Chapter 113 1/2

【Shengquan Appears at the Holographic Stage Audition Venue!】

This entry appeared, and it didn’t take long for it to trend.

The popularity of Shengquan herself was evident, as seen from the multitude of comments that sprouted under the trends in just a second.

【Ah ah ah! Shengdong! Will Shengdong also participate in the stage audition?!】

【I can’t believe Shengdong is at the venue! I should have signed up too!

【At the venue, but unfortunately, I didn’t see Shengdong. I heard she doesn’t stay in one room; she randomly goes to the next room after watching a performance. Unfortunately, my luck wasn’t enough to get a spot.】

【No wonder Shengdong suddenly posted on Weibo saying today is the day for appreciation! So, she went to appreciate the audition contestants!】

【I didn’t get a spot, but I heard that a contestant, although eliminated, got Shengdong’s recommendation and left while crying tears of joy.】

【I can testify; when that girl passed by me, she was laughing and crying at the same time.】

【Ah ah ah ah ah! Did you guys see the new information?! P-country’s VNs are also participating! Those are some of the most famous groups in P-country!】

【Not just that, oh my god, even K-country’s boy band Tu Ti is here! My god, I heard there might be foreign participants, but no one said these foreign participants would be so heavyweight!】

【??? Is this true or false? Damn, I’m going to check it out right now!】

As the journalists and paparazzi posted the photos they had worked hard to take on various platforms, the already lively internet exploded like a pot of oil splashing.

The fact proves that even if they are unable to get close, these professionals can still capture clear shots of every famous artist carrying “long guns and short cannons.”

Not to mention whether the features are clear or convenient for fans to recognize, even a fine line that is not easily noticeable in reality, like a wrinkle at the corner of the eye, can be clearly captured by them.

For a moment, the photos from the “Crossing the Star Sea” audition scene became a recognition event.

Captions accompanied each screenshot:

“This is Song Zhen! Ah ah ah, my Zhen Zhen!”
“This is Hai Hai; look at the mole at the corner of his eye; definitely Hai Hai. He actually came too; tsk tsk, didn’t he say he doesn’t like the environment of Huaxia? Facepalm.”
“Kano! I studied in the G country, and he’s quite famous in the G country too. He actually came; oh my god, what a lineup for Crossing the Star Sea.”

Indeed, it was an extraordinary lineup; even before the shooting began, almost all the contestants from major countries had gathered. Naturally, there were also some contestants from smaller countries with names that sounded a bit awkward.

Chinese netizens have been looking forward to the show “Crossing the Star Sea” for two main reasons: firstly, because it’s a Starlight program, and secondly, they are eager to see the effects of the holographic stage.

People speculated that foreign contestants might appear on the show, given that it’s a talent show and having foreign contestants would add a certain freshness to it.

However, nobody expected there would be so many foreign contestants, and most of them were quite famous.

Watching the footage, where some wore masks and others showed their faces openly, all the foreign contestants greeted the staff politely.

Many netizens, who still hadn’t gotten over the idea that a few years ago, China’s entertainment culture was considered inferior by other countries, found it somewhat hard to believe.

When did our Chinese entertainment industry become so impressive?

An ordinary office worker was casually scrolling through the photos of these artists during work hours.

He recognized several artists from other countries, some of whom had been quite arrogant when they participated in events in China before.

Now, unexpectedly, they were participating in a Chinese talent show with such humble attitudes.

The office worker found it quite baffling and posted it on a gossip forum.

“Am I bored and daydreaming during work, or is this a strangely realistic dream? I can’t tell if it’s a sweet dream or a weird one.”

As soon as the post appeared, a group of excited onlookers quickly gathered.

“What kind of sweet dream is this? Haven’t you paid attention to the development of our entertainment industry in recent years? We’re doing great!”

“Do you want me to report on the overseas box office of Chinese films and the international reputation of Chinese TV dramas in recent years?”

“Support the poster!”

“Laughing to death, is the poster still living in the past? Didn’t they give a boost to the U.S. media’s praise for ‘Interstellar War,’ and I don’t need to mention the global popularity of ‘Cultivator’ before it even aired, right? Even the so-called holographic propaganda film ‘Polar—Best Player,’ exploded at the box office. When they were filming it, countless foreign actors actively came to China for auditions, willing to be in the film even without lines, as long as there were scenes.”

“For a talent show to have some foreign contestants is normal. Moreover, this is the world’s first holographic stage, created by Starlight Fountain. If you were a foreign contestant, would you not come to participate?”

The office worker had actually been keeping an eye on various entertainment gossip news, and he had watched all the movies summarized by the netizens in the post. He had even sincerely praised them online.

Every time a movie gained glory, along with the subsequent chain reactions, he followed the updates. Again and again, he just now realized that China, under the influence of such works, was no longer an “entertainment-weak country.”

Unconsciously, China had become an attractive destination for artists from other countries.

After reading the replies from netizens inside the post, the office worker couldn’t help but smile.

Hey, watching those contestants who were once looked down upon by others in their own countries now make every effort in China just to secure a spot, this feeling… Why does it feel so good?

Of course, besides the office worker who was pleased with the situation, there were also netizens who were unhappy about foreign contestants coming to compete with Chinese contestants.

After all, the holographic stage was strongly promoted by Sheng Dong, and its effects were absolutely stunning. How could they let foreign contestants take away the opportunities?

The online discussions became lively, with some people thinking it demonstrated the drawing power of the Chinese entertainment industry, while others discovered that their favorite idol was participating in the competition. They immediately changed their stance and started throwing shade at other contestants, trying to reduce the competition for their idol.

Some were simply xenophobic, some wanted to shout, “Fight, fight,” and some, like a happy-go-lucky bystander in a melon field, were joyfully eating melons everywhere.

For a while, the news that “Tu Zhu is also participating in the”audition”—something that would usually be considered big news—surprisingly didn’t stir up much controversy.

Only the fans and antis remained firm in their positions, not forgetting to argue amidst the chaotic situation.

“Laughing to death, Tu Zhu hasn’t been on stage for so long. I bet he won’t make it past the initial audition. A debut in the center position? Who doesn’t know Tu Zhu lacks the ability? I think he relied on connections for his debut.”

As soon as a certain anti-fan made this statement, fans were immediately infuriated, and instantly, the supporters and haters clashed, presenting a three-step process of presenting facts, arguing with reason, and directly hurling insults.

If a passerby came to look and stayed a bit longer, they would notice that Tu Zhu’s fans were quite elusive in their responses.