53 Opening Ceremony
Tang Mioayi sat on the couch, sipping her cola lazily. She had finally managed to secure a high-profile teammate to accompany her in the game raid, but ultimately, she was forced to abandon them. Weeks of effort wasted just like that. Miaoyi couldn't help feeling a tinge of disappointment.
With her gaze fixed on the television, the first introduction segment ended, and the live broadcast began. The scene showed the main entrance of the Imperial Stadium, crowded with enthusiastic spectators and fans. The surging crowd had even overwhelmed the security guards, making it difficult for them to maintain order.
One after another, piles of stars and musicians made their appearance. Each person had a smile on their face, radiating excitement and anticipation. Even the media couldn't match the enthusiasm of these fans. Although ordinary viewers like Miaoyi couldn't be there in person today, for these masses of fans, simply witnessing their favorite singers and musicians entering the venue was already satisfying enough.
"Miaoyi, don't you feel like you're missing out?" Qiuying asked. "It seems like fun."
"It doesn't interest me..." Miaoyi drank her cola in silence. "It's like why you choose to sing under the pseudonym 'Jing Qiuhua.'"
Qiuying blinked. "Well..."
After chatting casually, Qiuying glanced at the TV and suddenly said, "It's about to start."
"Oh?" Miaoyi looked up and turned her attention to the television. At this moment, several well-known hosts had already ascended the stage individually in the Imperial Stadium. They were dressed in evening gowns, radiating happiness and joy on their faces. Below the stage were invited guests, media personnel, and award nominees.
"Hello, everyone. I'm your host, He Jiu."
"And I'm your co-host, Lu Yu."
"To all the artists, producers, singers, writers, and tycoons representing the future of the Chinese music industry and all the friends here and watching at home, welcome to our latest Canxing Nova Rising Star Awards. It's been a busy year, and you all have waited long enough. Now, join us as we officially announce,
The Canxing Nova Awards have officially begun!"
With the lively atmosphere created by the hosts and their joint announcement, this year of the Canxing Nova officially kicked off, marking the beginning of the ceremony. Applause filled the venue in an orderly manner, and countless cameras moved around, capturing the magnificent and grand stage as well as the expressions of the nominees in attendance.
"Our Canxing Nova Awards has been a long-standing tradition for many years. We are proud to participate in the continuation of that tradition this year as well. Including this year, I have hosted a total of five awards ceremonies. I want to take a quick moment to thank the event organizers for this opportunity and the amazing job they did this year and every year prior." The Co-Host, Lu Yu, spoke skillfully, setting the tone and engaging the audience. "So, on behalf of everyone here, Thank you."
The two hosts made some playful banter, eliciting polite laughter from the audience. Although everyone knew there were no moments of improvisation in this program, they had fun nonetheless.
"Alright, enough with the jokes. Before we begin introducing our nominees and opening the red carpet, we would like to invite some of the representatives for the organizations that make this event possible every year."
"First, let's warmly applaud the representative from the National Press Administration, Director Zhang Dongliang."
"Deputy Director of the Chinese Music Network, Mr. Lin Mao."
"Chairman of Light Cloud Music, Mr. Ouyang Yun, and Regional Director, Mr. Yang He."
"Miss Zuo Qingmeng, Music Director of Tianfang Entertainment."
"And our biggest investor, Chairman Luo Zhenghua from Shidu Network Group."
With the invited guests' appearance, the venue's atmosphere reached its peak. First was the young and energetic renowned entrepreneur, Luo Zhenghua, dressed in a sharp suit, waving calmly at the camera. Then came the duo from Light Cloud Music and two middle-aged individuals who appeared quite influential.
As the hosts invited each organizer on stage, the applause climaxed.
From this moment, it was evident how powerful the lineup of this Canxing Nova Awards ceremony was.
Without exaggeration, each of the guests on stage carried immense weight individually. Each of these men shaped the music industry in China and controlled a vast amount of wealth. Setting aside other factors, their abilities were unrivaled in the industry.
"All right, let's give them a warm round of applause. And, since we have Zheng Dongliang from the national press with us, why don't we let him say a few words?" said Lu Yu with a respectful tone. The other host followed suit. This had been scripted beforehand, but showing respect to the press could only bring good luck.
"Well, I'm very grateful that all of you hold me in high regard," smiled Zhang Dongliang as he nodded and took the microphone. He slightly bowed towards the audience, perfectly balancing his grasp of the situation. "I won't ramble on too much before the official awards presentation. There's only one thing I want to say."
Zhang Dongliang took the spotlight, immediately drawing the attention of the cameras. They swiftly adjusted their positions, almost invading the personal space of the attendees.
However, despite the positive atmosphere, not everyone was genuinely interested.
Miaoyi groaned, squatting on the couch, resting her head between her knees, "You made me abandon my raid for this?"
Qiuying: "They're just following tradition. It shouldn't be much longer."
"Can't we just fast-forward this part?"
"It's a live broadcast."
":("
- - - - - - - - - -
Unfortunately, the television screen continued to play at 1x speed. Not caring about what a certain person wanted, Zhang Dongliang started speaking passionately.
"As we all know, from ancient times to the present, our nation, China, has stood at the pinnacle of the world. We are the center, the heart of the world. Whether it's the economy or culture, we firmly hold the position of trendsetters... However, my dear friends, our country has been wholeheartedly dedicated to economic growth, inevitably neglecting many aspects of the people's spiritual well-being. While our nation has risen, our entertainment industry is not yet top-tier and lags behind America and the West."
"Honestly, as a leading nation, this seems too backward. In light of this, relevant departments within the country have held multiple meetings and discussions to change this situation. They have proposed a series of supportive policies, and the Canxing Nova Award is one of them because no matter what field, our nation should strive for growth and a powerful next generation. At all times, we need the infusion of excellent and fresh talent. Only then can an industry's future be rejuvenated!"
As Zhang Dongliang spoke, his voice grew more vigorous and passionate.
At this moment, Tang Miaoyi, watching the television, was briefly taken aback.
It seemed... surprisingly reasonable? Sure it was propaganda, and pretty obvious at that, but did he ever lie? Though plainly showing his bias, was a single word coming out of his mouth untrue?
"That's interesting." Finally, Miaoyi showed a hint of interest in this section of the broadcast.
The program continued, and it seemed that Zhang Dongliang's speech ending end.
Whenever the camera panned to the audience, they all appeared attentive, occasionally nodding in agreement.
Because it was indeed true, Zhang Dongliang's words were not wrong. Despite a robust economy and the largest population, China's cultural development was stagnant, undoubtedly leaving many frustrated people.
"It can be seen that the current situation is as such. We have Japan and Korea to the east, while to the west, there's Britain and the Americas. Despite being equal to us in overall strength, these countries far surpass us in terms of the entertainment industry's influence."
"This is an invisible shadow in the hearts of the people of China. When songs, trends, films, novels, and other works from abroad continue to dominate the sales charts and spread widely in our country, while our own entertainment works are looked down upon even by our own people, shouldn't we reflect on whether we should take some action?"
The people in the audience listened attentively, and the live broadcast transmitted every scene intact to all parts of the country, being watched by viewers from all walks of life.
At this point in the program, the atmosphere was no longer filled with laughter and joy. Zhang Dongliang's presence was imposing, and almost every word he spoke carried weight, striking the hearts of everyone in the entertainment industry. The hosts also unknowingly wore severe expressions.
Even many casual observers were utterly captivated.
Without saying much, this was indeed a thought-provoking speech. Even Tang Miaoyi, watching from her home in Shanghai, couldn't help but think that she should retract some of the things she had said at the beginning of the live broadcast.
Indeed, this was the truth, especially for Earth's China in her previous life. The situation then was even more dire, but unfortunately, no one took action. It was as if they were content just making money, never considering the need for change or making efforts.
As a result, the situation remained unchanged, the decline continued, and the development of the industry worsened each year. The audience couldn't find the quality works they desired and could only criticize while paying for excellent results from outside.
This was an inevitable situation. When their own country's entertainment culture couldn't provide, the audience had no choice but to seek better "foreign goods," unrelated to blind admiration for foreign things.
"So our first measure is establishing a comprehensive rating system for celebrities, and the second is supporting emerging talents. These are the two aspects we value the most." Zhang Dongliang looked solemnly into the camera. "The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. When a celebrity's rating reaches a new level, they become a role model. As role models, they must have outstanding work and play a leadership role in the industry. Otherwise, their rating will decrease. Thank you, everyone."
"A thought-provoking speech. Let's give a round of applause to Director Zhang." Host Tang Qian took over at the right time. "The Canxing Nova Award Ceremony marks the beginning of fresh blood. I hope that those who emerge from here can bring a different kind of brilliance to the future of China's entertainment culture."
"Alright, moving on, it's time for the official award ceremony. The first category is our Pop Rising Star Award, and the nominees are; Eric-..."
