Huayu: A master director who debuted as a singer

After leaving Shenzhen, Zheng Hui's team swept through the coastal cities of Fujian and Zhejiang. They visited Quanzhou, Xiamen, Wenzhou, and Taizhou, spending no more than three days in each city.

They travel during the day and perform at night.

Lin Dashan and Chen Jianguo took turns holding the steering wheel. The ashtray in the car was overflowing with cigarette butts. Zheng Hui was asleep in the third row of seats; he had gotten used to sleeping in this bumpy ride.

Early November, Hangzhou.

At Wulin Square, an inflatable archway spans the entrance to the square, with two lines of text written on it: "Very Cola, the cola of the Chinese people - Zheng Hui's new packaging launch ceremony".

A stage was set up in the center of the square, with a large poster as the backdrop. On the poster, Zheng Hui was holding a red can of Very Cola, smiling brightly, with the slogan "Very Cola, worship happiness" printed next to him.

In the backstage dressing room, Zheng Hui was holding a can of Coke in his hand. It wasn't a specially made one for filming Gossip Girl; it was a product that had just come off the production line.

On the red aluminum can, besides the original white calligraphy logo, his portrait is printed in the most prominent position. Below the portrait is his artistic signature.

"The warm-up is almost over, it's your turn." Li Zongming glanced at his watch.

The host's voice pierced through the curtain from the outside speakers.

"Now, let's give a warm round of applause to welcome Zheng Hui, the spokesperson for Very Cola!"

Zheng Hui stood up and put the cola in his hand on the table. Li Zongming helped him straighten his collar, and then he walked onto the stage.

The audience was packed with people; Wahaha had mobilized all of its sales channels in Hangzhou for the press conference and even contacted several nearby universities.

The music exploded, the drumbeats were intense, and the bass roared.

"stubborn".

"If I'm different from the world, then let me be different..."

As soon as the intro to "Stubborn" started, the young people in the audience instantly erupted in cheers.

Countless arms were raised and waved in rhythm.

Zheng Hui stood at the edge of the stage and handed the microphone to the audience.

"For me, perseverance means using sheer force to overcome force!"

The sound of ten thousand people singing together echoed in the air above Wulin Square.

After finishing one song, Zheng Hui didn't stop and immediately switched to "I Believe".

These kinds of outdoor commercial performances are all about creating an atmosphere, and they're all about those soaring high notes.

After the two songs were finished, Zheng Hui held the microphone and looked at the sea of ​​heads below the stage.

"Friends in Hangzhou, is it hot?"

"hot!"

Are you thirsty?

"thirsty!"

Zheng Hui smiled and took a can of Very Cola from the staff member next to him.

"What should I do if I'm thirsty?"

He pulled the tab, and the sound of bubbles echoed throughout the venue via the microphone.

"Drink Very Cola!" Zheng Hui shouted.

The music started again, this time with a dynamic electronic dance music rhythm.

"Happy Worship".

"Those who have forgotten their names, please follow me. Now, let us worship happiness..."

Zheng Hui sang and danced on stage. The song had such a strong rhythm that the audience couldn't help but jump up and down along.

During the interlude, Zheng Hui raised the can of cola in his hand and shouted to the audience:

"I say 'Very Coke,' you respond with 'Worship Joy!' Ready—Very Coke!"

"Worship brings joy!" The initial responses were somewhat disorganized.

Zheng Hui waved his arm again: "Louder! Again! Very Cola!"

This time, the voices of ten thousand people were perfectly synchronized:

"Worship brings joy!!"

Manager Zhang stood on the side platform, watching this scene, his hands trembling with excitement.

After singing three songs, Zheng Hui did not leave the stage.

The staff brought in a long table covered with a red cloth and placed dozens of pens on it.

The host stepped forward and announced, "Listen up, everyone! Today, to thank the people of Hangzhou for their support, Mr. Zheng Hui will be holding a book signing event here!"

"The rules are simple!" The host pointed to the mountain of red cardboard boxes piled up below the stage: "Buy a case of Very Cola on the spot, and with your receipt, you can get a free cassette tape personally signed by Zheng Hui! You can also go on stage and shake hands with Mr. Zheng Hui!"

These words immediately caused an uproar in the audience.

How much does a case of Coke cost? Twenty-four cans, less than forty yuan.

Buy a Coke now and get a signed cassette tape for free? That's practically free!

"I want to buy it!"

"Give me two cases!"

"Don't push! I was here first!"

Next to the mountain of beverage crates, dozens of sales points that had been prepared in advance were instantly overwhelmed.

Wahaha's sales staff were busy collecting money, issuing invoices, and moving goods.

"Line up! Line up!" the security guard shouted through a megaphone.

The person who received the ticket, clutching a case of Coke, excitedly rushed towards the stage entrance aisle on the side of the stage.

Zheng Hui sat behind the long table, unscrewed the pen cap, and prepared for battle.

The first one to come up was a male student, carrying a case of Coke and holding a cassette tape he had just received.

"Hui...Brother Hui!" the boy stammered, "I really like you! I can sing all your songs!"

Zheng Hui smiled as he took the cassette tape, signed his name in artistic lettering on the cover, and then extended his hand: "Thank you for your support."

The boy excitedly grabbed Zheng Hui's hand, shook it several times before letting go, and ran off the stage with the cassette tape and cola in his arms.

Then came the second, the third…

Zheng Hui was efficient: he signed autographs, shook hands, smiled, and moved on to the next person.

Behind him stood Lin Dashan and Chen Jianguo, warily scanning everyone who approached.

After an hour of intense work, Li Zongming forcibly called a pause: "Ten-minute break, you have to break, otherwise your hands will be ruined and you won't be able to sign anything later."

Zheng Hui didn't try to be brave. During the ten-minute break, he drank some water and applied an ice pack to his right hand.

After a brief rest, he sat back down at the table and threw himself back into the battle.

Two hours passed.

As the sun set, the afterglow cast long shadows of people in the square. The queue below the stage not only didn't shorten, but grew even longer; some people even took taxis specifically to come and buy Coca-Cola. Wahaha's prepared inventory was dwindling at a visible rate.

"Quick! Get the goods from the warehouse! Hurry!"

Four hours passed, night fell, and the streetlights dimly illuminated the night.

"Teacher Zheng, is that enough?" Manager Zhang looked at the seemingly endless line and began to feel uneasy. "At this rate, we won't finish signing in by tomorrow morning."

Zheng Hui raised his eyelids and looked ahead. There were at least several hundred people queuing up ahead of him, and the rest of the line was lost in the night.

"Let's sign for another half hour," Zheng Hui said through gritted teeth. "People have been waiting in line for so long, we can't let them wait for nothing."

Forty minutes later, several police officers pushed through the crowd and headed straight for Manager Zhang.

"Please stop immediately." The police officer in charge pointed to the dense crowd around them: "It's dark and there are too many people. They're too emotional. If this continues, it could easily cause a stampede."

Although Manager Zhang was distressed by the booming sales, he knew the importance of the matter. He was about to nod in agreement when Zheng Hui, who had been engrossed in writing, suddenly spoke up.

"Officer, these fans have been queuing for hours. If we forcibly cut them off now, they'll be more likely to lose control of their emotions."

He earnestly suggested, "Cut off the line at the end and stop letting new people in. I'll finish signing off for those currently in line, okay?"

The officer in charge surveyed the scene, then looked at Zheng Hui, and after a moment's thought, nodded: "Okay, only exit is allowed, no entry. We will assist in sealing off the rear of the line."

"Thanks!"