Chapter 58: Youth Has Its Own Wildness!
After the song information finished displaying on the big screen, the image shifted, revealing a black-and-white photograph of a figure along with a brief biography.
“Liang Qichao.”
“A great politician, thinker, and writer of our nation…”
“This song is adapted from Mr. Liang Qichao’s article ‘On Young China,’ published in 1900.”
“With this song, we dedicate it to the young people of China who are growing, and also to the rising youth of a rejuvenated China!”
…
As the words appeared on the screen, fervent discussion erupted in the livestream chat.
“Wow, that last line—it stirs me deeply, such powerful writing!”
“Young China! China’s youth!”
“Xu Ze is adapting another literary classic!”
“I know of Mr. Liang Qichao, but I’ve never heard of his ‘On Young China.’”
“Me neither. After all these years since graduation, the only line I remember is, ‘Only reading can make you forget playing cards, only playing cards can make you forget reading!’”
“Haha, I remember that one too—such a classic.”
“Guys, I just searched it. Over a hundred years ago, Mr. Liang Qichao did write an article called ‘On Young China.’ It’s thousands of words, all in dense classical prose—I can’t understand a thing!”
“Thousands of words? That much?”
“How can that be turned into a song?”
“We’ll know once we hear it.”
At this moment, the lights flickered. A group of students in school uniforms, wearing red scarves, ran in orderly fashion onto the center stage. Each wore a headset microphone, ready for a choir performance.
Once the students took their places, a message appeared on the stage’s big screen:
“The choir is from: Qingbei University Affiliated Primary School.”
Indeed, these students were brought here by Xu Ze, who contacted Department Chair Luo. With the coordination of Director Chen, the choir from Qingbei Affiliated Primary was directly borrowed for the program.
Xu Ze had spent the past two days rehearsing with the students at their school, and today, they came to the studio for an early stage setup.
At Director Chen’s request, everything was kept strictly confidential, and no information about the song was released.
The performance began.
There was no expected melodic prelude—the youth started singing in chorus immediately.
The accompaniment joined: a powerful rhythm of drums blended with classical instruments.
“If the youth is wise, the nation is wise!”
“If the youth is wealthy, the nation is wealthy!”
“If the youth is strong, the nation is strong!”
“If the youth is free, the nation is free!”
The thunderous drums and the youthful voices interwove, full of momentum!
In just an instant, everyone listening felt their blood surge.
The chat exploded with comments.
“It’s so fiery right from the start!”
“This song is intense—no prelude at all, just straight in.”
“Are these lyrics really by Mr. Liang Qichao? They sound so inspiring!”
“Ah, Xu Ze’s magical arrangements are back! It feels like any lyrics, once set to his music, become extraordinary!”
“These elementary students are adorable!”
“No wonder it’s from Qingbei Affiliated Primary—the choir is so coordinated and full of spirit!”
…
The student choir finished, and the main spotlight shone on Xu Ze. He slowly took the microphone:
“The rising red sun, its path shines bright.”
“The river emerges from hidden currents, pouring vast and wide.”
“The hidden dragon soars from the deep, scales and claws flying.”
“The young tiger roars in the valley, all beasts tremble in awe.”
As Xu Ze began, the audience’s hair stood on end.
These grand, vigorous lines, paired with Xu Ze’s gentle yet youthful voice, left the audience afraid to utter a single sound.
They even breathed more softly, fearing to disturb the solemn performance.
Viewers in the livestream exclaimed:
“Ah, Xu Ze’s voice is so gentle and majestic!”
“I got goosebumps instantly!”
“Guys, I found it! These lines are from the last section of Liang Qichao’s ‘On Young China’!”
“Really? Hard to believe such passionate, soaring words come from an article a century old.”
…
Meanwhile, most of the senior staff at Yangshi Channel 3 had gathered in the data department, all holding their breath as they stared at the real-time ratings on the big screen.
No one expected that simply announcing Xu Ze as a guest performer would bring unprecedented attention to this children’s music competition.
As soon as the show aired, it was the top-rated program in its time slot, overtaking the popular drama “Burning Years” on Channel 1.
They had never thought this possible—after all, this was just a children’s music competition.
When Zhang Yingjing took the stage, the ratings soared to 3.2%.
This figure nearly matched the peak rating of 3.4% set by last year’s hit show “Starlight Road.”
Unfortunately, even after Zhang Yingjing finished singing, the highest rating reached only 3.25%.
Just as everyone thought the miracle would end there, Xu Ze took the stage.
As he stepped out of the darkness, ratings suddenly shot up.
In a flash, the ratings broke 3.5%, instantly surpassing the record held by “Starlight Road.”
But what left everyone speechless was that as Xu Ze continued singing, the ratings kept climbing.
They were already on the verge of breaking 4%!
Everyone was thinking:
“What kind of monster newcomer is this?”
Tonight would be a night to witness a miracle in broadcast ratings!
At this moment, Xu Ze took a deep breath, ready to launch into the true climax of the song!
…
Traditional Chinese music, as if traversing a millennium, began to echo with flute melodies from all sides!
Xu Ze’s impassioned voice followed:
“Youth has its own wildness!”
“A body as upright as mountains and rivers!”
“Dare to measure sun and moon anew!”
“Today, only I am the youth!”
In an instant, the atmosphere was completely ignited!
With lyrics brimming with youthful ambition as boundless as sky and sea, everyone was unconsciously swept up.
Yes, young people should be wild, unrestrained!
Stand tall! A body like mountains and rivers!
Have the courage to measure sun and moon, possess a unique, resounding pride!
On stage, Xu Ze clenched his fist, swinging it forward, continuing to sing those sharp, powerful lines!
“Dare to ask heaven and earth for a trial of strength!”
“Who can stop me as I cut through thorns and brambles!”
“The world may laugh at me, but I grow stronger!”
“Never fail my youth!”
…
Everyone was struck to the soul by this powerful singing.
The words “The world may laugh at me, but I grow stronger! Never fail my youth!” echoed in their hearts.
In the livestream, at the song’s climax, the chat was filled entirely with question marks.
In that instant, everyone was so stunned they couldn’t find words—only question marks could express their shock.
When the climax eased, they finally recovered.
“My god, that was overwhelming!”
“Xu Ze, my idol!”
“All those stars sing about love and romance, electronic music—what nonsense. Xu Ze’s ‘On Young China’ is the song that belongs to us Chinese!”
“Guys, it’s weird—I keep checking the original text of Liang Qichao’s ‘On Young China,’ but I can’t find this part in it?”
“Me neither!”
“Could it be that the most passionate part is Xu Ze’s own lyrics?”
“Really? Don’t overlook it—could these incredible lines really be Xu Ze’s creation?”
“No need to search further—I’m a literature major, and I’ve studied Liang Qichao’s article thoroughly. I can recite it by heart, and I’m a hundred percent certain these lines are not in the original!”
One stone stirred a thousand waves; everyone’s first reaction was disbelief!
But the evidence was undeniable—there was no room for argument!