I am Really a Superstar

He made a call in the morning.

It was a call to Spring Garden.

Xiaodong answered the phone: “Teacher Zhang, have you decided on the songs you’ll perform? Will it still be a heavy metal piece?”

But Zhang Ye said: “Sister Dong, there are some slight complications. I’m sorry, but I can’t invite you all to the concert anymore.”

“Ah?” Xiaodong was dumbfounded. “Then who are you getting?”

Zhang Ye gave a bitter laugh. “I’m not getting anyone else. I won’t be inviting any guests.”

Xiaodong asked: “What’s going on? What happened?”

Zhang Ye said: “Stop asking.”

Amy snatched the phone over. “Damn, we’ve already prepared for the concert, so how can you just tell us that we won’t be singing anymore? Lord Zhang, can you be any more unreliable than this?”

Zhang Ye laughed dryly. “Blame it on me, blame it on me.”

Amy said: “Aren’t you standing us up like this?”

Zhang Ye said: “I’ll make amends to you all another time.”

Amy said: “That’s not necessary!”

Du du.

The call was cut.

Zhang Ye sighed, knowing that they were really angry this time. I’m sorry, but you girls are different from me. You still have your careers to develop in Asia and move to a higher stage. I can’t implicate you three with my problems and pull all of you down together with me. That would be bringing harm to you instead.

…

In the morning.

Zhang Ye came to his eldest younger sister’s house.

His aunt had already gone to work, but his uncle and Cao Dan were still at home.

His uncle said in surprise, “Eh, what are you doing here, Little Ye?”

Cao Dan came out happily to welcome him. “Brother? Come in quickly.”

Zhang Ye smiled. “I happened to pass by, so I came over to have a look. Uncle, there’s no need to pour me any tea. Hurry to work. I came to discuss some things with Dandan.”

His uncle said, “Alright then, I’ll leave you two to talk.”

They went into Cao Dan’s bedroom.

Zhang Ye asked, “How are the short videos coming along?”

Cao Dan gave a wry smile. “I’ve been practicing making them for the past few months. I’ve recorded a few clips, but I’m not satisfied with them at all. I think I still lack experience in making videos. I just can’t seem to bring out that style you described.”

Zhang Ye gave it some thought. “It doesn’t have to be done in exactly the same way as I said it. You have your own character, so it should also portray your unique style. Come, let me have a look at the videos you’ve already made.”

He watched a few of them.

Then Zhang Ye pointed out several problems.

Cao Dan quickly took out her notepad to write them down. She was very serious about this.

For the entire morning, Zhang Ye was helping his eldest younger sister to think up ideas on how to make the videos. Then he wrote out quite a number of Papi Jiang’s funny video storylines for her again. He did it almost without stop for two hours straight, as though he were trying to give everything that he could remember to Cao Dan.

Cao Dan was a little surprised by this. “Brother, what’s with you?”

Zhang Ye smiled. “Nothing?”

Cao Dan said, “There are still so many things to handle for your concert, and all Asia’s attention is on it at the moment. This small matter of mine can always wait. I don’t wish to waste your time like this.”

Zhang Ye smiled and said, “There’s nothing much for me to handle there. Let me finish writing out everything for you first. Make another video and try it out. I’ll leave after I’m satisfied with what I see. Otherwise, I won’t be able to put my mind at ease.”

Cao Dan replied, “Alright.”

…

Noon.

Zhang Ye returned to the studio. But when he reached the door, he paused for a moment before turning around to head downstairs to where Yang Shu was living.

He knocked on the door.

The door opened.

Yang Shu was dressed in her training gear and probably practicing her martial arts.

Zhang Ye smiled and said, “You sure are diligent.”

Yang Shu said sourly, “Senior Bro, I’m not like you. I don’t have your talent where I can be good at kung fu without practicing. I definitely have to do it the hard way.”

Zhang Ye laughed dryly. “Our circumstances are different. Have you eaten?”

Yang Shu said respectfully, “I just ate.”

Zhang Ye asked, “How’s your training been going recently?”

Yang Shu’s eyes lit up when the subject switched to this. “I’ve made some progress. Senior Bro, I’d like to spar with you.”

Zhang Ye smiled and said, “Never mind that, maybe in the future. But I don’t mind teaching you a few moves.”

“Didn’t you already teach me?” Yang Shu said in surprise.

Zhang Ye laughed and said, “There are still a few moves that I haven’t taught you yet.”

Yang Shu said dumbfoundedly, “You mean you’ve been keeping some secret moves to yourself?”

Zhang Ye coughed. “Don’t put it that way. What do you mean by keeping secret moves to myself? You weren’t at that level yet, so there was no point in teaching them to you. Don’t bite off more than you can chew, understand?” He then took a thorough look at her. “Although you’re still not there yet, I can teach it to you first. Take your time to slowly practice them in the future.”

For the entire afternoon, Zhang Ye taught Taiji to Yang Shu.

Eventually, after Yang Shu cooled down with her ending stance, she asked excitedly, “Senior Bro, how was I?”

Zhang Ye laughed. “You’ve got quite a pretty decent stance, not bad.”

Yang Shu got extremely excited. “Thanks, Senior Bro!”

Zhang Ye sighed emotionally. “You’re much more talented and hardworking than I am. It’s no wonder Old Rao wants to take you in under her Eight Trigrams Palm Sect. With you leading the Taiji branch of martial arts, it will definitely be able to flourish. There’s nothing for me to be worried about anymore.” With a pause, he took a card out of his pocket. “Haven’t you always wanted to start a martial arts training hall? You can be quite naïve and I was always very worried in the past. So I used to keep finding excuses to evade your requests, but it looks the time is ripe. Here’s a card with 8 million yuan on it. It should be enough for you to open a training hall in Beijing. Go ahead and give it a try.”

A training hall?

She could finally open a martial arts training hall?

Yang Shu got so excited that tears nearly fell from her eyes. “Senior Bro, I’m not used to you being like this.”

Zhang Ye smiled. “You’re too kind. If I’m not around in the future, go find Old Rao if you meet with any trouble. She would never leave you in a lurch. You should also learn to be more like her.”

Yang Shu said, “…Alright.”

…

Back upstairs.

At the studio.

When Zhang Ye came back, it had already turned dark.

Everyone still had not left work.

When Zhang Ye saw this, he rounded everyone up and announced, “Everyone, stop working for a bit. I have something I want to say. All of you have been with me as I waged battles everywhere over the years. I know how much you guys have suffered, and I know it hasn’t been easy either. All of you had to put up with so much pressure and also offended so many people along with me. I will be bidding a temporary farewell to the entertainment circle very soon, so all of you can take a long break as well. Do whatever you wish to do. There won’t be a need to come to work every day anymore.”

Ha Qiqi laughed and said, “How can we do that? You’re just leaving temporarily. It’s not like you’re retiring from the entertainment circle for good. Aren’t you just staying home to take care of your child? You won’t have the time to take on any variety shows, but there should still be time to write some novels or comics, take on philanthropy work, or pick fights with others. We will definitely still have to hold down the fort.”

Zhang Zuo said in amusement, “That’s right. You’ll be away for at least half a year to a year’s time, so we have to ensure that our popularity does not drop during this period. Then in a year or so, we’ll start over again once you’re less busy at home.”

Zhang Ye said, “In any case, let me give out the bonuses.”

“Wow!”

“There’s still a bonus?”

“But it’s not the new year yet.”

Zhang Ye said, “It’ll get really busy closer to the new year. I’m afraid that I won’t have time then, so I’ve decided to give it out in advance.”

But when they saw the amount for the bonuses, everyone was dumbfounded.

“Holy shit!”

“Director Zhang, isn’t this a little too much?”

“Why is it so much?”

“Oh my god! Are we splitting the inheritance?”

“Hooray, Director Zhang!”

Everyone was cheering!

Ha Qiqi said in amazement, “This is way too much.”

Even people with salaries, like Ha Qiqi and Zhang Zuo, were finding the bonuses to be a bit outrageous.

Zhang Ye smiled and said, “This is the first time I’ve encountered anyone resenting their bonuses for being too large. Actually, even though you’re all officially my employees, I’ve long considered you to be my friends and business partners. Just consider the bonuses to be your dividends from the company until now. I just hope that you don’t find it to be too little if that’s the case.”

Little Wang giggled and joked, “Why does this feel like we’re disbanding the company.”

Ha Qiqi shot her a look. “Silly girl, what nonsense are you spouting? We’re at our most glorious peak, so why would we disband?”

Little Wang laughed and said, “I’m just kidding!”

Zhang Ye looked at everyone. He looked at all of their faces and suddenly said, “I said I wanted to call it ‘A Night in Beijing,’ right? I suddenly find it to be unsuitable as the title for the concert. When holding it at a venue as big as the Olympic Stadium, this name just doesn’t sound that domineering no matter how you say it. Why don’t we change it to something else?”

Ha Qiqi was taken aback. “What do you want to change it to?”

Zhang Ye looked out the window. “Why don’t we call it ‘The Final Concert’?”

Little Wang clapped. “That sounds good. The name sparks excitement!”

Wu Yi said, “Right, since you’re going to bid farewell to the entertainment circle for a while, there’s nothing wrong it calling it the ‘final’ concert. This name sounds attractive the moment you hear it.”

Zhang Zuo said, “Alright, it’s still not too late to change it.”

However, they didn’t know what the “final” in this name really meant.