Chapter 8: 008: The Importance of a Speech
The preliminary selections for the 2005 Super Girl were all pre-recorded.
Before the competition in the Hangzhou Division, other divisions like Guangzhou, Zhengzhou, and Xiangcheng had already completed all their matches.
The popularity of the talent show had spread across the country.
At this time…
Zhang Liangying and Ye Yiqian were a bit nervous.
They particularly longed to see a scene where the entire restaurant, even if only one person, supported them.
This feeling of hiding in the crowd and secretly watching others cheer for you was absolutely exhilarating.
“Wow, this Ye Yiqian is so beautiful!”
“She sings well too.”
“She advanced.”
“No, I don’t like Zhou Bichang, that tomboy anymore. I’ve decided to support Ye Yiqian from our division.”
“…”
When the show reached Ye Yiqian’s turn, the people around them indeed started discussing.
Ye Yiqian, in the corner, had a flushed face.
She bit her chopsticks, smiling secretly, and whispered, “This feels so strange, it’s my first time seeing people cheer for me…”
Shen Qing took a bite of Dongpo pork and said, “You’ll get used to it. Once you’re in the top three of the Hangzhou Division, you’ll have hundreds of thousands of fans.”
Ye Yiqian’s eyes widened in surprise.
Zhang Liangying, however, was a bit silent.
She was incredibly nervous inside.
Ye Yiqian is so popular, what about me?
The next one is her.
“Wow!”
“Oh my god, another beauty.”
“Isn’t this girl even prettier than Ye Yiqian!?”
“Her styling is so trendy~”
“Zhang Liangying…”
“Hangzhou is truly full of talent!”
“Shh, she’s going to sing, and it’s an English song?”
“It’s not English, it’s Spanish.”
“That’s incredible skill.”
“…”
As Zhang Liangying walked out of the studio with a ‘pass1’ card, the diners at the ‘Hangzhou Restaurant’ immediately started discussing.
Especially the male patrons, they were ecstatic.
As the saying goes…
Tomboy attracts female fans, sexy women attract male fans.
It’s absolutely true.
Meanwhile.
Zhang Liangying’s face was as red as Ye Yiqian’s. The two held hands, cheering each other on, “Come on! We must make it to the finals!”
Shen Qing’s mind was not on this at all.
He was staring blankly at the West Lake vinegar fish that had just been served…
Does this fish taste good?
“Excuse me, are you Zhang Liangying and Ye Yiqian?” a girl about fifteen or sixteen suddenly ran up to Shen Qing’s table.
Swish, swish, swish~
The people around them also looked over.
They quickly recognized Zhang Liangying and Ye Yiqian. Some outgoing individuals directly walked over to cheer them on.
Not long after, everyone in the restaurant knew, and even the restaurant manager came over, saying he would give Shen Qing’s table a fifty percent discount.
“Is this the treatment celebrities get?”
To be honest, Shen Qing was also seeing this for the first time.
Being a celebrity felt really good.
…
They hadn’t experienced such a scene before. When asked to say something, they stammered for a long time before managing a few words.
Shen Qing then stood up, walked to the small stage where opera was performed, and said:
“Thank you all for your support. I am Zhang Liangying’s friend, and also her stylist… Little Ying has had a difficult journey. Her father passed away when she was a teenager, and she started singing to earn tuition…”
“In short, Zhang Liangying will go all out to bring glory to herself, and also to this inclusive and open city of Hangzhou. I hope everyone will continue to support her in the future competitions…”
Shen Qing spoke eloquently for five minutes.
During this time.
Someone held up a camera and filmed him.
So, Shen Qing deliberately faced the camera directly~
His speech was almost entirely about Zhang Liangying, portraying her as pitiful yet inspirational. Some elderly ladies listened with red eyes.
A persona is built step by step like this.
If the video of Shen Qing’s speech today were posted by enthusiastic netizens on forums like Sohu, Sina, and Tianya, it would quickly spread as the competition progressed.
At that time, people would ‘understand’ Zhang Liangying.
But this video is far from enough~
To achieve explosive traffic, a trending event is necessary, and this event requires careful planning.
For this, Shen Qing has already prepared three plans.
“Zhang Liangying, keep it up!”
“A girl with a dream, you can definitely do it!”
“We in Hangzhou are cheering for you.”
“Compete boldly, show your true self!”
“We look forward to you winning the championship.”
“…”
Inside the restaurant, cheers erupted one after another.
Zhang Liangying was moved to tears, “Thank you, thank you everyone, I will definitely do my best, thank you for your support!”
Ye Yiqian felt a bit down~
Although Shen Qing mentioned her earlier, it was very brief.
At this moment, she was extremely envious of Zhang Liangying, having such a ‘male friend’ who helped her fulfill her dream, not only eloquent but also handsome…
…
That night, a little past eleven o’clock, the video of Shen Qing’s passionate speech was posted by the cameraman on the Super Girl section of the Tianya forum.
As the Hangzhou Division competition had just begun and its popularity wasn’t as high as the previous divisions, the post didn’t get many clicks.
However, as the pre-recorded preliminary selections and the 50-to-20 pre-recordings were broadcast one after another, Zhang Liangying’s popularity gradually increased, and the video’s click-through and sharing rates also rose rapidly.
A Zhang Liangying Fan Club has been established on Baidu’s ‘Super Girl Bar’.
Because “Liang” sounds the same as “Liang” (cool/cold), they call themselves ‘Liangfen’ (cool fans), their support color is blue, and their slogan is “Liangying Liangying, Liang Sheng Liangying” (Brilliant Ying Brilliant Ying, Brilliant Voice Brilliant Image).
Zhang Liangying has taken her first step.
Internet cafe.
Shen Qing took Zhang Liangying to surf the internet for a long time, browsing over a hundred posts and news articles, which made the girl incredibly happy~
“Qing, thank you! Your speech at the restaurant that day was amazing, I didn’t even realize I was that inspirational…”
“My big star, this is just the beginning. In a couple of days, when you compete in the 20-to-10 round, I’ll give you an even bigger surprise.”
“Ah? What surprise?”
“If I tell you, is it still a surprise?”
“Hehe, okay.”
Zhang Liangying hugged Shen Qing with a smile, “It’s so good to have you. If it weren’t for you, I’d still be an unknown contestant, and I wouldn’t be known now.”
“Alright, alright, let’s go practice singing!”
“OK, let’s go.”
…
From 3 PM to 6 PM, the two practiced singing by the West Lake, specifically choosing crowded areas.
The effect was obvious.
Many people recognized Zhang Liangying.
Some tourists with cameras also posted her photos online, sparking considerable discussion.
In just one week, Zhang Liangying stood out among the top 20 in the Hangzhou Division, becoming the only contestant with a fan club.
Tomorrow is the 20-to-10 round.
It will be broadcast live.
Zhang Liangying is extremely nervous.
Therefore, Shen Qing did not take any protective measures and had close, intimate contact with her, quickly soothing her anxiety.
She then fully immersed herself in enjoyment~
After 15 minutes, Shen Qing suddenly stopped. Zhang Liangying opened her eyes, “Brother, what’s wrong? Is it over for today?”
Shen Qing shook his head, his expression a little melancholic, and said, “Little Ying, there’s something I don’t know if I should say.”
Zhang Liangying quickly struggled to sit up, hugged Shen Qing’s neck, and said tenderly, “What’s wrong? You can tell me anything. Don’t you understand my feelings?”
Shen Qing’s mouth twitched.
He understood.
But words are not proof~
Even if you wrote those things in your notebook that day.
Without a contract, it’s all empty talk.
It must be…
Sign a contract!
“Liangying, you’re already famous and about to become a big star. When you win the championship, you’ll join a big company…”
“No, I won’t. I promised you that you would be my manager for ten thousand years.” Zhang Liangying said, pushing him onto the bed.
Shen Qing saved himself some effort.
Then.
He silently took out a contract from under the pillow.
“Liangying, I understand your feelings, so let’s not sign this contract. I think it will ruin our relationship…”
“Qing, I’ll sign it. Do you know, I’m more afraid of you leaving me…”
Zhang Liangying leaned down and kissed Shen Qing.
Shen Qing then took a black ballpoint pen from under the pillow, held it in his hand, and during a pause in Zhang Liangying’s breathing, loudly reminded her, “No, I’m going to smash this black ballpoint pen…”
Black ballpoint pen!!!
Zhang Liangying quickly grabbed his wrist, took the pen away, and kissed Shen Qing again. After a long while, they separated, and she said affectionately, “Qing, I understand your feelings, but I’ll be anxious about you leaving me… I’ll sign the contract right away. I want to be bound to you forever.”
Zhang Liangying turned to the signature page and quickly signed her name.
Afterward.
She handed the pen back to Shen Qing and supervised him signing it.
The contract was done.
Shen Qing flipped over and pinned her down, placing the contract on her stomach, and let out a long sigh, thinking to himself, “Although I’ve manipulated you, I will also help you become a queen of song. You will only fare better and earn more than in your previous life…”
