Chapter 202 Concert tickets can make money: but they can't be sold?

Ivanov was clearly unaware of this.

He stared in disbelief as Wang Xiao didn't even go to the restaurant. Well, they were supposed to go to the restaurant tonight and enjoy a big meal accompanied by violin music.

She ran quickly to the car and urged the driver, "Hurry, go back, I need to make a phone call."

Why doesn't she just fight here?

Public phone booths are everywhere in Moscow, so making a phone call is very easy.

No! That's all just a facade. In reality, the dial pads in public phone booths are all dial-up, and the lines are bad. Making an international long-distance call can make your fingers swell up from dialing, and you often still can't get through.

Wang Xiao didn't have that kind of patience.

Michael Jackson's concert is scheduled for September 15th in Moscow. With only two weeks left, how could she not go crazy?

Wang Xiao wanted to beat up Ivanov again.

Why didn't you say so sooner?!

Ivanov was feeling incredibly wronged.

He just didn't have time for it, did he?

They're so busy making a billion dollars that he doesn't even have time for leisure, let alone care about this kind of thing.

Wang Xiao glared at him fiercely: "You still have the nerve to complain? If you had said so earlier, not to mention other merchandise, just the support T-shirts with Michael Jackson's image on them would have been selling like hotcakes all over the streets by now!"

“Not at all,” Ivanov tried to emphasize. “It’s already cold on September 15th. Nobody would go crazy wearing a T-shirt to an outdoor stadium in the cold wind to listen to a concert.”

Wang Xiao felt that he had absolutely no way to communicate with this guy.

"What do you know? Supporting others is about the atmosphere and the power of unity. Can't you wear a T-shirt on the outside? Ugh, I'm not talking to you anymore. I'm going to grab my glow stick."

This device appeared in the 1960s, initially used for luminous signals by divers and for rescue operations. Later, in the 1970s and 80s, due to the popularity of Japanese idol culture, it was extended to be used as a cheering tool at concerts.

Wang Xiao regretted missing Michael Jackson's Bucharest concert last year because she couldn't sell glow sticks at the event. However, she did sell a lot of disposable lighters. Many fans bought them wholesale from Bucharest's container markets to create a sea of ​​light.

However, glow sticks are more professional!

Now, she'd rather die than miss this opportunity.

The concert economy—so many people are envious of it.

She didn't have time to explain further to Ivanov, and only asked him for one thing: "Tickets, who's the local organizer? I want the best seats. Ah! No! I want all the best seats!"

But she knew that was unrealistic.

So she compromised: "Give me as many as you can, it's a perk! A perk of seeing Michael Jackson live in person!"

She first needs to make a list, ranking them from top to bottom according to their importance, and bring as many people as she can get a few good tickets.

A day later, Ivanov told her, "He might not be able to come."

"What's wrong?" Wang Xiao asked, puzzled. "Is Michael sick or injured?"

Ivanov felt jealous. Listen to how intimate they are! And then Michael comes along.

He shook his head vigorously: "No, no, no, he's in trouble. He's been accused of child molestation, he's in big trouble."

Wang Xiao rolled her eyes: "It's fake, nothing like that, he'll be fine. Hurry up and get me a ticket, never mind, I'll get the ticket myself."

“No, no, no,” Ivanov stopped her. “The question now is whether Moscow will allow him to come. Those in charge of the approval process aren’t too keen on it.”

The issues involved here are very complex.

For example, the local organizer of this concert was a Chechen who made a fortune selling alcohol after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Yes, everyone knows that alcohol is a form of hard currency in Russia. But someone who can make a fortune selling alcohol and still live comfortably is certainly no ordinary person.

For example, what did Michael Jackson mean in Moscow, or even the world?

This means that, like Coca-Cola, it is a symbol of American culture and even the culture of the entire capitalist world.

But it happens to be Moscow in 1993.

The conflict between the president and Congress has reached a fever pitch, communism is showing signs of regaining popular support, and populism is also emerging.

With all these factors combined, Michael Jackson, a symbol of the capitalist world, appearing in Moscow at this moment seems out of place.

Wang Xiao frowned.

She thought again of the countless hammer and sickle patterns embroidered with gold designs on the red velvet curtains of the theater.

There's no need for that, really. Low-level red is more terrifying than high-level black. That kind of crude, one-size-fits-all approach destroys the original harmonious aesthetic.

Just like now, Michael Jackson's concerts are viewed as a monstrous threat.

"Can't we think of a way?" Wang Xiao asked Ivanov. "Do you have any connections who can help?"

“I do,” Ivanov said, looking troubled. “But, Your Majesty, I cannot do that.”

He is a patriot, and his public persona is that of a patriot who sympathizes with Marxists.

Although he never explicitly took sides, it was generally assumed that he leaned towards the left.

If he were to step forward at this time and advocate for symbols of American culture, it would be a betrayal, a betrayal that would hurt the feelings of his old friends.

Although he also believed they were making a mountain out of a molehill, deliberately complicating a simple issue, and intentionally fabricating a political event, he couldn't step in and shoot them.

Ivanov felt extremely guilty and didn't even dare to look Wang Xiao in the eye: "I'm sorry, Wang, the situation is very delicate and complicated right now. How about we go to the next concert together?"

Wang Xiao sighed heavily and patted his shoulder: "It's okay, give me the contractor's phone number."

Ivanov was taken aback and solemnly warned again, "Your Majesty, we'd better not force this matter."

“I won’t force you.” Wang Xiao reached out. “Go, make the call. I need Michael’s contact information. If the concert in Moscow can’t be held, then let’s not waste his free time. Let’s hold a concert in Beijing.”

Ivanov gasped sharply, then let out a sad hiccup: "Hiccup—hiccup—to Beijing?"

God, does she know what she's saying?

Wang Xiao was puzzled: "What's the problem? He's willing to hold a concert in Moscow, why can't he go to Beijing?"

Ivanov felt his mind was in complete disarray. He couldn't find the words to refute his friend, yet something felt off.

"Stop talking nonsense!" Wang Xiao had little patience. "Hurry up, don't waste time."

Ivanov dialed the number in a daze, unsure how to explain the situation, and simply said that his partner had something to say.

Wang Xiao took the microphone, didn't exchange pleasantries, and went straight to the point after saying hello.

Can we do it? If we can't, don't force it. Circumstances are beyond our control, and there's nothing we can do about it.

Please give me Michael's team's contact information.

Such a great artist, if he can't hold a concert in Moscow, he can hold one in Beijing.

I'll handle the approval process.

The organizers on the other end were dumbfounded, and it took them a while to find their tongues: "It's like being in a completely different world. I was able to organize MJ's concert because I own an independent film production company. We filmed MJ's concert in Bucharest."

Wang Xiao really didn't want to hear about this. Missing the dangerous concert in Bucharest was the first time she had felt regret since she traveled to this day.

She doesn't care about the $1 billion loss, because that's beyond her control and she doesn't dwell on it.

However, this argument didn't faze her: "Oh, then I'm the perfect candidate. I have an entertainment company in China that specializes in handling all kinds of performing arts activities for foreigners, including shows. Give me a call; we shouldn't let a great artist waste his time."

However, the organizer rejected her without hesitation: "No, MJ's concert will definitely be held in Moscow."

Oh no, she got hung up on.

Ivanov sighed beside him, quite sympathetic: "My God, he wouldn't give up until the very last step. He wants to make money, he wants to go to America to make movies, he needs the funds. The first world superstar coming to Moscow, what a huge sensation! How could he possibly give up such a great opportunity to make money?"

Wang Xiao asked curiously, "What kind of movie is he going to film in America? Can't he film in Russia?"

"Ah, it's called 'Run, Brothers, Run'."

Wang Xiao burst out laughing because she was thinking of the variety show "Running Man".

Ivanov was once again deeply jealous.

Look how easily she smiles since she found out MJ was going to have a concert in Moscow.

He had initially thought she had forgotten how to smile.

Wang Xiao laughed for a while, then asked curiously, "What story are you telling?"

"I don't know," Ivanov said nonchalantly. "I'm not interested in movies made by Chechens in America."

Ha! Just think about it, what kind of movies would be popular in America?

They would definitely criticize the Soviet Union and expose its so-called past misdeeds in order to satisfy the audience's needs.

But was the Soviet Union ever this bad at its worst?

What right do people who are still living off Soviet legacies have to accuse the Soviet Union?

Wang Xiao instantly lost interest; she was now more concerned about MJ's concert.

So what if the person in charge is unwilling to share information with her?

He's not working alone; he has a team.

Everyone in the team has different ideas, so it's entirely possible to persuade them.

Just as Wang Xiao was plotting to poach someone from another company, things took an unexpected turn.

Whether it was her blatant attempt to force resources at his door that alerted the concert organizer and triggered his strong fighting spirit, or whether his connections worked, in any case, after a couple of days, the obstacles seemed to disappear all at once, and he successfully obtained all the documents he needed.

Wang Xiao had no choice but to compromise: "Tickets, I want all the best seats!"

Good heavens! If this were before she transmigrated, she could have become a multi-millionaire overnight just by selling these tickets, the kind that are worth millions of US dollars.

Do you know how hard it is to get tickets to popular concerts? They're snapped up one by one without a word.

If it weren't for the fact that concert organizers usually collaborate with internet celebrities like them, she wouldn't have been able to snag any tickets to the concerts she wanted to see before she time-traveled.

However, the person in charge probably didn't need to see it in person, and wasn't willing to lower their standards over the phone, so they directly rejected her request: "10 tickets, I can only give you 10 good seats at most."

After some haggling, Wang Xiao managed to double the price and get 20 tickets.

Good heavens! She's so rich now that she can buy two cups of milk, drink one, and then make the other into yogurt before drinking it.

Wang Xiao started going through the list in his hand. Ivanov, his bodyguards, and assistants would definitely be going together, which meant 10 tickets were for them.

Many shop owners in the commercial district also like MJ.

For our friends in China, Xiang Dong needs to come over here. He must personally experience the atmosphere of an MJ concert before he can take on the role.

Once you've secured a concert for MJ, it will be a natural progression to book concerts for other Hong Kong and Taiwan stars in the future.

As for the others, let's wait until the domestic concerts start to see. Otherwise, how could she possibly distribute 20 tickets among them?

Wang Xiao did not forget Sachiko Ito and Saori Yamada, who were far away in Japan.

She proactively made an overseas call to them, saying that if their work could be coordinated, they should come to Moscow on September 15th, and the company would treat them to a front-row seat at a Michael Jackson concert!

Sachiko Ito screamed on the phone.

She had to work overtime; she needed to finish all her work before September 15th so she could see another MJ concert.

Saori Yamada felt like she was dreaming. She had worked for a long time last year and finally saved up some money, but she couldn't buy any concert tickets.

Concert culture is extremely popular in Japan, so it's perfectly normal to not be able to get tickets.

After hanging up the phone, Wang Xiao remembered Wu Haoyu and called him directly.

Tokyo time is six hours ahead of Moscow time, which was exactly the time Wu Haoyu was about to leave for work.

"If you can get some time off, I'll book you a plane ticket. You'll fly to Moscow on the 15th and go back on the 16th. It'll be front-row tickets to a Michael Jackson concert!"

Wu Haoyu doesn't follow celebrities, but he could sense Wang Xiao's excitement.

She hadn't been this happy since July 26th.

So he agreed without hesitation: "I will definitely come on the 15th."

Ivanov started to get annoyed again, making all sorts of veiled remarks: "Oh dear, it's really not easy, such a precious concert ticket, and you still haven't forgotten him."

Wang Xiao ignored him and got up to go to the window to get some fresh air.

She saw Maslova, the girl who had come to pick up the night shift, and cheerfully asked her, "Hey! Honey, how's business today?"

This girl recently wanted to buy a color TV for her home, so she proactively bought glow sticks that had just been shipped from China and went to the ticket office to sell them.

Seriously, that's exactly why Wang Xiao wanted to beat up Ivanov.

If he had mentioned the concert earlier, she could have made the arrangements in advance. She could have prepared support items like light-up bunny ears.

Now, it's too late for anything else; only glow sticks are barely usable.

"Don't even mention it!" It was too tiring to talk with her head held high, so Maslova ran upstairs and complained to the boss, "No, not a single one has been sold."

"No way!"

Wang Xiao couldn't believe it. What concertgoer could resist the temptation of glow sticks? They were so cheap, only 100 rubles. The price of a steamed bun—why wouldn't they buy one to support their idol?

“No!” Maslova sighed heavily. “Not only did no one buy my glow sticks, but no one bought tickets either.”

"ah?"

This time, Wang Xiao genuinely doubted whether there was something wrong with his ears.

Will MJ's concert tickets not sell?

Are you kidding me?! He's the hottest singer right now, with fans everywhere.

He is as popular with Muscovites as Coca-Cola.

Maslova was absolutely certain: "I waited for four hours, and only two people went to ask; not a single person paid for a ticket."

Wang Xiao frowned, suspecting some kind of political conspiracy: "Is someone watching us? Are they preventing us from buying tickets?"

Maslova shook her head again: "I didn't see anyone who resembled KGB."

Lyuba couldn't help but feel sorry for her former employer: "KGB isn't so idle that they shouldn't be restricting this."

Ha! Speaking of going too far, striptease is legal in Russia now, isn't that even more outrageous?

What earth-shattering conspiracy could a pop star's concert possibly unleash?

Wang Xiao still felt something was wrong, and immediately set off: "Let's go, Lyuba, let's go take a look."

Ivanov immediately chimed in, "Me too."

Even now, he still harbors doubts, fearing that things might spiral out of control.

A high-class armored car took them to the ticket office next to the stadium.

Just as Maslova had said, the place was bustling with people, but almost no one stopped at the ticket booth.

The ticket seller, who looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old, was clearly bored and was pacing back and forth aimlessly, occasionally taking a puff of a cigarette.

There are so many smokers in Moscow now, even many eleven or twelve-year-old children who are still in elementary school are smoking.

Wang Xiao asked, "Could you give me 10 of the best tickets?"

“Of course!” the young man exclaimed excitedly. “Is there anything else you need, ma’am?”

Wang Xiao paused for a moment, unable to believe that front-row tickets to a top-tier concert were so easy to obtain.

She even blurted out, "You guys aren't going to put this on the fake concert, are you? Is it really an MJ concert?"

The audacity of people in Moscow to fake this is truly astounding; she strongly suspects it's a concert by an MJ impersonator.

The young man jumped up, his eyes wide, and emphasized, "Of course! The newspapers are all nonsense. It's definitely not a stunt double; it's the real Michael Jackson!"

A reporter approached passersby and asked, "Would you buy a ticket to this concert? Do you want to see him perform?"

Chubby Madam shook his head with a smile: "No, I'll come if someone gives me a ticket. If not, I'll watch it on TV."

Wang Xiao didn't want to be interviewed and avoided it altogether.

When the reporters had run out of questions and went inside the stadium, Wang Xiao instructed his assistant: "Go and ask how many tickets you can get at most, assuming this concert is real."

She was afraid that if she asked, it would arouse the ticket seller's suspicion, after all, she had an East Asian face and was a foreigner.

Ivanov chimed in, “Theoretically, it’s true. Dessa is Moscow’s top private film production company. You know, it’s not something you can just do with money. He wouldn’t be stupid enough to fake something so obvious. This is Moscow, not some remote, isolated town. There’s even an American embassy here. It’s easy to be exposed for something like this.”

People abandoned the Soviet Union because they felt they were not free.

As a result, the Soviet Union was gone, and they did not gain their freedom.

Newspapers, television, radio, and movies—all channels of information dissemination are controlled by an invisible hand.

This is why the current government, which plays around with the country's future like a child's game, is still able to survive.

Because the information that ordinary people receive is basically what the invisible hand wants them to know.

Wang Xiao asked in confusion, "Then why aren't Michael's concert tickets selling?"

Ivanov shrugged, unsure how to answer the question.

If the reason is that Muscovites are too poor, with the cheapest concert ticket costing 50,000 rubles, equivalent to a university teacher's monthly salary, and people are unwilling to buy it, then what about the crowds in Moscow's high-end shops and restaurants?

Moscow has never lacked wealthy people, from the Tsarist era to the present day.

Look at the ice cream shop on the street corner. It's Italian. Six scoops with cereal cost $5, which is equivalent to 5,000 rubles. That works out to about 1,000 rubles per scoop, yet there are still tons of people buying it.

Among them were many simple-minded people named Madame.

Wang Xiao scratched his head, guessing for a long time, but still suspected it was too expensive.

"If it were 10,000 rubles, which is less than a week's salary for most people, I estimate that many people would buy it."

The principle behind the popularity of small-value luxury goods is that they are small enough.

She then instructed her assistant, "Go and ask what kind of discount we can get if we buy a lot."

It's perfectly normal to offer discounts when performance tickets aren't selling. Discounts of 50%, 70%, or even 90% are common.

Ivanov exclaimed in surprise, "King, how much are you going to buy? Are you planning to turn the concert into a party?"

Oh, that's not impossible. Twenty or thirty thousand tickets would only cost one or two million US dollars.

If this makes her happy, no problem, he will definitely support it.

He enthusiastically suggested, "We can call everyone over and have a good time. Wang, I believe your parents will also enjoy this kind of lively celebration."

Look at that, what a domineering CEO's statement!

A smile bought with a fortune is pretty much what it means.

Wang Xiao immediately shouted "No!"

"What kind of party is this! This is an event advertisement, a well-prepared way of promoting the event. Normally, you would have to pay someone to help you get this done."

Her eyes sparkled: "You said it's autumn in September, and Moscow is too cold; nobody would wear T-shirts at night. So let's not use T-shirts as support clothing, let's change them to fleece coats!"

She spent a lot of money and effort to make this fleece, and she was determined to make a dazzling debut in Moscow!

In this era, is there any form of publicity that can ignite the world more than a Michael Jackson concert?

The assistant didn't fully understand what his boss meant, but that didn't stop him from strictly following orders.

However, this time, he ran into a snag.

The concert organizer, who is also the head of Dessa, has arrived.

He got off the bus and went straight to the ticket office to inquire about ticket sales.

When his assistant asked for a discount on all tickets, he refused without hesitation: "No, our tickets are for real Michael fans."

Wang Xiao got out of the car and went straight up to him for a face-to-face talk: "Hi, Mr. Gasparov, perhaps we can cooperate. You see, there are less than 10 days until the concert, and ticket sales are still dismal. If this continues, the concert will really be a disaster."

Gasparov is not very old, perhaps even younger than Wang Xiao. The new elites in Moscow are mostly young people.

He didn't know Wang Xiao, but when he saw Ivanov and recognized her voice, he naturally knew who she was.

“No!” The young organizer shook his head stubbornly. “We’ve just run into a little trouble. Our enemies are attacking us in the newspapers and spreading false information, which is why our fans are suspicious. Once we clarify the truth, our fans will definitely flock to buy tickets.”

Wang Xiao shook his head, shattering his fragile illusion without hesitation: "You probably haven't been a fan of any star, so you don't understand the madness of fans who are willing to spend money. Even knowing that they are very likely to be scammed, crazy fans will still take out money to gamble on a one percent or even a one-thousandth chance. Nobody is spending money now because people are unwilling to spend money."

Gasparov remained unmoved: "Once Michael arrives and everyone knows it's real, the tickets will be snapped up like crazy."

"When is Michael coming?" Wang Xiao deliberately stabbed at his heartstrings. "Is it three days or five days in advance? It can't be a week, can it? His concert tickets haven't sold out yet. Do you think he'll come?"

Are you kidding me?!

If tickets don't sell, and the singer still insists on holding a concert, are they just going to sing to an empty stage?

Countless concerts were cancelled due to poor ticket sales!

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Note: The background information regarding Michael Jackson's 1993 Moscow concert in this article is based on the documentary "Michael Jackson in Moscow" and the memoir of Samville Gasparov, the concert's organizer at the time. Ticket sales were indeed disastrous. Gasparov explained that they were obstructed by the ticket offices: whenever the organizers tried to buy tickets themselves, they were repeatedly told that tickets were sold out or the ticket offices were closed. However, this explanation is questionable. In the documentary, some fans said they bought tickets, the cheapest of which cost 50,000 rubles each. On the day of the concert, the price plummeted to 6,000 rubles. However, only fifty or sixty people actually bought tickets (that was the only number of people waiting in the hall before the concert). Eventually, they were allowed in for free, and the concert was able to proceed.