At this moment, Zeng Xiang, with his guitar slung across his body, stood in the center of the stage. When he wasn't smiling, it was as if the whole world owed him something. He really deserved a beating, and was a BK!
The key point is that he has to sing such a sad love song. Ye Zhao couldn't help laughing when he looked at him.
No wonder he reacted so strongly when Xiaotian said he wanted to sing the song "I Just Like You". He once refused to sing it, but in the end the vote still decided on this song because Awen also liked it.
This song best fits Awen's temperament, with a hint of bitterness and melancholy in the sadness, so Awen is the lead singer.
The later songs were adapted significantly, giving the sad love song a rock style.
Zeng Xiang’s guitar is indeed the soul of their band. His solo at the end was very wonderful and won rounds of applause!
But the overall performance was not particularly outstanding, and Ye Zhao was a little worried. It was no problem to enter the finals, but how could he win the championship in the finals
After the performance, the results were announced on site. Wen Tianxiang's band ranked 12th and successfully entered the finals.
The first place winner in the preliminary round surprised Ye Zhao very much, because it was Gao Yueyue.
When it was announced that Gao Yueyue had won first place, the cheerleaders at the Irene Toy Factory screamed like ghosts and wolves. Ye Zhao followed the sound and found Li Ruixiang.
"Xiao Zhao, why are you here?" Li Ruixiang cheered so loudly that her throat almost broke, and her voice was a little hoarse.
Ye Zhao said: "My classmate is participating in the competition."
Li Ruixiang put on stage makeup, with thick foundation on her face and rouge on her cheeks. The makeup was too heavy and she looked a little funny.
"Hey, there was a band performing just now, and I heard a name exactly like yours, could it be you?"
Ye Zhao smiled and said, "It was a trick. Don't you have a choir? Why didn't I hear the ranking?"
"The chorus is a friendly performance, there is no ranking. Let's go back together later."
Those who made it to the finals had to stay for a meeting. Zeng Xiuquan also had her own partners, so Ye Zhao and Li Ruixiang took the bus back to Zengwuwei.
Afterwards, the two had lunch outside the night market snack street. At the Hunan restaurant, they ordered a dish of fried pork with peppers and a dish of mapo tofu.
"Gao Yueyue was able to take first place this time, thanks to you."
"Why thank me?"
"Is your uncle a leader in our factory?"
Ye Zhao nodded, "What does it matter?"
"Brother Feng has been very nice to me and Gao Yueyue recently. Gao Yueyue and I thought about it again and again, and it might have something to do with your uncle being a leader in the factory, otherwise he wouldn't have given us the opportunity to sing."
Brother Feng is Feng Zhiyuan. Ye Zhao later checked the original book in the system and found out that he was one of Bai Yunping's "running dogs". He came to approach Gao Yueyue and Li Ruixiang, and it is unknown whether he has any other purpose.
Ye Zhao reminded quietly: "It's Gao Yueyue's ability to get first place. Brother Feng didn't choose her before, which means Brother Feng also has problems. You should stay away from him in the future. He is Bai Yunping's man. Do you know who Bai Yunping is?"
Li Ruixiang shook her head. As working girls, how could they have the chance to come into contact with middle and senior management in the office
"My father's mistress's sister framed me before."
Li Ruixiang was shocked. "What's going on?"
Ye Zhao didn't want to hide anything from Li Ruixiang. Actually, there was nothing to hide, so he said, "The Ailin Toy Factory was opened by my father. My father used to work in the countryside here. Later, with the reform and opening up, he seized the opportunity to make money and opened a factory."
Li Ruixiang opened her mouth wide, too shocked to speak, her face full of disbelief. She had always thought that Ye Zhao's family was poor and her father was not doing well.
"I thought you were able to study here because your uncle was so awesome."
"I can study here only because of my uncle's help. My dad doesn't care about me at all."
Ye Zhao briefly explained the complicated relationship in her family. Li Ruixiang was furious when she heard it. "So it was your stepmother who wrote the big-character poster! You are such a bad stepmother!"
"She's not my stepmother."
"I'm sorry! I said it wrong. I'll say it again, you are so mean, your father's mistress."
After saying that, both of them laughed.
"Xiao Zhao, I understand. I will be careful in the future. We will keep a distance from Feng Zhiyuan. Don't worry."
Ye Zhao smiled and returned to the previous topic, "Was Gao Yueyue also so good at singing before?"
"You forgot that she won an award in junior high school. She showed off her high notes on stage, it was amazing."
"No wonder. I don't even remember it."
It was past mealtime and not many people were eating. The two of them were very hungry, so after the dishes came, they asked the boss to give them two bowls of rice first.
"The food in our factory cafeteria is terrible. I heard that they are going to make improvements and outsource the cafeteria. I hope the food will be better in the future."
"Contract out the cafeteria?"
"yes."
Contracting a canteen is a good way to quickly accumulate initial capital. Ye Zhao asked: "How many people are there in your factory?"
Li Ruixiang smiled and said, "This is your father's factory, how come you don't know anything about it?"
"My father's factory has nothing to do with me."
"During the peak season, there are about 4,000 people, and during the off-season, there are more than 2,000 people."
“Is it the peak season?”
“The peak season is until Christmas.”
That means there are basically 4,000 people eating in the factory now, and each person only earns 0.1 cent a day, so they can earn 400 yuan a day. This is simply huge profits, not to mention that they may earn more than 0.1 cent
"Do you know what your factory's requirements are for canteen contractors?"
"I don't know. What do you want to do?"
"I want to contract the canteen."
"Huh? Don't you have to go to school? Do you need money?"
"I am short of it. Who doesn't need it? Do you need it?"
Li Ruixiang smiled and approached mysteriously, "Can you use your connections to get the contract?"
"That's impossible. I can only hide behind the scenes. Otherwise, if my dad finds out, he won't help but will only stop me."
Li Ruixiang's parents worked as kitchen helpers in various restaurants. After discussing it, the two girls decided that they could try to contract the business under the name of Li Ruixiang's father.
If the contract is really signed, let Li Ruixiang's parents bring people to do the work.
Ye Zhao was a man of action. On that day he found out the bidding threshold for the canteen contract: a deposit of 10,000 yuan and no other additional conditions.
Anyone can participate.
A deposit of 10,000 yuan is indeed a threshold!
There are three selection criteria: hygiene and safety, diverse flavors, and affordable prices.
She also went to visit Uncle Su's house, and learned from Uncle Su that this canteen is now a piece of fat meat. Many senior executives in the factory are keeping an eye on it, and Bai Yunlian's relatives are also keeping an eye on it, because the factory pays half of the canteen meal costs and the workers themselves pay the other half, so what the factory cares most about is the price.
Price is everything.
Ye Zhao spent two days handwriting a detailed report on personnel planning, hygiene management, and food taste, and then went to a typing shop to print out the report.
Only the most important thing, the price, is not printed.
She was thinking and researching what method and price could be used to successfully take over the canteen.
Ye Zhao was lying on the bed thinking about things. The system seemed to be very busy recently and had not come out to disturb her for a long time.
It's more comfortable to be alone and quiet.
As she was thinking, she heard the sound of drums outside. She walked to the balcony and saw Xiaotian calling her over anxiously from the building opposite the yard.
They will have to rearrange the song for the final this weekend.
Ye Zhao trotted over, she also had some ideas that she wanted to talk to them about.
Last time they chose "I Just Like You", and this time they chose "I Like You". Both were chosen by Xiaotian, and then Awen followed.
Xiaotian, the small pawn that started the chess game, eventually became the big boss.
The reason why a small soldier can become a big boss is because the real big boss doesn't like to meddle in other people's affairs. Zeng Xiang seems to care more about winning or losing in fist fights, and for music, it is more of a hobby.
However, the 12th place in the preliminary round made the boss very angry and successfully aroused his desire to win.
When Ye Zhao ran up to the second floor, he saw Xiaotian like an eggplant hit by frost, with his head down, trying to resist but ultimately failing. Awen frowned and dared not speak.
Zeng Xiang stood in the middle with his hands on his waist, "You make your choice, either follow my suggestion or quit!"
This is the boss’s worldview. I can choose not to be in charge, but once I am in charge, things have to go my way.
When Xiaotian saw Ye Zhao coming in, he felt like he had seen a savior.
"Sister Xiao Zhao, help me. As a master, please take care of your students."
"What's the matter?"
"Brother Xiang rejected our song!"
Ye Zhao's eyes lit up immediately. She didn't expect that she and Zeng Xiang had similar views. She said, "No is better!"
"Ah? Why not?"
"The original style of the song was too flat and really not suitable for the competition. This is not a gala performance. The songs in the competition must have ups and downs, be able to ignite the scene, and mobilize emotions, in order to win."
Zeng Xiang, who originally thought he had to fight three people alone, immediately gave Ye Zhao a thumbs up after hearing what she said. With someone supporting him behind him, he felt completely relaxed.
Xiaotian was extremely anxious, "Xiao Zhao! Why didn't you recite the spell to tighten the hoop? You and Brother Xiang performed the 'kind father and filial son' act. Did you discuss this in advance?"
"No."
"unnecessary."
The two spoke almost in unison.
Ah Wen also nodded: "What Brother Xiang and Xiao Zhao said makes sense. The reason why we ranked so low last time was not because we didn't have skills, but because we lost in song selection."
Without his savior and the support of his companions, Xiaotian moved step by step behind the drum stand. At this point, he had to tell the truth.
"Brother Xiang, please don't hit me! Yesterday, Director Liang asked me what I wanted to perform. I thought you all had no objection to the song I chose, so I submitted it! Now I can't change it!"
After saying that, Xiaotian held his head and a cotton mallet hit him directly on the head. The boss was so angry that he wished the mallet in his hand was a dart.
Zeng Xiang was so angry that he left, leaving the three of them sitting in the room sighing.
Not long after, the door was opened again.
While everyone else was still confused, Ye Zhao understood. The singer she liked before had participated in performance competitions and had perfectly combined two songs into one song through similar lyrics or similar arrangements, winning with unexpected surprises.
They composed and rehearsed the performance on the spot. As a novice bassist, Ye Zhao only needed to play some chords and background harmonies. She participated less and was under less pressure. She finished practicing early and went downstairs for a stroll.
When he walked downstairs, he met Zeng Xiuquan sitting at the door eating guava. She gave one to Ye Zhao. It was a small wild guava, fragrant and sweet.
Ye Zhao had bought guavas in supermarkets before, some of which were very fragrant, but he had never bought any sweet ones. Perhaps for the sake of transportation, guavas were picked from the trees before they were ripe, so they lacked sweetness.
Ye Zhao ate one and her appetite was whetted. She wanted to eat more, so Zeng Xiuquan took her to a small courtyard on the back street. They spent fifty cents and picked three or four pounds.
As they walked down the street, the two chatted, and Zeng Xiuqun asked her, "Do you like Awen?"
Huh? So direct
Ye Zhao smiled: "I don't like little boys. What's wrong?"
"I don't like him either. He's not as good as my brother. My brother may be a little fat, but if he's given some sunshine, he can shine. Unlike Awen, he acts as if the whole world owes him money."
Everyone has a different personality. Ye Zhao didn't want to comment on who is better or worse. It had nothing to do with her anyway. She asked, "Why are you talking about this suddenly?"
"Zeng Xiaoling from your class spread the word that you forced yourself on Awen even though you don't know how to play an instrument. She also said that you fell for Awen just to piss off Bailu. They all said that Bailu liked Awen."
Ye Zhao hardly goes to school now. She doesn’t want to compete with those “primary school students”. It’s very boring.
"Let them say whatever they want. Anyway, it's not me who's angry, it's Bai Lu."
Zeng Xiuqun burst into laughter. She couldn't help gossiping, "I still don't understand, is Bai Lu your stepsister or your half-sister?"
"neither."
"Ah? What is that?"
"I have nothing to do with her, legally or by blood."
"Then why did they say that you didn't let her transfer her household registration? They even made it sound so vivid that they said you threatened to commit suicide."
"I threaten you with death? Do I need it?" Ye Zhao was speechless. Her life was precious. Who would be willing to force you with death
Two people were walking home, and on the road a patrol car was checking identity cards and temporary residence permits. Someone was caught for escaping without a permit and was being put into the car. In this era, people with "three no's" will be ruthlessly deported.
The final day of the first Gulf Music Competition was more professional and grander than the preliminary round venue, as it was held in the newly built Grand Theater.
There are a total of twenty teams shortlisted for the finals. In addition to cheerleading teams, the companies and schools represented by these twenty teams also invited leaders to the scene to support.
So, the scene was lively. Director Liang from Yuxin Middle School came with Principal Jia. Ye Dingguo from Irene Toy Factory also came. Accompanying him was Bai Yunlian, who had been in a bad mood since returning from the police station.
What surprised Ye Zhao the most was that she only found out when she arrived at the scene that the sponsor this time was a Hong Kong company - Song Rongji Bakery, which means that the prize money this time was all paid by Song Rongji.
Mrs. Song, the wife of the head of Song Rongji, also came in person to present the awards. This opportunity was too rare, and Ye Zhao thought that he must do everything he could to get close to her.
The game was about to start, but Awen hadn't arrived yet. The lounge was full of people waiting to play. Xiaotian paced back and forth in the lounge anxiously, sighing as he walked: "Awen won't stand us up again, will he?"
Zeng Xiang sat on a high stool with his eyes closed and didn't say anything.
According to the pre-match draw, Wen Tianxiang Band will perform in the middle and back part of the game, and it will be at least an hour before it is their turn to go on stage.
Fortunately, they prepared an accompaniment tape this time, so they could handle it even if Awen didn't come.
There was a little girl doing splits and stretching next to her, and an old man was trying to play the erhu. Ye Zhao also tried the sound of the bass, and everything was fine. She handed the bass to Xiaotian and said, "Please watch it for me. I'm going to go out for a while."
Coming out of the lounge, she met Gao Yueyue. They chatted for a while. Ye Zhao slowly walked to the guest bathroom area. She wandered nearby, waiting for an opportunity.
After waiting for about half an hour, I finally saw the target person appear. Mrs. Song was wearing a cream-colored suit. If she were in Hong Kong, she would definitely wear an evening gown to attend such events, but it is different in the mainland, where people pursue simple fashion.
The secretary following Mrs. Song was standing outside waiting with a mobile phone in her hand. Ye Zhao pretended to casually follow Mrs. Song into the bathroom.
When Mrs. Song came out of the toilet cubicle to wash her hands, Ye Zhao considerately handed her the dry tissues he had prepared earlier.
"Thank you, little girl."
"You're welcome. Mrs. Song, my name is Ye Zhao..."
Song Tai wiped his hands and looked at Ye Zhao through the mirror, "Do we know each other?"
"We've met today. I'm here to participate in the competition, so don't be afraid."
"Is there anything I can help you with?" Mrs. Song looked at the pretty girl in front of her. She thought she was asking for help. Not long ago, she heard from people in the circle that some people wanted to leave the mainland for certain purposes and specifically sought help from people in Hong Kong.
But the little girl was well-dressed and had clear eyes. She didn't look like someone who was in trouble and needed help.
Ye Zhao said quickly and concisely: "We have a large amount of Xishan small yellow ginger. In November, if you need to purchase and can't find the source, remember to come to me."
Oh, you are selling turmeric. Mrs. Song smiled politely and said, "You mainlanders are really hardworking. You help your family sell goods while studying? The little girl is amazing. However, regarding the purchase of turmeric, we at Song Rongji have always had a special purchasing department in charge. It is not convenient for me to ask about it and I may not be able to help you. Sorry."
Ye Zhao said as he handed over a small card with her name and Aunt Qiao's home phone number written on it.
"It's okay. You will need it when the time comes. You can contact me by calling this number. Don't lose it, Mrs. Song."
Mrs. Song took the small card and looked at what was written neatly on it: Ye Zhao, 2365, supplying turmeric in bulk.
She didn't want to discourage the little girl, so she smiled politely and said, "Okay, I'll ask my secretary to save it."
Ye Zhao sent Mrs. Song out and watched her hand the card to the secretary. Then the secretary put the small card into a small notebook. Only then did she feel relieved.
Mrs. Song even turned around and waved goodbye to her.
Her secretary whispered, "Who is this?"
Mrs. Song: "An interesting little girl. People here are bold and daring in doing things."
"What about this card?"
"Just keep it."
Ye Zhao watched Song Tai leave before returning to the lounge. It was their turn to perform soon, but Awen had not arrived yet.
At this time, Xiaotian has already accepted his fate. If he doesn't want to come, then don't come. The three of them can also rush.
Xiaotian handed the school badge to Ye Zhao and Zeng Xiang: "Don't wear the school badge, the cheerleaders just gave it to you."
Ye Zhao was pinning his school badge while looking around: "Where's my bass?"
"Isn't she here?" Xiaotian looked back and found that Beth was gone.
Damn! How come all the chains fell off at the critical moment!
The two began to look around, searching the three lounges nearby, but there was no sign of Bes.
Before going on stage to perform, not all the people showed up and the instrument was lost. Xiaotian was so anxious that he ran around looking for someone to ask if he could borrow a bass.
It just so happened that among the performing group, their band was the only one with a bass guitar.
The staff was also anxious: "We have guitars, keyboards, and even pianos, but there is no bass."
Ye Zhao sighed deeply. She could only comfort Xiao Tian: "It's okay. I have an accompaniment tape for my bass. If it doesn't work, you two can do it."
Didn’t the original book say that Wen Tianxiang’s band won the championship? Isn’t it a wonderful performance? How can they win the championship with only two people?!
Zeng Xiang, who had been silent the whole time, rejected the question firmly: "No, with just the two of us, what kind of band is that!"
Xiaotian angrily hit himself for not keeping an eye on the bass: "Fuck it, let me know who stole the bass, I can't beat him to death!"
Ye Zhao comforted him, "There is no other way now. This is the only way."
"Don't you know how to play the erhu?" After Zeng Xiang finished speaking, he and Ye Zhao both looked at the old man who was resting with the erhu beside them.
Fifteen minutes later, amid the host's exciting announcement, Ye Zhao came on stage, holding a borrowed erhu.
The audience was a little restless. The erhu and rock band are like Beijing fried liver and coffee. It looks fresh, but I wonder which one will outdo the other in taste when they are actually eaten.
Ye Dingguo was also surprised. He didn't know Ye Zhao would also perform on stage. As far as he knew, Ye Zhao didn't know how to play any musical instrument.
Bai Yunlian glanced at Bai Lu. Before coming, Bai Lu had told Bai Yunlian that the band Ye Zhao participated in had also entered the finals, but Bai Lu clearly told Bai Yunlian that Ye Zhao would not perform on stage.
Who would have known that she not only went on stage, but also had the same bass accompaniment and an erhu performance.
Besides being disappointed, Bai Lu is now more concerned about why Awen didn't come.
When Bai Yunlian saw Ye Zhao, she remembered the experience of being locked up for two days, and she couldn't help but feel a chill all over her body.
She didn't dare to leave, or even show her unhappiness, for fear that Ye Dingguo would think she was petty and vindictive, so she had to force a smile on her face.
The lights in the venue dimmed and a beam of light shone on the stage. Zeng Xiang, wearing a leather jacket and leather pants, holding a microphone in his hand, stood in the center of the stage with his eyes slightly closed, and overhead light poured down from above.
Dong... Dong... Dong...
The percussion instruments in the corner started…
In the first sentence, there is no accompaniment, only a slowly sung male solo. Zeng Xiang's voice does not match his age, it is very changeable, it can be clear, hoarse, or low.
The initial singing was more like a hum, with a hint of sadness, and then the guitar sounded, and the bass and keyboard accompaniment came at the same time. The audience was fascinated, but the judges were confused, because Wen Tianxiang Band had already performed this song in the preliminary round.
When everyone was confused, Zeng Xiang said: "I know that love is lost, everything is wrong, why do I like you..."
The music rhythm changes, without any pause, and goes directly to the next song perfectly, "I like you, your eyes are charming, your laughter is even more charming, I wish I could caress your lovely face again, hold hands and talk in my sleep, just like yesterday, you and I..."
As Zeng Xiang raised the ending tone, he looked at Ye Zhao...
The spotlight hit Ye Zhao, who smiled and looked away. The sound of erhu began. The sound of erhu was completely different from other soundtracks. It was melodious, exciting, passionate and unrestrained, instantly bringing the audience's emotions to the highest level.
Then, at the tide point, it suddenly stopped!
There was thunderous applause in the venue!
Principal Jia was so happy to see that his school's performance was so exciting and popular that he leaned over to Ye Dingguo and said, "Boss Ye, your daughter is amazing!"
Ye Dingguo's face was also full of smiles. He was happy that his daughter made him proud.
Unexpectedly, Principal Jia did not forget his original intention and made a timely response: "Your daughter ranked first in the district in the monthly exam this time. Did you know that? I will not forget to be a witness. Boss Ye, you can rest assured."
The smile on Ye Dingguo's face froze in embarrassment. He had indeed long forgotten the bet he had made with his daughter - about her kneeling down and calling him daddy.
This principal is a lunatic. He cursed inwardly, but still had to smile and say something nice: "It was all a joke. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, principal."
"A gentleman's word is as good as gold!" Principal Jia smiled frivolously and directly blocked his words.
Ye Dingguo was so angry that he vomited blood, but he still had to smile on the surface. Of course, he didn't know that something even more heart-breaking would happen in the second half.
(End of this chapter)