"Ding――"
"Welcome back to Midsummer Night, we hope you have a pleasant day! The schedule for today's performances and activities can be viewed by clicking the top left corner of the Galaxy homepage. If you need any assistance, please feel free to seek help from on-site staff. The sponsorship for travel and accommodation expenses will be refunded to your Galaxy account within thirty days after the event ends! Once again, we sincerely hope you have a wonderful day!"
All the audience members who scanned the QR code to enter the park received this notification, causing a slight congestion at the entrance as people paused to read it.
The sky was covered with thick cumulus clouds resembling sheep's wool, occasionally blocking the sun, allowing for bright sunshine without becoming overly hot.
Many tourists eagerly took out their phones to take photos as soon as they entered, with the clouds above becoming the main subject of countless snapshots.
Xie Yun and Zhao Jiajia also stopped at the entrance, exclaiming in awe while frantically pressing the shutter button.
"Wow..."
"I've only seen this in cartoons, it's so beautiful!"
After taking photos, they put away their phones and looked at each other.
Zhao Jiajia counted on her fingers and said, "Today, I woke up naturally, had a leisurely meal and makeup session, and then came here, only waiting in line for ten minutes... Today is going so smoothly, it's like heaven is helping us!"
"And the weather is so good, not too hot, who understands me, I'm really so happy!"
"I do!"
The two of them were so excited that they almost hugged and cried right at the entrance.
Both of them had just finished the college entrance exam and were freshmen who had entered university last year. They didn't have much time or money to relax.
Xie Yun was a bit better off; she was a fan of a Random Entertainment artist and occasionally managed to grab cheap tickets, using weekends to attend fan events.
Zhao Jiajia, on the other hand, had it tougher. Being a fan of an international artist, she found it difficult to attend events, only able to relax by scrolling through her phone and watching performances.
This music festival was the first real relaxation they had experienced since the college entrance exam.
Looking around, the entire park was filled with fashionably dressed young women, occasionally interspersed with boys who had also put effort into their outfits.
This Midsummer Night Music Festival only had one event, with all spots being selected by lottery, totaling just over 50,000 slots. The number of applicants was close to 20 million, with some coming for the music festival and others for the 1,500 yuan subsidy.
After applying, they had almost no hope of being selected, even thinking that if they were lucky, only one of them might get in. To their surprise, both of them were selected. They even went crazy in the dormitory, causing a complaint from the neighboring dorm.
As first-timers at a music festival, the two girls were full of curiosity. Since the festival hadn't officially started yet, they decided to explore the park according to the map.
"Have you been to a music festival or concert before?" Xie Yun asked curiously. Domestic performances were generally expensive, and as a student, she didn't have much money, so she hadn't attended many. She thought Zhao Jiajia, being a fan of an international artist, might have been to a few.
But Zhao Jiajia also shook her head, "No, my family was too strict during high school, I didn't dare to show that I was a fan."
"Ah, it seems we're both pitiful people," Xie Yun said. The money she used for this trip was from her part-time job earnings, while Zhao Jiajia saved from her living expenses.
Although they didn't have to pay for the ticket, the expenses inside the park were not covered.
There was also a dedicated food street in the park, with over a hundred food trucks lined up, creating a spectacular scene.
"Wow――"
The two girls exclaimed at the sight of the endless food area.
It was only a little past eleven, and they had eaten before coming, but sometimes the mind doesn't care about the stomach's well-being, full of thoughts of wanting to try everything.
They remembered the instructions on the activity schedule, which stated that ordering in the food area was done through the Galaxy app. After placing an order and paying, the food truck would start making the food, and they would be notified when it was ready to be picked up.
They found a seat in the food area and sat down, starting to browse the menu.
With a total of 147 food trucks, the menu was extensive, and the two of them spent a long time just looking through it.
"We just ate, so we're not that hungry, let's just order some snacks," Zhao Jiajia wasn't hungry, but she was craving something, and luckily, Xie Yun felt the same.
After looking for a while, they finally chose a Crispy Roll Fried Potato.
At the moment, some people were already eating here, and the app showed estimated delivery times, with some options needing to wait for half an hour.
The fried potato they chose was a popular snack, requiring a wait of twenty minutes.
Waiting here idly was boring, so the two of them started studying the activity map again.
The park was enormous, divided into several sections, with multiple food areas to accommodate the 50,000 people eating at the same time.
The food area they were in was the closest to the entrance, and since many people had just entered, it was packed with people.
Not far away was a shopping area, selling clothes, cosmetics, and some small accessories for decoration. Many brands had set up activity landmarks there for tourists to take photos.
"…I was originally worried if Random Entertainment would lose money like this, but now it seems I was overthinking," Xie Yun looked at the map. The map could be clicked and zoomed, showing the traffic and activities in the target area.
Over thirty brands had set up shop in the shopping area, and from the map, it was already glowing red, indicating many people had been there.
Various coffee and beverage brands also had small stalls set up throughout the park, allowing tourists to easily replenish their drinks.
Well-known fast-food brands were also present, so there was no need to worry about food.
Random Entertainment didn't have exclusive sponsors; any brand that wanted to enter could, and they didn't charge stall fees, only taking 10% of the sales.
This wasn't much, but they didn't rely on this to make money.
Besides the dining and shopping areas, there were also self-service zones for tourists to sing and have fun, though it was still early, and those areas were empty.
"Buzz buzz buzz――"
Their potato fries were ready, and their phones promptly notified them.
"I'll go get it, you stay here, or someone might take our spot," Xie Yun stood up, picked up her phone, and said.
"OK! Go ahead!" Zhao Jiajia hugged both their bags, just in case anything went missing.
There were people like them who were first-timers, and there were also those who had been to several events.
Places like music festivals, which allow the soul to relax, are addictive. Once you go, you want to go again, especially with Random Entertainment, which provides excellent basic services, leaving a deep impression.
The Midsummer Music Festival happens every month, and some people have attended every single one, never missing a beat.
The show "Return to Midsummer Night" was extremely popular in its first two months, dominating the hot search whenever it aired. Later, as other variety shows and dramas emerged, the topic was taken over, but offline, it remained the king.
It basically sold out every time, earning over 50 million yuan per music festival, not to mention there were four a month. With peripheral revenue, even after costs, the profit was in the billions.
A small portion of the earnings was used to ensure a good reputation for the final event. Even if they didn't make a single yuan in the final event, it was worth it.
The online discussions in recent days showed that the show "Return to Midsummer Night" had once again reached the peak of its popularity, even higher than when it first aired.
The fact that the music festival was free attracted many people, not to mention the 1,500 yuan reimbursement.
At the moment, the venue was bustling with people entering, and online, there was no quiet either, with various on-site photos being shared, making those who weren't selected envious.
"Title: Gossip Discussion/Seems like everyone is curious about whether the music festival makes money, insider here, let me explain while I'm idle."
"First off, I'm just a stall owner in the food area, not too busy right now."
"Let's address the most curious question first, does it make money? The answer is yes, and a lot."
"Many music festival organizers sell stalls, trying to make more money."
"The main sources of income for the music festival are three: ticket sales, sponsorships, and booth fees."
"Tickets are usually sold by the organizers to ticketing companies at a price lower than the face value, and then they sell them. Some ticketing companies also distribute them to scalpers, so the price of the tickets has nothing to do with the organizers; they've already made their profit."
"Sponsorships usually come with a few million, and more famous ones offer even more. Of course, some music festivals don't have sponsors at all."
"Booth fees are pretty standard, usually a few tens of thousands. Sometimes, to recoup that cost, we have to set higher prices."
"The Midsummer Music Festival didn't charge us booth fees, but they take a 10% cut."
"All the merchants participating in the event are decided before the show starts. What we sell and the prices we set have to be approved by Random Entertainment. They don't let us set prices too high, fearing people can't afford it."
"If the price exceeds twenty yuan, they ask us to reconsider. Those who can't figure it out don't qualify to participate."
"That's why most of the food prices on-site are nineteen yuan and ninety cents."
"The brands are also restricted from setting prices higher than the official ones. To stay competitive, Random Entertainment encourages them to offer promotional prices to stimulate consumption. That's why there are so many competing brands in the park; Random Entertainment wants to stimulate competition between them, so they allow all of them to enter."
"We calculated that, even after deducting all costs and their donations, they still made billions."
"But what I want to say is, hosting a music festival is often a loss-making venture. Random Entertainment is one of the few that made such a huge profit. I guess it's unprecedented."
**Comment section:**
"Only a few billion? The festival lasted half a year; I thought they'd make tens of billions."
"What are you thinking? Don't you know how much Random Entertainment's costs are?"
"A net profit of a few billion, and the revenue must be even higher. Clearly, you're just a kid."
"A few billion isn't much? Even top-tier artists might not make a billion from a nationwide tour."
"No wonder everything is priced at 19.9."
"Random Entertainment gets me; they know I'm broke."
"Some companies are so dumb; it feels like they're just here to make a quick buck. Random Entertainment, on the other hand, is smart. They know good service is the key to continuous profits. Only by building a good reputation will people come back next time."
"Who knew? I went in fully prepared to be ripped off, but when I opened the app, all the prices were 19.9. I even went to ask the staff if the app was broken [Facepalm]."
"I'm so frustrated. It's almost over, and I haven't been able to go even once. I was busy before and planned to go to the last show, but then they switched to a lottery system [Smiling]."
"I'm going to fight you all, you lucky bastards!!"
The Midsummer Music Festival initially relied on Random Entertainment's marketing and later on the tourists' word of mouth, selling out every show and creating a legend in the domestic music market.
The venue was packed with people, but there wasn't a sense of overcrowding. Xie Yun and Zhao Jiajia strolled through the park with fries in hand.
They climbed up a small hill, where many people were sitting on the ground. From there, they could see the main stage's big screen, and it was close to another stage, making it convenient for switching performances.
Xie Yun, realizing this, exclaimed with joy, "We can sit here!"
Zhao Jiajia looked around and saw many people sitting on picnic mats with food on them.
"I think it's a good idea. While it's not too crowded, let's grab a spot quickly," Zhao Jiajia said, then started rummaging through her bag for their picnic mat.
There were several such small hills, with the advantage of not feeling crowded, but the downside was potentially less than ideal sound quality.
After spreading out their mat, they sat down and started planning.
"Let's order some more food. It's nice to eat while watching. Otherwise, if we order later, it'll be crowded, and we'll have to wait a long time," Zhao Jiajia suggested, and Xie Yun's eyes lit up. "That's exactly what I was thinking!"
The two food lovers huddled together to order more food.
At the same time, Ke Youming and his group were also figuring out how to order.
This time, they were here purely for fun, with no need to write reviews or observe the performances.
The few big guys, who hadn't had a chance to relax in a long time, showed their excitement.
Since seven of them together would be too conspicuous, they split up, each with their assistants and bodyguards.
Ke Youming was with Lu Zhao and Xu Zhiyuan, the so-called golden triangle.
None of them dressed up too much, just wearing hats and masks, looking low-key.
But in such a female-dominated event, they still attracted attention.
Ke Youming was busy studying the menu when Lu Zhao heard someone whispering behind them.
He pulled down his knit hat to cover his eyebrows and said to the other two, "It seems someone recognized us."
Xu Zhiyuan, focused on the food, didn't bother to look and waved his hand, "It's fine. Our agent said as long as our faces aren't exposed, it's okay."
"Then pull your mask up," Lu Zhao said, kicking him with his leg.
Before their official debut, their faces weren't allowed to be exposed. Even though everyone had already figured out who they were, their full faces couldn't be revealed.
Ke Youming, who had never been so indecisive even when taking the math exam, quickly chose a few items and handed the phone to the staff, asking, "Guys, what do you want to eat?"
He had already picked for his two teammates, knowing they couldn't eat sugary or oily foods, so their choices were limited.
"Where are we going to watch from? Can we get inside the fence?" Xu Zhiyuan asked Ke Youming.
Ke Youming sighed every time he heard such questions. In the eyes of his teammates, he seemed to know everything and could do anything.
"I don't know. Let's ask in the group chat later," he said helplessly.
Lu Zhao put down his phone and said, "I saw online that you can sit on the small hills; it's not crowded there."
"Then let's go there later. Do you know the way?" Ke Youming asked him.
"There are several small hills; any of them will do."
While they were talking, a group of girls around them were stealthily taking videos of them.
"Are they celebrities?"
"I don't know."
"Who cares who they are? With that body, I'm already crushing on the one with the knit hat. I want to be hugged to death by him."
"You're hopeless with your weird fetishes."
"Tsk, hehe, look over there."
"Oh my..."
"If you're my sister, go ask for a WeChat."
"Which one do you want?"
"The one in the jacket."
"They have this college boy vibe..."
"Do the boys in your college look like that?"
"Please, don't mention those overconfident 'kappas'."
They sat in the dining area, surrounded by full tables.
When their assistants and bodyguards went to get food, some girls bravely came over to ask for WeChat.
"Um, can I have your WeChat? My friend, um, wants your WeChat." The girl, probably nervous, had red ears. She kept glancing at her companions for support.
Ke Youming panicked, his eyes darting to his teammates and assistant.
The assistant at another table quickly came over. "Sorry, that might not be possible."
The assistant, new to the job, wasn't very good at handling such situations.
Ke Youming quickly added, "Sorry, really sorry." He then stood up and bowed to the girl's companions to apologize.
His two teammates at the table were already holding back laughter, their necks turning red.
After Ke Youming sat down, they immediately started teasing him.
“Add me on WeChat, add me on WeChat.”
“Just add her if she wants you to!”
“Get lost.”
They even shared this news in the group, only to find out that several other people had also been asked for their WeChat.
The tables were turned, and Ke Youming laughed at them, “Well, now it’s just the two of you who haven’t been asked for WeChat.”
“……”
-
At the same time, Jiang Wangran and the other two were preparing to go on stage. Today was the final day of the music festival, and they were opening the show, just like they did at the beginning of the event.
The first stage of the day was set to start at 1 PM, and with less than an hour to go, the staff mentioned that the front of the stage was already packed.
Chen Wu called the two guys who were stretching their wrists over and took a deep breath before saying, “…Today is the final performance. As I’ve always said, don’t get injured, don’t leave any regrets, and don’t worry too much about whether you look good on camera.”
As he spoke, he extended his hand, and Jiang Wangran and Sang Mo placed theirs on top. Chen Wu continued, “Our goal is—”
“To make everyone feel like they’re getting more than their money’s worth!”
Their show had a competitive element, though it wasn’t very obvious.
The ranking was based on the number of people in front of the stage, from highest to lowest. Popular groups could earn donation slots, with the donation amount funded by the organizer, Random Entertainment.
Before today’s final performance, they hadn’t met any of the families that would receive the donations. It wasn’t until a couple of days ago that the production team arranged a meeting, and Sang Mo and the others learned about the impact of the competition results during this period.
Although the three groups from Random Entertainment were very popular and had high popularity, they weren’t at the top of the rankings, fluctuating between the top five.
Last month, Equals3 secured their first first place in this season’s show, the only one among the three groups from Random Entertainment to achieve this.
Timetrain and AIcho had been hovering between second, third, and fourth places, with Timetrain’s most recent ranking being just 42 people short of first place.
After meeting those families, they couldn’t view the competition rankings as just a charity activity anymore.
Chen Wu and Sang Mo, who were both emotionally sensitive, still hadn’t recovered from the aftermath of the meeting a couple of days ago.
As soon as they picked up their guitars, they thought of the little girl with recurring osteomyelitis they had met. Before she even showed any emotion, the two of them were already hugging each other and crying. When they left, they almost wanted to leave their guitars with her.
Seeing the two of them looking gloomy again, Jiang Wangran said, “Get into the zone. Don’t think about that right now, or else your makeup will smudge and won’t be fixable.”
Sang Mo let out a long breath and shook his hands. “Today’s goal is simple: blow the roof off this place.”
They were about to say more when the staff in front suddenly called out their names.
“Equals3, get ready—”
The moment the words fell, the music for the opening performance started playing in the distance.
The staff here also began to move, carrying their guitars toward the backstage.
The makeup and styling teachers also grabbed their waist bags and followed them.
On stage, DanceCrew was performing, and the screams from the audience were so loud that they even pierced through the accompaniment and reached the backstage.
Even with earpieces on, the three of them could hear the deafening cheers.
It was just like the first day they stepped onto the stage—that mix of nervousness and excitement surged back to them—
Hope everyone stays healthy! It’s getting colder and colder, so be sure to take care!
-
