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

Chapter 290 "Chinese Style"

Congratulations! The performance was a great success!

As soon as the call connected, Feng Yucan offered his heartfelt congratulations to Shen Mingen. Since there was no one else in the lounge, Shen Mingen simply turned on speakerphone, grabbed his thermos, opened it, and while blowing on the hot water inside to bring it to his lips, casually said:
"Spit it out quickly, I'm in a hurry to pack my things and go home."

The weather here in the US has been terrible lately. It snowed a few days ago, and as the saying goes, "It's not cold when it snows, but it's cold when the snow melts." These past two days, even Shen Ming'en, who calls himself a "tough guy," hasn't dared to go for a morning run. He's even thinking about finding a gym nearby...

Look?

The steam from the thermos in his hand was rising wildly, and Shen Ming'en's phone was covered in a layer of mist after just a moment of movement above the thermos.

On a day like this, going home early, washing up, and getting into bed is better than anything else!

"Haha, it's nothing, just asking when you're coming back..." Feng Yucan said with a smile, "so I can prepare in advance and drive to pick you up myself."

Da Piao Liang's performance here has basically come to an end, and Shen Ming'en should be returning to China in the next few days.

"Hey?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Ming'en chuckled and couldn't help but say:

"Didn't you always complain that I treated you like my personal driver? Why are you offering to pick me up now? You're like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken. I don't think you've got any good intentions."

"What you're saying..." Feng Yucan's forehead was covered in black lines as he said, "Who would call themselves a chicken?"

"I fucking said you're a weasel!" Shen Ming'en rolled his eyes: "If you keep chatting like this, I'll hang up. Don't keep me from going back to rest."

"Hey, no, no, it's my fault, it's my fault. Brother Shen, you're so magnanimous, please don't hold it against me..." Feng Yucan quickly tried to appease him.

Shen Ming'en shook his head and, without keeping him in suspense, directly told Feng Yucan that he was going back the day after tomorrow.

"Monday?" Upon hearing this time, Feng Yucan noticed a strange tone in the voice on the other end of the phone.

"Can't we come back earlier?" he asked.

Today is Thursday. According to Feng Yucan's idea, it would be best if Shen Mingen came back tomorrow, so that they could still make it in time...

“Now that I’ve finally made it abroad, I have to do some shopping and city walks, right?” Shen Ming’en said.

“Ber you…” Feng Yucan’s lips twitched, wanting to say something, but in the end he didn’t dare to…

A moment later, he sighed on the other end of the phone: "Fine, whatever you say. Send me the flight information later, and I'll come pick you up."

"Mm." Shen Ming'en nodded.

Shen Ming'en knew exactly what Feng Yucan was thinking: when would he return to "Sparkling Melody"?

In the weeks leading up to his departure abroad, Shen Ming'en took a break from filming "Bright Sword" for "Sparkling Melody." He originally planned to take two weeks off before returning to continue filming, but then he received a notification from the "Silk Road Blossoms" troupe, and soon after, he went abroad...

He has been absent from the recording of "Spark Chapter" for almost a month now.

Even without him, the initial surge in popularity he generated kept "Sparkling Melody" among the top variety shows, but the significant drop in viewership compared to its early days is undeniable.

Feng Yucan must have been discussing with him when to return to "Sparkling Melody"!
It's not that he doesn't want to go back this week, but there are no flights back to China on Friday, and his schedule doesn't fit, so he can only go on Monday.

so……

Shen Ming'en thought for a moment, then simply said:

Have you decided what topic to set for next week?

Shen Ming'en was clearly referring to the topic of "Spark Chapter" for next week. He couldn't go this week, but he would definitely go next week, and they definitely needed to discuss it in advance.

Feng Yucan, who was initially a little disappointed to hear that Shen Mingen wouldn't be able to return this week, noticeably softened his tone upon hearing this, smiling and saying, "Not yet, aren't we waiting for you to come back and take charge?"

"You kid..."

"Ha ha……"

Even though you can't see each other's faces during a voice call, the fleeting expressions on each other's faces seem to instantly appear in their minds.

Sometimes, it's easier to get along with brothers than with lovers. Sometimes, you can understand each other with just a word or a look.

"I think we should give the guests some more ambiguous or uncertain questions?" Shen Ming'en said casually with a smile.

"?" Feng Yucan asked with a puzzled look, "So what kind of proposition is it?"

Can you just tell me straight, my bro?
“It’s just… popular!” Shen Ming’en replied.

Actually, he only recently found this topic interesting and applicable. Didn't he promise his fans a couple of days ago that he would write a song for the fans who are overseas? There was a lot of discussion online at the time, and many netizens said they preferred Shen Ming'en's pop music style...

The word "popular" is something Shen Ming'en noticed starting from that time.

"Popular?" Feng Yucan was completely confused and asked, "So... instead of singing revolutionary songs, you're singing pop songs?"

Just from the premise, let alone Feng Yucan, anyone would think that Shen Mingen wanted those guests to create pop songs.

But this doesn't seem right, does it?

It's important to understand that their program "Spark of Music" is defined as a program for creating works in the mainstream style. The style is predetermined. If they were to create pop music, it would already contradict the theme of the program!

Besides, their show only invites professional singers who are skilled in creating works in this area. If they switch to a pop style, they wouldn't be good at it either...

Aren't you making things difficult for them?

Okay, okay...

You've used all those lousy tricks that "Chinese Music Awards" used on you back then on these other artists!

At this moment, Feng Yucan couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if "Chinese Music Awards" had asked Shen Mingen to create a work on the theme of "popularity".
Has it already been phased out?
Who knows...

Shen Ming'en chuckled upon hearing this: "Who said we won't sing revolutionary songs anymore?"

Who says revolutionary songs aren't popular anymore?!

"?" Feng Yucan didn't understand at first, but after a while...

"Oh!"

His eyes lit up, and he said, "So you mean to create revolutionary songs with 'popularity' as the theme, right?"

Shen Ming'en nodded: "Your reaction is pretty slow..."

"Who told you to keep us in suspense!"

"You *&%￥#@..." After bickering for a while, Feng Yucan's mood clearly relaxed a lot, and he laughed and said, "Okay, then I'll use this topic to ride on your popularity tonight and do some publicity!"

Shen Ming'en: "(￢_￢) Shoot"

Feng Yucan is really showing signs of being a "shrewd businessman" now. You know, Shen Mingen's popularity and buzz tonight are truly outrageous!
Because the performance by the "Silk Road Blossoms" troupe was being broadcast live simultaneously on domestic platforms, less than 10 minutes after Shen Ming'en finished singing "My Chinese Heart" and "Fallen Leaves Return to Their Roots," trending topics about Shen Ming'en appeared on major domestic social media platforms.
"#No matter when or where, we're always the same in our hearts!#"

"#Far from home, I feel a deep sense of loss, and my spirit transforms into autumn leaves!#"

"#Compatriots at home and abroad are one family!"

"#Suddenly I feel sorry for Liu Zi and her friends!#"

"#Late at night, students left behind by the epidemic collectively broke down and went to the embassy to get scolded!#"

"#Is this the true value of being a spokesperson for revolutionary songs?!#"

……

To be honest, Shen Ming'en's two performances tonight were truly "heavyweight" and incredibly powerful!
The comments section of related trending topics is flooded with messages from overseas Chinese and those who have studied abroad!
He sang "My Chinese Heart" so well that my elders were moved to tears!

[My family is the same. We settled abroad about 20 years ago, and my parents have always said they miss home. Tonight, they didn't want to sit in front of the TV, but I had to force them to watch. However, after listening to Shen Ming'en's "My Chinese Heart," they cried their eyes out!]

Sigh, these older generations, the older they get, the stronger their homesickness becomes.

"Fallen Leaves Return to Their Roots" is also amazing! It's a really good song, but it also really consumes a lot of cigarettes...

[Pfft...Dude, you've hit the nail on the head. I've been trying to quit smoking lately, and I'd been abstaining for a week. But after listening to his song "Falling Leaves Return to Their Roots," I suddenly got a bit melancholic. I sat on the edge of the bed and smoked one cigarette after another until I'd unknowingly finished the whole pack...]

It's not easy for anyone living abroad!

I can't take it anymore tonight, I'm going to the embassy to cry...

I don't care if you insult me, I'll be happy as long as I hear someone speaking Chinese!

This is exactly the effect we wanted!

Count me in!

【I am coming too! 】

[I'll keep you company!]

……

Besides the explosive popularity of "My Chinese Heart" and "Falling Leaves Return to Their Roots" tonight, the consequences of these two songs are also extremely "serious"...

"My Chinese Heart" is actually a bit better, since this work mainly tells the story of overseas Chinese's feelings for their motherland. Most overseas Chinese who have deep feelings for their motherland are not young, and are not at the age where they would do something irrational.

But the target audience for the song "Fallen Leaves Return to Their Roots" is different!

Who are the target audiences for "Falling Leaves Return to Their Roots"?
International students!
Brothers and sisters who want to keep their children!
What is the typical age range of these people?
Generally, people in the 19-20 to 24-25 age range are either pursuing undergraduate or postgraduate studies.

Liu Huaqiang once said, "Can you call yourself a young person if you're not impetuous?"
Young people of this age are especially "young and vigorous"!

These people are capable of anything!

Previously, when Shen Ming'en said he would write a song for international students, and there was a lot of online publicity about how difficult it was for international students overseas, there were even reports of international students going to the embassy to cry late at night...

Tonight, I don't know if it was because I got emotional after listening to Shen Ming'en's "Fallen Leaves Return to Their Roots" or because I smoked too much and messed up my brain, but many of the "leftover brothers and sisters" spontaneously went to their respective embassies to cry to the staff!
The poor embassy staff had no idea what was happening. They were on their night shift when suddenly one international student after another arrived, gradually "surrounding" the entire embassy!
In general, when international students call the embassy from abroad to cry about missing home, they sometimes get a "lecture"...

Although we are all Chinese, the embassy staff can indeed comfort you from the perspective of "compatriots," but that is not their obligation. You should be self-reliant!

Many of the students who stayed abroad know this, and they also know that they are easily "educated" by the staff. But the problem is that tonight, they were in a bad mood and just wanted to say, even if they were to be educated, they wanted to hear Mandarin, okay?

One person is like this, and everyone is like this, which makes the situation increasingly chaotic and ridiculous...

The funniest thing is that at first, this only happened in some embassies in popular cities, but as the situation gradually spread, embassies in various places began to experience "human-to-human transmission"!
Therefore...

The popularity of the song "Fallen Leaves Return to Their Roots" continues to rise, and in some ways it may even surpass "My Chinese Heart" tonight.

It's not that "Falling Leaves Return to Their Roots" is better than "My Chinese Heart"—works themselves have no inherent quality difference—it's just that these guys and girls were going crazy tonight…

all in all!
This wave of controversy was definitely started by Shen Ming'en, who naturally became the "best beneficiary" of this surge in popularity.

It's safe to say that Shen Ming'en was undoubtedly the "King of Discussion" tonight!
And it was under these circumstances...

Using Shen Mingen's popularity for publicity is definitely a "go with the flow" benefit!

Someone once said, "When the wind blows, even a pig can fly."

So Feng Yucan, that pig, plans to take advantage of this trend, reduce the budget, and promote the "popular" theme of the next episode of "Spark Chapter"!
Later in the night.

"#Shen Ming'en returns to 'Sparkling Melody' next week, theme: Pop!"

This entry quickly became a trending topic on various platforms shortly after it was published!

Netizens who saw this trending topic couldn't help but be amazed:
[They're finally back!]

[We've been waiting for a month!]

Although we've listened to quite a few songs and even watched a new drama this past month...

[I don't care! Anyway, whatever "Spark of Life" owes me, it's Shen Ming'en who owes me!]

[Hakim, how are you going to pay me back?!]

[Get back to China right now and record "Spark of Music"!]

Being an Ien is truly wonderful; great works keep coming one after another!

[But what kind of proposition is "popular"?]

……

The topic of the new episode of "Sparkling Melody" has sparked heated discussions among netizens.

Could it be that Shen Mingen is going to start writing pop songs?

Shen Ming'en's prepared piece is a very "popular" song called "Chinese Style"!
……

(End of this chapter)