Chapter 87: The Debut Concert of the New Album!

June 10th—an important day.

Oriental Plaza, East Single, Capital City.

At the entrance of the National Drama Vanguard Theater, an advertising board stood, reading: Jiang Lun’s “Positive Energy” National Media First Performance.

On the surface, there was no excessive decoration, just a hint of restraint. Inside, the theater’s arrangement was equally understated—the stage was built entirely from LED screens, themed in deep blue.

Jiang Lun had specially invited the Zodiac Band, and from nine in the morning, they rehearsed until noon before stopping to rest.

For this debut release event, not only had hundreds of media outlets and renowned music critics been invited, but a hundred fans selected from online registrations were also present. From one o’clock, these fans began to enter the theater.

The live broadcast rights had been granted to Five-Star Music Network; opening the homepage revealed a link to the live room. Five minutes before the show began, over ten thousand registered users were waiting on the page, with more than seventy thousand guests viewing, and the numbers kept rising.

At two o’clock, the first performance began.

The LED screens flickered with blue light, like clusters of blue flames, as the background music started. A deep, powerful male voice rang out:

“He is a new-generation creative talent, versed in multiple musical styles!
He is the founder of the pop rap genre!
He is the most anticipated musical spokesperson of the Chinese music scene in 2015!
Yida Rainy Days Music’s newly signed artist, Jiang Lun—debut album ‘Positive Energy’ global media release and first performance, begins now!”

Lights swept across the stage, and the LED screens projected the cover of “Positive Energy.”

The cover’s background was a vast starry sky. In the center, a black hexagon shone like a diamond, with the words “Positive Energy” written inside, and beneath, in smaller font, “Jiang Lun.”

It was a simple cover—any student with basic Photoshop skills could make it.

Jiang Lun preferred simplicity, believing a cover should remain unembarrassing even after a decade.

The media snapped photos of the cover, while the host stepped onto the stage.

“Hello, everyone! I am your host, Old Wang, Wang Zijian! Welcome to all our media friends, music industry professionals, and fans to the National Drama Vanguard Theater. Thank you for your support!”

This host, Wang Zijian, was the same Old Wang from Jiang Lun’s previous “All Things Cola” roadshow, and also a broadcaster for the Capital Traffic Station.

He might not be famous nationwide, but he was well-known in the capital.

Flashlights flickered, and enthusiastic applause erupted from the fans.

“Don’t misunderstand, everyone—today, we’re not here for a stage play!”

Wang Zijian smiled humorously, then continued, “We’re holding the debut album release event for Yida Rainy Days Music’s new artist, and he’ll be performing songs from his new album for the first time globally, right here! He’s still a newcomer, so many of you might not know him well. Let’s give you an introduction first!”

On the big screen appeared a photo of Jiang Lun singing at Wentao Bar, clearly taken by a fan.

“At the beginning of the year, these images surfaced online—an artist performing his original songs at a small bar, quickly gaining the support of netizens!”

Next came a screenshot from Five-Star Music Network.

“He uploaded several of his works online; they were immediately well-received, achieving high listening rates, and was voted ‘Supreme Musician of the Month’ by Five-Star Music Network users!”

The screen shifted to a series of photos from the “Graduation Year” TV drama release, as well as his debut event on the same day.

“Later, his original songs were chosen as the theme, insert, and ending tracks for ‘Graduation Year’ and he was signed by Yida!”

The images continued, ending with a video screenshot from “Dream Star Show.”

Wang Zijian recounted Jiang Lun’s journey to debut, concluding, “This young talent is our star today! Please welcome Jiang Lun!”

A majestic background music played, and the fans chanted in unison, “Lun’s voice rings out, the brightest meteor!”

Jiang Lun’s fan club had been established since his personal forum began, with slogans like “Life goes on! The fight never ends!” and “Fresh Ginger is unbeatable, loving Lun is irresistible!” and so on.

Recently, after the song “Meteor” was released and struck a blow against Wang Yitian on microblogs, the slogan changed again to the current one.

“Hello, everyone! I’m Jiang Lun. Thank you to all the media here today, friends from the music industry, and my fans—thank you!”

Jiang Lun spoke as he strode onto the stage, waving to the audience, finally standing beside Wang Zijian.

The media raised their cameras, the sound of shutters echoing across the hall, fans came forward with flowers, cards, and gifts.

About ten minutes later, the next segment began—the live Q&A.

First, host Wang Zijian asked basic questions: what Jiang Lun did before debut, how long the album took to prepare, any difficulties during creation, and what was special about the album, and so on.

After Wang Zijian finished, several reporters asked questions—everyone was friendly, and none tried to corner Jiang Lun; all questions were easy to answer.

With the Q&A concluded, it was time for the performance.

“The new album is titled ‘Positive Energy,’ and many songs embody this theme. One song’s lyrics say: ‘Straightforward and unyielding, full of integrity!’ Maybe Jiang Lun sings about himself, but it’s also a reminder to us all. I had to listen several times before I truly understood it!”

Wang Zijian’s speech was somewhat moving, his brows furrowed, but suddenly he smiled playfully, “Now, please enjoy Jiang Lun’s performance of ‘Nunchaku’!”

This song, “Nunchaku,” had not been previewed; its style was so quirky that the company worried it wouldn’t appeal to the public, so it wasn’t chosen as the lead single.

Whether it would attract attention after the album’s release was up to fate.

The atmosphere on stage shifted. Not only did the band appear, but a dozen martial artists holding nunchaku rushed on, forming a formation that stunned everyone in the audience.

Electric guitar blared, drums joined in.

Jiang Lun took a nunchaku, holding the mic in one hand, striding coolly onto the stage and began to rap, “The smoky aroma from the grill fills the air, next door’s the martial arts hall, the mama-san inside, tea ceremony has three levels…”

Hearing this rap, fans forgot their chants, photographers stared wide-eyed and forgot to press the shutter, reporters dropped their pens but didn’t bother to pick them up.

All were dumbfounded, listening to Jiang Lun, unsure what he was singing.

Some recalled Wang Zijian’s earlier comment and suddenly understood—no wonder he said it took several listens to grasp, and why he wore that strange smile.

Finally, a reporter reacted first, “Wow! Big news! Another hit in pop rap!”

“This song is too… well… I can’t even describe it…”

Music critics wrinkled their faces, scratching their heads in search of a fitting word.

Some with sharp ears noticed the repeated line “zenme gai, zenme gai,” and exclaimed, “Wait, isn’t that Hakka for ‘what are you doing’? Jiang Lun isn’t from the south, is he? How does he know Hakka?”

Everyone exchanged looks, their expressions vivid.

Jiang Lun finished his song, said “thank you,” but not a single applause followed.

Wang Zijian hurried onto the stage to save the moment, grinning, “This song is really exciting! The more you listen, the more it gets you pumped!”

The audience finally snapped out of their daze, beginning to applaud.

The atmosphere was subtle; the applause wasn’t enthusiastic, and even Jiang Lun’s fans wore puzzled faces.

New things aren’t always quickly accepted; it takes time for people to digest.

The program continued, another Q&A, then a gifting segment—every guest, whether media, music professionals, or one of the hundred selected fans, received an album.

But what they got was just a bare CD.

Everyone’s first reaction was to unseal it, pull out the lyric booklet, find the lyrics to “Nunchaku,” and study them.

Meanwhile, Jiang Lun performed “Meteor” and “Love Before the Millennium”—one rock, one R&B, alternating styles, finally reigniting enthusiasm among the audience.

Perhaps because these two lead singles had already been heard, there was no awkward silence this time.

Wang Zijian seized the moment and introduced today’s special guests.

The guests were actually insiders—Li Ronghao, Li Qing, and Liu Xiayu.

Liu Xiayu would appear later; for now, Li Ronghao and Li Qing took the stage.

Li Ronghao, representing Yida Rainy Days, gave a speech, expressing support and best wishes to Jiang Lun.

Li Qing, as the album’s producer, discussed his views on Jiang Lun’s music and shared bits from the production process.

After both had spoken, Jiang Lun thought the guest segment was over.

Unexpectedly, Wang Zijian announced, “Today, we’ve also invited a highly influential singer from the Chinese music scene. Upon hearing Jiang Lun was releasing an album, he proactively contacted us and specifically requested to support him here! Now, let’s welcome this distinguished guest…”

Jiang Lun shot Wang Zijian a surprised glance, then looked to the stage entrance in confusion. Who could it be?

It certainly wasn’t Liu Xiayu—she was sitting in the front row.

So… who was about to appear?