Chapter 217: Ten Yuan Tickets

The news that Xiang Fei would hold a concert swept through the entire Asian entertainment industry like a hurricane.

Mainland China—major media outlets such as Entertainment Weekly, Film Daily, and Music Pioneer rushed to feature the story on their front pages:

【"World-Class Director" Xiang Fei Announces Crossover Concert!】

【Xiang Fei Concert Guest Lineup Revealed: Sam Hui, Anita Mui, Leslie Cheung, and Jackie Chan All Gather!】

【Was Xiang Fei Once the Champion of the New Talent Singing Competition? Unveiling His Musical Past!】

Japan—Tokyo TV's entertainment news division produced a special report, with the headline boldly stating:

【World-Class Director Xiang Fei Announces Concert】

Japanese film and music fans flooded travel agencies in Xiangjiang, inquiring how to purchase tickets. In record stores, Xiang Fei's early album Rebirth was snatched up completely.

South Korea—KBS Television urgently contacted Feimin Entertainment, hoping to secure broadcast rights for the concert.

Korean fans chatted excitedly on the streets: "Heard Director Xiang Fei's concert tickets are only ten yuan? Too cheap!"

The phones at Feimin Entertainment's Beijing headquarters rang from morning till night.

"Hello, this is Feimin Entertainment." Operator Xiao Zhang had been taking calls for a full three hours.

"May I ask how to purchase tickets for Director Xiang Fei's concert?" The voice on the other end belonged to an excited fan from Shanghai.

"I'm sorry, the specific ticketing method has not yet been announced..."

No sooner had the call ended than the phone rang again. This time it was an overseas call from Japan's Asahi Television, seeking broadcast cooperation for the concert.

Meanwhile, the front desk phones at Xiangjiang Yongsheng Film and Television were also blown up.

"Hello."

"May I ask if tickets for Xiang Fei's concert can be reserved here? I'm willing to pay a deposit!"

"I'm sorry, we only handle film business..."

The front desk Young Lady hung up with a bitter smile and told her colleague: "That's already the hundredth person asking about tickets today."

On New Year's Eve, the Xiang family's ancestral home was decorated with lanterns and colorful silk, with four generations under one roof.

Xiang Butong sat in the main seat, looking at the hall full of children and grandchildren, smiling so widely his mouth wouldn't close. The old man took a sip of Maotai and suddenly asked: "A-Fei, I heard you're going to hold a concert?"

Xiang Fei, who was serving food to his son Xiang Yang, nodded upon hearing this: "Yes, Grandpa."

"Good!" The old man slapped the table, "Go chase your dreams!"

Xiang Yan frowned: "Dad, A-Fei is a director..."

"What's wrong with being a director?" Xiang Butong glared, "My grandson Xiang Butong can sing if he wants to sing! Back when he performed at Lai Yuen at age five, I said he had a great voice!"

Adoptive mother Dong Xiaolan smiled as she served soup to Xiang Fei: "A-Fei, you loved singing when you were little; Mom supports you."

At the dinner table, the families of Xiang Qiang and Xiang Sheng were also harmonious and joyful. Xiang Tai smiled and said to Zhou Huimin: "A-Min, the whole family will go to support A-Fei then!"

Zhou Huimin smiled with her lips pressed together: "I'm just afraid he'll get so nervous he'll forget the lyrics."

"Hey!" Xiang Fei protested, "I'm a professional, you know!"

"Big Brother, are you really going to hold a concert?" Xiang Zuo asked with a red face, "Can you give me a few tickets? My classmates are your fans."

Before Xiang Fei could speak, Xiang Yang jumped in: "Little Uncle, my daddy really is going to hold a concert. Don't ask my daddy, ask me. I'll ask my mommy, and she'll give them to me, hehe."

The whole table burst into laughter, the atmosphere warm and joyful.

On the eighth day of the first lunar month, major newspapers across Xiangjiang simultaneously published the ticket sales announcement:

【Xiang Fei "Original Heart" Concert Ticket Price: 10 yuan per ticket, on sale starting February 2nd at the Hong Kong Coliseum ticket office】

Once this news broke, the entire Asian entertainment circle was shaken.

Mainland China's Yangcheng Evening News published a commentary:

"Ten-yuan tickets are truly the conscience of the industry; nowadays, the lowest ticket price for ordinary singers' concerts in the mainland is fifty yuan."

Japan's Asahi Shimbun reported:

"Converted to yen, it's only about 150, equivalent to the price of a rice ball, sparking frenzy among Japanese music fans."

South Korea's Dong-A Ilbo headline:

【Famous Chinese Director Xiang Fei's Concert Tickets Sold for Only 10 Yuan; Korean Fans Form Groups to Travel to Hong Kong】

On February 1st, the night before ticket sales, a long queue had already formed outside the Hong Kong Coliseum.

"I came to queue yesterday noon!" a boy wearing glasses said proudly. The line behind him had already wrapped around the stadium twice.

At five in the morning, before the ticket windows opened, people in the queue had already started reselling spots: "The first 100 spots, 500 yuan each!"

Ms. Sato from Japan arrived with a folding stool and dry rations: "I specially took leave and flew over; I must buy a ticket!"

Korean international student Kim Min-ji and three classmates took turns queuing: "The four of us need to buy eight tickets; everyone else in the dormitory has entrusted us."

At nine in the morning, ticket sales officially began. Eighty thousand tickets sold out in just two hours.

"Gone? They're already gone?" A girl in the middle of the queue stamped her feet in panic.

The boy in front of her proudly waved his tickets: "The last two, I got them!"

Following custom, Yongsheng Film and Television and Feimin Entertainment reserved 200 VIP tickets.

Xiang Qiang looked at the long list of ticket requests, rubbing his temples in headache: "Jackie Chan wants 5, Rong Zai wants 3, Chow Yun-fat wants 2..."

Xiang Sheng laughed: "Now it's good; half the entertainment circle will come."

Even more exaggerated were the overseas ticket requests. Japan's Shochiku Eiga sent a formal letter through official channels, requesting a reservation of 20 tickets. Korea's three major television stations all sent special envoys to negotiate.

Zhou Huimin looked at the ever-growing list of ticket requests and teased: "Pressure getting heavy now?"

Xiang Fei gazed at the crowd queuing outside the window, took a deep breath, and said: "This is what makes it interesting, isn't it?"