After offending capital, my songs became more and more popular.

Chapter 146 You and I, Heart to Heart!
The Olympics is a major national event. On the day of the opening ceremony, not only was the offline scene in Beijing very lively, but netizens online were also extremely excited, just like oil in a boiling pan.

Tonight's opening ceremony was broadcast on various video platforms. It is said that on Douyin alone, the number of viewers online at the same time reached over 100 million!

The massive influx of people generated a huge amount of discussion. In such a formal setting, most netizens discussed very formal topics, but it's possible that some also went off-topic...

such as……

The theme song for the opening ceremony?

Perhaps because of Shen Mingen, all three theme songs for the Olympics have garnered significant attention. Shen Mingen previously stated that he participated in the creation and performance of all three songs, and he also performed the chorus of "Beijing Welcomes You" on the Great Wall, and composed "Thousands of Mountains and Rivers," which he sang solo at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Now, many people are discussing…

Could it be the most important and significant theme song at the Olympic opening ceremony?

[How is it possible…]

Perhaps because the trolls on Jack Ma's side are still having an effect, many people in the online live stream are stirring up this kind of sentiment:
The Olympic opening ceremony theme song was sung in front of people from all over the world. On such a momentous occasion, what gave him the right? Did he deserve it?

[That's right, he's a big shot, but his experience is very limited!]

[It seems this performance will feature an internationally renowned Chinese singer. Even if Shen Ming'en is involved, it's likely only in songwriting.]

……

It's worth mentioning that while Ma's company can create "information cocoons" in the comment sections of regular videos and posts to prevent fans from seeing their comments, they wouldn't dare do that for an official event like this...

This means that fans' comments can also be seen!

Fans are all commenting:

[Shen Ming'en isn't qualified enough? Then who is?]

Looking across the entire Chinese entertainment industry, can you find another person more "popular" than him?

[Seniority, seniority... A bunch of old fogies who haven't released an album in over a decade and live off a single hit for their entire lives are here making a ranking based on seniority?]

In my opinion, the more representative works someone has, the more senior they are. My brother has so many representative works; any one of them would be a hit, and any one of them would be incredibly popular. He's the most senior artist in the entire Chinese entertainment industry!

[Some of you little haters, stop jumping around here. Before the performances of "Beijing Welcomes You" and "Thousands of Mountains and Rivers," you said it wasn't him, that he wasn't qualified enough, and that other people had been chosen. And what happened?]

[It turns out, it was all my brother!]

[You never learn from your mistakes, you get slapped repeatedly, and you still have the nerve to come here and get slapped again? What were you thinking?]

[I urge those stirring up trouble to shut up. Yatarahn, the Thunder, is a man only the sun can smear. You dare to challenge him?]

……

Shen Mingen's fans have proven with their actions that as long as they break free from their "information cocoon" and look at the entire Chinese entertainment industry, no one can rival them.

The little black guys, though they couldn't beat them, were always defiant and always jumping up and down...

In the online live streaming rooms of various platforms, many people are indeed discussing this matter.

It's funny, really...

The opening ceremony started at 8 p.m., and the online broadcasts on various platforms at the same time were all very formal live broadcasts from CCTV. They did not broadcast the stars' footage separately. However, some small media outlets seemed to have grasped the "traffic code" and started "searching" for people in the stadium!
During the opening ceremony, you could see the faces of many celebrities in the live broadcast rooms of some small media outlets.

After all, it's an international event, and everyone knows to maintain good relations with the country. Therefore, many celebrities either used connections or spent a lot of money to get tickets to attend the performance.

Among them are not only superstars who performed "Beijing Welcomes You" at the Forbidden City and the Imperial Ancestral Temple a few days ago, but also some second- and third-tier celebrities, such as Feng Yucan, and even some internet celebrities with a large number of fans have appeared...

But only one!
Looking across all the small media live streams, no one saw Shen Ming'en's face.

Logically speaking, in terms of star power, brand recognition, popularity, traffic, and buzz...

None of the celebrities present, even the biggest stars, could compare to Yata Lane of Thunder.

Logically, all the smaller media outlets should be focusing their attention on Shen Ming'en, since he's arguably the most discussed figure online besides the Olympics—it's the secret to generating buzz!
But no matter whose live stream it was, Shen Ming'en's face never appeared!
This led to a very interesting scene...

That is, Shen Mingen's fans were very happy and excited to see this scene, and they were all speculating:
My brother must be waiting backstage to prepare for his performance of the opening ceremony's theme song!

And the little black guys are all saying:
[Bullshit! He probably didn't even get into the stadium. With his connections, he probably didn't even get a ticket!]

And so the two sides started "tearing each other apart" again...

Shen Ming'en's "relationships" in the industry... well, let's just say they're not great.

Because of those capitalists, most people, even if they wanted to get close to Shen Ming'en, wouldn't dare to openly interact with him in front of the camera, for fear of incurring the wrath of those greedy capitalists...

This has led to rumors circulating online that Shen Ming'en has extremely poor interpersonal relationships within the industry!

The haters are making a big deal out of this again.

all in all……

For these people, Shen Ming'en's absence is either a great thing or an absolute disaster.

But ironically, this has triggered a lot of associations...

For example, these people in the tea room have itchy noses.

"So... Shen Ming'en wouldn't actually participate in the opening ceremony's theme song performance, would he?" Fatty Ma's lips twitched as he scanned the crowd, finally fixing his gaze on President Qin in the center of the tea room.

When he was smearing Shen Mingen a couple of days ago, he released all sorts of press releases, saying that Shen Mingen only wrote one song, "Thousands of Mountains and Rivers," and was not qualified to participate in the third work.

If Shen Mingen really got involved, then he'll really be embarrassed...

All the hype and mischief stirred up by the online trolls during this period has been completely ruined.

"This……"

Upon hearing this, the people in the tea room were also somewhat undecided.

Well...

Based on their "intelligence," Shen Ming'en could not possibly be the singer of the third opening ceremony theme song, nor could he possibly have co-written that song...

But their intelligence had previously told them that Shen Ming'en was not involved in the performance of "Beijing Welcomes You," nor in the solo rendition of "Thousands of Mountains and Rivers" at the Imperial Ancestral Temple...

What happened in the end?

In the end, they all slapped their shameless faces.

Now, how can you expect them to be absolutely certain that Shen Ming'en did not participate in the opening ceremony performance?

"...Say something!"

Seeing that everyone was silent, uncertain, and hesitant, Mr. Ma's unease intensified.

Fortunately, at this moment, Mr. Qin, the tea master, waved his hand and said, "No, don't worry. I just spoke with people in Beijing, and Teacher Zhang is already preparing."

The "Teacher Zhang" he mentioned is the singer of the opening ceremony theme song, as rumored online, but...

How can we not feel at ease?

Even the white-haired Mr. Li, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but say:

"That day at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the theme song 'Thousands of Mountains and Rivers' was announced, and Mr. Chen Guangrong even went on stage. And what happened?"

As a result, he actually crossed the stage and accurately handed the microphone to Shen Ming'en...

Listen!

Is this something a human could do?!

Honestly, they wouldn't have believed it if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes!

The theme song for this Olympic opening ceremony, while, as they claim, is equally "important," and while they also say Shen Ming'en lacks experience, ...

But wasn't it always like this before?
Every single time, wasn't it someone else who thought it was impossible for Shen Mingen to win, only to have Shen Mingen turn the tables and win against all odds?
What makes you think that Shen Mingen won't be able to "make a comeback" this time under the same circumstances?

"..."

Inside the tea room, everyone's expressions suddenly turned strange. Clearly, Mr. Li's words had struck a chord with them.

Among everyone, if we were to say who had the worst expression, it would actually be Shen Ming'en's boss, Lin Bei, the CEO of Ruixing Entertainment.

Mr. Lin's brows have been furrowed ever since, his expression remaining extremely serious...

Others may not know how significant it is for Shen Ming'en to sing the Olympic theme song, but he knows it all too well!
This shows that he must have established good relations with the authorities. And if he relies on these connections, the company may not be able to continue to "suppress" him as before!

It's not that it's impossible...

It's more accurate to say they "dare not"!

Despite Shen Mingen's performances of various "red songs" and attempts to curry favor with official authorities, the only response from the authorities has always been a few official media outlets reposting his work, without any explicit statements...

However, if Shen Mingen participated in the Olympic theme song, and more than one, then that is enough to show that it is an "official statement"!

Then, how dare they make things difficult for Shen Ming'en?!

The authorities don't care about your losses; they only care about protecting Shen Ming'en. You can reason with anyone, but you can't reason with the authorities no matter what!

It would be one thing if he only sang the chorus in the "Beijing Welcomes You" music video and wrote a song called "Thousands of Mountains and Rivers"...

If he sang the theme song at the opening ceremony in front of the world, then the significance would be truly different!

Everyone says the meanings are different, but what exactly are the differences?

Let’s put it this way…

Generally speaking, the singers who perform the theme song at the Olympic opening ceremony are mostly those representing their respective countries.

Most of them are the most politically correct and representative in China!

What can you do to a star with state backing?! Shen Ming'en already has a great international reputation because of "The Internationale," so if he were to actually represent the country in singing songs, then Shen Ming'en would truly be out of control!

It was precisely because of these many consequences that Lin Bei's expression was so solemn...

Right now, they really need President Qin to give them some reassurance, otherwise they're really going to collapse!

And President Qin certainly did not disappoint them...

"Let me connect with my friends over there live..."

President Qin's expression was indifferent, revealing neither joy nor sorrow. He simply picked up his phone from the table beside him and made a video call to his connections in Beijing.

It's worth mentioning that Mr. Qin's phone screen was projected onto a white screen on the wall via a projector, so everyone could see him having a video call with the other side.

"Ding-dong...dong!"

After a brief ring, the call connected. On the other end was a young man in a suit and a name tag around his neck. Upon seeing President Qin, the man wore a fawning smile and bowed obsequiously.

"Hello, Mr. Qin!"

"Hello, Xiao Feng..." President Qin smiled slightly, then said to the person opposite him, "Is Teacher Zhang here?"

The "Teacher Zhang" he mentioned is naturally the teacher who, according to online rumors, sang the opening ceremony's theme song.

"Yes, yes," the boy called Xiao Feng nodded and replied, "Teacher Zhang is inside rehearsing with foreign friends. They just finished. Should I call Teacher Zhang to speak to you?"

Mr. Qin actually holds a very high position in the industry, and therefore, people in the industry, especially those in service roles, respect him greatly and treat him with exceptionally good manners.

Upon hearing his words, the group in the tea room whose noses were itchy breathed a sigh of relief, sensing that the man's words were quite certain...

It's worth mentioning that Xiao Feng seemed to be outside the rehearsal room backstage. Occasionally, bursts of singing could be heard from the room. It was a man's voice, and he and a foreign girl with a very ethereal voice were singing a very moving tune in Chinese and English respectively.

Eloquent tenors, you know, even in a concert hall, their voices are so loud you can hear them clearly without a microphone. That's why, even without opening the door, they were certain that the person singing inside couldn't possibly be Shen Ming'en...

"no, I'm fine……"

At this moment, President Qin waved his hand and said:
"Please don't disturb Mr. Zhang's performance. Please give him my regards and wish him a successful performance later."

"Yes, yes, Mr. Qin, I will definitely pass on your message." Xiao Feng nodded with a smile.

"Okay, you guys go ahead and get busy, we'll watch the live stream." President Qin chuckled and said a few words before hanging up the phone.

"..."

After the video call ended, the tea room remained silent, but for some reason, the atmosphere had eased considerably compared to before, and was noticeably less tense.

"Mr. Ma," Mr. Qin picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and said with a smile, "Now you can rest assured, right?"

In the video, Teacher Zhang's voice is so clear. He's already rehearsing harmonies with that foreign friend. What else do you have to worry about?

A few days ago at the Temple of Heaven performance of "Thousands of Mountains and Rivers," you could say you didn't see Mr. Chen Guangrong rehearse and were worried...

This time, the sound of their rehearsal has already been released; all that's missing is the visuals.

That's it!

If you're still not reassured, then there's really nothing more I can do...

"Okay, okay, okay..."

Upon hearing this, Fatty Ma finally breathed a sigh of relief. A huge weight had been pressing on his chest, and a smile finally appeared on his greasy face, something he hadn't done in a long time.

"I knew it couldn't be Shen Ming'en, haha..." The white-haired Mr. Li next to him laughed and said, "Of the three Olympic theme songs, he sang the chorus of one with a group of singers and wrote a solo. If he's also the theme song for the Olympic opening ceremony, then he really has all the theme songs..."

"If that were the case, not only would we not agree, but the Anti-Monopoly Law would also not allow it!"

"puff……"

Mr. Li's words immediately amused everyone in the tea room, and they couldn't stop laughing. Some called Mr. Li a fence-sitter, but at that moment, no one really cared about that...

As long as the opening ceremony singer isn't Shen Ming'en, they can do whatever they want.

In that case, Mr. Ma's online army wouldn't have failed at the last minute...

What surprised them was that even though President Qin had video-chatted with the staff on site, Lin Bei, the CEO of Ruixing Entertainment and Shen Ming'en's boss, still didn't have a smile on his face...

He frowned, still looking solemn as he stared at the spectacular opening ceremony on the screen, lost in thought.

Everyone else was laughing, but he wasn't. Everyone knew he wasn't naturally averse to smiling, but his presence made everyone feel incredibly awkward!

"President Lin, what's wrong with you now?" Even the woman in the suit, Ms. Liu, couldn't help but complain, "President Qin already made a video call so we could witness it with our own eyes, aren't you sure you can trust him?"

"That's right..." the crowd chimed in, each adding their own opinion.

Lin Bei remained unmoved by this. He had been just like these people before, misled by some "superficial phenomena" and had "opened champagne at the halfway point" countless times!
It is precisely because he suffered that kind of loss, and because he learned from his mistakes, that he is now different from others.

After a brief hesitation, he asked Mr. Qin, "Mr. Qin, why didn't you let him in to take a look just now?"

President Qin: "???"

His question completely stunned even the usually composed tea master, Mr. Qin!

No...

I'm talking about Lin Bei!

Do you even know what you're saying?!

Even if they weren't rehearsing, the performance was just around the corner, which was exactly the time for them to concentrate and focus!
No outsiders are allowed to go in!
If you call someone's assistant in at this moment and give them a "live broadcast," do you think that's polite?!

You said that Xiao Feng just asked if we should take President Qin in to say hello?
Huh~
Anyone could tell that was just them being polite!

You can't possibly be completely clueless about basic social etiquette, can you?

If I actually go in, even if they don't say anything on the surface, they'll definitely mind it!

He's a veteran artist, and even President Qin wouldn't want to have a falling out with him, don't you know that?!
The way President Qin was looking at Lin Bei now was as if to say, "How could such a ridiculous thing have come out of your mouth?!"

How could the president of a company say something like that?!
Are you fucking crazy because of Shen Ming'en?!

Inside the tea room, the others looked at President Lin with the same expression. They understood Lin Bei's feelings, but they also felt that Lin Bei's words were incredibly tactless and lacked social graces...

President Qin was truly exasperated by him, and with a wave of his hand, he declared:

"President Lin, I personally guarantee you that if Shen Ming'en is the one performing later, I'll give you the spots for the overseas performance next month, and our company won't be going!"

As soon as these words came out...

Lin Bei hadn't reacted yet, but President Ma, President Liu, and President Li all showed surprised expressions.

They were all too aware of the "temptation" behind President Qin's words!

President Qin has really gone all out this time...

To be honest, they had this thought at that moment: they wished they were Lin Bei, and they wished Shen Ming'en would really appear at the Olympic opening ceremony to sing the theme song.

In that case, all the benefits will be theirs!

What a pity... what a pity!
All of this is simply impossible!

……

at the same time.

Far away in the capital.

Backstage at the Olympic opening ceremony, in the rehearsal room.

Generally, the Olympic theme song is performed at important moments in the opening ceremony, usually in the later stages of the artistic performances or near the end, to elevate the theme, create atmosphere, and leave a more lasting impression on the audience...

The opening ceremony is only halfway through, and there is still some time before the theme song performance. Even so, everyone knows the importance of this event and is afraid of any mishaps. Therefore, the backstage "rehearsals" are in full swing.

After hanging up the phone with President Qin, the fawning smile on Xiao Feng's face vanished instantly, as if it had never existed.

Instead, a very serious face appeared...

He put away his phone, turned around and walked towards the rehearsal room, then pushed open the door and went inside.

The room wasn't large; besides the staff, there were three singers...

One of them is Sally, a well-known female singer from Europe and America; another is Teacher Zhang, who is rumored to have sung the opening ceremony theme song; and the last one...

A handsome young man with a tall and straight figure and a smiling face...

Who else could it be but Shen Ming'en!

"Thank you for your help, Teacher Zhang..." Shen Ming'en stood up and shook hands with the bel canto singer, Teacher Zhang, politely and courteously.

"Hehehe, it's nothing, just a small favor," Teacher Zhang nodded to Shen Ming'en, then patted his hand as they shook, and said, "To be honest, if I could, I really would like to sing 'Me and You' myself. I'm so envious!"

What a pity...

Unfortunately, his submission was rejected by the organizing committee.

Unfortunately, Shen Ming'en's "Me and You" is too powerful!
This teacher is actually of the same generation as Zhou Chujian, but his perspective is much broader than Zhou Chujian's. The fact that he could say such a thing shows that he is a very easygoing person.

After exchanging a few polite words, Shen Ming'en bid farewell to Teacher Zhang and, hand in hand with Sally, the well-known Western female singer, walked onto the stage.

With the preparations complete, now comes the moment of truth!

……

(End of this chapter)