Chapter 119: The Image Rehabilitation Project

As the final notes of "Sunny Day" faded, Zhou Miao panted and said, "Thank you all for accompanying me through this unforgettable night. I will remember today, and I will remember you forever!"

"But it is time to say goodbye. Today’s concert ends here. Please exit the venue in an orderly and safe manner. Finally, goodnight to you all!"

With that, Zhou Miao bowed deeply amidst the fans' reluctant calls for an encore and slowly exited the stage.

As the concert concluded, the lights in the Bird's Nest stadium came on, and the fans left in an orderly fashion, thoroughly satisfied. Zhou Miao had given 120 percent effort today, leaving the fans feeling that every penny spent was worth it.

Fan-recorded videos of the concert began circulating online, and with the attendees heaping praise on the performance, those who hadn't managed to snag tickets were green with envy. Given Zhou Miao’s typical work frequency, his next concert would surely not be until next year, by which time tickets would likely be even harder to come by.

It was already eleven o'clock at night when work wrapped up. Zhou Miao treated all the staff and special guests to dinner.

He poured a crate of beer for the three members of Countdown. "You’ve finally come all this way, so don't rush off. Let me play the host and show you the local customs of the capital."

Ma Yun pulled out his phone. "We'll talk about other things later. Since I’ve finally caught you, let’s take a few photos first so I can brag about it on social media."

"How shallow!" Liu Huan retorted mercilessly, pulling out his own phone. "Photos don't have the credibility of video. Come on, Brother Miao, give us a smile!"

Zhao Li sat to the side, watching them laugh and joke with a sense of envy. Since rising to fame, it had been a long time since anyone had joked around with her like that.

"Countdown is quite famous now, too. Have you ever thought about pursuing music as a career after graduation?" Zhao Li asked curiously.

To her surprise, all three shook their heads in unison.

Ma Yun said with a touch of nostalgia, "Honestly, none of us ever thought Countdown would get this far. At first, we just planned to go on a spontaneous road trip and perform along the way after we graduated."

"Then Zhou Miao was sent away by his parents for that reality show reform, and he shot to fame the moment he got out. We suddenly had the chance to perform at the Strawberry Music Festival."

"Then, at the festival, Zhou Miao sang two original songs he wrote, and we were the talk of the entire summer. That’s a height most ordinary people struggle to reach in a lifetime. We are very satisfied."

Liu Huan took over: "In a band, you can have a standout, but the other members can't be too lackluster. The problem is that Zhou Miao is on an entirely different level. We’re just amateurs from the youth palace; the gap between us and him is like heaven and earth."

Zhao Jie added, "If a band falls apart because one person leaves, then it shouldn't exist in the first place. But could Countdown function without Zhou Miao? Obviously not!"

In their words, Zhao Li heard the unique pride of youth. They knew their limits clearly and would rather walk away gracefully than become mere appendages to their friend, which would make them feel inferior.

And right now, it was perfect. They had traveled from all over the country to help him complete a soul-stirring concert for 100,000 people, and now they were sitting together, laughing and chatting until dawn.

Such friendship was both simple and pure.

...

The next morning, Zhou Miao woke up clutching his head. His mind was foggy, and he couldn't even remember how he had gotten home.

They had chatted and drank too much last night, and he couldn't recall anything after a certain point.

A note was left on his nightstand: "You're too cunning. You got 'drunk' right when it was time to pick up the tab. Did you do that on purpose?"

Zhou Miao scratched his head. Who wrote this?

Forget it, no point in asking—asking would just mean having to pay up.

Since it was summer break and he had nothing to do, Zhou Miao took the trio from Countdown to sample food all over Beijing. They played for a whole week before he sent them off to the airport; who knew when they would see each other again.

With school still a while away, Gu Zhiyin seized the gap in his schedule to bring him a stack of business proposals to choose from.

"Street Dance? Why would this show invite me? To be a mascot?" Zhou Miao scoffed and tossed it aside.

Seeing nothing of interest among the variety shows, he asked, "Do you have any recommendations?"

Gu Zhiyin stirred her coffee and brought up an unrelated topic instead: "I listened to that episode where you went on Lin Jianxiang’s radio show. What do you think is the difference between you and the legends of the industry?"

Zhou Miao frowned and thought for a moment. "A gap in eras?"

Gu Zhiyin shook her head slowly. "That’s only part of it. To become a legend, you must possess both national popularity and a stellar reputation. You need to bring positive influence and value to society, be recognized internationally, and stand the test of time, remaining popular for years on end."

"Which of these do you think you satisfy right now?"

Zhou Miao tentatively replied, "National popularity?"

Gu Zhiyin shook her head again. "I don't just mean being known; I mean being respected!"

"Although you have hits and are very popular among the youth, the older generation has a poor impression of you because they don't listen to your music, and everything they know comes from the news."

"But every time you make the news, it’s because you’re arguing with someone or being attacked by trolls—it’s all negative. It would be a miracle if the public had a good impression of you."

Gu Zhiyin had a point. Zhou Miao asked, "So what should I do?"

"Your popularity is stable now, so traffic-driven variety shows won't help you much. Do some charity programs. To become a legend, a positive image is crucial!" she said.

She picked one proposal from the stack and handed it to him. "I've already looked into it. This show suits you well, though it’s a bit exhausting."

"A bit exhausting? It’s not going to the countryside for manual labor, is it?" Zhou Miao took the proposal and read the title: *Setting Off for Love*?

It was a new music-based charity program. In each episode, the production team would invite two artists to form a team, and their task was to escort 2 million yuan in charity funds to poverty-stricken areas.

Of course, they wouldn't be carrying 2 million in cash—that would be too dangerous—just a placard representing the amount.

The challenge of the show was that the production team only provided 100 yuan in initial capital. All food, accommodation, and travel expenses had to be earned by the artists performing on the street.

Furthermore, the guests had to wear masks to hide their identities; otherwise, a top-tier star like Zhou Miao wouldn't need to perform at all—just standing there would bring fans flocking to shower them with money.

Street performing—the phrase immediately reminded Zhou Miao of the road trip performance plan the Countdown band had abandoned.