On the afternoon of August 15th, several people from Shanhai Capital, impeccably dressed and full of vigor, appeared at the Hong Kong Coliseum. He Zhengcheng's two companions also arrived, and everyone went their separate ways.
He Zhengcheng took his two companions backstage to meet Ge Ge, saying he wanted to introduce some friends to him.
"Don't embarrass yourselves; don't pester Ge Ge and the others for autographs!" He Zhengcheng said.
"Got it, do you think I don't care about my reputation?!" Li Mingyuan said, displeased.
"Alright! I trust you!" He Zhengcheng said.
After navigating some obstacles, the three of them still managed to reach the backstage relatively smoothly, where they met Ge Ge, Mei Yanfang, and others.
"Ge Ge, I'm here!" He Zhengcheng greeted him in what he felt was a very natural manner.
"Ge Ge, I like you so much!" The moment He Zhengcheng finished speaking, a figure swiftly darted out beside him, and then he saw Shi Hongwen's shocked expression.
"Miss Mei Yanfang, I'm your fan!" With a whoosh, Shi Hongwen also disappeared.
"Ah, alas!" He Zhengcheng sighed, hand on his forehead. Where had his integrity gone? Hadn't they agreed not to chase celebrities?
"Haha, Cheng Zai, come over for a moment!" Ge Ge, after signing the autographs, called He Zhengcheng over and introduced him to some of his friends in the entertainment industry.
"Ge Ge, you look well today!" He Zhengcheng said.
"Yes, I'm performing soon, so I need to be prepared." He said, then pulled He Zhengcheng aside.
"That matter didn't affect you, did it?" Ge Ge asked, a little nervous.
"What matter? I've been very busy lately." He Zhengcheng replied.
"Some entertainment reporters interviewed me a few times, asking about my relationship with you!" Ge Ge said.
"Aren't we just ordinary friends? I like Ge Ge, so I sell songs to him!" He Zhengcheng was puzzled. What was the big deal?
"Do you know my sexual orientation?" Ge Ge Zhang Guorong asked.
"What does that have to do with me? That's your personal choice, a psychological and physiological choice. We have no right to interfere or discriminate." He Zhengcheng said.
"Thank you!" Ge Ge Zhang Guorong saw that He Zhengcheng truly didn't care.
Of course he didn't care. Society more than twenty years later had become much more open-minded. Although he wasn't very fond of male homosexuals, he was quite pleased about female homosexuals.
Besides, in a big city, what kind of monsters and ghosts weren't there? Ge Ge's situation was quite innocent.
"But some people are misrepresenting my relationship with you, and you've been photographed several times when you visited me. The magazines have published many embarrassing things." Ge Ge Zhang Guorong said.
"Oh, I generally don't read entertainment magazines. I've been very busy lately and haven't had time. Besides, I'm just a nobody right now, so the impact isn't significant. If necessary, I'll sue them." He Zhengcheng said.
"These entertainment media are like stubborn skin diseases, very difficult to deal with. Even if you win a lawsuit, their losses aren't substantial." Zhang Guorong said.
"That seems to be true. How about this: you also don't say that these songs have anything to do with me. I'm not planning to be in the entertainment industry anyway, and I'll be leaving Hong Kong for a while due to work soon. In the future, I'll also spend a lot of time on the mainland and in Europe and America. They'll quiet down once they can't find me in person." He Zhengcheng said.
"But it still affected you, I'm very sorry." Zhang Guorong said with an embarrassed expression.
"What's there to be sorry about, Ge Ge? Are you being too sensitive?" He Zhengcheng seemed to recall that Ge Ge had tragically ended his life by falling from a height on a certain April Fool's Day in the future.
He hadn't understood the specific reasons, but suicide was either due to money, love, or depression. Uh, and it seemed there was also 'being forced,' such as 'being' forced to commit suicide by a third party. Never mind, this had nothing to do with Ge Ge, so let's not discuss it.
"Is that so?" Zhang Guorong asked.
"Ge Ge, how do you position yourself? As a singer, an actor, or a celebrity?" He Zhengcheng asked Zhang Guorong seriously.
"Is there a difference?" Zhang Guorong asked.
"Isn't there a difference?" He Zhengcheng thought, their names aren't even the same!
"I don't think there's a difference either. They're all in the entertainment industry. So, how does Ge Ge define the entertainment industry?
This is how I see it: the entertainment industry exists to entertain the public, and also to entertain oneself.
To put it bluntly, it's because this world is very cruel. Most people have to struggle and work hard for survival every day, and they also have to endure pressure from all sides.
No money, no house, no car, no girlfriend, and not much hope for the future of life. So, what to do?
The entertainment industry exists to relieve these pressures. Here, there are the most glamorous stages, and also the most sordid existences. Everyone watches the entertainment industry, yearns for the entertainment industry, yet can also freely complain about it.
It fulfills most people's certain aspirations for the future. Its existence has a positive effect on society as a whole. Whether positive or negative entertainment news, it's all good news." He Zhengcheng said.
"You, your way of putting it is very interesting. I hadn't thought of that." Zhang Guorong said.
"People standing in different positions naturally see different things. Actually, I see Ge Ge himself as a bit conflicted. He yearns for the glory of the center stage but doesn't want to get involved in the various troubles of the entertainment industry." He Zhengcheng said.
"Hmm, I am…" Zhang Guorong began.
"Don't you think this is abnormal? It's like some shut-ins who lie in bed wishing money would fall from the ceiling, and not only that, but it has to fall neatly. They don't want money scattered all over the room. If the money falling from the sky is messy, they get sulky, angry at themselves, angry at the heavens!" He Zhengcheng said cuttingly.
"It seems, it seems to make sense!" Zhang Guorong said hesitantly.
"What we need is a celebrity idol named Zhang Guorong, not you personally. What you think doesn't matter. If you can't stand it, then never stand in the center of the stage again. Occasionally hold concerts, occasionally act in plays and movies, and spend the rest of your time away from this troublesome circle.
Of course, the consequences of doing so are obvious: your concerts might lack an audience, the box office for movies you participate in might decline, your remuneration might decrease, and many of your fan base might leave in disappointment… Most importantly, you might not be able to earn money as relatively easily as you do now!" He Zhengcheng said.
"I!" Zhang Guorong exclaimed.
"I think you should become a director in the future! After a long time transitioning behind the scenes, you won't have so much attention." Mei Yanfang walked over at this moment.
"Being a director, I also want to, but…" Zhang Guorong said.
"The performance is about to start, what are you two chatting about?!" A portly figure approached.
"Ge Ge wants to be a director!" Mei Yanfang said with a light chuckle.
"Oh, is that so? That's good news!" Shen Dianxia, a heavyweight figure, said.
Ge Ge had always harbored the idea of becoming a director, but for some unknown reason, this wish was never realized, which could only be described as a regret.
"And this is?" Shen Dianxia asked.
"He's Cheng Zai, a gifted creator. The songs Ge Ge and I are singing today are his works." Mei Yanfang said. This was not wrong, as the lyrics for these songs were by He Zhengcheng, and the music was by Huang Zhan and He Zhengcheng.
"Nice to meet you!" Shen Dianxia said.
"Me too!" He Zhengcheng replied reservedly.
With Fatty's arrival, the concert was about to begin.