“Ms. Catherine, please get ready.”

A staff member hurried over to Catherine and reminded her softly.

Tonight, she is tasked with singing the theme song of “House of Flying Daggers”. According to the arrangement, this program will undoubtedly be the finale of the entire event.

As the most famous star among the guests present that day, Zhang Yimou naturally attached great importance to Shen Lang and specially arranged his performance to be the last one.

But no one expected that an accident would happen when the lively premiere was about to end.

The American soprano singer Katherine did not go on stage to perform at the scheduled time, and five minutes later, she was still nowhere to be seen on the stage.

The announcer went on stage twice to announce the show, but she never showed up. This instantly ignited the dissatisfaction of the audience, and there were waves of boos.

“what happened?”

“In my opinion, she is just being a big shot. Catherine has never had a good reputation.”

“I really don’t understand what Lao Mouzi was thinking, to hire such a tasteless singer.”

“If Brother Lang hadn’t performed yet, I would have left long ago.”

“Can you please hurry up! It’s already eleven o’clock!”

“If she doesn’t come, tell her to get out!”

……

The audience’s complaints became louder and louder, and at the same time, the string orchestra on the scene began to become a little impatient.

Especially today’s conductor Yu Long, who has a very high “status” in the industry. As a famous Chinese conductor, he not only serves as the vice chairman of the Chinese Musicians Association and chairman of the Symphony Orchestra Alliance of the Chinese Musicians Association, but also serves as the chief guest conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.

Over the years, he has come into contact with many world-renowned artists and has always hated the behavior of stars acting like big shots. Before, he had given advice to the organizers of the performances, saying that singers like Catherine were not very willing to perform in venues like stadiums, and that she was notoriously “difficult to serve.”

Now it seems that his worries have become a reality, and such an embarrassing scene occurred during the performance.

In fact, the singer, who was once listed as “unwelcome” by hundreds of hotels, did make many demanding requests during this event.

She required that the indoor temperature she passed by must always be maintained at a constant 22 degrees, backstage staff were not allowed to look directly at her, drinks had to be of designated brands, etc.

Although the organizers took great pains to meet these requirements one by one, at the critical moment when she was about to go on stage, she refused to go on stage on the grounds that the temperature at the venue was too high and the noise was too loud.

When Zhang Yimou heard this reason, his face turned pale instantly. He hurriedly sent people to communicate and negotiate with Catherine, while arranging other people to calm the emotional audience.

At this time, someone suggested: “Why don’t we notify Yu Long and ask the orchestra to play a random song to deal with it first?”

After hearing this, Yu Long felt it was ridiculous. He snorted and said, “What do you think of the orchestra? There’s not even any sheet music. How can we play it casually?”

Shen Lang had been waiting backstage for a long time and couldn’t help yawning.

He didn’t know what had happened at this time, he just knew that Catherine had not yet come on stage.

But based on my previous understanding of her personality, I could guess that she just wanted to use this to highlight her special identity as an American soprano.

“Director Zhang, do you need help?”

At this moment, Zhang Yimou’s originally solemn expression was eased a little by the appearance of Shen Lang. After he told Shen Lang the whole story in detail, he sighed helplessly: “Alas, I really have no idea now. Do you have any good ideas?”

The fact that a calm person like Zhang Yimou was thrown into disarray shows how difficult the situation is. After hearing this, Shen Lang said bluntly, “Don’t indulge this kind of person. Just get out of here!”

Zhang Yimou was not worried about breach of contract or something like that. After all, the responsibility clearly lay with Catherine. However, this program was an important part of the entire evening party, and the theme song was the soul of the movie. They had to sing it anyway. Thinking of this, he raised his eyes and stared at Shen Lang, and asked tentatively, “How about you help me out with this urgent matter?”

Shen Lang asked: “Do you want me to go up first?”

Zhang Yimou shook his head and said, “No, I mean, you should sing the theme song.”

Shen Lang looked embarrassed and responded, “Director Zhang, no matter how good I am, I still need to spend a lot of time preparing to get familiar with a song.”

However, Zhang Yimou shook his head again and explained: “I understand this, what I mean is…”

Before he finished speaking, Shen Lang understood what Zhang Yimou meant. He knew that Zhang Yimou wanted him to use his expertise to create and sing on the spot, or to use a new song that has not yet been released to save the situation. So he said, “I can help, but it’s not me, but Liu Yifei. A few days ago, I gave her an English song, which was created for their 87 Girls Group to enter the overseas market. The theme of the song is love. All it needs is a piano, and she can play and sing it by herself. If you think it’s okay…”

Zhang Yimou didn’t hesitate too much and nodded decisively: “Okay!”

At this critical moment, there is really no better way.

The two men acted quickly and split into two groups.

Zhang Yimou went to inform Catherine to go home, while Shen Lang went to discuss with Liu Yifei.

“But Brother Lang, I haven’t fully practiced that song yet.” Liu Yifei said with some embarrassment.

She got this song a few days ago when she and Shen Lang were traveling in Europe. Although Shen Lang taught her step by step, the time was too short and she still felt unsure.

“You can sing well now.” Shen Lang smiled slightly, his eyes full of trust and encouragement, “Don’t worry.”

Liu Yifei looked at his determined eyes and had nothing to worry about. She stopped refusing and smiled sweetly, “Okay!”

In a blink of an eye, the host appeared on the stage again in a hurry. He raised his hands, signaling everyone to be quiet. After clearing his throat, he said loudly: “Everyone, I am very sorry to inform you that due to personal reasons, Ms. Catherine cannot perform on stage. However, there will be more exciting programs to present to you next! Now, please give the warmest applause to Liu Yifei to bring us the theme song of “House of Flying Daggers” “Everything I Need”!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the audience looked at each other in surprise and confusion.

However, recalling the fact that Catherine had not yet come on stage, and her poor reputation, everyone roughly understood what had happened.

After a brief silence, thunderous applause instantly flooded the entire venue, and everyone was looking forward to Liu Yifei’s appearance.

Catherine, who was backstage, heard the enthusiastic applause outside and smiled smugly. She thought to herself: Since they like me so much and expect me to sing, I will sing a little reluctantly. But when she was about to walk to the stage with a confident step, she was stopped by several staff members.

After being told that her show had been cancelled, Catherine was shocked and angry, her face turned pale in an instant, she widened her eyes and shouted: “(English) Do you know who I am? How dare you treat me like this!” The sharp voice seemed to penetrate the entire backstage.

The staff had long been fed up with her rudeness and arrogance, and was too lazy to endure it any longer. They snorted disdainfully and muttered in a low voice: “Shame on you, you really take yourself too seriously, ah, too much.”

At the same time, on the stage.

Liu Yifei sat in front of the piano dignified and elegant, with an elegant posture and exuding a confident glow. The lights on the scene sprinkled softly on her, as if she was covered with a layer of dreamy veil. Her fingers lightly rested on the keys. She tilted her head slightly, took a deep breath, and her eyes revealed determination and concentration. As her fingertips slowly fell, the crisp and pleasant piano sound flowed out like a gurgling stream, instantly capturing the hearts of the audience.

Isn’t this a hundred times better than that old woman Catherine?
The English album that Shen Lang arranged for Liu Yifei and Shu Chang is the same as their Mandarin album, with three songs, one chorus and two solos.

“Everything I Need” is a song from the original time-space movie “Aquaman 1”. Although it did not win any major awards, it can be used to help the two enter the overseas market, which is enough.

Of course, there is no problem using it as the theme song of “House of Flying Daggers”.

The song originally prepared for Catherine was “Lovers”, with lyrics written by a Japanese musician. The theme was love and had little to do with martial arts elements or movie content.

“Born on the wrong side of the ocean
Born in the upstream of the sea

With all the tides against you
The tides come upon you day and night
You never thought you’d be much good for anyone
You never imagine how much you mean to others…”

Liu Yifei opened her lips and began to sing, her voice was clear and pleasant, like the singing of a nightingale.

She followed Liu Xiaoli to the United States when she was young and returned to China at the age of 16. She speaks fluent English without any flaws.

The melody of the song is steady and soothing, and it lays out emotions layer by layer in a delicate and subtle way, as if an old friend is whispering in your ear those touching stories about love. The lyrics are sincere and touching, using a first-person perspective and simple but highly expressive language to show the dependence on love and the deep affection for the lover without reservation.

Zhang Yimou stood backstage, looking at the radiant Liu Yifei on the stage, and breathed a sigh of relief. He finally solved the problem of the audience being agitated because Catherine would not go on stage.

The reason why he was confident in letting Liu Yifei come on stage to save the situation was because he had full confidence in Shen Lang’s talent and vision.

As he expected, this song was just as good as the one they had originally prepared.

The only drawback is that Liu Yifei’s international fame is not as good as Catherine’s for the time being.

However, Liu Yifei is an artist under Shen Lang, and Shen Lang’s international fame far exceeds that of Catherine.

In this way, we can take advantage of this incident to hype it up. If we think carefully, this is undoubtedly a business that is sure to make money.

Thinking of this, a relieved smile appeared on Zhang Yimou’s face. The twists and turns of this premiere might become an unexpected opportunity for publicity.

“Baby, every single part
Baby, every part of you

Is who you’re meant to be
It’s your destiny.
‘Cause you were meant for me
Because you are my destiny

And you’re everything I need
You are the meaning of my life!”

The melodious singing and the clear piano sounds intertwined and slowly fell, as if drawing a perfect end to this theme song full of twists and turns.

Liu Yifei stood up gently and bowed gracefully to the audience, her face filled with a smile of confidence and satisfaction.

In an instant, the whole audience burst into applause, and the audience’s faces were filled with intoxication and admiration. The unhappiness caused by Catherine’s willfulness just now had long disappeared in this beautiful song.

In the backstage, Catherine’s face became more and more unsightly as she listened to Liu Yifei’s singing. She could never have imagined that this “big shot” farce that she had carefully planned would be resolved so perfectly by a young junior.

“Humph, that’s all!”

Catherine glared at the radiant Liu Yifei on the stage with gritted teeth, turned around and strode away, her high heels making a “tapping” sound on the ground, as if venting her unwillingness and anger.

“You sang very well.” Shen Lang looked at Liu Yifei who was leaving the stage, his eyes full of praise, and he praised her generously.

“Thank you.” When Liu Yifei heard this, a happy smile instantly bloomed on her face, as bright and beautiful as the flowers blooming in spring.

The joy of being recognized by the people she loves and trusts makes her whole body radiate with a different kind of radiance.

“Okay, it’s my turn now.” Shen Lang raised the corners of his mouth, walked steadily towards the stage with a confident smile.

As soon as he appeared, the atmosphere on the scene was instantly ignited again, with cheers and screams rising one after another, one wave higher than the other.

Tonight, a large number of the audience came specifically for him, gathering here from all directions just to witness his style and listen to his singing.

When the familiar melody sounded, Shen Lang started singing. The vicissitudes of “Yanjing, Yanjing”, the classical charm of “Dongfeng Po”, and the affectionate love of “Ten Years” did not disappoint the audience who were eagerly waiting with his unique voice and delicate emotions.

After the song was finished, the lingering sound seemed to still echo in the sky above the venue.

The host walked onto the stage with a cheerful smile on his face, and said loudly: “Thank you Shen Lang for the wonderful performance. Next, let us welcome the main creators of the movie “House of Flying Daggers” to the stage with the warmest applause and meet everyone!”

Almost all the audience stood up and cheered and applauded throughout the venue…

All the main creative staff held hands and bowed deeply to the audience…

As the main creative staff left the stage one after another, the highly anticipated global premiere celebration of “House of Flying Daggers” came to a successful conclusion.

However, when the audience left, an interesting episode occurred. Many of them threw away their ticket stubs, unaware that this seemingly ordinary premiere celebration ticket stub could actually be exchanged for a movie ticket.

As a result, a rather interesting scene appeared outside the venue. Many people squatted at various exits, their eyes fixed on the ground, carefully searching for abandoned ticket stubs. Some people were extremely lucky and soon picked up a large bag of them, their faces filled with smiles as if they had found a treasure.

This evening party had no shortage of stars, excitement, or topics.

Late that night, related reports appeared in newspapers and on the Internet. (End of this chapter)