After offending capital, my songs became more and more popular.

Chapter 120 Praise
"#LongLongLiveTheReunificationOfOurMotherland!#"

"#The Bauhinia Blossoms: Commemorating Hong Kong's Return to China!"

"#Bauhinia purpurea, the eternal Bauhinia flower, sprouts strong under the protection of love!#"

"#I almost thought Harkin was going to be killed this time...#"

After the latest episode of "Chinese Music Music Center: Red Song Season" aired, it unsurprisingly topped the trending searches on major platforms such as Douyin, Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Zhihu, etc.!

To be honest, Shen Mingen's "hot search physique" is probably just too effective. He's been on the hot search so many times that many viewers have gotten used to it and don't find it particularly surprising anymore.

This prosperous era is exactly as Shen Ming'en wished!

While the fact that it's trending online isn't surprising, the discussion in the comments section is quite lively, with various netizens creating a vibrant atmosphere.

This song is really meaningful and beautiful; even my son thinks it's great...

[Hmm, not bad, not bad. This is a good opportunity to tell the children the story of Hong Kong's return to China. The Bauhinia flower, having been abroad for over 150 years, has many stories to tell, making it a good educational tool for children.]

[Actually, many of Shen Ming'en's songs are quite educational, such as "The Lone Warrior" and "The Young Chinese Speak," which are very suitable for children.]

[Pfft... But I did say it, my child sings "The Red Sun Rises in the East" every day now, and apparently their school plays it every morning.]

To be honest, Shen Ming'en is the kind of celebrity everyone should be idolizing!

[Hahaha... I was actually worried Shen Ming'en would be eliminated when I watched the show, but I didn't expect this kid to have something up his sleeve!]

At the time, I genuinely didn't recognize that the clothes he was wearing were embroidered with the district flower of Hong Kong...

All I can say is that you still don't fully grasp the true significance of the phrase "Emperor Ming'en ruled alone for eternity"!

I never doubted him at the time. All I can say is that the peak breeds false support, while twilight witnesses true faith.

[Sparrow's meal, this time, many of the trolls really showed their true colors...]

……

To be honest, this episode was really quite exciting...

After all, in previous episodes, Shen Ming'en's works always amazed the audience as soon as they were presented, leaving everyone extremely impressed.

Especially last week's rendition of "The Internationale," the moment the drumbeats started and he opened his mouth, he ignited the entire audience.

However, when he first sang "Bauhinia Blossoms" in this episode, many people felt it lacked any uniqueness and thought he might be eliminated this time, so they were quite worried about him...

Many fans were on tenterhooks.

It was under those circumstances!
As soon as Yao Shuli spoke Cantonese, the meaning of "Bauhinia flower" came to mind, and the red Bauhinia flowers on his clothes were recognized...

They turned the tide of the game in an instant!
Isn't it exciting?!

Isn't that thrilling?!
Sometimes, a dramatic turn of events, where initial setbacks are followed by a dramatic rise, is far more inspiring than a continuous upward surge.

All I can say is that Shen Ming'en has grasped the key point again!

What I'm saying is, sometimes the angles this kid chooses are really outrageous, making it impossible to defend against them...

Lin Bei and his "tea room clique" truly understand this deeply!
"Ber, isn't this kid a bit too weird?"

A middle-aged man with an overweight build sat upright in a wooden chair, his face contorted in a grimace, and said with a frustrated expression:

"He's raising this issue, and even if we try to harmonize it, we can't get rid of him..."

yes……

Why did they choose "flowers" as the theme for this episode?
Isn't the whole point to use a simple, popular theme to make Shen Ming'en's work seem similar in quality to other mainstream creators, so that it won't stand out, and then take this opportunity to "harmonize" him?

To be honest, when they came up with this topic, they racked their brains but couldn't think of any other outstanding or ingenious angle. They also thought that Shen Ming'en probably couldn't have come up with it either...

But what did Shen Mingen do?

He took the theme of "flowers" and thought of the "Bauhinia flower," which was heavily promoted during the era of Hong Kong's return to China. Just then, it happened to coincide with the anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China on July 1st, so he created this song as a work for the anniversary!

While others are using flowers to praise the motherland, this young man takes a different approach, praising the inseparable and close relationship between the motherland and Hong Kong...

It not only praised the motherland's generosity, inclusiveness, and greatness, but also stirred up a sense of national pride among many people with the return of Hong Kong!

The angle is exquisite, the subject matter is novel, and the sincerity is overflowing!
Yes, it may be more pop-oriented in style and not really related to the grand and majestic melodies of revolutionary songs, but the concept is really unique!

It's really hard for anyone to use this as a pretext to harm him!
How could you stab him?
He praised the motherland's generosity, inclusiveness, and greatness, and celebrated the sensitive and significant event of Hong Kong's return to China...

Who would dare to use this as an excuse to make trouble?!
If those entertainment industry capitalists dared to do that, do you believe the government would take action against them tomorrow?!
"One country, two systems" is a very important issue, and strictly speaking, this theme is far more sensitive than praising the motherland.

Nobody dares to take that kind of risk!
Even with harmony, they couldn't get rid of him this time!
"Outrageous... This is outrageous..." Ms. Liu, the woman in the suit standing to the side, couldn't help but mutter to herself.

I feel like this kid is a bit too abstract.

The abstract points aren't just limited to "Chinese Music Awards: Red Song Season," but also extend to the neighboring "Peak Singer Challenge," where the abstract points are a bit outrageous!

When she listens to "The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau" now, she feels like her skull is about to be pried open...

That's ridiculously high!

With his "world-destroying" high notes in "The Tibetan Plateau," I'm afraid Sean, Keisha, and Mia would never be a match for him, even if they were beaten to death.
What's next?
I'm afraid that neither "Chinese Music Awards: Red Song Season" nor "Peak Singer Challenge" can eliminate him!
It's worth noting that the popularity these two shows brought to Shen Mingen was unprecedented!
Look at the trending topics list right now. Every week, from Friday to Sunday, his name Hajime practically dominates the trending topics list on all platforms. It's like this every single week!

His personal social media accounts have a combined following of several small goals across the entire internet!
He is no longer just a regular top-tier celebrity. His reputation and status in the hearts of the audience are even better than some veteran artists!

If this continues...

Ha, let alone eliminating him, if he becomes even more popular, he might be able to build his own successful business and achieve even greater success.

The fear is that if he gains more power and connects with some official connections, he could put pressure on the domestic entertainment industry and on Ruixing Entertainment, thereby resolving his own contract issues...

At that point, he'll be pocketing all the money himself.

At that point, they won't be able to get a share of the profits at all.

If that's the case, they've been opposing Shen Ming'en from beginning to end. They're afraid that if this kid becomes too powerful, they'll settle scores later.

Can not be done……

The consequences are too damn unthinkable!
Just thinking about it gives me the creeps!

“What should we do…” Not far away, Liang Bin, a middle-aged man with pale skin, said to Mr. Qin, the tea brewer, “Mr. Qin, just tell me what to do.”

If we don't do something soon, this kid is really going to get out of control!
Inside the tea room, everyone's gaze turned to Mr. Qin, the tea brewer...

Shen Ming'en's boss, Lin Bei, the president of Ruixing Entertainment, remained silent throughout, only staring at President Qin with a gloomy expression.

If we were to name the person in the worst mood among those present, it would probably be Lin Bei…

Leaving aside the "Chinese Music Awards: Red Song Season," let's talk about the "Peak Singer Challenge." If Lin Bei hadn't instigated him, he definitely wouldn't have let Shen Ming'en participate in that show!
Even if Shen Ming'en is eliminated from "Chinese Music Awards: Red Song Season" in the current situation, he still has the huge exposure from "Peak Singer Challenge"...

Tell me, how could Lin Bei not demand an explanation from President Qin?!
Facing the gazes of the crowd, Mr. Qin, the tea master, finally lost his usual composure...

He stopped brewing tea, rested one hand on the golden solid wood tea table, and kept stroking a purple clay teacup with the other, his brows furrowed in a thoughtful expression.

A few moments...

Just as Lin Bei and the others were finally getting impatient, Mr. Qin, the tea master, finally spoke:
"Don't worry about the 'Peak Singer Challenge'. I've invited a heavyweight singer from the European and American music scene whom we often collaborate with from overseas companies. She will help us contain Shen Ming'en. President Lin, you can rest assured about that. Since this matter was started by me, I will definitely take full responsibility for it."

To be fair, Mr. Qin is quite responsible; at least he didn't shirk his responsibilities on the show "Peak Singer Challenge".

This heavyweight singer from the European and American music scene, whom he was familiar with, was someone he had mentioned to Lin Bei long ago. This was a backup plan he had specifically prepared because he had considered that Shen Ming'en might pass the "Peak Singer Challenge".

Therefore, there's no need to worry about "The Peak Singer Challenge" at all. What we really need to worry about is "Chinese Music Music Center: Red Song Season"!

To know!
"The Peak Singer Challenge" is just a regular variety show, and it will only be recorded for a dozen or twenty episodes at most, so it won't be too long.

Even if they can't eliminate Shen Ming'en, once the show ends, Shen Ming'en will naturally lose this exposure.

But the show "Chinese Music Awards: Red Song Season" is a year-long series!
The annual series, as the name suggests, airs one episode every week from the beginning to the end of the year, without interruption!
If this year's project is completed and the results are good, and if we can attract investment and sponsorship, we might continue at the beginning of the year. Nobody gets tired of making money.

If the show continues, Shen Mingen could really achieve long-term exposure and a meteoric rise in popularity!

That's absolutely outrageous!
"So, Mr. Qin, what are your thoughts on 'Chinese Music Awards: Red Song Season'?" Lin Bei finally couldn't help but ask.

They really can't do anything about Shen Ming'en now. Before the show was upgraded, he was unstoppable by any theme or style of music. After the show was upgraded, even so many mainstream celebrities are no match for him...

He can find ingenious and subtle angles to create songs on any subject matter, whether it's difficult, simple, or casual...

Now, they're really at their wits' end.

"Um……"

Upon hearing this, President Qin remained silent for a moment.

After a moment, he said to Lin Bei in a comforting tone, "President Lin, I know you're anxious, but these things can't be rushed. I told you before, this isn't something that can be done in one or two phases..."

Lin Bei wanted to curse after hearing what he said. What the hell is the difference between that and "I know you're anxious, but don't rush"?!
Therefore, before President Qin could finish speaking, Lin Bei interrupted him: "President Qin, saying these things is useless, tell me the solution."

What's most disgusting is this kind of person who spouts empty politeness and speaks in a bureaucratic tone...

"Tsk..."

The three men standing to the side—General Manager Liu, the fat man, and the white-haired man—exchanged glances and were secretly astonished. They thought to themselves that General Manager Lin was really angry; it was the first time they had ever seen him show such disrespect to General Manager Qin.

But Lin Bei is right. Stop spouting nonsense. The floodwaters are about to overwhelm the entire army. Can't you just tell me a solution?

"Good good..."

President Qin wasn't angry. Instead, he grinned, waved his hand, poured President Lin a cup of tea, and then said, "His 'Bauhinia Blossoms' seems to have been created for an anniversary. I'm sure you all know that, right?"

"Uh-huh……"

"To convey the Way, to convey the Way."

"You call him outrageous just because of that!"

The three of them nodded in agreement, while Lin Bei frowned, wondering what President Qin was up to.

"You know, creating works related to anniversaries isn't so easy..." President Qin chuckled and said mysteriously.

"What Mr. Qin means is..." Mr. Liu and the other two exchanged glances and asked, "To create works with 'anniversary' as the theme?"

No one present was a fool; between the lines, who couldn't understand President Qin's intention?

After realizing what President Qin meant...

You know what, there was a glint of shrewdness in their eyes!

It is important to know that my country is a country with a long history and culture, and it has a great many kinds of festivals and commemorative days.

In terms of holidays, in the first half of the year, in addition to the Spring Festival, New Year's Day, and Lantern Festival at the beginning of the year, there are also Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, May Day, Mother's Day, Women's Day, April Fool's Day, Youth Day, Children's Day, Father's Day, etc.

Anniversaries go without saying...

January is a memorial day for the victims of the war in Nanjing;

February marks the anniversary of the US president's visit to China;
March includes the anniversary of Mr. Sun Yat-sen's death and International Consumer Rights Day;

April includes World Earth Day and World Book Day;

May includes the anniversary of the May Fourth Movement, World Red Cross Day, and International Nurses Day;

June includes World Environment Day, World Blood Donor Day, and International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

July is World Architecture Day; August is International Cat Day; September is Teachers' Day and International Day of Peace; October is National Day, and there's also Halloween in the West...

March?
Haha, Singles' Day.

and Thanksgiving.

December includes Christmas and New Year's Eve.

Numerous anniversaries, covering different fields such as history, culture, and public welfare, are diverse in type and have profound significance, which greatly increases the difficulty of creating revolutionary songs based on them.

President Qin's meaning is quite clear...

Didn't you want to write down an anniversary?
Row!
Then we'll go with the flow and let you write the anniversary!
"This is great..." The fat man not far away clapped his hands in admiration, saying, "The meaning and history of these festivals and anniversaries are too complicated, and they are very difficult to handle."

Most festivals and anniversaries have profound meaning and history, which are difficult to fully integrate into a three- to five-minute song. If the integration is not done well or is not distinctive enough, they can easily win over Shen Ming'en!
"It still has to be President Qin..."

The white-haired man not far away couldn't help but give President Qin a thumbs up. Among their group, President Qin really did have the best brain.

In response, President Qin chuckled and was about to say something when he heard Lin Beizheng, who was not far away, say:
"Then which anniversary should we use?"

As soon as these words came out...

Everyone was stunned.

yes……

Saying the theme is "anniversary" without specifying which anniversary is being used is just being dishonest!
"Hehe, Mr. Lin, don't be in such a hurry..." Mr. Qin chuckled and waved his hand, saying, "Isn't that what I was just about to say?"

"..."

Lin Bei didn't speak again, but judging from the expression on Qin's face, he still seemed a little uneasy.

President Qin understood Lin Bei's concerns, so he spoke frankly:
"July 1st is the anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China..."

He paused slightly, then glanced at everyone in the tea room before asking this question:
"What about August 1st?"

As soon as this statement came out...

Everyone was stunned.

Then, they all widened their eyes!

"hiss……"

A moment later, a series of gasps of astonishment filled the tea room.

Whether it was the fat man, the white-haired man, the female CEO in the suit, or Shen Ming'en's boss, Lin Bei, the president of Ruixing Entertainment, they all widened their eyes and showed an incredulous expression.

What holiday is August 1st?
This festival is so important that everyone should know about it!
This festival holds great commemorative significance in our country!
This festival is far too important, and its significance is far too profound!

They were completely dumbfounded the moment they heard what President Qin said...

"No, Mr. Qin, isn't using this as a topic a bit...sensitive?" Even the middle-aged fat man who had been agreeing with Mr. Qin couldn't help but ask.

These kinds of holidays are easy to get into trouble with if you don't handle them properly!

Do you think this kind of holiday is just a joke?
"What's wrong with that?" President Qin didn't seem to care, and said bluntly, "We're using August 1st as a theme to praise the People's Liberation Army soldiers who have made outstanding contributions to us, and to express our sincere loyalty to the country. What's wrong with that?"

He wasn't joking when he said that, nor was he trying to cover up his true intentions; rather, he wanted to express his loyalty to the country.

It's important to understand that because of various sensitive topics and the fact that "Chinese Music Promotion Center" was upgraded to "Red Song Season," there has been a constant stream of negative online comments and numerous reports from netizens against them...

I still vividly remember the time when the Chinese Music Awards placed "Me and My Motherland" at the bottom of the list.

Their respective companies have recently begun to feel a bit like they're being watched by higher-ups.

At times like these, even a sparrow should show its loyalty to the country...

They did want to use this issue to restrain Shen Ming'en, but that was just a side effect. They also had a sense of patriotism, and it was only natural for them to show their loyalty to the country on the side.

"Hmm..." The white-haired man not far away nodded and said, "These people who keep calling us unscrupulous capitalists are almost turning us into traitors. We just want to eliminate Shen Ming'en. How are we not patriotic?"

"94..." President Liu nodded, saying, "We are also sincerely devoted to our country. Just because we are against Shen Ming'en doesn't mean we are no longer patriotic."

"Uh-huh……"

The group nodded in agreement, and as they discussed the issue, they came to accept the proposition put forward by President Qin.

This week is the anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, and next month on the 1st will be August 1st. They might as well take this opportunity to get those mainstream singers to create more songs praising the People's Liberation Army soldiers who have made outstanding contributions to us.

Why not benefit from this while also eliminating Shen Ming'en?

Even Lin Bei couldn't offer any objections on this point, and could only nod in agreement.

After setting the theme for the new episode of "Chinese Music Awards: Red Song Season", Lin Bei's expression softened considerably. He probably felt that with this theme, Sparrow Food was very likely to eliminate Shen Ming'en.

"I have a suggestion..."

After a moment's thought, Lin Bei said:

"Anyway, there's still more than a month until August 1st. Since the goal is to praise the People's Liberation Army soldiers, why not expand this theme into a four-episode series spanning the entire month, praising soldiers from different branches of the armed forces respectively?"

Lin Bei's words were heartfelt. At this stage, eliminating Shen Ming'en was secondary; praising the officers and expressing patriotism was the most important thing.

If you're going to do it, you might as well do it on a grand scale, otherwise people won't see their sincere sincerity.

"Alright, let's start with the Navy officers for the first round," President Qin said frankly.

Mr. Qin is from Hainan, so he has been influenced by his surroundings and has a great admiration for the navy officers who guard our beautiful seas. Therefore, he decided to start the first episode according to his own ideas.

The others naturally had no objections either. The People's Liberation Army soldiers are all great, and praise is given without regard to order; sincerity is what matters.

"I still have a suggestion for the 'Singer Challenge'..."

After discussing matters related to the "Chinese Music Awards - Red Song Season," Ms. Liu, the woman in the suit, feigned concern and spoke to Mr. Qin:

"I suggest that the voting audience for this program be divided into domestic and international viewers, so that international netizens can also participate in the voting. Otherwise, if it is only domestic viewers, Shen Ming'en will have too much of an advantage."

As soon as these words came out...

Don’t say that!
Don't tell me!
President Qin, Lin Bei, and the others all showed expressions of delight!

It's worth noting that because of Shen Ming'en's performance in "Full Power" during the "50-year-old old lady guarding the country's gate" era, and because Shen Ming'en was portrayed as a "traitor who drove out foreigners to save the country," his status in the hearts of Chinese entertainment audiences is now incredibly high.

Most of the viewers voting on the show "The Ultimate Singer Challenge" are from the Chinese entertainment industry. They will definitely vote for Shen Ming'en just to defend national dignity, because Shen Ming'en has too much of an advantage.

In contrast, foreign audiences have little to no positive feelings towards him, and some are even hostile towards him, so naturally they won't vote for him.

It was originally a live performance competition between singers from China and abroad. Allowing foreign audiences to participate in the voting process would make it fair and just, and no one would be able to voice their opinions.

if it is like this……

They invited heavyweight, established singers from the Western music scene, and they even removed his audience advantage. How can Hajime possibly continue on the "Singer Challenge" program?!
OK……

No prick, no needle prick!

Next week, Lin Bei might really have double happiness!

……

It was supposed to be a preliminary review, but I didn't expect it to be sent out to me... Oh well, it's all being sent out today anyway, so I'll just leave it at that.

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(End of this chapter)