Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 178, Section 176: Loving You for Ten Thousand Years
Friday, March 6, 1998, evening.

Inside the Hunan Provincial TV studio, the lights were dazzling and the atmosphere was bustling with activity.

The atmosphere of the "Super Girl" national finals was brought to its peak.

Although the show's interactivity was limited by the technology of the time and failed to ignite a craze for SMS voting, its novel competition system, the contestants' real stories and dreams, and especially Cecilia Cheung's sudden emergence as a "Pearl of Hong Kong Island," have successfully ignited the enthusiasm of countless viewers in front of their televisions.

At 9:35 p.m., accompanied by exciting and dynamic opening music and fast-forwarded highlights of the competition, the live broadcast of the finals (mixed with some pre-recorded backup content to ensure broadcast safety) officially began.

The grand opening performance took place first.

As the planners predicted, starting with a showdown between the champion and runner-up seemed rushed and failed to make full use of the prime-time, exorbitantly priced advertising slots.

Therefore, the contestants who failed to advance to the final round, ranked third to tenth nationwide, along with several invited guests, took turns performing on stage.

Each contestant or guest has about four minutes to perform, either a solo or a short medley, striving to showcase their unique characteristics within a limited time and leave a lasting impression on the national audience.

Although the lighting and stage design were not as luxurious as those of later generations, they were still excellent for their time, striving to create a dreamlike stage effect.

This segment serves both as a showcase and farewell to other outstanding contestants, and is also a necessary means to extend the program's length and balance advertising revenue.

The opening performance concluded amidst enthusiastic applause. The stage lights once again focused on the center.

The young He Jiong was already a rising star host on Hunan TV, thanks to "Happy Camp". Dressed in a well-fitting suit, he walked onto the stage with his signature smile, which was slightly awkward but full of friendliness.

Beside him were several veteran partners from "Happy Camp": the lively and clever Li Xiang, and the composed Wei Jia.

The combination of these three hosts, having built up a considerable fan base through "Happy Camp," is a perfect match for hosting this grand finale.

"Good evening, dear viewers! This is the live broadcast of the BBK VCD 'Super Girl' National Finals! I am your host, He Jiong!" He Jiong's voice was clear and infectious.

Li Xiang then chimed in with a sweet smile: "I am Li Xiang! Tonight, we will witness the birth of the first 'Super Girl' champion!"

Vega calmly concluded, "The stage of dreams, the ultimate showdown. Thank you all for your support!"

He Jiong didn't rush into the competition, but instead followed the procedure and began the essential advertising announcement. His speech was fluent and delivered with just the right amount of enthusiasm: "On this exciting night, we would first like to express our special thanks to our title sponsor—BBK VCD! BBK VCD, with its superior error correction and crystal-clear viewing experience, brings the ultimate enjoyment to your home theater! Remember, use BBK for listening to music, and use BBK for watching movies too!"

He cleverly incorporated elements from "Super Girl" and the movie "30 Days," eliciting a burst of laughter and applause from the audience.

Following that, other sponsors were also mentioned one by one: "At the same time, thank you to the sole designated beverage, Sunrise Iced Tea, for its refreshing taste and endless joy! Thank you..."

This series of advertisements covers home appliances, clothing, beverages, daily necessities, and more, fully demonstrating the enormous commercial value and broad cross-industry appeal of the phenomenal program "Super Girl".

Wang Changtian watched from the backstage monitoring room, calculating the advertising revenue for the night in his mind, and his face beamed with joy.

After the advertisement finished, He Jiong brought the atmosphere back to the competition itself, raising his voice eight octaves: "Alright, friends, the most tense and exciting moment is about to begin!"

Tonight, only two contestants stand on this final stage! One possesses a rich, soulful voice, hailed as the 'Little Queen of Love Songs' in Mainland China; the other hails from the Pearl of the Orient, whose resilience and beauty exemplify the beauty that blooms amidst adversity! They are—”

The entire audience chanted the names of the two contestants, with the shouts for "Zhang Bozhi" being significantly louder.

"First of all, let's give a warm round of applause to our first contestant tonight, from Hong Kong Island—Cecilia Cheung!!"

The spotlight instantly locked onto the entrance, and the music intro began. It was none other than the melody of Wu Bai's rock love song "Love You Ten Thousand Years," which was released in early 1997 and had already become widely popular in mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong!

However, attentive listeners immediately noticed that this was not the original Mandarin version, but a version that had been rearranged and had Cantonese lyrics written by a well-known lyricist from Hong Kong!
Wu Bai's "Love You Ten Thousand Years" quickly became a classic love song in the Chinese music scene with its magnificent melody and touching lyrics.

It was originally included in the compilation album "Restless Man's Heart 1" released on January 1, 1997, and later became popular with Wu Bai & China Blue's performance.

This song perfectly blends the passion of rock with the depth of a love song, possessing both the power to tear through the sky and the timelessness to transcend time. It demands a high level of skill in both singing and emotional expression.

Cecilia Cheung wore a silver sequined mini-dress that accentuated her youthful and energetic figure, and her mixed-race features were breathtakingly beautiful under the lights.

She held the microphone, her eyes showing a hint of nervousness, but more so a resolute determination to go all out.

The Cantonese lyrics give the song a unique flavor, making it more in line with her language habits and emotional expression.

"The cold wind blows snowflakes, which fall into my heart..." As soon as she opened her mouth, her slightly hoarse but highly recognizable voice instantly captivated everyone's ears.

The rearranged version enhances the rhythm and electronic elements, making it even more exciting and powerful.

"I will love you for ten thousand years, my love will withstand any test..."

In the chorus, Cecilia Cheung completely let loose. Although she struggled a bit with the high notes, her sincere, intense, and almost reckless emotional investment perfectly made up for her slight technical immaturity.

She is no longer the poignant girl who only sang "Snowflakes" and "A Thousand Songs," but has transformed into a rock queen who shouts for love and burns for her dreams!
The scene was absolutely electrified!

The camera panned across the audience, which was almost a sea of ​​Cecilia Cheung's fans, holding up light sticks and glow sticks with her name on them, waving them wildly to the rhythm.

The young faces were filled with excitement and admiration, and many people sang along with her loudly. Although most of them were not fluent in Cantonese, their enthusiasm for support was enough to melt everything.

As Li Xiuxiu observed, Cecilia Cheung almost single-handedly absorbed 70-80% of the show's viewership and popularity.

Her story, her beauty, and her singing voice, at this particular juncture in history, created an unrepeatable synergy.

In the living room of Li Xiaoran's residence in Beijing.

On the television screen, Cecilia Cheung sang her heart out amidst cheers from the crowd.

Wang Sheng leaned back on the sofa, calmly watching this scene unfold.

Li Xiaoran remained languidly lying on his lap, glanced at the TV, then looked up at Wang Sheng's calm face, and couldn't help but snort softly: "Hmph, they really flatter her. Now she's really going to be a superstar."

Wang Sheng's fingers continued to casually comb her hair as he said calmly, "A talent show that can truly make someone famous and give them a champion with national recognition and commercial value is already a huge success."

This proves that the model is feasible. As for resource allocation... the market chose it, and we simply followed the trend.

"Hey? Then tell me, why did she sing this song?"

"It's none of your business."

Wang Sheng slapped her hard twice.

……

The performance ended amidst thunderous applause and screams.

Cecilia Cheung breathed slightly, bowed deeply to the audience, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Subsequently, another contestant also delivered a wonderful performance, demonstrating considerable talent. However, compared to Cecilia Cheung's almost overwhelming popularity, he ultimately paled in comparison.

The final voting process (decided jointly by the on-site judges, some media representatives, and specially invited public judges, while retaining the organizer's discretion) was without any suspense.

When He Jiong solemnly opened the envelope and read out, "The champion of the first 'Super Girl' national finals is—Zhang Bozhi!", the entire studio erupted in cheers!

Golden confetti rained down from the sky, and the spotlight shone brightly on the girl in the center of the stage, who was instantly overcome with tears.

Cecilia Cheung seemed unable to believe the result; she covered her mouth, and tears streamed down her face.

Guided by He Jiong, she choked up as she accepted the crystal trophy that symbolized the highest honor. It was so heavy that she could hardly hold it.

"I...I'm so grateful...thank you to the organizers...thank you to the judges...thank you to Hunan TV and Enlight Media..." she said haltingly in Mandarin with a heavy Cantonese accent, her voice trembling with emotion, "Thank you to my mother, thank you to my younger brother...and...and..."

Her gaze seemed to pierce through the camera lens, looking towards an unknown distance, or rather, towards the man who had taken her away from the nightclubs of Hong Kong Island and given her this glamorous avenue of fame.

"Most importantly, I want to thank my boss, Brother Sheng! Thank you for giving me this opportunity! I... I will continue to work hard! This award is not the end, it's the beginning!"

Her acceptance speech was simple and sincere, without too many fancy words, but it vividly showed the great excitement and gratitude of a young girl who had realized her dream and tried to change her destiny.

This heartfelt confession, delivered via satellite signal, reached countless households, bringing the night to a close with much discussion and emotion.

(End of this chapter)