Respawn Entertainment: Days of Glory

Chapter 967 The Crying Fist

Upon hearing this, Liu Xingwu and his agent both felt their hearts skip a beat.

But then the agent said, "Don't worry, they might not release it."

The assistant knew he had spoken too quickly, but there was no going back, so he could only try to cover it up by saying, "Yeah, whether it's Liu Yao or No. 1 Anxiang Road, it won't be easy for them to release a song."

Liu Xingwu thought it made sense and felt relieved, but he still wanted to see what the quality of performances by a veteran band like No. 1 Anxiang Road was like now.

Although he himself is not very good, and the recording studio relies entirely on auto-tuning, he basically uses semi-live microphones in the studio, he still has a certain level of appreciation.

"Let's project it onto the TV and watch it together..."

Meanwhile, in front of a CBD plaza in Kunming, music fans who had just been charmed by Guo Sichu's sweetness were still feeling the afterglow when they saw Liu Yao and No. 1 Anxiang Road go up, and they started to get excited again:

"What, what, what? If The Big Band does a second season, how are we going to invite guests?"

"With this lineup, if the finals aren't a hit, I'll eat shit while doing a handstand!"

"Awesome! I feel like we've really captured half of the Chinese rock scene!"

That's what they say, but many young music fans and passersby may know Liu Yao but not No. 1 Anxiang Road. Some curious people started asking the knowledgeable people at the scene all sorts of questions.

Meanwhile, an area in the corridor below the CDB screen had been cleared out. Everyone assumed it was just some temporary control measure, but little did they know that Liu Yao and the others were already waiting in a room in the corridor.

From a secluded spot at the scene, Liangzi stubbornly continued chatting with the rock fans in the live stream: "You guys better keep your eyes peeled for this, you'll see what a legend is, what a pioneer of Chinese rock is..."

Those in the live stream were mostly watching the show at the same time, so when Liangzi said that, they just assumed it was an appearance of No. 1 Anxiang Road on the show and didn't pay much attention. But just as the stage lights for "The Big Band" dimmed, several figures dressed in leather suddenly appeared in the corridor on the square.

Before anyone else could react, Liangzi was the first to exclaim, "Liu Yao! No. 1 Anxiang Road!" With a whistle after he shouted, many sharp-eyed rock fans in the audience spotted Liu Yao and Qiu Long.

Liangzi's live stream chat instantly erupted: "Liangzi, you're so unfair! Why didn't you tell me about this inside information earlier? I was wondering why you were streaming from such a weird place?"

"I'm crazy! I'm only three kilometers away from Liangzi. Is it too late for me to get there now?"

It was definitely too late, because a chaotic chorus of musical instruments had already reached the ears of the music lovers.

It was like the musicians frantically tuning their instruments on stage before a performance. Accompanied by the stage lights flashing in rhythm, No. 1 Anxiang Road, appearing and disappearing intermittently, seemed like a place transported from the past.

When the distorted electric guitar melody began as if covered by a cloth, the gray-white stage lights finally revealed the band members' general appearance.

Liu Yao, sporting a black G-Wagon, held onto the microphone stand with one hand, his head held high, looking incredibly arrogant. It seemed like these guys weren't putting on a show, but rather exchanging barbs and striking poses before a brawl.

After a burst of drumbeats, Liu Yao leaned back and let out a roar of "Wow!" The stage lights returned to normal, and the cloth covering the accompaniment was instantly torn off. The electric guitar's tone changed from distorted to overdrive, and with the strong rhythm of the clip guy, the rich metallic flavor overflowed the screen.

Longtime music fans roared, "Your grandpa is still your grandpa!"

"Damn! This is the right taste. Only Bian Lang could bring back that old Liu Piku from back then!"

"Some of Liu Piku's songs are indeed popular, but you can't condemn him outright. This one is really catchy..."

This is similar to how the original Earth evaluated Wang Banbi. It's undeniable that he makes pop music, but you can't condemn all his works. The same applies to all Chinese musicians. Maybe you just want some works with a so-called rock spirit.

Just like this song, the intro alone is enough to make the listener unconsciously start to get restless.

Just like at the scene, without any organization or call to action, almost all the professional music fans stood up and gave the stage a metal salute!

Even Zhu Wen stood up to offer his respect. In his view, he still loves rock and roll, but he's come this far and there's no turning back. He still has to keep making easy money, but that doesn't stop him from indulging in his passions occasionally.

Looking at the scene in the square, Liangzi's camera lens shows people jumping up and down to the rhythm. Liu Yao and a few of his old buddies from Anxiang Road also stood on the side of the corridor, clapping and keeping time with the rhythm.

This scene left viewers in the live stream wondering: "Is this some kind of new concert format?"

After a barrage of overloaded electric guitar and metal drum rhythms, the high-frequency beats abruptly ceased, leaving only the rhythmic bass drum and bass, and Liu Yao's angry and rapid vocals:

"The minimum wage is delivered to the factory, and drizzle falls outside the window."

A stealthy bullet pierced through the void and embedded itself in the chest.
Children, armed with razors, rushed into the street.

"Just so that after finding myself, I can kill myself..."

The four lines of lyrics are short and concise, yet powerful and impactful, with every word a gem.

More than 80% of the music fans at the scene were stunned, all having the same question in their minds: "Can this song be sung on the ground?" Another 20% were already worried about whether the scene would be broadcast in the end.

As for the professional music fans who hadn't heard the rehearsal, everyone felt their DNA move! It was as if No. 1 Anxiang Road had traveled from that crazy era, bringing the unique atmosphere of that time to give Chinese rock a new lease on life.

Before some people could even utter their excited profanities, a burst of snare drum rhythms poured down like a machine gun barrage, followed by a new wave of metal frenzy.

As Liu Yao swept the rhythm, he pointed his right hand towards the area below the stage, joining all the musicians on stage and the three male backing vocalists in firing off:
"This is you, a perfect life, tragic yet real."

Like a fragment, like a broken sword

Like a…

After another burst of drumbeats, everyone on stage erupted in a roar: "Crying Fist..."

This shout, like Bian Lang's "No Place to Hide" from last year, was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, especially after Guo Sichu had just finished singing a sweet love song.

The professional music fans at the scene couldn't even begin to express the intensity of their emotions. Ryuko jumped up from his seat, waving his fist and shouting, "Well done!"

The five band members watching the big screen in the preparation room were even more excited, especially Lao Zhao: "That's it! Awesome, this song is awesome! I'd be happy to sing this song on a big stage even once in my life!" Li Hao was also so excited that he was a little incoherent: "It's so awesome! This is so damn awesome! If Leather Pants can perform like this, then how awesome would Bian Lang and the Rolling Stones be!"

"There's no way to evaluate it..." Luo Lin covered his face with his hands, feeling both excited and sad.

It wasn't out of envy or jealousy, but mainly because he thought it would be great if this day could be brought forward by ten or twenty years.

If this had happened in an era when rock and roll was on the verge of decline, I believe this tearful fist would have been enough to wake up many people.

And those fans who were there at the scene are now showing off their amazing talents online:

"My 'The Big Band' is awesome! I bow down to Bian Lang and the production team! This song alone is enough to make this episode a legend!"

"I'm truly kneeling before Bian Lang. The censored Bian Lang is like a broken sword that's still sharp—one strike to the throat!"

"I originally went to see Guo Sichu, but I was completely shocked by these rock musicians. Suddenly I felt that all these popular singers were just performing for money, which was so vulgar. It seems like these rock musicians are willing to risk their future and their lives!"

Indeed, as this Chu Jun said, rock and roll is something you can't play without a bit of spirit.

I must mention Painkiller again; they dared to sing "The Sun Also Rises" on a show, almost ruining it. And then there were the staff at a certain year's Snow Mountain Music Festival—they changed Lao Zhou's lyrics for the approval process, and that's how everyone heard the final rendition of "XX Child" at the festival!

As for their colleagues, they are all struggling with one thing right now: whether to raise an erection or not.

To be blunt, given the current imagery of this song, with a little effort and some connections, it's entirely possible to ruin this episode. Even if they can't ruin the entire episode, cutting this segment out is absolutely no problem.

Don't underestimate the power of simply cutting this segment. If it were to actually happen, many keyboard warriors would be able to attack "The Big Band" from the perspective of its largest audience, "rock music fans"!

They couldn't say whether the blow was fatal, but it was definitely precise!

But to be rational, the fact that a satellite TV station and a well-known video platform dared to broadcast it proves that it must have passed censorship, and the person in charge of the censorship is probably a very upright person who is on the side of Rolling Stone.

It's common knowledge within the industry that the ban on Bian Lang was a move that was raised high but then fell softly, at least indicating the inclinations of many at the top. However, this doesn't mean that the Rolling Stones and rock music will have a smooth future. There are still people secretly watching the Rolling Stones, just waiting for them to make a mistake and then condemn them to eternal damnation!
Even Zhu Wen's rivals at Rolling Stone were debating whether to publicize this. Ultimately, Zhu Wen chose to back out this time.

If this were set on Earth at this time, it would probably be described like this: Zhu Wen may not be as good a fighter as Luo Dachui, but Rolling Stone is no fake!
However, the impact of this song on everyone was not over yet. After the interlude's electric guitar sounded like rusty gears meshing and the drumbeats simulated the monotonous repetition of a mechanical assembly line, a new round of output came:

There's no way to go back, no time to cry.
All you can do is sigh.

There was no strength to struggle, no feeling of fear.

All you have to do is live and die…

After that, the barrage of metallic drumbeats continued, and at least half of the thousand music fans in the Summer of Bands venue started belting it out in the audience:

This is you, a perfect life, tragic yet real.

Like a fragment, like a broken sword

Like a crying fist…

After singing that line, Liu Yao pulled down the microphone stand, started playing the rhythm, and went to have a piano duel with Qiu Long.

This moment instantly brought back memories of the golden age of Anxiang Road for many longtime music fans.

Back then, Liu Yao hadn't gone solo yet, and the unruly and arrogant temperament of the group was impossible to hide.

Back then at the Beijing Exhibition Center, Liu Yao, wearing leather pants and a vest, led his fans in headbanging and singing, "This world doesn't need ideals...", much like the scene now.

However, after Liu Yao left Anxiang Road and was expelled from the rock scene, not many people remembered these things anymore.

Like the original Wang Banbi of Earth, he is diligent and self-disciplined in his career, brimming with talent. His wild and weathered voice, and the powerful explosive force on stage, exude boundless vitality. He has a suave and rebellious appearance, a rebellious spirit at his core, is mature and sexy, and possesses a gentle and refined temperament yet is full of passion.

He's not the kind of artist who's been packaged, shallow, and pretentious. He truly lets his work speak for itself. Moreover, whether you like his songs or not, you can't ignore their depth and power. His critique of society, his insight into life, his analysis of human nature, and his expression of emotions all resonate deeply with people.

What is most admirable is that his works from every period of his life have always maintained a compassionate and empathetic spirit.

In this respect, Liu Yao is almost the same. If it weren't for Bian Lang's appearance, no matter what people in the rock circle say, there are still many music fans who recognize her and feel that without her, Huaxia might have already died out.

Therefore, when Liu Yao's ideal, which she felt was impossible to achieve in this lifetime, was gradually turned into reality by Bian Lang, the sparks generated by their collaboration on their works reached another level.

Bian Lang writes whatever he wants, and Liu Yao just lets himself go crazy on his own terms:
This is you, a perfect life, tragic yet real.

Like a fragment, like a broken sword

Like a fist crying…

At the concert in Kunming, Liu Yao led the fans in singing along.

This scene was witnessed by Liu Xingwu's assistant, who was simultaneously browsing Bilibili and Liangzi's live stream. He sensed something was seriously wrong, so he secretly refreshed the "Summer of Music" album on Edan Music...

Then he saw a song that had been updated: "Crying Fist!"

In that instant, he felt as if he were in the final chorus of the song:
"This is the life you wanted, bewildering and cruel."

Like a joke, like a battle

Like a crying fist…

(End of this chapter)