Have you ever been a celebrity? Why are you writing about entertainment?

Many of the judges were acquaintances of Yu Wei.

The music director, with whom I had previously worked at concerts, was in the first group and was responsible for evaluating the technical aspects of the songs.

The third group, the marketing group, goes without saying. Chen Jinyi is in this group. As someone who has hosted the Spring Festival Gala for sixteen consecutive years, she is more qualified than anyone else present.

There are also many people he doesn't know personally, but who are very well-known in the industry and whose artistic achievements are undeniable.

This is undoubtedly the most gratifying thing for Yu Wei. At least most of the judges are knowledgeable. If one day a bunch of irrelevant people were forced to give scores, that would be truly disastrous.

I just don't know how much say these ordinary judges actually have in discussing the fate of a show...

Before the review began, Yu Wei picked up the process sheet and glanced again at the bolded title at the top: First Stage of Centralized Review of Song Programs for the Spring Festival Gala.

Below is the name, number, submitting unit, and actor information of the first program—Fei Hong's name, which carries immense weight at this moment.

Just as he was secretly encouraging his team, the console emitted a final, calm prompt: "All reviewers, please take your positions. The system will activate in thirty seconds, and the review process will officially begin."

Everyone got into the zone. Chen Jinyi was in the first row of the third group, and she could see Yu Wei's situation with just a slight turn of her head.

She didn't expect that the first song of the day would be Yu Wei's; it seems the director is determined to cut a few of his performances.

There's really not much to say about this. The Spring Festival Gala isn't a one-man show by the director, and everyone can see the truly good programs.

The song title "Serving the Country with Utmost Loyalty" carries a heavy historical weight and a strong sense of national identity. In the context of the Spring Festival Gala, it is almost a model of "assigned writing," and Chen Jinyi has high hopes for this song.

When she hosted the Spring Festival Gala, the director was still struggling to find his footing somewhere. True veterans have the courage to make judgments!
"Program number 1 is about to begin. Five, four, three, two, one."

After the calm instructions from the control panel, Fei Hong silently walked onto the stage. He was wearing a pure black practice uniform today, looking very dashing.

As he was the first to go on stage, he seemed a little nervous, but after exchanging glances with Yu Wei, his eyes gradually calmed down. Today, let him set an example for everyone!
There is no conventional prelude music; the opening is an extremely deep and distant horn sound, as if it comes from the depths of history, mixed with the faint howling of wind and sand.

The accompaniment was prepared for him by Yu Wei; it was an original song, and the staff couldn't arrange it even if they wanted to.

As the horn's melody faded, a sharp, tearing sound rang out from the guzheng's plectrum!
The technical team teachers instantly straightened their backs, their eyes serious, their fingers unconsciously hovering over the preset shortcut keys for "pitch" and "breath" on the scoring terminal.

For them, the grand narrative of the prelude is merely background; what they await is the arrival of the first real note.

Fei Hong closed his eyes slightly until the first heavy beat fell.

"Smoke signals rise as we gaze northward across the land—"

The voice wasn't sung, it was roared. Fei Hong's already rough voice seemed to have been tempered by fire, instantly exploding in every corner of the studio.

The moment he opened his mouth, the judges in the first group nodded slightly and in unison, almost simultaneously.

This is the recognition of experts.

The first "Qi" was delivered with force and clarity, instantly setting the tone for the entire area.

The four characters “Looking northward at the mountains and rivers” have a long and steady breath, and a deep resonance in the chest, elevating the geographical view to a spiritual one.

Although the pitch was slightly off, pitch is the least important thing in the Spring Festival Gala, since it's not a live performance...

"good."

Ye Shengyu's soliloquy seemed to be directed at the other main creators. Zhao Rujun nodded in agreement. Just from the opening line, the imagery of the lyrics and the rhythm of the music were impeccable.

No wonder Yu Wei was so calm and collected; he had something special to offer.

Director Xu Zhen and Wang Taikang exchanged a glance. Yu Wei was still too well-rounded, leaving no room for improvement in the song's quality. From now on, they could only try to find fault with other aspects.

Just as everyone had some initial expectations for the song, Fei Hong moved as the lyrics "Dragon flags unfurl, horses neigh, sword energy is like frost" began.

With a clean and swift sidestep, his right arm, like a spear, suddenly thrust forward!
There were no real weapons, but the sheer force of the performance still surprised the judges. They were astonished that there was even a martial arts performance.

No wonder Fei Hong didn't just grab the microphone directly but carried it with him; there was another step involved.

Fei Hong's footwork changed accordingly, no longer simply standing still to sing, but shifting, with each step landing on the rhythmic emphasis.

My heart is like the vast Yellow River.
For twenty years, who could rival him?

As he sang this line, he suddenly spread his arms out like a roc spreading its wings, and his body followed with a swift but extremely large spin.

The hem of the black training uniform billowed out with a "whoosh," drawing a full arc.

Just as the spin was about to end, he used the momentum to lower his body, pivoted on his left leg, and swept out with his right leg like a steel whip—a fierce sweeping kick!
It wasn't until this moment that the judges realized what was going on: the stage, the song itself was already incredibly powerful, and it also had a detailed stage design.

Martial arts are no longer an additional performance, but a visualization of the song, a physical manifestation of "sword energy like frost", and a tragic image of "blood staining the yellow sand for thousands of miles".

This song alone would not have such a strong emotional impact. While patriotism is a plus, it's not lacking on the Spring Festival Gala stage.

The addition of kung fu performance was the finishing touch, which not only promoted traditional culture but also further highlighted the core of the word "martial arts".

Every year, there is a martial arts-related program in the Spring Festival Gala, and Yu Wei's song is clearly targeting that specific category.

I'm not afraid of you finding fault. You're not going to cut the martial arts program, are you?

Xu Zhen's feelings were complicated at this moment. Yu Wei was too clever. He tied the "sacrifice position" and the "holdout" program together, successfully creating a difficult problem for them.

Of course, unimportant solo performances can be cut, but martial arts programs cannot be cut. Martial arts is the quintessence of the Chinese nation and has strong cultural export value. How can we take action against it?

He glanced at Liao Ling beside him and found that she was staring intently at the stage, looking quite serious.

"With hatred and rage, my long sword has pierced countless loyal souls, burying them in foreign lands."

Because of the martial arts performance just now, Fei Hong's singing was noticeably breathless, but the judges had no time to pay attention to such a small detail at this point.

This song, these lyrics, but it's not good...

Patriotism, masculinity, cultural pride, and visual spectacle—any one of these elements is compelling enough, let alone when combined.

Horses gallop south, people look north.
People look north, where the grass is green and yellow, and dust flies everywhere.

I am willing to defend the land and restore the borders

A glorious China deserves congratulations from all corners of the world!

The last sentence is grand and imposing.

As Fei Hong uttered the highest note of the word "He," he clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, his gaze sharp and fixed ahead.

The judging room was completely silent, with only the lingering echoes of the previous sounds in the background.

What a fine piece of "Loyalty to the Country"! Other programs have become so comprehensive; if they don't follow through, they'll really become like Qin Hui (a notorious villain in Chinese history).

Fabricating accusations out of thin air is nothing more than baseless accusation, and doing so is tantamount to walking into a trap. Was this something Yu Wei had anticipated...?

When it came to the group discussion, everyone basically thought the same thing: whoever wants to be Qin Hui can be, they definitely won't!

Artistic expression? The song undoubtedly scores high marks.

The work and its arrangement are commendable for their innovative integration; high score.

The overall stage presentation, visual design, pacing, and sense of ceremony were all excellent, earning high marks.

When the data appeared in the hands of the creators, their expressions varied. The average score of the three groups was above nine points, which was quite impressive.

"Ahem, Professor Liu, I saw you gave it a 9.8. Is Fei Hong's singing really that good?"

Wang Taikang selected one of the judges from the first group to hear his opinion, but in Yu Wei's eyes, this person seemed to still want to struggle.

"His singing skills are average, but Fei Hong's voice is very stable. He can maintain his breath control and pitch while performing martial arts, which is very good."

Professor Liu practically said outright that the Spring Festival Gala was lip-synced. The singer didn't make any major mistakes while boxing and singing, so the actual recording would definitely have been better.

Wang Taikang nodded in satisfaction, then looked at the second group. Yu Wei was in the second group, so he could just ask him.

After searching for a long time, he still couldn't find Yu Wei's rating in the terminal.

"Yu Wei, what about your share?"

Wang Taikang's puzzled voice immediately drew everyone's attention to Yu Wei. What was this kid up to now...?

"I didn't give a score; I abstained."

Yu Wei said seriously, "I wrote this song, and it would be difficult for me to give it a fair and impartial score, so I will not participate in the scoring of my own work."

When Ye Shengyu informed him that he was joining the judging panel, Yu Wei was thinking, "Why invite an ordinary judge when they have no say and no real expertise?"

Because of its professional nature?
There are definitely more than that. There are plenty of professional musicians in China, and many people who know how to create and choose songs. It's not that he's indispensable.

After realizing the director's and Deputy Director Wang's attitude towards him, Yu Wei understood that the two of them had arranged for him to be included in the company.

It's definitely easier to target someone right under your nose, especially during the judging process. It's inappropriate for him to score his songs high or low.

To avoid them using him as a point of attack, Yu Wei simply stopped fighting.

With so many judges, his score is basically negligible. Rather than attracting controversy, he should set an example!
The others looked at Yu Wei with a newfound respect; Teacher Yu was a truly respectable person.

Beyond their perspective, they also sensed a strong sense of confidence; he didn't need to score their work, yet it was deemed acceptable even without his approval.

Wang Taikang was at a loss for what to do. This kid didn't give any room for "questioning". No one had given a score, so how could he say that people were biased?

Then, he turned his attention to the last group.

"Xiao Chen gave it a 9.9, so it seems you're quite satisfied with the show."

Yu Wei wasn't being biased; he could have just replaced him with someone related to Yu Wei.
Wang Taikang's actions were certainly not intended to disqualify the song; "Serving the Country with Utmost Loyalty" was already a done deal. He was merely implying that they should avoid any appearance of impropriety, thereby exerting pressure.

But clearly, he chose the wrong opponent; Chen Jinyi was well prepared.

"Based on the audience resonance model rehearsal, this performance scored highly on multiple preset dimensions. It is expected to strongly resonate with audiences over 35 years old, military history enthusiasts, and a broad group with a sense of identity with traditional culture."

"The only drawback is that some young or female viewers may find it too masculine and lacking in softness and resonance."

"But considering the family-friendly atmosphere of New Year's Eve, this masculine energy can complement the large number of tender programs, creating a necessary rhythmic fluctuation."

Well-reasoned and impeccable.

This is what professionalism is all about. She's participated in far more Spring Festival Galas than these leaders.

Do you understand the Spring Festival Gala better than I do? (End of Chapter)