But now with Blair and Tinsorâs friendship that had blossomed within a short period of time, the tensed relationship between the Nolans and the Jaquins seemed to show signs of waning.
Of course, this was all thanks to Ashlyn, who beat up the two and ended up converting them into her fanboys.
After that round of beating, both Blair and Tinsor somehow found each other interesting companions to have fun with other than fanboying over Ashlyn togetherâ¦
Right then, the lights of the Concert Hall dimmed, and the two emcees went on stage.
The duo consisted of a man and a woman, of whom both were the most famous emcees of Lake City TV Station.
After a brief opening note and a round of congratulatory praises for National Day, the female emcee announced excitedly, âFor the first performance, we shall invite the most famous idol pop star of the country, Jonathan Quickton to perform the song âPeace and Gloryâ!â
The spectators were all stunned in their places and failed to react even after the emcees have left the stage.
âJonathan Quickton?â
âJonathan Quickton is opening the Gala?â
âAnd he is performing the famous Peace and Glory! I heard that song was composed by an unknown composer five years ago to praise the glory of our country. But the said composer has never revealed himself all these years. Many have speculated the composer to be Snowstorm, but Snowstorm himself has never clarified this speculation around him.â
âYes, indeed! Although Peace and Glory is a song from five years ago, it is always performed on such patriotic occasions. But now⦠Jonathan is singing that song? Isnât he an idol singer who sings pop songs? An idol like him singing a patriotic song? Goodness, that sounds weird!â
âCan he even sing that song well? His image doesnât match that song at all!â
The spectators began to chatter in their seats after recovering from the surprise.
Even the VIPs were surprised by the announcement.
The voice of the director of Lake City TV Station trembled as he spoke, âHow on earth did Ms. Berry get Jonathan to perform in our program? This is Jonathan Quickton weâre talking about! So many TV stations have tried to invite him to perform at a very high price, yet he turned them all down! And now he actually came here?â
The director grabbed Mr. Fieldâs arms in excitement. âMr. Field, can you pinch me? Iâm not dreaming, right?â
âWhy are you getting all excited? Itâs just Jonathan Quickton!â Mr. Field never paid attention to the happenings in the world of showbiz, so he couldnât get the directorâs excitement over Jonathanâs presence.
The director explained so excitedly that his saliva almost flew around the table, âJonathan is the most popular idol in the country! Once we have Jonathan performing, then our programâs audience rating will be guaranteed! The fact that a pop star like him is singing a patriotic song is enough of a publicity stunt to promote our program! Goodness! Whatâs wrong with Ms. Berry? Why didnât she make use of Jonathan to promote our program! She should have made use of this opportunity to boost our audience rating! Why didnât she do that⦠what a waste! Indeed, she is inexperienced!â
When the director recovered from his excitement, he began to lament over the missed opportunity to promote their program.
If only we used Jonathan to promote our program, do I need to worry about the programâs popularity?
Do I even need to worry about the audience rating?
However, Mr. Field merely smiled. âAshlyn didnât want to rely on a mere publicity stunt to attract audience rating. You will know why she didnât make use of Jonathan to promote the program once you finish watching all the performances for the Gala Night.â
Mr. Field suddenly recalled Ashlynâs words when she had first accepted the task to direct the Gala Night. âIf I make use of Madeline Saundersâ fame as a publicity stunt, then we would have both the headlines and the audience rating. But what about next year? We cannot rely on mere publicity stunts to keep a program running. What we should emphasize is the quality of our program. We should attract more audience rating by putting out more high-quality programs for the Gala Night.â
She didnât even bother to make use of her own alter ego as the famous Madeline Saunders to promote her own program, let alone Jonathan, who was just an idol singer.
Lucas could hear their conversation clearly from his side.
He then took a sip of water from his own glass before adding, âNah, she just couldnât care less about the publicity.â
His words stunned the rest around his table.
Did⦠did Lucas just defend Ashlyn?
Goodness!
Why is Captain Nolan, who is also President Nolan of Nolan Group, speaking up for Ashlyn?
I thought he doesnât meddle in such affairs?
This cold and mighty man of the prestigious Nolan family⦠how on earth did he come to know of a mere director of an event program?
Various thoughts were running in the minds of the surrounding VIPs, but no one dared to voice out their doubts.
Following the first note of the music, Jonathan went on the stage in his black tuxedo. It was the first time he had dressed so formally since his debut, be it his attire, or his overall make-over.
He looked like a completely different person now with his current matured and staid vibe, especially when compared with his usually hot performances in his own concert.