1990: Starting from Baojia Street

Of course, after listening to these two songs, Jessica believes that there must be many more good songs in "About Time", which makes her look forward to the early release of "About Time" in North America.

Unfortunately, so far, they have not heard any news about the release of "About Time" in North America.

While Jessica was letting her mind wander, the performance on stage was still going on and two-thirds of the song had already been sung.

Wang Lihong, who was standing next to Nick, spent most of the time singing with his head down and holding his guitar, looking very cool.

He looked to be around twenty years old, quite young, and standing next to Nick and the others, he looked like one of the Backstreet Boys.

In fact, Wang Lihong is not really cool. He is just a little nervous because it is his first time on such a big stage.

Before he came, he heard that there would be more than 17,000 spectators on the scene today. At that time, he was still imagining in his mind what the stage would look like with more than 17,000 spectators.

Before, Wang Lihong had performed on the biggest stage, with an audience of only five or six thousand people. At that time, he felt that it was already a lot, and this stage would triple that.

Now that he had actually stepped onto the stage, he realized that the calculations he had made in his mind before were completely meaningless.

A stage with 17,000 spectators is completely different from a stage with a few thousand spectators and cannot be simply compared by multiples.

Standing on the stage, Wang Lihong felt that the audience was like an ocean with no end in sight.

There are only more than 17,000 spectators. What would it feel like if there were 100,000 people?
Because he was nervous, Wang Lihong didn't look up, making others mistakenly think he was cool.

However, despite his nervousness, his collaboration with the Backstreet Boys was very successful.

They just met for the first time yesterday afternoon and didn't rehearse for too long, but the effect of cooperation was very good.

It is hard to say which one sounds better, Wang Lihong's solo version and the one with harmony by Backstreet Boys. But for an occasion like today, the harmony version is obviously more suitable and creates a better atmosphere.

After the performance, Wang Lihong did not hang around on the stage. He greeted the audience, nodded to Nick and others, and then left.

After "How Long Will I Love You", there was only one song left and the concert ended at regular time.

Afterwards, the audience gave an encore and they came back to sing four more songs before finally ending.

……

After the concert, Jessica and Hardison walked out of the theater and happened to meet Linda, a reporter from Billboard, who was stopping the audience to interview them.

Linda also glanced at the two of them and immediately ran over with the microphone.

"Jessica, wait a minute."

Hearing Linda calling out her name, Jessica stopped and said with a smile, "You actually still remember my name."

Linda laughed, "This is the third time we've met, of course I can remember your name."

It was a coincidence that Linda had interviewed Jessica and her team twice before.

Of course, it's not just fate, it's also because Jessica and her husband are really good-looking and can be seen at a glance in the crowd.

"What do you want to ask today?" After experiencing it twice, Jessica has taken the initiative to cue the process.

Linda smiled and nodded. It was easier to interview acquaintances.

"You guys should be sitting in the front again today, right?"

Linda likes to interview Jessica and her friends because they always sit in the front row.

"Yes, it's at the front."

"How do you feel about today's concert?"

"It feels really good. I have been following them for quite a while. Their singing skills have been getting better and better in recent years, and their stage style has also become more mature."

"Do you have any suggestions for them?"

Jessica laughed, "I suggested that they come to Los Angeles more often so that I can visit them more often."

"Haha, I'm afraid fans in other cities have the same idea as you. There is a special guest, Leehom Wang, at today's concert. He sang a new song. You should be very happy, right?"

The first time Linda interviewed Jessica was at Zhou Yan's concert. She knew that Jessica was a fan of Zhou Yan.

"Of course." Jessica nodded excitedly. "We have been waiting for this new song. It was supposed to be released yesterday, but two days ago we were suddenly notified that the release would be postponed. We were quite disappointed, but we didn't expect to hear it live tonight. It just so happens that the new song will be released tomorrow, so we can listen to it again."

“It seems like you guys are very satisfied with this song.”

"I'm definitely very satisfied. It's even beyond my expectations. This new singer performed very well. Is he Chinese like Y?"

Linda shook her head. "I don't know his specific situation, but I will interview him soon. Remember to pay attention to the column on Billboard later. You will see related articles there."

Jessica nodded, “Well, I’ve read all your recent articles.”

Linda has almost become a "Y expert". Now all Y-related articles on the billboard are written by Linda.

A few days ago, Celine Dion sang "All of Me" at her concert, and Linda also wrote an article specifically analyzing this song.

After Linda goes back today, she will definitely write an article about the new song.

“Thank you for your support. Do you have any suggestions for my article?”

"I suggest you write more, especially recently, everyone is paying attention to the soundtrack of Y's new movie."

Linda nodded. "No problem. We are following up and will not let you down. Can you still remember the lyrics of the song just now?"

"I can remember the words how long will I love you."

"Haha, I believe that anyone who has listened to this song will never forget this line. When you listen to this song, do you think of any image in your mind?"

Jessica tilted her head and thought for a while, then said, "I didn't actually think of any images. When I listened to the song, I felt like my whole mind was empty, and my thoughts just followed the melody."

"I just interviewed a few passers-by, and two girls recalled the scenes of being confessed to."

"Being confessed to... This song is indeed very suitable for confession, or wedding."

"Well, wedding, I have one last question. When About Time is released, will you go to the cinema to watch it?"

"Of course!" Jessica immediately gave an affirmative answer.

Linda nodded, she already knew the answer when she asked the question.

As loyal fans of Y, there was no way Jessica and her friends wouldn't go to the cinema to watch Y's new movie.

"Okay, thank you for accepting the interview. I hope we can meet again next time."

“Maybe next time it’ll be in front of the cinema.” Jessica said with a smile.

"If we could meet in front of the cinema, I would definitely arrange an exclusive interview for both of you," Linda said with a smile.

The possibility of meeting at concerts is relatively high. After all, there are few such events and there is only one place. As long as they all come to participate, there is a good chance of meeting.

But it’s different with movies. There are countless movie theaters in Los Angeles alone, not to mention the whole country. Unless you make an appointment in advance, it’s difficult to get to a movie theater.

And even if they went to the same cinema, the showtimes might not be the same. Linda said this because the possibility was extremely small.

……

Zhou Yan received a call from Xu Xiangjie at around ten o'clock the next morning. During the call, Xu Xiangjie reported to Zhou Yan about Wang Lihong's situation at the Backstreet Boys concert.

"Lihong's performance was very good, and the on-site response was also very good. We have prepared the press release and will send it out tomorrow."

Since they were going to promote Wang Lihong in Europe and the United States, they naturally had to put in some effort. As early as when Wang Lihong was confirmed to be a guest at the Backstreet Boys concert, Huanyin had already contacted some media and made preparations for the publicity.

This time, with the popularity of Backstreet Boys and the theme song of "About Time", it is easy to promote it.

In fact, Zhou Yan had originally planned to let Wang Lihong sing "Bleeding Love" with Mariah Carey, so that Mariah Carey could help increase Wang Lihong's popularity.

But after thinking about it seriously, I still felt that the effect of the two of them together might not be good, so I put the chorus thing aside for now.

After hearing that everything was going well on Wang Lihong's end, Zhou Yan gave him a few simple instructions and then hung up the phone.

Not long after he hung up the phone, the phone on the table rang.

He picked up the phone and asked, "Who is it?"

Zhang Manyu's voice came from the other end of the phone, "It's me, Maggie."

When Zhou Yan heard it was Maggie Cheung, he raised his eyebrows.

He rarely talks on the phone with Maggie Cheung, and the call from Maggie Cheung at this critical juncture was most likely related to the Forbidden City concert.

As expected, before Zhou Yan could speak, Zhang Manyu immediately said, "Do you still have tickets for your concert in May?"

Zhou Yan smiled and asked, "How many do you want?"

Zhang Manyu didn't expect Zhou Yan to ask her directly how many tickets she wanted. She was stunned for a moment, then she thought about it and said, "Just one."

"Okay, I'll save one for you. Do you want me to arrange a seat for you and Guorong together?"

"That would be great. I heard about your concert from him."

Zhou Yan rolled his eyes. Zhang Guorong had clearly promised him not to advertise it to others, but he turned around and ran to tell Zhang Manyu.

"Will you come together then?" Zhou Yan asked.

"Not necessarily. He might go there a few days in advance, and I'll probably arrive on the same day or a day in advance. Of course, if I have nothing else to do during those days, I'll consider going with them."

"I didn't expect you guys were all free at this time."

"Well, I'm pretty free during this period."

Maggie Cheung has indeed been quite idle recently. Since the second half of last year, she has basically not taken any work.

They have taken on fewer roles in the past two years. On the one hand, it is because they are tired and want to take a rest. On the other hand, it is also related to their return to Hong Kong.

Seeing that Hong Kong will return in a few months, the film companies in Hong Kong are very cautious and dare not arrange too much work.

We don’t know what will happen after the return, so don’t shoot the movie now. It would be a waste of time if it can’t be released or if it encounters big trouble after the release.

Zhang Manyu and the others wanted to come to Zhou Yan's concert, which was more or less related to his comeback.

In fact, Zhou Yan should be considered their strongest connection on the mainland, although they don't know that Zhou Yan's real background is far beyond their understanding.

"If you come over then, I'm afraid I won't be able to take care of you."

"I see. You must be very busy during that time. I'll ask them to pick me up first...By the way, is Xiaoxian going? Should I get a ticket for her? I don't know if they told her."

Zhou Yan smiled on the other end of the phone. Joey Wong knew the news earlier than any of them. As for the tickets, Zhou Yan had already reserved them for her.

"She's coming, yes, you can let her take care of you. It's only natural for a sister to take care of her younger sister."

Zhang Manyu is a few years older than Joey Wong, but in "Green Snake", Joey Wong played Zhang Manyu's sister, so Zhou Yan said that.

"Then you as a brother-in-law cannot fail in your duties." Zhang Manyu continued with Zhou Yan's words.

"Don't worry. When you come, I will take care of your food and lodging. You can live in our staff dormitory and eat in the cafeteria." Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"So you are so stingy."

"I have to be stingy. My studio has a lot of expenses every day. How can I make a movie if I don't save some money?"

"Tsk, do you have to pay for making a movie yourself? I'm afraid there are many people who come to you with a lot of money, but you don't want to accept it."

"Haha, if they don't want a share, I don't mind taking the money."

"...Okay, I won't disturb you from working. Just keep the ticket for me."

"No problem, see you then."

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Yan took out the notebook from the drawer and wrote down Zhang Manyu's name.

After Zhang Manyu called, Zhou Yan received five more calls until five o'clock in the afternoon, all asking about his concert tickets.

Three of the calls were from Hong Kong, namely, Tony Leung Ka Fai, To Chi Chi and Cheung Suet Yau.

When Zhou Yan asked, he found out that the news that he was going to hold a concert in the Taimiao had spread in the Hong Kong entertainment circle.

It's been less than a day, which shows how small the Hong Kong entertainment industry is.

Du Zichi heard it from Zhang Xueyou, Zhang Xueyou heard it from Anita Mui, Anita Mui and Zhang Guorong heard it from Gong Li, and Zhang Manyu and Tony Leung both heard it from Zhang Guorong.

At this stage, it seems that the source of the news is Gong Li.

At six o'clock, Anita Mui called again.

When Zhou Yan received the call from Anita Mui, he was completely numb.

He complained directly on the phone, "Sister Mei, you guys are treating my concert as a team building. The point is, let's just do it as a team building. Can you guys ask for tickets together? Don't everyone give me a phone number. I can hardly afford the phone bill."

Anita Mui laughed, "The key is that we didn't expect so many people to go at the beginning, so this is the case. If you mention one person, one will call you."

"Okay, how many tickets do you want?"

"I'm not asking for the ticket for myself. One of the two tickets the bad guy asked for is for me."

The bad guy she was talking about was none other than Zhang Guorong.

"Who are you going to give it to?"

"Faye Wong, I want two tickets for her."

Hearing that Anita Mui was asking for tickets for Faye Wong, Zhou Yan didn't say anything and simply agreed, "No problem." (End of this chapter)