She thought at that moment, why did these gossip accounts only post photos of him and Suisui? Clearly, the picture with her and Zhou Wang was better. Plus, why did she feel a little uncomfortable because of this...
Liu Genghong’s program was already the third-to-last, and soon Wu Kequn took the stage, leading a bunch of internet celebrities to sing "General Order."
As "General Order" neared its end, the atmosphere at the scene became slightly restless.
The last act was coming up, yet the host was still absent from the rest area—had things really fallen apart?
But how would Wuyou Media wrap up this grand event?
When Wu Kequn bowed and left the stage, the lights on stage dimmed momentarily, and the music faded as well, causing increasing unease among the live audience. Meanwhile, in the livestream, comments like "watching the drama" and "front-row spectating" were rapidly growing.
Suddenly, a beam of light shone on the stage, illuminating a middle-aged man standing straight in a well-fitted suit.
Though he was older, traces of his former handsomeness were still noticeable through the age on his face. Most importantly, many people on site recognized him as Wuyou Media’s frequently photographed CEO.
"Mr. Zhang!"
"Mr. Zhang is so handsome!"
Cheers erupted, and the signed artists from the company stood up to applaud, giving Zhang Shihao plenty of respect.
Zhang Shihao took the microphone, gestured with his hand to quiet the crowd, and then smiled as he spoke, "Hello everyone, I am Zhang Shihao, the CEO of Wuyou Media. Welcome to ’The Night of Wuyou 2024,’ themed around ’Passion’ and ’Heading Out!’"
After another round of applause and cheers, Zhang Shihao continued, "Now, I, along with another partner from the company, will present the final act for you all!"
Once Zhang Shihao said this, not only did the live audience murmur with excitement, but the livestream comments were also filled with "?".
Everyone assumed Zhang Shihao’s appearance was to address the incident concerning the host. Even if the last act was absent, his appearance was a kind of backup plan.
Who would have thought he wouldn’t mention the incident at all and instead planned to perform.
So... was he replacing the host?
On what authority?
The company’s artists in the VIP section were just as baffled, with Endme turning her head toward Hua Suisui in confusion, "Does Mr. Zhang have such talents?"
Hua Suisui was about to say, "I don’t know either," when the scene on stage suddenly changed.
Zhang Shihao inserted the microphone into the stand in front of him and then took an electric guitar handed to him by a staff member, slinging it across his chest. Without a word, he began to play.
The smooth, intricate electric guitar sounds instantly filled the main venue, initially stunning the audience before drawing ecstatic cheers.
Online as well, there were expressions of admiration. Zhang Shihao, using advanced guitar techniques, showed them exactly why he could step in and save the show.
Who could have imagined that the CEO of Wuyou had such talent? The contrast with his "capitalist" identity made the impact even more powerful.
Furthermore, many nostalgic fans recognized the song Zhang Shihao was about to sing just by the intro. When he opened his mouth to sing, the surprise reached its peak:
"Time that vanished scatters in the wind, as if we can’t remember facing it again..."
His deep voice captivated countless listeners, making them think, this was a professional-level performance!
Gradually, many in the live audience began waving their light sticks and unconsciously joined in the chorus.
"Staring at the night sky, who in the past understood the fatigue in my heart..."
As the first verse ended and the chorus was about to begin, many audience members opened their mouths to sing along with, "Come to forget right and wrong," when Zhang Shihao abruptly stopped playing.
The music silenced, leaving only the cacophony of voices in the venue.
As the audience wondered in confusion, Zhang’s figure dimmed, and another spotlight from the stage illuminated a different direction.
There, in front of a dazzling Steinway piano, sat a devastatingly handsome young man in an elegant suit. As the light gathered on him, he placed his hands on the keys, and a rearranged interlude filled the venue.
"Wow, isn’t that the new internet celebrity?"
Only then did many remember that Mr. Zhang had mentioned a partner would perform with him. The audience, who’d been following the drama all this time, instantly recognized the young man. It was none other than one of the main figures in the incident, the "internet celebrity" named Zhou Wang.
But before they could question or make any other sound, the beautiful piano music quelled their chaotic thoughts.
"This is also professional-level piano, what a marvel!"
An online expert quickly typed out comments, but they were quickly drowned by more question marks.
When the piano interlude, which had mesmerized the audience, finished, Zhou Wang looked towards Zhang Shihao. The stage lights turned bright, illuminating both of them, and Zhang Shihao aptly resumed the electric guitar, singing:
"Come to forget right and wrong, come to reminisce about the past, the days of hardship we shared still held joy..."
The repressed climax, now released amid the combination of piano and electric guitar accompaniment, ignited the entire venue.
Numerous audience members couldn’t help but stand up, cheering while singing along.
By this time, they couldn’t care less about why Zhou Wang was on stage. They just wanted to savor the beauty that music brought at the moment...
Zhou Wang played the piano on stage, feeling the energetic atmosphere around him, and silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhang Shihao was indeed an "old soul," while Zhou Wang had a fondness for Cantonese songs, often practicing piano pieces from that genre at home. The two of them hit it off, which led to the creation of "The Days of Friendship."
With only a couple of rehearsals, they went straight to the stage.
There were inevitable flaws, and they were nervous too, but judging by the audience’s reaction, the effect was stunning.
Even though CDs are free from the noise, why are there still so many people obsessed with live performances? This is the unique influence of live music...
As the song neared its end, Zhang Shihao, perhaps unwilling to continue being the only singer, came over, insisting that Zhou Wang join and sing a few lines.
Infected by his enthusiasm, Zhou Wang could only join in loudly:
"The wind, rain, and thunder of Ban Bo, both wakeful and intoxicated, what was buried was gone with the wind, rain, and thunder, the wind blew calm..."
"Wow!"
His authentic Cantonese drew another wave of screams from the audience.
As the chorus ended, Zhou Wang played a final coda, bringing the song to a close.
Cheers and enthusiastic applause filled the main venue of the Olympic Sports Center, making Zhou Wang, who’d just gained another first-time experience, feel a bit of that exhilarating thrill.
That’s the magic of music—it transcended age and social status...
When you’re immersed in it, just enjoy the high.
As the noise in the venue gradually subsided, Zhang Shihao put his arm around Zhou Wang’s shoulder and approached the front of the stage. Together they bowed in salute.
After standing up straight, Zhang Shihao gave Zhou Wang a smile, then faced the audience and the streaming camera, and announced loudly:
"I would like to formally introduce to you, the gentleman beside me... one of our shareholders at Wuyou Media, a strong business partner, Mr. Zhou Wang!"
The venue fell silent for a moment, with most people appearing dazed, as if they’d heard something surprising but weren’t quite sure.
At this point, Zhou Wang certainly wasn’t going to just stand there. He took a deep breath, stepped forward with a slight smile, and spoke into the microphone:
"Hello everyone, I am the new supervisor at Wuyou Media... My name is Zhou Wang."
With Zhou Wang’s voice falling...
Ding ding ding ding!
A continuous series of system notifications sounded nearly crazily, with an endless trend.