"Pauline, trust me, you're going to love them. Really."
"They're amazing, you can't imagine that music could be like this; and their lead singer is truly captivating."
"I want to put earphones in everyone's ears right now and let them listen to August 31st's music. No one should miss out on this."
"I can't believe I've only just discovered this gem."
"They're worth it. Truly."
"By the way, did I mention? The lead singer is really charming!"
Blah, blah.
Pauline widened her eyes and looked innocently at Camilla, blinking.
Although she didn't say anything, Camilla understood immediately and gave a dry laugh, "Haha, haha. Looks like I've already mentioned that."
More than once!
Pauline looked at the chattering Camilla, whose joy and happiness were so genuine that it seemed to light up the whole world.
Originally, Pauline was worried that Camilla would die of heartbreak; but now it seemed she might need to worry about Camilla getting overly excited to the point of oxygen deprivation.
The scene was a bit funny.
Unable to hold back, Pauline's curiosity slowly started to grow—
No matter what, anything that could make Camilla snap out of her slump and pain overnight and quickly bounce back was a good thing.
What's more, Pauline had known Camilla for quite some time, and she had never seen Camilla like this, especially not for a band. "Crazy" wouldn't be an overstatement.
One afternoon, one evening, and she's already this obsessed?
Just now, all morning, Camilla had been muttering about how to make more people aware of the band's European street tour website.
Camilla considered going door to door to promote it but was worried she'd be mistaken for a missionary, and the efficiency of such promotion would be too low. In the end, the internet was more convenient, allowing more people to find out.
Then, while studying it, Camilla discovered the website's secret—
On that website, the band's latest information is updated every morning: in which city, at what location, and at what specific time they would perform.
Judging by the website's traffic, the promotional efforts were average; and the website's design didn't highlight the information prominently. It was more like a treasure, requiring time and effort to uncover.
If you're not careful, you might miss the hidden information.
This approach wasn't conducive to mass publicity or widespread dissemination; but on the other hand, it allowed the band to spread among a niche group of music fans.
Come to think of it, the band had been doing street performances without much fanfare, focusing not on mass promotion but on finding niche music lovers who truly appreciate music and cherish innovation.
The target was precisely defined.
This fit perfectly with the band's musical style.
Because of this, Camilla became even happier and more excited—
If you don't like it, you don't like it; but those who do are 100% die-hard fans.
At least, that's how Camilla interpreted it. She liked August 31st even more. This band was like a treasure—the more you dig, the more surprises you find.
Then.
Camilla excitedly made up her mind to go to the band's street performance that afternoon, dragging Pauline along with her.
Even though she had just experienced the live performance last evening, Camilla was still determined.
"Yesterday's performance wasn't complete; I only got to enjoy a few songs. Today I must get there on time and enjoy the full performance."
Pauline: ...
Pauline tried to remind her that a street performance doesn't have a complete or incomplete show. Were they really going to stand on the sidewalk for three hours to watch the performance?
That's a bit crazy.
But on second thought, it was precisely because of the craziness that it was worth the challenge.
Pauline had watched movies, operas, stage plays, and concerts, but had never experienced a complete concert on the street for three hours—
What would that even be like?
Interesting? Boring? Chaotic? Crowded? Full of surprises? A mess? A delightful experience?
It's hard to predict.
Pauline couldn't guess. She herself hadn't realized that her curiosity was also being piqued.
Then, just like that, Pauline followed Camilla's lead in a daze.
They were now heading to Luxembourg Gardens. According to the website, the band was set to start their performance at 3 PM on the street next to Luxembourg Gardens.
Thinking about it, Pauline looked at Camilla uncertainly.
"Luxembourg Gardens, where exactly?"
"Inside the park or outside? If outside, is it on the side near the Seine or the other side?"
"The park is huge. Are we going to have to run around the whole outside? If so, we might be exhausted before we even find where the band is playing."
"Camilla, don't forget, you didn't sleep at all last night."
A series of questions left Camilla stumped, mumbling that she didn't know how to respond.
Because there was no information on the website.
Pauline rubbed her forehead, "Why do I feel like this band doesn't want to succeed?"
Pfft.
Thinking about it, Camilla couldn't argue and couldn't help but laugh, "I feel the same way. It's like they didn't put much thought into the promotion, deliberately making it harder by setting up riddles for us to solve."
"But!"
"Pauline, don't you find this more interesting? Doesn't it stir your curiosity, making you eager to explore more deeply?"
"The puzzle-solving process is part of the fun."
Pauline froze, "Oh. That works too."
Come to think of it, Pauline's curiosity was being stirred in exactly this way.
As they spoke, the subway arrived at their stop.
Following the bustling weekend crowd, Camilla and Pauline left the subway. Since they didn't know the band's exact performance location, they randomly picked an exit to go above ground and bask in the sunlight.
"Clockwise or counterclockwise? Let's check around the perimeter first."
"Yesterday, they performed inside the subway station, then outside the subway exit. So today, they probably won't be too far from the subway exit either."
"Alright, let's check near the exits first."
As they spoke, they reached the ground. Just as they were about to look around to get their bearings, both Camilla and Pauline's eyes were drawn in the same direction:
A crowd.
A bustling, dense crowd was surging in one direction.
The key wasn't the moving crowd itself, which was just thirty or fifty people, slightly noticeable. The key was the direction they were moving. In the distance, a corner of the crowded area could be seen, with at least several hundred people.
Camilla: "Pauline!"
Pauline: "Camilla!"
The two exchanged a glance, a tacit understanding flashing in their eyes.
No words were needed. They followed the flow of the crowd, tiptoeing to see the scene ahead. The crowd layered upon layer unfolded before them.
Pauline: ???
"Camilla, didn't you say they were unknown? The website was deserted? This doesn't seem like a performance by your band. Maybe it's some other event happening this afternoon?"
"Oh no, your band might be completely overshadowed by this crowd."
Camilla: "No, that's them. Anson! That's Anson!"
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