Chapter 184
The four-hour concert lasted until nearly midnight on New Year's Eve. With twenty minutes left, all the artists took the stage, planning to chat with the audience to pass the remaining time.
The feeling of ringing in the New Year with their favorite idols was truly magical. Despite the four-hour concert, the fans in the audience showed no signs of fatigue.
As the artists appeared one by one, the fans waved their light sticks and cheered softly.
They sang the ending song specially written for the family concert, walked onto the extended stage, boarded the float, and interacted with the fans in the audience.
Jiang Juyou was in a private box in the stands.
The planning and execution of this concert were handled by Lin Jie, and Jiang Juyou had only given some instructions during yesterday's rehearsal.
Now, seeing the scenes she had once imagined come to life before her eyes, the feeling was still quite different.
When Timetrain first debuted, she had dreamed that one day they would be able to hold a concert.
When that day finally arrived, the surge of emotions made it hard for her to stay calm.
Jiang Juyou looked at the group of kids on stage, took a deep breath, and finally settled her restless heart.
At least she didn’t have to worry about the idol department declining during her year abroad.
The venue, which could only accommodate 20,000 people, was equipped with a massive screen, a very long extended stage, and even a float track, effectively reducing the capacity to just over 10,000.
Although this took away some fan seats, it greatly enhanced the viewing experience. Even before the concert ended, there were already comments online praising the stage setup of Random Entertainment's year-end concert.
As the leader of Random Entertainment's first group, Gao Xiayu stood in the center when he returned to the stage.
Next to him were the two top members of Timetrain.
Each group had someone who could talk, and these individuals took on the responsibility of keeping the conversation lively, doing their best to warm up the crowd.
Outside the venue, fans waiting for the fireworks show could hear the conversations inside through the speakers. They had already chosen their spots, laid out mats, and sat on the ground, eagerly anticipating the fireworks.
Through the speakers, almost everyone got a chance to speak, saying a sentence or two. However, one person's voice had yet to be heard, only appearing briefly on the big screen a few times.
Pei Luming, concerned about his brother, handed the remaining three minutes of speaking time to Gao Xiayu.
"Brother, don’t you have anything to say?" Pei Luming looked at Gao Xiayu.
Gao Xiayu, who hadn’t picked up the microphone until now, smiled when called upon. He put his arm around Pei Luming’s shoulder, looked at him, and then spoke, "Many things have already been said, and those are the things I wanted to say too. I’m really grateful for the endless love, attention, and trust that fans have given us this year."
There seemed to be more meaning hidden in his words, something only Gao Xiayu’s fans noticed.
Looking at the fans waving their light sticks, under the spotlight, Gao Xiayu’s eyes sparkled, as if filled with tears.
"Whether it’s the fans or the public who have shown interest in our Random Entertainment family, everyone has been a significant part of our growth journey."
"...But what I’m most grateful for, as everyone has mentioned, is Producer Jiang."
At the mention of Jiang Juyou, the audience erupted in cheers.
Every speaker today had expressed their gratitude to Jiang Juyou, and the fans in the audience had responded with enthusiastic support.
As the most well-regarded boss in the entertainment industry, these fans also felt immense gratitude toward Jiang Juyou.
At least now they could enjoy their star-chasing journey so happily, all thanks to Jiang Juyou’s efforts.
The director even gave Jiang Juyou a close-up shot in the second tier. She was wearing a hat and mask, holding a light stick appropriate for the occasion.
Basically, whichever group mentioned her, she would pick up their corresponding light stick and wave it.
Hearing the cheers, Gao Xiayu looked in Jiang Juyou’s direction.
He didn’t turn back but instead shouted directly toward Jiang Juyou’s box, "Producer Jiang—thank you so much!"
The other kids on stage, hearing this, started jumping up and down, sending hearts in Jiang Juyou’s direction, trying to outdo each other.
Jiang Wangran grabbed the microphone and shouted, "Teacher! I’m even more grateful than him!"
Pei Luming immediately pushed Jiang Wangran aside and yelled, "Teacher, don’t listen to them! I’m the one who’s most grateful to you!"
The female idols stood at the front, sending hearts toward Jiang Juyou and even trying to block the others behind them.
The fans in the audience were doubled over with laughter at the chaotic scene.
At this moment, Pei Luming didn’t forget to listen to the director’s voice in his earpiece and suddenly stopped everyone, "Wait, wait! It’s fifty-nine!"
The countdown appeared on the big screen.
Fans outside the venue screamed as they saw the drone light show in the sky, pulling out their phones to capture the moment.
The big screen broadcasted the outdoor scene, and the countdown had reached forty-nine.
As the drones counted down, they also displayed countless messages of blessing in the sky. Fans both inside and outside the venue raised their phones to record.
With each message displayed, the idols on stage picked up their microphones to offer their blessings.
"Wishing everyone in the new year—"
"Good health!"
"Everything goes smoothly!"
"May wealth come rolling in!"
As they shouted, the fans in the audience caught on and started shouting along.
Those outside heard and began yelling their blessings too.
The voices merged together, like falling confetti, creating a dreamy and exhilarating atmosphere.
These words felt as if they were being shouted directly to those watching the screen, warming the hearts of fans in the live stream, who began congratulating each other in the comments.
At this moment, there were no rivalries, no hierarchies—only people celebrating the arrival of the New Year together.
With five seconds left, the idols on stage raised their microphones and said in unison, "Let’s count down together—"
The fans watching the screen couldn’t contain their excitement.
"Three—"
"Two—"
"One!"
"Happy New Year—!"
The sound of firecrackers erupted before the countdown ended, and as the clock hit zero, dazzling fireworks exploded in the sky.
The seven groups’ fan colors appeared together in the sky, and the drones, matching the background, formed each group’s logo.
The Galexy World App also sent New Year’s greetings to all its users at this moment.
Amid the sound of fireworks, Jiang Juyou heard a voice—
"Happy New Year."
She also stood up and said to Cong Lixia, "Happy New Year."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
New Year’s Eve was destined to be a sleepless night. Fireworks and firecrackers were everywhere, and social media platforms like WeChat and Weibo were flooded with blessings. Internet friends, after greeting their relatives, didn’t forget to check in with their online friends, exchanging greetings.
Among the many New Year’s Eve galas trending online, Random Entertainment’s concert didn’t have the most hashtags, but it was the most widely discussed.
The stage setup prepared specifically for the concert had already spread across fan communities. Whether it was the stage design or the outdoor New Year’s surprises for the fans, it made fans of other groups envious.
Especially those who were already fans of Random Entertainment—they were even more jealous, blaming their slow fingers for not being able to snag tickets.
There was another concert on New Year’s Day. While the staff stayed behind to celebrate the success of the New Year’s Eve event, the artists and employees heading to Bangkok went back early to rest, as they had to catch an early flight the next day.
Jiang Juyou, worried about the concert in Bangkok, didn’t sleep well and looked exhausted during the day.
In the airport lounge, the young ones were full of energy, some having slept only four or five hours but showing no signs of fatigue.
"Good morning, Producer Jiang!"
"Happy New Year, Producer Jiang!"
Like little birds, they chirped and gathered around Jiang Juyou as soon as they saw her.
Jiang Juyou came prepared to handle these kids. She took out red envelopes from her bag and handed them out to every staff member and idol present, even the airport lounge employees.
The idols who received the red envelopes couldn’t wait to share the news with their fans.
Jiang Wangran posted a photo in the chat group with the caption, "Producer Jiang gave each of us a red envelope!"
"Jiang Wangran: I’ve prepared red packets for you all [smile]."
"Jiang Wangran: In case some of you haven’t woken up yet, I’ve set it for 6 PM today. Remember to go online and grab the red packets!"
Pei Luming, with his deep pockets, showed off by sending out 100,000 yuan in red packets to his fans. When some mentioned they hadn’t gotten any, he sent out another round, totaling 200,000 yuan by the time he boarded his flight.
Today, the artists from Random Entertainment were like little money-giving fairies. They had just trended on social media last night for their New Year’s Eve concert, and today they were trending again for giving out too many red packets.
"Thank you, beautiful girl, for reminding me once again how terrible my luck is. Out of 200,000 yuan in red packets, I only got 50 cents…"
"1v1 red packets are literally the greatest invention in the world. Today’s happiness is all thanks to Pei Ziping, who gave me my first red packet of the year—888 yuan!"
"I woke up late, and my idol was sending out red packets while I was still dreaming… Of course, good things like this never come my way. No wonder I slept so well today—it’s because the heavens didn’t want me to get a red packet!"
"Hahahahaha I got 300! Baby, wait for me, I’m spending it on you right now!"
There were also many fans who sent red packets to their idols.
Random Entertainment released a New Year’s gift box, the red packaging looking extremely festive, priced at just 28 yuan.
The affordable price made fans eager to buy, and many placed orders, saying this was their way of sending red packets to their idols.
By this time, the idols had already arrived in Bangkok and were preparing for rehearsals.
Jiang Juyou, Lin Jie, and several other executives from Random Entertainment gathered together, waiting for John to arrive.
The temperature in Bangkok these days was around 27 to 28 degrees Celsius, and at noon, you could still see people wearing short sleeves and skirts on the streets.
Back in the waiting room, those who had just finished rehearsing were a bit dazed.
"It’s December, but we’ve been in tropical regions this whole time, making it feel like summer," Yao Shuo said, sitting on the sofa with an ice cream he had just grabbed from the self-service area.
Pei Luming came in carrying three boxes of fruit, handing out forks to everyone, "Come try this, it’s super cold and refreshing!"
Chi Qiao took a fork and replied to Yao Shuo, "Last year at this time, we were also in a warm place for New Year’s."
"Midsummer Night Music Festival!" Yao Shuo chimed in.
Gao Xiayu suddenly realized, "Was the music festival really a year ago?"
"We spent last New Year’s Eve at the music festival."
"...I feel like it was just last month."
"Speaking of which, it’s been a long time since I’ve built a snowman."
"Indeed, time flies by at double speed once you’re an adult. Before you know it, another year has passed."
When they first joined the company, they were just middle and high school students, but this year, Pei Luming would start preparing for his college entrance exams.
The topic of time flying by led these teenagers to reflect on life, leaving the older staff members amused.
Meanwhile, the executives from Random Entertainment were dining with John and his family at the hotel. He had brought his family along, wanting to spend a warm winter in Bangkok.
As New Year’s approached, Jiang Juyou was still a bit nervous, unsure if John would give their company’s artists a chance to perform on an international stage.
But after watching last night’s New Year’s Eve concert, Jiang Juyou suddenly felt at ease. Even if it didn’t work out, they would find their own way to reach the public.
It was just a matter of retracing the steps they had taken domestically.
This time, Jiang Juyou and Lin Jie didn’t have the same cautiousness or forced confidence as before, but they still showed great importance to this meeting, which was why so many executives from Random Entertainment were present.
After the meal and some conversation, it was time for the audience to enter the concert venue.
They decided to head over to the concert hall.
On the way, John said, "Jang, before I came, I watched some videos of joint concerts. In my opinion, they weren’t very captivating, but this morning I saw your New Year’s Eve concert… That was insane!"
Jiang Juyou was pleasantly surprised by his last comment, not expecting him to have seen their concert.
"Thank you!"
Joint concerts are held both domestically and internationally, but idol concerts prioritize visual presentation above all else. Even vocals can take a backseat to choreography, and choreography itself can be overshadowed by styling. Anything that affects the expression of beauty and fashion has to take a step back.
This assembly-line approach isn’t particularly favored by music festivals.
Music festivals cover large areas with massive audiences, and not everyone can get a front-row seat or clearly see the big screens. Thus, sound quality is more crucial than stage design at these events.
Music is just the background; people come to enjoy the free-spirited atmosphere. If the performers on stage don’t meet the audience’s expectations, there’s no point in inviting them.
As a result, idols, who often struggle with live performances, aren’t very welcome at music festivals.
The car parked in the back lot of the concert venue, and the on-site staff came to greet them.
Jiang Juyou led John and his family into the venue.
Like all the other audience members entering the venue, they couldn’t help but widen their eyes at the stage setup and the packed stands.
The nearly 30-meter-tall screen seemed to reach the clouds, making the people standing below appear tiny.
The stage looked like a network of life, connecting all the stands. Flat stages were common, but this was the first time they’d seen a three-dimensional one.
The stage extended all the way to the farthest stands, rising higher as it went, until it was level with the stands.
It seemed alive, as if it had grown out of the ground.
Usually, the sides of stages are covered with black fabric to hide the structure and maintain the visual effect.
But this stage had LED screens installed on the sides. The elevated stage was two meters high, and the side screens displayed visuals that added a snowy atmosphere to the concert.
Not only that, but the stage surface itself was made of LED screens, and they were interactive—when staff walked across, they left footprints in the snow.
Not only were international fans stunned by the extravagant stage design, but even domestic fans were left in awe, afraid of embarrassing themselves and letting Random Entertainment down.
The venue also had tracks laid out for floats, with a dozen floats parked behind the stage. Even before the show started, the audience could imagine the spectacular scene that was about to unfold.
The word "Crazy" kept coming out of John’s mouth as he was equally amazed by the stage design.
"Jang, seriously, let me meet your concert director."
Jiang Juyou couldn’t help but laugh, while Lin Jie added, "She’ll come over after the show."
Because the venue was so large, the audience was let in an hour early. There were now 20 minutes left before the start.
Jiang Juyou and her group sat in the VIP box, with fans filling the stands below and staff walking around to maintain order.
The big screen displayed viewing guidelines in multiple languages.
This was Random Entertainment’s first truly international concert. While they had done overseas tours before, the audiences were mostly Chinese or Chinese-speaking fans.
This time, more than half of the attendees were fans from other circles, who might not be familiar with Random Entertainment’s rules.
At Random Entertainment concerts, if they say no filming, they mean no filming.
"...We only authorize filming during the float parade greeting segment. Before that, please refrain from taking out your phones or cameras. If found, serious violations will result in the cancellation of your viewing rights, a ban on your ticket purchasing privileges, and exclusion from all future events sold on the Galexy World App."
Even fans who weren’t familiar with Random Entertainment had heard about their strict no-filming policy. Some Chinese fans, seeing others holding light sticks for Random Entertainment artists, went up to ask just how strict it was.
“Then I advise you not to take it out, they really will escort you out.”
“Don’t take it out, don’t take it out! Random Entertainment will be hosting and organizing many concerts in the future. Losing the chance to snag tickets would be really painful. You’d have to answer questions to get it back, and the questions are super hard!”
“If you don’t get caught, it’s fine, but if you do, it’s a big deal. Did you see the staff standing in every section? They’re there to check for phones and cameras.”
After the looped announcements ended, the venue started randomly playing MVs from various artists, and the cheers from the audience rose in waves.
Today, Random Entertainment held a joint concert in Bangkok, and updates were shared in real-time back in China. Posts on forums kept coming one after another. Even before the concert started, Random Entertainment had already trended on social media for their stage design.
It felt like watching your own child finally step onto the international stage, filled with pride.
Once again, the opening act was performed by **Froxetine**.
It was the same song, but unlike their summer camp opening, this time their appearance fully aligned with the group’s conceptual story.
The rising stage slowly ascended, revealing the seven members striking poses, draped in moonlight-white silk. Only their silhouettes could be seen, confirming the artistic sculpture concept once again.
As the sound of wind played in the intro, a piece of white gauze suddenly appeared in the audience. Light and thin, like plastic wrap, the gauze was pulled by strings, slowly drifting from the audience toward the center of the stage.
The silk draped over the seven members was also gently lifted. The camera followed the ethereal gauze as it floated like a cloud. When it reached above the seven members, the strings holding it suddenly snapped, and the music stopped abruptly—
Everyone instinctively held their breath, watching as the gauze slowly descended, replacing the white silk and covering the members.
The violin intro of the song began, and the stage officially started.
At that moment, the audience finally took a deep breath, snapping out of their trance.
“Ahhhhhhh—!”
The screams for **Froxetine** echoed throughout the concert venue.
Backstage, the artists watching the screen were also in awe, witnessing such stage choreography for the first time.
**Jiang Wangran** clapped and exclaimed, “As expected of Random Entertainment’s artistic pinnacle!”
Many in the audience didn’t recognize **Froxetine**, as half the crowd had come for artists from other countries.
While they performed, people in the crowd kept asking,
“Which group is this?”
“F-something, right? I just saw an F earlier.”
“This is insane. I can confidently say they’re going to blow up in the future.”
“How is their stage so stunning, and their songs so good?!”
“I’m definitely picking up my Chinese elective again when I get back!”
There were a total of nineteen groups performing today, with each group averaging about three to four songs. However, the performances were interspersed, with one group finishing a song and the next taking the stage, while the previous group hurried backstage for costume changes.
Random Entertainment’s groups stood out particularly tonight.
Their stage designs were innovative, they were fresh faces, and what was even rarer—their live performances.
Anyone who’s been to a concert knows how obvious it is when microphones are on, especially with Random Entertainment’s top-notch sound system. Even those sitting in the farthest seats could hear clearly, making it easier to judge the artists’ live performances.
Some groups were clearly lip-syncing, while others had only one or two members actually singing. Of course, there were groups who sang live with their microphones on, but those were few and far between.
Random Entertainment’s artists, especially **Timetrain**, and particularly **Yao Shuo**, stood out.
The moment he opened his mouth, it was clear—this was real live singing.
Random Entertainment fans [hands on hips, chest puffed out]: Hmph!
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