Chapter 217: End

Rebirth Begins in 2002 Chinese Entertainment, Chapter 212: End

Seoul, Olympic Park.

After hosting the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, it was renovated and rebuilt.

It later became known among K-pop fans primarily as a venue for concerts and other events.

This is also the place where Cheng Chen is holding his concert.

Cheng Chen arrived at the venue early; it is now 3:30 p. m.

Due to the large number of people coming, ticket checking had already begun early.

Many fans, seeing Cheng Chen standing on stage, enthusiastically waved at him.

Cheng Chen smiled and nodded in return, then returned to the backstage to prepare…

Drawing from his experience holding a concert in Japan, Cheng Chen appeared calm and composed this time.

Facing an audience of eighty thousand, besides a slight excitement, he felt mostly enjoyment.

Enjoying the act of showcasing himself under the gaze of the masses.

In plain terms, it was a bit of social confidence disorder.

At 5:30 p. m., the concert began.

The stage lights were dazzling; the eighty-thousand-person crowd broke Cheng Chen's personal concert attendance record.

The crowd beneath the stage was densely packed, many of whom were foreign students or workers in Korea.

In 2003, the number of foreign students in Korea reached 12,314, and since then, it nearly doubled every year.

The number of foreign students was used as an indicator to evaluate universities, while the number of Korean university graduates gradually decreased.

Under these circumstances, private universities began competing to attract foreign students several years ago.

As a result, the number of foreign students in Korea surged dramatically.

In terms of nationality, most foreign students in Korea came from Asia.

According to Korea's Ministry of Education, Chinese students made up 70%, followed by Japan at 5.2% and Mongolia at 3.2%.

Vietnam at 2.8%, and so on—students from Asia collectively accounted for 92%.

In comparison, students from North America, such as Miguo and Maple Leaf Country, made up only 3.3% of all foreign students.

Students from Europe accounted for only 2.4%.

Meanwhile, Chinese workers in Korea mostly took jobs that Koreans were unwilling to do.

Besides construction sites, their workplaces also included small and medium-sized factories such as furniture production.

Additionally, rural areas required large numbers of Chinese laborers during harvest season.

Although their income was much lower than that of Koreans, it was still highly attractive compared to China.

Since diplomatic relations were established in 1992, Korea's entry policies have been gradually relaxed each year.

The number of Chinese workers coming to Korea increased annually.

For example, a Chinese Korean woman married a Korean and acquired Korean citizenship.

Previously, she could invite only one person to visit Korea each year; now, the limit on numbers has been removed.

Additionally, Korea stipulates that Chinese ethnic Koreans aged sixty or older may travel freely to Korea.

How many Chinese workers are currently in Korea?

The more conservative estimate is 100,000; some say 200,000.

The majority of them are ethnic Koreans from Dong Bei in China.

They vary in status, including long-term residents and large numbers of short-term workers.

The latter may enter once to work for three months, then must leave and reapply for re-entry.

The nature of short-term work visits means these workers rarely obtain fixed employment contracts or related protections…

"Hello!"

Cheng Chen stood on stage, smiling at the crowd below.

"Aaaahhh! Cheng Chen Oppa!"

"Cheng Chen Oppa, I love you!"

"I… love… you… Cheng Cheng!"

As Cheng Chen slowly stepped onto the stage to greet them, the audience erupted in excitement.

Among them were some who had learned only one Chinese phrase and shouted Cheng Chen's name.

"Thank you so much for supporting me—I've never been to Korea before.

I can feel your love and support for me, and I love you too!

A self-composed Korean song, 'If You,' is for you~"

Just like in Japan,

Cheng Chen opened with a new song.

Upon hearing Cheng Chen would sing a Korean song, fans immediately cheered loudly.

Before Cheng Chen came to Korea, Korean fans had speculated whether he would release an original Korean song at the concert.

Most fans, though hoping for it, believed the chance was slim.

In fact, they understood that compared to Korea, Japan's entertainment market was more developed and broader.

Japan's music market was nearly equal to the total of all other Asian countries outside Japan.

It was also the world's second-largest film market, with India being the second in Asia.

It was merely because Japanese artists rarely developed in China.

Influenced by K-pop, they often claimed to be "Asia's number one," creating a false impression.

Making fans within China think that Korean entertainment is better than Japan's.

After all, there's that saying:

The ancestor of the Asian entertainment industry is Japan; Korea was influenced by Japan, and China was influenced by Korea.

This actually raises an unavoidable question.

Among the entertainment circles of China, Japan, and Korea, which country's artists have better prospects for development?

With the development of the times, perhaps the most popular, lively, and easiest money-making entertainment circle in the whole world is China's entertainment circle.

In China, entertainment stars are an absolute upper class that transcends ordinary social strata.

Not to mention top-tier stars—as long as you have a bit of fame and recognition, you can rake in money by the bucketful.

So we hear that any star with a bit of fame easily commands a film fee of millions or tens of millions—such is the grand spectacle.

This cannot be seen in any other country in the world.

Even in Hollywood, only A-list stars can command such a price tag.

And those lesser-tier stars simply don't have such money-making opportunities.

Not to mention the entertainment circles of Korea and Japan.

In reality, in Korea and Japan, a star is just one of the normal social strata.

Perhaps they carry more of a star halo than ordinary people.

But their income and social standing are relatively normal.

They aren't elevated like Chinese stars, with such transcendent social status and such easy money.

Of course, if we're talking about the development of a star's artistic work in terms of quality—

China's entertainment circle may actually not be such a great environment.

The relatively stricter entertainment circles of Korea and Japan are better.

Overall, the film and television industries of Korea and Japan are more developed than China's, and quite standardized.

In terms of overall standard and the quality of works produced, they are better than China's.

In an environment with high overall quality and fiercer competition,

a person must keep developing to have any chance of standing their ground.

So artists are forced to put more thought into the quality of their works.

That's why the works they produce tend to be of higher quality.

Shoddy, hastily made products will absolutely have no market…

I've gone off on a tangent…

Now, as Cheng Chen stood on stage announcing that he would next perform an original Korean song, the fans screamed one after another.

Cheng Chen—he did not give up just because the Korean market was small; instead, he prepared carefully to give back to his fans!

So touching, oppa is really going all out!

Why isn't such a wonderful Cheng Chen oppa Korean?

The fans were still immersed in Cheng Chen's goodness toward them, but Cheng Chen had already picked up the microphone and begun to sing:

"She left, and I couldn't do anything.

Love left, and I stood there like a fool.

Gazing at that gradually receding figure.

Turning into a tiny dot, vanishing from sight.

As time passes, will I gradually grow numb?

Remembering the past, remembering you.

Ifyouifyou…"

This song is a typical slow song; the first verse used simple guitar accompaniment.

Cheng Chen's deep voice has a lot of flavor, with a low, murmuring feel.

The music's emotion kept building, and combined with Cheng Chen's key change, it instantly let one feel the helplessness within.

Quite a few people were already quietly wiping away tears below the stage.

Compared with other more frenetic music, this kind of quiet, tear-inducing song is more likely to resonate.

"Haven't heard a slow song in a long time—when it hit the climax, I got goosebumps all over.

That kind of indescribable regret and helplessness, so good to listen to, this song is really great!"

"I have a premonition, this is another hit song!"

"I'd advise everyone not to listen late at night, it's easy to get sucked in…"

On stage Cheng Chen sang with abandon; below the stage the fans listened as if drunk with enchantment.

Many people, after hearing the first verse, felt nothing in their hearts but shock.

……

When the song ended, perhaps everyone was still immersed in the lingering aftertaste of that sad love song just now.

Many people, seeing Cheng Chen standing alone on stage, actually found themselves shedding tears without realizing it.

"I hope you like this song 'If You,' thank you."

Cheng Chen bowed to the audience.

"Love it! Love it! Absolutely love it!"

"So good to listen to, I want to hear it again!"

"Oppa, when will this song be released? I have to buy it!"

People below the stage kept shouting loudly.

……

"Sky-blue waits for misty rain, and I wait for you.

Cooking smoke rises in wisps, a thousand miles across the river.

On the bottom of the vase, I write Han clerical script, mimicking the elegance of a former dynasty.

Consider it a foreshadowing laid down just to meet you.

Sky-blue waits for misty rain, and I wait for you.

Moonlight is scooped up, blurring the ending into a soft halo.

Like an heirloom blue-and-white porcelain, beautiful all on its own.

Your eyes carry a smile…"

……

"Once, when I first came to know this world, I lingered over everything, gazing as if the horizon were right before my eyes.

And I was willing to walk through fire and water to traverse it once.

Now, having walked through this world, I linger over everything still.

Turning past the different profiles of the years, I stumbled unprepared into your smile.

I once found it hard to pull myself away from the vastness of the world, and drowned in its fairy-tale whispers.

Not caring if it was true or false, not struggling, not fearing the laughter…"

……

"If you are the fireworks over the sea,

then I am the foam of the waves.

In a certain moment, your light shone upon me.

If you are a distant galaxy,

dazzling enough to make one want to cry, I am the eyes that chase after you,

always gazing at the night sky when I'm alone…"

……

"Nothing can stop your longing for freedom.

In a life as wild and unrestrained as the heavens, your heart has nothing to hold it back.

Through the dim years, I too once felt lost.

The moment you lower your head, you only then realize the road beneath your feet.

That world of freedom in the heart, so clear and so high.

Blooms forever, never to wilt — Blue Lotus…"

Cheng Chen sang with abandon on stage. Though the audience below couldn't understand Chinese,

music has no borders — melody belongs to the world!

Moreover, Cheng Chen had specially paired Chinese subtitles with every song.

Whenever he sang these songs, Chinese subtitles would float up on the big screen.

So the fans could still grasp the general meaning of the lyrics…

Just as the concert had passed the halfway mark, Cheng Chen finally stopped.

He was seen holding the microphone and saying to the fans below:

"Next up, a new song — 'Don't Worry.'"

"Damn, another new song!"

"Here it comes, here it comes hahahahaha, I knew there was more coming!"

"No idea what style this song will be — looking forward to it!"

"Everyone in China says Cheng Chen oppa is a walking new-song release machine — turns out it's true!"

Hearing there was another new song, the fans immediately grew excited.

Cheng Chen smiled and waved his hand at the audience, then cleared his throat and called out a few times toward the inside of the venue:

"Hey! Hey~"

Those two shouts were baffling, yet carried a strange magic, as if tugging at everyone's ears.

Then the electric guitar came in, and a gentle, melodious passage of music unfurled!

"You, you don't need to worry about anything — let's sing together.

All your pain, you, buried deep within your heart.

The reason the things of the past are able to pass, is that they had their reason for passing.

Singing of the past, means loving without regret…"

This song was still a slow one.

But unlike 'If You,' this song conveyed more of a magnanimous, open-hearted feeling.

Though there were some classical elements woven in, listening to it gave one a very relaxing feeling.

Don't worry about being alone, because you still have the strongest version of yourself to rely on.

Don't worry that no one loves you, because you can love yourself.

Don't worry that the sky will fall tomorrow, because tomorrow is a brand new beginning.

Don't worry about what to do with the future, because your future is right here in your present.

Don't worry about anxiety, because those feelings are useless.

The emotion Cheng Chen wanted to convey was sung with full, vivid brilliance in this song…

On stage, he was a singer, but more like an elder passing down life experience and comforting those around him.

"Wu wu wu, I miss my mom!"

"This song is so heartbreaking, I cried myself to pieces!"

"Cheng Chen oppa really came here to steal my tears, I love this song so much!"

"Cheng Chen oppa's voice is like a summer breeze gently brushing by."

Warmth carrying a hint of coolness, slowly soothing and smoothing out the longing for family.

Like the rising morning sun, giving strength and bringing warmth…"

Watching the fans' reactions, Cheng Chen held the microphone and smiled:

"This song, 'Don't Worry,' is for you."

For students working hard at their studies, and for those striving in their careers.

Also for fellow countrymen living alone far from home—I saw many China compatriots in the crowd.

Thank you for coming to see me, thank you for your support!"

…

Half an hour after the performance of 'Don't Worry,' the concert came to an end.

When fans heard Cheng Chen announce the concert was over, many stared at him in disbelief.

"Already over?"

"No way, that was barely any time! Did you get the schedule wrong?"

"I really want to hear oppa sing again—oppa, please come back to Korea often!"

"I'll keep supporting you, oppa!"

The fans all filed out, and Cheng Chen finally let out a breath.

Thus, Cheng Chen's concert in Korea was completely finished.

Yet, he had no immediate plan to leave Korea.

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