Chapter 38 Ice Show Invitation
July, Tokyo.
The sun was scorching overhead, the air was filled with dense moisture, the sun was burning on the asphalt road, heat waves were floating in the air, making He Hui, who had just landed, a little breathless.
Supershow on Ice is sponsored by the Japanese consortium Suzuki Group.
This time, not only did they arrange special cars to pick up and drop off the players, they also stayed in the group's five-star hotel L, showing their wealth and generosity.
As soon as he entered the L Hotel, He Hui was frightened by the familiar feeling that hit him.
The familiar magnificent lobby, the familiar attentive staff, and the familiar...
The eldest daughter of the Suzuki family?!
Well, according to the timeline of the previous life, the current eldest lady Suzuki Haruna is working at the grassroots level in the marketing department. In addition, she is an open fan of figure skating, and her favorite skaters were also invited, so it is not surprising that she appeared at the reception site of this ice show?
He Hui calmed down and dragged his suitcase forward.
"Hello, contestant He Hui." Suzuki Haruna smiled sweetly, and the assistant beside her immediately handed over a heavy paper bag with tact, "This is the gift we prepared for the contestants."
He Hui suppressed the complicated emotions in her heart, raised a polite smile and greeted: "Hello, Ms. Suzuki."
"Welcome to...wait, how do you know my name is Suzuki?"
Oh no, the power of memory is too strong, making He Hui forget that he and the other party had never met before in this life.
But she can't say that she met you in her previous life because she was developing the hotel market in Japan for the group, and she was impressed by you because you were competitors?
"Well, I saw the group's public photos on the Internet." He Hui made an excuse, his eyes sincere and didn't seem to be lying.
Suzuki Haruna glanced at He Hui without raising any suspicion.
She put on a business smile and said, "By the way, I heard your family is in the real estate business. We should keep in touch in the future."
After becoming a figure skater, He Hui did not hide her family situation, but to know so much about her family background, I think Suzuki Haruna must have done some research.
In Japan, the fate of many daughters of financial groups is mostly just marriage, and few can really take power. However, Suzuki Haruna is an exception. In her previous life, she became a female president who really called the shots with her outstanding work ability.
He Hui admires Suzuki Haruna very much, but she has to tell the truth.
"But I might want to focus more on figure skating in the future." The subconscious meaning behind his words is that there is no point in making friends with her.
Suzuki Haruna was stunned for a moment, but she kept smiling: "Life is long, maybe you want to change your career path in the future?"
Suzuki Haruna is absolutely unique in her ability to make people feel relaxed no matter what level of person she is facing.
He Hui also smiled: "Maybe, but now I just want to focus on the court."
After the re-start, He Hui's thoughts were very simple. She just wanted to keep skating on the ice. Sochi was right in front of her, Pyeongchang was a little further away, and Beijing was even further away. As for the future, she hadn't decided yet, but she would not give up her career related to figure skating.
"It's okay, it's just meeting new friends."
That day, He Hui and Suzuki added each other on instant messaging software.
It was as if the trajectories of fate overlapped at this moment.
It’s just that they were competitors in their previous life, but in this life, he has become the other party’s sponsor.
*
The opening program of the ice show requires collective rehearsal, which involves changes in formation and cooperation between partners, and all athletes are required to participate.
He Hui looked at the star-studded lineup around him and once again marveled at the organizer's wealth. All the contestants who have caused heated discussions in Japan and internationally were included. We don't know what you like, so we have prepared everything.
But when he arrived at the scene, He Hui realized that he was one of the only two teenage players in the entire lineup.
The other is old friend Eriko Sanada, and the director even specially assigned the two to the same group to interact.
"Each group of two people can think of a special pose, such as jumping, spinning, or a playful interaction." said the director, holding the microphone.
The atmosphere of ice shows and competitions is very different, and the performances are usually more personal and interactive.
Without the burden of competition, everyone skated more freely.
Some groups were already friends and finalized the plan quickly, while others directly performed a comedy, and their back and forth was like a drama queen.
He Hui and Eriko Sanada were a little restrained, and they looked at each other.
At the same time, he spoke in English: "I..."
"You go first." "You go first."
The two were silent, and awkwardness spread in the air.
Well, we are usually rivals in the arena, and we are not used to this kind of cooperation moment.
He Hui thought about it, took the initiative to break the deadlock, and suggested: "How about we do a synchronized jump? Or do you think it would be better to perform a situational drama?"
Eriko Sanada nodded in agreement: "You can try double jumping, I think it will have a double visual effect."
He Hui knew that Eriko Sanada's 3Lz had some problems with the use of the blade, so he suggested: "What do you think of 3F+3T? Let's keep it simple when entering, and don't do the steps."
"Okay." Eriko agreed immediately.
The plan was approved, and all that remained was synchronization practice.
In the first jump, the two people's rhythm was quite synchronized. They accelerated forward together, and Eriko Sanada was responsible for shouting slogans.
"One, two, jump!"
The two of them jumped off the ice at the same time, like two birds taking off from the frozen lake in winter, flying lightly and happily towards spring.
But when it comes to the 3T, there are all kinds of time differences. The reason is that Eriko Sanada takes longer to prepare, and there are traces of secondary force. But He Hui will choose to jump directly with the speed of the previous jump, and the connection time is shorter.
Eriko Sanada looked at He Hui's Advanced Three-Three from a close distance, and her eyes darkened.
He Hui did it effortlessly. She seemed to have the skill of lightness, and could fly very high with just a touch of the ice.
"It's okay, I'll answer it faster." Eriko Sanada sniffed, "Let's try again."
He Hui nodded, and the two began to glide again.
But two-person synchronization is not as easy as everyone imagines. The two tried twice but were not successful both times.
Eriko Sanada was a little distressed. She recalled the basic exercises of pair skating and said, "How about we hold hands and do synchronized steps first?"
"That's fine." He Hui nodded.
He Hui's right hand and Eriko's left hand held each other, and the two of them stepped hand in hand. As expected, they were able to practice a brief synchronization of pace and steps.
The two of them almost walked around the field in a circle before they started practicing the advanced three-three moves in sync again.
Not to mention, He Hui actually felt that their tacit understanding had improved a little.
This time, Eriko Sanada did speed up the pace in her second jump, while He Hui also slowed down a bit, and the two of them tapped the ice perfectly in sync.
Swoosh——
Two almost indistinguishable sounds of ice landing rang in my ears, and the second jump also landed successfully.
"Phew, it's done." Eriko Sanada breathed a sigh of relief.
Being around He Hui, she always felt an invisible pressure, being pushed to move forward.
"Please do it twice more."
For example, now, He Hui pushed her to try twice more.
Through their exchanges, the two gradually became familiar with each other, and at least they no longer looked at each other in silence.
Some contestants were performing the whole song together. He Hui and Eriko Sanada were resting against the fence and chatting casually.
Isn't that...Suzuki Haruna?
A familiar figure appeared in the empty ice rink.
He Hui looked doubtful. What was this Miss Suzuki doing here?
She glanced around and soon discovered the reason.
Directly in front of Suzuki Haruna was a handsome male singles player wearing a white shirt and black pants, who was strolling leisurely on the court and moving forward.
Oh, it turns out that the young lady came to see her idol.
"I heard that Suzuki is a fan of Shimokawa, and she's a wealthy fan club member." Eriko Sanada's additional information came just in time.
Taku Shimokawa is also the most popular men's singles player in Japan. He is only 20 years old this year and has a reserve of two quadruple difficulty moves, 4T and 4S. He even narrowly defeated an American player to win the championship in this World Championships, and he is in the limelight.
"Suzuki specially invited a live symphony orchestra to accompany Shimokawa's performance this time. However, he really deserves the highest treatment now."
He Hui nodded. Suzuki truly loved this contestant, and this contestant was also able to hold his own.
"Oh, it's great to be rich. I can invite any player I like and watch any player I want." Sanada Eriko sighed with envy, "I heard that Shimokawa's net worth is not low now."
A flash of inspiration passed through He Hui's mind.
Yes, if no one in the country is willing to sponsor and host a high-profile and large-scale ice show, then why doesn't she use the He Group's financial power to promote an ice show brand that belongs to China?
It is very feasible, but it still requires detailed investigation and planning. After all, it can't be too costly, right?
With this idea in mind, He Hui's perspective on participating in the ice show became different.
Just like returning to the previous field inspection of the hotel, He Hui began to pay attention to the details of the various preparations.
From the stage layout of the ice rink to the arrangement and connection of the program content, from the selection and invitation of various contestants to the surprise support of cross-border guests, He Hui was almost about to take out a notebook to take notes on the spot!
Well, if she were to start over again, it seems she would still want to learn from Suzuki.
*
The ice show opened at Tokyo Stadium two days later. The stadium, which can accommodate 40,000 people, opened four stages at once, but it was still full, showing how popular it was that tickets were hard to come by.
Occupying almost the entire northern stand were fans of Takuya Shimokawa. The front row was filled with cheering ladies, and they had all the necessary banners and posters. The dolls that would be thrown into the field were also ready, making for a very grand occasion.
In the front row of the south stands, a small patch of bright red immediately caught He Hui's attention.
She looked in that direction through the long and dark entrance passage and could still clearly tell that they were her fans!
They wore bright red clothes as if they had agreed on it, and waved small national flags to attract people's attention. Although their fans were pitifully few compared to the fans of the more famous contestants, these fans flew all the way from China to Japan.
He Hui felt touched and his blood started boiling instantly.
She can't wait to get on stage!
There were also many fans of Eriko Sanada, and she was looking out through the aisle next to He Hui.
“There are so many people!” she exclaimed.
"Yeah, it's a pity that not all of them came to see me..." He Hui glanced at the delighted Eriko and changed the subject, "Ours."
"That's amazing too!" Eriko's eyes sparkled and she leaned her head to look around.
The director's shout interrupted the conversation: "Get ready!"
The contestants, each wearing beautiful costumes, immediately became nervous.
With the passionate opening music, all the contestants filed out from the tunnel. A total of 18 contestants circled the ice rink and waved to the audience, and the gorgeous lights shone on the ice rink, heating up the atmosphere.
The music changed and the contestants moved to the left and right sides, leaving the center of the ice rink empty.
It's time to show off your skills!
The audience's applause continued, getting faster and faster.
Amid the rhythm, Takuya Shimokawa was the first to appear. As soon as he appeared, screams and cheers immediately resounded through the sky.
He made a three-turn entry, and his skates cut a piece of ice on the field. Shimokawa Takuya completed a 4S effortlessly and neatly.
“Ahhh! Shimokawa Takuya!!”
"I love you!"
As expected, Takuya Shimokawa's successful jump triggered a new round of screams from ice fans.
The next player to appear was Tours-Maria, the strongest active female singles player. She performed her signature 3A and then chose an extremely difficult continuous twist, which had a great visual effect.
"Turles!!"
“Jackson!!”
......
Ice fans took turns shouting the names of the players, comparing the decibels as if they were competing with each other.
He Hui felt his eardrum vibrate.
She felt a little dazed as she personally felt the audience intensity which was so different from that of the youth group competition.
"Come back to your senses!" Eriko Sanada waved vigorously at He Hui from a distance of one meter. She said, "It will be our turn soon!"
He Hui gave her an OK gesture.
Fortunately, she and Eriko were the last group of contestants to play. In the 30 seconds, He Hui took a deep breath and quickly adjusted her mood.
As the host announced, He Hui and Eriko sped forward side by side. The tacit understanding they had accumulated from the previous two-person synchronized practice finally showed its results.
The passionate background music covered Eriko's slogan, and the two of them lightly used their inner blades to tap the ice.
After three circles, the two men still maintained the same rhythm and jumped again.
He Hui and Eriko slid perfectly in the same direction, looking like a pair skating partner who had been together for many years, and opened their arms at the same time.
"He Hui!!"
"Eriko!!"
Chinese and Japanese voices mixed together in the venue. Although it was not as loud as the applause from fans of the famous adult contestants before, it was also quite impressive.
"Finally completed successfully!" Eriko smiled brightly, which was quite contagious. "Not bad."
*
After the opening, the contestants performed individually. Eriko Sanada, as the most promising future star in the Japanese youth group, was scheduled to perform first.
Not only that, the organizers also invited popular singer Risa Makiura to sing songs live for her performance.
As soon as the mysterious guest appeared, the local audience exclaimed in surprise, knowing that tickets for Risa Makiura's concert are hard to come by.
Rumor has it that this far-reaching network of contacts is the result of Suzuki Haruna's personal connections.
Amid the penetrating singing, Eriko performed a moving ice dance on the field, which was full of energy and hope.
As soon as she got off the stage, Eriko Sanada completely relaxed.
She spilled the beans: "You know what? I'm so nervous! They just told me yesterday that the mystery guest is Makiura Risa!!"
"But you've done quite well under the pressure." Especially since Eriko used to be a crybaby.
He Hui's show was scheduled to be the first in the second half. The heated atmosphere cooled down again after the fifteen-minute intermission.
In addition, He Hui's program was a relatively non-interactive classical repertoire, which indeed placed considerable demands on her performance.
"He Hui! Come on!!"
A familiar Chinese voice came from the front row of the south stands, breaking the silence.
This seemed to be a shot of adrenaline for her who was feeling unsure.
This ice show is the first performance of the short program "Black Swan" next season, but He Hui was not idle and quietly upgraded the difficulty of the program.
Snap——
On the dark ice rink, a spotlight shone on He Hui.
He Hui happened to be wearing a black ballet skirt today, as if she was a witch born from the darkness.
She started her performance confidently with her red lips.
At the beginning, He Hui had to do a 3Lz+3Lo jump. After the double choctaws entered, He Hui jumped steadily and completed the first technical move.
The second jump was the required jump 3F for the youth group this year. He Hui performed a tano while ensuring that the jump was elegant and high.
Snap, snap, snap——
Amidst the applause, He Hui performed a series of twirling steps, and the black swan danced gracefully on the lake, captivating the heart.
The more flamboyant second half will soon begin, and here she will challenge herself to add 3A to her short program.
The youth group stipulates that only 2A can be performed in the short program, but there is no such thing in the ice show. In the ice show, you can even wantonly do a backflip that is not valid in the competition, or a series of showmanship jumps that would not be recognized in normal times.
He Hui took a breath and prepared for the challenge, but because she was not familiar with the program routine, she felt her steps slow down.
This brief pause completely disrupted He Hui's rhythm of entering 3A.
The moment she jumped, she thought to herself that something was wrong.
The axis of the jump is too crooked!
If this was a 2A, He Hui would be sure to find a way to stand. But this was a 3A, and He Hui was gradually losing control of his body.
She tried her best to control it, but her efforts were of little use.
When the ice fans at the scene saw He Hui spinning two and a half circles in the air before landing, they all became excited, especially the red wave, everyone's eyes were wide open.
The ice skates rubbed against the ice surface, and the next second the blade paused, and He Hui's body was pushed aside.
Snap——
He Hui was running too fast and she had no time to adjust, so she was thrown directly onto the ice.
Fell down.
She, the great Miss He, actually fell in front of thousands of people...
In fact, the angle of He Hui's 3A landing was almost 100 degrees off, which was a complete fall!
At that moment, He Hui wanted to just lie down on the ice, and then ask the voice control teacher to play "Sleeping Beauty" instead.
But in front of everyone, He Hui couldn't cheat.
She quickly climbed up from the ice and continued to smile confidently as she completed her final spin on the field.
Although there were some minor accidents in the Black Swan's first performance, it still received a warm response from the audience.
On the surface, He Hui did not show any strange behavior until the final bow.
But in fact, under her calm smile, her heart is already full of holes...
Well, I have to give the words I originally intended to give to Lu Xing back to myself.
——"On the road to growth, failure is also normal."
Isn’t there Osaka Station?
"Wow, am I a psychopath? This is the first time I saw He Hui fall down, and I actually felt that the girl was more real and adorable."
"Are you hurt, girl? Let me see. I'm studying medicine (dog head)"
"The abacus beads in front of me are all flying on my face!"
"Honestly, if I can see the limited short program in the 3A set, the ticket price for this ice show is totally worth it! I'm coming to Osaka!!"
During the final curtain call, He Hui stood on the far right of the team. She held Eriko's hand and bowed to the audience on all sides in turn.
Bang--
Streamers fell from the sky, flashing laser light under the gorgeous lights, forming a dreamlike fairyland.
It doesn't seem real.
He Hui raised his head, with tears welling up in his eyes.
The audience left one after another, and the lights on the ice rink went out one by one.
The first ice show in He Hui's life slowly came to an end.
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