Chapter 158 We all prosper together, we all suffer together

"Probably not."

Before Shen Wanjun could finish speaking, Bai Lu rushed over.

Her eyelids twitched, and her heart skipped a beat.

No way, really?

At this critical juncture, what kind of trouble is this Miss Bai going to cause?

It's just a cultural performance, why are we being so confrontational?

Bai Lu, however, looked anxious and whispered breathlessly, "Quick! Find your positions quickly, the performance is about to start!"

Shen Wanjun and Dang Xianghong exchanged a glance and both breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, she wasn't there to cause trouble; she was just there to encourage the audience.

The group sing-along by Shen Wanjun and several others was the first program in this cultural performance, which was of great significance.

The curtain slowly rose, revealing a large, dark mass of soldiers and their families sitting below the stage.

Song Zhan, Huang Ya, and Song Juan all looked for Shen Wanjun on the stage.

Shen Wanjun stood in the middle of the first row. The spotlight slammed on, and dust flew around in the beam of light.

She stood in the center of the stage, her posture as upright as a young poplar.

Her perfectly pressed Type 65 military uniform accentuated her supple yet agile figure.

The slightly protruding belly due to pregnancy is barely noticeable unless you look closely.

Short hair, cut to ear length, tucked behind the ears.

Shen Wanjun has delicate features and clear, firm eyes.

She clasped her hands naturally in front of her and took a slight breath.

Dang Xianghong, who was in charge of directing, stood to the side and in front, silently keeping time in her mind, preparing to start the music.

Just as all was silent, and a voice was about to speak—

"Snap!"

A sudden, sharp crack came from backstage, like the sound of something breaking.

Everyone's heart skipped a beat.

The head of the performing arts troupe immediately rushed over to check, and after a moment he poked his head out with a troubled expression.

He shook his head at Dang Xianghong and Shen Wanjun, who were anxiously waiting on the side of the stage, and mouthed silently, "The accordion is broken."

Unconvinced, he tried several of the spare instruments next to him, and his face turned even more ashen.

"The erhu... the erhu string is broken, and the trombone... it seems like something is blocking the trombone too."

The performing arts troupe immediately invited an experienced repairman to come over, and the backstage crew began to carry out repairs in a tense but discreet manner.

Such a major mistake occurred in the very first program, but the soldiers in the audience remained disciplined and didn't react much.

He still sat upright, but his eyes revealed a hint of doubt.

The military dependents couldn't help but whisper among themselves, their murmurs rising like a swarm of bees.

The children, unable to contain their excitement and feeling bored, saw many of them slip off their seats and run around in the aisle.

In an instant, the solemn and dignified party venue was thrown into chaos.

Shen Wanjun whispered to Dang Xianghong, "Judging from the situation, this instrument probably won't be repaired until after our performance."

They became mere "decorations" left to dry on the stage.

Dang Xianghong's face turned ashen, and she glared fiercely at the backstage area—Bai Lu was standing there, her face expressionless.

Dang Xianghong gritted her teeth and whispered, "I thought she had changed her ways."

I never expected her to be so wicked; she went and did something really big!

She was convinced that Bai Lu was behind it.

The sound of whispers spread like a tide.

The military wives on stage had burning cheeks and flushed faces, feeling utterly ashamed.

For them, this was not only a failure to perform, but also a disgrace to their husbands and a stain on the collective.

Some people were so anxious that tears welled up in their eyes, but they held back their sobs.

Some people looked dejected and at a loss.

Some people were stunned and didn't know how to deal with this unexpected situation.

The leaders sitting in the first row all had furrowed brows, and the atmosphere was serious and solemn.

Someone in the crowd started it up, and a woman shouted in a shrill voice.

"What's going on? Has an enemy infiltrated and tried to sabotage us?"

At this time, the worst thing is for someone to escalate the incident to a higher level.

Once such suspicion arises, it can cause inexplicable panic and endless escalation of the issue.

Gao Xiaoman's legs were trembling as she made the suggestion, her voice trembling with tears.

"How about... how about we go downstairs first?"

She no longer wanted to stand on the stage, surrounded by all sorts of inquisitive, suspicious, and gossipy eyes from the audience.

Dang Xianghong immediately lowered her voice and gave her a stern warning.

"Shut up! You were the one who insisted on joining us, and now there's no turning back!"

"We are all in this together, sharing both prosperity and adversity. Stand up straight!"

She was also panicked, but she knew that she absolutely could not back down now.

Just then, a straight figure suddenly stood up from below the stage—it was Song Zhan.

He gave Huang Ya a wink, and the two of them immediately took turns maintaining order.

The noisy children were persuaded to return to their seats with a serious yet gentle manner.

The military dependents who were whispering among themselves fell silent immediately after being swept over by Song Zhan's cold gaze, daring not to say anything more.

Song Zhan's sharp gaze locked onto the woman who had just shouted "destruction".

His voice was calm and firm: "Where is the enemy? Do you have any evidence?"

The woman was taken aback by the question and stammered, "I... I just said it offhand..."

Song Zhan snorted coldly: "Just something offhand? You can just say things like that? You have to take responsibility for your words!"

As he spoke, he shouted to those around him, "Whose family member is this? Watch your mouth!"

A man immediately stood up, looking embarrassed, and apologized repeatedly.

He grabbed the outspoken woman and hurriedly left the hall.

With the intervention of Song Zhan and Huang Ya, the scene quickly returned to quiet.

But everyone's eyes remained focused on the stage, watching how Shen Wanjun and the others would handle the situation.

In the midst of this brief chaos, Shen Wanjun and Dang Xianghong quickly exchanged glances and reached a swift consensus.

There are no shortcuts now, the only option is to sing a cappella!

Since the instrument is broken, let's not play any accompaniment and go back to basics.

Dang Xianghong took a deep breath, turned around, and faced all the team members.

With an extremely firm gaze and barely perceptible gestures, he gave everyone a signal.

Shen Wanjun stepped forward and stood at the very front.

She cleared her throat, and in the silence, the first clear and affectionate voice broke through the awkward silence.

"The five-starred red flag flutters in the wind!"

Without accompaniment, her voice was like a lone, courageous lark—direct, pure, yet full of power.

The other military spouses immediately understood and joined in the singing: "How loud the victory song is!"

After the first song ended, without any pause, Shen Wanjun immediately started the second key:

"The East Is Red—"

"The sun rises—" the song resumed seamlessly.

Because it was a medley of revolutionary songs, they had rehearsed the transitions beforehand.

At this moment, without the elaborate accompaniment, the pure vocal chorus sounds even more sincere and heartfelt.

"We march on the great road—full of vigor and high spirits—!"

"The sun sets in the west, its glow a fiery red—soldiers return to camp after target practice—"

Since the instrument is broken, let's not play any accompaniment.

The most sophisticated performances often employ the simplest methods.