The music scene was abuzz with chatter.
Too talented.
The whole band had become fans.
Each short phrase felt like a dagger stabbing into the hearts of all seven members of the band. Screw you.
Especially for Leighton. He never expected his attempt at backhanded praise to fail so completely, instead becoming a stepping stone for the other party. It was just a song with a stronger sense of conquest, wasn't it? What man didn't have a bit of that in him? Leighton felt he could sing it too.
He tried to stand and say something, but the first attempt failed. His legs were a little weak. "Help me up, brother. My blood's not circulating right," Leighton said to the keyboardist beside him.
The keyboardist stayed silent for a while before replying, "My legs are a little numb too."
Since the Seven Man band had finished their performance, they were no longer in the waiting area. They had no idea that at this moment, the waiting area was buzzing with animated discussion about the Resurrection Band.
"He's not an actor. No way he's an actor. Who said Chu Zhi was an actor? With that stage presence, even if our Prime Minister came, he'd have to kneel."
"I can still hear the sound of galloping hooves in my head."
"How have I never heard of the Resurrection Band before? The guitar solo in Bohemian Rhapsody and the bass solo in Ode to the River Tes were both amazing. Especially the female drummer—if she were younger, I'd chase her without hesitation."
"The world of rock will remember his name sooner or later."
...
Professionals looked at the details, while casual listeners enjoyed the show. The first song had shown his talent. The second revealed his stage presence and vocal power. The bands present were confident they wouldn't lose to anyone, yet Chu Zhi's strength was visible to the naked eye.
The guest panel members began thinking. During the committee meeting… who was it that had opposed Chu Zhi?
The one muttering in secret now was Higuchi Hanato.
"Just like cockroaches. Give them the slightest chance, the tiniest crack, and they'll expand like crazy," Higuchi Hanato muttered, taking a deep breath.
At this rate, the title of the most valuable rock singer in Asia might not have anything to do with him.
But the WOA performance had to go on. Guests took the stage. Chu Zhi stayed, watching the shows. During that time, several guests came over to exchange contact information.
"Getting old… I can't stay up late. I'm heading back to the hotel first," Xu Ji said. By night, Grandpa Xu's voice was even more hoarse, his throat sounding like it was clogged with phlegm.
It was already 11:30 p.m.
Zheng Huo also looked a little tired. "I'm getting sleepy too. But I had a great time tonight."
"Then let's go back together. The hotel's still a bit far from here, safer if we head back as a group," Chu Zhi said.
"I'm staying a bit longer. Lao Zheng, Lao Xu, and Xiao Jiu, you go ahead," Li Cui said, still full of energy.
Wasn't Sister Cui the one who usually insisted on her beauty sleep? Why were the two old men dropping first instead?
Before leaving, Chu Zhi reminded her, "Call me when it's over, Sister Cui. I'll come with the driver to pick you up."
He could have just let the driver handle it—they had an expensive private car service after all—but it was late, and Sister Cui was still a woman. Safety came first.
Lao Qian and Little Bamboo had left right after Chu Zhi's second song. Xiao Zhuzi's illness hadn't fully recovered yet.
The three of them got into an Opel SUV and headed toward the hotel.
"Two songs. The first one didn't surprise me," Xu Ji said. "Ever since Xiao Jiu wrote Dream Back to the Tang Dynasty, I knew he had talent. But writing Mongolian lyrics for a Mongolian rock song? That, I did not see coming."
"You should put out a rock album," Zheng Huo finally said the thing he'd been thinking for a long time. "I'm guessing you're planning to enter the European market. After tonight's performance, releasing a heavy metal album would be even easier."
"The new English album is indeed a rock album," Chu Zhi said without hiding it.
"Oh?"
"Really?"
Xu Ji perked up. Both he and Lao Zheng had long regretted that Chu Zhi never released a rock album. Now they were naturally interested.
"Got any demos?" Zheng Huo asked bluntly.
"Not yet. The tracklist isn't fully decided," Chu Zhi replied.
"When you do, I have to be the first to hear them," Zheng Huo insisted.
"No problem," Chu Zhi agreed readily.
WOA's stage kept going until 2 a.m. Honestly, the audience's stamina was impressive. Back home, no music festival went past midnight. This was exhausting.
But Wacken Town only earned money during these few days each year.
Even after the show ended at 2 a.m., the merch stalls and sausage stands stayed open. Those who couldn't sleep lit bonfires and kept partying.
This was the real "Sleep? Hell no. Get up and party."
The next morning, Chu Zhi was already in a video meeting at the hotel with Niu Jiangxue and other core company members. Two main things were on the agenda.
"Here's an invitation," Niu Jiangxue said. "They want you to write a song for the Winter Olympics, to serve as both a promotional and theme song."
"Wait a second," Chu Zhi said. "Didn't the Winter Olympics in Beijing end in February? It's been half a year. Why write a song now?"
"The original songwriter for the theme song was arrested for bribery. The Chinese Olympic Committee decided it's better to replace it," Niu Jiangxue explained. "So they passed the job to you."
"Ah, a replacement theme song," Chu Zhi understood.
Given the official mindset, it made sense. Even the global Summer Olympics all-star MV had its footage edited out years later when certain stars got into trouble.
The second matter was about the planned new Chinese-style album. It might not have to wait until next year.
The country was supporting cultural exports, building multiple partnerships abroad.
Chu Zhi's new Chinese-style album had been included in the "promotion package," which had slots for 20 albums. Chu Zhi was given two of them outright.
"What's the deadline for the songs and album?"
"The album's due in October. The Winter Olympics song is ASAP," Niu Jiangxue replied.
"Got it." Chu Zhi accepted both tasks. The schedule was about to get insanely busy again.
With so much going on, Chu Zhi only stayed two more days in Wacken before returning to China. Of course, he said goodbye to Brother Zheng before leaving.
Brother Zheng was staying in Germany for a while longer, so they couldn't fly back together.
Three days of WOA left a fair bit of trash behind.
The music festival was Wacken Town's main source of income. Tim, the festival's committee chairman and town governor, hadn't paid much attention to a Chinese rock singer at first.
Now, he was paying attention.
"If it weren't for the brand sponsor's recommendation, we might have missed this," Tim murmured. He decided to keep a close eye on Chu Zhi. If Chu Zhi released a rock album and it performed well, Tim would invite him into the committee immediately.
Not because he admired Chu Zhi—just because he wanted the market behind him.
WOA was the number one metal festival in the world, and top ten among all music festivals. But there was still a ceiling above it—Woodstock.
In Asia, WOA's influence was relatively weak. Tim hoped that by making Chu Zhi a committee member, WOA's reach in China could surpass Woodstock.
Of course, anyone who knew Woodstock would know Tim's goal was ridiculous. It had only been held six times in 50 years, born in the hippie era, a utopia for rock youth.
And it ended with the dark side of that culture—eight rapes, thousands injured. In both good and bad, it was extreme. How could WOA surpass that?
"At the right time, we could also spread the story that all seven members of that band are fans of Chu Zhi," Tim thought.
Two birds with one stone. He could help rising star Chu Zhi while also boosting Leighton's idol promotion.
Leighton: Thank you, eight generations of your ancestors.
After WOA, Chu Zhi didn't think much about it. Too many schedules awaited him. On his first day back in China, he learned he had to fly to Italy in early September.
"I thought it was next year. This soon?" Chu Zhi said. "Shiyi Lang is going to this year's Venice Film Festival?"
The timing seemed off. The festival began in September, but films usually had to be submitted in May or June. Back then, the movie probably hadn't even finished post-production.
The reason was Director Wang—Wang Anyi. As a world-class director, she naturally had a bit of privilege.
On top of that, he had to write a song for the police. Just thinking about all these overlapping tasks would give most people a headache. But the Emperor Beast wouldn't panic. He'd make a list, rank tasks by priority, and finish them one by one.
The album wasn't due until October, so it could wait. The highest priority now was the replacement Winter Olympics theme song.