The concert had not yet started, but twenty minutes ahead, a warrant was released and it quickly topped the headlines of major news websites, and was even shared on international social platforms by many media outlets.
The amount was substantial, and the intention was profound; it was an explosive news piece in history.
Many who were originally indifferent to entertainment news were now buzzing about it, vowing to dig three feet into the ground to unearth this individual.
It was said that some hacker organizations even took this as an opportunity for an international competition combined with a team-building activity, planning to hack into multiple countries’ surveillance systems to automatically search for this person’s face.
Various amateurs who looked somewhat like Han Qu but not quite were also causing a stir, emphasizing that the police should be careful to capture the right person and not make a mistake.
In the chaos, quite a few people provided the police with clues, giving away countless details related to this person.
As a result, many bystanders began to mock in advance.
[A person can be so embarrassed, probably wherever they go, they’re like a rat crossing the street…]
[Mr. Han committed murder and thinks he can run? Probably will be caught in three days, beware they might not spare his life!]
[Holy moly, I see a lot of people abroad also want to catch him!!]
At this moment, Huo Ren was alone completing an entire solo concert.
Twelve songs, two and a half hours.
There used to be six people here.
Taking turns, replacing, complementing each other, six years of tacit understanding as if in one day.
The stage style suddenly changed, and many new songs were sung in sequence, directly cutting out many of the previous interactive chats, making the pace much quicker.
Many in the audience used to be gems of Corona, they felt unfamiliar and unaccustomed for a moment, yet they couldn’t help but follow the lights and shadows on stage and sing loudly.
As they sang, they suddenly remembered something.
When they used to hold concerts, there was always a little break between each song because the six of them always had endless discussions.
Back then, Xie Lianyun and Mei Shengyao would joke and play, and Huo Ren would sincerely introduce all the members at every concert, even explaining the songs just sung, whose brother’s work it was, and whether the arrangement sounded interesting.
The sentimental atmosphere didn’t last long.
People’s attention was quickly diverted, and even their bodies became restless and spirited in the refreshing night wind.
Huo Ren was in full swing, able to control the stage all by himself.
His gaze was like a blazing fire, his voice like cold water.
The screens, sound systems, and lighting effects became secondary, as tens of thousands of eyes seemed to be summoned, at this moment only allowed to watch him, only able to see him.
When he raised his hand, ten thousand voices joined together to sing with all their might.
When he looked back, the crowd below screamed and shouted like a tsunami.
All the spotlights were focused on Huo Ren alone, like endless burning flames, like heat waves spilling from the sky.
He no longer had to share any camera time, all the lyrics and dances were his alone to perform.
The group dances changed like tamed flocks of birds, coordinating with the leader’s indicating gaze to enhance and support.
And Huo Ren stood at the highest point, the brightest spot, the very center.
He was the phoenix rising from the flames, the lone king of the stage at this moment.
When he sang high notes and looked into the camera, his expression was like a white wolf king eyeing his prey, his smile tinged with bloodlust, strikingly sharp.
At this moment, the tens of thousands of spectators could hardly discern more thoughts, spontaneously wanting to freeze time and this moment, their right hands holding up cell phones to capture more, their left hands still waving light sticks with all their might.
“Huo—Ren—”
“I love you!!! I love you ahhhh—”
“Huo Ren!! Huo Ren!!! He looked at me, he is looking at me!!!”
The early autumn wind was moist and lingering, and as the young man moved from the north end of the stage to the southernmost point, the crowd surged like the tide, rising and falling.
He leaned forward to shake hands with the audience in the front row, and many boys and girls couldn’t control their emotions, bursting into tears as they approached him.
Even through the screen, this long-missed perfect live performance was enough to ignite the night.
Music critics marveled at his impeccable pitch even after singing five or six songs in a row, while trainees were shocked at how their senior could maintain such an extreme level of physical and emotional stability.
—How did Huo Ren do it??
Is this really live???
After Corona disappeared for a year and a half, the idol industry began to develop in a bubble-like manner with an avalanche momentum.
With the disappearance of the last industry benchmark, capital and puppets used sophisticated appearances to aggressively market, forcing the audience to comply.
But once again, as people flooded into this live broadcast and saw the real-time charity amount soar with the viewership, they belatedly realized.
They too had once enjoyed all this.
A stunningly beautiful star could also possess professional strength, even strength that surpasses all peers.
The current Huo Ren, from his calm gaze to his extraordinary performance, was already much stronger than his peak state when he was the main C of Corona.
He alone had to bear the responsibilities of six people. Over the year, he had almost forcibly pushed himself into a dead end, only to shatter his afflictions and rebirth himself from the ashes.
[Holy moly… after this live broadcast, how are those lip-syncing idols going to survive… Some sing off-key every day and still have fans fawning over them, it’s just sick.]
[Forget those lip-syncers, when I followed “Chosen by the Gods” back then, I thought the current trainees were so impressive, now my face hurts, the seniors truly are seniors TAT]
[After all, he won the OSC Crown Award at twenty-three, being able to be Corona’s C even when he was still an amateur really speaks to his strength.]
[I’ve been a fan of Ren since 2012, watching brother step by step to today, I’m crying like a fool in front of the screen. He endured so much, hardened himself to become what he is now, how much has he sacrificed…]
After performing three fast songs and three slow songs in sequence, Huo Ren bowed deeply, descending from the stage amid swirling smoke.
Six young boys appeared smiling at the center of the stage, buying time for their senior to change outfits and rest.
“Hello everyone, we are the newly debuted group—DIVINE!”
“Please enjoy our new song, ‘Your Eyes’.”
The density of the barrage instantly rose another level.
“It’s the juniors!! Teacher Ren is so warm, even bringing the kids over to play!!! With today’s viewership, isn’t my second group going to break out!!!”
“What shade is Shi Jianian’s lip gloss exactly!! It matches his blue eyes so well, I’m so charmed—”
“Fu Mingnian is guarding Han Yang’s side!! I salute this positioning first!!”
“Xiao Huan dyed his hair today! Little leopard is still wearing a spotted jacket! Forget it, I’m going to rewatch Chosen by the Gods later!!”
After the sweet love song ended, the young boys bowed nervously yet happily, then scampered offstage through a hidden spot.
The lights dimmed, and silver mist wafted out.
A large ground screen reflected a lake of deep blue, with the sound of birds faintly audible.
The young man stood by the lake’s edge, holding a dark red long sword, his silver-white fur cascading down, covering his waist like a long coat.
“It’s Ren Ren!!”
“Ahhhhhh—”
“This outfit looks so good I can’t even!!”
As the lake water rippled, the young man with deep eyes and long eyebrows took a step forward, walking from the southeast towards the center of the water.
Just then, Mei Shengyao, still appearing youthful, emerged amid the snowy light.
“Shengyao?? Is it really Mei Shengyao?? Are my eyes deceiving me??”
“Shengyao I miss you so much—I can’t help crying again—”
“What about the others?? Did the others come too???”
Mei Shengyao lightly held an ink sword, walking towards Huo Ren with a gentle smile.
The sound of the willow flute was long and mournful, like wild geese passing overhead, each note seemingly carrying a hint of lethality. Suddenly, the tambourine joined in, sounding like a charge of iron cavalry from within a mountain storm!
The intertwining shadows of red and black were like the light on water or the call of cranes in the wind, each landing step perfectly timed to the sound of war drums.
Huo Ren’s sword dance was rapid and urgent, resembling a famed general from the Tang era performing the “King Qin Breaking Formation” music, even managing to respond to a clapper strike with a backhanded block.
Mei Shengyao fought with exhilaration, leaping and spinning in the air with the agility and grace of a crane breaking through the clouds, his robes billowing out like wings!
They had not performed a sword dance for a long time, nor had they enjoyed the stage like this for even longer.
Each strike seemed to resonate directly with the spectators’ hearts, the drumbeats trembling along with their pulsing excitement.
The audience outside had completely erupted, furiously typing away on their keyboards.
“8012 years and I can still ship YaoRen!!!”
“This sword dance, oh my god, I can’t even—”
“Twenty-year-old YaoYao has really grown up, he was already handsome before, but now he’s absolutely radiant…”
“Isn’t this the iconic scene from the Mei Chi duo?! Damn it, I’m going to cry for Mei Chi again!!!”
Until Mei Shengyao bowed and left the stage, the screams from below were piercing, almost tangible.
And some fans, reawakened in their group spirit, began to shout the names of all the members once again.
“Xie Lianyun!! Nightclub baby!!!”
“Long Jia!!! Boss Long!!!”
“Bo Jue!!! Professor Bo, sing one for us!!!”
Huo Ren took off his outer robe, his eyes curving into a smile.
“I might get jealous, you know.”
“Some small requests might be hard to meet right now.” He looked down at the audience, his tone gentle, “How about I play a piece on the piano for you first, would that be alright?”
“Sure—!! Brother, we’d listen to you play cotton if you wanted!!!”
“Ahhhhhhhh—”
The screen changed, and suddenly two grand pianos, one deep red and one deep blue, rose and rotated into view, twinkling like stars in the night.
The handsome man sat on the other side of one piano, propping up his chin with a smile, “Missed me?”
The crowd was nearly frenzied.
“Long Jia!!! Big brother is here too!! We haven’t seen you in so long!!!”
“President Long, marry me ahhhh!!! I need oxygen, I can’t even!!!”
“Corona’s entire crew is really here, it’s real!!!”
Huo Ren sat down at the other piano, and even gave Chi Ji a secretive wink.
Long Jia, enjoying this flamboyant and showy situation, leaned against the piano and struck a pose for the cameras.
Thanks to the total collapse of Eshan Ventures, he was able to break his confidentiality agreement three days early and fly back home.
Someone with sharp eyes immediately noticed the sapphire engagement ring on his right hand, shouting out loud: “The ring!! It’s the same ring as Bo Jue’s!!!”
This shout prompted more people to notice the detail, and they too joined in the joyous uproar.
“Ring!! Ring!! Ring!!”
President Long was quite pleased, “I picked it out, isn’t it beautiful?”
The two exchanged a few words and laughed as they played the piano, performing the theme song Huo Ren wrote for this year’s blockbuster movie.
The two chatted briefly, smiling while playing the piano. They played the theme song Huo Ren had written for this year’s blockbuster movie.
The audience outside the venue were nearly using three phones simultaneously to check forums, Weibo, and the live broadcast, discussing all sorts of topics.
[I suddenly have a bold guess… Look at Long, Yao and Ren, their moods are so good today, maybe Han Qu has already been caught?]
[Sister, you should be even bolder. What if all these events were planned by them to avenge Chi Chi? What if Chi Chi isn’t really dead?]
[Upstairs, you Sunny Sisters must have watched too many supernatural rumors. Why did you always think there was still hope since the day Chi Ji jumped? OAO]
[Am I the only one focused on something else!! With that reward amount having so many zeros, no one would let Han Qu go!!!]
[No matter what, the more hype around the concert, the better the charity conversion and the effect of the wanted poster tonight. Ren and his brothers have gone to such lengths… they really love Chi Chi TUT]
The piece Long Jia played wasn’t very difficult; it was purely to enjoy the stage again and have a good time with his brother.
He naturally had a young master’s air, and after gaining much experience in the business world, his demeanor now had a very comfortable sharpness.
Bright and flamboyant, like a scorching sun.
Both had tall figures and long fingers, and just watching them play the piano together was quite enjoyable.
When the piece ended, many people started shouting for them to debut.
“The business at home isn’t finished yet,” President Long waved his hand grandly, “Wait a few more years, once I’m done, I’ll go into acting, and everyone should come support me.”
Huo Ren leaned against the piano, looking towards the glowing crowd, and said sideways, “We haven’t played like this together for a long time.”
“How about,” he paused slightly, slowly leading into the topic, “next year, or the year after, we hold a farewell concert for Corona, with everyone attending. How about that?”
Long Jia’s expression softened as he also looked at the tens of thousands of audience members.
“All six of us.”
“Ren Ren, you come and crown us.”
When this news was released, the fans thought they were dreaming.
Could this really be happening?? We could see the reunion of the Crowns again???
They were so happy that they couldn’t think about anything else, hurriedly messaging all their friends who had ever loved the Crowns. All their lingering worries felt like they were suddenly embraced.
Marketing accounts began speculating about the real use of the previous holographic simulation, and the Sunny Sisters were in tears.
Finally—finally, this day had come.
We at least should have a proper reunion, a proper farewell.