Chapter 177: The Car Crash Came Too Suddenly

Chapter 177: The Crash Came Too Suddenly

The backstage of the concert was a hive of activity, but Meng Fan, already made up and dressed in his performance attire, found himself with nothing to do, chatting with Tao Tao in the lounge.

Tao Tao had a pleasant voice and spoke with substance; though her temperament was somewhat cold—or perhaps merely detached—she was quite willing to chat with Meng Fan, and he enjoyed her company.

She was not a top-tier figure in the music industry, not even mid-tier, having risen truly from the grassroots. Her usual sphere of activity was niche, yet she remained remarkably grounded. Conversing with her allowed Meng Fan to broaden his horizons and hear many anecdotes that someone like Bai Zhi or Su Qingcen would rarely encounter.

As for Su Qingcen, she had not yet arrived. Being the finale guest, she would likely arrive an hour late from her own rehearsal site.

After a topic or two, neither felt the need to force the conversation. Tao Tao began scrolling through her phone, and Meng Fan pulled his out to message Wu Tong, asking if she had arrived, before sending a note to his dorm group.

"You guys didn't come?"

"Haha, Zhang Zhouwei's show-off tickets were snatched up by Wang Yanan, then Wei Zhixue found out, and after that, my ticket went to my girlfriend," Xing Tage replied.

Meng Fan laughed and typed back: "That's fine, just watch the livestream honestly."

With only 2,000 seats, getting more tickets was impossible.

The three of them were already at an internet cafe; with their girlfriends at the concert for at least a few hours, how could they not be gaming together?

Wu Tong replied that she was already at the entrance with Qin Jiu and the others, telling Meng Fan to focus on his preparations and not worry about them.

Meng Fan sent a smiley face, then refreshed the Huomao platform. Opening the app, he could see the livestream of Bai Zhi’s concert. He could enter the room, though it was currently a black screen, yet over 300,000 people were already waiting.

By seven o'clock, the number remained in the hundreds of thousands, but from 7:20 onwards, it climbed steadily, reaching over two million before the concert began.

Huomao’s traffic-driving capability was strong, and combined with Bai Zhi’s massive fanbase and long-term promotion, this number was merely the beginning; the platform’s modest goal was a peak of five million.

At 7:30, the concert began on time. In a music hall, there was little room for gimmicks, so they relied on lighting effects and high-tech rear-projection screens.

As the live band began to play, Bai Zhi walked out without any flashy choreography, singing quietly, and thus the concert commenced.

Bai Zhi’s vocal ability was quite impressive. It was often said she was the best singer among actors and the best actor among singers. She could headline a concert, dominate the small screen, and hold her own on the big screen—a rare triple threat recognized by both the industry and the public.

Human energy is limited, and few in this circle truly excel in all three. Most are merely labeled as such, their actual performance leaving one speechless. The most egregious are those who use the "triple threat" title to cash in, when admitting they were just dabbling would have been respectable. Take Huang Xiaoming; many questioned his singing, but he was honest, self-deprecatingly joking, "I'm just an actor, I don't even have acting skills, why do you expect me to sing?"

Of course, those who truly achieve top-tier honors in all three fields are rare, chosen by destiny, and impossible to seek out.

Moreover, it is a matter of eras; such figures existed in the 90s, but among artists debuting after the 21st century, they are nowhere to be found.

Bai Zhi, having won Best Supporting Actress at one of the five major Chinese film awards, starred in multiple hit dramas, and released several ubiquitous songs, was the current peak of the triple-threat archetype.

To go further—winning a Best Actor/Actress award, a mainstream television award, and having at least five albums with five hit songs and a tour—that was the realm of the Hong Kong legends or Taiwan’s Milk Tea. Since them, there has been virtually no one else.

It would be difficult for Bai Zhi to advance further, but she had youth on her side. For now, she would continue to develop in all directions, perhaps settling into one after gaining more experience.

"The world is too small, we are too coincidental, it's good to meet... Rumors and gossip, the dust is rising, everything you say is exactly what I know..."

Bai Zhi’s first song was "I Know," the most famous of her tracks, which had "worn out the streets" a few years prior—a compliment to its ubiquity.

After the song, she greeted the audience and the livestream viewers, chatted a bit, and began the second, a quiet piece she performed while sitting at the piano.

Once the livestream started, the viewer count surged again, slowing down only when it hit 4.5 million.

Bai Zhi sang five more songs before the first guest, Tao Tao, took the stage. They sang a duet, then Bai Zhi went off to change. Tao Tao, with her guitar, performed one of her own popular songs.

Tao Tao was a folk singer with a distinct style, though her commercial appeal was low. Her songs were famous, but she was not; many recognized the music but not the artist.

Meng Fan was the second guest. After Tao Tao finished two songs and left, Bai Zhi returned to sing four more before it was his turn.

By then, the livestream had reached 5.3 million viewers, hitting Huomao’s target.

At this rate, Meng Fan would be performing for over five million people—a significant jump from his usual streams.

Whoosh!

Staff led Meng Fan to the entrance, then rushed to adjust his clothes and touch up his makeup. Meng Fan, who hadn't been nervous, suddenly felt his heart race.

"...Your tenderness is there, I don't want to hide."

Bai Zhi finished the A-section. After a short interlude, a drum beat kicked in. Meng Fan had been counting; he entered precisely, his voice deep and charming. He walked to the center of the stage. Though his frame was still large, he looked presentable, and the camera’s perspective only added to his charisma.

They locked eyes and sang the chorus together: "Unrequited love is not a long-term plan, your eyes cannot hide the secret..."

There was a high note here. With Bai Zhi looking at him affectionately and holding his hand, Meng Fan, lacking any stage experience, accidentally cracked. The note that came out was hauntingly off-key!

The crash came too suddenly!