229: Friendly Jiang Chen

Meanwhile, in Zhao Fen's live stream, the discussion's intensity showed no signs of decreasing; some netizens even started digging through Jiang Chao and Zhao Fen's previously shared daily videos, frame by frame, searching for traces of the 'Chairman'.

They had already affectionately begun calling Jiang Chen 'Chairman'.

"Look at the dumpling-making video Auntie posted before; the kitchen's decor is so grand. Now, it really looks extraordinary!"

"When Uncle shared the car-washing video last time, I think the Chairman was in the background!"

"So we've indirectly seen the Chairman's living environment all along, we just didn't recognize him at the time!"

"Please, Uncle and Auntie, next time you go live or film a video, can you invite the Chairman to join? We want to see father/son and mother/son interaction!"

Zhao Fen occasionally glanced at the bullet comments, and upon seeing these requests, she subtly exchanged a look with Jiang Chao, both revealing a knowing smile.

When the last note of the chorus fell, thunderous applause erupted from the audience. Zhao Fen couldn't help but clap along, and her phone camera gently swayed with her movements.

Jiang Chao, fearing she would get tired holding it, reached out to take the phone. As his hand touched the screen, he saw a newly popped-up bullet comment: "Uncle is finally on camera! Did Uncle also sing along during the chorus just now?"

Jiang Chao paused, then gave a gentle smile to the camera: "I hummed a couple of lines. The children sang wonderfully; it brightens the heart to listen."

He rarely spoke much in front of the camera, and it was the same when filming videos, merely holding the phone expressionlessly. Yet, this simple response instantly sent the bullet comments into a frenzy:

"Uncle's voice is so gentle!"

"I feel like the Chairman's steadiness comes from Uncle!" Comments like these scrolled by rapidly.

At this moment, Xu Jinzhong and Zhu Zhe on stage had already begun announcing the next performance. If the previous act was lyrical, then this one was explosive.

When the top-tier rapper Ma Siwei appeared, the cheers from the audience were even more intense than for Jiang Chen earlier.

The moment Ma Siwei stepped onto the stage, the spotlight 'whoosh' shone on him. Black cargo pants paired with a silver chain, and the way he spun the microphone in his hand was effortlessly cool.

Before the music even started, screams erupted in waves from the audience, especially from the young female employees, who directly stood up from their seats, frantically snapping photos with their phones. The bullet comments in the live stream were instantly flooded with messages like "Ma Siwei!" and "My husband!"

With a bang of the intro's drumbeat, Ma Siwei opened his mouth with an impactful flow, 'Laoshan Taoist' flowed out. He moved agilely on stage, occasionally making a gesture to the audience, and each interaction sparked a new wave of screams.

Jiang Chen sat in the VIP section, legs crossed, watching his younger brother and Li Yuran, who had already stood up, bobbing their heads to the rhythm and even quietly mouthing the rap lyrics.

He couldn't help but shake his head. This Ma Siwei was incredibly popular, ranking third in the 'Who is your favorite celebrity' poll, surpassing even some top-tier pop singers.

In Zhao Fen's live stream, the netizens had long since exploded. Someone spammed:

"Help! The Star River Annual Gala is too awesome! They actually managed to invite Ma Siwei!"

Someone else sourly posted: "I'm so jealous! This isn't an annual gala; it's clearly a top-tier concert!"

Jiang Chao held the phone, his camera closely following Ma Siwei on stage, and didn't forget to exclaim into the microphone: "This young man sings with such energy, I even feel like swaying along."

As soon as he said this, the bullet comments erupted in laughter again:

"Uncle is getting into it too!"

"Please, Uncle, dance a little!"

...As Ma Siwei reached the chorus climax, he suddenly slid two steps towards the edge of the stage with the drumbeat, held the microphone to his lips, and rapidly threw out a joke: "Wiggle your glow sticks faster, everyone! Let me see who's the most playful show-off tonight!"

No sooner had he spoken than an even crazier wave swept through the venue. Many young employees in the stands linked arms and jumped.

Jiang Yan, being a social butterfly, directly pulled Li Yuran's arm and swayed from side to side with the rhythm, even causing Li Yuran to shed her usual shyness, holding up her phone and shouting along to the beat.

In the VIP section, Zhao Fen was also infected by this energy and couldn't help but clap and stomp her feet. Jiang Chao's hand holding the phone swayed along. Although the camera was a bit shaky, it perfectly captured the lively atmosphere of the scene.

Ma Siwei's gaze swept across the entire venue and he instantly spotted Jiang Chen in the VIP section, gently nodding his head. His eyes lit up, and he rapped with a smile into the microphone: "That friend over there has a very steady rhythm! Want to stand up and hype with everyone for a bit?"

The live broadcast camera immediately turned, precisely focusing on Jiang Chen, and his figure also appeared on the large screen behind him.

Jiang Chen was gently nodding to the rhythm. Caught off guard by the camera, he paused for half a second, then chuckled and stood up.

He didn't deliberately pose or act aloof; he simply raised his hand casually and waved along with the rhythm, a smile of being infected by the live atmosphere still on his lips.

He had listened to Ma Siwei's songs quite a lot before.

At this, the screams from the audience directly broke through the roof, and even Ma Siwei gave him a '6' gesture, then continued to sing: "This aura! A perfect match for my beat!"

In Zhao Fen's live stream, the bullet comments instantly became a waterfall:

"Help! The Chairman and Ma Siwei are interacting on screen!"

"So the Chairman also understands rap rhythm! The contrast is amazing!"

"What kind of divine annual gala is this? You get to see a top-tier artist and the Chairman!"

Zhao Fen leaned towards the phone, overjoyed: "Look at him, he's usually such a serious person, but now he's going crazy too!"

Jiang Chao added from the side: "He could sway along even when listening to opera as a child; his sense of rhythm has always been good."

When Jiang Chen sat down, he heard this and was quite helpless, gently patting his father's arm: "Dad, don't always bring up my childhood."

...Ma Siwei on stage sang with increasing enthusiasm. Originally scheduled for only three songs, he spontaneously added 'R&B All Night'. When he got excited, he simply jumped off the stage and walked through the audience aisles, singing as he went.

As he passed Jiang Yan and Li Yuran, he even reached out and high-fived Jiang Yan, which made Li Yuran shriek and frantically snap photos with her phone, while Jiang Yan was visibly excited, mouthing the rap lyrics along with him.

Jiang Chen looked at his younger brother, who was completely caught up in idol worship, feeling both helpless and amused. He thought to himself: It seems inviting this Ma Siwei was not in vain.

After finishing 'R&B All Night', Ma Siwei returned to the center of the stage and bowed deeply to the audience: "Thank you, Star River family! It was so much fun hyping with everyone tonight!"

Applause and cheers erupted in waves from the audience, with some even shouting "Encore."

Ma Siwei smiled and made a "see you next time" gesture before being guided backstage by staff.

In Zhao Fen's live stream, netizens were still savoring the recent interaction:

"Request a replay of the Chairman's iconic wave!"

"The Star River Annual Gala is insane! Who wouldn't envy this lineup!"

Jiang Chao handed the phone to Zhao Fen, rubbing his wrist: "I've been holding it for so long, my arm is sore. Let me rest for a bit." Zhao Fen took the phone and smiled at the camera: "Don't worry, family, there are even more exciting performances coming up, let's keep watching!"