Chapter 188: The Concert Is Starting!

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"This world has so many people.

In the crowd, a door stands wide open.

In my hazy eyes, it remains.

I first saw you in that blue morning.

This world has so many people

How lucky I have 'us'

In this long fate's dawn and dusk

Often makes me gaze far away, lost in thought…"

Behind the scenes of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala rehearsal, after Cheng Chen finished singing, the audience burst into enthusiastic applause.

As a "veteran" who had appeared on the Spring Festival Gala three times, Cheng Chen was already well-known to some staff members.

The song Cheng Chen performed on the 2005 Spring Festival Gala was "This World So Many People."

Under Cheng Chen's slightly deeper voice, the melody was deeply moving.

Listening felt like a clear spring, slowly flowing into people's hearts.

It cleansed their souls, making their inner state resonate with celestial hymns.

The entire melody lacked grand, soaring highs.

Nor did it plunge abruptly into dramatic lows—it seemed to gently, quietly tell a story.

Slowly recounting a journey of life and personal experience.

It moved people with tales of human existence.

"No wonder it's Cheng Chen—he's used a new song for the Spring Festival Gala three years in a row!"

"Yes, and every time the quality is top-notch. I have a feeling this song will sweep the streets after the Gala."

"That's a guaranteed top trending topic, hahaha—this young man really has no creative block!"

As time passed, the Spring Festival Gala rehearsals continued in full swing.

As a regular performer with consistently outstanding work quality,

Cheng Chen didn't need the multiple rehearsals required by other acts.

He usually just came in a few times during regular practice, and one full costume rehearsal was often enough.

To avoid live broadcast mishaps, all song performances at the Spring Festival Gala used lip-syncing.

This posed no problem for Cheng Chen—he didn't need to spend all his time on the Gala.

The reason was simple: Cheng Chen needed to conserve his energy for his concert and "Kung Fu."

The concert preparations were nearly complete, and this time the location was set in Modu.

As China's economic hub and window to the world, news of Cheng Chen's concert in Modu drew cheers from countless fans.

On ticket sale day, tickets sold out the moment they were released; the frenzy even stayed on Weibo's trending list for several days.

After learning of this, Cheng Chen worked even harder to prepare for the concert, benefiting from last year's Jingcheng concert experience.

This time, his preparations were noticeably more relaxed; though he didn't train as desperately as before, his mindset was far more steady.

As December arrived, not only could people look forward to Cheng Chen's concert, but the Spring Festival Gala also kept releasing news.

As is well known, the New Year film season had already begun, with Feng Dapao and Liu Heavenly King releasing "A World Without Thieves" simultaneously in Mainland and Gang Sheng on December 9.

"A World Without Thieves" was released simultaneously in Mainland and Gang Sheng.

Like Cheng Chen's concert tickets, "A World Without Thieves" immediately sparked a moviegoing phenomenon.

Almost everyone knew Feng's new film had premiered—even those uninterested in cinema learned about it through friends' conversations.

The appearance of the New Year film made people realize: the New Year was drawing near…

Feng Dapao's film style was renowned for its Beijing-flavored comedy.

He infused his films with comedic spirit, secular spirit, and popular spirit.

He created a uniquely distinctive cinematic paradigm for China's film industry.

He produced one successful film after another with strong market appeal.

He also developed a distinct "Feng-style comedy" that combined linear storytelling with comedy tropes.

Perhaps because Cheng Chen lived in Jingcheng, he felt the "Feng-style comedy" more deeply.

When he saw Ge Daye's costume in the film, he always couldn't help but smile.

Especially the line:

"What's most important in the 21st century? Talent!"

This line immediately topped Weibo's trending list, sparking countless memes and jokes.

But this nationwide movie craze didn't last, because soon after, Zhou Xingchi arrived with "Kung Fu" in full force.

If "A World Without Thieves" was Feng-style comedy, then "Kung Fu" was Zhou-style absurdism.

These two radically different comedy styles clashed fiercely in December.

This film had taken over three years—from initial script development to strict oversight of filming and post-production.

Every detail reflected Zhou Xingchi's painstaking effort.

The visual imagery it presented would still astonish audiences in the future.

His attention to detail was impeccable.

Thus, after its release, every marketing campaign and promotional point went into full swing.

Many fans or curious viewers who left the cinema could not stop praising it.

Someone wrote on Weibo:

Ancient times had ten years to hone a sword; today, three years for one film!

Xing Ye is truly the craftsman among film directors, in the battle between Tian Can and Di Que against the three masters of Pig Cage Village.

As the violin sound emerged, it shattered all resistance like an invisible, intangible iron fist, like a great blade, like a flying bullet.

It was like the Skull Legion—long spears, iron rings, and flesh bodies all disintegrated, merging martial arts choreography with opera elements into a visual and auditory feast.

Not only did it have boundless imagination, but also deep love for traditional art; I was stunned, and stunned again.

Look again at the battle between The Legend of the Condor Heroes and Huo Yun Xie Shen in the casino—splinters flew, iron bells and stone bricks shattered like paper.

It fully displayed the demeanor of a master—foot kicks shattered tables, chairs, benches, and chips, captured in slow motion.

When the Lion Roar Technique was unleashed, winds swept away all in their path, dust filled the air—everything embodied Xing Ye's craftsmanship in his wuxia world.

Kung Fu is as profound as its name!

Netizens flooded the post with likes, and soon the term "Xing Ye's Craftsmanship" rose to the trending list.

Meanwhile, film critics wrote:

"Cheng Chen, when I first heard this name, it was through his song 'Wan Jiang.'

To be honest, in today's market, main-theme songs have already been done with fresh ideas.

But Cheng Chen's 'Wan Jiang' broke through the crowd, and after that, I heard he had made a TV drama.

Only after careful study did I realize he not only sang beautifully but also acted with great skill.

Take Cheng Chen's role as Chen Ge in Kung Fu—he himself has no martial prowess, can't fight at all.

But he rose through brains alone, right at the start of the film.

As the boss of the Axe Gang, Chen Ge once led his men to wipe out the rival Crocodile Gang at the police station entrance.

This is a hard role to play, because he's a bit neurotic, but his mind is undeniably sharp.

In managing both his gang and his business empire, he demonstrated tremendous managerial ability.

This earned him deep loyalty from many Axe Gang members.

Even though he himself was frail and had no combat ability.

But his mind was the most precious asset for the entire Axe Gang and all its members.

Cheng Chen's performance showed a neurotic man with brains, ambition, and daring.

His acting was highly polished, handling every plot point with ease.

Especially his eye acting—when you observe closely, you'll find it pulls you straight into the scene.

This is a rare talent, or perhaps a skill, and Cheng Chen mastered it perfectly.

Of course, we must also admire Xing Ye's eye for talent—he discovered Cheng Chen among countless actors; truly a visionary.

Also, I'd heard before that the action director of Kung Fu was Yuan Baye.

And it seemed Cheng Chen also participated in it—I didn't get to check the credits at the end.

Can someone help me confirm? If true, is Cheng Chen singer, actor, Screenwriter, and action director?

Cheng Chen, how many talents have you hidden from us fans?!"

Soon after this post was published, many people echoed it.

"True, it's been a long time since an actor's eye acting pulled me in so deeply—Cheng Chen is awesome!"

"Honestly, I originally thought Chen Ge was just a minor side character.

But after reading the blogger's post, I suddenly understood—Xing Ye is truly brilliant.

Also, I'll say this: Cheng Chen is damn handsome—he's perfect with a slicked-back hair and black suit!"

"Blogger, I checked—the action director credit does list Cheng Chen's name.

I never expected Cheng Chen could do martial arts—unbelievable! What kind of star have I fangirled?!"

"Actor: Cheng Chen! Action Director: Cheng Chen!"

Discussions about Cheng Chen continued online.

Cheng Chen's role as action director became a hot topic among netizens.

Fortunately, soon after, the grandmaster of martial arts choreography opened his personal Weibo.

He directly @Cheng Chen and confirmed to the public that Cheng Chen was one of the martial arts directors of Kung Fu.

He also shared behind-the-scenes photos and plainly said that if Cheng Chen ever stopped singing and acting,

he'd gladly help him set up his own school and lead the way!

This confirmation exploded online.

"Holy crap, I'm speechless—Cheng Chen really knows kung fu!"

"I thought you were just a pretty boy, but you're also a martial artist—impressive!"

"Come on, haven't you seen Cheng Chen's shirtless photos before? That physique is insane! Click my profile to see Cheng Chen's pics."

"Sis, I wanna see! (lewd)"

"Me too…"

One day after its release, Kung Fu performed exceptionally well, and online discussion surged dramatically.

Trending #1: Xing Ye's Craftsmanship.

Trending #2: Action Director, Cheng Chen!

Trending #3: Kung Fu's Opening Day Box Office.

Trending #4…

Reports on Kung Fu kept pouring in.

Especially its opening day box office figures drew intense attention.

The charm of "Xing Ye" Zhou Xingchi is unstoppable.

On its first day of premiere, Kung Fu's national box office exceeded 10 million yuan.

It became the top box office opener of the year, surpassing Ten Thousand Mists and A World Without Thieves.

At a certain cinema chain's Shiyi Palace, which featured triple "Kung Fu Gate" installations, a celebration event was held.

Lion dances entertained the crowd, gongs and drums thundered; the "Kung Fu Gate," built at great expense by the cinema chain, stood six meters tall.

The design drew inspiration from Pig Cage Alley in Kung Fu, adorned with countless red lanterns, radiating festive energy.

After securing the opening-day box office crown, media outlets rushed to report on it.

Cheng Chen also recorded a short video on Weibo, sending virtual congratulations to Zhou Xingchi.

Zhou Xingchi responded with a video of his own, and many netizens reposted the exchange.

After the incident last time, Cheng Chen and Zhou Xingchi had publicly interacted far less frequently.

This virtual exchange directly caused Kung Fu's box office to surge in the following days, winning consecutive championships.

……

As Kung Fu was wildly successful in theaters, Cheng Chen had already departed for Modu with Wang Tianxiao, Su Qingya, and others to prepare for the concert.

Though Cheng Chen felt a small thrill and nervousness inside, he was mostly exhilarated.

After witnessing Hua Zai's commanding stage presence and performance style at the Shancheng concert, Cheng Chen had long sought another chance to try it himself.

But he never had a stage large enough—this time, they gave him an arena for eighty thousand people.

What does eighty thousand people mean?

To put it bluntly, if you threw a brick in any direction, you'd be arrested for intentional injury.

"Cheng Chen brother."

On the second day of their arrival in Modu, Liu Tianxian, whom Cheng Chen hadn't seen in a long time, arrived under Liu Xiaoli's escort.

"Didn't you say your film set couldn't let you go?"

Cheng Chen greeted Liu Xiaoli with a smile, then asked Liu Tianxian.

"Even if I couldn't leave, I had to—besides, I asked Producer Zhang for leave."

When Producer Zhang heard I was coming to your concert, he didn't say a word and approved my leave immediately."

Cheng Chen brother, I think Producer Zhang really believes in you!"

Liu Tianxian said cheerfully, her tone laced with envy.

In her eyes, Cheng Chen had only met Producer Zhang once—yet Zhang had approved her leave on his behalf.

No wonder he's Cheng Chen brother!

Cheng Chen, amused and exasperated by the girl's admiration, said:

"Producer Zhang just thinks it's too hard for a little girl like you to act.

That's why he let you out to relax—he didn't approve your leave because of me, but because your hard work moved him!"

"Really?"

Liu Tianxian frowned, somehow feeling it wasn't like that…

In the following days, many of Cheng Chen's friends came to support him.

What saddened Cheng Chen was that Gao Yuanyuan and Yan Danchen couldn't attend due to filming.

Both women had called Cheng Chen beforehand to explain their situations.

They also said they'd come back to see him after finishing their shoots.

These two women either appeared together or not at all—this frustrated Cheng Chen greatly.

But Su Qingya sighed in relief; she still remembered vividly how she had to serve the Two Imperial Consorts during Cheng Chen's last concert.

With neither of the Two Imperial Consorts coming this time, she wouldn't have to hover nervously beside them as she had last year.

She wouldn't have to be watched like a thief by their personal maids.

……

December 31, 2004.

On the last day of the year, as many people cheered for the upcoming New Year's holiday,

Cheng Chen's fans from across the country gathered in Modu.

Long before the concert began, the venue was already packed.

These people had arrived steadily since two or three in the afternoon, each holding either a glow stick or a light board.

Many stared at the stage, eagerly awaiting the concert's start…

……