I really didn't intend to make a living based on my looks.

Chapter 107 The Concert Begins

February 18st, 1 PM.

Workers' Stadium, Yanjing.

The North Third Ring Road was completely jammed.

It's not because Friday evening rush hour is earlier, but because everyone is crowding in the same direction.

Taxi driver Lao Zhao rolled down his window a crack, peeked at the long line of cars ahead, and exclaimed, "Wow, this traffic jam is insane!"

He turned to the passenger in the back seat and said, "Miss, can I let you out here? The road ahead is blocked, and I really can't get in."

The girl in the back seat paid the fare, opened the car door, turned back and smiled at the driver: "Thank you, sir!"

Then he turned and merged into the orange-clad crowd.

Old Zhao watched her retreating figure, shook his head and smiled, muttering to himself, "Who's that, making such a commotion?"

The call came through the walkie-talkie from the dispatch center: "Master Zhao, the auxiliary road of Gongti North Road is passable, just take a detour."

"There's no way around it, it's completely blocked off." He picked up the walkie-talkie. "I can't move from the Dongsi Shitiao Bridge. It's full of little girls in orange clothes, like little bees."

"Then you can move slowly. There's a concert at the Workers' Stadium tonight, it's by some celebrity, the tickets sold out in ten seconds."

Old Zhao let out another "whoosh," put down the walkie-talkie, looked at the orange expanse outside the window, and shook his head.

Youth is wonderful.

At the entrance to Gongti North Road, several traffic police officers were directing traffic.

The squadron leader, surnamed Liu, was in his early forties and his voice was hoarse from shouting.

He stood in the middle of the road, blew a whistle, and waved to a black sedan that was trying to turn into the side road: "Go forward!"

Turn around up ahead! No entry here!

The car window rolled down, and the driver stuck his head out: "I'm taking someone to the stadium."

"You can't even give it to someone else! Park it across the street! Walk over!"

Two traffic police officers were chatting nearby.

"Look at this setup."

"I was never this crazy when I was chasing after Jay Chou."

Captain Liu glared at them: "Focus on commanding."

At the exit of Tuanjiehu Station on Metro Line 10, crowds surged out like a flood.

The turnstiles kept beeping, and the announcements on the platform repeated over and over again: "Passengers, please exit the station in an orderly manner and do not linger inside the station."

But nobody listened.

Everyone was running, rushing in the same direction.

A girl in an orange hoodie ran up the platform, holding her phone and shouting at the screen, "I'm on the ground! Where are you guys? Exit B? Okay! I'm coming!"

She hung up the phone, looked around, and was then pushed forward by the crowd, almost lifting her feet off the ground.

Outside Exit B, several girls had already gathered together.

They were wearing matching orange hoodies with a cute orange print on the front.

They were all holding up banners and had orange stickers on their faces.

A girl with her hair in a bun was taking pictures of her companion with her phone: "Move a little to the left, so you can see the stadium in the background! Yes! Smile! — That smile looks so fake, let's retake it!"

"I'm not faking it, I'm just freezing! Yanjing is so cold!"

"Who told you to wear so little? I told you to put on a down jacket underneath, but you wouldn't."

"With the down jacket on, you can't even tell it's an orange hoodie!"

The girl next to me handed me a hand warmer: "Take this and stick it on your waist."

The group of people chattered and laughed together.

Occasionally, passersby would glance back at them, but they didn't seem to care; instead, they straightened their backs even more.

More and more people gathered in the square, and the orange color grew stronger.

Looking down from above, it looks like someone has overturned a giant bottle of Arctic Ocean water on the concrete ground, and then it seeps in from various entrances, slowly covering the entire square.

Someone is handing out support items.

A girl in an orange cotton coat was carrying a large box of orange glow sticks, handing them out one by one, muttering, "Orange, all orange, Brother Chen likes orange."

A boy walked over and reached out to take one. The girl paused for a moment, then asked, "Are you also a fan of Brother Chen?"

The boy nodded.

The girl hesitated for a moment, then handed him one, muttering under her breath, "A rare species."

The girl next to the boy laughed out loud: "I dragged him here."

"Those who were brought here are also fans!" the girl quickly added. "Welcome, welcome! Brother Chen's fans come in all genders and ages!"

Someone is organizing a group photo.

A tall girl stood on a stone bench in the center of the square, holding up a sign that read "Chenfeng Fan Club," and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Sisters! Look here! When I say Chen-ge, you guys have to say he's the best! Got it?"

She cleared her throat and shouted, "Brother Chen!"

"The best!!!"

The sound wave shook the sparrows in the nearby trees, causing them to flutter and fly away.

Passersby took out their phones to take pictures.

"Who is this celebrity?"

"I don't know, but it's very popular."

.

"I heard he's a popular celebrity!"

"Sisters, get him!"

"Wrong, wrong, you old ladies."

The shops around the venue have been taken over by the orange army.

McDonald's was full of girls in orange hoodies. Some were staring blankly at a Coke, some were touching up their makeup on the table, and some were shouting into their phones, "Mom, I've arrived. I didn't lose the ticket, don't worry."

A few girls were huddled in a corner sharing a bag of fries, and as they ate, they started chatting: "What do you think Brother Chen will sing tonight?"

"He'll definitely sing 'The Wind Rises'! That's his signature song!"

"You'll also sing 'Kenshin,' right? I wonder if Yang Mi will come today? Will she sing 'The Power of Love' with me?"

"No, I don't want her to come—"

"Have you heard? We have a mystery guest today?"

"I've heard about it! It's all over the group chat, but nobody knows who it is."

"Could it be Eason Chan?"

"You're dreaming."

"Why is it impossible? Brother Chen's music contract is with Universal Music, and Eason Chan is his senior!"

"There's this kind of relationship?"

Several people made guesses, but no one had a definite answer, yet everyone was very excited.

Unexpected surprises are part of the concert experience itself.

At the convenience store next door, a long line had formed at the checkout counter.

Bottled water, bread, chocolate, and hand warmers are the items that sell the fastest.

The clerk took out another case of bottled water from under the shelf, opened it, and put it back on, only to have it emptied immediately.

The store manager stood at the door, looking at the dense crowd outside, and said to the staff, "Let's get another box of hand warmers. This is the last box."

The shop assistant wiped his brow: "The warehouse is empty, it's all on the shelves."

The store manager sighed, picked up his phone, and made a call: "Hey, send me two boxes of hand warmers—yes, the same spot, next to the Workers' Stadium. Hurry up, the girls here are freezing."

The square is mostly filled with offline gatherings.

The fans had been chatting in the group for more than half a year, and today was their first time meeting in person. They were as excited as if they were meeting online friends.

A girl held up her phone, looking around: "I'm here! I'm wearing an orange down jacket and an orange headband. Where are you?"

The person on the other end of the phone said, "I'm here too. I'm standing next to that big rock, and I'm wearing orange too!"

The two turned their heads at the same time, their eyes meeting in the crowd.

"Are you Brother Chen's little orange?"

"Are you Ah Chen's wife?"

Then they hugged each other and laughed like idiots. The people around them were used to it; they had seen it dozens of times already.

"By the way—didn't Orange Number Two come today?"

"I don't know, she didn't seem to say anything in the group chat today."

"Isn't she the most proactive one? She's always at the forefront when it comes to grabbing tickets, controlling online comments, and organizing events."

"She's probably busy today. I heard she got a job at Brother Chen's studio!"

"Really? Orange No. 2 works at Brother Chen's studio? Does that mean she gets to see Brother Chen every day?"

"I'm so envious!"

The corner of the parking lot on the west side of the stadium.

Several luxury cars with Beijing license plates were parked there, and a group of girls were standing nearby.

They were all young, in their early twenties, but their clothing and appearance were clearly different from those of ordinary fans.

Hermès bags, Cartier bracelets, Van Cleef & Arpels necklaces.

They look incredibly rich.

Yanzi stood in the middle, with a floor plan of the stadium spread out in front of her.

She is the leader of the fan club. Nobody knows her real name; everyone in the group calls her Sister Yanzi.

Yanzi scrolled through the list on her phone and began calling out names.

"Little grass".

"exist."

"Ah Miao."

"here."

"Cici"

"arrive."

"DouDou".

"They're here."

'

'

A string of online names came out of Yanzi's mouth; some were cute, some were artistic, and some were cringeworthy.

Every time a name was called, a girl responded.

After taking attendance, Yanzi put down her phone and looked at the girls in front of her.

"Did you bring all the gear?"

"I brought it."

"Take it out and let us see."

The girls opened their bags and took out their equipment.

Canon 5D Mark II, with a 70-200mm telephoto lens.

Nikon D800, equipped with a 300mm prime telephoto lens.

The Sony NEX-7 flagship mirrorless camera comes with a 24-70mm standard zoom lens.

There was also a DJI Firewheel F550 entry-level drone kit, which the girl carefully held in her arms, as if she were holding a valuable piece of equipment.

Yanzi glanced at it and nodded in satisfaction.

"Okay, the equipment is good enough. Assign tasks."

"Xiao Cao, you're in charge of the front of the stage, first row in section A. You're responsible for capturing Chen Ge's face. Requirements: high definition, no obstructions, and the right expression."

"receive."

"Ah Miao, you're in charge of the side view and the dance moves. It needs to be full-body, dynamic, and make people think that Brother Chen can dance."

"clear."

"Cici, you're in charge of the backstage entrance and guest arrival. Take clear pictures of who's there and send them to me immediately."

"Okay."

"DouDou," Yanzi said, looking at the girl holding the drone, "you'll be in charge of aerial photography. Shoot the sea of ​​lights before the event starts, the panoramic view during the intermission, and the closing shots. Note that flying is prohibited inside the stadium; find a spot outside, and staff will assist you."

"Received, Sister Yanzi."

"Do you know what we're called in Korea?"

The girls shook their heads.

"Call her 'Goddess of the Cannon,'" Yanzi said with a laugh. "She carries a telephoto lens, squats outside the venue, and shoots all day long."

"Our Brother Chen joked last time that we're like fan site admins."

"Why are they called 'station sisters'?" Xiaocao asked.

"He said 'station jie' is a woman who stands there taking pictures. She stands in front of everyone else, takes the clearest pictures, and posts them faster than anyone else."

The girls burst out laughing.

"Brother Chen is quite good at naming things."

"Station admin, that sounds more imposing than the 'Cannon Goddess'."

"From now on, we'll call them 'station admins'!"

Yanzi waved her hand: "The name isn't important, the job is. Send me the photos as soon as they're taken, and I'll review them before I post them."

"Why?" Ah Miao asked.

"Because what you took weren't photos," Yanzi said, "but Jiang Chen's image. The angle is bad, making him look fat. The lighting is bad, making him look dark. The expression is bad, making him look dull. If these photos get out, haters will use them to Photoshop and make memes, spreading them everywhere."

"What kind of message should we send?"

"Handsome," Yanzi said, "the more handsome the better. He should make people want to buy tickets after seeing him, want to become fans after seeing him, and feel that the 1680 yuan was well spent."

"clear."

"Also, tonight's photos will only be posted in the official fan group. No more on WeChat Moments, Weibo, or Douban. We'll release the pictures after the concert and the official press release. That's called timing, understand?"

"Understand."

The girls responded in unison.

Yanzi nodded in satisfaction, folded the floor plan, and stuffed it into her bag.

"Alright, that's all for now. Everyone take your positions. Report your location in the group chat one hour before the event starts."

The girls slung their equipment over their shoulders and, like a well-trained squad, dispersed in all directions of the stadium.

At five o'clock in the afternoon, the sun began to set in the west.

At the entrance, the crowd grew denser and denser.

Eight ticket gates were open at the same time, and each line had a queue of dozens of meters long.

The girls, dressed in matching orange support outfits, held up banners, had "Chen" stickers on their faces, stomped their feet in the cold wind, and exhaled puffs of white breath, but not one of them complained.

"Hold your ticket and ID card ready, don't push, take your time!"

The security guard was holding a megaphone, but his voice was already hoarse.

The ticket gates kept beeping.

A girl with pigtails passed through the turnstile, turned around and waved to her companions still in line: "Hurry up! I'll wait for you inside!"

Then I was pushed inside by the flow of people behind me.

Some people were stopped because their bags contained power banks that exceeded the size limit and were not allowed to be brought in.

The little girl was almost in tears when someone next to her handed her a bag: "Store it over there, come back for it after the show."

She wiped away her tears and ran quickly to the storage area.

Yanzi stood at the entrance of the VIP channel, holding a floor plan in her hand, looking at the long queue in the regular ticket area.

As Xiaocao carried her camera past her, Yanzi whispered, "Go in and reserve a spot first, then set up the light stand."

The little grass nodded and quickened its pace, disappearing into the passage.

Upon entering the stadium, everyone exclaimed "Wow!" in unison.

The stage was much bigger than I had imagined.

From the audience seats, the entire stage resembles a giant bird spreading its wings, with curved LED screens on both sides, the screens estimated to be over 200 square meters in size. The main stage is in the center, with a T-shaped walkway extending in front, leading to a circular lifting platform at the end.

The stage floor is made of mirror material, which reflects light when the lights are shone on it.

Hundreds of lights hung densely from the ceiling, including moving head lights, beam lights, cutting lights, and color-changing lights, resembling an inverted starry sky.

The seating area inside the stadium was covered with orange chair covers, neatly arranged from the front of the stage all the way down to the stands.

Each chair had a support bag, an orange canvas bag containing glow sticks, banners, stickers, and a handwritten card that read: "Thank you for coming, Jiang Chen."

>