Chapter 293
The organizers had made extensive preparations for the guest performers' rehearsal. Within minutes, medical staff wearing uniforms from Ren Ai Hospital came on stage to examine Xu Zhou.
This is a private hospital near the venue, offering quick consultations and high privacy. Huayao contacted the hospital based on their assessment of their members' recent condition and after consulting with the organizers. I just wanted peace of mind, but I didn't expect it would be used.
Back on stage, both the onstage crew and the medical staff ignored Xu Zhou's desire to continue rehearsing. Only after he was helped off the stage did Zhou Xiao and Zhang Hongyu exchange a glance before returning to their chairs.
"The schedule's pretty tight, huh?" Zhou Xiao put away her camera and propped up her chin, watching the members practicing on stage again. Her tone wasn't one of questioning, but rather one of affirmation tinged with emotion.
"Yeah," Zhang Hongyu nodded, also looking towards the stage. "I heard from Brother Chen that Ji Shao was busy with several days of production and only managed to find a few days to come here."
Very clever! Zhou Xiao glanced over and saw that Zhang Hongyu's face had regained its smug look. The medical staff didn't send Xu Zhou directly to the hospital, but instead had him observed nearby in the audience. This meant that his condition was not bad and there was no need to worry too much.
He also brought a camera, but not to film now. He was waiting for the final rehearsal. By filming now, the members' energy and conditioning were at their breaking point. But Zhang Hongyu knew this scene would be a real killer for the fans!
As for the members' individual rehearsal footage? He doesn't have to worry about that. See those people standing like wooden stakes in front of the stage? They're all assistants holding cameras/phones, filming.
At the rehearsal, one spot on the stage, originally occupied by nine people, was left empty. While this didn't hinder the members' movement practice, it was clear everyone was on edge. After this round of rehearsal, they even obediently broke off a stick of glucose, each of them drinking it with a savage sweetness that made their faces shudder.
Xu Zhou, who had just returned to the team, looked at the members in such a state and couldn't help but challenge them. He was soon punished for his words. After a crushing attack and defense, he was forced to drink a glucose bottle by the members on the field.
Zhou Xiao felt a little relieved watching Ji Shao playing and joking with the other members in front of the camera. He still had the energy to play around, which meant he was in good shape. At least he wouldn't have the same situation as Xu Zhou had earlier.
Just as Zhou Xiao was about to put down his camera, Ji Shao's eyes suddenly glanced over. The flash of surprise and delight in his eyes was fleeting, and after repeated confirmation, they were filled with joy.
After deliberately reaching out to tidy his hair and turning his hat upside down, Ji Shao secretly made a scissors gesture in that direction. Then he saw a small purple sign being raised, and then it was quickly withdrawn the next moment.
His beautiful peach blossom eyes were filled with laughter. The fans and supporters who had sneaked in from the audience noticed that Ji Shao had softened considerably. Curious, they craned their necks to look in the direction the young man was looking. Unfortunately, the angle in the audience wasn't very good; they could only vaguely make out a figure over there.
Zhou Xiao in the audience didn't know that she had been piqued by others' curiosity. When she saw Ji Shao on the stage waving in her direction, she also waved in response.
"NINE STAR teachers, please get ready. The second rehearsal is about to begin. Teachers, please be prepared. Thank you for your hard work!" The broadcast on the stage sounded, and the members who were originally resting started to move.
Zhou Xiao saw Ji Shao pause as he headed for the center of the stage. He then decisively turned and trotted backstage, his steps still hinting at a hint of urgency and briskness. Ji Shao's behavior wasn't out of place on stage. After passing a few staff members checking the equipment, he disappeared from the stage.
Zhou Xiao, holding her camera, seemed to understand. She never lowered her lens, keeping it trained on the exit where Ji Shao had disappeared. A moment later, a gleaming microphone emerged like mushrooms after a rainstorm, followed by a hand gripping the microphone, and then a furry head.
Ji Shao, microphone in hand, leaped from the backstage, landing like a nimble cheetah, making little noise. The name tag, affixed with a paperclip to his pure white T-shirt, trembled in mid-air, its rustling thrumming strangely audible through the screen.
Seeing the microphone in Ji Shao's hand, Zhou Xiao's face lit up in his seat. Looking back at Ji Shao, it wasn't so much that he was holding the microphone, but rather that he looked like a young talent who had received a reward. If people had tails, Ji Shao's would undoubtedly be the tallest on the field.
The white and purple microphone stood out against the black crowd. Zhou Xiao also noticed at that moment that Ji Shao was wearing an in-ear monitor. The left side of the monitor was a lavender and crystal gemstone color scheme, while the right side had the same color gradient as the microphone. The surface was also coated with a pearlescent lacquer and engraved with the neem flower logo. From beginning to end, this custom item seemed to announce to everyone that it belonged exclusively to Ji Shao.
As the music began to play, rehearsals continued. Under the spotlight, Ji Shao was completely immersed. The increasingly polished stage was the result of repeated rehearsals. He'd rehearsed countless times, but the young man at the center of the stage still executed his movements with unwavering precision. He seemed tireless, even when sweating profusely, showing no sign of stopping.
The single "Jiang" played repeatedly, and Zhou Xiao in the audience could also feel the members' strong desire to strive for progress. The stage was actually quite complete, but it seemed that for them, it was far from enough!
…
——【Forum】——[October 25th evening]
[Topic] Oh my god, Xu Zhou's biggest fan said he fainted during rehearsal today!
[Main] "Asian Pop Music" is about to start tomorrow, so I hope it won't be affected. [Worried] NINE STAR finally got together, so please don't let anything go wrong! Otherwise, I'll really rent a truck and go to Huayao Building to protest!
1L
No one would be able to handle this crazy schedule, right? The others who didn't faint were considered healthy!
23L
NINE STAR's non-stop work makes even a casual fan like me feel heartbroken. This crappy company only cares about making money. I heard from the front lines that NINE STAR rehearsed until the early morning yesterday.
55L
Didn't you send him to the hospital after he fainted? Are you still rehearsing? Even Zhou Baopi wouldn't exploit people this much...
88L
It's really contradictory. I hope they don't work too hard, but I also hope they can break the traffic prejudice in "Asian Wave". It would be great if time is not so tight now. The kids are really tired TAT
107L
Xu Zhou's fan club released a statement saying that Xu Zhou had hypoglycemia, and after recovering, he took the initiative to apply for rehearsals for the performance. Those who spread rumors and accused him of fan abuse have no conscience. How could fans curse their own idol?
[picture]
The picture is a snapshot of Xu Zhou falling to the ground. The background without mosaics shows members running towards him. Their faces look a little distorted.
139L
[Laughing and crying] Can the person who posted the photo not be so petty? The other members are all concerned about you! And they deliberately posted a black picture, which is really a bit disgusting, but guess what, Ji Shao next to you is still more handsome than you [clown]
…
Xu Zhou's hypoglycemia incident on stage initially garnered much sympathy from the group's fans. Coupled with the fan accounts from the rehearsal, this further solidified the group's spirit. However, due to the fan's petty thoughts, the photo they posted became the catalyst.
For marketing accounts, this is undoubtedly a huge sales boost. They create content that criticizes one and praises another, or criticizes and praises multiple times, and quickly attracts fan manipulation. Marketing accounts are very satisfied with this. Fans cursing at their posts is a great thing. Popularity is truly linked to real money!
Although the situation online was not looking good, offline at the moment, the atmosphere was joyful. On a sunny afternoon, Zhou Xiao saw many familiar faces among the crowd in the open space of the venue.
Yu Du, camera-toting, saw Zhou Xiao and moved towards her, feeling like he'd found his true support. The scene was a bit chaotic. The fan club leader, who usually maintained order offline, was handing out tickets in the coffee shop across the street. Fans who had gotten tickets earlier or through other channels gathered together, creating a chaotic atmosphere.
"Xindong Teacher! We finally meet again!" Yu Du dyed her hair purple for the occasion. Many people at the scene joked that she dyed her hair purple in the support color, and that Ji Shao on stage would definitely remember her.
Although Yu Du had this in mind, she was impatient to be told off by everyone. It just so happened that her best friend was here! So she decisively left the others behind and trotted towards Zhou Xiao's position.
"Nice to meet you again! Your hair looks great, it suits you very well!" Zhou Xiao didn't know that this was the other party's minefield, so he said this the moment he opened his mouth.
"Hehe," Yu Du, stroking her purple hair, was so happy after hearing the compliment that she almost lost her mind. She was also a little proud that the other person had noticed this. As for her being impatient with others talking about her hair just a second ago, come on, she was really moved! Double standards, it's that simple!
Just then, the venue called everyone to line up for ticket inspection. This was the second year that "Asia Pop Music" had hosted a major idol boy group, and this time, they seemed to have more experience than last year. There were five security checkpoints alone.
A flurry of chatter followed, and Zhou Xiao could vaguely sense that almost half the crowd were NINE STAR fans. Just like where Yu Du had just been standing, that area was filled with Ji Shao fans.
"Ya Chao" banned offline support, meaning this group of people had obtained tickets through various channels. After hearing the horn, a large group of people headed towards the security checkpoint. Of course, don't get me wrong, they weren't there to check their tickets, but to see if the red carpet at the entrance was set up.
Zhou Xiao and the others arrived at the perfect time, just as the staff were removing the barriers. However, before the fans in the front could even get a good spot, they discovered that the barriers were not being removed, but moved further away, seemingly to create an undisturbed environment for the red carpet.
The original location of the fence was not too far from the red carpet, but after it was deliberately moved, the distance from the red carpet was obviously lengthened.
"Such a small distance won't block the filming. Besides, isn't the purpose of creating this red carpet to attract attention? Can't the organizers treat us better?" Someone in the crowd complained, and it immediately resonated with others.
Even on red carpets filled with big-name artists, the barriers aren't placed this far apart. Besides the top-tier boy band NINE STAR, are there any other top-tier artists from "Asian Trend"?
As many people were complaining, they noticed a black sedan approaching the red carpet entrance. But they only glanced at it before their attention shifted. As everyone knows, the later the red carpet arrives, the more prominent the celebrities. Someone so far ahead was probably just a minor celebrity.
However, the next second, when Ji Shao, dressed in a suit and tie, opened the car door and appeared on the red carpet, the whole audience was boiling! Following closely behind were the other members of NINE STAR, who were also wearing suits. When everyone was wondering why there were so many people, an extra-long nanny car drove up behind the black car.
The crowd suddenly became excited. As some people excitedly hung half their bodies on the fence and reached out to the people on the red carpet, Zhou Xiao, who was standing in the back, suddenly felt that the organizers had learned from their experience and placed the fence in a very prudent manner.
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