Huayu: A master director who debuted as a singer

Zheng Hui waited for two days, but his phone remained silent. On the morning of the third day, the phone rang; it was Liu Huan.

"Zheng Hui, get ready, we're going somewhere this afternoon."

"Teacher Liu, it is..."

Liu Huan directly stated the location: "No. 11 Fuxing Road, 1 PM. I'll drive to the VIP building to pick you up."

Zheng Hui's heart skipped a beat: "What do I need to prepare?"

"You don't need to prepare anything, just bring your voice. The production team wants to hear a live performance."

After hanging up the phone, Li Zongming asked, "How did it go?"

"The rehearsal will be this afternoon," Zheng Hui said.

Li Zongming clenched his fist forcefully: "It's done! This matter is basically settled!"

He knew that unless someone had a very strong interest, the Spring Festival Gala production team wouldn't waste time arranging any live rehearsals.

At 1 p.m., Liu Huan's car stopped in front of the VIP building, and Zheng Hui got in alone.

Liu Huan handed over a bottle of mineral water: "Don't be nervous, just think of it as going to karaoke."

Zheng Hui took a sip: "I'm not nervous, I'm just excited."

At No. 11 Fuxing Road, Liu Huan's car had a pass, and the sentry saluted and let it pass.

After getting out of the car, Liu Huan led Zheng Hui inside. The two entered a small conference room filled with smoke.

Five people were sitting around a long table. After Liu Huan entered, he pointed to Zheng Hui and introduced him: "This is the Macau kid I told you about, Zheng Hui."

He then introduced Zheng Hui: "This is the chief director Liu Tiemin, this is director Zhu Tong, director Chen Yulu, director Huang Haitao, and director Zhou Xiaodong."

Zheng Hui bowed and greeted each of the directors in turn: "Hello, everyone."

These five people are the core team that co-directed this year's Spring Festival Gala.

Liu Tiemin was a man around fifty years old, wearing glasses, and looked very refined.

He looked Zheng Hui up and down: "Young man, don't be shy, sit down."

Zheng Hui didn't sit; he stood ramrod straight.

Liu Tiemin didn't say anything more and went straight to the point: "We've listened to the tape. Huan Ge's arrangement is very good, and your singing style is also very distinctive."

But you know, recordings in the studio aren't always accurate. We want to hear you live.

"No problem." Zheng Hui nodded.

Zheng Hui closed his eyes and began to sing a cappella in front of the five people.

"My country and I are inseparable..."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear.

Without using any stage techniques, it was like chatting and telling a story.

The meeting room was quiet, with only his singing echoing in the background.

The five directors each had a different expression.

Liu Tiemin leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table.

Zhu Tong and Chen Yulu are female directors, and their eyes are filled with curiosity and scrutiny.

Huang Haitao and Zhou Xiaodong frowned slightly, seemingly deep in thought.

After finishing the song, Zheng Hui fell silent and stood there quietly.

There was a few seconds of silence in the conference room.

Liu Tiemin opened his eyes and said to Zheng Hui, "Xiao Zheng, go wait at the door for a while."

"OK."

Directors Zheng Huichong and the others bowed and followed Liu Huan out of the conference room.

The moment the door closed, a discussion immediately broke out inside the room.

"Too soft." Huang Haitao was the first to break the silence: "This is the Spring Festival Gala, and the theme of this song is appropriate, but what about the singing style? It's so weak and feeble, like singing a pop love song."

Zhou Xiaodong immediately chimed in: "Yes, Li Guyi's version is a masterpiece, with the magnificent momentum of a great river."

His approach is a bit too simplistic; it's like a small bridge over a flowing stream. It's fine for local TV stations to host galas, but airing the Spring Festival Gala at this time of year is too small-scale and doesn't have the grandeur.

"I have a different opinion," said female director Chen Yulu thoughtfully. "Don't you think that it's precisely this softness that creates a very special sense of breathability?"

Zhu Tong's eyes lit up, and she replied, "Yes, that's exactly the feeling."

Before, when we listened to this song, we looked up in awe, standing at the foot of a pedestal looking at a magnificent monument. But when he sang it like this, that unapproachable sense of distance disappeared.

I feel that my motherland is no longer an abstract concept, but something that is right beside me, warm and tangible, like a real family member.

Amid the debate, the chief director, Liu Tiemin, remained silent.

"Old Liu, what do you think?" Huang Haitao couldn't help but ask.

Instead of directly commenting on the singers, Liu Tiemin asked a seemingly unrelated question: "The children's choir performance of 'The Song of Seven Sons in Macau,' has it been confirmed for the guaranteed admission list, right?"

Everyone was taken aback. Although they didn't understand why, they all nodded. It was the highlight of this year's political task, and they had to participate.

"Mr. Wen Yiduo's poems describe pieces of flesh that have been ceded. Hong Kong returned last year, and next year it will be Macau's turn. That program is like a child calling for its mother; it's me wanting to go home."

"What if we put this young man's 'Me and My Motherland' right after 'The Song of the Seven Sons'?"

Chen Yulu suddenly realized: "The first song, 'The Song of Seven Sons,' was a sorrowful cry for my home, while the second song, 'Me and My Motherland,' was a heartfelt murmur of my return."

The two programs, when viewed together, create a progressive emotional effect, resulting in a synergistic effect greater than the sum of its parts!

A brief silence fell over the meeting room as the directors mentally rehearsed the scene: after the child's mournful voice faded, a warm and delicate male voice slowly flowed out…

After a long silence, Zhu Tong said, "I agree with Director Liu's view. This kind of whispered expression, under this specific arrangement, touches people's hearts more than a grand and dramatic approach. This year's Spring Festival Gala really needs this kind of heartfelt voice."

"And he has a good image, which is what young people like the most these days. Letting him on the show will definitely attract young viewers."

Huang Haitao and Zhou Xiaodong exchanged a glance and finally nodded slowly.

"Is that settled then?" Liu Tiemin asked.

No one objected.

"Let him in."

The door was pushed open, and Zheng Hui and Liu Huan walked in again.

Liu Tiemin looked at Zheng Hui with a smile: "Little Zheng, we just had a discussion. In principle, we think your program has a good concept and a novel format, so it can be included."

Zheng Hui knew that there should be a "but" following this.

Sure enough, Liu Tiemin changed the subject: "But you know the rules of the Spring Festival Gala. There are many programs and time is tight."

Until the live broadcast on Lunar New Year's Eve, no one can guarantee their program will be broadcast. Even after five or six rounds of rehearsals, many programs are still cut.

"Our current requirement is that from mid-December until January or February, there will be several rounds of rehearsals and reviews."

You need to be available at any time, cannot stray too far from Beijing, and cannot miss rehearsals due to commercial performances or other matters.

Liu Tiemin stared at Zheng Hui: "Moreover, we can't guarantee that you'll eventually get to go on stage."

If the leadership deems it unacceptable during the subsequent review, or if the rehearsal performance is deemed unsatisfactory, or even if the program is to be shortened due to time constraints on the day of the Spring Festival Gala, your program may very well be rejected.

In this situation, can you still do it?

This is actually a demanding condition. For a singer who is currently very popular, the end of the year is the golden period for making money. To spend all of these months here, and then potentially end up with nothing, carries enormous risks and costs.

But Zheng Hui didn't hesitate. He nodded, his eyes firm: "Director, I can do it. I'll be there whenever the production team needs me. Even if I don't end up performing, just being able to participate in the process is an honor for me."

Liu Tiemin was somewhat surprised, clearly not expecting the young man to agree so readily. These days, many young artists, especially those from Hong Kong and Taiwan, become arrogant and demanding once they gain some fame. Someone as sensible and cooperative as Zheng Hui is rare.

"Good! That's a good attitude. Go back and prepare, and wait for further notice."

"Thank you, Director Liu! Thank you, all the directors!" Zheng Hui bowed again.