Chapter 59: Do Not Let Your Youth Slip Away, Lest You Are Left With Only Empty Regret!

The first climax concluded, and once again the students’ chorus echoed across the stage.

“If the youth are wise, so is the nation.”
“If the youth are prosperous, so is the nation.”
“If the youth are strong, so is the nation.”
“If the youth are free, so is the nation.”

Downstage, the male celebrity who had just mocked Xu Ze backstage, along with his companions, were now utterly stunned by Xu Ze’s performance. Such a grand, stirring anthem of the main theme—he knew in his heart it was something he could never hope to achieve in his entire life.

He sighed.

Only now did he truly comprehend the vast gulf between himself and Xu Ze. No wonder top-tier actress Zhang Yingjing and the chief director of Yangtai both showed such favor to Xu Ze, a newcomer without any apparent backing. It was all because he deserved it—deserved to be befriended by people of such stature as Zhang Yingjing and Director Chen.

Regret welled up in him for his own foolish arrogance in mocking someone else. Now, the opportunity to befriend Xu Ze was lost forever.

As the chorus ended, the students who stood in two groups all turned to Xu Ze, and the main spotlight gathered once more on him.

Xu Ze stood on stage—not clad in ornate costume or heavy makeup, but simply in an ordinary white shirt, yet exuding a striking and youthful charm.

He picked up the microphone and began to sing again:

“The sword newly honed, its edge revealed.
Heaven’s vastness above, earth’s golden fields below.
Stretching through the ages, spanning the world’s expanse.
The future is boundless, and the days ahead are long.”

One could not help but marvel at the prose from a century ago—its vision reaching across time, its words sweeping over the universe. It embodied the grandeur and majesty of China.

In the audience, the little boy who had earlier declared he wanted to be like Wang Yihan wiped away his tears, his eyes now shining as he gazed at Xu Ze on stage.

Pointing at Xu Ze, he turned to his mother and said, “Mom, I don’t want to be like that fast-singing brother anymore. I’ve changed my mind. I want to be like the brother on stage right now!”

His mother lovingly patted his head, her face filled with joy. “That’s my good boy. When you grow up, you should become someone like the brother on stage. Remember his name—it’s Xu Ze.”

“I will! I remember—his name is Xu Ze!” the boy replied, nodding vigorously.

Backstage, Wang Yihan watched Xu Ze’s performance on the live feed in the lounge, his heart full of bewilderment.

“Why? Why is he so calm and composed?”

Xu Ze’s every move since stepping on stage, every lyric sung, had been flawless. His stage movements were fluid, adapting seamlessly to the meaning of each line. His breath control was steady, every note executed perfectly.

Steady as a veteran!

Was this really a newcomer?

Wang Yihan was shaken to his core. He began to feel that perhaps Xu Ze was more suited to be a mentor, while he, in front of Xu Ze, could only be a student.

At that moment, the song reached its final choral crescendo. Xu Ze joined the students on stage for a resounding chorus:

“The youth possess their own wildness!
Hearts ablaze, shining with a thousand rays!
No matter the obstacles, I will forge ahead!
Today, I am the youth who stands tall!
The sky is high, the sea wide, stretching for ten thousand miles!
The youth of China, brimming with spirit!
Strive to be strong, to become the pillars of the nation!
To never fail our youth!”

The barrage of comments in the live stream erupted for Xu Ze:

“Are we sure this song doesn’t belong on the Spring Festival Gala?”
“Agreed! I think it could easily close the gala!”
“I cried listening to this. No regrets being born in China—if there’s a next life, let me be Chinese again!”
“I declare: for the rest of my life, I’ll only be Xu Ze’s fan!”
“Agree +1!”
...

In the audience, Zhang Yingjing gazed at Xu Ze, once again marveling at his talent. The lyrics drew seamlessly from Liang Qichao’s works, the accompaniment featured classical instruments, and every rhyme in the lyrics rang with the “ang” sound, making the high notes resound with grandeur. The arrangement and the interweaving of song and performance were flawless.

In her eyes, Xu Ze was already the undisputed leading young lyricist and composer of the current music scene. His future was limitless.

Finally, the music softened.

Xu Ze’s clear, pure voice echoed in the hall:

“Strive to be strong, to become the pillars of the nation~
To never fail our youth…!”

Thus ended this song—a performance across a century, in silent conversation with the late Mr. Liang Qichao.

At this moment, everyone present was moved to tears. This was a collision across time, sparking a blazing fire in the hearts of the audience.

One by one, members of the audience began to rise and applaud Xu Ze. Today, Xu Ze truly deserved their respect.

Soon, one, then two, then three—more and more people stood up. Gradually, over a thousand spectators were on their feet, applauding Xu Ze.

In the front row, every leader also rose, their faces beaming with satisfaction, to applaud this young “youth” on stage.

Thunderous applause filled the hall.

The more than twenty students on stage, their faces flushed with excitement at the continuous applause, stood motionless—for Xu Ze’s performance was not yet finished.

At that moment, a large screen behind Xu Ze slowly displayed a passage of poetry, written in bold, sweeping calligraphy.

Xu Ze lifted the microphone and, with a steady and powerful voice, proclaimed:

“How beautiful is my youthful China—may she never age with the sky!
How magnificent are China’s youth—may the nation’s glory never end!
Thirty years of fame, dust and earth—eight thousand miles beneath clouds and moon!
Do not let time slip by, only to find your hair turned white in vain regret!”

The students joined Xu Ze, reciting in chorus:

“Thirty years of fame, dust and earth—eight thousand miles beneath clouds and moon!
Do not let time slip by, only to find your hair turned white in vain regret!”

Xu Ze bowed, concluding his performance.

At this moment, everyone who heard Xu Ze’s final words felt their faces flush, their blood surging.

In the live stream:

“Holy—what sort of lyric genius is Xu Ze?! These lyrics are incredible—my hair is standing on end!”
“I feel the same. These lyrics are majestic—‘eight thousand miles beneath clouds and moon’—the imagery is stunning!”
“I wish I’d heard Xu Ze’s ‘do not let time slip by, only to find your hair turned white’ sooner. Maybe I would have studied harder, instead of failing university and working on an assembly line now.”

In the audience, the leaders in the front row were all aglow, their eyes fixed intently on Xu Ze. His final lines displayed remarkable skill. Everyone knew what government departments lacked most these days—talented writers! It was rare to see someone like Xu Ze, able to craft such excellent essays and lyrics.

The head of the Education Bureau, beaming with satisfaction, turned to the director of Yangshi beside him and said, “You’ve done an excellent job organizing this event! Especially Xu Ze—you made the right choice inviting him!”

The director nodded quickly, smiling. “It was after I heard Xu Ze’s song that I insisted on inviting him!”

Although he said this, the truth was that when Director Chen suggested inviting Xu Ze as the finale singer, he had opposed it—he even suspected Chen of taking some private favor. Now, looking back, Director Chen truly had an eye for talent!