"Horman, I didn't see you at the club. Did your flight have some problem?
Tonight Secret Los Angeles has a batch of new sisters from Ermao. Oh, the difference between the East Slavic and Scottish looks is just too huge. You're getting the short end of the stick."
Leighton, the main vocalist, had promised his friends to check out Secret Los Angeles that evening, but now no one showed up and the phone wasn't connecting.
Finally, at eleven p.m., he got through. Leighton, a true bro, immediately dialed after his girlfriend played around with the phone.
Once connected, Leighton rattled off a ton of stuff, but the other side stayed silent, like a swamp swallowing words. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he hurriedly pulled on his underwear, got out of bed, stood on the windowsill, and shivered a bit as the wind hit his legs.
"Could the flight really have had a problem?" Leighton panicked. He'd given Horman thirty million dollars to set up a business together.
Shit, this can't go wrong! Leighton silently prayed for his close friend.
Everyone attending Woodstock more or less knew a music festival would only bring trouble.
"Leighton," Horman's voice finally came through after a long pause.
"Horman, don't be so silent, damn it! What about your 'fuck' and 'bullshit'?" Leighton shouted.
"I finally understand," Horman said. "No wonder, even though you used to be such a staunch anti-Chinese guy, you'd love a Chinese star so much."
"?" Leighton blinked.
"Because Chu Zhi is destined to be a great singer!" Horman said each word with weight.
"?" Leighton repeated.
"He won't just become a symbol of the times. Our era will be forever lucky to have a singer like him," Horman continued.
Leighton asked, bewildered, "What are you even saying?"
"Hungarian ATV will air a program in three days, or you can check Rolling Stone to see what your idol has done this time," Horman explained.
ATV wasn't as slow as Horman implied. The show could've aired in two days, but Barnes used a few contacts to adjust the schedule. Since Rolling Stone would release on the 22nd, it made sense to synchronize them. Horman overheard this plan.
"What the hell?" Leighton stared at his phone. The other side had already hung up. A gust of cold wind blew, he sneezed, and quickly crawled back under his warm blanket. It was just a bit chilly by the window—Los Angeles autumn barely touched the teens in degrees.
A little weird, but as long as his close friend was alive, Leighton resumed his rest.
The club's Ragdolls really liked servicing guys like Leighton, not because of fame. Most of Secret Los Angeles' clientele were rich, and Leighton was popular mostly because he didn't spend too long…
From Lagos to Los Angeles, over twelve thousand kilometers, the cities couldn't be more different.
The Sahel situation was resolved. Chu Zhi left Lagos on the 20th, flew Qatar Airways to Dubai, and immediately got a call from Gazi.
Little Fruits who had met Chu Zhi offline, like Gazi, Gu Hyo-yan, and Monica, usually only messaged him on holidays. Now Gazi called suddenly, and Emperor Beast probably knew why.
"The festival went smoothly. Didn't expect brother Jiu to dance. So cool," Gazi said, ending with three Chinese words he learned at the Confucius Institute.
Originally, Qatar had no Confucius Institute, but Saudi Arabia and the UAE had three. Since Chu Zhi appeared, the number of Confucius Institutes in the Middle East skyrocketed. Don't think they're useless; they teach more than the classics. From Chinese history to cultural landscapes, they're a direct method of cultural export.
As Emperor Beast thought, Gazi small-talked a bit before asking, "Has brother Jiu returned to China?"
"Just arrived in Dubai," Chu Zhi replied.
"Ah! That's perfect! I just got to Dubai too, and I happen to have some property here. If you've got time, brother Jiu, come check it out."
The schedule wasn't too tight, so Chu Zhi accepted Gazi's lunch invitation.
Lunch gave him a small shock from Arabic luxury.
Gazi's "property" was a six-star hotel. Anyone who studied hotel management knows stars stop at five, so six stars just meant ridiculously luxurious. Emperor Beast guessed building a six-star in Dubai costs astronomical amounts.
Hummus, manakish, shawarma, baklava—all classic Arabic cuisine. Normally cheap, but in a six-star banquet hall, they were extravagant. The shawarma was chicken rolls made with Annan Dongtao chicken, costing about 300 RMB per jin.
After half a day in Dubai, Chu Zhi returned to Modu without adjusting to the time difference and seamlessly attended the 29th Modu International Film Festival closing ceremony that night as an award presenter. He'd jumped out of the competition entirely; even 90s directors were still fighting for the Golden Deer Awards, but Chu Zhi was already presenting.
Little Bamboo adapted completely to this work style. After a dozen hours in the air, he had to jump straight into work. Chu Zhi treated his assistant well; even if small details slipped, it didn't affect the major pace. Emperor Beast could rest well mid-flight using the dead pig god medicine, something others couldn't manage, and still maintain his work state.
"Let's welcome our award presenter, chief consultant of the Cultural and Tourism Department, executive director of the Chinese Filmmakers Association, renowned singer and actor Chu Zhi," host Xiao Ning announced. "Please welcome Chu Zhi to present the Artistic Achievement Award."
The Artistic Achievement Award considered costumes, editing, makeup, and more. Unlike pure film awards like the Oscars, these were combined. The committee's bio carefully avoided mentioning his governmental role, but "chief consultant" was familiar to insiders due to his copyright protection and anti-plagiarism work.
Chu Zhi appeared in a deep brown suit. Even among industry elites, the audience erupted into genuine applause, very different from polite claps earlier.
"I just saw brother Jiu's incredible performance abroad yesterday. Didn't expect to see him in person today," Xiao Ning said. "Brother Jiu, first time at Modu Film Festival—what's it feel like?"
"Our domestic film talent keeps growing," Chu Zhi said immediately. "In film, I'm just a beginner, still learning. But with so many teachers here, my future learning path will be smooth. I'm really happy."
Even with his words, no one thought Chu Zhi was a beginner. Eleven Lang and Never Sinking secured his place in Chinese and global film history. You From the Stars might be a drama, but it was a hit.
"Chu Zhi is humble. If he's a beginner, then I, with only a few cameos, am pre-school level," Xiao Ning joked.
Xiao Ning was the lead host at Tomato TV, so he kept it light but meaningful.
Receiving the sealed envelope, Chu Zhi announced, "The winner of the 29th Modu International Film Artistic Achievement Award is Little Tiger Liu Shihua. Congratulations, Mr. Liu."
A man in his forties stood. Liu Shihua, the art director of Little Tiger, wasn't well-known to the public but was a cornerstone of the industry.
"Congratulations, Mr. Liu," Chu Zhi said, handing him the trophy and giving him a hug.
"Thank you, Mr. Chu, thank you to the committee," Liu Shihua stammered, too excited to wait for the cue.
Emperor Beast planned to pour his limited life into infinite work. Four or five months remained in the year; he aimed to release Four Great Novels, the new concert album, and Is It Peace?.
On the 22nd, global audiences still debated "The True Woodstock Festival." Macron's $160 million compensation was rejected, and his $80 million claim started a tug-of-war.
A YouTube comment got hundreds of thousands of likes: "Woodstock's location in the 21st century's most chaotic area should've been legendary, but endless money fights ruined it."
Meanwhile, Hungarian ATV aired a documentary called A Concert of One. Its opening narration said:
[Woodstock 1969 was a historical accident, a rare beautiful accident in daily life. Founders Michael Lang, John, Joel, and Arty spent $135,000 inviting guests.
1999, the third Woodstock, left a scar at the 20th century's end. The three-day festival saw riots, fires, and assaults; 44 were arrested, and hospitals reported 10,000 injuries, killing the global goodwill toward hippie culture.
In 2026, Woodstock restarted. Lang contacted South African media and George Robdrick, sold tickets online, and even if fences were breached, no problem. Sadly, post-festival lawsuits tarnished its reputation again. Everyone thought Woodstock no longer needed to exist in the world…]
The "breached fences" meant that in all three festivals, tickets were sold via fences, but too many people tried to attend.
At first, few noticed, thinking it was like other critical documentaries. Positive reviews about the African Peace Festival had peaked, and with Macron criticizing it, negative comments appeared.
"Just a flashy stunt with a peace cover, undies colored for profit," "Woodstock was born in the hippie era, so it should die with hippies," and so on.
Then the documentary cut to a dangerous battlefield. Yes, no one had fired, but over twenty thousand people, over twenty extremist groups, thirteen national defense forces surrounded the stage. Even with unloaded guns, it was a real war zone.
Could they stop a war?
The narration:
[West Africa's Sahel region has seen hundreds of thousands die yearly from hunger and disease. Daily income is five dollars per person, while concert equipment costs millions, seen as treasures with no resale outlet locally.]
Then Chu Zhi, Horman, Field, and McDantley took the stage.
"They want to stop this war with song!"
Viewers were stunned. Only now did they realize the documentary was about four idiots attempting what only gods could do.
"No way, aren't they scared of dying? Extremists kill without mercy."
"I always thought Horman was a foul-mouthed lunatic. He still is, but not a lunatic."
"McDantley, drummer of Frozen Band, looks frail but he's tough. I could tell from him snapping drumsticks."
"Suddenly, I respect the Wild Beast Band more."
"I heard Chu Zhi has PTSD, fears the stage, and still stands up. What courage is that?!"
The documentary couldn't show hours of performance, only highlights.
Soon, the UN refugee and food trucks arrived; extremists and defense forces prepared to swarm. Night had fallen, but viewers felt the suffocating threat of death.
"Is the war starting?"
"No one can stop a war with forty forces ready."
"They tried. Leave now or risk injury."
"God bless them."
No one blamed the quartet. Surviving the scene alone made them heroes.
Yet, unexpectedly, Chu Zhi didn't flee. He stayed to prevent the war.
🎵 "Sunrise, rain, everything we were promised…"🎵
Alone against twenty thousand rifles, any could kill him. Against such danger, he was like a mantis before a chariot.
Many female viewers cried.
Earth Song lasted six minutes, capturing all forty-plus forces' changes.
Alert.
Relaxed.
No longer aiming.
Guns lowered.
Every moment recorded in detail, thanks to ATV's excellent equipment.
As the song ended, extremists began to retreat.
One, two, three… all twenty-four withdrew.
Viewers rubbed their eyes in disbelief.
Then, soldiers from thirteen countries saluted Chu Zhi before leaving.
Chu Zhi really did it! The documentary title A Concert of One made sense. Compared to Woodstock's fall from grace, Chu Zhi's African Peace Concert truly brought peace.
"Did he really stop the war with song?"
"If the 21st century has a miracle, it's Chu Zhi's voice."
"The Nobel Peace Prize must go to him. Otherwise, it's meaningless."
"This has to be made into a movie! Even then, it needs a real event to back it up."
"Horman stood firmly behind Chu Zhi like Jesus and Saint Peter!"
"His voice is one of the world's most precious artistic treasures. I'm crying watching it."
Hungarian ATV's ratings exploded. One-hour documentary, last half-hour broke the channel's record.
Countless viewers called to confirm its authenticity.
Worldwide, the documentary went viral. Unlike Woodstock, which held concerts without contributing to peace, Chu Zhi's performance stopped a war for real.
Even Pope Francis wrote in L'Osservatore Romano, titling the article The Sacred Six Minutes.