"Master, it's Chen Rong's performance!" Liu Chuanfeng quickly reminded him.
"Heh, let me see if Miss Chen's meticulously prepared performance will give me a surprise."
The old president, feeling disheartened by the previous events, sat up straighter and became excited upon hearing Chen Rong was about to perform.
"There should be a surprise. This song was written by Ting Yu. This person has had two songs become explosive hits recently, both self-penned and composed. He's a talented individual," Liu Chuanfeng said with a smile.
"Hearing you say that, old man, makes me anticipate it even more." The old president's face crinkled into a smile.
...
While the old president and the others were discussing.
The stage setup was nearly complete.
The figures moving about on stage had also withdrawn.
After the entire venue quieted down.
A spotlight suddenly illuminated, its beam directed precisely at the center of the stage.
It was Chen Rong, dressed in a white and blue opera costume.
She stood within the temporary, confined stage setting, looking straight ahead, her hands hanging naturally. The microphone in her right hand gave her appearance a slight sense of incongruity.
"Huh? Isn't she singing opera?"
"Why is she holding a microphone? Is she going to sing?"
From the audience, confused voices arose.
"Swish!"
With a soft sound.
Several more lights shone down, and some tables and chairs appeared before Chen Rong.
Seated at the tables and chairs were guests dressed in military uniforms.
However, to everyone's surprise, the attire of these individuals was not Chinese.
Instead, they were the deeply detested Japanese invaders!
The moment this scene appeared, both the live audience and the online viewers erupted in an uproar.
"????"
"????????"
"What does this mean? Why is she singing opera for the Japanese?"
"Heh, and they call this a national treasure? Is this the national treasure?"
"To see such a disgusting scene in our traditional cultural performance is truly eye-opening!"
"What kind of program is this? Is the planner out of their mind?"
"Report them, report these traitors and lackeys!"
"Singing opera for the Japanese, I've lived long enough to see this!"
The sporadic comments suddenly intensified, filling the screen with question marks.
The situation on the ground was no better. Some agitated audience members stood up directly.
"What is this garbage! Refund!"
"Did I buy a ticket to see this kind of thing?"
"Refund!"
"..."
The entire venue became completely abuzz at that moment.
"What is she doing!"
In the lounge, the old president clutched his chest, gasping for breath.
"Master, please calm down." Liu Chuanfeng quickly went to support him.
"How can I calm down!"
If there was anyone present who hated the Japanese more than anyone else, it was the old president.
He had personally experienced that war and felt that despair.
No one from that era could forget that brutal war.
Countless ancestors had used their own blood to drive the enemy out of their homeland.
Sacrifice was not what they feared; what they feared more was their country being plundered and their people becoming slaves to invaders.
Their bravery had secured the peace of future generations.
And now, on the stage of the Opera Festival, to see the enemy he hated, how could he remain calm.
"Master, don't you know Chen Rong's character? Please calm down for now, I believe she's not someone who lacks judgment." Although Liu Chuanfeng was shocked by Chen Rong's actions, he could still maintain his rationality.
Therefore, he quickly appeased the old president and the other elder opera figures.
...
On stage, Chen Rong's expression was calm.
She suddenly looked up and nodded towards above.
Swish!
A gentler light than before shone down.
The entire vast stage was finally revealed to the audience.
Chen Rong stood on the stage.
In front of the stage, soldiers in Japanese military uniforms sat at tables and chairs, leisurely watching the performance.
And not far from them, illuminated by the lights, a group of people appeared in the spotlight.
These people were raggedly dressed, all squatting on the ground with their hands covering their heads.
Beside them, two Japanese soldiers held guns, pointing at them.
"Sing, or they all die!"
A deep voice echoed across the venue.
The noisy audience suddenly stopped.
Forced?
So this was the plot...
They realized they had rushed to judgment...
The live stream fell silent instantly.
And in the lounge, the old president stared blankly at the scene on stage, countless fragments flashing through his mind.
Liu Chuanfeng finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself, "Chen Rong, couldn't you have given us a heads-up? The old president was almost sent away by you at his age..."
...
On stage, though silent,
carefully designed low sobs conveyed an immeasurable sense of desolation.
"Sing, or they die."
That sentence still echoed.
Chen Rong, as a first-class opera performer, possessed exceptional skill in conveying emotions through her eyes.
Her gaze swept across, carrying humiliation, struggle, and a profound sense of helplessness.
Opera could be sung for the living, for the gods and spirits, but not for beasts!
However, for the sake of her compatriots, she had no other choice.
"Sigh..."
A sigh.
Broke the silence of the moment.
Then, the large screen behind her suddenly lit up.
"Boom!"
A deep sound effect.
Two large characters appeared on the screen.
Chì Líng!
Following that, a line of smaller text appeared below.
【They all say actors are heartless, but how do they know actors have hearts!】
Performance by: Chen Rong
Lyrics by: Ting Yu
Music by: Ting Yu
...
"It's a song!"
"She's actually going to sing!"
"Hiss... What song is it that requires such a setup?"
"Actors are heartless, I'm suddenly getting goosebumps..."
The audience finally realized what was happening.
Halfway through the Opera Festival, there was actually a singing segment.
...
Zhanfang Entertainment.
"Oh my god!" Zhang Wei pointed at the screen, looking as if he had seen a ghost.
"What's wrong?" Li Yunchuan had drunk quite a bit and his face was slightly flushed.
Upon looking up and seeing the name on the screen.
"It's Ting Yu!"
"Holy crap!"
They both exclaimed in unison.
Ding!
Ding!
Their phones also began to ring incessantly at that moment.
Without a doubt, the internal group chat had exploded again.
...