After being dumped by the diva, I was picked up by her arch-enemy.

Two weeks have passed in a flash.

The festive atmosphere in Beijing is getting stronger.

Lanterns hung from the treetops along the street, and security outside the CCTV building was several times tighter than usual. Staff members hurried in and out, each carrying documents, costumes, and props, their faces bearing the same expression.

tension.

Backstage at Studio One.

Jiang Yichen sat in front of the vanity mirror, wearing a dark red modified Zhongshan suit.

The neckline is crisp and the shoulder line is clean.

After the makeup artist finished styling his hair, she took two steps back to look at it and couldn't help but sigh softly.

"Teacher Jiang, your condition is so stable."

"There are so many people outside, their hands are shaking with nervousness, and you're acting like you're here for tea."

Jiang Yichen lowered his head, unscrewed the thermos, and took a sip of warm water.

"Being nervous won't help."

"I'm on stage for a little over three minutes, then I go home after I finish singing."

The makeup artist was amused by his remark.

"You call the Spring Festival Gala 'getting off work'?"

"This mentality is unique in the Chinese entertainment industry."

Nearby, Tan Yunxiao was checking the wristbands and belts of his junior brothers.

Today he was also dressed in the same black martial arts uniform, with broad shoulders and long legs, standing there like an iron tower.

Thirty-six fellow apprentices from the Qilin Opera Troupe sat neatly in the waiting area.

The group of Northeastern men, who usually drink and make a racket in the theater, were unusually quiet today.

Someone was repeatedly wiping the long spear in their hand.

Someone was staring at the ground, silently counting the beats.

Another junior student was so nervous that his hand was shaking even as he put the lid on his water cup.

Tan Yunxiao went over and gently patted the back of his head.

"What's there to be afraid of?"

"You usually don't make a sound even when you fall and get bruised during practice, but appearing on the Spring Festival Gala scared you like this?"

The junior apprentice looked miserable.

"Senior Brother, how can those be the same?"

"We used to have only a few hundred people working behind the scenes, but today the whole country is watching."

Tan Yunxiao grinned.

"What's wrong with the whole country watching?"

"When it's time to do somersaults, do somersaults; when it's time to brandish a gun, brand

"Anyone who messes up on stage will skip the dumplings for New Year's Eve dinner and come home to eat my fists."

Everyone couldn't help but burst into quiet laughter.

The tense atmosphere finally eased a bit.

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

There are fifteen minutes left until midnight.

This is the most crucial prime time slot in Studio One.

The audience was packed with top celebrities and veteran artists from all walks of life across China.

In the backstage control room, hundreds of monitors flickered with blue light.

Zhao Jianguo placed his hands on the control panel and issued the final instruction.

"Lights in place!"

"Receiving microphones!"

"Loyalty to the Country, come on stage!"

The emcee's enthusiastic announcement faded away.

All the spotlights in Studio One went out instantly.

The scene was plunged into darkness.

The billions of viewers across the country watching the live broadcast held their breath.

next second.

Boom!

A deafeningly loud Chinese drumbeat, so powerful it sent shivers down one's spine, boomed through the studio!

There are no fancy electronic synthesized sounds.

It's the purest and heaviest solid wood and cowhide drum!

Dry ice on both sides of the stage rolled up like white waves.

The lights suddenly flashed, turning a cold, metallic blue.

Tan Yunxiao led thirty-five martial arts brothers from the Qilin Opera Troupe out of the smoke.

They were all dressed in black martial arts attire, with wide red cloth belts tied around their waists.

He held a nearly three-meter-long white waxwood spear with a red tassel in his hand.

Thirty-six people stamped their feet simultaneously.

The military boots slammed onto the stage floor with a uniform, dull thud.

The spear thrust forward with the momentum!

The red tassel on the spear tip trembled and sprayed blood under the cold light.

The genuine skills brought from the opera troupe, combined with the solemn and imposing formation of the ancient battlefield, instantly pushed the tension of the entire stage to its limit!

Several old generals in the audience sat up straight, their eyes gleaming.

The opening melody of the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle) is desolate and tragic.

Jiang Yichen walked step by step from the back of the stage.

His dark red, modified Zhongshan suit looked as solid and imposing as iron under the lights.

There were no exaggerated catwalks, and no affected interactions.

He walked up to the microphone stand and held it with both hands.

The chest throbbed, and the breath was fully drawn in.

"When the smoke of war rises, we look northwards to see the vast land."

"Dragons rise and whirl, horses neigh and gallop, sword energy is like frost—"

This shout caused even the top-of-the-line sound equipment on site to experience a slight overload and hum!

Jiang Yichen's voice has none of the softness of a pop singer.

That was a blend of the indomitable spirit and courage found in the singing style of old male characters in traditional Chinese opera!

His words were clear and resonant, and his strength penetrated the paper!

Countless viewers across the country who were having their New Year's Eve dinner put down their chopsticks.

The real-time discussion forum on Weibo has completely crashed.

"Holy crap! This is what a real man sings!"

"I got goosebumps all over my body! This is absolutely amazing!"

"This isn't just singing, it's like bringing a massive army onto the Spring Festival Gala stage!"

.........

The performance on stage continued.

Jiang Yichen unplugged the microphone and took two steps forward.

My heart is as vast and boundless as the Yellow River.

"In the span of twenty years, who can rival me?"

As he sang his lyrics, the formation of the thirty-six martial arts brothers behind him suddenly changed.

The twelve men in the front row lay prone to clear the way, their long spears sweeping across the ground.

The 24 people in the back row were lifted into the air by the force.

All of them are over two meters tall, rising from the ground and rotating 360 degrees in the air!

Their movements were clean and crisp, and no one landed unsteadily!

These aren't the fancy backup dancers hired by those popular celebrities.

This is the result of over ten years of rigorous training since childhood!

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience!

Several veteran artists stood up and cheered!

Jiang Yichen's sharp gaze brought the emotions of the entire song to their climax!

"Hate rages, the longsword points—"

"How many loyal souls of our brothers are buried in foreign lands—"

"I would gladly die a hundred times to serve my country—"

"I can't help but sigh in regret, speechless, my eyes brimming with tears of blood—"

He closed his eyes, and the veins on his neck bulged.

His deep love and tragic sentiments for his country and its people were perfectly expressed through his powerful and penetrating voice.

...........

In the control room.

The staff member in charge of monitoring the ratings exclaimed in surprise.

"Director Zhao! The ratings have broken records!"

"It broke the record set two years ago!"

"It's still soaring! A straight upward climb! It's already surpassed 45%!"

Zhao Jianguo stared intently at the young man on the screen who was singing with such passion, and then forcefully clenched his fist.

on the stage.

Jiang Yichen suddenly opened his eyes.

The music volume dropped to its lowest point at that moment.

All that remained were the sounds of warhorses neighing and the howling wind.

"Horses gallop south, people gaze north—"

"Looking north, the grass is green and yellow, dust flies everywhere—"

"I am willing to defend our land and expand our territory—"

"A mighty China must yield to all sides—"

Thirty-six martial arts brothers simultaneously threw their spears into the air.

The ash tree pole flipped in mid-air.

They caught it steadily.

The gun tip was pointed directly at the dome of the studio!

Everyone roared in unison!

"Congratulations!"

A resounding, metallic sound!

His aura is as fierce as a tiger, capable of swallowing up thousands of miles!

The final drumbeat faded away.

Tan Yunxiao and his thirty-five brothers knelt on one knee, their spears pointing diagonally at the ground.

Jiang Yichen stood at the very front, one hand behind his back, his chest rising and falling slightly.

The entire Studio One fell silent for half a second.

Followed by.

The thunderous applause and cheers almost lifted the roof off the studio!

Jiang Yichen and his fellow disciples bowed deeply to the audience.