As the curtain fell, today's performers from Group A took their final bow. Li Yunxiao and the others from Group B hadn't taken the stage. This was why Chen Lijun had been practicing late into the night - she wasn't one to admit defeat. There would always be other opportunities.
"Whoosh!" A wave of applause washed over the audience, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. With such thunderous applause, they knew the performance had been a success. The actors returned for three curtain calls before the audience finally let them go.
Jiang Hua stood silently on stage, a satisfied smile on his face. To be valued so highly by the director, who even brought out the troupe's most prized possession to help him terminate his contract - he felt he owed it to everyone to prove himself. Little did he know, a phone was recording him at that moment.
As the curtain slowly closed, Jiang Hua descended from the stage, flute in hand. He didn't feel dejected; this was his stage too. Backstage, everyone hugged tightly.
"Little Jiang, come here! Why are you standing off to the side?" The director and Teacher Mao pulled him into the center. If Jiang Hua weren't a man, they might have lifted him up in celebration.
"Haha, Jiang Hua, I knew you were a gem. My judgment is impeccable!" The director tugged at Jiang Hua's sleeve, showering him with praise until he felt embarrassed.
He hastily explained, "The success of the performance is everyone's achievement. I couldn't have done it alone. Teacher Cai, please don't praise me too much; it might go to my head."
This young man was level-headed, neither arrogant nor complacent. Sometimes she wondered if Jiang Hua was really only 23; he seemed so mature.
"Alright, you've been working hard lately. Take two days off."
Jiang Hua immediately perked up, surprising those around him. This was the pure reaction of a young worker - now he truly looked his age. They couldn't encourage this attitude too much; it was just a couple of days off, why get so excited?
Teacher Mao added, "Group B is performing tomorrow. Our chief playwright can't miss it, can he?"
Jiang Hua's enthusiasm instantly deflated.
"Haha, what's wrong, Comrade Jiang Hua? Is there a problem?"
Jiang Hua quickly shook his head. "No, no problem."
"I'm just kidding."
Jiang Hua sighed in relief. He had recently debuted his novel and wanted to update more frequently to climb the rankings. The newcomer list no longer satisfied his ambitions.
...
The next day, a video suddenly appeared on Douyin.
[Shocking: Former idol switches careers, now performing in opera!]
The video showed Jiang Hua's slightly chubby face, complemented by his embroidered robe. He looked both cute and handsome.
The comments section exploded:
Little Winding River: Oh my, who is this? So cute, my heart's fluttering!
Peach Flavored Candy: Aww, little brother is so adorable! Is he an idol? How come I don't recognize him?
Amelia: I know, I know! He's a member of the Youth Group, and the most handsome one too!
The video quickly rose to 11th place on the trending list.
It was unbelievable. The small-time influencer who posted it never expected this; she thought the video might reach 1 million views. But it had already garnered 1 million likes, with views approaching 10 million.
Jiang Hua was oblivious to all this.
He was resting in his dorm, having written 60,000 words of draft. On the Xihongshi platform, frequent updates weren't enough; it depended on whose book it was. His debut novel ranked first on the new book list with 80,000 words, and over 500,000 people were reading it online.
What did 500,000 readers on the first day mean? It meant half a million people had read the novel on its first day. The tips had already exceeded 1,000 yuan. The manuscript fee for the first day broke 9,000 yuan, and this was before any short video promotion had begun. If it maintained this momentum without crashing, it was destined to be a massive hit.
With his income breaking 10,000 yuan on the first day, Jiang Hua suddenly felt rich.
He wanted to share this news with someone, but looking at his phone, he realized he only had contacts from the art troupe, Old Wei, and his parents.
Just as he was about to put down his phone, Old Wei called.
"Hey, Jiang Hua, you terrible guy! You went off to perform in operas without telling me? What about my 1 million yuan? You said you'd pay me back in three months, and I foolishly believed you!"
Jiang Hua rubbed his ear; he could tell Old Wei was really worried about the money.
"Alright, alright, Old Wei. I said three months, and I meant it. When have I ever lied to you? I'll treat you to a drink when the time comes."
"You often lie to me. You terminated your contract to perform in operas. So what if you become a famous actor? A year's income won't even match a celebrity's daily appearance fee."
Jiang Hua was speechless. How did this guy know he had joined the art troupe? He hadn't told him.
Jiang Hua asked, "How did you know I joined the Yue Opera Troupe?"
"How? Check Douyin; you're trending!"
Damn, he was stunned. How could he be trending after just one performance? It was impossible; he wasn't even an actor.
Jiang Hua curiously asked, "We weren't that popular back then. How did I end up trending?"
"I don't know, but online they're saying you've got a permanent position in the art troupe. Is that true?"
That wasn't the point. Jiang Hua had never been part of the system before; he didn't know if this sudden fame violated any rules.
He quickly hung up and opened the app.
He immediately sighed in relief. It wasn't too bad; he wasn't that popular. He was only ranked 11th, with the top 10 trending topics far more popular. He wondered who the reckless person was who recorded his performance video. He wasn't a traffic-generating celebrity; what was the point of this popularity?
Just as he relaxed, his phone rang again. This time it was his family.
Jiang Hua felt conflicted, having merged with this Jiang Hua's memories. He wasn't sure who he really was and felt a bit estranged from his family.
"Hello! Son, we heard you've gone to perform in operas. The internet says it's very hard work and the pay is low."
"If it doesn't work out, just come back home. We're keeping the small shop for you."
A mother's worry for her son touched Jiang Hua's heart.
He steadied himself and called out, "Mom, how are you? Are you both in good health?"
"We're doing well, we're fine. Your dad's right here. He's not angry with you anymore. It's been five years; the anger has long passed. He's just stubborn, but at night he still secretly looks at your childhood photos."
A complaining voice came from the other end of the line.
"Why are you telling him all this? I'm going to make dinner."
"You old fool, if you don't miss your son, why are you sitting so close? You smell of sweat."
Jiang Hua laughed and quickly said:
"Mom, I'm working for a state-owned institution now. I have a permanent position with full benefits. The salary is 6,000 yuan, plus performance fees. I should make nearly 10,000 a month."
"Oh, a permanent position? Is it like being a civil servant?"
Jiang Hua didn't know how to answer this question. An institutional position wasn't the same as being a civil servant.
"It's probably similar, but it's not a civil servant position. Don't go around telling people that."
"Okay, okay. As long as it's a permanent position, that's good. Do you have enough money?"
"It's enough, it's enough. We get free food and accommodation, so I don't spend much."
"Hey, Dad, do you want to say a few words to Jiang Hua? He's got a permanent position now, you're comrades."
His mother was really funny. How could he dare call his father "comrade"? He'd get a beating for sure.
"Mom and Dad, I'll come visit you when I have time this year. We have annual leave."
His father's deep voice came through:
"If you're busy, don't bother coming back. It's too far. We're doing fine. Let's hang up."
...