Chapter 7 007 The Performance Begins, the Criticism Continues

Chapter Seven

Given the large number of former contestants who have left "Tomorrow's Star," even Xie Yu's management company, DA Entertainment, with its vast resources, couldn't stem the intense discussion among netizens.

That evening, the hashtag #BoilingKettleWar# quietly climbed to the top of the trending topics list.

"A tragedy caused by a kettle, hahahahaha."

At this point, Xie Yu's performance in "Yesterday's Stars," which was posted by her fans, seemed pale and powerless.

It's just filming, not a live performance, so who knows if it's real or not?

Some musical theater bloggers even took the initiative to investigate whether Xie Yu's singing in the play was due to the work of a million-dollar sound engineer or whether a stand-in was simply hired.

The various marketing campaigns for "Yesterday's Stars" still leave traces on the internet, with claims such as "acting with real voice," "outstanding skills," and "comparable to professional musical actors." However, in reality, Xie Yu's performance time in "Yesterday's Stars" was pitifully short.

"If Xie Yu can sing, why can't Lin Yuan?"

"+1, and the main point of this discussion is that Jiang Xiao claims Lin Yuan stole his role, but judging from Jiang Xiao's own live stream, didn't he turn down the role first before the production team brought in Lin Yuan?"

"That's what I think too."

"But objectively speaking, Lin Yuan is indeed not from a professional acting background. Jiang Xiao is probably just upset that the production team chose Lin Yuan and not him, right?"

...

Jiang Xiao did not expect that Xie Yu's simple like would trigger a wave of condemnation from former contestants of "Tomorrow's Star".

Things developed so quickly that Jiang Xiao had to take the initiative to explain that his communication with Xie Yu was merely Xie Yu imparting experience to him as a former member of a boy band, and did not involve anyone else.

Jiang Xiao was unwilling to offend Xie Yu's fans and DA Entertainment.

However, he still expressed his regret at not being able to star in "Tomorrow's Tomorrow" and said that he sincerely hoped the film would be a success.

"In any case, I hope more audiences will pay attention to musicals and help the industry develop. I would be honored if some audiences would pay attention to the industry because of me."

"I think Xie Yu's performance in 'Yesterday's Stars' was also for this purpose. In my mind, Xie Yu is a very pure person."

With the tacit agreement between Zhongxing Entertainment and DA Entertainment, Jiang Xiao's statement quickly became a trending topic, and discussions related to Xie Yu on the trending list also decreased significantly.

"...Personally, I think since 'Tomorrow's Star' is already over, there's no need to discuss it too much, right? As a musical fan, the only thing I'm concerned about is that 'Tomorrow's Tomorrow' cast Lin Yuan, an outsider. Don't you think that's letting the audience down?"

"+1, I don't think Jiang Xiao meant anything negative about Lin Yuan. As someone with formal training, of course he would care more about the quality of the musical."

"He just wanted the musical industry to get better and better, but he encountered so many misunderstandings."

"Just look at Jiang Xiao's graduation play, and you'll know how amazing he is. Lin Yuan may have some singing and dancing skills, but in the field of musical theatre, he's definitely an amateur, right?"

The trending topics have gradually shifted to Lin Yuan's participation in "Tomorrow's Tomorrow" itself.

"Anyway, I don't have a good feeling about 'Tomorrow's Tomorrow'. I feel like it will lose a lot of money."

"To be honest, if they had chosen Jiang Xiao, with iStar's current popularity, they could have easily generated buzz by selling him. But they chose Lin Yuan, who is completely washed up."

...

As netizens speculated, the sales of "Tomorrow's Tomorrow" were indeed poor.

In China, the musical theater market is already a niche market. Even a tour that sells well overseas may not be a box office success, let alone a local original work like "Tomorrow's Tomorrow".

This is why some production teams invite actors or idols to cross over into the industry; aside from anything else, it can significantly boost ticket sales.

"Tomorrow's Tomorrow" opted for a small theater performance and did not invest heavily in stage design like overseas classics. Nevertheless, the production team still incurred considerable costs. Without financial support, the team would not have been able to afford such a large expenditure.

After tickets went on sale, most of the seats for "Tomorrow's Tomorrow" remained unsold. If it weren't for the kettle war that sparked the controversy and significantly increased the attention the production team received, ticket sales would have been even worse.

"It has absolutely no appeal."

"How dare Lin Yuan talk back to Xie Yu? He can't even sell tickets himself."

"He's done so badly that he can only look back on the past in those old almanacs of 'Tomorrow's Star Road,' which must have been the highlight of his life. It's a pity that Xie Yu has already looked forward."

"It's just a bunch of washed-up guys hating Xie Yu, but they're acting it out way too obviously."

"Lin Yuan tried his best, but he didn't even sell half of the tickets for 'Tomorrow's Tomorrow'. I was laughing so hard."

"I have a feeling that Lin Yuan will have to retire from the entertainment industry after the 'Tomorrow' tour ends."

"To correct you, Lin Yuan has never actually been in the entertainment industry. Did he even leave his name properly? No matter what he does, no one will give him a second glance. He's just entertaining himself."

Director Zou He was prepared for the sales performance of "Tomorrow's Tomorrow": "It's even better than I expected."

Because of the dispute between Lin Yuan and Xie Yu, "Tomorrow's Tomorrow" gained some fame, and it was no longer a completely unknown musical.

Enthusiasts with spare cash might buy a ticket, which would also attract people in the industry who would recommend the show after watching it.

If the quality of "Tomorrow's Tomorrow" can win them over, the final revenue of this drama may not be too bad.

However, even after the ticket results were released, Xie Yu's fans continued to relentlessly mock Lin Yuan.

Although Xie Yu's singing skills were ridiculed in "Tomorrow's Star", fans believe that Xie Yu is already a rising star in the male actor circle, so what if his singing skills are a little worse?

"Xiaoyu doesn't rely on her singing skills to make a living."

"Lin Yuan can only cling to the past."

...

One day at noon, Lin Yuan was still rehearsing. The official performance of "Tomorrow's Tomorrow" was not far away, and some more tickets had been sold, but the sales situation was still dismal.

In the musical theater world, there are countless examples like "Tomorrow's Tomorrow," and some even performed worse.

Lin Yuan tossed his phone aside as usual that day. When it was time to rest, he turned it on, and the notification sound kept ringing.

After glancing at the notification, Lin Yuan gave a "..." look.

Currently, the trending topic on the hot search list is: #XieYuGivesThumbsUpToTomorrowTomorrow#

And #XieYu's Kindness#

At another event where Xie Yu was attending, reporters brought up the incident of contestants from "Tomorrow's Star" collectively pouring oil on their faces and asked Xie Yu for her opinion on it.

Xie Yu remained calm: "If this can bring them some buzz, I'd be happy to."

Screams erupted from the audience: "Xiaoyu is so kind!"

“I also came this far step by step, so I understand the situation of many people in this industry. The past is the past, and I hope everyone can get through the difficult times.” Xie Yu smiled. “Actually, I have great faith in Lin Yuan’s abilities and hope that his musical ‘Tomorrow’s Tomorrow’ will be a success and that he can be recognized by more people.”

In short, the comments under the trending topics were full of praise for Xie Yu's magnanimity, kindness, and generosity.

"Lin Yuan is completely unworthy, okay?"

"Before showing your kindness, Xiaoyu, you should first see what Lin Yuan has done to you!"

"A person's character is immediately apparent."

Lin Yuan: "..."

The problem is that neither #XieYuKindness#, #XieYuRecommendation#, #XieYuSupportsMusicals#, nor the numerous tags praising Xie Yu on the trending topics list have brought about any noticeable change in the ticket sales for "Tomorrow's Tomorrow".

There was almost no increase.

Lin Yuan was mocked even more fiercely.

Not long after Xie Yu gave a shout-out to "Tomorrow's Tomorrow", Pei Tao, the musical director of "Yesterday's Stars", also spoke out in his defense: "As an industry insider, I regret that some production teams deliberately create public opinion by any means to gain traffic, but forget the key point - a musical ultimately has to move people's hearts through performance."

"Although I didn't work with Xie Yu for long, I always remember his hard work, his love and dedication to performing. If it weren't for the scheduling conflict, Xie Yu could have shone brightly in the musical theater industry."

"I don't know Lin Yuan, but I want to say that this kind of way of riding the wave of popularity and creating traffic cannot last. Instead of wasting time on this, you should hone your own skills first."

"Thanks to the industry for speaking up for Xiaoyu!"

"Lin Yuan is so despicable, no one in the industry could stand it."

“After the performance of ‘Tomorrow’s Tomorrow’ begins, Lin Yuan will definitely make a huge fool of himself.”

...

In September, "Tomorrow's Tomorrow" officially premiered.

Zhou Chi is a typical musical theater enthusiast. While his classmates are all watching concerts, he has a particular fondness for musicals. In some ways, those classic works are even more thrilling than concerts. The first-class stage design, the outstanding singing skills, and the chemistry between the actors on stage all captivate him.

Classics never go out of style.

He is currently taking a neutral stance on "Tomorrow's Tomorrow." The internet is portraying Lin Yuan in very negative terms, but Rong Lei is actually listed first in the cast.

I know Rong Lei and Zhou Chi; they are both key figures in the musical theater industry and are quite talented.

I just hope... Lin Yuan, being an amateur, won't ruin this drama too badly.

Regarding the online uproar surrounding "Tomorrow's Tomorrow," Zhou Chi felt only annoyed. He believed that musicals are inherently pure things, and once fans are involved, there's nothing left but noise. He felt that what he loved was merely a tool for some people to seek attention.

He was a little annoyed.

Zhou Chi already knew what kind of story "Tomorrow's Tomorrow" was before coming to the event.

Ten minutes before the show started, Zhou Chi glanced at his phone one last time and saw that Pei Tao was still criticizing "Tomorrow's Tomorrow".

Zhou Chi frowned. Couldn't he wait until he saw it before criticizing it?

He wasn't very optimistic about "Tomorrow's Tomorrow" either, but criticism should be based on having already seen the work; criticizing for the sake of criticizing is meaningless.

Zhou Chi silently put away his phone.

The opening scene is a case review.

A girl was "accidentally" murdered on her way home from school, but her mother and brother knew it was not an accident. Unfortunately, the murderer has not been punished and remains at large.

Ten years later, no one remembers the tragedy that once took place in a corner of the city, except...

In the newspaper's archives, a middle-aged woman was diligently organizing documents. Beside her, a row of files was clearly laid out, and the calendar on the table was exceptionally clear.

"The day has finally come."

"I tossed and turned day and night, unable to sleep, all for this day."

"...I won't wait any longer..."

Rong Lei's singing was impeccable, and objectively speaking, the song "Tomorrow's Tomorrow" was also better than Zhou Chi had expected.

Although the cast of this drama is not strong, both the smoothness of the music and the pacing of the plot present a sense of fluidity.

Ten years ago, the murderer escaped the law by leveraging public opinion. In this revenge, Ji Yun and her son Ji Feng will also use public opinion to ensure he can never recover.

They are indeed doing illegal things and using illegal means, but they don't care.

Living itself was no longer important to them; they lived only for revenge.

Ji Yun approached the murderer under the guise of a reporter, constantly pressuring him to recall everything that happened ten years ago.

By bribing his ex-girlfriend, bribing his boss, and uncovering evidence of his father's corruption, the perpetrator gradually eliminated all the forces he could rely on.

The stage lights were gradually swallowed by darkness.

Ji Yun's path to revenge is not lonely; Ji Feng is her helper, her child, and her support on her journey.

The murderer had suspected Ji Yun, so he made a special trip to visit her home, only to find her seriously ill son who could only get around in a wheelchair.

The murderer naturally lowered his guard.

This is the first appearance of the monsoon.

The lights gradually focused on the newly appeared character, and the sound of the wheelchair was particularly clear. What appeared before everyone was a slightly pale young man.

The murderer concocted an excuse to try and get information out of Ji Feng, but Ji Feng was so enthusiastic and frank that the murderer thought his suspicions about Ji Yun were probably just wishful thinking.

He then left the Ji family.

However, the smile on Ji Feng's face vanished the moment he turned around.

His cheerful face instantly turned into intense indifference, and a strong sense of gloom emanated from the shadows, making it seem as if the temperature in the room had dropped several degrees.

It really switches in a second.

Zhou Chi couldn't help but widen his eyes.

Then the music begins; this is the monologue of the monsoon.

"...weave a great net to sweep away all darkness."

“The prey was struggling, and I saw his eyes.”

"Fall, fall, plummet, perish."

"I want you to taste all the blood in this world, this bitterness, this pain, this lament of dawn."

Each word, though clearly a song, sounded like a sob.

Looking at the figure in the center of the stage, Zhou Chi seemed to hear the rapid heartbeat of the avenger.

A note from the author:

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Update ~ [Pitiful][Pitiful][Pitiful]