shek to commemorate it. No one would have thought that the Chiang Dynasty, which was clearly in power for generations, would collapse with the death of Chiang Ching-kuo in eighty or nine years. More than 20 years later, the name of this place was changed to "Taoyuan International Airport".
The world has changed, but this is the case.
"Mr. Chen, welcome to Taipei." Duan Zhongtan came to pick him up. After shook hands, he said enthusiastically: "Why don't you notify me first? I can make arrangements in advance. Now I am caught off guard and have no preparations."
"I am alone, so there is no need to arrange it." Chen Chong smiled and said, "I have caused trouble for Mr. Duan."
"It's nothing. I'm taking care of Mr. Duomong Chen in Hong Kong. When I come to Taipei, I must let me do my best to be a landlord." Duan Zhongtan said very enthusiastically: "Mr. Chen calls me Lao Duan, or call me Sanmao, and others call me that."
"Okay, Brother Sanmao." Chen Chong reciprocates his favor and said, "Brother Sanmao should not call me Mr. Chen, call me A Chong, you are here and there, and you are apart."
Seeing Duan Zhongtan hesitating a little, Chen Chong knew his concerns and said, "Being friends first and then talking about business is my usual principle. Brother Sanmao, I invested because you are all friends worth making. Why bother with friends, why bother too much?"
"Okay, since Mr. Chen said that, I will call you A Chong in the future." Duan Zhongtan asked, "A Chong's luggage?"
"I fled here." Chen Chong raised the magazine in his hand and said, "I only brought one magazine as my luggage, and I was replaced by someone in the middle of the journey."
"What?" Duan Zhongtan laughed and said, "Hide on love debt?"
"Love debt is also love debt." Chen Chong walked out of the airport with him side by side and said, "It's a pity that it's not a beauty debt, but a favor debt. A group of big men begged me for help and sent them to another big man to ravage them."
Duan Zhongtan was shocked when he heard this. He stopped and asked, "There is such a thing?"
After Chen Chong briefly explained the whole story, he nodded in understanding and smiled: "This kind of opportunity is rare. If A Chong signs Bob Dylan, I will beg you to let me ravage him."
"I will never do such stupid things again, otherwise I will have to climb up the moon in the future." Chen Chong smiled bitterly and said, "Brother Sanmao, don't tell me about this, otherwise I can't stay in Taiwan."
"Don't worry." Duan Zhongtan laughed and said, "Fortunately, you met me. I only love music and have no interest in movies. If you meet my brother, it will inevitably leak out."
"Why, your elder brother likes movies?"
"He and Mingji, the general manager of China Film, are friends and often come and go." Duan Zhongtan was afraid that Chen Chong would not understand, so he explained: "China Film is Taiwan's Central Film Company." (Note 1)
Chen Chong was very surprised. Unexpectedly, Duan Zhongyi was still enthusiastic about the film career.
Zhongzheng International Airport is about 40 kilometers away from Taipei City, and is connected by expressways. You can reach the city in about half an hour.
"A Chong, Taipei is not as good as Hong Kong, there are not as many good hotels." Duan Zhongtan asked while driving, "Where do you want to live?"
"Just let's go to Yuanshan Hotel." Chen Chong said casually: "I heard that there was a secret passage dug by Chiang Kai-shek. I didn't find it last time when I stayed there. I will go to the secret again this time."
Duan Zhongtan didn't say anything. He looked at Chen Chong from the rearview mirror. After a while, he reminded him tactfully: "A Chong, you are used to being free in Hong Kong. When you come to Taipei, you should be careful when you speak. Sometimes it is easy to cause trouble."
Chen Chong was stunned and immediately realized that this was Taipei during the "martial law" period, not Taipei in the 21st century. He had made many taboos when he said just now.
Many Taiwanese people only know Chiang Kai-shek, but don’t know who “Cheng Kai-shek” is. They also call him “Cheng Duke” when they speak. Shen Chong is so casual, he will be in trouble.
The Yuanshan Hotel was originally used by Soong Mei-ling to entertain senior officials from all walks of life. The escape passage inside was a military secret. He said he wanted to go to tent, wouldn't it be a spy on military information...
He grabbed his hair awkwardly, and Chen Chong said, "Brother Sanmao said, I'm too polite."
"Actually, it's nothing, just be careful." Duan Zhongtan also smiled bitterly and said, "In Taiwan's current environment, I dare not say what I should say, and I say what I shouldn't say everywhere. It's very troublesome."
"Then don't stay in Yuanshan Hotel. It's too reserved. Brother Sanmao, please help me find a hotel."
Perhaps Duan Zhongtan was really afraid that Chen Chong would cause trouble, so he eventually took him to the Guobin Hotel on Zhongshan North Road, which is the first five-star hotel in Taiwan.
After arranging the check-in procedures, it was almost two o'clock. The two were hungry, so they didn't go to the room and went directly to the restaurant for a full meal.
"Brother Sanmao, please be busy with your business, don't worry about me." After eating and drinking, Chen Chong touched his stomach and said, "I'll just go around by myself."
"Emerging you is my biggest thing." Duan Zhongtan waved his hand and said, "The scenery in Taipei is pretty good. I am a tour guide. Where do I want to visit?"
Chen Chong thought for a while and said, "Is Guling Street far away from here?"
"It's not far away." Duan Zhongtan asked, "What are you going there to do?"
"I heard that there are many old books there, so I can see them."
"That's the old almanac." Duan Zhongtan laughed and said, "When the city was built in 1973, all the old book stalls were moved to Guanghua Shopping Mall on Bade Road. If I wanted to find treasures in the old book stall, I could take you there, but there were many fakes there and if I didn't know anything, it would be easy to be cheated."
"Since that's the case, then forget it." Chen Chong gave up. He knew Guling Street, one because of Yang Dechang's "The Young Man in Guling Street", two because Gu Long had lived there, and three because the old book stalls there were very famous.
However, Yang Dechang was still in Seattle at this time, Gu Long had already moved away, and the old book stall was gone. Things changed, so it would be meaningless to go there again.
"If you are not tired, why not go to the company to check it out." Duan Zhongtan took the initiative to raise the verbal talk and said, "A Chong, you are the largest shareholder. If you don't come to Taipei, you will be unsure of us small shareholders."
“Okay.”
The Rolling Stone has just been established, it is very simple, with only a few offices, five or six clerks, and a expensive recording studio is still under construction. The only singer under it is Luo Dayou, who is still a part-time job. His father firmly opposed withdrawing from school and was determined to be a doctor.
Duan Zhongyi and Peng Guohua went to Japan a few days ago to purchase the equipment needed for the recording studio. Wu Chuchu went to Tainan, and only Duan Zhongtan was left behind.
In Duan Zhongtan's office, Chen Chong flipped through the company's roster and said, "The recording studio construction has been halfway through, why is the singer Luo Dayou still the only one?"
"A Chong... Forget it, when you talk about business, please call you Mr. Chen, otherwise it would be strange." Duan Zhongtan said: "Wu Chuchu is mainly responsible for signing singers. He has different opinions from us, and there is a little conflict, so he has a stalemate."
"how?"
"Luo Dayou wrote some very good songs, so we wanted to release an album for him first as a company startup work." Duan Zhongtan explained: "But Wu Chuchu feels that Luo Dayou's style is more rock-tongued, and the lyrics are too intense and the risks are too high. He wants to sign a few campus folk singers to cater to the market and make a folk song album first."
Chen Chong grabbed his hair again, a little surprised.
The Rolling Stones Four had a disagreement so early?
Wu Chuchu is very good at avoiding all kinds of risks and is a master figure who changes his mind. Among the first generation of folk singers in Taiwan, Yang Zujun was forced to give up his singing career. Hu Defu sang for more than 20 years before he released his first album. And he... first entered the Rolling Stone, then created a flying saucer, and finally sold the company to Warner on the eve of the decline of Chinese pop music, making a big profit.
In the special environment of "martial law", Wu Chuchu's decision was understandable when the company was founded, following the market trend and making a gentle album to gain popularity.
I wonder why the Duan brothers made a safe approach to Wu Chuchu?
"Now all Taiwan is singing campus folk songs, green mountains and clear waters, men and women love each other, a decent sound, too feminine." Duan Zhongtan saw Chen Chong not speaking and continued: "So brother and I think that when using Luo Dayou's rock music at this time, it may be better to shock the society."
"I'm not very familiar with Taiwanese society and don't understand music. I don't interfere with the company's operations." Chen Chong put down the roster and said, "But the company is not short of money, why don't you just open two working groups, one for Luo Dayou's album, and the other for campus folk song albums. We're going to work on two-pronged approaches, and the differences will be resolved."
"The company has just been established, and there are not so many people who make two albums at the same time."
"If there is no one, just dig people." Chen Chong suggested: "As long as you swing the hoe well, there is no corner that can't be dug. Xinge Records, Haishan Records, and Gelin Records, all dig to weaken your opponents, strengthen yourself, and kill two birds with one stone."
"Isn't that good?" Duan Zhongtan said hesitantly, "We are a new company, and it is easy for them to boycott them if they are rashly poaching people."
"What are you afraid of? New companies need to have a new atmosphere." Chen Chong bewitched: "If you don't break the old pattern, there is no chance for a new company to take office."
"Mr. Chen, you don't know." Duan Zhongtan smiled bitterly and said, "Our recording studio will take at least half a year to build. Now, we have to borrow new ones to record. Once the recording is done, we have to find Haishan's factory to make records. If they are bored, we can only go to Japan to record and make records, and the cost will double." (Note 2)
Going to Japan again...
Chen Chong was speechless. The industrial foundation of movies and music in Hong Kong and Taiwan was too poor at this time.
After filming the movie, if you want good results, you have to go to Japan to dubbing and do the post-production - "Crazy Joe" didn't go to Japan because Chen Chong was messing around and overspending the budget, which scared Ann Hui so much that she didn't dare to mention going to Japan to him, so she made do in Hong Kong.
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Note 1: During the Taiwan New Film Movement, Duan Zhongyi worked at China Film Academy, responsible for marketing and marketing operations.
Note 2: Haishan Records invested over NT$100 million in 1978 to build Asia's largest vinyl record factory. Unexpectedly, Walkman came out in 1979...
Chapter completed!