Who said this top flow is crazy! This top flow is awesome!

Chapter 326 "Stay With Me"

Scene from the Blue Dragon Film Festival.

The awards ceremony proceeded smoothly, but due to the previous red carpet controversy and the upcoming performance by Shi Daifu, as well as the fact that Ikeno had mastered Korean music in less than a week, everyone's attention was almost indistinctly drawn to the area where he was sitting.

Steff was a little nervous.

"Why are you clenching your fist? I'm warning you, we don't have any connections or acquaintances here. Murder is illegal."

Ikeno heard the noise and gave the boxing champion a stern warning.

Teacher Shi suddenly loosened her fist, looking at Chi Ye with a slightly bewildered expression: "I... didn't mean to..."

"I wasn't thinking about anything, I just had a feeling you might throw a punch at any moment."

While outwardly warning him, Chi Ye was actually reassuring him: "As an artist, you can't be stage-frightened in any situation, especially in a foreign country. Just think of it this way... You're standing here representing the face of domestic singers. Doesn't that make you feel incredibly honored? Are you less nervous now?"

Teacher Shi remained silent for a while, then clenched her fist again.

Chiye: "..."

"To put it another way, you represent my reputation. Do you want me to lose face?"

Teacher Shi paused, glanced at him, and suddenly let out a long sigh.

Chi Ye was startled and instinctively moved away from Teacher Shi a little.

"...Does this song...have anything to do with 'Goblin'?"

Teacher Shi, however, was inexplicably less nervous, or rather, she forced herself not to think about random things, because... she represented Chi Ye Studio, and she represented Chi Ye's "face"...

As Ikeno's go-to OST singer, Shi Daifu was naturally familiar with the plot of "Goblin" and had even recorded several demo OSTs for "Goblin" in advance.

Therefore, upon first hearing Ikeno's song, I was amazed and found it hard to imagine how Ikeno could create such a classic masterpiece in such a short time.

Next, I tried to understand the general meaning of the lyrics. I felt a vague sense of familiarity, and I felt that it was very similar to "Goblin".

Based on Ikeno's past marketing methods, although she remained silent, it did not mean she was stupid. She also knew that in recent months, Ikeno had encountered great challenges and difficulties in certain aspects of her business.

—The entire Chinese entertainment industry, all the teams, capital, and TV stations that generate traffic, except for the film market, are watching Chi Ye closely, waiting for his actions and reactions.

The controversy surrounding the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala announcement was both a test and a prelude to a shift in the entertainment industry's popularity.

But… Ikeno didn't participate in this year's gala. He turned down all the invitations from TV stations and instead appeared overseas, where he was going to sing…

Is this his "reply"?

Not necessarily. Perhaps, in his heart, nothing is more important than his work, because... Stevie believes that she knows Ikeno very well, knows all his tastes, personality, temperament, and even some of his little habits that neither he nor Jin Xia have noticed.

He is an extreme pragmatist, and this time... his "reaction" is perhaps different from what everyone else imagined.

"Hey, how come you've become so smart? Who said military generals don't have strategy?!"

Chi Ye is taking himself more and more seriously now. As long as he doesn't cross Teacher Shi's bottom line, he can do whatever he wants. But if he accidentally crosses it... Shi Daifu won't even punch him.

He was very "arrogant and spoiled".

"...I noticed that the lyrics and the plot of 'Goblin' seem to interact, so...is that really true?"

"It's kind of a promotional song. Actually, this piece is an instrumental piece used in the storyline. I've had the idea for a while, and I came up with the lyrics in the last few days."

Having copied so many times, he got used to it. Ikeno's face was as thick as a city wall, and he deceived the naive and trusting Shi Daifu without batting an eye.

As expected, Teacher Shi had no doubts or questions. She simply lowered her almond-shaped eyes and said softly, "You're amazing."

"……As long as you know."

Chi Ye's expression did not change.

Just then, the host on stage finished his rambling speech, and Ikeno suddenly felt the camera shake. Immediately afterward, his own face appeared in a close-up on the big screen.

Along with him appeared several other contenders for the Blue Dragon Best Actor award.

They are South Korean national treasure-level film emperors Hwang, Jung, and Lee.

These three individuals have a huge fan base not only in South Korea, but also in China, Asia, and even the West, making them among the top celebrities in the Asian community.

Moreover, they are all elderly, with a combined age of over 100, making them veteran actors of the "old guard" level.

Therefore, when Ikeno's completely unfamiliar and young face appeared in the same frame as them, especially abroad, it caused a stir and uproar, both at the scene and in China where the event was being broadcast live through various shady software.

"Holy crap, what a handsome face!"

"Coconut coconut coconut!"

"Oppa!!"

"It's really fucking jarring, but not that jarring. Zhao Tai in 'The Boss' really doesn't seem like an actor. This is the first time a domestic idol has been nominated for the Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Actor, competing against three local Best Actor winners. He's probably the first one, right?"

"Awesome! Ikeno is awesome!"

"Don't underestimate the drama between the women's and men's restrooms. To be honest, other celebrities are no match for him. He really is Chi Ye. You only realize this after becoming a fan. You can have a blast anytime. He's a really cool and successful guy."

"Ahhh!! I dream of having the same items as my four favorite actors, I'm so excited!"

"...!"

At the scene and in the live broadcast room, various comments and voices rang out, and when Li Yingdi learned that there might be a collaboration in the future with Chi Ye, this "outsider", he also showed a slight smile.

The remaining two competitors smiled and nodded in greeting.

The winner of the Best Actor award at this year's Blue Dragon Film Awards is—

The presenters on stage started chattering, and in the end, Li, the Best Actor, unexpectedly defeated the other two competitors. He stood up from his seat, covered his face in disbelief, and walked onto the stage to accept the award.

As for why it's the other two... instead of three.

Ikeno was indeed not a competitor, because the fact that he was nominated by the Blue Dragon Film Awards was already a historic honor.

Due to various political reasons, and because Chi Ye is different from Tang Wei—he is a top-tier artist in mainland China and even has some official connections—he is a top-tier artist in mainland China.

Therefore, he was never a competitor, and everyone knew that.

Suddenly, applause erupted from the audience. It was because the actor on stage, Li, said something that Shi Daifu couldn't understand. After being "translated" by the person next to her, it turned out that the other party was praising "her" and saying that he was looking forward to her duet with Chi Ye later.

Li Yingdi is a superstar, and no matter what the others in the audience thought, they still gave him a round of applause out of respect.

The ceremony then continued until the Best Actress award was presented. Tang Wei, unsurprisingly, lost to another Best Actress, just like Chi Ye. This actress, who had clearly given up on the domestic market and focused on the South Korean market, wore a professional smile, though it seemed somewhat forced.

Chi Ye didn't quite understand the other party. He came for various entanglements of interests, but the other party seemed to be thinking about a second appointment. So... ambitious!
"Teacher Chi, Teacher Shi, please come with me."

At this moment, a staff member from the organizer bent down and walked over, indicating that the two could go backstage to prepare.

The Blue Dragon Film Festival did indeed pander to Ikeno, and this pandering definitely had a commercial purpose. For example, Ikeno's popularity in South Korea is basically equivalent to that in another world, just like the popularity of the male lead of "My Love from the Star" in China.

Furthermore, his film "Brother" was extremely popular in South Korea, ranking among the top ten highest-grossing films of all time and even spawning a remake. Therefore, the appearance they arranged for Ikeno this time was the most prominent and attention-grabbing moment of the entire film festival—around the time of the Blue Dragon Best Actor and Best Actress awards.

"Let's go."

Chi Ye nodded, glanced at the silent Teacher Shi, and suddenly said, "You sang this song really well."

"Ok?"

Teacher Shi looked up, slightly bewildered.

"It sounds great, I'm a fan of yours."

To ease her tension, Ikeno showered her with sweet words.

Teacher Shi blushed, even turning slightly purple, her heart pounded, and her adrenaline surged—she completely forgot about being nervous.

Many introverts know that when you are in an extremely tense environment, and something even more stimulating happens, the tense feeling is instantly replaced, like a blank sheet of paper being covered over it.

Clearly, Ikeno's two sentences were even more provocative to Stevie.

……

"I can watch the live stream here?"

In the lounge.

Shang Jie lay sprawled on the sofa, her buttocks raised high, performing the post-meal exercises the doctor had instructed her to do. A laptop sat in front of her head; with her agent's help, she had found a shady live-streaming platform.

Due to political reasons, there are no official broadcasting channels for South Korean film festivals in China, so the only way to watch them is through various private arrangements.

Of course, under normal circumstances, most viewers would not pay attention to the Blue Dragon Film Festival. The reason it received so much attention this time is because of Ikeno and Stevie Wonder.

Sister Shang is one of them.

She had just finished showing off her meal and was feeling lazy, but she was also very curious about what kind of trouble Chi Ye was going to cause this time.

In her mind, she hoped that Ikeno would kick the host on stage and send him flying, which would enrage the Blue Dragon Film Festival, and the organizers would gather 28 Best Actor and Best Actress winners to launch a fierce attack on Ikeno.

To protect Ikeno, Shi Daifu unleashed her divine power, defeating Koreans one by one with a single punch, and ultimately died at the Blue Dragon Film Festival. Ikeno was so heartbroken that he retired from the film industry.

Years later, when Xia Tian grows old and passes away, Chi Ye, with her white hair and wrinkled face, encounters her own past self—who has also never married, is chubby, plump, and looks old-fashioned…

Then, with a gentle expression, she said to herself, "Old Rose, welcome to hell."

Hmm...it's so exciting, I love it, I love watching it, can it really happen?!
"No, Shang Youshu, what are you thinking with that lewd grin on your face?"

Seeing Shang Youshu's expression, the manager felt a chill and couldn't help but tap the table to remind her, "Let me tell you, you'll only get to hear him finish singing, then you can do rehearsals!"

"Ah, I know, don't rush me, the more you rush me, the less I'll be able to get out!"

broker:"?"

"If you say it, you'd better actually say it."

"You're so annoying."

Sister Shang was a little unhappy. She wiggled her hips and then noticed that the stage lights suddenly dimmed.

Immediately afterwards, polite applause rang out from the audience.

The host has left the stage, and the entire stage has become quiet.

"He's here! He's here!"

Sister Shang immediately perked up.

Meanwhile, Xiao Zhan's team, Shi Jinwei, Tang Wei, Tan Yue, Wang Chuxing, and many others in the audience, both domestically and internationally, all had their eyes on the dark stage.

"Om."

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the pitch-black stage underwent a change.

Tiny starlight appeared.

The entire stage was enveloped in an almost pure deep blue and black, like an endless night sky or a deep sea.

A beam of extremely precise, cold white spotlight, like moonlight, shone vertically down from a great height, forming a clear and isolated circular area of ​​light in the center of the stage.

The edges of the illuminated area are sharp, creating a strong contrast with the surrounding darkness.

The smoke machine quietly started, and thin, misty dry ice smoke slowly spread and rose from the ground, swirling around the pillar of light.

The stage appeared for only a moment, yet a hazy, illusory, and slightly chilly atmosphere already enveloped us.

Ikeno's figure slowly stepped into the solitary beam of light.

He was dressed in a well-tailored dark outfit, with a black overcoat, and his head was slightly lowered.

The spotlight focused on his upper body, especially his face. The lighting in Korea is really good. Even though the stage is very dazzling, the spotlight in the very center cleverly uses side and top lighting to illuminate Ikeno's deep-set eyes, lips and angular jawline at an almost perfect angle.

"Crash."

A commotion broke out at the scene, and Sister Shang slapped her thigh: "Holy crap, Chi is so handsome!!"

broker:"?"

However, seeing Ikeno with the buff, the manager nodded, "Indeed..."

and…

It's been so long since I've seen Ikeno on stage.

I almost forgot, he started out as an idol, a professional idol...

Singer, superstar, idol—Ikeno is not only an actor; his other labels are equally dazzling and even eye-catching, but for various reasons, people always subconsciously overlook them.

When countless popular idols, and countless former fans who turned against them and became haters, hurled insults at them, the resulting momentum was so immense that it seemed as if Chi Ye had violated some divine law and was beyond redemption.

Like countless other top stars in history, and like Yu Yan, he will vanish like a fleeting, beautiful shooting star.

But when he stood on the stage, when he quietly appeared on a stage that wasn't even a formal performance, everyone realized just how big and exaggerated this top star's fanbase really was.

He is a born superstar; God gave him the best looks and "talent".

Now, this superstar is about to showcase his talent.

To the countless fans who turned against him and turned against him, to the countless "top influencers" who wanted to catch up with him, look up to him, and aspire to become him.

A clean, pure, and extremely pleasant prelude suddenly began.

The piano chords danced together, the melody and rhythm moved, and as soon as the melody began, almost everyone watching the performance froze in place.

(End of this chapter)