EFB Chapter 20 You Always Laugh at Me for Having Nothing
Chapter 20 You Always Laugh at Me for Having Nothing
The school leaders' passionate speech finally came to a close with a resounding "Thank you everyone."
The audience erupted in applause—partly from genuine emotion for their alma mater's centennial celebration, and partly from heartfelt relief: finally, the lecture was over!
The lights suddenly dimmed, leaving only a spotlight in the center of the stage.
The hosts—the most beautiful and most handsome students in the Broadcasting Department of the Provincial University—walked briskly onto the stage in sparkly dresses, their voices amplified by the speakers, brimming with youthful energy.
"Respected leaders, alumni, teachers, and students, good evening!"
"The Provincial University's Centennial Anniversary Gala - Now Begins!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Confetti and paper flowers shot out from the top of the venue, accompanied by rousing opening music, and the LED screens on both sides of the stage lit up with dazzling animations, instantly igniting the atmosphere.
The first program was a large-scale song and dance performance, "Youth Sets Sail," by the student art troupe.
Dozens of young men and women dressed in matching outfits sang and danced on stage, radiating youthful energy and vitality.
Although the choreography was a bit old-fashioned and the singing was somewhat uneven, the large number of people and the lively atmosphere made up for it, and the applause was still enthusiastic.
In the VIP area, Su Xiaoxiao breathed a slight sigh of relief and leaned back.
That social engagement I just had was more tiring than a whole day of meetings.
Her older sister, Su Yiyi, handed her a bottle of water: "Have some water."
Zhou Yuji, who had just returned from backstage, was slumped in a chair, completely losing her composure. Her sequined dress rode up a bit because of her posture, revealing more of her fair thighs.
She yawned slightly: "Student programs are so energetic, watching them makes me feel old."
"You're only a few months older than me and my sister," Su Xiaoxiao glanced at her. "So you're saying my sister and I are old too?"
"I'm mentally in my forties or fifties," Zhou Yuji said confidently. "Right now, all I want to do is find a beach, lie down, drink coconut juice, and watch muscular hunks like Wang Bo surf."
As they were talking, the students finished their performances, and the host came on stage to introduce the next program, which was a solo by Lin Weiwei.
When the lights dimmed and then came back on, Lin Weiwei was already standing in the center of the stage.
She changed her clothes; instead of the red velvet dress she wore during the afternoon rehearsal, she wore a silver-white floor-length gown adorned with tiny crystals that sparkled under the lights, making it look like she was wearing the Milky Way.
The music intro begins; it's an adaptation of a classic love song.
Lin Weiwei's voice is indeed excellent, clear and melodious, and her technique is also skillful.
She closed her eyes, her expression absorbed, one hand gently pressed against her chest—a classic pose for a heartfelt performance.
The audience was very supportive, especially some young students and alumni, many of whom hummed along softly.
In the VIP area, Chen Mingyuan turned his head and whispered to the person at the table, "Lin Weiwei has been doing well these past few years. I heard she's releasing a new album soon, and the production team is from Taiwan."
"That's good," a fellow alumnus who works in media nodded, "but the market for this type of love song singer is already saturated, and it's hard to break through unless they can have a hit hit or change their style."
"A career change?" Chen Mingyuan laughed. "Where to? Acting? Her face is okay for idol dramas, but she can't carry a serious drama."
Their conversation was not loud, but loud enough for those around them to hear.
Su Xiaoxiao listened expressionlessly, her gaze fixed on the stage, but in her heart she was thinking: If Wang Bo performs well tonight, how will these people evaluate him?
After Lin Weiwei finished singing, she bowed and took her bow, receiving even more enthusiastic applause than before.
Next up is Xiao Kai's singing and dancing performance.
As expected, this kid used the extended stage design. His silver hair was particularly eye-catching under the lights. He was dressed in a black studded leather jacket, and when the music started, he immediately did a backflip to open the show, which triggered screams from the audience.
His performance was full of K-pop idol style – precise synchronized dance moves, winking at the camera from time to time, and bending down to give high-fives to the audience in the front row when he walked to the extended stage, which made a group of girls scream wildly.
"These young people nowadays really know how to have fun." An older alumnus in the VIP area shook his head and sighed, "Back in our day, when we went on stage to sing, we just stood there and sang properly."
"Times have changed," another alumnus laughed. "But these kinds of performances, while lively, are... not very memorable."
As Xiao Kai finished his performance and took his bow, panting, his sweat-dampened silver hair clung to his forehead, eliciting another round of screams from his handsome face.
Guan Lin was the fourth to appear.
As a popular singer with eight million followers on Douyin, she has a much larger stage presence—she has her own dance troupe and more complex stage effects, including dry ice, lasers, and a rising platform.
She sang her own original song, with a catchy melody, simple and easy-to-remember lyrics, and a highly repetitive chorus, clearly a "hit song" tailor-made for short video platforms.
Sure enough, by the second chorus, many audience members were already humming along.
"This song is definitely going to be a hit." Lin Wan had somehow joined Su Xiaoxiao's table again, holding a wine glass as she commented, "The melody is simple and catchy, the lyrics are straightforward, making it perfect for 15-second short videos. Guan Lin's team really understands the market."
Su Xiaoxiao smiled and nodded, but did not reply.
Zhou Yuji rolled her eyes without any politeness and said in a voice that only Su Xiaoxiao could hear, "What's the use of understanding the market but not music?"
After Guan Lin finished her performance, the atmosphere at the scene was already quite enthusiastic.
The host returned to the stage, this time with a particularly solemn tone: "Next, let's welcome Mr. Zhang Hongyuan, an outstanding alumnus of our school's Class of '87 and Chairman of Hongyuan Group!"
Amid applause, a middle-aged man in a custom-made suit, slightly overweight, walked onto the stage.
He took the microphone, beaming, "Hello, teachers, alumni, and students! I'm so excited to be back at my alma mater today! Back when I was a student, the school conditions were far worse than they are now. Eight people shared a room in the dormitory, there was no air conditioning in the summer and no heating in the winter..."
He rambled on for three minutes about his school memories, and just when everyone thought he was going to continue, he abruptly changed the subject: "To express my gratitude to my alma mater, I've prepared a song for everyone!"
The prelude to the music begins.
It's actually "Nothing to My Name".
The audience fell silent for a moment, then burst into good-natured laughter and applause.
Zhang Hongyuan was clearly not a professional singer; his voice was rough, his rhythm was inconsistent, and he would force himself to sing high notes when he couldn't reach them. However, he sang with great passion, his eyes closed, his brows furrowed, as if he were giving it his all.
"I kept asking you when you would run away with me—you always laughed at me for having nothing!"
In the VIP area, Chen Mingyuan suppressed a laugh and whispered to the person next to him, "Is President Zhang... reminiscing about past hardships?"
"Maybe it's meant to express 'Although I have everything now, I haven't forgotten my original aspirations'?" the classmate guessed.
The regular audience seats weren't so subtle.
One student whispered to his classmate, "Zhang Hongyuan must be worth at least several billion, right? He sings 'Nothing to My Name'? What are we then? Liabilities?"
His companion, suppressing a laugh, said, "Stop talking, this is artistic expression, art!"
"Art my foot, it sounds like slaughtering a pig to me."
"Keep your voice down, or you'll really lose everything."