The Song Title "I Am Also a Soldier" Came Out, and Gao Fei and Yao Qiang Immediately Sat Up Straight, Their Eyes Focused on the Front.
In the Venue, Some Lyricists, Composers, and Leaders from Various Military Regions Couldn't Help but Shake Their Heads and Smile Upon Hearing the Song Title.
"Which Military Region's Military Song Is This? The Title, 'I Am Also a Soldier,' Sounds Utterly Ordinary. The Song Probably Isn't That Good Either."
"Calling It 'I Am Also a Soldier' is So Perfunctory. Who Among Us Isn't a Soldier? It Would Be Better to Just Call It 'Soldier,' Which Sounds Simpler and Easier to Understand."
"If You Ask Me, This Might Just Be the Headquarters Picking One to Fill the Slot. Given the Current Situation, First Place Is Likely to Be the Sixth Song, 'Looking at the Army,' Which Scored 8.6, the Highest Here!"
The Young Lyricists and Composers Below the Stage Commented Among Themselves, Not Holding Out Much Hope for the Seventh Song, "I Am Also a Soldier."
In Their Eyes, the Song Title Lacked Artistic Merit and Was Too Simple, Let Alone Any Artistic Value in the Song's Content!
Hearing the Surrounding Evaluations, Gao Fei Couldn't Help but Frown.
He Glanced Around at the Crowd. These People Were Either Captains or Majors, with No Low Ranks.
Yet, When They Spoke, They Kept Bringing Up Artistry to Show Off Their Sophistication.
Yao Qiang Beside Him Also Looked a Little Unhappy. Noticing Gao Fei's Frown, He Spoke in a Low Voice, "Ignore Them. Don't Listen to Their Nonsense. They're All Useless People Who Only Talk the Talk but Never Walk the Walk. They Can't Compare to You."
"Brother Yao, Did These People All Come From the Grassroots? Or Are They All Graduates of the National Defense University Like You?
They Look to Be Only Twenty-Eight or Twenty-Nine, the Oldest in Their Early Thirties, Yet Their Ranks Are Quite High!"
Gao Fei Asked, Looking at Their Ranks.
"These People All Graduated from Military Art Schools. In Their Eyes, Military Songs Need Violins, Cellos, Pianos, and Other Orchestral Instruments to Be Sophisticated.
In Short, They're Just Intellectuals Who Haven't Been to the Battlefield or Experienced Military Life!"
Yao Qiang Was a Genuine Prominent Figure in the Military.
Hearing Others Criticize Their Song, He Was Clearly a Little Annoyed, but He Restrained Himself from Swearing, Instead Offering Subtle Mockery.
Upon Learning That Those Who Considered Themselves Sophisticated Were All Graduates of Military Art Schools, Gao Fei Decided Not to Dwell on It Further.
In this Parallel World's Dragon Country, Those Who Attended Military Art Schools Were Mostly the Children of High-Ranking Officials. They Couldn't Endure Grassroots Life, So They Chose Schools Like Military Art, Which Didn't Require Intense Training.
He Glanced at Those Proud Faces, Who Disparaged Military Songs with Such Disdain. Finally, He Couldn't Help but Utter a Sentence.
"A Simple Song Title Lacking Artistic Merit? How Ridiculous.
They've Only Read a Few Books and Dare to Criticize So Casually. They Lack Skill but Are All Keyboard Warriors in Theoretical Battles.
Truly Like a Pig's Nose Stuck with a Scallion, Pretending to Be Elegant!"
As His Voice Fell, It Was Just the Moment Before the Song Was About to Play, a Brief Lull in the Silence.
His Words Were Heard by Everyone Around Him.
Everyone Looked Over, Their Faces Grim.
Seeing a Recruit Without Any Rank, Still in Training Uniform, Their Anger Immediately Surged.
But Before They Could Speak, Yao Qiang Slowly Raised His Head, His Sharp Gaze Sweeping Over Them.
"He's My Man!"
At His Words, the Cadres' Sons Who Were About to Cause Trouble Immediately Turned Away, Wisely Shutting Their Mouths.
Seeing the Fear in Their Eyes, Gao Fei Secretly Nodded at Yao Qiang. It Seemed Old Yao Was a Big Shot, Probably with a Significant Background. He Should Stick Close to Him...
The Minor Uproar Below the Stage Ended, and the Song Began to Play on Stage.
The Audience Held No Expectations for the Song "I Am Also a Soldier."
Everyone Below Was Engaged in Their Own Conversations.
However, When Commander Lü's Tenor Voice Emerged with the Accompaniment, an Unprecedented Silence Fell Upon the Venue.
"What's Different About Us Soldiers? It's Just That We Wear Simple Military Uniforms.
What's Different About Us Soldiers? Since Leaving Home, We Rarely See Our Parents.
To Say We're Different Is Actually the Same, We're All Young and Full of Passionate Young Men.
...
What's Different About Us Soldiers? It's Just That We All Wear Simple Military Uniforms.
Us Soldiers Are Indeed Different. For National Peace, We Firmly Grip Our Rifles.
This Is What Us Soldiers Are Like!"
As the Song Concluded, the Entire Venue Was Silent.
Below the Stage.
The Young Lyricists, Composers, and Cadres' Sons Who Had Previously Criticized the Song Title Were All Silent, Staring Blankly Ahead with Mixed Emotions.
The Leaders from Various Military Regions, They Were All Veterans Who Had Experienced War, Soldiers Who Had Risen From the Grassroots.
The Song "I Am Also a Soldier," Though Simple in Lyrics, Conveyed the Hardships of Soldiers.
Simple Uniforms, Guarding the Borders, Holding Rifles to Defend the Country...
The Simple and Pure Lyrics Brought Tears to Their Eyes, and Their Memories Seemed to Transport Them Back to the Moment They Joined the Army, Entered Basic Training, and Then Were Assigned to Their Units.
On Stage.
The Five Esteemed Old Artists Looked Astonished, Their Eyes Brightening.
The Major Revision of Military Songs Was Proposed by the Higher-Ups and Approved by Them.
The Military Songs That the Troops Needed Were Precisely Songs Like "I Am Also a Soldier," Which Came From the Soldiers' Perspective and Could Resonate with Them.
The Previous Six New Military Songs Had Used Pop Music Accompaniments, and Their Lyrics Were Equally Showy and Insincere.
The Five Old Artists' Ears Were Already Ringing.
But the New Military Song "I Am Also a Soldier" Made Them Feel Refreshed.
Wasn't This Song Describing the Military Lives of All Soldiers After the Absence of War...
The Five Old Artists Immediately Gave This Song the Highest Praise.
A Score of 9.5.
The Highest Score of the Day.
Instantly, the Entire Venue Erupted in Applause.
No One Questioned It, No One Dared to Denigrate It.
Because This Was Precisely the New Military Song the Army Needed, a Song That Could Unite the Soldiers.
Well-Deserved!
Gao Fei Was Very Satisfied Looking at the Score on the Big Screen.
But He Didn't Forget to Retort Sarcastically, "A Simple Song Title Means the Song Isn't Good? This Notion Is Utterly Ridiculous.
I Don't Know Who Gave Them the Courage to Judge a Song Without Skill. What Short-Sighted Fools They Are!"
Although Not Naming Names, Those Who Had Criticized the Song Earlier All Looked Embarrassed.
Who Would Have Thought That Such a Simple Title Could Lead to Such an Astonishing Song That Spoke the Hearts of So Many Soldiers.
Yao Qiang Did Not Intervene, but Instead Added, "High Education Doesn't Necessarily Mean High Ability, and People with High Ability Don't Necessarily Have High Education.
But People with High Ability Will Never Be Arrogant, While Arrogant People Are Likely Just Idiots."
Instantly, with Them at the Center, the Military Officers Around Them Who Had Previously Disparaged the Song Wished They Could Disappear into a Crack in the Ground.
However, Some Unconvinced Officers Humphed, "It's Not a Song from Your Military Region, So Why Praise It So Much? Did the Previous Songs Say They Were From Your Capital Military Region?"
Yao Qiang Glanced at Him Casually, Grinned, and Said, "Even If It Wasn't From the Capital Military Region, We Wouldn't Talk Nonsense Like You!"
"Yao Qiang, You..."
"Wu Changshun, Try Staring at Me Again!"
The Officer Who Was Rebuffed's Face Turned Red. Just as He Was About to Lose His Temper, Yao Qiang Gave Him a Cold Glare That Sent Him Scowling Back.
Gao Fei, Who Was Watching the Show from the Side, Suddenly Froze. This Scene Felt Familiar.
Old Yao, the Tiger of the Army, Had a Deep Background That Ordinary People Didn't Dare to Provoke. A Single Glare Could Scare Spoiled Brats into Urinating Themselves.
"Damn, This Is Exactly Like a Pure Soldier King Novel from My Previous Life!
My God, After Transmigrating, Soldier King Novels Have Become Reality!"
Gao Fei Looked at Yao Qiang with a Unique Gaze. Yao Qiang Felt Uncomfortable Being Stared at, Feeling As If This Kid Was Looking at Him Like a Beautiful Woman.
Below the Stage, the Discussion About "I Am Also a Soldier" Continued.
On Stage, Two More Songs Had Finished Their Selections.
Perhaps Because of the Song "I Am Also a Soldier," the Next Two Songs Were Both Given the Lowest Scores of 3.0 and 3.5, Breaking the Day's Record.
The Five Old Artists Were Indifferent to the Previous Two Songs, Showing No Interest.
The Military Officers Still Paying Attention Already Knew That First Place Today Would Undoubtedly Go to "I Am Also a Soldier."
The Top Spot Was Decided, the Situation Was Clear.
Just as Everyone Was Wondering Which Military Region and Which Artist Had Written "I Am Also a Soldier," the Final Song Arrived.
"Next, Please Enjoy the Last Song of This New Military Song Selection, 'Strong Military.'"
As the Host's Voice Fell, the Reaction in the Venue Was Flat.
With First Place Already Claimed, Everyone Was No Longer Interested in the Last Song.
But Gao Fei and Yao Qiang Once Again Sat Up Straight, Waiting for the Song to Play.
Just as Everyone Was Chatting Casually, a Majestic Orchestral Prelude Began, and the Entire Venue Was Instantly Stunned.
"Hear the Clarion call of the new Long March, the goal of a strong military summons us forward.
If the nation is to be strong, we must bear the responsibility, our battle flags written with iron-blooded glory.
Soldiers, obey the Party's command, be able to fight and win, with excellent conduct.
Fear no strong enemy, dare to compete, and win victory on the battlefield for the motherland."
The Hundred-Person Chorus of "Strong Military" Made All the Officers and Leaders in the Venue Feel Electrified, Goosebumps Rising All Over Their Bodies, Their Hearts Instantly Igniting with Passion.
The Powerful Voices of the Hundred-Person Chorus Were Inspiring, and the Majestic Aura Shook the Entire Venue.
The Hundred People in the Chorus Were Like Beasts Released From Their Cages, and the Entire Military Song Vividly Displayed the Fearless Spirit of the Dragon Country's Soldiers, Who Feared No Danger and Dared to Fight to the Death Against Foreign Enemies.
The Entire Venue Stood in Solemn Respect.
The Five Old Artists, Amidst the Hundred-Person Chorus of "Strong Military," Their Expressions Changed from Surprise to Astonishment, and Then to Profound Shock.
The Military Officers and Generals Below the Stage Clenched Their Fists, Unable to Suppress the Blood and Passion Evoked by the Chorus.
Some Even Stood Up on the Spot and Sang Along Loudly With the Chorus.
"Fear no strong enemy, dare to compete, and win victory on the battlefield for the motherland!
Win Victory on the Battlefield!
Kill!"
The Final Cry of "Kill!" Sent the Venue into an Instant Frenzy.
Even Though It Was Only Played Through Speakers, the Word "Kill!" Was Soul-Shaking and Filled with Deadly Intent.
"Good!"
Someone in the Venue Shouted Loudly, and the Entire Song Was Met with Thunderous Applause.
Even the Five Old Artists on Stage Stood Up and Clapped Enthusiastically.
The Song "I Am Also a Soldier" Came From the Soldiers' Perspective, Singing About Their Lives in the Army.
"Strong Military" United the Strength of the Dragon Country's Soldiers, Igniting the Tenacity and Fearlessness in Their Blood.
Ultimately, "Strong Military" Won First Place with a Perfect Score.
"I Am Also a Soldier" Took Second Place.
The Remaining Rankings Were No Longer Important.
The Military Did Not Need Soft, Sentimental Military Songs.
What They Needed Were Songs That Could Stir the Soul, Resonate With People, and Make Their Blood Boil.
"Strong Military" and "I Am Also a Soldier," the Two Songs Taking First and Second Place, Were Undisputed.
With the Rankings Determined, It Was Time to Announce the Military Regions and the Creators.