Chapter 115
【Live broadcast starts】
The lights dimmed, and the large screen and the floor in the studio were covered with the boundless stars of the vast universe. As a lyrical piece of music played, the large screen behind them gradually revealed the guest performers. Normally, when Ji Shao and the other three, the hottest new faces of the summer, appeared, the audience would be bustling with activity, but the audience seemed remarkably calm.
Zhou Xiao, who was sitting on the stage, looked curiously at the audience on his left. Although the lighting was a little dim, he could still see the indifference and seriousness on the faces of the audience next to him.
Zhou Xiao suddenly understood why Huayao had asked the fan club to tell its own fans not to support the team in person. In this situation, even the sound of support seemed out of place.
After the large screen on the stage finished displaying all the participating artists, a middle-aged male host emerged from backstage and took center stage. Holding a microphone, he introduced himself to the audience as background music played, then quickly read off a list of the show's sponsors.
Zhou Xiao wasn't familiar with the host, but she joined the audience in applauding him. Host Guo Chengren was quite humorous, and his delivery wasn't overly mesmerizing. As he introduced the nine guests, starting with the theme of "growth," he emphasized three times that he hoped the audience would give the next speaker a quiet moment. Only then did he introduce the nine guests one by one to the stage.
Zhou Xiao kept his camera trained on the stairs, waiting for Ji Shao to appear. Soon, the first few to appear were well-known actors and hosts. When Ji Shao finally arrived, accompanied by Chu Cheng and Yan Shu, there was still a small commotion in the room.
His broad shoulders and narrow waist, framed by a white shirt and black trousers, gave him a more defined silhouette, a stark contrast to his previous appearances of formality and solemnity. When Ji Shao took his turn, his very first appearance captivated the audience. The lights seemed to favor him, and as he took one long stride onto the stage behind host Huang Jie, the audience seemed inexplicably captivated by him.
When it was Ji Shao's turn to introduce himself, he raised the microphone to his lips and signaled to Chu Cheng and Yan Shu on his left. The three of them spoke at the same time, "Hello everyone, we are the NINE STAR team!"
"Hello everyone, I'm Ji Shao from NINE STAR. I'm very happy to have the opportunity to speak on the theme of 'Growth' today with all the senior teachers and my teammates on 'Speech Under the Starry Sky' for everyone in the audience and the audience in front of the screen!"
[Can you tell me? This is really not very friendly to Mr. Huang Jie, hahahaha]
[OMG, he looks so handsome even in the live stream! He really has the captain vibe.]
[Wow, I was feeling sleepy, but now I feel so refreshed.]
"Speech Under the Starry Sky" is a program where guests share their personal experiences and summaries of their life lessons. This leads to the fact that, whether for the audience in front of the screen or in person, once the person's speech is about an area they are not interested in, it will begin to feel boring and uninteresting.
The order of the speeches this time was obviously arranged according to seniority. Halfway through the speech, Zhou Xiao looked at several audience members around him who were yawning with their mouths wide open and silently looked away. He could only say that it was a good thing that no one dozed off at this time.
To be a good actor, to surprise the audience with each and every role, one must maintain a certain sense of mystery. Several of the experienced and talented actors featured in this episode clearly maintain this aura well. But speaking is not the same as filming. Shedding the allure of their roles, these actors incorporated their own teachings into their speeches for the young audience.
Zhou Xiao couldn't help but yawn slightly, feeling that this episode's audience should be more inclined towards younger actors within the industry. After all, these were all experiences shared by veterans, and while they might be valuable lessons for them, they were undoubtedly a bit unsettling for those in the audience who were clearly not part of the target audience.
[I feel dizzy. This is so boring. When can I get to Ji Shao?]
[Don't bring bad luck to Ji Shao in front of you, just wait patiently]
I felt refreshed after washing my hair, but now I feel sleepy again. Is there no one reviewing my work?
Just as Zhou Xiao was dozing off, and even the coffee Qi Sisi had brought him wasn't working, a voice suddenly rang out from the seat next to him. "Hey, hello!" The voice was soft, trembling, and excited.
Zhou Xiao turned his head to the right and saw a young woman waving at him from the seat next to him. He subconsciously felt that the person next to him was the same as him. Sure enough, as he moved his gaze downward, he saw that person also had a camera on their lap.
Realizing Zhou Xiao's gaze, the girl became even more excited. "I'm Lian Sheng, the station girl of the Yan Shu family. You're Ji Shao's crush, right? I've wanted to get to know you for a long time, but never had the chance."
Zhou Xiao nodded, leaning closer to the girl's seat, and the two of them began to talk in hushed tones. This reminded Zhou Xiao of her school days, when she'd secretly chatted with her classmates while the teacher was giving a lecture. When she looked up at the middle-aged actor's impassioned speech on stage, she realized, well, it was exactly the same.
"Xindong, have you noticed they're always looking to the left?" After a short conversation, Lian Sheng began to relax and discussed something she'd been noticing with Zhou Xiao. Although she was experienced in fandom, this was her first time on a speech-style show, and she couldn't figure out the reason for it.
"Maybe they're looking at a teleprompter? Look at that black remote control everyone's holding. It should be a self-propelled page-turner." Zhou Xiao recalled the same situation at her previous company, when she presented plans and PowerPoint presentations to clients. The plans were often revised repeatedly, often only being completed before the morning meeting. Many people, including herself, had no time to memorize their notes and could only explain them as they read.
Soon after one of the artists on stage finished his speech, the host introduced Huang Jie. Perhaps because Huang Jie is an excellent host himself, he was one of the few artists who could liven up the audience's spirits.
Unlike some previous hosts who stuttered and frequently consulted their teleprompters, Huang Jie spoke virtually impromptu. When he noticed the audience's attention was about to wander, he'd occasionally drop a few amusing tidbits from his hosting career, which immediately caught the audience's attention. Watching his speech intently, it was clear that Huang Jie truly knew how to captivate the audience.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly called out to the next guest, "Speaking of growth, I'm really looking forward to Ji Shao from Star 101. I wonder what kind of growth you've gained from going from an amateur to the champion who debuted as the center position?"
The host standing nearby followed up the topic and said with a smile, "You are trying to steal my hosting position!"
I'm not kidding when I suggest Huang Jie be the host.
[Brothers, can you please memorize your lines when you give your speeches? Your character filters are almost gone!]
[Host, can you please stop talking nonsense! Please hurry up!]
The host quickly summarized Huang Jie's speech and brought the topic back to Star 101. Clearly, this topic held a greater appeal for the audience; summer hit variety shows aren't just random mentions. As soon as the host mentioned Ji Shao, applause erupted from the audience.
The moment Ji Shao took the stage, Zhou Xiao didn't know if it was an illusion, but he felt the air on stage seemed to have become a little fresher. It was like the bright sunshine of the rising sun, bringing a constant flow of new energy to the stage.
This youth stage of "Growth" suddenly made Zhou Xiao realize the potential meaning of this theme at this moment.
Although Ji Shao, as captured on camera, appeared a bit nervous upon his initial appearance, Zhou Xiao was particularly pleased by his steady gaze. Unlike his predecessors, he didn't subconsciously glance at the teleprompter after each line. This doesn't necessarily mean the previous actors didn't memorize their lines; it's more about nervousness. After all, the two large jibs above the stage aren't just for show.
Speaking of this, we have to mention the idol's sensitivity to the camera. At least Ji Shao's capture of the camera is very friendly to the audience watching the live broadcast online. Many people even have the feeling that Ji Shao is giving a 1V1 speech to them.
As someone who fought his way to the center position on Star 101, Ji Shao embodies the concept of growth. Fans of the show will often describe their favorite idols with the phrase "rapid growth," a term that stems from how Ji Shao positioned himself throughout the competition.
When Ji Shao mentioned how he and his teammates had been practicing their songs so hard during the competition, the audience laughed heartily. It's rare to find an artist who can thrive in this kind of atmosphere and still manage to lead the atmosphere.
Ji Shao's allure isn't just reflected in his appearance, but also in his conversation and demeanor, which creates a sense of security. While someone seemingly gaining control of the stage might occasionally glance at the cheat sheet, it's precisely this fresh, inexperienced quality that captivates viewers.
[That's a good point! If newcomers want to give speeches, they can learn from Ji Shao.]
[It’s better than I thought.]
[Wow, Ji Shao is really friendly to those who are lesbian and face-obsessed!]
Zhou Xiao didn't put away the camera in his hand until Ji Shao left the stage. Lian Sheng beside him had already started to get nervous about Yan Shu.
I'd expected Ji Shao to perform well, but not quite so well. Chu Cheng, the next of the three, had also debuted before, so he should have more experience. This was one of the reasons Yan Shu was worried about her performance when she was the last to appear. After all, the three of them were in the same boy band, and their performances were often compared frame by frame. And in a performance like this, no one would miss out.
Lian Sheng was not the only one who had similar ideas. In the live broadcast room, many of her fans had already started flooding the screen with comments, trying to rehearse how to cover up the bad remarks with barrages.
Fortunately, both of their speeches were pretty good. While not as long as Ji Shao's, they were still decent. Zhou Xiao and Lian Sheng beside him exchanged a glance. Ji Shao's speech had been short, but since the host had mentioned a lot about the collaboration between Star 101 and Blueberry Video, Ji Shao didn't think much about it because he didn't have much time.
But at this moment, Chu Cheng and Yan Shu also have little time. As for today's program, the time spent speaking by the previous actors is much longer than the combined time of the three NINE STAR members.
But as far as today's live performance is concerned, Zhou Xiao can say with all his heart that Ji Shao performed quite well in his speech today.
"Why do I feel that even if they win the Best Actor or Best Actress award, they won't be that great at public speaking?" Lian Sheng and Zhou Xiao whispered. The cast this time was very good, but they could only excel in acting, not public speaking.
With the host's final closing remarks, "Speech Under the Starry Sky" came to an end. Watching the crowd rise, Zhou Xiao couldn't help but ask his audience, "Excuse me, how did you get your tickets?"
Lian Sheng, who was standing by, was also a bit curious. The man pondered for a moment and said, "Our tickets are issued by the company. Basically, everyone here is from the same industry, unlike you young people."
Zhou Xiao and Lian Sheng exchanged glances. No wonder everyone was so aloof; it turned out they were just insiders, filling in the numbers. Because of their collaboration with the higher-ups, this show couldn't have too much entertainment, so to reduce post-production work, they directly allocated tickets to employees from various media outlets and management companies within the industry. This was one of the reasons Huayao emphasized this so much; they couldn't give off a bad impression right from the start.
After Zhou Xiao and Lian Sheng left their contact information with each other, Zhou Xiao, who watched Lian Sheng leave first, waited for Qi Sisi who was rushing towards her and waving her arms at her.
When the two of them met, Zhou Xiao noticed that Qi Sisi's face was quite rosy and excited. "What's wrong with you?" He handed Qi Sisi the mirror in his bag, motioning her to look at her face. Zhou Xiao wondered how watching a show could make him so excited.
Soon, she found out why Qi Sisi was so excited. "Xiaoxiao! I just got a full refund for the coffee I bought earlier!" Qi Sisi proudly handed Zhou Xiao a screenshot of the refund on her phone.
She's quite considerate of fans like Qi Sisi, who bought coffee first, Zhou Xiao thought, looking at the screenshot Qi Sisi sent her of the refund. Qi Sisi, standing by, was already as happy as a bird. She wasn't concerned about the money, but felt warmed by the consideration she received.
"Let's go to Sister Li's cafe so I can edit a picture." Zhou Xiao hooked his finger at Qi Sisi, and then walked with her to Li Ruoshi's cafe.
Ji Shao and the others, who had just finished their speeches, weren't idle either. Fans soon discovered they were following each other on Weibo with the artists who were also participating in the speeches. Among them, the interactions between Huang Jie and Ji Shao were clearly more interesting.
——【Forum】——[September 1st afternoon]
【Topic】"Speech Under the Starry Sky" is finally over!
[Main Post] As expected, they started following each other as soon as the show ended. Hehehe, NINE STAR really got it right for this show!
1L
This is what I deserve after forcing myself to watch the live speech for over two hours! Ahhh, I need to make some connections in the industry!
14L
Report! Aside from two slightly older actors who don't use Weibo much, almost everyone is following our NINE STAR team~ So satisfying!
27L
I watched the speech, and I'm really proud of it. Let's not talk about Ji Shao for now, he's a complete jerk! Chu Cheng and Yan Shu were a little nervous, but you could tell they were both good kids who had memorized their speeches beforehand, much better than their seniors in the same room (is that something you can say?)! It was truly an honor!
46L
I feel like Ji Shao still gets more attention. Look at the comments Huang Jie, a shrewd host in the industry, made to Ji Shao. His comments are more sarcastic than those to others.
82L Green River Grass
I heard that the idea of relieving the congestion in the square was proposed by one of our own members. It not only took into account the emotions of offline fans, but also showed off in front of the seniors. The boss of Blueberry Video was also very happy.
106L
Reply to 82L: Qingqing, now that you say that, I'm going to start a rumor. Our NINE STAR team is about to take off, hahahaha
…
The forum is currently enjoying the discussion about the three members participating in "Speech Under the Starry Sky" today, but for fans of the other six members, their tolerance has reached its limit.
Especially after seeing them following each other and posting photos with famous artists in the circle, these six fans quickly censored the promotional blog posted by @NINE STAR official Weibo for Ji, Shao and the other two.
They are all from the same group, but their idols are still hiding in some unknown corner. And for fans of these idols, there has been no new material to watch for quite some time.
While the trainees they picked for the NINE STAR sub-group recordings certainly had no impact, the success of others was even more worrying. In short, watching the trending searches for terms like #NINE STAR记录#, #Huang Jie teased Ji Shao#, and #Follow each other after the show# slowly climb the search charts for the remaining fans was a pain in the ass.
Children who don't make a fuss get no candy. A united protest is the only way to get more attention and resources for your own artists. If you make a fuss, you'll get the resources, right? — Tips from various management companies
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