Chapter 1334: The longest act in the history of the Spring Festival Gala: ‘Time’!
Translator: Legge Editor: Legge
In Broadcasting Studio 1.
The venue of the Spring Festival Gala.
The live audience members could feel a greater impact from this entirely new stage. It was so immersive that they could experience the four seasons changing around them. They were dazzled by the presentation.
“Amazing!”
“The stage is really so well-equipped!”
“All there is left to see now is what this year’s acts will be like.”
“Eh, who’s that girl over there?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why’s there a smaller stage next to the main stage?”
“When did she appear there?”
“I think she was there all along.”
“I saw her too, but I thought that she was a part of the opening dance.”
“But that dance has already ended, so why is she still dancing?”
“How strange.”
…
In the production control room.
Zhang Ye was observing the video monitor wall and giving instructions.
“Camera 2, pan up a little!”
“Camera 5, get ready for a close-up!”
“Hosts, countdown in three seconds!”
“Alright, move!”
…
On TV, the cameras zoomed in to the stage!
The hosts for this year’s Spring Festival Gala were already standing in a row.
Li Chen said, “China Central Television!”
Hao Hailiang said, “China Central Television!”
Yan Mei said, “Distinguished guests and dearest friends—”
The three of them smiled as they gave fist and palm salutes and said, “Happy New Year!”
A round of applause sounded!
The live audience cheered!
The hosts for this year’s Spring Festival Gala were still mainly the old-timers, albeit with slight changes. The hosts spoke loud and clear, calm and collected, with every word cleanly enunciated. This was especially comforting to anyone listening to them and was exactly what a professional gala host was capable of.
“It’s New Year’s Eve today; we’re coming to you live from Central TV’s Broadcasting Studio 1. Let’s say goodbye to the old and usher in the new as one tonight.”
“Tonight, when everyone is reunited with their families and spending it in joy, we’ll accompany you as we await the ringing in of the new year!”
“In this beautiful moment of the world’s resurgence, we welcome yet another spring along with you!”
“No matter where you may be right now, please accept our messages of blessings to you. Before the arrival of our annual Chinese heritage new year, let us first—”
“Wish everyone a happy New Year!”
…
Online.
“What a glamorous lineup of hosts!”
“Yeah, it only feels like the New Year when we see them standing together onstage each year.”
“That’s right. Otherwise, it feels like something is missing.”
“What’s the upcoming act going to be?”
“Hurry up already!”
…
Somewhere in Beijing.
At Hu Die’s house.
More than 20 family members had gathered here today. The television was on in the bedroom and in the living room as well. All of her relatives were staring with wide eyes.
“Where is she?”
“Where’s our Little Hu Die?”
“Didn’t they say that she would be featured in the first act?”
“Yeah, but why haven’t we seen her yet?”
“Old Hu, could your daughter’s act have gotten cut?”
“That’s impossible! She’ll definitely be performing! Definitely!”
“Then what exactly is her performance about?”
“I don’t know; she wouldn’t say. She only mentioned that there was an NDA.”
Hu Die’s parents were also getting anxious.
Even now, some relatives still didn’t believe that their Hu Die was actually going to be on the Spring Festival Gala. The reason was that this was too unbelievable. How was Hu Die like since she was young? Other people might not know, but would their own family not know? She could never keep still and was not strong at learning. She was always inferior to others in many ways but had somehow managed to be admitted into the Naval Song and Dance Troupe. Although she had been going around with the troupe to perform, she was always a backup dancer to someone else. The entire family would sometimes gather together to watch when Hu Die’s immediate family members claimed that she would be appearing in some gala event. But they would never spot her. After all, who would possibly give a close-up shot to a backup dancer? If it weren’t for Hu Die’s parents repeatedly replaying the performance four to five times and confirming an angle that coincidentally captured the back of Hu Die, nobody would’ve believed that she was even there at the venue.
But now?
They claimed that she would be appearing on the Spring Festival Gala?
How could that be possible?!
Could they have gotten it wrong somehow?
Suddenly, the image on the television switched!
Hu Die’s father was stunned!
Hu Die’s mother excitedly shrieked. She pointed at the television and was at a loss for words!
The relatives looked up and were all startled!
“Holy shit!”
“Hu Die!”
“It’s her, it’s her!”
“It’s our Little Hu Die!”
“Hu Die has really gotten on the Spring Festival Gala!”
…
At the same time.
The entire world’s Chinese population was stunned again!
“What?”
“Why is there a smaller stage next to the main one?”
“Who’s that girl?”
“What’s this performance about?”
…
At the venue.
A woman in a colorful costume was spinning around in circles.
It was a white dress, but the lighting that was projected onto her presented it with a colorful and dreamy effect.
She was spinning around in the same spot.
Unhurried.
At her own pace.
The dress was fluttering as she spun. Looking at this, it was amazingly beautiful!
Yan Mei looked over there and said, “I was just going to ask about this. I saw that little lady spinning over there since the event began and she still hasn’t stopped. Who is she?”
Li Chen said with a smile, “Her name is Little Hu Die and she’s gifted with the unique talent at spinning around in circles.”
Yan Mei said, “Ah?”
Hao Hailiang said, “Then what’s her performance going to be about?”
Li Chen said, “She’s just going to be spinning in circles.”
Yan Mei replied, “You can even make a performance out of spinning around in circles?”
Li Chen smiled and pointed at Hu Die. “Yes, but there’s a meaning to that. Today, she’s here as the messenger of time. She will be using her spinning to represent the passing of time and the cycle of the four seasons. When we ring in the New Year later, Little Hu Die will come to a stop and welcome the New Year together with us.”
On the smaller stage.
Hu Die’s feet did not stop. She continued spinning in circles.
She was very nervous. She knew that the hosts were all looking at her, that Zhang Ye was looking at her, that the live audience was looking at her, and that her parents were looking at her. At this moment, all the Chinese people around the world had their eyes on her. She was on the verge of breaking down as she was still quite inexperienced with the stage!
They’ve turned the camera to me!
God, everyone is watching me!
Calm down! Little Hu Die, you must calm down!
Try to think of your prince, think of Teacher Zhang!
The dress.
Her appearance.
The patterns.
The colors.
And the setting of the stage.
This performance named “Time” was designed by Zhang Ye himself. Hu Die knew that Teacher Zhang had placed a lot of hope and expectations on her and this act. She wasn’t stupid. She could feel that Zhang Ye’s energy was limited as the attention he put into the different acts were all at a varying degree. For the songs, Zhang Ye would simply hand them over to the singers and suggest some stage choreography to them before washing his hands of the matter. But it was different for some of the other acts. Zhang Ye had to repeatedly follow up with them from start to finish, often giving instructions over and over again. As Hu Die’s “Time” was one of those acts, she didn’t want to screw it up for him. She could still remember very clearly when she heard Zhang Ye speaking to Ha Qiqi privately, saying that whether the topicality and viewership ratings of the Spring Festival Gala could break out right from the start would depend on Little Hu Die’s performance.
Teacher Zhang had not said those words to her directly, perhaps in fear that it would put too much pressure on her. But Hu Die had overheard it and bore those words in mind since then. She understood very well that her act was an important piece of the puzzle in Director Zhang’s Spring Festival Gala that couldn’t be missed. There was no room for any mistakes!
Smile!
Keep smiling!
Very good, this is it!
You mustn’t let Teacher Zhang down!
Little Hu Die, you can do it. You can do it!
Hu Die kept cheering herself on!
…
At a newspaper firm.
“Holy fuck!”
“A messenger of time?”
“So there really is a four-hour act?”
The reporters were all dumbfounded!
…
Zhang Ye’s parents’ house.
His maternal grandma was stunned. “Four hours?”
His grandpa was also startled. “Won’t the child get dizzy?”
His mother said, “Who knows?”
His first aunt said, “So the allocated time on the program list was not a typo?!”
…
Watching TV.
Some people were dumbfounded!
Some people were chuckling!
“Hahahaha!”
“Spinning in circles? Aiyo!”
“How can that even be considered a performance?”
“This is such a joke!”
“I feel that this is a pretty innovative idea!”
“Pfft, it does look rather interesting!”
“This really is the longest performance in the history of the Spring Festival Gala. What’s more, it’s fucking unprecedented and will never be repeated again, ever! There will never be another performance on the Spring Festival Gala that exceeds four hours!”
“That’s not necessarily the case.”
“It’ll never happen again!”
“Why is it not possible? As long as Zhang Ye is around, anything is possible. If they appoint him as the executive director again for next year’s Spring Festival Gala, who knows if the guy will create an act that will span ten hours in total! This fellow is capable of anything!”
“I’m laughing at the previous poster’s comment!”
“With this act, I’m unsure of how to start flaming the gala!”
“Pfft, hahaha, that’s true. There are too many points that we can complain about!”
“There are so many issues with Little Hu Die that we can flame her for!”
“Spinning in circles? I really have to give it to Zhang Ye!”
“This entire performance is just a spinning machine made to suck in all the complaints that we throw at it!”
“She can’t stop at all? Zhang Ye must be advertising the chewing gum brand 1 that he’s endorsing! This product placement was almost done without a trace! I’m convinced!”
“Hahahahaha!”
“It’s beginning, it’s beginning! The flamers have been set loose!”
“Bravo!”
“Almighty flamers!”
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