Serve the Country with Utmost Loyalty

Lin Chudong stood in the backstage wing. The musicians behind him were ready too, already changed into their outfits and waiting for the host's introduction.

When Shen Jianbin came offstage, he saw Lin Chudong's outfit and frowned slightly.

What kind of look was that?

Pretty distinctive, huh?

Onstage, the four hosts, including Cheng Huanhuan, delivered their introduction with stirring fervor.

"Our motherland grows stronger by the day. Every step forward reminds us not to forget our history."

"Eighty years ago, the Marco Polo Bridge Incident marked the beginning of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression."

"During this festive moment, we must not forget the martyrs who once fought for our people."

One old photograph after another appeared on the giant screen.

They were all veterans who had fought in the war. Each wore a chest full of medals. Though advanced in years, they still looked spirited and strong.

Those wartime photographs stirred a deep sense of humiliation in everyone.

"We must make ourselves stronger!"

"Like those martyrs and our predecessors, we must fight for our country and our homes!"

"Let us remember history, remember these martyrs, and remember every battle fought for peace!"

The hosts' impassioned words moved everyone present, as well as all the viewers at home. Even those who loved posting bullet comments had grown solemn.

"We must make ourselves stronger!"

"We must make ourselves stronger!"

The blood in everyone's veins was surging.

Backstage, Shen Jianbin shook his head.

"These directors love this kind of grand, uplifting message. Is Da Fei even going onstage or not?"

Sun Jie sneered. "What would be the point of Da Fei going on now? To go up there and be cannon fodder?"

Shen Jianbin smiled. "Let's see how the cannon fodder turns things around."

Su Yulin, however, wore a cool expression. She believed in Da Fei. There was no way he would try to grab attention at a time like this.

"Everyone is responsible for the fate of the nation."

"Let us learn from our predecessors, never forget our country, and serve it with utmost loyalty!"

"Next, please welcome Liang Yin Band, who will perform their new song, 'Serve the Country with Utmost Loyalty'!"

The lengthy introduction had carried the audience's emotions from entertainment to patriotic fervor.

And Lin Chudong's entrance pushed the gala's excitement to its peak.

"Holy crap, Da Fei's here! Da Fei in a Zhongshan suit looks pretty handsome!"

"Da Fei's dressed so formally. He isn't even wearing his usual denim outfit? This is my first time seeing him in a Zhongshan suit. I love this look!"

"And he didn't bring his guitar. Didn't people used to say Da Fei couldn't sing without one?"

"That was just a running joke. Da Fei can play all kinds of instruments. He's great on the piano too."

"What's with this intro? It feels so grand and majestic!"

"Da Fei's not singing pop anymore? This sudden change in style caught me off guard!"

"From the intro, this song still seems like it might be pop."

"..."

Jing Feifei's hands rested on the piano keys. Dressed in a qipao, her graceful figure made her every young man's dream.

Jia Lu held a pair of drumsticks. Her red gown gave her a spirited air, and she was every bit as impressive as any man!

The orchestral musicians stood on either side. Wearing a Zhongshan suit and holding a microphone, Lin Chudong stood at the very center of the stage.

The moment he began to sing, his voice was breathtaking!

"Smoke signals rise, the land lies northward in my gaze

Dragons rise, horses gallop, sword blades gleam like frost

My heart is as boundless as the Yellow River

Who could stand against us through twenty years of strife?

Fury surges, my blade points forward

So many brothers, their loyal souls buried far from home

I would gladly die a hundred times for my country

I swallow my grief, speechless, tears of blood filling my eyes..."

The song's stirring lyrics sent chills down every audience member's spine.

Lin Chudong's presence was like that of a thousand armies. The audience felt as if they had been transported onto a desolate battlefield.

"Ahhh! I can't hold back this fervor in my heart! I want to fight for my country!"

"Now this is the real ace up Da Fei's sleeve! Rock, 'Human Faith'—compared to this, they're child's play!"

"Da Fei is the GOAT! I can already picture my great-grandfather fighting the enemy on the battlefield!"

"..."

Jing Feifei's hands raced over the keys, building the harmonies and raising the chords. The orchestral instruments filled out every voice part, while Jia Lu's hands moved swiftly, driving the emotion to its peak in an instant.

The veins stood out on Lin Chudong's neck. His sharply defined jawline showed off his masculine beauty.

"Hooves go south, people look north."

"People gaze north as grass turns yellow and dust fills the sky."

"I would defend the land and expand the territory."

"Majestic China will have the four corners of the world come pay their respects!"

On the final sustained note, Lin Chudong's steady breath control was on full display. His top-tier singing skill and captivating stage presence brought the song to perfection.

Sun Xuan nodded approvingly from below. As expected of Da Fei! He was incredible!

The title of musical genius was well deserved.

This song had elevated the gala to a whole new level!

Sun Xuan felt that it could easily have been a Spring Festival Gala performance!

Liang Yin, Wang Zhi, and the others were so moved that tears filled their eyes.

"Brother Fei is incredible."

Wang Zhi's excitement was beyond words. Thousands of thoughts crowded his mind, but he could only manage that one sentence. It was a shame his bass couldn't be brought onstage; otherwise, standing up there himself would have felt even better.

Liang Yin's cheeks flushed with excitement. "Da Fei is really going to become famous this time."

Backstage, Shen Jianbin's expression darkened.

"I planned for every possibility, but I never expected Da Fei to have this up his sleeve!"

Sun Jie was frustrated too.

"Why has he never written a song like this before?"

Shen Jianbin snapped, "You ask me? Who the hell should I ask?"

After that, the Da Fei Band fell silent as the grave.

Whether in its live impact or musicality, the song overwhelmingly surpassed "Human Faith."

Rock's milestone, the new song that was supposed to outdo him, whether it would blow up the stage or not—compared with "Serve the Country with Utmost Loyalty," it had all become child's play.

With a theme like this, Shen Jianbin didn't have a single song that could compete.

The perfect match between the theme and the occasion, combined with the hosts' earlier work building the atmosphere, the patriotic fervor of the Chinese people, and Da Fei and his band's flawless performance, had made the song more explosive than anything before it!

"Majestic China will have the four corners of the world... come pay their respects!"

The final chorus came to an end.

Lin Chudong held an impossibly long note without taking a breath, and the entire audience rose to their feet and applauded.

The bullet comments exploded too!

"Ahhh! Move aside! I'm going to kowtow to Da Fei! I underestimated him earlier. I was wrong!"

"I'll wash my hair standing on my head! Da Fei left Wu Bo so far behind that there's not even any dust left!"

"Patriotism—that's the source of the fervor in our bones! Enough talk, I'm going to enlist."

"I'm in! Take me with you. I'll gladly shed blood for my country too!"

"Serve the Country with Utmost Loyalty—I'm getting those four characters tattooed on my back!"

"As a veteran, I'm in tears. How does Da Fei sing so well? He sang straight to my heart."

"Next time I visit my grandfather's grave, I'll play this song by Da Fei!"

"Da Fei, go on the Spring Festival Gala!"

"Da Fei, Spring Festival Gala! Da Fei, Spring Festival Gala!"

"If Da Fei isn't on the Spring Festival Gala, I'm not watching!"

In an instant, the topic of Da Fei appearing on the Spring Festival Gala soared in popularity. After all, once the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala ended, people would start looking forward to the Spring Festival Gala. With a song like this, everyone was eager to see just how spectacular Da Fei would be on that stage.

Sun Xuan said, "Hosts, hurry onstage and get ready for the next segment!"

Only then did Cheng Huanhuan and the others snap out of it. They quickly walked onto the stage to take over from Da Fei.

"Thank you to Liang Yin Band for that wonderful performance. I believe this song will soon become a beloved classic known to every household."

"Please give Liang Yin Band another round of applause!"