diymy Chapter 34 The Attention Received by the CCTV Young Singers Competition Finals
Chapter 34 The Attention Received by the CCTV Young Singers Competition Finals
"Senior brother, we're almost there."
Zu Hai leaned against the somewhat stained window of the bus, pointing ahead, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.
Today, she specially changed into a new light blue dress with small white floral prints. It was made of cotton and had a fluffy skirt. Her hair was also carefully braided into two plaits and tied with matching hair ties.
He looked refreshed and ready, as if he were going to an important date.
Zu Hai was thinking of going to CCTV with his senior, so he should dress smartly.
It's just that Senior Sister Zhang Ye has disappeared somewhere.
After having lunch at the teacher's house for the holiday, my senior sister said, "I have something to do, I'm leaving first," and then disappeared in a hurry, not showing up all afternoon.
Lin Hanjiang looked in the direction Zu Hai was pointing, and the familiar outline of the CCTV building was already clear.
But he was more concerned with the present moment.
The bus, like a panting old ox, inch by inch, moved forward in the evening traffic.
During rush hour, the road was blocked off like a parking lot.
The constant blaring of horns was incredibly annoying.
"We're almost there, it's this car..."
Lin Hanjiang smiled helplessly.
They deliberately left early to take the bus, but they still got stuck in traffic here.
Fortunately, the blocked section of road wasn't too long, and the road ahead had already started to move slowly.
"I wonder what my senior sister has been up to. She's been acting all mysterious."
Zu Hai withdrew his gaze, his little face full of curiosity as he looked at Lin Hanjiang: "Didn't Teacher Jin say at noon that he had a surprise for you tonight? Senior brother, what kind of surprise do you think it will be? Could it be... that Teacher Jin himself will come to the audience to oversee things for you?"
Lin Hanjiang shook his head: "Whether it's a surprise or not, let's focus on the competition first. I reckon it'll be the teacher, his wife, and my senior sister who come to watch."
That being said, he knew Jin Tielin's personality; to say he was surprised was probably not that simple.
"Then you'd better put in your best effort tonight, senior brother."
Zu Hai clenched his small fist, his eyes filled with trust.
"Make the teacher's surprise well worth it."
The car finally made it to the stop closest to the CCTV building.
As the two got out of the car, the evening heat, like thick, warm water, immediately enveloped them from all directions.
The streets were still scorching hot from the daytime sun, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of car exhaust.
They practically jogged through the sweltering heat, heading towards the gray building that looked particularly alluring in the afterglow of the setting sun.
CCTV Building.
Stepping into the building, the expected coolness did not quite materialize.
Although the grand entrance hall was spacious, the interior was also filled with a stuffy, hot atmosphere.
Lin Hanjiang, with Zu Hai following closely behind, arrived at the finals studio with practiced ease.
The double doors of the studio were ajar, and a cacophony of sounds could be heard from inside.
The sounds of heavy objects being dragged, short, forceful commands, the crackling static of walkie-talkies, and the occasional test sounds.
Lin Hanjiang gently pushed open the door.
Through the gaps, the huge studio looked like a precision machine that was not yet fully assembled, in the most chaotic debugging phase.
The huge, curved stage backdrop has been erected with its frame, covered with a dark lining that has not yet been decorated.
Several workers were squatting at the edge of the stage, tightening screws as fast as they could.
The most eye-catching feature is the lighting.
A dozen or so large spotlights, reflectors, and soft lights are already in place.
"Light number three on the left, raise it five degrees. Yes, hold steady!"
"Audio cable, who stepped on this audio cable?"
"Where's the tablecloth for the first row of the audience? Hurry up!"
"Testing the microphone, hello, hello, 1, 2, 3..."
Staff members moved quickly, and the sounds of shouting, walkie-talkies, tools, and adjustments... all the sounds and lights lacked any final order.
Yet they all strangely surged toward the same goal.
The current, somewhat rough-and-ready venue will transform into a glamorous and highly anticipated stage for the CCTV Young Singers Competition finals in just a few hours.
Zu Hai instinctively grabbed Lin Hanjiang's arm, his mouth slightly agape, stunned by the massive and chaotic scene of industrial preparations.
This was completely different from the quiet and solemn performance stage she had imagined.
Zu Hai only needs to sing after the stage is ready; this is the first time she has seen the stage being set up.
Lin Hanjiang watched quietly, his gaze sweeping over the beams of light, over the busy crowd, and over the stage that was not yet fully decorated.
His heartbeat, strangely calmed down amidst the surrounding noise.
This is the place he's going to conquer tonight.
After glancing around, the two turned towards the backstage area.
Before I even reached the dressing room, I could hear a chorus of hushed complaints coming from the hallway.
"What kind of mess is this! There's not even a place to sit!"
"Putting on makeup? Right there in the hallway? Where are you even going to apply that powder?"
"I heard the judges who came today... are a formidable lineup, the entire dressing room has been cleared out."
"It wasn't just the judges; several groups of leaders came to observe the ceremony. Director Ge has been receiving so many phone calls these past few days that his hands are sore."
The usually spacious backstage corridor was now packed with waiting contestants, musicians, CCTV staff, and more...
Many people could only stand or squat against the wall.
The performance costumes must not be soiled.
Lin Hanjiang came today wearing a clean white shirt; he couldn't let it get dirty.
Just stand there.
There are still two hours until the match, and my feet are going to go numb.
Thankfully there's central air conditioning here, otherwise I'd be suffocating.
Lin Hanjiang frowned slightly.
He had participated in the previous rounds of the competition and knew that although the backstage conditions were not luxurious, basic rest rooms and dressing rooms were guaranteed.
The current situation can only mean one thing.
There are so many important people here today that even the contestants' basic space is severely limited.
It seems Ge Yanping wasn't exaggerating. The social response and high-level attention sparked by "The Story of Spring" have forcibly elevated the scale of this year's CCTV Young Singers Competition finals to an unprecedented level.
Even the judges may have been replaced at the last minute, with more influential leaders who are not usually easy to invite.
Come to think of it, only people of that caliber deserve Ge Yanping's headache to arrange a separate lounge for each of them.
This treatment is almost on par with that of the core performers in key programs of the Spring Festival Gala.
Think about the Spring Festival Gala. Child actors and stars are waiting in the corridors. Some of them live in Kyoto and wait at home, arriving early before the performance.
The rest areas are reserved for bigger actors and stars.
Meanwhile, in a somewhat messy office, Ge Yanping was already overwhelmed with problems.
Ge Yanping sat on the sofa, vigorously rubbing his throbbing temples with his fingers.
The red telephone on the desk, which had been quiet for less than three minutes, started ringing again like a death knell.
He stared at the phone, his eyes filled with exhaustion and a hint of helplessness.
These past few days, this phone has become an inescapable nightmare for him.
It's all because of the dark horse that is "The Story of Spring," which has attracted more attention than even Ge Yanping himself had anticipated.
Initially, it was just some old friends and former leaders from the arts and music circles inquiring about it, and their tone was quite polite: "Yanping, your year's Young Singers Competition is great! That 'Story of Spring' was excellent, very contemporary. I have an old subordinate who has great insights into music. Do you think we could add another chair to the judging panel? Even for the amateur group, it's still an opportunity for learning and practice..."
Later, the phone call started to change its nature.
Leaders from certain departments and associations, speaking with an undeniable air of authority, suggested: "Xiao Ge, the CCTV Young Singers Competition is an important event for CCTV, and the judges should be broadly representative. We have several highly respected veteran artists here who have always been very concerned about youth arts work; could we invite them to sit in and provide guidance?"
Even worse, the calls came directly from people he usually looked up to, either children of high-ranking officials or influential figures. Their tone was relaxed, yet carried immense weight: "Director Ge, I heard tickets for your finals are incredibly hard to come by? My parents just love listening to music and having some fun. Could you get me a couple of tickets for the front of the class? Or, how about arranging a seat for the judges? They won't be speaking, they'll just be watching."
From requesting seats on the judging panel to requesting votes, and then to requesting the right to observe... the content of the phone calls varied, but the purpose was always the same.
Everyone wants to squeeze onto the final of the CCTV Young Singers Competition, which has been dramatically accelerated by a single song and is attracting worldwide attention.
Show your face and get some recognition.
Many people simply want to increase their visibility.
Ge Yanping felt like a cook who had been suddenly pushed into a chicken coop, with only a pot of rice in his hand and thousands of hungry mouths around him.
Whom should I agree to, and who should I refuse?
They all seem to have some kind of background, and refusing any of them could leave hidden dangers.
He had barely slept a full night in the past few days; his eyes were dark-circled and his lips were blistered from the stress.
Balancing the relationships between all parties, ensuring the most basic professionalism and fairness of the competition, and also dealing with the higher expectations and stricter demands from the station's leadership due to the surge in attention.
The pressure involved is beyond what outsiders can understand.