The biggest feature of the 72H Grassland Music Festival, and what people loved talking about the most, was that on its stage, status and fame didn't matter at all. The audience judged vagabond singers solely based on their live performance skills.
In other words, here, whether it was Liao Jia or Lu Chen, even a singer who normally performed only on the streets was on the same starting line. Everyone competed on equal footing.
Of course, established vagabond singers naturally received more attention, but that was all.
Liao Jia's "challenge" to Lu Chen stemmed from this principle. He was serious. For any vagabond singer seeking to surpass themselves, 72H was undoubtedly the perfect stage.
He challenged Lu Chen, and at the same time, other vagabond singers were also ready to challenge both him and Lu Chen.
Liao Jia was a proud man. He admired Lu Chen, but he would never willingly act as a mere sidekick.
Bringing one's full strength to the stage was the only way to truly acknowledge the challengers.
It was also the greatest sign of respect for the audience.
In fact, 72H was essentially a massive singing competition. The judging panel consisted of tens of thousands of enthusiastic spectators who had come to the Wild Mountain Park. Many of them had traveled from across the country, sometimes thousands of miles, drawn purely by their passion.
As noon approached, the opening ceremony of the festival was about to begin, and the number of people gathering in the park grew rapidly. From above, the crowd looked like a solid, dark sea, dotted with rows of upright tents.
Freedom, openness, and inclusivity were the themes of the 72H Grassland Music Festival. No ticket was needed to attend, and there were no assigned seats. People could come and go freely, or even set up tents to stay overnight.
But with such huge crowds, by late morning, the park management began limiting entry to prevent overcrowding.
On both the east and west sides of the park, giant LED screens broadcasted live footage from the main stage in real time, helping divert the audience and ease pressure on the venue.
In addition, hundreds of security personnel and a large number of volunteers maintained safety and order throughout the festival.
It was the first Friday of March 2016. The weather was exceptionally clear, and warm sunlight bathed the early-spring Wild Mountain Park. People flowed like a river, and the air carried the unmistakable scent of music.
At exactly noon, twelve outdoor speakers placed around the park simultaneously erupted with passionate, powerful music. The fervent singing assaulted the eardrums of everyone present, igniting an instant surge of excitement.
The crowd initially fell silent in shock, then erupted into deafening cheers and shouts!
The 20th 72H Grassland Music Festival, the carnival for free-spirited pop music fans, was about to begin. The opening music was the classic rock piece everyone knew from Black Crow Band: Rebirth Tomorrow.
This song wasn't just Black Crow Band's breakthrough hit; it was a pinnacle of Chinese rock. Nearly every vagabond singer who had ever sung rock had either covered it or practiced it themselves.
Hearing its familiar melody instantly reminded people of the once-glorious years of Chinese rock.
And tears welled in their eyes.
Among the festival-goers were many veteran fans in their 40s and 50s, who had lived through that era firsthand and carried those memories deeply in their hearts.
So when Rebirth Tomorrow began, they shouted and sang along as if they were passionate youth again! The atmosphere of the festival surged to its first peak immediately.
Unlike ordinary large outdoor events, the 72H Grassland Music Festival had an opening ceremony so simple it was almost austere. There were no fluttering flags or thunderous drums, no glamorous models or ceremonial hostesses, no long-winded speeches by big-shot sponsors, and not even a host.
On the main stage, the first performing band was already in position. Then Liao Jia, representing the vagabond singers, made his entrance.
This Big Brother-level figure in pop music wore a black long-sleeve cotton shirt printed with the face of Black Crow Band's lead singer Gao Yi. His jeans were worn and tattered. His unrestrained long hair was tied in a braid, and his dark face carried a solemn expression.
He stood before the microphone and addressed the thousands of spectators below in a deep, resonant voice:
"Hello, everyone. I'm Liao Jia. It's great to be here again, enjoying the joy that music brings us together."
"Twenty years have passed… how are you all?"
For the last sentence, Liao Jia let out a full-throated shout, carrying both a sense of rough nostalgia and a hint of hysteria.
"Great!"
Countless voices answered in unison. Thousands of hands shot up into the air. Their cheers merged into a roaring ocean of sound, spreading in all directions, reaching every corner of Wild Mountain Park.
After waiting for the crowd's energy to peak, Liao Jia nodded and continued:
"I won't say much more. You're here to listen to music, I'm here to perform, it's as simple as that!"
He grabbed the microphone and tossed it to the band's lead singer behind him.
"Keep it up!"
The next moment, applause, screams, and whistles erupted in waves, reverberating for a long time without subsiding.
In the midst of this raucous atmosphere, the first band to perform at the 72H Grassland Music Festival, Capital City's local band, Engine Band, took the stage.
A 72-hour musical feast for pop music fans had officially begun!
At the same time, Lu Chen sat in a corner of the backer area, watching the live stream of the stage on the big screen while his mind wandered elsewhere.
The 72H Grassland Music Festival didn't have television live broadcasts, but NetEase Music had bought the online streaming rights, allowing people to watch the performances live. The number of online viewers was staggering.
Anyone who cared about domestic original pop music would not miss this extraordinary event.
After the initial excitement and adrenaline, Lu Chen felt calm. He reflected on his musical journey so far, feeling as if he were still dreaming. Perhaps everything had happened too quickly.
"Lu Chen, what are you thinking about?"
Just as he was lost in thought, Wang Jing came over and sat beside him, curiously asking.
Lu Chen came back to himself, smiled, and said, "Nothing, just thinking about our performance."
Wang Jing said, "Our stage time is still early. You're not nervous already, are you?"
Lu Chen chuckled softly and shook his head.
Wang Jing blushed. "I'm a little nervous. I never thought I'd have a chance to perform at 72H before."
Lu Chen smiled. "Trust me. From now on, your stages will only get bigger!"
He wasn't just saying it. He was building Nirvana Band as his own exclusive band, one that would accompany him to even more brilliant stages. 72H was only the beginning.
Wang Jing bit her lip and said, "Thank you, Lu Chen."
She had so many reasons to be grateful: for helping her in her hardest times, for keeping Nirvana Band alive and giving it a new life, for investing heavily so that Wang Hui could create the high-end recording room they had dreamed of. She realized she hadn't properly, sincerely thanked Lu Chen before.
Lu Chen's contracts for the new Nirvana Band, including her and Wang Hui, were very relaxed, no harsh restrictions, no exploitative clauses, yet the benefits offered were above industry standards.
Lu Chen smiled. "No need to thank me. We're friends."
Friends? Wang Jing silently nodded.
After a moment, she stood up. "I'm going to practice."
"Okay," Lu Chen replied.
No sooner had Wang Jing left than someone else sat beside him, handing him a beer.
"This little girl likes you. Don't disappoint Fei'er, or don't blame me if I rough you up!"
Lu Chen didn't know what to say. "Brother Liao Jia, you're overthinking."
"Better be that I'm overthinking."
Liao Jia casually tore open the can, took a few long swigs, then said, "I told Old Tan that Little Bai's face can't be trusted. Old Tan said you're different, but I'll be watching you!"
Lu Chen shook his head, opened his own beer, and clinked cans with him. "You might as well give up. I won't give you a chance to rough me up. And even if you tried, you wouldn't be my match."
"I like your confidence," Liao Jia said, cracking his knuckles until the joints popped. "Tonight, I'll beat you until you're begging for mercy. You'll see what a real rock man is like!"
Lu Chen raised an eyebrow. "Brother Liao Jia, is your new work tonight pure rock?"
"Scared now?"
Liao Jia gave him a look of contempt. "First tell me, what song are you planning to sing?"
Without hesitation, Lu Chen replied, "Rock."
"Rock?"
Liao Jia's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're going to sing rock?"
Lu Chen had risen to fame as a folk singer, particularly for pioneering the campus folk style, winning him widespread popularity among young people and earning him a reputation as a folk music talent.
He had written several rock songs, but most were given to others to perform, like Wandering Band or Compass Band. The only rock song he had sung himself was Follow the Dream of the Red Heart.
Now, he was going to perform rock, not his signature folk, at the 72H Grassland Music Festival. Liao Jia couldn't help but be astonished.
72H wasn't a talent show or a recording studio. Performing there meant unplugged, unadjusted live singing, in front of an audience full of seasoned rock fans who would notice the slightest flaw.
And rock was not easy to sing!
Could Lu Chen, accustomed to singing lyrical, nostalgic folk, pull off live rock, even light rock?
Liao Jia doubted it. "You're not planning to lose to me on purpose, are you?"
Lu Chen gave him a mocking glance. "Scared now?"
Liao Jia's blood boiled. "Scared my foot! Just don't cry if you lose!"
Lu Chen laughed. "Alright, then. Let's make a bet: whoever loses has to treat the other!"
Liao Jia slammed his hand on the small stool. "You're on!"
(End of Chapter)
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