novelslam Chapter 544: Take 1st Place!
Chapter 544: Take 1st Place!
"I'm so sorry, the manager told me to greet everyone here, but I accidentally fell asleep..."
The little girl explained with an apologetic look, a hint of nervousness in her expression.
She hurriedly turned her head and looked around, making sure she didn't see any other actresses, before secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
Seeing this, the old man smiled kindly and said cheerfully, "Child, we are too late. Thank you for waiting so long."
Although two of the people in the group were wearing masks and looked rather mysterious, the little girl didn't pay them much attention.
She glanced at the old man's gentle face, and her tense nerves relaxed a little.
She then looked at Duan Yue, her voice slightly pleading, and said, "Mr. Duan, could you please not tell our manager about this? I've been so busy today, I've barely had any rest..."
"It's okay, everyone has their own difficulties."
No sooner had Duan Yue finished speaking than Yu Huan, who was wearing a mask, jokingly interjected, "Workers shouldn't make things difficult for other workers."
Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.
Yu Huan watched as the girl's slightly reserved face finally broke into a smile, and thought to herself that the post-90s generation is still not as good as the post-00s generation who are shaping up the workplace. They are not so "arguing with everyone and everything" and there are some signs of being manipulated.
Duan Yue's bright smile faded slightly. He raised his hand and gestured towards the stairwell, saying, "It's getting late, so please take us to the private room."
"Thank you, Mr. Duan, thank you everyone! Thank you so much! Please follow me." The young girl said, while quickly straightening her slightly disheveled collar, and led the group forward.
When she reached the top of the stairs, she stopped, turned to the side and gestured for everyone to proceed, reminding them, "Please be careful on the steps."
The crowd followed behind her, climbing the steps one by one.
Amidst the continuous, undulating footsteps, the old man watched the little girl's slightly weary figure and couldn't help but sigh, "These days, it's not easy for kids to make a living!"
The group quickly climbed the steps and arrived at the second floor.
The little girl slowed her pace and turned to the old man, whose face was full of wrinkles but whose features were handsome, and said, "Grandpa is right, but I already feel very lucky to be able to work at Fengzeyuan."
The voice just fell.
The little girl stopped in front of a carved wooden door and gently pushed it open.
Then, standing to one side of the doorway, he gestured for them to enter and said, "We've arrived. Please come in."
Yu Huan slightly raised her chin, her gaze passing over Sister Ru's head and looking into the room.
There, Qingjie, dressed in a purple fitted cotton-padded jacket, was sitting at a large round table with a middle-aged woman in uniform, and the two were chatting happily.
Several calligraphy works hang on the wall, their strokes vigorous and powerful, complementing the antique style of Fengzeyuan's decor and adding a touch of elegance.
Hearing the noise, Sister Qing immediately turned to look at the door.
Seeing the group of people filing in, she quickly stood up to greet them.
"Oh my! We've been waiting for you!" Sister Qing's face beamed with a bright smile. She walked straight up to Lin Yourong, took her hand, and said with concern, "Yourong, you must have had a long and tiring journey!"
Lin Yourong smiled, her eyes peeking out from between her hat brim and mask, and replied, "It's so late, and you've gone to so much trouble to entertain us, Sister Qing. You're the one who should be working hard."
Yu Huan looked at the enthusiastic Sister Qing and greeted her with a smile: "Sister Qing."
"Hey, Yu Huan." Sister Qing nodded at him with a smile.
The middle-aged woman in uniform smiled broadly as she warmly greeted everyone, then interjected, "Then I'll go to the kitchen and tell them to hurry up and serve the dishes?"
Duan Yue said with a smile, "Sure, thank you for your trouble, Manager Gong."
"Mr. Duan, what are you saying? It's not hard work at all!" Manager Gong replied hastily, his eyes brimming with enthusiasm.
After speaking, she bowed slightly to everyone, then turned and stepped out the door.
The little girl waiting at the door saw her come out and slowly closed the door.
Duan Yue did not rush to sit down with the others. He put his hands on his hips, turned his head leisurely, and his gaze fell on the wall-mounted television.
At this moment, the television screen showed a close-up of Sha Baoliang holding a microphone close to his lips, singing with deep emotion:
"How can love break everyone's heart? And how can we comfort them..."
Amidst the sounds of footsteps and chairs being moved, Duan Yue felt that the volume was somewhat lacking.
So he quickly walked to the television, bent down slightly, and started fiddling with the volume buttons.
Before long, the volume gradually increased.
Sha Baoliang's delicate and magnetic voice echoed clearly in the private room.
"How can love make everyone shed tears? Your tears scalded my face. From then on, I can no longer say who I love..."
Duan Yue clapped his hands lightly with satisfaction, a smile appearing on his face, and turned to look at his wife.
He asked, "Xiao Qing, has You Rong played yet?"
At this moment, Sister Qing was warmly pulling out the chair for the head of the table, helping the old man to sit down.
Hearing Duan Yue's question, she turned her head and replied, "Not yet. I saw the draw results. You Rong is the last to appear, after Sha Baoliang. You guys are really lucky to have arrived just in time."
The old man readily took his seat, a cheerful expression on his face, and continued the conversation, saying, "That is quite a coincidence. I rushed all the way here, and I didn't expect to be here just in time to see You Rong's performance."
After a few words, Sha Baoliang finished his song, bowed deeply to the audience, and left the stage.
Immediately afterwards, the scene shifted to Hu Haiquan, dressed in a suit and tie, smiling and holding a microphone, who spoke softly:
"Next, we will welcome the last singer to take the stage."
"In the previous competition, she won the audience's tears with a warm and emotional song. This time, she will bring us a unique Mongolian folk song."
Let's give a round of applause to—
"Lin Su!"
In an instant.
A wave of cheers and applause erupted, and the scene then switched to the interview room.
Lin Su sat gracefully in front of the camera, her expression slightly thoughtful as she began to speak: "This Mongolian folk song, after being adapted, incorporates multiple styles, including pop ballads and rock..."
Before he could finish speaking, the camera suddenly switched to the practice room.
The familiar furnishings made Yu Huan immediately recognize that the recording location was Muse Music.
Lin Su sat at the table, on which sat a laptop.
Because the camera was positioned to the side, viewers could not see the content on the computer screen, but could only hear a familiar voice coming from the laptop's speakers.
"Hey! That's right, you've got the vibrato right. Now, position the sound a little further back in your throat. Let me demonstrate again, listen!"
"Ulaanbaatar, oh—!"
The old man was turned to the side, intently watching the television. Hearing the voice, he raised his eyebrows in surprise and hesitantly uttered a name: "Han Hong?"
Sister Ru, who was standing to the side, watched Lin Su sing along on TV, a smile on her face, and nodded affirmatively, saying, "It really is Han Hong."
"Wow! You've really got something special now, You Rong!" Duan Yue exclaimed in an exaggerated tone.
At that moment, another gentle female voice came from the television.
"Not bad, not bad, it sounds more penetrating without being too sharp..."
The camera only shows the back of a voluptuous woman, who stands casually behind Lin Su, looking at the laptop screen with her.
At the same time, a striking slogan appeared in the lower left corner of the television screen:
Two mysterious music industry heavyweights!
Even though these two didn't show their faces, their identities as mysterious music industry heavyweights were already obvious to the general public and resourceful netizens.
The camera angle suddenly switched back to Lin Su's side, and the laptop speakers emitted lavish praise.
"Senior Zhang, your junior sister really has a naturally beautiful voice. Hey! With that timbre, it's no exaggeration to say that she was born with a gift from God..."
The images on the television screen are changing.
Lin Su, dressed in a black evening gown, held a microphone and walked gracefully to the center of the stage.
With her eyes slightly closed, she slowly opened them as three strong heartbeats came from the speakers, and brought the microphone to her lips.
"Wow, it's starting! It's starting! You Rong is singing!" Sister Qing was overjoyed, her eyes glued to the TV screen, her hands unconsciously clenching into fists on the table.
The soothing sound of a guitar first flowed through the TV speakers into the private room, creating a tranquil atmosphere.
A series of introductory slogans about lyrics, composition, arrangement, and accompaniment flashed by.
The video shows members of the Hanggai band wearing knitted hats and intently playing their guitars, with a slogan popping up beside them:
Guitar/Vocals: Yilalata
The camera cuts again.
Lin Su parted her lips slightly, her clear and captivating voice caressing everyone's ears:
Wind, passing through the wilderness, slow your pace.
"I'll tell you with my silence that I'm drunk..."
Duan Yue, who had been leaning back in his chair looking rather languid, suddenly leaned forward slightly and said as if he had just realized something, "Oh, it's this song! I remember it being the soundtrack of some movie! If I'm not mistaken, I heard it when I watched a movie before!"
Upon hearing this, Yu Huan thought to herself that her older cousin had been working during the day and staying up late at night, and hadn't even noticed the name listed as the lyricist.
He chuckled and said, "It is indeed a movie soundtrack, from Jia Zhangke's 'The World,' a film from 2004. He even translated the Chinese lyrics himself."
"Yes, yes, yes! That's the movie!" Duan Yue suddenly realized and replied loudly, his voice unconsciously rising a few decibels.
This sudden loud voice prompted Sister Qing to immediately pat him on the shoulder and scold him, "Don't make noise, everyone is focused on listening to You Rong sing!"
Duan Yue scratched his head and continued watching TV without blinking.
At this moment, Lin Su's singing voice became even more melodious and graceful:
The night in Ulaanbaatar is so quiet, so very quiet.
"I can't even hear the wind... I can't hear it..."
That's where the song ends.
Lin Su slowly raised her head and gazed into the distance, her eyes seemingly reaching the distant horizon.
Clouds drifting towards the horizon, please slow down your journey.
I'll show you with my running—I won't look back!
The night in Ulaanbaatar is so quiet, so very quiet.
Even the clouds don't know~ don't know~
After finishing her song, Lin Su calmly put down the microphone, as if the singing had come to an end.
However, the scene immediately switched again, with the two members of the Hanggai Band sitting sideways in front of the camera, each with a slogan appearing beside them:
'Morin Khuur/Khoomei: Batu Bagen'
Long Song: Hu Richa
next moment.
Khoomei and long-form singing, one after the other, washed over everyone's eardrums like waves through the television speakers.
The deep and penetrating throat singing, combined with the melodious and high-pitched long song, creates a rich and authentic grassland flavor.
It's as if one can see the wind rustling through the grass, horses galloping, and a shepherd singing loudly under the blue sky and white clouds...
This intense audiovisual experience is extremely powerful and sends chills down your spine.
Even Lin Yourong herself couldn't help but get goosebumps. She crossed her arms and pursed her lips as she watched TV.
Yu Huan felt gratified and proud of his wife.
He knew that the team had been working tirelessly during the Spring Festival to prepare this song. From the initial arrangement and rehearsal, to the painstaking effort to invite the Hanggai Band, and then to the guidance of Zhang Ye and Han Hong, the entire team had poured a lot of effort into it.
What has changed in our world?
What does our world look forward to?
What's left of our world?
"Our world is nothing but a desert!"
After the high-pitched and exciting rock music.
The combination of throat singing, long-form singing, and the powerful Tibetan vocals creates a breathtaking and moving chant.
Just as the audience was immersed in the music, all the accompaniment suddenly stopped, leaving only Lin Su standing quietly in the center of the stage.
After a brief silence, Lin Su slowly raised the microphone again.
At this moment, without the accompaniment and harmonies, her voice sounded even purer and more beautiful, like heavenly music.
"Through the wild wind~"
"Take your time!"
Duan Yue was completely focused when the scene suddenly changed, switching to the audience seats.
The audience members who were sitting all stood up at once, and then screams and cheers erupted from the television screen, creating a very enthusiastic atmosphere.
After confirming that Lin Su's performance had ended, Duan Yue could no longer contain his excitement and slammed his hand on the table: "You Rong, you sang so well! Your expressiveness! It gave me goosebumps and made my whole body tremble!"
"Who says otherwise!" Sister Qing rubbed her slightly flushed face with both hands, then turned to look at Lin Yourong on the other side. "Yourong, I feel like my heart is pounding like a drum, it's still beating nonstop!"
As she spoke, she patted her chest with an air of seriousness.
“That’s the charm of music,” Yu Huan interjected with a smile.
The old man nodded repeatedly, his eyes full of approval: "You sang really well! With this level of skill, I think you'll definitely win first place!"
Having already been to the scene and knew the results, Sister Ru couldn't help but chuckle at their reactions, replying, "Grandpa Yu is right, we did indeed win first place." (End of Chapter)