1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 508 Girls' Generation Sings, Wan Ziliang Takes the Stage

What was the attendance rate like for Girls' Generation's concerts in Japan, given their moderate fame in Hong Kong?

The fact is that a typical venue with a capacity of 1,000 people cannot be sold out.

The Tokyo Dome has 55000 seats, and even with the reduced seating capacity for the concert, it will still have over 50,000 seats.

If the opening ceremony relied solely on the appeal of the few pretty girls in Girls' Generation, it's unimaginable how disastrous it would have been.

Of course, Boss Zhai didn't want to see his idol singers get a cold reception. He was willing to lose money, but he couldn't let it damage their confidence.

Thus, layers of buffs were added one after another.

The late 80s was a golden age of diversity in the Japanese music scene, and competition among local artists was already fierce.

Alan Tam, Leslie Cheung, and Anita Mui are quite popular in Southeast Asia, but their popularity in Japan remains limited.

So this time, we have added another heavyweight guest, Chen Shilong, who has the dual image of an action star and an idol. Chen Shilong's fan base includes young Japanese women, movie fans and action movie enthusiasts. He single-handedly carries half the sky of the Taipei Arena.

In the days leading up to the concert, Chen Shih-lung and Girls' Generation frequently appeared on major Japanese television stations, promoting the event with a mentor-mentee approach. On stage, they threw themselves into the fray, performed somersaults, and even fell down, creating a lively atmosphere. They put in an extremely enthusiastic effort.

This also shows that no matter how much competition there is among people in their own country, they remain quite united when they go abroad.

Unfortunately, although the eldest brother has a strong appeal, the logic of performing at the Taipei Arena is not the same as that of watching movies at the box office. Fans who are willing to buy movie tickets are not necessarily willing to buy concert tickets.

With over 50,000 seats and a star-studded lineup that included most of Hong Kong's entertainment industry, more than 40,000 tickets were sold the day before the concert.

There are still nearly 10,000 empty seats.

"That's enough! Last month, Satomi Watanabe held a concert here, creating the biggest school festival in history, and it still didn't sell out. Actually, as long as the cameras don't pan to the empty seats and the lights are adjusted, it will still be a full house when the video is released and some marketing is done."

Standing at the entrance of the Taipei Arena, Chen Shufang couldn't hide her excitement as she explained to Zhai Yuan, "Even among local singers, only rock singers like Eikichi Yazawa and Kyosuke Himuro can fill a full house. This time, we sold over 40,000 tickets. When Girls' Generation returns to Hong Kong, the media will be able to make them a legend!"

Rock music has become a mainstream culture in recent years. Japanese male singers have filled the Taipei Arena with rock music, while the Rolling Stones from Europe and America have booked ten consecutive days of performances at the Taipei Arena after the New Year.

Unfortunately, Mr. Zhai doesn't really know much about rock music and can't be considered half a European or American.

Chen Shufang seemed very satisfied with the ticket sales results.

Li Lizhen, Bai Anni, and Li Saifeng, who were standing nearby, were equally excited and held each other's hands tightly.

Besides making a living, the ultimate goal of entering the entertainment industry is still "vanity," otherwise everyone would be scrambling to compete for the Miss Hong Kong title.

The stage lights and the noise behind them are something that ordinary girls can only dream of in their entire lives, let alone the fact that they have just debuted and are already able to stand in the largest performance venue in Japan. Their little brains are buzzing from the sweet talk.

Even the seemingly serene Zhou Huimin couldn't help but smile, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at the giant dome.

"It's good, but it's not the best yet."

Zhai Yuan stroked his chin, glanced at the Girls' Generation members who were already preparing to pop champagne, raised the corners of his mouth, then took out his phone to call Liang Zhichao, asking him to bring all the employees of Tokyo Hot, as well as familiar retailers, to support him.

Immediately, he dialed Tao Zongyi's number again: "Old Tao, tomorrow Mount Kinabalu is closed for work and we're giving everyone a day off. The company is giving out perks, from management to the cleaning lady, everyone gets three tickets to the Taipei Arena concert. Everyone should bring their families to relax. You absolutely have to come, it's a mission~"

hang up the phone,

Zhai Yuan nodded in satisfaction: "That should make it a perfect, fully-fledged venue!"

Chen Shufang frowned subconsciously, wondering if these additional tickets counted as advertising expenses and whether they would affect ticket revenue...

Then I thought, forget it! What does it have to do with me?

Anyway, the expenses for Girls' Generation's concert in Japan this time, including venue rental, stage design, guests, security, lighting and sound, etc., are all extremely costly and a complete loss no matter how you calculate it.

Boss Zhai has made up his mind to throw money into the sea and make his girlfriends the first girl group in all of Asia. What else is there to say?

It’s great to be young!
Chen Shufang looked at the pretty girl standing close to Zhai Yuan and couldn't help but sigh.

…………

Tokyo, which had just experienced a few light snowfalls in early winter, was feeling a chill in the air.

12 month 31 day,
As night fell outside the dome, crowds thronged the area around the venue.

Zhai Yuan, wearing a woolen overcoat, put his hands in the pockets of Ye Yuqing's and Zhou Huimin's down jackets, one for the captain and one for the captain, and strolled into the backstage area of ​​the stadium.

The venue was brightly lit by huge light boxes and electronic screens, and a sparse number of spectators had already entered.

The backstage corridor was blasting heat, staff were busy at work, and the air was slightly stuffy, filled with the smells of perfumes and smoke, along with the metallic heat from the lighting equipment.

Several female assistants stood at the entrance of the dressing room. When they saw Girls' Generation arrive, they hurriedly waved to them.

"Then let's go inside and touch up our makeup."

Zhou Huimin leaned against Zhai Yuan and spoke softly, as if asking for instructions.

"I really hate to part ways~"

Zhai Yuan grinned mischievously, turned his head to tease, and said, "I'll let you go if you give me a kiss."

Zhou Huimin's face flushed instantly. She glanced at the crowd around her, then suddenly tiptoed and pecked Zhai Yuan on the cheek like a deer. She quickly stepped back, pretending to be calm as she smoothed her hair, acting as if nothing had happened.

"You can leave!" Zhai Yuan smiled, then looked at Ye Yuqing: "You, you can't leave!"

Ye Yuqing rolled her eyes, ignoring the crowd around her, and took off her down jacket, revealing a black tight-fitting sweater underneath. She pressed her curvaceous figure against Zhai Yuan, cupped his cheeks, and forcefully kissed his lips.

The atmosphere backstage was tense.

Upon seeing this scene, the celebrities and staff waiting around the stage became awkwardly quieter and avoided eye contact, pretending to be blind.

A dozen seconds later, Ye Yuqing finally released Zhai Yuan, raised her eyebrows at him provocatively, and slowly licked her red lips with the tip of her tongue.

Arrogant! Too arrogant!
At this time, Ye Yuqing was unaware that her boss had been placed under house arrest by the Soviets and once abused her power by relying on her status as "Ye Yuqing's sister".

Zhai Yuan took a deep breath and waved his hand repeatedly at the busty woman, saying, "Hurry up and leave, hurry up and leave!"

Ye Yuqing gave a smug hum, tossed her hair, pulled up the dumbfounded Zhou Huimin, and walked straight toward the dressing room.

With Ye Yuqing as the team leader, the remaining members, Li Saifeng, Li Lizhen, and Bai Anni, all became more proactive.

When it was finally the turn of the two goddaughters, Noriko Sakai seemed to have been impatiently rushing into Zhai Yuan's arms, while Li Zi, on the other hand, was completely different. Her fingers nervously twisted the hem of her clothes, and the tips of her ears were burning red.

Zhai Yuan, with his arm around his eldest goddaughter, glanced at his second goddaughter and said with a beaming smile, "Alright, hurry to the dressing room, I'll be waiting for you to go on stage~"

Li Zi was immediately relieved, and without saying a word, he grabbed Noriko Sakai and hurriedly left.

"Tsk, not bad~"

Watching the members' departing figures, Zhai Yuan squinted and thought, "If I had known that losing millions on a concert would have this kind of harmonious effect, I should have come to Japan a long time ago!"

turn back,

Chen Shilong, who was warming up, stopped swinging his arms and stretching his legs. Tan Yonglin and Zhang Guorong put down their lyric books, Mui Yanfang closed her makeup mirror, and Andy Lau and Wan Ziliang had silly smiles on their faces...

Everyone stared at Zhai Yuan with strange smiles.

"What's so funny!" Zhai Yuan strode forward with his hands in his pockets, his eyes sweeping around the room. "Have you memorized the lyrics? Tonight, whoever performs poorly and gets booed by the audience has to refund all my travel expenses! Whoever performs too well and steals the spotlight from Girls' Generation has to pay me compensation! Is that clear enough?"

The celebrities were taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter. Led by Leslie Cheung, everyone extended their right hand to Zhai Yuan, their thumbs tucked between their index and middle fingers:
"Hey!"

…………

8:15
The stage lights slowly dimmed, and a deep, resonant bass filled the crowded giant dome stadium.

Backstage,

The seven-member team, consisting of Zhou Huimin, Ye Yuqing, and Li Saifeng, changed into matching JK uniforms.

Unlike the lantern shorts worn by girls to school after the Meiji Restoration, and also different from the British sailor uniform.

The JK uniforms, personally designed and illustrated by Boss Zhai, are more in line with modern aesthetics. The cuts fit the members' figures perfectly, and each piece showcases youthful curves and vitality just right.

The host's announcements came from the sidelines as Chen Shilong and the well-known Japanese TV host, Mino Bunta, warmed up the audience.

Ye Yuqing, Zhou Huimin, and the other girls looked nervous and unconsciously swallowed.

"Tonight, we will have a special guest – Girls' Generation, a girl idol group from Hong Kong!"

Bunta Mino's powerful voice finally rang out again.

Several young girls looked up at the STAGE ENTRANCE sign directly in front of them, took a deep breath to calm themselves, and their exhaled breath instantly dissolved into the warm current.

Holding each other's hands, the girls exchanged encouraging glances with their teammates and walked towards the front of the stage.

……

"Jackie!"

"Jackie!"

"Jackie!"

Chen Shih-lung brushed past Girls' Generation as they took the stage, whispering a cheer, while the audience behind him continued to erupt in enthusiastic shouts.

It was under these circumstances that Zhou Huimin and her entourage stood nervously on the giant five-pointed star-shaped stage.

In the front row, right in the center of the audience seats, Zhai Yuan sat with his legs crossed, casually raising his chin at the girls on stage.

On the left is Zhou Haimei, on the right is Zhai Yao, and next to Zhai Yao is Zhao Meizhen...

Ye Yuqing's gaze lingered on her cousin Hai Mei for a second.
A bright smile spread across her face as she waved to the audience while holding the microphone, speaking in Japanese that she had practiced for a long time: "Hello everyone, we are Girls' Generation from Hong Kong!"

Zhou Huimin took the microphone, a shy yet earnest smile on her face: "I'm very happy to be here at the Tokyo Dome today, and I hope everyone enjoys our performance!"

Tentative applause and whispers arose from the audience.

More than anything, people are curious about their makeup and styling.

The tops were dark blue suit-style short jackets, with white shirts underneath, giving them a slightly preppy and serious look. The slightly cinched waist design made the girls look exceptionally tall and straight.

Over-the-knee stockings cling to the legs, paired with black patent leather ankle boots.

The hem falls just near the waistline, and the pleated skirt sways gently as you walk, revealing a small section of fair leg above the knee.

Seven people stood in a row, each holding a microphone and giving their introductions in turn. Their voices were lively and clear, like a painting of youth.

Smoke machines on both sides of the stage slowly emitted white mist.

Suddenly, the large screen behind Girls' Generation lit up, and an electric-like intro began, accompanied by a crisp and bright guitar chord. Then, a series of beautiful anime and cartoon girl images appeared on the screen.

"Eh--"

A low murmur arose from the audience.

Naoko Takeuchi's "Sailor Moon" appeared before Japanese audiences for the first time in this form.

Usagi Tsukino, Rei Hino, Setsuna Meiou, Ami Mizuno, Makoto Kino...

One by one, cartoon characters appear in sync with the music.
When the image of Hades was frozen on the moment, Ye Yuqing took two steps and sang the first melody in a clear voice.

"Forgive me for being hypocritical; I only dared to confess to you in my dreams. My mind almost went blank. I want to see you right now..."

Sailor Moon, Usagi Tsukino!

Zhou Huimin took a deep breath and began the second melody.

"...My heart is like a kaleidoscope, guided by the moonlight, meeting you again and again, counting the twinkling stars, and divining the outcome of our love..."

The real Mizuno Ami and Noriko Sakai are even more energetic.

"...I long to spend another weekend with you! God! Please grant me a perfect ending! Past, present, and future, I am only crazy about you..."

……

The melody builds layer upon layer, highlighting the girls' neat JK uniforms on stage, and creating a beautiful interplay of light and shadow from the animated film behind them.

The audience members below the stage showed expressions of surprise and astonishment, then nodded in satisfaction.

This is right!

When you come to Japan, you have to sing Japanese songs, not to mention the stage, the lighting, the visual effects, and the seven young girls on stage.

The concert opened with a single song, "Moonlight Legend".
It has already stunned a large number of viewers who were initially uninterested.

The only opening theme in anime history that has remained relevant from the first to the fourth season is now being performed flawlessly by Girls' Generation on stage.

This also led to the association of the Sailor Moon character with Japan for the first time.

Zhai Yuan, standing in the audience, glanced at the Japanese students who were stunned by the stage effects and boasted, "This three-minute video alone cost over ten thousand Hong Kong dollars to produce. Even Rolling Stone couldn't achieve this effect!"

Zhou Haimei looked at the girl on the stage with complicated emotions, tightly gripping President Zhai's hand, her face showing a hint of jealousy.

then,

As the girls on stage finished singing the last line, they held hands and swayed gently, glancing at Zhai Yuan in the audience with a look of smug satisfaction.

Hai Mei's cousin leaned over and gave Zhai Yuan a quick kiss, then looked smugly at the stage.

However, the girls from Girls' Generation showed not a trace of emotion on their faces.

Pshaw! Child's play, we've already covered that in the backstage!

……

The second program,
Chen Shilong took the stage and sang "A Man Should Be Self-Reliant," (details omitted).
The third program,
Alan Tam...

The fourth program,
Man Chi-leung, who gained some fame in Japan with "A Better Tomorrow", took the stage with a slicked-back hairstyle and a suit, exuding the aura of a big boss.

How are you, my friends from the East?

Wan Ziliang walked to the edge of the stage, shook hands with the audience, raised the microphone, and sang with deep emotion: "...How I love life! Hardworking and brave Chinese people, striding into the new era with high spirits! Ah~ We striding into that new era with high spirits, we sing 'The East Is Red,' standing up as masters of our own destiny, we tell the story of spring..."

(End of this chapter)