Chapter 134: The Gathering of the Stars

Two days later, Zhou Miao arrived at the Olympic Organizing Committee office with the recorded song. A showcase for the theme song was scheduled for that morning, where a decision would be made on whether to adopt his entry.

After exchanging brief greetings with those in the office, Zhou Miao copied the audio file onto the computer and, without further ado, played it.

The sound of energetic footsteps rang out, accompanied by the cheerful chirping of cuckoos, the ringing of bicycle bells, the rhythmic sound of sweeping, and the vocal warm-ups of a traditional opera performer—all blending together to evoke a morning full of Beijing’s distinctive spirit.

This was a portion of the original arrangement that Zhou Miao had specifically retained. Judging by the reactions of those present, the opening clearly caught their attention.

Then, Zhou Miao’s voice began:

"Greeting another dawn, bringing in fresh air,
The atmosphere shifts, but the sentiment remains; the tea’s fragrance drifts with friendship.
The gates of my home are always open, waiting for you with open arms.
Once we embrace, a silent understanding forms; you will fall in love with this place.
Whether from near or far, you are all guests, please make yourselves at home.
We have an appointment to be together; we welcome you."

The members of the Olympic Organizing Committee were not professional musicians, but they possessed a basic capacity for musical appreciation. Furthermore, due to their positions, they understood better than any professional artist what kind of song was suitable for the Winter Olympics theme.

Judging solely by the prelude and the lyrics of the verse, the song was already a success—the melody was catchy, and the lyrics were accessible and perfectly aligned with the theme.

When the chorus arrived, the impassioned melody and lyrics stirred the hearts of everyone present, prompting them to tap along to the rhythm involuntarily.

"Beijing welcomes you, opening up new horizons for you,
The charm in its flow is full of vitality.
Beijing welcomes you, sharing breaths under the sun,
Setting new records on this yellow earth!"

The arrangement was a masterpiece. The ethnic drums in the chorus provided the backbone of the song, while the addition of traditional instruments like the bamboo flute, guzheng, erhu, and pipa made the entire piece incredibly rich and vibrant.

What was even more commendable was the ingenious fusion of these ethnic instruments with Western strings; they complemented and elevated one another in perfect harmony.

As the song ended, there was a long silence in the room as everyone savored the soul-stirring audio-visual feast. After a while, the head of the organizing committee started the applause, and soon the office erupted in thunderous clapping. Seeing this, Zhou Miao finally exhaled; his fists, clenched behind his back, had turned white from tension.

The official stood up and asked, "What is the name of this song?"

"Beijing Welcomes You."

The official pondered for a moment and nodded. "Good. That’s a good name. Tell you what, clear your schedule. We need to shoot the music video as soon as possible and get it promoted; time is running short."

Zhou Miao smiled and replied, "I have a proposal, if you’re open to it."

"Go ahead."

"I would like to invite 100 celebrities from the entertainment industry with good reputations and high standing to perform this song together. At the same time, we could have them film the music video at various iconic locations in Beijing. I believe this would create a massive impact and influence." Zhou Miao said earnestly.

The moment he said this, everyone in the room was stunned. One hundred celebrities, all of them influential—was this a joke?

However, amidst his surprise, the official began to weigh the feasibility and potential of Zhou Miao’s proposal. He took a sip of tea and pondered for a long time. Zhou Miao stood calmly, waiting for the decision.

Finally, the official set down his teacup and said, "Alright, let’s do it your way. We will decide on the list together. Get everyone to Beijing within a week!"

Once the order was given, it was no longer a question of whether it could be done, but how to execute it.

Time was tight. Zhou Miao stayed up all night at the Organizing Committee office, working with the team to select 100 eligible stars and 10 backups.

The Organizing Committee then handled the invitations, while Zhou Miao returned to Rainbow Records to divide the lyrics among the artists based on their vocal ranges.

《Beijing Welcomes You》 was already a long song, but with 100 stars, each person only got one line, and in some cases, two or three people shared one. The workload was immense; Zhou Miao spent three straight days holed up in the studio, listening to the work of every artist to ensure a perfect fit.

As the notified celebrities arrived in Beijing one after another, they reported to Rainbow Records to record their parts under Zhou Miao's supervision. Immediately after recording, they rushed to various landmarks to film the music video. Yet, not a single one complained; instead, they all felt a deep sense of pride.

There were so many stars in the industry, but only these one hundred had been chosen to sing for the nation. They were all grateful to Zhou Miao for his suggestion.

The constant flow of A-list stars in and out of Rainbow Records began to attract the attention of the media, and soon, rumors were flying everywhere.

Some said Rainbow had raised a billion dollars to buy out half the entertainment industry, while others claimed they were spending tens of billions to poach talent from rival companies. The public was left bewildered.

With the support of all parties, it took Zhou Miao a week and a half to finalize the recording of 《Beijing Welcomes You》. The music video was edited simultaneously, and the Organizing Committee wasted no time in releasing it for promotion.

Chen Ke, who was sipping tea, saw the official post from the Organizing Committee and sprayed tea all over his wife’s face.

Ignoring his wife’s reaction, he stared at the screen and clicked the link. Song Title: 《Beijing Welcomes You》; Lyrics: Zhou Miao; Composition: Zhou Miao; Arrangement: Professors from the Central Conservatory of Music; Performers: All-Stars.

How the hell was it so fast? Written and recorded in less than twenty days? And this was the Winter Olympics theme song!

He could write several ordinary songs in a day, but whenever he wrote for major events, he was extremely cautious; a month was considered fast. This kid was incredibly efficient.

Muttering to himself, Chen Ke clicked on the music video. He finally realized what "All-Stars" meant. Aside from the little girl Zhou Miao had found from the Beijing Children's Choir at the beginning, everyone else was a major celebrity!

Zhou Miao, Zhao Li, Brother Long, Ding Jieyu, Huang Chengxi, Ye Ziyu...

Singers, actors, legendary artists—every big name in the entertainment industry was here!

And the song itself was...

After pulling his goatee and listening to it over a dozen times with a frown, Chen Ke finally let out a long sigh. "The younger generation is truly formidable."

The general public was also stunned by the super-luxury lineup after watching the music video. This was arguably the strongest performance lineup in Chinese history—bar none!

Beyond the cast, the song itself delivered an impact that was just as powerful as the lineup.

From the day of its release, a musical hurricane titled 《Beijing Welcomes You》 swept through every street and alley in the country. Everyone, young and old, could hum along.

The sheer scale of this influence left the industry sighing, "This Zhou Miao... he is truly terrifying."