Old Zhou

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Zhou Cheng (周成) 11
Alias(es)	Old Zhou; Boss Zhou 11
Gender	Male
Occupation/Role	Owner of a high-end recording studio; music-industry veteran 10 34
Affiliation	His recording studio; a chat group of prominent musicians 10 12
First Appearance	Chapter 10

Background / History

Old Zhou owns what Lin Chuan considers the best recording studio available for Balloon's voice production. The studio has top-tier equipment, photographs of Old Zhou with celebrities on its walls, and connections to musicians, producers, and recording-industry figures. It normally handles voice work for children’s animation. 10 11

When he was young, Old Zhou traveled to France and met a French woman beside the Seine. Their relationship developed from chance meetings to dates and a planned marriage, but ended because her husband opposed it. 11 21

Years of difficult social experiences made Old Zhou habitually deferential and business-focused, to the point that he felt he had forgotten his younger self. Listening to “Rice Fragrance” reconnects him with memories of childhood and gives him a more peaceful outlook. 34

Appearance

Old Zhou is a forty-year-old man known for conspicuous, fashion-conscious clothing. 11 34

• Often wears a floral shirt and sunglasses. 11
• His posture has gradually become bent from years of hardship. 34
• He unconsciously wears a fawning smile when dealing with others. 34

Personality

Old Zhou is passionate about music and highly responsive to talent. Although he initially finds Lin Chuan’s horror voice work unnerving enough to consider arranging an exorcism for the studio, he is deeply moved by Lin Bai’s music and becomes an enthusiastic supporter. 11 12

He is generous toward artists he admires, offering Lin Bai free use of the studio’s best recording room and personally helping seek distribution opportunities. His admiration can become intense: he listens to “Love Confession Balloon” repeatedly and sends Lin Chuan lengthy messages about the song and his past romance. 12 22 34

Abilities & Skills

Recording-Studio Management

Old Zhou operates a top-level studio with industry-grade equipment and access to professional voice actors and musicians. 10

• Hosts the voice recording for Balloon. 10 11
• Provides recording facilities for “Love Confession Balloon” and “Rice Fragrance.” 11 21 34
• Has industry contacts capable of discussing music distribution and revenue-sharing arrangements. 12

Music Industry Networking

Old Zhou belongs to, or has access to, a chat group of established musicians and uses those connections to promote Lin Bai. 12 13

• Introduces Lin Bai to prominent musicians after hearing “Love Confession Balloon.” 12
• Helps bring the song to the attention of professionals, who subsequently praise it. 13
• Is regarded as a veteran of the music industry with decades of experience. 34

Relationships

• Lin Chuan / Lin Bai — Client, admired musician, and beneficiary of Old Zhou’s support. Old Zhou initially fears Lin Chuan’s horror production, but becomes an ardent admirer after hearing Lin Bai’s songs and offers free studio access. 11 12 34
• Jiang Kui — Connected through Balloon’s recording work; Old Zhou tells Lin Chuan that she has been thinking about him following the film’s success. 10 34
• Prominent musician chat group — Old Zhou introduces Lin Bai to the group in hopes of promoting “Love Confession Balloon.” 12 13
• Fang Qingyong — Sends him a deliberately insulting acrostic private message while defending Lin Chuan online. 48

Story Role / Major Arcs

*Balloon* Voice Recording

Old Zhou provides the studio where Lin Chuan auditions voice actors and completes much of Balloon’s voice work. The horror material unsettles him, and he privately considers having the studio ritually cleansed after the recording ends. 10 11

Discovering Lin Bai

Lin Chuan returns disguised as his “cousin,” Lin Bai, to record “Love Confession Balloon.” Old Zhou cannot recognize him due to the altered voice and disguise, but is won over by Lin Bai’s compliment about his outfit and then overwhelmed by the song’s emotional effect. 11

Old Zhou offers Lin Bai free studio services, seeks to help distribute the song, and introduces him to a group of musicians. He is pleased when the group validates his judgment of Lin Bai’s talent. 12 13

*Rice Fragrance*

After repeatedly listening to “Love Confession Balloon” for a month, Old Zhou eagerly welcomes Lin Chuan back to record “Rice Fragrance.” The new song evokes his childhood and prompts him to reflect on how adulthood changed him. 34

He faints after hearing the finished recording, but recovers when Lin Chuan checks on him. 35

Trivia

• Old Zhou once considers asking Lin Bai to take him as a disciple, despite being in his forties. 11
• He believes the leaves of a plant in his studio became greener after “Love Confession Balloon” was recorded there. 11
• Lin Chuan finds Old Zhou eccentric after noticing the smell of incense in the studio. 22