Chapter 85

Zhang Guan thought of a very suitable song, one that he also liked very much, and the key was that it wasn't hard to sing.

"Professor Zhou, I have a song that might be suitable," Zhang Guan said.

"What song? Who sings it?" Professor Zhou asked.

"During the last two days of rehearsal with Teacher Wang Feng, he talked to me about some techniques for songwriting. When I got home, I tried it out and came up with a simple song. Would you like me to sing it for you first?"

What is the most important thing in songwriting? It's not musical skills, but inspiration! Many famous musicians in China are not actually trained in music, especially those born in the 1950s and 1960s. Due to the special era, even if they wanted to learn music, they didn't have the opportunity. Many people couldn't even read sheet music, but they entered cultural troupes with their good voices and began their musical journeys. Or they just learned to play the guitar and started writing their own songs, forming rock bands. These people ultimately became singers not because of their musical skills, but because of their unparalleled passion for music and their persistence in pursuing their dreams.

Writing songs without learning music? If this were in modern times, everyone would think it impossible, but in that passionate era, it was a very common phenomenon. It's like today's online writers—how many of them are actually literature majors?

Professor Zhou had experienced that era and knew this situation, but he didn't think Zhang Guan was that kind of person. He frowned and said, "What a joke, the Hong Kong performance is such an important event! How can you take it lightly?"

Zhang Guan ignored Professor Zhou's attitude. He felt that speaking with facts was more direct, so he started singing directly:

"When I am different from the world, let me be different, for persistence to me is to overcome with strength."

"If I compromise with myself, if I lie to myself, even if others forgive me, I cannot forgive myself."

"The most beautiful wish must be the craziest, I am my own god in the place where I live."

"I and my last stubbornness, holding my hands tightly, never letting go, whether the next station is paradise, even if disappointed, I cannot despair."

"I and my proud stubbornness, I sing loudly in the wind, this time for myself, just this once, I and my stubbornness."

Zhang Guan only sang one verse of "Stubborn" and then stopped. Looking at Professor Zhou, his eyes were wide open, his mouth was wide open, and his face was a mix of emotions that were hard to describe.

"Stubborn" is a song that is relatively easy to sing, even catchy. Of course, to sing it well still requires some skill, but if the requirements are not too high, it can be sung with a decent flavor without too much skill.

The first few lines of the song were not particularly impressive, and with Zhang Guan's completely unprofessional singing, Professor Zhou became even angrier. But when Zhang Guan sang "I and my last stubbornness," Professor Zhou's expression completely changed. With his professional level, he could certainly hear the brilliance of the song.

"This song sounds very fresh, and it doesn't require too fancy a singing style. I'm sure I've never heard this song before, and it feels a bit like a Hong Kong or Taiwan style. Could it really be as Zhang Guan said, that he wrote it himself? Is he really just an athlete? The melody is so intricate, many music students couldn't come up with it!" Professor Zhou suddenly felt a lack of accomplishment.

"Whether the next station is paradise, even if disappointed, I cannot despair." Professor Zhou silently repeated this line in his heart. He felt a bit moved, but more so a sense of resonance.

People of Professor Zhou's age had experienced a special era and many special events. He remembered when he was young, during the era of movements, he had put in so much effort on his musical path, endured so much pain, and had wanted to give up many times, but ultimately persisted. The lyrics of this song seemed to be telling his own story, touching his heart instantly.

"Is this kid really just an athlete? Could it really be a burst of inspiration? Such lyrics can't be written without experiencing some setbacks and failures..." Professor Zhou thought to himself.

"Do you have sheet music?" Professor Zhou asked. But then he felt silly for asking, a song made up by an athlete, how could there be sheet music!

Zhang Guan could hum the tune, but he still shook his head and said, "Where would there be sheet music! Besides, I haven't learned music, and I don't know how to read sheet music."

Professor Zhou nodded and said, "Wait, I'll write the music for you now."

Professor Zhou closed his eyes, and scenes from his past began to play in his mind—his young years spent on music, the loneliness of not being understood, the countless blows and failures, and the countless times he stood up again. As these memories cycled in his mind, beautiful notes began to appear.

Professor Zhou quickly wrote the music on paper. He then looked it over, made a few adjustments, and handed it to Zhang Guan, asking, "How does it look?"

"Uh, Professor Zhou, I don't understand this..." Zhang Guan said, his face slightly red.

"Oh, right." Professor Zhou smiled awkwardly and said, "I'll play it for you."

Professor Zhou walked to the piano and started playing the music he had just written.

Professor Zhou composed the music based on Zhang Guan's singing, so the final piece was quite different from the original "Stubborn." Compared to the original, Professor Zhou's version sounded more沧桑 (沧桑 means "weathered" or "mature" in this context) and more mature. This was certainly related to the author's life experiences; a person in their twenties naturally couldn't match the richness of a person in their fifties, especially someone who grew up in a special era.

"How does it sound?" Professor Zhou asked after finishing the piece, but then he laughed and said to himself, "Asking you is pointless anyway, you don't understand. Let's do it this way, I'll play, and you sing. If there are any unsuitable parts, we'll make adjustments."

Professor Zhou accompanied Zhang Guan, and Zhang Guan sang the song. After several adjustments, they finally created a version that Professor Zhou was satisfied with.

"Alright, that's it for today. The music is set. I'll bring a few students over to arrange the song. You can go back now, and come back tomorrow to listen to the final version," Professor Zhou said.

Professor Zhou's students were at least master's level, and some were even doctoral students. Their arrangement skills would not be inferior to many professional musicians.

...

Several management executives of Nike were in a video conference with the regional offices. On the other end of the video call were Nike's Asia-Pacific President Mark Parker and China President Brent James.

"We had contact with Zhang Guan last year, and the Athletics Management Center had already agreed to the contract, but it ultimately failed. This has put our company in a difficult position. I want to know why. I need a reasonable explanation to report to the board!" a senior executive from Nike headquarters asked.

China President James immediately responded, "Our business manager had contact with the Athletics Management Center and Zhang Guan. The Athletics Management Center was satisfied with the contract, but Zhang Guan, citing his underage status, refused our contract offer. I believe it was likely because Zhang Guan thought the price we offered was too low, so I asked Mr. Parker for a higher contract amount, but Mr. Parker did not approve it."

Asia-Pacific President Parker, although nominally James' superior, was appointed directly by headquarters and had always been eyeing Parker's position, so he conveniently pushed the responsibility onto Parker.

Parker knew James had designs on his position, so he often tried to trip James up. James had indeed suggested raising the contract amount, but to suppress James and due to his lack of trust in the Asian sprinting project, Parker rejected James' request.

Seeing James push the responsibility onto him, Parker showed no panic, clearly having prepared his response. He said, "It was already the end of the year, and we were facing settlements with our manufacturers, so we were very tight on funds. Our production chain is mainly in Asia, and if the factories in Asia stopped, it would affect our global supply chain. So I had to carefully consider every penny."

Parker's explanation, upon closer examination, was clearly not solid. Nike's supply chain is measured in the billions, and Parker, as the president of the Asia-Pacific region, could not possibly be unable to come up with a few million dollars. However, after a discussion, the headquarters accepted Parker's explanation.

The headquarters then said, "Since Zhang Guan broke the record and won the Olympic 100-meter title, our competitors have already noticed him, and many have already taken action, putting us in a difficult position. Our strategy now is to sign Zhang Guan at a reasonable price. James, as the head of the China region, what are your plans?"

James cleared his throat and said, "Through multiple collaborations, we have a very good relationship with the Athletics Management Center. I believe, under equal conditions, the Athletics Management Center will prioritize signing with us. However, we are not only facing our old competitors but also domestic sports brands. The development of domestic sports brands has exceeded our expectations. A few years ago, they were just our manufacturers, but now they have formed several brands. So I need funds, more funds, otherwise, I cannot guarantee signing Zhang Guan."

"How much do you need?" the headquarters asked.

"If including advertising, I need a budget of $2 million per year," James said.

Although James opened with $2 million, he didn't have high hopes for this number. Asking for money is like haggling; if he asked for $2 million, he might only get half. So he asked for a higher number.

The headquarters fell silent, clearly not liking the topic of money.

"Parker, we want to hear your opinion," the executive from headquarters asked.

"$2 million is impossible," Parker immediately rejected James' request. From Parker's perspective, he did not want James to have more financial autonomy, nor did he want James to do well in the Chinese market. The better James performed, the greater the threat to Parker.

Parker continued, "Although the Chinese market is expanding, the vast majority of Chinese people are unwilling to spend $60 to $80 on a pair of shoes. Currently, Japan is still our largest market in Asia, so our focus is still on Japan. $2 million is too much, and I have doubts about the sprinting level of Asian athletes. One success might just be a coincidence, and Zhang Guan might not achieve such good results in the next competition. So I think a budget of $600,000 to $800,000 is more reasonable."

At the time, the exchange rate was over 1:8, so $2 million was equivalent to nearly 17 million RMB, and $800,000 was nearly 7 million RMB. 7 million RMB per year was an astronomical endorsement fee for domestic athletes. For example, Liu Xiang's endorsement value after the Olympics was only 5 million RMB per year, and the future tennis queen's value after winning the 2011 French Open was around 7 million RMB.

The headquarters hesitated and ultimately compromised, giving James a budget of $1 million per year.

—

Chapter 2 is delivered, please give a recommendation. Chapter 3 will follow. I'm not in good form today, and I've only written one chapter from 2 PM to now. Although I have some saved chapters, this write-one-send-three model will soon run out of chapters. Thank you to Wuya Yan, Shizhong Fengge, Yufei Zi568, Yeyu Fengxi, Freehire, Dushuren-YES, Huihuo Deng, 9922392, Zhu Luoyan, Yue Zhi Fenghen, Huage zjh, nbly780322, Quan18, gigiliu5277, Xingxue Rou, Xiaoli Feidao1000, Da1 Cheng, C938516 for their support. Thanks.

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