657: Chapter 646 657: Chapter 646 “I once had dreams,”
“And I once had hopes,”
“When the sunlight fades, and night descends,”
“I can always see a light ahead,”
“Although the road is sometimes rugged, sometimes bumpy,”
“But I’ve never been lost.”
“Sometimes I toss and turn,”
“Sometimes I surge with passion,”
“Moving forward, moving forward,”
“Life is like the surging waves,”
“Worldly matters like startling breakers,”
“No matter where the road ahead lies,”
“No matter what wounds I’ve suffered,”
“Our dreams and hopes,”
“Will always grow slowly,”
“Through winding twists and turns.”
This was a song that sounded like both a lyric and a poem, its tune was incredibly melodic and soothing, like a gentle stream, not causing any significant ups and downs but leaving an echo that lingered in the mind for days.
“This song is Xiao Hua’s original creation,” Shen Yan explained.
“Not bad,” Song Yun nodded approvingly.
The lyrics and the melody were both exceptional.
“Of course, you can’t imagine how influential Xiao Hua is now,” laughed Shen Yan, “With the operation of my company, Xiao Hua has already gained a large fan base.
You could say that even though she hasn’t officially debuted yet, her popularity is already on par with those top-tier stars!”
“I won’t bore you with thanks,” Song Yun patted Shen Yan’s shoulder, “If you liked men, I’d sacrifice myself to you right this moment.”
“Come on, I’m not into that sort of thing,” Shen Yan swatted away Song Yun’s hand, and the two of them shared a laugh, making Song Yuxue feel like there was a surge of ‘bromance’ in the air, along with a faint scent of chrysanthemums.
Song Yun was truly grateful to Shen Yan.
Although Shen Yan made it sound simple, as if Xiao Hua’s rise to fame was inevitable, everyone’s success could not be achieved without good management – singing and acting included.
No matter how well you sing, if no one packages and promotes you, you’ll gradually be forgotten.
Song Yun might not understand the intricacies of the industry, but he knew that to make someone famous, besides their own abilities, management and promotional efforts were extremely important.
Even the diva Chen Mengjie wouldn’t have become a world-class superstar so quickly without her company’s heavy promotion in the early stages.
So, Song Yun was certain that Shen Yan had invested a lot in promoting and packaging Xiao Hua.
Of course, this investment could be easily recouped after she became famous.
However, Song Yun owed him for this favor.
As the saying goes, even brothers settle accounts clearly, and one must not forget the favors received from them.
As Xiao Hua sang on stage, the audience below began to get increasingly excited, screaming as if they couldn’t release their passion otherwise.
Among them, though, were a few who also shouted, but their expressions were much more serene.
A very ordinary man, seemingly unsatisfied with his shouting, suddenly roared, “Xiao Hua, I love you!!
Everyone, charge with me!
Xiao Hua is right there!” He then surged forward, and those around him, unaware of what was happening, looked as though they were also ready to charge forward, almost as if they were about to rush the stage.
At that moment, a burly man with a massive build appeared beside the man who started the surge, and without a word, he grabbed the instigator by the neck.
The man at the forefront gasped like a chicken being strangled, unable to utter another word.
The burly man sneered menacingly, holding onto the instigator and heading out of the crowd with a turn.
A few calm observers wanted to step forward and say something, but upon seeing the fierce “Shura” tattooed on the neck of the burly man, they all chose to continue watching the competition instead.
During Xiao Hua’s performance, the Shura Alliance members removed more than a dozen people from the crowd, many of whom were mistakenly identified.
After all, there are many passionate fans, and it’s easy to make reckless moves in the heat of the moment.
Anyone who made overly radical movements or could stir up the emotion of the crowd was taken out by the Shura Alliance.
After removing them, they weren’t beaten or scolded but simply left outside to cool off and calm down while a few people watched over them.
Either go home, or if you want to continue watching, then please, enjoy from hundreds of meters away.
A few who were dissatisfied and seemed ready to fight back were promptly sent even further away by the Shura Alliance members to get a breath of fresh air.
Of course, you could say the Shura Alliance members were overbearing, but an organization must display its dominance!
Xiao Hua’s performance only lasted a few minutes.
As Song Yun began to feel a touch of excitement, she finished, and he returned to his previous drowsy state, leaving Song Yuxue feeling quite unenthusiastic beside him.
“Brother, actually many of them sing quite well, and I really like them.
Show some spirit, and don’t look so sleepy,” coaxed Song Yuxue, tugging on Song Yun’s arm.
“But they really aren’t that great.
After seeing those who genuinely have singing talent perform, watching them just feels like something is missing.”
“Oh, come on, I know you’ve seen many people and know a lot, but the contestants up there don’t know that.
Just watch with me, will you?
You’re making it hard for me to enjoy this too,”
“Alright, alright, let’s watch properly.
I’ll make sure to stay spirited,”
Soon, all thirty contestants finished their performances, and it was time to vote.
Voting was of three types: text message, live audience, and judges’ scores.
Combining the three, the twenty with the lowest scores would be directly eliminated!
Eliminating two-thirds in one go was virtually impossible in many talent shows, as it could lead to a loss of popularity.
But Shen Yan went ahead with it.
And why?
The answer was simple: Xiao Hua was there!
With just Xiao Hua alone, enough popularity could be retained, so Shen Yan wasn’t afraid of eliminating too many contestants.
Moreover, this massive one-time elimination of twenty was also a promotional stunt.
It caused quite a stir when the rules were first announced.
Of course, these debates were all orchestrated by Shen Yan.
As the saying goes, no debate, no news, and no publicity.
The easiest way to make a news story memorable is to create a controversy, much like how online, celebrities often seem to be verbally attacking one another.
With the celebrities clashing, the news naturally centered around them, allowing for ample media buzz.
Shen Yan, a man hailing from a wealthy family, was very familiar with these tricks of the trade.