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

Chapter 938 The World's Largest Music Stage Held Every Four Years

"Spike, which team do you think will win the World Cup?"

"Italy, I guess."

"Why? I thought you would support the French team. Henry is Arsenal's star striker, and the Gunners' former captain Vieira even filmed a promotional video with you."

"Personally, I think cup competitions emphasize defense, and Italy's chain defense is ingrained in their very being."

"But it's uncertain whether the entire Italian team is even focused on the World Cup final right now. France, on the other hand, defeated Brazil's dream quartet, and the team is united and the locker room is stable..."

The football reporter's questions and analysis were very well-organized.

Theoretically speaking, Italy's ability to reach the World Cup final despite existing problems in the locker room was indeed unexpected for many.

On May 4, 2006, Gazzetta dello Sport suddenly published the contents of a phone call between Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi and the Serie A referee appointers, which immediately ignited the entire Italian football world.

On May 8, the president and vice president of the Italian Football Federation resigned one after the other, and the four prosecutors' offices in Naples, Rome, and Turin began to investigate.

On May 11, Juventus officially announced that the Juventus board of directors had collectively resigned.

On May 12, the referee in question was disqualified from officiating at the World Cup. Following a full-scale investigation, Juventus, AC Milan, Fiorentina, and other teams were implicated in match-fixing, while Italian and Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon was also embroiled in the gambling scandal.

This incident is historically known as the Italian Serie A Calciopoli scandal.

On June 22, the Italian Football Federation announced the preliminary results of its investigation into the scandal, which included the prosecution of Juventus, AC Milan, Fiorentina, and Lazio, and their relegation. Juventus' last two league titles will also be stripped.

6月26-27日，意大利足球联盟开庭审理案件，预计将会在7月7日-7月9日案件审理完毕将公布审判结果。

That is, today, the day of the World Cup final—

It sounds ridiculous, but that's the absurd reality.

The Italian national team unexpectedly made it to the World Cup final, but the players are facing a complete internal crisis today. Factions from various teams are harboring ulterior motives in the locker room due to the outcome of the Calciopoli trial, and rumors of infighting are rampant.

Against a fully-staffed, united French team that has temporarily resolved its internal conflicts, Italy is undoubtedly the underdog.

Furthermore, given the connections between Henry and Vieira and Arsenal, even the FIFA and German Football Association staff who accompanied Zhou Yi to the stadium were surprised that Zhou Yi would favor Italy.

"There's an old Chinese saying, 'A desperate army is bound to win.' If Italian football wants to divert attention from its current predicament, winning the World Cup final in a do-or-die situation is their only way out in terms of public opinion..."

Zhou Yi smiled and began explaining Chinese idioms, while everyone standing around listening was a foreigner.

When you are strong enough, these arrogant white people will stop, listen carefully to what you have to say, understand it, and then turn it into news reports and publish it.

Of course, whether or not this is taken out of context depends on whether the media has any conscience, and if so, how much.

"If Spike is so optimistic about Italy, does he have a problem with the French team?"

"It's very possible that he has a better relationship with Ronaldo and Ronaldinho from Brazil. Didn't the Spanish media photograph them vacationing together on the beach before? It's possible that he didn't want to see France win the championship because France eliminated Brazil."

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! His song 'Happy' could practically be the French national anthem. It was number one in France for a full 10 months, just two months shy of a year. Haven't the French people treated him well enough?"

"Exactly! He even slept with the artistic goddess Eva Green, and he doesn't support France?!"

"..."

French viewers watching the live broadcast were a little unhappy.

Your song is so popular in France that it's almost made you half French, yet you don't have high hopes for the French team?

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

"Haha, Zhou Yi seems to have a lot of confidence in Italy too."

Domestically, CCTV, the World Cup final broadcast studio.

Huang Jianxiang, who was serving as a guest commentator for the match, was so amused by this scene that he almost lost his bearings. He is a die-hard Italian football fan.

On June 27th, during the Italy vs. Australia match, Italy's hard-fought last-minute victory led to classic moments such as "Great Italian left-back," "Happy birthday Maldini," and "Long live Italy."

It's a running joke that's impossible to avoid whenever football commentary is mentioned.

Of course, some people suspect that his excitement stemmed from his heavy bet on Italy to win, and Italy's last-minute victory sent him soaring from the depths of despair to the heights of triumph.

"Hehe, Zhou Yi's words make a lot of sense. In this tournament, a good defense is the best way to win the championship." Zhang Lu, who started with a classic "hehe" gesture, once again expressed his approval of Zhou Yi's "professionalism as a fan."

Huang Jianxiang agreed: "Yes, but according to the news, Zhou Yi hasn't had a good time these past few days either. Songs from his new album were leaked in advance, and it's said that the leaked single was supposed to be performed on the World Cup stage."

The moment the I Ching was mentioned, the number of messages in the chat room surged instantly.

Over 99% of them are vehemently criticizing the Americans.

"It's said that Zhou Yi will perform two songs this year, which will be a treat for audiences worldwide. Unfortunately, this time we only have Zhou Yi and his team present at the World Cup..."

Huang Jianxiang fell into melancholy.

In 2002, Zhou Yi made his debut on the World Cup stage, co-hosting with Zhang Lu.

Four years later, Zhou Yi is back on stage with Zhang Lu, but the national football team is nowhere to be seen. At least in 02 the national team played a few group stage matches; this year they didn't even make a single appearance, just staying home watching TV.

Ugh……

"I guess Zhou Yi won't be playing football this year, hehe."

Speaking of Zhou Yi's appearance, Zhang Lu was somewhat proud: "It's said that the German Football Association and international football organizations were eager to invite Zhou Yi to this year's event..."

Back in 02, Warner Music was practically begging to get Zhou Yi on the World Cup closing ceremony stage through strategic alliances. Now, four years later, Zhou Yi has become a superstar who was actively invited to the event. The difference is self-evident.

"It probably won't happen. This year's performance stage isn't in the center of the stadium; it's been set up in the passageway above the marathon gate of the Berlin Olympic Stadium..."

While Shakira, who was performing as a guest, was on stage, Huang Jianxiang gave a brief introduction to this year's final stage.

Above what is officially called the "Marathon Gate," but is actually just a passageway entrance, a strangely shaped milky-white stage was erected, with steps leading down on both sides of the stage.

The steps are divided into three levels, with the stage set on the second level, and the marathon gate below.

The audience members on the sides closest to the stage were truly blessed, getting to watch the superstar perform up close—Shakira's immense popularity, coupled with her cool and sexy look, drew screams from the crowd.

The two stopped chatting and perked up after Shakira's performance ended.

"Oh?

"Alright, viewers at home, the live broadcast has now changed. We can see Zhou Yi walking out of the Marathon Gate. He will bring a wonderful performance to us and to all viewers around the world on the stage of the World Cup final..."

Zhou Yi was dressed very casually this time. As he walked out of the passageway to the beat of the live drums, introduced by the DJ, he kept waving towards the actual four-sided stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let us give a warm round of applause to welcome the world's pop king, the music emperor from Asia, the eternal peace fighter, the phoenix soaring through the sky: Spike Chow!!!"

As the 69,000 people entered through ticket gates, their emotions were stirred by the DJ's progressively louder voice. Whether or not they were fans of Zhou Yi, everyone waved their arms and shouted at the top of their lungs in the increasingly frenzied atmosphere.

"Spike!"

"Spike!!"

"Spike!!!"

Television cameras in over two hundred countries and regions around the world focused precisely on this man dressed in Armani and wearing Anta shoes. Not only was he decked out in his own brand endorsements, but he was even holding a bottle of Coca-Cola in his hand—

In full view of everyone, I opened the Gudong app and drank several mouthfuls.

A truly exceptional spokesperson.

"Spike!!!!"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!"

Because of the close proximity to the audience, the explosive battle cry at the beginning was almost noise that would have affected Zhou Yi, but he was unaffected. Instead, he stepped onto the stone steps leading to the stage, accompanied by the already-positioned band and dancers.

The moment he raised his right hand, the microphone was pressed against his lips: "Are you ready?"

The intro to "Try Everything" had already started playing with the live band. This inspirational song, which had spread worldwide through Coca-Cola's advertising channels, made everyone in the audience shout in unison, "Oh oh oh oh oooh!"

"Oh oh oh oh oooh!!"

No complicated words or difficult pronunciations are needed; just shout it out in the simplest way to join the carnival that has swept through the entire Berlin Olympic Stadium.

The camera pans across the room, and everyone is all smiles, jumping and dancing to the rhythm as if they're at a disco.

Standing in the center of the white stage, Zhou Yi spread his arms wide, inspecting the audience like an emperor reviewing troops, to see if they had learned and become familiar with the song.

"Are you ready?!"

Zhou Yi, beaming with confidence, asked another question, but this time his tone was much higher.

His answer was a resounding chorus from the entire audience that lingered for days.

I messed up tonight, I lost another fight.

"I still mess up, but I'll just start again."
I keep falling down, I keep hitting the ground.
I always get up now to see what's next (but I still get up to face new challenges)~~~

These lyrics are a perfect fit for today's World Cup final—

There will always be a loser tonight, but that's okay. If you fail and fall, start over, come back stronger, and greet the new sunrise and new challenges full of unknowns.

With its dynamic rhythm, bright melody, and inspiring lyrics, even Shakira, the Latin American superstar who had just finished her performance in the previous show, was already swaying to Zhou Yi's chants in the stands, and the entire audience was immersed in a sea of ​​joy, unable to extricate themselves.

Even after the song ended, many people in the audience were still panting and out of breath—they were exhausted from all the dancing.

"Wow, Zhou Yi's song is really well written and sung."

Zhang Lu, the commentator in the CCTV studio, couldn't stop laughing: "Look at those officials, big stars, and big athletes on stage, they're all dancing along."

The scrolling text in various chat rooms has also changed from the initial flame war between fans of the French and Italian teams to a unified four-character phrase—

"The Book of Changes is awesome!"

"The Book of Changes is awesome!"

"The Book of Changes is awesome!"

The truly global broadcast featured a man who was still a native Chinese, and his signature gesture of holding the microphone and pointing to the sky with one finger at the end of a performance was imitated by countless followers, fans, and music lovers, becoming one of the most iconic singer labels in the world.

"It's said that his influence is so great that even the latest Kamen Rider anniversary series in Japan, called Kabuto, is imitating this move to pay tribute to him."

"Never mind! Zhou Yi is awesome!"

"Hmm? The intro to Zhou Yi's second song sounds unfamiliar; I've never heard it before."

After "Try Everything" ended, those who hadn't heard "Believer" expressed confusion about the drumbeats that followed.

What is the Book of Changes doing?
Will they sing underdog songs on the World Cup stage?
"It's 'Believer,' the new song that was leaked in North America. It's pretty good, I recommend you give it a listen..."

The same scene is playing out not only in China.

Japanese, South Korean, and European countries such as England, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain, as well as American viewers, were also watching the final.

The name "Believer" unexpectedly entered their ears in this way, thanks to the enthusiastic introduction of news disseminators.

As the drumbeats of "Believer" began, white feathers started falling from above the stage—

Bathed in a rain of feathers, Zhou Yi raised his head and closed his eyes, like a holy son of God!

"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap?!?!"

"So handsome!!!"

"Honey, honey, I love you!!!"

The adoration of viewers watching on TV, the frenzy of online sharing, and the screaming at the scene—all these elements combined to create the melody of "Believer" at this moment.

First things first.

I want to say all the words inside my head.
"I'm fired up and tired of the way things have been, oh oo!"

Stepping onto the white feathers, Zhou Yi moved forward step by step, standing at the very front of the stage. His eyes sharpened, and his finger transformed into a gun, pointing at all the audience members on the four sides of the stage.

More than half of the 69,000 people in the stadium had never heard the new song before, but that didn’t stop them from being drawn in by the rhythm and swaying their bodies to the beat of the arrangement.

Second thing second
Don't tell me what you think I could be.

"I'm the one at the sail, I'm the master of my sea, oh ooh!"

The singer, who deliberately held up two fingers in front of the camera closest to the stage, gradually filled the air with the roar of rock and roll. He would occasionally point to himself and then stop his rhythmic movements on stage, instead taking on the posture of a conductor and directing everything around him.

Afterwards, to everyone's surprise, he leaped off the stage, landing safely on the steps before rushing towards the nearest audience seats, which were blocked by railings. The long, perfectly worded sentences he uttered nearly suffocated the excited audience.

“I was broken from a young age, taking my sulking to the masses.”
"Writing my poems for the few"
"That look at me took to me, shook to me, and felt me ​​(they were watching me, supporting me, standing shoulder to shoulder with me, and empathizing with me)."
"Singing from heartache, singing from the pain"

Thanks to Zhou Yi's legendary past, which is unparalleled in the global entertainment industry, Zhou Yi, who spews out words like a machine gun, perfectly roars this song, which can be regarded as an autobiography, in front of audiences in more than 200 countries and regions around the world.

Rise up in heartbreak and sing aloud; recognize yourself in your blood and heartbeat; loudly proclaim your personal experiences and lessons; try to experience beauty, through that damn—

"Pain!"

The roar, reaching almost the highest vocal range, combined with the sudden spray of white dry ice around the stage turning into smoke, followed by the colored smoke from the combustible gas, perfectly highlighted Zhou Yi's return to the stage!
“You made me a you made me a believer believer!

"Believer!"

Zhou Yi's running brought a unique impact to the scene. Every high note after the chorus was like a launch button for dry ice and colored smoke, turning the scene into a visually stunning ocean!

"Pain!"

"You break me down and build me up believer believer!"

Not only those at the venue, but also audiences around the world watching the performance on television, deeply etched this song into their minds, making it unforgettable.

For those fans who had been speaking up for Zhou Yi since the radio ban was lifted, seeing this performance in person brought tears to their eyes.

"pain"
"Oh, let the bullets fly, oh, let them rain!"

The instant Zhou Yi pointed his finger at his temple like a gun, everyone knew that this song was about himself. The genuine emotions expressed in the lyrics almost instantly caused accounts found in the US that had leaked pirated versions of the song to be banned and deleted.

"This is a song Spike wrote after he came out of his pain!"

"It's awesome! It's fucking hype! Zhou Yi's English songs are really good. Even though I don't understand the lyrics, I can still sway along!"

"I dare say this song will definitely become a global hit after the World Cup ends, just like the one Zhou Yi sang in 02!"

"When the time comes, interested people will check the song's release date and find out the Americans leaked the pirated version beforehand, making them look bad all over the world!"

"The US should apologize to the I Ching; Americans owe the I Ching a song."

Time: March 2006, 7

Location: Berlin Olympic Stadium, Germany
Number of people: 69,000
Four years later, Zhou Yi once again stood on the stage of the World Cup closing ceremony, singing his new song almost to the point of exhaustion at the end, which was quickly broadcast to more than 200 countries and regions around the world!

Song: "Believer"

Singer: Zhou Yi

Lyrics by: Zhou Yi

Composer: Zhou Yi

Arrangement: Zhou Yi

During the final chorus, when Zhou Yi pointed one finger to the sky, all the cameras seemed to freeze at that moment!
(End of this chapter)