The opening of China Entertainment Group gave Jay Chou a head-on confrontation

Chapter 902 Spring Festival Gala
On January 28, 2006, at 8:00 PM, the Spring Festival Gala for the Year of the Dog was officially broadcast live to audiences at home and abroad on CCTV, Chinese International Channel, and other channels. On the radio, it was broadcast live simultaneously by China National Radio.

After the opening song and dance, the first group to appear was Man Wenjun, Xie Tingfeng, Yu Chengqing, and Li Fei, who performed the song "Hundred Family Surnames".

This is a program purely driven by political correctness—the four singers come from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau, and the main theme is the unity of Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and mainland China.

But Sun Yanzi, watching the program on TV, didn't pay any attention to it; she was still thinking about that song.

Even though her younger sister was watching and chattering bad things about Xie Tingfeng—for the latter, her future brother-in-law's nemesis was someone she would definitely crush to death, even if this so-called "nemesis" title only lasted a year.

"Sis? Sis? What are you thinking about?"

"Huh? Ah? No, it's nothing."

After regaining her senses from the shoving, Sun Yanzi shook her head, and the next second her eyes widened as she looked at the television screen—

"Sister, look! This director is really good at this. When Nicholas Tse is performing on stage, the camera even pans to where my brother-in-law is."

Sun Yanzi was not brought back to her senses by her sister's smug laughter. At that moment, her gaze was fixed on the audience behind Zhou Yi—she saw five familiar faces.

Cheng Hao's parents, Zhou Yi's parents, and Cheng Hao himself were all chatting and laughing, and they even clapped along with the crowd when the show ended.

I—she—is not—

After glancing subconsciously in the direction of her parents' room, Sun Yanzi's face fell. She rested her chin on her hand, her pupils reflecting the light from the television screen.

Is it too late to send my parents back to their hometown to look for their relatives?
Sun Yanzi, the filial daughter who turned her back on her husband, had already begun to mentally simulate the situation.

"Sis, when does your husband appear?"

"It's still early. If you can't stay up, go to sleep first."

Sun Yanzi, who is already immune to the term "younger sister," recalled the program schedule she had seen: "JJ's is at the beginning, very soon."

As Singaporeans working in China, Adu, Lin Junjie, Sun Yanzi, Li Sisong, and Li Weisong all keep in touch privately. Regardless of how close or distant their relationship is, they can at least chat for a bit when they meet now.

"Really? Is JJ singing his own song?"

"Hmm, if I remember correctly, it was 'A Thousand Years Later'."

"What will my brother-in-law sing?"

“I sang ‘A Thousand Miles Away’ with Liu Huan, and I also sang ‘A Song for All’ and ‘The Brightest Star in the Night Sky’ solo.” Sun Yanzi answered this question without hesitation.

"A song that appeals to both refined and popular tastes? Are you sure this song is suitable for the Spring Festival Gala?"

Shanghai, PT District.

As a member of the editorial department of "Biting Words and Chewing Characters," Xi Jiwen, while watching this year's Spring Festival Gala at home, couldn't relax; instead, he had a very important task—

Or rather, all members of their editorial team have this task: to find fault with the Spring Festival Gala.

Starting from the beginning of this year, "Biting Words and Chewing Characters" decided to select 12 television stations with wide coverage and significant influence, including CCTV, as the targets of its "biting and chewing" campaign, and began to select the "Top Ten Language Errors" every year.

To put it simply, it specifically seeks out influential galas and programs to correct errors, create highlights, boost sales, and incidentally popularize correct word usage and knowledge. This is why the magazine is called "Biting Words and Chewing Characters".

"I find that strange too. Isn't this song supposed to express Zhou Yi's attitude? But is the Spring Festival Gala a stage for expressing his personal attitude?"

On the laptop screen, expressions of confusion and doubt frequently appeared from the editorial team.

It's not that the song's message is bad; on the contrary, its universal appeal makes it very suitable for the popular stage of the Spring Festival Gala. But the problem is that the song was written by Zhou Yi to criticize those who criticize him.

Against this backdrop, Zhou Yi's appearance on the Spring Festival Gala stage to sing this song seems quite subtle.

This isn't a typical pop love song like "A Thousand Years Later" or "You Are My Rose," which would be fine for any large group to sing along to.

"I reckon Zhou Yi will come into the studio for an interview after he steps down. Let's see what reason he gives then..."

In 2006, the Year of the Dog, the production team, in an effort to innovate, made the decision to broadcast the Spring Festival Gala live for 12 hours for the first time.

After the four-hour live broadcast of the Spring Festival Gala ends, CCTV-3 will continue broadcasting live for another seven hours in a separate studio, hosted by Dong Qing and Zhu Jun.

In this studio, in addition to broadcasting some programs that were rejected in the final rehearsal, many Spring Festival Gala performers will also enter the studio after their performances to interact with the hosts and the audience.

The entire production team of the Spring Festival Gala went to watch the flag-raising ceremony on the morning of the second day of the Lunar New Year, and the 12-hour live broadcast officially ended at 7:30 a.m.

The young people are fine, but it's the older middle-aged people in the main cast who are in pretty good health and can keep up with all this.

“You’re really quite a handful. My parents said they want to watch your performance before they go back with you.”

The Spring Festival Gala.

Because he had to sing three songs in a row, Zhou Yi, who hadn't eaten much for dinner, drank a lot of water. After getting up to use the restroom, he ran into Cheng Hao, who had come to find him. Cheng Hao sounded helpless.

"I reckon I won't be able to leave after I finish singing. I'll have to go to the studio next door on Channel 3 to sit for a bit and go through the motions."

Zhou Yi estimated his own time—

His show aired before Zhao Benshan's, which could be seen as a guarantee from the production team to boost midnight viewership.

Zhou Yi and Zhao Benshan are basically the most ratings-boosting combination that the Spring Festival Gala can currently offer.

After all, public opinion on the Spring Festival Gala is that it's getting worse every year, so they need to produce some good-looking data.

"However, although people say the Spring Festival Gala has declined in quality, my parents still enjoyed the programs quite a bit this year. I don't know if it's just my perception, but it definitely seemed much better this year."

"Every year they keep saying things are declining, but this year the quality is actually quite good."

Zhou Yi shook his head after wiping his hands.

In retrospect, the quality of the 2006 Spring Festival Gala clearly showed an improvement.

Although Feng Gong's opening performance, "Following My Wife as a Nanny," still had some flaws, its overall execution and humor were quite good.
The comedy "The Legend of Ma Dajie" performed by Jason Statham and Cai Ming is also a good way to have some fun.

The skit "Neighbors" performed by Huang Hong, Gong Hanlin, Lin Yongjian, and others, featured Lin Yongjian's catchy line "What are you doing? What are you doing? What are you doing?" which went viral after he dressed as a woman last year. This year, he used the same joke again and still managed to garner a lot of laughter.

The Southern-style crosstalk masterpiece "Who Made You So Excellent" performed by Da Bing and Zhao Weiguo is an outstanding work worthy of being engraved in the history of the Spring Festival Gala crosstalk stage.

The classic status of Zhao Benshan, Song Dandan, and Xiao Cui's "Talking About Things" is also beyond doubt.

In terms of songs, besides Zhou Yi and Liu Huan, there are also Pang Long, Lin Junjie, Twins, and others.

Classic songs like "Where the Peach Blossoms Bloom," "Azalea," "Why Are the Flowers So Red," "Mountain Songs Are Like Spring River Water," "Where Is Spring?" and "Even Wild Lilies Have Spring" were given away for free.

This year, the dance segment actually faltered; it seems the production team was betting on comedy and song segments.

.............................................

"Okay, thank you. Let's thank Guo Zi for his wonderful 'Honest Man'..."

As it approached past 11 p.m., after the mainland's bald-headed Lin Junjie and Guo Zi's skit "Honest Man" ended, host Zhou Tao smiled and began his role as the transition between the two segments—

"The next singer to appear, to be honest, I am an honest person after all."

Zhou Tao, who didn't forget to mention Guo Zi again, made people smile: "To be honest, I think the audience here, those watching on TV, and our compatriots at home and abroad have all heard of his name."

The confidence with which he spoke was truly unwavering.

The album's global sales topping the charts and remaining there for four consecutive years is a testament to its prestige.

Zhu Jun calmly added, "Even if some people haven't heard of him, it doesn't matter. I'm sure you've heard his songs..."

"The Book of Changes! It's the Book of Changes! It's finally the Book of Changes' turn to shine!"

"Quickly! The I Ching is up!"

"The Book of Changes has arrived!"

"The big one is coming!"

The reaction of viewers at home speaks for itself. Even many netizens who were surfing the internet or playing games stopped what they were doing to watch the Spring Festival Gala in their living rooms after seeing the previews appearing in chat rooms, QQ groups, forums, and online communities.

"Let's welcome with applause our young singer Zhou Yi to perform a medley of songs..." As the curtain rose on the stage, Zhou Yi, dressed in a custom Armani suit, stood in the very center, the star-patterned decorations shimmering like a galaxy under the lights—

One person, one guitar, one microphone, and one tripod.

His meticulously styled hair, coupled with his increasingly angular face that comes with age, was enough to make anyone scream. The vast stage seemed to transform into a boundless universe, and he was a prince amidst the eternal night of stars—

"The brightest star in the night sky, can you hear me?"
"The loneliness and sighs in the hearts of those who look up..."

The fingers lightly sweeping across the guitar, along with the soft, gentle singing, are captivating. The highly distinctive timbre gives this song an extremely catchy quality, even if it's your first time hearing it.

I pray to have a transparent heart and eyes that can shed tears.
"Give me the courage to believe again, oh, I'll embrace you beyond the lies~"

The gradually building emotions finally erupted with the torrent of rock music. On television screens in countless homes, Zhou Yi, holding a guitar, was like a traveler reaching out for hope amidst confusion, inspiring countless listeners with his songs.

Whenever I can't find meaning in my existence, whenever I'm lost in the darkness...
Oh, brightest star in the night sky, please guide me closer to you~~~

On the large screen standing on the Spring Festival Gala stage, all the ordinary events and major events that happened throughout 2006, the heroes who were called ordinary people, the students who worked hard and made progress, etc., all shone brightly like stars in the song of Zhou Yi!

That is the most touching warmth, and it is also the significance of using the Spring Festival Gala stage to summarize the year at the end.

Sitting in the audience, Zhao Ping and Zhou Yaoguo witnessed their son's confident and inspiring performance on the nation's biggest stage. An overwhelming sense of pride and emotion welled up in the elderly couple, bringing tears to their eyes.

Especially when the large screen behind Zhou Yi focused on Zhou Yi himself.

Since retiring from acting, Cheng Hao has rarely shown her emotional side. Looking at the man on stage, tears could be faintly seen glistening in her eyes.

At that moment, he was the brightest star in the night sky!
“Sounds great!!!”

"It's amazing! Zhou Yi's live performance is the best. Although it's not as good as the CD, the emotions are just too rich!"

"It was worth the wait!!!"

"The Book of Changes is awesome!"

"I always said rock and roll is Zhou Yi's comfort zone! It's a pity he'd never admit it..."

Thanks to the joint activities organized by portal websites such as Tencent and Sohu with the Spring Festival Gala, chat rooms, QQ groups, and real-time news broadcasts are currently filled with mindless praise from Zhouyi fans.

When the person in question has strong influence, such behavior rarely provokes resentment during the Lunar New Year. Instead, it can make more casual observers who are not fans develop a favorable impression of the I Ching.

When the song ended, Zhou Yi, who did not leave the stage, simply took the guitar off his body, looked straight ahead, and used the guitar as a crutch.

The stage performers, who appeared from both sides of the stage, seemed to be staging a dramatic scene on stage—

Some people are practicing calligraphy, while others are copying paintings;
Some people were playing the guzheng, some were playing the bass, some were playing the violin, and some were looking at the stars through a telescope—the telescope was pointed right at the I Ching.

Many more people, however, became internet users typing on their keyboards or passersby making phone calls.

Many older people at the scene were confused, but the younger generation of netizens watching on television all stared wide-eyed in astonishment.

"Fuck!"

"What's Zhou Yi's background?! How dare he arrange things like this on the Spring Festival Gala stage???"

"Shouldn't the Spring Festival Gala be for family celebration? Can this stage design even pass muster?"

"Did he approve it?"

It's no wonder they're making a fuss.

If this were a music awards ceremony, no one would care about this kind of stage design.

But this is the Spring Festival Gala, a gala known for its themes of unity and family reunion.

What do you mean by the I Ching? Are you cursing people on the Spring Festival Gala during the Chinese New Year?
Especially those journalists and public intellectuals who oppose the I Ching, their faces turned green when they saw this scene—

"Always hoping, always disappointed, that's just how life is~"
"The vulgar are fearless, the refined are frivolous—aren't they all just a stinking shell of a body?"

Is it really necessary to get criticized by Zhou Yi just for watching the Spring Festival Gala during the Chinese New Year?
Don't say that the Book of Changes didn't mean it that way. Don't they know in their hearts whether it was a curse or not?

We're all cultured people; using indirect insults is just basic stuff for us.

Check carefully!

Must be scrutinized!

There's something absolutely wrong with this app passing the review!

This is Zhou Yi himself inserting his own biases!

This seriously disrupts the harmonious atmosphere of the Spring Festival Gala!
"Whether their stories are popular or refined, everyone is justified!"
"They invite me to watch any scene with splattered dog blood or snow, they're really generous~~~"

As Zhou Yi's unrestrained high notes rang out, the stage performers crowded around him, their hands constantly patting him—as if they were genuinely inviting him to watch the play.

On one side is highbrow culture, and on the other is popular culture, but no matter how they pull each other apart, Zhou Yi always stands in the middle.

They said, "Quickly write a love song that is both elegant and popular, vivid and easy to sing."
"She's elegant in public and skilled in the kitchen, just like the girl I've been looking for~"
Is there a lifestyle that is appealing to all, with its ups and downs that makes people yearn for it?
"Amidst the absurdity of the pages, one glimpses a face weathered by life's hardships; if it touches a nerve, one should applaud."

His sarcastic smile, though he didn't utter a single word, was enough to make many people in the audience and even those watching on television automatically identify with him—the kind of smile that turned green.

But for ordinary people who don't understand the nuances, they just think they've listened to a pretty good song, and when the song and the musical come to an end, they all give it a thunderous round of applause.

Those who could think a step further were increasingly furious.

It's utterly ridiculous to put the I Ching on the Spring Festival Gala stage.

This is definitely not something the production team can decide.

Without a doubt, this comes from permission from a higher level.

Perhaps it was their appreciation for Zhou Yi's near-fatal shooting, or perhaps it was compensation given to him by domestic public opinion; in any case, it clearly demonstrated that the status of Zhou Yi was being further elevated.

For public intellectuals, this is the most distressing thing.

Fuck!
The Spring Festival Gala has really become his personal property!

After singing "A Song for All," Zhou Yi sang the final song, "A Thousand Miles Away," with a smile.

That laugh seemed to be a mockery of all adversaries.

"The eaves are like cliffs, the wind chimes like the vast ocean, we await the return of the swallows~"
"Time is arranged, an accident is staged, and you quietly slip away~"

First, the popular rock song "The Brightest Star in the Night Sky" inspired everyone; then, "A Song for All Tastes" was performed on the Spring Festival Gala to express personal attitudes; finally, the song "A Thousand Miles Away" concluded with a refined rendition.

Very common, or very refined.

Similarly, this is a problem that the Spring Festival Gala has always faced.

Similar to the I Ching, the Spring Festival Gala is also criticized in various ways every year in China.

"Let's welcome Liu Huan!"

Zhou Yi, who was performing three songs in a row, took on the role of host in front of everyone. With a slight turn and a raised arm, he drew all eyes to Liu Huan, who was slowly rising from the stage. Once again, the audience could hear the masterful and delicate emotions he displayed when singing "The Crescent Moon" years ago.

I send you away, a thousand miles away, you are silent and black and white.

"In this silent era, perhaps it's not wise to fall in love so far away."

The duet performance left an indescribable classic mark on the history of the Spring Festival Gala, and for many viewers in front of their televisions, it instantly prepared their criticisms.

This war without gunfire is so bad that they don't even follow the principle of leaving a way out for each other in the future. It's one thing for them to do this, but to suppress their mockery during the Lunar New Year is just too much!
Don't you know it's for good luck?!
A Question for the Spring Festival Gala: Has the Spring Festival Gala Become a Stage for Personalistic Formalism?

Why was Zhou Yi sung three times at the Spring Festival Gala?

28 Mistakes Made During the Spring Festival Gala Live Broadcast!

With an average of one mistake every 10 minutes, is the Spring Festival Gala still necessary?

(End of this chapter)