Chapter 485
The countdown ended, and so did the audience's tacit, harmonious countdown. As the number "one" on the big screen faded from view, everyone in the room felt only the thumping of their hearts, instantly drowning out all the cheers and screams.
In the darkness, a purple spotlight shone obliquely from the side, illuminating a figure at the center of the stage. Amidst the interplay of exclamations and the prelude, the young man, surrounded by the drum set, looked like a little sun, his head held high and gazed forward with a brilliant smile. As he tilted his head to play the drums, a small dimple inadvertently appeared on one side.
In the center of the stage, the blue and purple gradient acrylic drum set looks particularly dreamy under the light. It seems that this is a drum set that has Ji Shao's name engraved on it since birth.
The metallic cymbals perched on their stands exuded a sense of texture, their rounded shape resembling a perfect moon suspended high in a dreamlike space. From the moment Ji Shao struck the cymbals with his drumsticks, the fans in the audience felt as if the pitch-black sky had finally welcomed a bright moon.
Of course, the moon wasn't visible inside the venue; it was merely a silvery glow simulated by the on-site lighting technology. But when it was combined with "Moon Rhapsody," the opening track from the album "Chasing Light," everyone was willingly captivated by it, no matter how much artificial technology was involved.
"On that curtain loaded with stars," the languid voice onstage sang like dandelions scattered by the wind on the grassland, each blossoming flower inviting one to reach out and grasp the pappus that tickles the heart. At the same time, it was like the whispers of lovers, soft, warm, and irresistibly captivating.
The delicate R&B style stirred the audience's emotions almost as soon as the melody sounded. As everyone was immersed in the music, the sound of instruments in the venue began to go beyond just drums.
“Oh my god, it’s a band!” “Ah ...
The moment the bass and guitar began to play, the crowd erupted in lively interaction and cheers. Especially when the camera panned from the band suddenly appearing in the background to Ji Shao, the surprise that moment brought to the fans was beyond description.
Using the band for a fan meeting was a truly lavish expense. This "little detail" wasn't mentioned at all in the pre-promotional announcements. But for the fans in attendance, this "little detail" was a complete surprise!
"I want to go through the darkness and chase the light." The loud singing voice was accompanied by the dynamic drumsticks that had left afterimages, the crisp and powerful drum sounds were matched with Ji Shao's high notes, and in less than five minutes after the countdown ended, a hearty R&B music was presented to everyone.
The excitement in the audience at this moment could no longer be described. When Ji Shao raised his hand to indicate listening, everyone wanted to shout at the top of their lungs if they could. They cheered loudly to thank Ji Shao for this wonderful performance.
On the stage, a black-clad staff member, bending over at a rapid pace, deftly handed Ji Shao his own gradient-colored microphone. The microphone, firmly gripped by slender, powerful fingers, appeared even smoother and smoother under the light, and a chorus of gasps echoed.
"The first stage of 'Moon Rhapsody' is dedicated to you," Ji Shao said, his face flushed with embarrassment due to the booing and gasping from the audience. "I wonder... are you all satisfied?"
One moment, he was a flamboyant superstar on stage, and the next, he became a shy young man. This extreme contrast made not only the fans in the venue, but also the millions of viewers in the live broadcast room howl in frustration.
What is emotional value? This is emotional value!
Ji Shao looked up at the dark stage, where only a single bright spotlight shone on him. After the fans calmed down a bit, Ji Shao continued, "Actually, the company was planning to assign me a host..."
“No!” “No host.” “Xiao Shao, don’t agree!” “We are enough.” “…”
Before Ji Shao finished speaking, the fans in the audience couldn't hold back their excitement. In this space that belonged exclusively to them and Ji Shao, any outsiders joining in was unnecessary. Even if it might be boring and they could only stare blankly, everyone was very happy to do it!
"Ah, why did you snatch my words away?" The shallow dimples became deeper, and the smile on Ji Shao's face seemed to be filled with excessive sweetness at this moment.
"Do you remember the chorus we agreed on before the show started?"
"Remember!"
"Shall we sing this song together?"
"good!"
“…”
It was like a kindergarten teacher arranging a chorus, except this time the "children" were all incredibly obedient and sensible. While answering Ji Shao's questions, they also gave him full, even overflowing, emotional value.
"Chasing Light," the title song from the album of the same name, suggests a restrained ballad. However, it's actually a pop track with a captivating melody and a powerful rhythm. It doesn't have catchy lyrics, yet its style captivates. It's a song you'll want to hear again after the first listen, earning it the nickname "Ace of the Hit" by Douyin users.
A magnificent opening ended, and then another feast began. At tonight's meeting, someone managed to make everyone fully enjoy the stage.
…
Zhou Xiao held up his camera, capturing Ji Shao's unbridled charm as he unleashed his sweat on stage. Besides new songs from the album, the meeting also featured many songs that fans had wished for in the studio's comments section.
It was a very high price to pay, but the young man shining brightly on the stage clearly didn't care. Because the fans wanted to hear him sing, so he sang.
Even when someone was clamoring to hear the theme song of "Star 101" in the audience, Ji Shao did not look embarrassed at all. A smile became a symbol on his face. It seemed that he could easily solve all the problems raised by fans tonight.
The next second, what shocked everyone was that Ji Shao, who was standing on the stage, actually called Huayao Xingyu's boss Zong Zhengqian directly.
At this moment, both the fans in the venue and the audience watching the live broadcast felt a sense of unreality. Ever since Nine Star appeared on CCTV's Mid-Autumn Festival Gala, almost everyone could sense how cold Huayao was towards the disbanded group.
Leveraging the popularity of a now-disbanded top boy band, they delegated the song to other boy and girl groups under their own company for performance. Everyone saw the subtle schemes behind this, but the smoothness of the communication was a surprise to everyone.
Zong Zhengqian on the other end of the phone was obviously not informed in advance. After thinking for a while, she not only authorized Ji Shao to participate in this meeting, but also agreed to his participation in the dance singing competition and all the songs he participated in during the group's formation.
After being authorized, Zong Zhengqian didn't rush to hang up the phone. Instead, she used this communication to reveal a piece of news to all the former NINE STAR members. An attitude that she herself, and that could represent Hua Yao—
"While wishing Xiao Ji a successful fan meeting, I'd also like to take a moment to say a few words. NINE STAR kids, please sing all you want at your first fan meeting, but I'll be charging for the next one!"
The fan in the audience who shouted that she wanted to listen to the theme song was clapping her hands hard at this moment. She didn't expect Ji Shao to hear her voice, nor did she expect Ji Shao to call Huayao's boss directly to ask for authorization for her.
But at this moment, she knew that she would always be the one chasing after this star.
——【Entertainment Forum】——[November 9th evening]
【Subject】Wow! Ji Shao is so brave!
[Main Post] I actually called my former boss to ask for permission just because a fan wanted to listen to "Star Road 101"!!! When will my wallet ever be this fat!!!
1L
The licensing for "Star 101" is incredibly valuable. There was a contestant who was eliminated before, and when he was being urged to sing this song during a livestream, he didn't dare to speak, saying the copyright was too expensive.
34L
Reply to 1L: It's Gao Hanwen. I can still frequently see his videos on Douyin when he first broke out. But livestreaming is so profitable, and you still think it's expensive? It must be really expensive, right? But since they're not in the entertainment industry anymore, there's no point in spending that money singing for people in the livestream room [squint]
86L
I'm worried that if she's willing to pay out of her own pocket to sing the song I want to hear for me... Ahh ...
147L
Zong Zhengqian is indeed the boss, so generous. Now I am thinking about whether I should support their new talent show again [funny] But now, apart from twice-cooked pork, there are only crooked melons and cracked dates. I really can't eat them.
208L
Brother Shao is so awesome. He directly helped his brothers save such a huge sum of money!
…
Inside the stadium, during the halftime break, the paper bag that had been making everyone nervous could finally be opened with Ji Shao's smiling gesture!
"I can't bear to open it. Xiaoxiao, can I see what's inside first?" Seeing Zhou Xiao about to open it, Li Mo's face wrinkled in confusion as she stared at the seal on the paper bag, afraid that she would accidentally tear it. This was a gift from Ji Shao, so she had to keep it safe even down to the seal!
Zhou Xiao suppressed his laughter, but still graciously fulfilled Li Mo's request. When he carefully tore open the seal, the first thing he saw was a shiny object in the paper bag, which was a bit dazzling.
When the paper bag was stretched wider, the three heads that gathered around could clearly see what it was.
This is a shiny gold medal. Zhou Xiao took it in his hand and turned it over. On the back of the gold medal was engraved a line of words and a logo - "The First Star Sports Games & Blueberry Video Logo"
Why was it a gold medal? Zhou Xiao held the gold medal in his hand, lost in memory. Then, as if remembering something, he looked at Ji Shao on the stage with a bit of surprise, who was posing in perfect harmony with his colleagues.
It turns out that the young man who said "I can't give it to you right now" had never forgotten that promise. While waiting for the perfect opportunity today, he finally delivered this meaningful surprise.
On the stage, Ji Shao put his hands on his waist, with a little pride in his expression. At this moment, he was looking around proudly, trying to see who got the gold medal he hid in the gift bag.
"Ah! Isn't this the T-shirt that WP just sold a while ago?" "And there's a sports bracelet, I was just about to buy the same one as Xiao Shao!" "Help, isn't this too much?" "Ahhhhhh, is this a small gold medal?" "..."
The crowd was buzzing with activity. Every time something was pulled out of the gift bag, there was a roar of applause. Especially when the small gold medal, roughly the size of a thumb, appeared, everyone couldn't help but blush with delight.
You know, the price of gold is very high this year!
You know, when Ji Shao said he was going to give gold to fans, Feng Ruogu, Chen Shenju, and Song Xiao were so frightened they almost fainted. The fan meeting was free, but at least we had brand sponsorship. But giving gold... well, there were several gold brands approaching us for endorsements, but... but...
In short, the weight of each small gold medal was finally limited to about 1 gram. And under this cooperation, although the endorsement is still under negotiation, the small gold medals of the same style as Ji Shao's fans soon set off a long-lasting trend offline.
During the initial period, almost every customer the salesperson met would ask:
Is the same small gold medal as Ji Shao available today?
"Xiaoxiao, why is your gold medal so big?" Zhu Jian picked up his small gold medal and looked at the gold medal in Zhou Xiao's hand in a daze.
"Perhaps, this is a gold medal made of copper." Zhou Xiao weighed the weight and gave an explanation.
"Wait, Xiaoxiao, this can't be the gold medal that Xiao Shao won at the celebrity sports meeting!"
Li Mo shook his bag, endured it, and finally chose to open it.
"Ah! It's the little gold medal!"
At this moment, Jinzi felt unprecedented regret.
"I remember Xiao Shao won two championships, right?" Zhu Jian looked around, his eyes excitedly searching the field. "Where's the other gold medal?"
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