Chapter 303
Zhejiang Guoxin Stadium.
When Zhou Xiao arrived at the stadium, it was already bustling with activity. The open space in the square was occupied by various fans. Only with the help of the route map posted on the fan club's blog did she find the fluttering water-filled support flag amidst the vast sea of flags.
Ji Shao's support colors didn't really stand out among the vibrant colors, but the overwhelming purple was particularly warm and elegant. She was a bit surprised to see the support area divided into squares in the distance. This seemed to be the first time NINE STAR had such a neatly arranged support system.
November had already cooled slightly, but the sun was bright and warm, making it a perfect time for outdoor activities. As the radio played NINE STAR's song for Taobao's Singles' Day shopping festival, the atmosphere suddenly became cheerful and lively.
Despite the crowds of fans, the occasional nearby resident showed up to watch the fun. Amidst the clamor, the laughter of children was particularly noticeable. Zhou Xiao, captivated, glanced sideways and saw cartoon figures playing with the children at the edge of the square. They were Taobao's corporate logo, their vibrant orange color standing out against the lawn.
Like the dolls you often see online, they all appear to be incredibly agile underneath. And even when playing with children, they remain agile and nimble, even in their bulky costumes.
Seeing this joyful scene, Zhou Xiao couldn't help but smile as she briskly headed towards her own support area. Before she even arrived, she spotted two friends standing in the front row, taking selfies.
At the front of the venue, Li Mo was holding up her phone, preparing to take a selfie with Zhu Jian. When she saw Zhou Xiao approaching them on the screen, she turned in surprise.
"Xiaoxiao!" Li Mo shouted cheerfully. He didn't even bother taking pictures now. He transferred the selfie stick to Zhu Jian's hand and ran happily towards Zhou Xiao behind him with his arms outstretched.
Zhu Jian, who was a step behind her... saw Li Mo's excitement and shook his head helplessly. But the trot that followed betrayed her excitement.
"Long time no see!" Zhou Xiao smiled and hugged Li Mo who was running towards her. After hugging her, she freed one hand to wave to Zhu Jian.
The Double 11 (Singles' Day) Gala was a star-studded affair, with the majority of the officially announced artists featuring high-profile celebrities driving ticket prices sky-high. This time, NINE STAR fans were treated to the same privileges as fans of their spokespersons. Zhu Jian and Li Mo were also lucky enough to take advantage of the company's internally discounted tickets.
The three of them were chatting together when they heard a boisterous cheer from behind. Zhou Xiao's view was obscured by the flags, so she peeked out. She was surprised to see the same cartoon figures she had seen when she arrived.
"A bit ugly," Li Mo said objectively after taking a closer look. Like Qi Sisi, she was undoubtedly a high-level face control.
"But a little cute," Zhou Xiao and Zhu Jian looked at each other and said in unison.
The chubby cartoon doll was wearing a red ribbon. Zhou Xiao took a closer look and found that the golden words on the ribbon corresponded to the lyrics sung by the NINE STAR members for Double Eleven.
The crowd cheered not because of the puppets, but because behind the puppets came an official film crew. Their cameras were trained on the puppets, as if filming offline footage.
The seven puppets lined up in a group, each seemingly destined for a destination. Zhou Xiao had assumed they would greet each other and head to the next fan support area. Unexpectedly, the leading puppet paused, causing the others behind it to bump into the back of the head of the puppet in front.
After being "beaten up" by the other six puppets, the leading puppet finally stumbled towards Zhou Xiao and the others. The others went to the various NINE STAR fan areas, a clear arrangement by the organizers.
With the envious eyes of several nearby fans, the doll's chubby and cute cartoon image immediately captured the hearts of fans offline. Of course, this was mainly due to the filters specially arranged by the organizers.
At the same time, Zhou Xiao and Li Mo looked at Zhu Jian, who was being interviewed as a conscripted man in the distance. They looked at each other and couldn't help laughing out loud.
"Let's go! Xiaoxiao, let's go get the mascot too!" Li Mo excitedly took Zhou Xiao's arm and walked towards the gathered crowd. The puppet was originally heading towards their open space, but due to its overwhelming popularity, it was stuck halfway. Furthermore, the puppet seemed to be very knowledgeable about marketing tactics, actively cooperating with every fan who came to take a photo.
When it was Zhou Xiao's turn, he, like the others before him, felt the doll's warm embrace. Resting his outstretched hand on the furry doll's large head, Zhou Xiao's thoughts began to wander. Speaking of which, this doll was quite tall...
“So tall!” “Baby, how tall are you?” “…” There are many fans who have similar ideas to Zhou Xiao, and they all offer their compliments with kindness and warmth during the photo-taking stage.
Every time the puppet stood on tiptoe and raised its hands high to gesture, the fans at the scene couldn't help laughing. They were originally just checking in, but now they were all captivated by it.
According to the red carpet order previously revealed by Jingua on the forum, due to their status as spokespersons, NINE STAR will basically be the first or last batch walking the red carpet.
The red carpet had already begun a short while ago. After confirming that the first group of people were unfamiliar, the lively and relaxed offline atmosphere belonged to the NINE STAR fans. There would still be time to watch once the red carpet was almost over. There were too many fans of the older generation present, and if there were any arguments over red carpet position, they would be the ones who would suffer.
"Bye!" "Goodbye!" "..." As if because the interview on the other end was over, the cartoon puppets that had been waiting obediently in the same place began to move. After finishing the interview, Zhu Jian looked at the departing puppets and said with some regret, "Ah, you're leaving now? I haven't lined up yet-"
But before she could finish her words, the cartoon doll, which had been deliberately moving its model gait to amuse her and was about to leave, suddenly stopped. It came back briskly, half-crouched, and embraced her with its arms wide open.
The cartoon doll was very camera-conscious and gestured to the photographer opposite to take a photo before leisurely leaving with the main group.
"Sister Rou! You are so lucky!" Li Mo, who is extremely capable of providing emotional value, screamed loudly.
Zhu Jian, hugged by the doll, looked at Zhou Xiao's smile in front of him, feeling a little dizzy. Oh no, why did he feel like he could still feel the strong boyfriend power from the doll?!
Watching the puppets line up in front of him leaving the venue, it seemed like just a special interaction with fans. But when Zhou Xiao encountered the group of cartoon puppets again, he saw that they were all lying on the lawn "basking" in the sun in a very lazy manner, which was very consistent with the lazy theme.
But when they stood up, Zhou Xiao felt a little dazed. Why did they seem to be much shorter than before?
…
As time went by, it was almost dark and the red carpet was gradually coming to an end. Zhou Xiao, who was following the crowd holding a camera, was lucky enough to "inherit" a good photo position.
After an unknown amount of time, the somewhat weary red carpet suddenly erupted in cheers. The scene was so grand that one might have thought a superstar had arrived.
Zhou Xiao looked to her left, and several figures appeared before her one after another. At the red carpet entrance, seven Taobao-branded dolls, led by a hostess, lined up neatly toward the center of the signing board.
Great! So she's the official spokesperson? The grand ceremony is understandable. The words on the sash worn by the leading cartoon figure looked quite familiar. Amidst the well-intentioned cheers, Zhou Xiao frowned, a thought flashing through her mind that even surprised her.
The originally spacious red carpet was immediately filled to the brim with official puppets. Seeing this, the red carpet host stepped forward to direct the process. After shaking hands with the leading puppet, he began the pre-announcement he'd made countless times tonight.
——【Entertainment Forum】——[November 10th evening]
【Theme】[Double Eleven Red Carpet Live Broadcast Building]
[Main] Administrator: Double Eleven Red Carpet Live Streaming Forum, please be friendly and make friends in the forum. No more related live streaming discussion forums are allowed! Violators will be dealt with according to the group rules!
1L
Tonight on Taobao's Double 11 sale, I really want to see NINE STAR and other boy bands on the same stage... Who understands? People who like fun have fun souls, and people who like fun are the best!
269L
I feel like everyone is a bit conservative this year. Is it because the market conditions are not good? I haven't seen any artist that catches my eye yet.
700L
I declare Chen Si the winner tonight! She's so beautiful! This high-slit black dress is so elegant and sexy. She's got the perfect legs! [love.jpg]
1569L
Zhong Yiwei is wearing haute couture again. Her fashion resources are really amazing! She easily stuns everyone as soon as she appears on the stage! Can anyone answer me, why are the haute couture that this girl borrows so beautiful, while those borrowed by others seem to be quite ordinary?
1999L
Help! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha Why are there so many orange dolls on the red carpet? They look ugly and cute 23333
2106L
Wow! The organizers really knew how to have fun this year! Oh my goodness, they actually let NINE STAR wear doll costumes on the red carpet! This mentality is probably a hundred years ahead of us!
…
When the mascots on the red carpet were told they wanted to "turn around" during the performance, there was a moment of silence in the media area. Looking at the host enthusiastically applauding, the media members [do not understand but respect.jpg]
Of course, a few entertainment reporters couldn't help but complain, "Is there anyone who can help what's going on? What's so fun about fiddling with these dolls?"
"Just think of this as the organizer's childishness," a voice from the side said faintly, adding, "Tell the copywriter to be a little excited, to the point where they'll be screaming with cuteness."
Almost everyone in the room assumed the seven puppets on stage would be wearing Calabash Brothers headgear after their heads were removed. After all, the official limit for pranks... wait, is there such a thing as a limit?
The cartoon puppets on the red carpet didn't seem to care why the crowd below had gone so quiet. With some unspoken agreement, they all took off their masks and said in unison, "Hello everyone, we are NINE STAR" as the host finished his announcement.
For a moment, the whole place was silent… No! Then, a series of crisp shutter clicks rang out! Someone subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound, only to see a blurry figure. Then, as if startled awake, the whole place was filled with the crackling sound of shutters.
Ji Shao, who was holding the puppet head on the stage, quickly locked onto the position where the first shutter was pressed. When he found that there was his own small light sign in that area, his beautiful peach blossom eyes curved again and again.
Though it was autumn, wearing a doll costume was no joke. Under the spotlight, the young man held the doll head he had just taken off in one hand. Beads of sweat were clearly visible on his forehead, clearly from the intense heat. But their efforts were having a noticeable effect.
Amidst the trending searches for high-end gowns and celebrity lookbooks, #NINE STAR red carpet doll costumes# quickly climbed to the fifth spot on the search list. Especially during the livestream, Ji Shao, after removing the doll's head, with his slightly messy hair and hazy, momentarily confused eyes, was a bombshell to her fans!
When all the major entertainment reporters were editing this video into pieces, Zhou Xiao, who had already arrived at the Double Eleven venue, also showed his usual hand speed.
You know, she was the only one who captured the most precious scene at the first moment! While other entertainment reporters were still taking screenshots in the video, Zhou Xiao had already captured this scene.
…
Inside the stadium, the live broadcast ended and the evening show finally began. Zhou Xiao looked up at the artist heading to the main stage. After realizing it wasn't Ji Shao, he lowered his head and began selecting pictures.
Zhou Xiao's seat was in the front row. In front of her were a dozen or so tables reserved for the artists. As she sat down, she spotted NINE STAR's table. After all, whenever a full-member performance took place, the entire group would be seated at the same table, and that spot was now empty.
Taobao's Double 11 shopping festival was a massive success this year, with nearly all of the featured artists currently enjoying significant popularity or those poised to rise to fame, undoubtedly aiming to double down on ratings and popularity. After the host quickly finished a lengthy oral announcement, the opening dance began.
As a skilled textile fan, Zhou Xiao had long since adapted to the occasional lighting changes to enhance the atmosphere. Of course, there were many fans at the scene who had adapted just like her.
Fans who managed to snag a front-row ticket to the gala are undoubtedly well-funded fangirls/photographers. Why? Just looking at her sleek array of photography equipment makes it clear.
The lights on the stage flickered. Zhou Xiao listened to the music and edited and sent a few photos that he had simply edited. Then he leaned back in his chair and began to watch tonight's performance.
The opening dance was a medley of popular songs, including Ji Shao's "Autumnal Equinox." Although the main character didn't participate in the opening, the presence of this song made Zhou Xiao pay close attention.
Of course, the crowds were just as lively as the ones on stage. Zhou Xiao propped his chin up and picked up the program on his seat, carefully reading it. Hmm, this seems quite different from the program that was circulated online?
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