"Dedication" was an instrumental piece Vitas composed in honor of his mother. It reached a terrifying Eb6 in pitch. If "Opera 2" sounded like a deity descending to Earth, then "Dedication" felt like a mortal defying heaven to slay the gods.
As for "Katyusha", it needed no introduction. It might be the most widely known song from Russia. The lyrics were adapted from a poem by Isakovsky, written in response to the Battle of Lake Khasan.
In this parallel world, the poet never existed, and naturally, neither did "Katyusha." Still, the inevitability of history gave rise to another song with similar weight and meaning.
The status of "Katyusha" was shaped in part by its era, but even so, it was still a powerhouse in the Russia.
So, between the two songs, Chu Zhi couldn't decide. October was still a ways off, so he set the matter aside for now.
Speaking of poets, there had also been some progress on Chu Zhi's own poetry.
I Am a Rebellious Child had sold 270,000 copies in Japan.
The publishing house was pushing hard for a new collection to be released.
But that wasn't something that could be rushed. Chu Zhi hadn't drawn any new poems lately. And his previous collection, The Great Riddle, still hadn't been translated into Japanese.
With The Great Riddle, A Collection of Winged Birds, and I Am a Rebellious Child he now had three poetry books to his name. Even so, he was still far from his personal goal.
He had a long way to go, and not much time.
On the night before the second Orange Grove Festival, clever fans had already pieced it together. It was the evening of September sixth, and the 300 lucky Little Fruits who had been selected were practically vibrating with anticipation. Their ages ranged from a 15-year-old high school freshman to a 44-year-old mother of two.
The youngest chosen fan was Ling Zinan, just about to start high school. The first Orange Grove Festival had only been open to adults, but this time, minors were allowed to enter the drawing.
"Mom, I get it, don't worry. It's not like Shancheng is far, and brother Jiu arranged everything," Ling Zinan declared loudly, unable to bear his mother's nagging.
"But didn't you say there was a chaperone option? Call them and switch to that," his mother suddenly said.
Ling Zinan panicked. "The event's tomorrow! You want to change it now? It's too late. They already sent me the flight info five days ago."
"You're underage. Flying alone from Kashgar to Shancheng, that's a long way. Of course I'm worried. Just call and ask," said Mrs. Ling.
"You were the one who said you didn't have time off work to come with me." Ling Zinan's voice rose in frustration. "And it's not like I'm going to be on my own. Someone will be at the airport to pick me up. Just drive me there, okay?"
"But what if something happens? It's not like you're the only one going. It's a huge event, and they can't keep an eye on everyone. If it comes to that, I'll just buy my own ticket," Mrs. Ling said, her concerns very reasonable.
She had once opposed her son's idol obsession, worried it would affect his studies.
But after seeing the positive impact—like how he had started waking up early to study—and his decent performance in the recent high school entrance exam, she had slowly come around.
"Fine, you buy your own ticket," Ling Zinan muttered. He didn't want to trouble anyone. More than that, he felt that suddenly changing plans like this in front of strangers would be humiliating. He would rather let his mother spend more money.
Mrs. Ling didn't mind. She walked back to her room, saying, "I'll book it now."
Since they would need to stay one night, she also had to pack.
"Could've said so earlier," Ling Zinan grumbled.
Four or five days earlier, a staff member from the Orange Grove Festival had called him. Because he was a minor, he was allowed to bring one or two guardians along, all expenses paid.
He had declined at the time, but the staff had him add the woman handling airport pickups on WeChat just in case.
"I really don't see what's so worrying," he muttered, grabbing a cold bottle of water from the fridge—only to spot his dad's little thermos.
Like father, like son. Ling Zinan loved cold drinks, and so did his father. But the man was frugal. He never bought bottled water or soda, always boiling water at home and chilling it in a thermos.
Ling Zinan suddenly realized the round-trip airfare wasn't cheap.
Thinking of that, he clenched his teeth. He still couldn't bring himself to call, but he messaged the festival staff.
He sent a couple of emoji stickers to lighten the mood, then explained the situation. He had expected it to be difficult. After all, the flight to Shancheng was departing in just over ten hours. Wasn't asking to add a person now just taking advantage of their kindness?
To his surprise, the staff member agreed immediately. Because he had already filled out the guardian consent form earlier, they already had his mother's information. Everything was processed quickly.
"Wait, it's done?" Ling Zinan was still in disbelief. Only after receiving the new flight info ten minutes later did he snap out of it.
He burst into his mother's room.
"Mom, did you buy the ticket yet?"
"Not yet. I was just about to," Mrs. Ling replied.
"No need. I told the staff, and they've already booked your ticket," he said proudly.
Mrs. Ling's eyes lit up. Saving money was always a plus. "So where's the gathering being held? I'll book a hotel nearby."
"No need for that either," said Ling Zinan, his voice smug. "They already booked everything."
"Huh?" Mrs. Ling's smile froze.
She could understand a celebrity holding a fan event and covering food, lodging, and transportation. That alone was a huge gesture of generosity.
But they also covered travel for the parents? From her perspective, this Chu Zhi was either a saint... or a fool.
Or maybe this was a scam.
"Zinan... this event… it's real, right?" Mrs. Ling hesitated for a long time before asking.
"Of course it's real," Ling Zinan said. "You can even call the Shancheng mayor's office. Ask if the event is registered. You can look up the company too."
"Right. That was possible." Mrs. Ling quickly dialed the city's 24-hour mayoral hotline. After a few minutes in the queue, someone picked up.
"Ma'am, are you inquiring whether the celebrity Chu Zhi is holding a fan meet on September seventh in Shancheng?" the hotline staff asked.
"Yes, that's exactly it," she replied.
"We've checked our records. There is indeed a registered 'Mid-size Fan Meet' taking place on September seventh at the Expo Center on Yuelai Avenue in the YB District. The organizing company is Taiyang Chuanhe Entertainment, based in Modu. The event's lead planner is Chu Zhi himself."
"So it's real?" she asked again.
"Yes, ma'am."
Now Mrs. Ling could finally relax. "Still, this Chu Zhi fellow… was he just throwing money around like water? Or was he truly just a good person?"
With her doubts gone and no money to spend, Mrs. Ling's cheerful expression returned.
The next day, Ling Zinan and his mother boarded the flight from Kashgar to Shancheng.
High above the clouds, thousands of meters in the air, his heart felt suspended. Of course he was excited to see his idol, but… would having his mother come along be awkward?
Mrs. Ling, on the other hand, had never been a fangirl in her entire life. This trip was about one thing only—making sure her son was safe.
Three and a half hours later, they landed at Jiangbei Airport.
The Orange Grove Festival had officially begun!