Power and Wealth
Chapter 1930 – Gala ends!
One act.
Three acts.
Five acts.
It’s often said that a well-rounded gala should feature variety: moments of softness, laughter, and heartfelt emotion. That’s the ideal formula for a complete performance. However, the gala in Jiaolin County didn’t follow this formula. There were no gentle transitions, no subdued acts. Instead, the entire event was:
Chen Ying’s song.
Dong Xuebing’s performance.
The General Political Department Song and Dance Troupe’s display.
Followed immediately by two cross-talk comedians and Liu Han’s rendition of two hits that have taken the nation by storm.
Almost every act whipped the audience into a frenzy, leaving no room for respite. Their emotions soared, held in suspense, and burned with excitement. By the time one act ended, the next began, and they couldn’t help but cheer, scream, and shout. The stage and the crowd seemed ignited—utterly unhinged in their energy.
“Ahhhh!”
“Liu Han!”
“I’m obsessed with you!”
“Li Mengmeng! Li Mengmeng!”
“Just one more song, I’m begging you!”
Some fans were moved to tears, clutching their mouths as they wept and shouted their idols’ names, overwhelmed by excitement.
This scene wouldn’t have been possible in Beijing or other tier-one or tier-two cities. There, concerts and significant performances are more commonplace. People have access to frequent entertainment opportunities and the means to enjoy them. Tickets costing two or three hundred yuan are affordable for many, and if they’re die-hard celebrity fans, they can attend a dedicated concert.
But for the residents of Jiaolin County, this was their first time. Even the provincial capital, far away, rarely saw so many big-name stars perform. A small county like Jiaolin? It was unthinkable. Even Baohong City, a four-tier city on a downward trajectory, lacked the qualifications to host such an event. Big-name celebrities performing there were out of the question, let alone in a county-level venue.
So now that it was happening, it was no wonder things had become so wild. The crowd numbers alone proved it—120,000 people. Even the Workers’ Stadium couldn’t hold that many. This disparity between public facilities, urban infrastructure, and population flow explained the explosive excitement.
Director Sun hadn’t anticipated such an electrifying response to the gala. However, he wasn’t entirely surprised either. After all, the lineup that Dong Xuebing had assembled was beyond impressive. Zhou Xuguo, Liu Han, Li Mengmeng, and the SS Band boasted fan bases in the millions. Act after act, the energy never waned.
It wasn’t that Director Sun didn’t want to include a few transitional performances to help moderate the pace and allow the audience to catch their breath. But Dong Xuebing hadn’t provided any such acts. It was all headliners—nothing but A-list and B-list celebrities. Not a single smaller-name performer in the mix. Sun had initially complained that Dong Xuebing wasn’t giving him enough performers to work with, making it impossible to plan the lineup properly. Who could’ve guessed Dong Xuebing would bring in such a star-studded roster? Looking back, Director Sun could only chuckle wryly at his earlier frustration.
“Fantastic!”
“What a great performance!”
“Ha, this is such a treat!”
Even the investors in attendance erupted in cheers and amazement.
Dozens of investors who had only decided to visit Jiaolin County for this gala had been won over. Many brought their families and children, who were now jumping up and down, hoarse from shouting. While their children’s opinions might not directly sway the investors’ decisions, the positive atmosphere certainly favored the county’s efforts. It would undoubtedly leave a lasting, favorable impression, a win for the investment conference.
Seeing all this, Dong Xuebing felt a sense of contentment. His mind was already moving on to tomorrow’s plans. The Investment and Culture Festival will span two days, with tomorrow being the second. Of course, it wasn’t about ending the festival and sending the investors away after tomorrow; the cultural festival would be canceled, but the investment activities would continue for at least another week or two. The cultural festival and the gala were merely the stage; the economy was the main event. So, after today’s success, Dong Xuebing and the county’s staff would likely remain busy for a long time in the next two weeks.
“Ah!”
“Allen!”
“Allen is here!”
What surprised Dong Xuebing was that the cheers seemed even louder when the foreign star Allen appeared. He felt like his eardrums were about to burst. He quickly rubbed his ears, a little helpless. The power of foreign stars seemed to surpass that of domestic celebrities. Young people still yearned too much for foreign lifestyles and cultures, be it through studying abroad or idolizing stars. Dong Xuebing didn’t particularly like this, having argued with Xie Jing about it. Dong Xuebing was the epitome of discontented youth, but now he adopted a more benevolent perspective. After all, foreign stars were here to support and honor Director Dong. It wasn’t appropriate to take a confrontational stance. Gratitude was necessary, and Dong Xuebing was clear about that.
Allen.
Amy.
The SS Band.
Their appearance truly ignited the biggest wave of excitement at the gala.
By around ten o’clock, when the final group of acts concluded, the host came on stage to announce the end of the event.
However, nearly ninety percent of the audience didn’t leave. Even the ten percent who were preparing to leave stayed.
“Let’s do another one!”
“Sing another!”
“Allen!”
“Chen Ying! Chen Ying!”
“Li Mengmeng, please sing one more!”
The local people were incredibly enthusiastic. It wasn’t just the ordinary folks either; even the leaders in the first two rows hadn’t left. They were all sitting there, reluctant to leave.
This was live-streamed.
The two hosts hesitated. No encore was planned for the gala, and they couldn’t make a decision.
In the end, Dong Xuebing stood up, the only one who could make the call. He gestured to the host with a thumbs-up.
The host understood.
Soon, Zhou Xuguo walked out, giving Dong Xuebing a genuine gesture by agreeing to sing an impromptu song since there wasn’t any pre-prepared music. Zhou Xuguo was an old artist, and his talent shone through even without accompaniment.
Shortly after, Chen Ying and Li Mengmeng returned to the stage, each singing a song.
By around ten twenty, the gala finally came to a true close.
Everyone was content but also reluctant to leave. On the way home, each person discussed the gala’s performances, objectively rating them. Surprisingly, Dong Xuebing’s performance stood out as the most breathtaking and exciting to everyone.
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