You're about to retire from the entertainment industry, yet your concerts are still so popular?

Security guard: "There's no performance inside! No performance! Don't push!"

Tourists taking photos at the scene said, "We're not watching the performance! We're just here to experience what kind of wind is blowing when Ye Chen sings 'Swimming Alone Against the Ocean Current'!"

An elderly man from Hangzhou went out to buy breakfast, got jostled around three times in the crowd, and finally returned home with an empty soy milk cup, wailing to his wife:

"I can't live like this anymore! I've been queuing for two hours just to buy a steamed bun, and the girl in front of me even said she wanted the same breakfast as in 'The Wind Rises'!"

West Lake.

The owner of the vinegar fish restaurant stood at the entrance of the store, watching the queue stretch for 300 meters again outside.

He cried as he counted his money, "Ye Chen is even more ruthless than West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce! I lost my fish! I lost my vinegar! I even almost lost the plate to tourists as a souvenir!"

Even Lingyin Temple is so popular that the monks are working overtime.

Early in the morning, a young monk yawned while striking a wooden fish: "Esteemed benefactor, what do you wish to ask for?"

"Please, Ye Chen, don't leave the entertainment industry!"

"…Sir, this is a Buddhist temple, not a fan meeting!"

……

The most outrageous thing is that manhole cover near the stadium!

Yes, that's the one Luo Feng crawled through!

It has surprisingly become a popular spot for internet celebrities to take photos.

Tourists lined up to squat down and take photos, captioning them: "Listening to the sound of the wind in the sewer."

……

Fang Lei, the director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau, was in his office, grinning from ear to ear as he looked at the real-time data.

But then they started laughing and crying, because all the tickets for the attraction two weeks later were sold out!

Even the pre-sales for the next few months were snapped up by 30%!

"Ye Chen's traffic is terrifying... It's a good thing it's being used for cultural and tourism promotion." Fang Lei kept talking to Zhou Weikang on the other end of the phone. "Otherwise, with his influence, if he were to tell everyone to invest in stocks, I'm afraid I'd have to write a self-criticism to the China Securities Regulatory Commission in advance."

As a result, Ye Chen's song "The Wind Rises" made Hangzhou a top tourist destination.

The wind has really picked up.

But other cultural and tourism sectors have really gone crazy too!

……

Mountain City Culture and Tourism, Conference Room.

Chen Ping slammed a stack of newspapers on the table, causing the teacup lids to rattle and bounce.

His face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He pointed at the glaring red data for Hangzhou's cultural tourism on the projection screen, his finger trembling with rage.

"Look! Open your eyes wide and see! Hangzhou's West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce is sold out, and even the sewers have become popular photo spots! And what about us? Our hot pot base is still gathering dust in the warehouse!"

The people in charge below hunched over, looking like a row of quails that had been chilled by frost.

"What did you say when I asked you to get Ye Chen to write a song?" Chen Ping grabbed one of them by the collar. "Huh? You said it wasn't appropriate to promote Chongqing with patriotic songs? You said you were using patriotism for profit? Profit my ass!"

The person in charge blushed deeply and weakly explained, "Director Chen, we're afraid of being accused of moral blackmail by netizens..."

"Kidnapping?"

Chen Ping slammed his hand on the table, making a loud thud.

"What's wrong with singing revolutionary songs in Chongqing? Can't we use air-raid shelters? Can't we sing at Liberation Monument? Can't we promote Zhazidong?! These places are inherently revolutionary; is singing revolutionary songs considered consumption? It's called inheritance!"

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt and pacing back and forth in the conference room like an anxious, trapped beast.

"People in Hangzhou know how to seize opportunities, but you guys only know how to seize mealtimes! You clock out on time every day, and all you think about is how to eat spicy food, right?"

Another female section chief muttered under her breath, "Then...should we resend the business letter now?"

"Supplement?" Chen Ping turned around abruptly, his eyes red-rimmed. "Ye Chen's schedule is probably booked all the way to Mars now! If you guys had just been a little more proactive back then, the first business letter should have been from our mountain city! It wouldn't have been the turn of those Hangzhou guys who only care about West Lake fish in vinegar sauce!"

Minister Chen was unusually irritable today.

The meeting room fell into dead silence; no one dared to utter a sound.

Chen Ping suddenly stopped writing, leaning on the table, his voice low and menacing: "Do you think I'm just after that little bit of tourism revenue?"

He raised his bloodshot eyes and scanned everyone in the room:

"I'm scared. We won't tell stories of our nation and people, but we'll force in this 'happy education' from abroad. Young people will forget the howling winds in the air-raid shelters and only remember Western pop songs—that's when things will truly be over!"

The more he spoke, the more sorrowful his tone became: "That kid Ye Chen can sing revolutionary songs that touch the hearts of tens of thousands of people, and he can also incorporate traditional instruments into pop songs... Is this exploitation? This is saving lives, saving our own lives!"

Before anyone knew it, the row of "quails" below had all turned red in the eyes.

……

At this moment, in Teng Ge'er's studio.

Teng Ge'er sat cross-legged on a woolen rug, clutching the phone, her voice booming with excitement: "Brother Ye Chen! I've landed a huge job! Game GG! The client wants to ride your coattails!"

On the other end of the phone, Xu Hao handed the phone to Ye Chen shortly after.

He was curled up on the sofa, munching on an apple, when he heard this and almost choked on his fruit: "Game GG? Uncle Teng, are you going to use 'Dala Bengba' to pick up equipment with one hit for ninety-nine damage?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Teng Ge'er was so excited that she slapped her thigh!

"The client said to change that 'Dala Bengba Bandebedibuduobiruweng' thing to their game's Dragon Slayer Sword and guild name! As for the revenue, besides the original song invitation fee, I'll give you 50%, and we'll split it 50/50!"

Ye Chen chewed on an apple and mumbled, "As long as you don't smear or distort the lyrics, you can change them. Anyway, that song wasn't exactly a top-notch, serious work to begin with."

Teng Ge'er's lips twitched. "Da La Beng Ba" isn't a very top-notch serious work?!

You've already reached C6 in fancy singing!

That's incredibly skillful, and it's still not top-notch?

It's true what they say, comparisons are the thief of joy.

Fortunately, Teng Ge'er wasn't one to dwell on things, so she didn't let herself get angry.

"Alright, bro!" Teng Ge'er was so happy his mustache practically stood on end.

He turned to the well-dressed game investor next to him and gave him an OK sign: "Brother Ye Chen is generous! Mr. Wang, did you hear that? It's done!"

Manager Wang from the game company adjusted his glasses cautiously and said, "Thank you very much for your support, Teacher Ye Chen. Thank you, Teacher Teng. It's been a pleasure working with you."

Then, Teng Ge'er read out the adapted lyrics word by word.

No sooner had she finished reading than Teng Ge'er burst into laughter, "Hahahaha! Brother Ye Chen! Did you hear that? The Canterbury Princess and the Rider awaken the Champion's Sword... Hahahaha!"

On the other end of the phone, Ye Chen almost sprayed apple crumbs all over Xu Hao's face with a "pfft".

"Uncle Teng," Ye Chen pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth, laughing so hard he almost fell over, "take it easy with your singing, lest the horses on the grassland think you're summoning a divine beast."

"Don't worry! I only revised this version because I thought the song was fun. I didn't expect that a sponsor would take a liking to it!" Teng Ge'er patted her chest loudly.

"Brother Ye Chen, thanks! When GG comes out, I'll treat you to a whole roasted lamb on the grassland!"

After hanging up the phone, Xu Hao wiped the apple crumbs off his clothes, feeling utterly hopeless.

"Brother Chen, is your 'Da La Beng Ba' going to go from being a hit anime for anime fans to an anthem for middle-aged and elderly people playing online games?"

"That's fine too. Anyway, it's all brainwashing. Brainwashing game players is better than brainwashing me."

Ye Chen lay back down, closed his eyes, and lazily said, while thinking in his mind what theme to use for the next concert.