Chapter 122: Gathering of Ten Thousand (Part I)

When Jiang Yihan returned to South Korea, the four major television networks were in a state of panic because Li Ran still hadn't finalized the venue for Jiang Yihan's comeback stage. As Jiang Yihan's plane was once again surrounded by over ten thousand fans at Incheon Airport, his popularity remained at an all-time high. His album had surpassed 500,000 copies sold in just one week—a figure not seen in the South Korean music industry in nearly a decade. Given the stagnant state of the market in recent years, 500,000 would have been more than enough to secure the number one spot for total annual sales, yet Jiang Yihan had reached this milestone in only seven days.

In terms of quality, the album featured a diverse array of musical styles suitable for all age groups, all while maintaining a premium standard. In terms of impact, it was rare to find anyone who didn't know who Jiang Yihan was. From an official critique perspective, even the most stringent music reviewers had to admit it was a rare and excellent album. From the consumer's standpoint, the reduction in anti-fans, the persistence of his fanbase, "The Castle," and the participation of casual observers had all fueled the album's sales. With such a high-profile album, everyone was looking forward to his South Korean comeback performance following his tour in China.

The executives at the four major networks were becoming increasingly frustrated. As the competition reached its final sprint, with a decision expected in the next two days, they were nearly at the point of forcing Li Ran’s hand. Yet, before any final decision was made, Jiang Yihan unexpectedly appeared in public for the "Ten Thousand Person Rally."

The "Ten Thousand Person Rally" was a challenge where an artist, without any prior notice, would spend one hour alone on the streets promoting themselves, followed by a mini-concert at a designated location in the evening. If over ten thousand people arrived at the venue, the concert was considered a success; if not, it was a failure. This program had since been discontinued due to its extreme difficulty. Often, the promotional period coincided with work and school hours, resulting in very few people being aware of it. Very few artists had succeeded. Out of dozens of acts—including Shinhwa, H.O.T., JTL, S.E.S., and g.o.d.—only about ten had achieved success. Many top-tier, A-list, and even superstar performers had failed, leaving them with nothing to show for their efforts. This highlighted the brutal nature and difficulty of the challenge.

Why, then, would Jiang Yihan agree to take on this program? Naturally, it was part of the plan devised by the One Company production team. After careful deliberation, they felt that having Jiang Yihan reappear before the public in this manner would be a test for him. Furthermore, the "Ten Thousand Person Rally" would serve as the lead-in to his comeback on a music show.

Originally, the "Ten Thousand Person Rally" was an MBC program, but with the show on hiatus, SBS unexpectedly secured the hosting and broadcasting rights during the competition for the project. Two days later, One Company announced that the final comeback stage would also be held on SBS’s "Inkigayo." On the surface, this was attributed to their history of good cooperation, particularly when SBS bravely broadcast the press conference during Jiang Yihan’s time of crisis. With 80% of South Korea aware of that conference, SBS deserved credit, and it had indirectly contributed to Jiang Yihan's massive popularity months later. Of course, the behind-the-scenes exchange of power and money was not something to be discussed openly. Though everyone knew it, SBS had paid a high price to secure Jiang Yihan’s comeback stage, and the resulting impact would be revealed within days. It was believed that they would not disappoint.

Setting aside the behind-the-scenes stories, today was the day of the rally.

After arriving at the scene and greeting host Jung Jae-young with a handshake, Jiang Yihan gained a brief understanding of the day's itinerary and prepared to begin filming.

"Jiang Yihan, what are your expectations for the program?" Jung Jae-young asked.

"Ah, how could I have any expectations? I just hope it’s a success," Jiang Yihan replied, already feeling anxious.

"You need to rally ten thousand people today to succeed. Do you have confidence?" Jung Jae-young challenged him. "In the history of the show, only about ten groups of artists have succeeded in the ten-thousand-person challenge."

"Ah, I have no confidence. What should I do? Ten thousand feels like such a huge number. So many great seniors failed, and I don't know anything! Ah!" Jiang Yihan pouted in frustration. "Is our promotional time really only one hour?"

"That’s right, from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM. We gather at 8:00 PM, and if the count reaches ten thousand, the concert proceeds," Jung Jae-young explained.

"6:00 to 7:00? Ah, people have only just gotten off work! And there's only an hour between the promotion and the event. Goodness, not many people will be willing to come. Now I have even less confidence." Jiang Yihan was truly at a loss.

Before the promotion began, Jiang Yihan and the production crew arrived at the gathering site for the evening: Yeouido Plaza. Staff members were busy constructing the stage, creating a scene of frantic activity.

"This is the gathering site for tonight. It can hold about thirty thousand people, so it's more than enough for our concert venue," Jung Jae-young introduced.

"Wow, it looks so magnificent. I’ve never performed on a stage this big before. I feel like I'm going to be nervous to death, haha." Jiang Yihan touched his chest; his heart was already beating rapidly. If he could truly rally ten thousand people, his first unofficial concert would begin. It was impossible not to feel expectant.

After finalizing the promotional route, Jiang Yihan boarded the promotional vehicle, which featured a giant timer counting down exactly one hour.

Jiang Yihan took the microphone. "Hello everyone, I am Jiang Yihan. Tonight at 8:00 PM, the Jiang Yihan Ten Thousand Person Rally concert will be held at Yeouido Plaza. Please, everyone, make sure to come!"

After speaking, he realized the roadside was completely empty. There was almost no one around, and the few middle-aged passersby who did stop only offered warm greetings. This went on for several minutes. Jiang Yihan persisted in shouting his promotion, hoping that those at home might hear him.

Finally, people began to gather by the roadside. Hearing Jiang Yihan's promotion, they gradually flocked toward the vehicle, and screams began to ring out.

"Yihan oppa! It's really Yihan oppa! Ahhh!" A female student, unable to speak clearly from excitement, couldn't stop screaming.

"8:00 PM at Yeouido Park, you must come! You must!" Jiang Yihan seized the moment to repeat the time and place. Seeing the student nod in confirmation, he felt slightly more at ease.

At this point, the vehicle stopped in front of a large supermarket. Jiang Yihan quickly picked up the microphone to promote again. People outside the supermarket began to crowd around, and once they realized it was Jiang Yihan, the crowd grew even faster, eventually totaling one or two hundred people—a small start. Jiang Yihan was a bit moved; it was hard to see people these days. "8:00 PM, Yeouido Park. I hope everyone will come. Please help spread the word to one another, you must come!"

The crowd was very noisy, making it difficult to hear their responses. Jiang Yihan had to say, "If you are willing to come tonight, could you make an 'O' with your hands so I know? One, two, three..."

Sure enough, everyone made the affirmative gesture above their heads. A smile finally blossomed on Jiang Yihan's face. "Thank you, thank you everyone, thank you."

The sky gradually darkened, and the number of people on the street began to dwindle. Jiang Yihan was completely nervous because he hadn't had a proper chance to promote. "Ah, we should go to crowded places like Gangnam or Myeong-dong. I don't see anyone here. What do I do?" His heart hammered with anxiety. He could only helplessly shout, "8:00 PM, 8:00 PM, Yeouido Park, Yeouido Park. Jiang Yihan is holding the Ten Thousand Person Rally concert. Please, everyone, you must come, you must come!"

But when you realize you are shouting to an empty street, you feel incomparable despair. This was Jiang Yihan's current state of mind. The empty streets offered no one who could respond.

Finally, the vehicle passed through Myeong-dong, the most crowded area. Jiang Yihan’s spirits lifted instantly, and he began to promote loudly. People on the street enthusiastically surged forward, tightly surrounding the promotional vehicle, many screaming his name. This brought Jiang Yihan some comfort. Although there were only a few hundred people, it was the largest crowd he had seen all day. He stayed in Myeong-dong for nearly ten minutes, trying his best to project his voice as far as possible, hoping that the more people who heard him, the more who would show up.

After passing through the densest part of the crowd, it was back to desolation. Just like that, the one hour of promotion ended quickly.

"Jung-hyung, why didn't we go to more crowded places for the promotion? The current situation..." Because he hadn't seen many people along the way, Jiang Yihan had lost his confidence. He was covered in sweat, constantly drinking water to soothe his throat, yet he hadn't achieved a good promotional effect.

"Yihan, today is Thursday, and everyone still has to work. Our promotional time naturally meant fewer people. Don't be discouraged; many people will come tonight, don't worry." Though Jung Jae-young offered comfort, he also seemed to lack confidence.

"Jiang Yihan, do you have confidence for tonight?" the cameraman asked.

"Ah, ten thousand people is really no joke. Look, in one hour of promotion, we only saw a few thousand people, maybe even less. But tonight, ten thousand people have to come? It's an almost impossible task." Jiang Yihan wiped the sweat from his face.

"Jiang Yihan, you chose the 'Ten Thousand Person Rally' for your comeback stage in South Korea after one year. What is the reason for that?" The interview continued.

"Actually, I just wanted everyone to see my efforts with their own eyes. I hope to earn everyone's recognition. I don't want what happened last year to be the only impression people have of me. Choosing the 'Ten Thousand Person Rally' is the most direct way, and it’s also a way to test how much attention people still pay to me." Jiang Yihan’s voice was filled with infinite exhaustion. "But now... I don't even know if it will be a success."

"Now that the promotion is over, we can only wait for the result, right?" Jiang Yihan sighed and closed his eyes.

Indeed, the promotion was over, and the scarcity of people during the process had left everyone feeling unconfident. The rules of the rally stated that people had to arrive before 8:00 PM to be counted; anyone arriving later would not be included. The promotion ended at 7:00 PM, leaving only one hour for everyone to reach the site. Yeouido Park was on the east side of Seoul; for those further away, it would likely take an hour just to get there.

The long distance, the lack of awareness, and the tight schedule—all of these factors seemed to signal the crisis of the day.

In reality, the "Ten Thousand Person Rally" was a true test of an artist's popularity—tangible, real-world popularity. Because even if an artist was incredibly popular, due to the timing and location, some people who wanted to go couldn't, or if they arrived too late, they wouldn't be counted. Therefore, those who could make it were the audience who truly cared about the artist. The number "ten thousand" sounds simple, but when you think about it carefully, it is a very large number. No wonder so many great seniors and superstars, including Rain, had failed.

Timing, location, and the support of the people—these are the requirements for the success of the "Ten Thousand Person Rally." And today, it seemed Jiang Yihan had none of them.

"Jiang Yihan, put on the blindfold." A staff member handed Jiang Yihan a blindfold. Li Ran took it and helped him put it on.

To maintain the secrecy of the results and the authenticity of the scene, the artist had to wear a blindfold to ensure everything remained a mystery until the reveal.

"How many people are outside today?" Jiang Yihan asked, sitting in the room behind the stage. He could vaguely hear some noisy sounds, but they didn't seem that loud, so he asked with unease.

"I don't know, because I've been blindfolded too," Li Ran replied with a helpless smile. Most in the industry probably knew that the relationship between Li Ran, as an agent, and Jiang Yihan was different. Unlike the typical professional partnership between agents and artists, Li Ran and Jiang Yihan were friends first, and partners second. Often, Li Ran would reject benefits right in front of him for Jiang Yihan's sake. This unique partnership made everyone feel it was quite remarkable.

"If I fail today, what should I do?" Jiang Yihan forced himself to stay calm, trying not to have the urge to stand up. "After going through so much last year, this is my first formal appearance on a stage in South Korea. If I fail, I really don't know how I'll feel."

"Lazy Cat, do you remember?" Li Ran didn't answer directly, but asked a question instead. "That spectacular scene when you went to Beijing and everyone saw you off at the airport. Believe me, there are many more people who support you than you imagine. It's true that today, the situation seems to be against you, but you must have confidence—have confidence in yourself, you know? Remember when you first stood on a stage? You had nothing, and then you climbed to the top. Now, just act as if you still have nothing; today is the stage for a fresh start. No matter how many people come today, once the event begins, you already possess everyone who is present. Even if it’s not ten thousand, they are the ten thousand who truly belong to you, you know?"

Listening to Li Ran's words, Jiang Yihan realized his mindset was a bit off. It was true that after everything from last year, he should tell himself he had nothing—he was starting from zero. Even if he failed today, he had still taken the first step again and possessed the support of the audience present today. That was the first, truly genuine step of his new beginning.

Once he realized this, although he was still nervous, the anxiety was no longer as overwhelming as before.

"Jiang Yihan, prepare to go on stage. Five minutes left until eight o'clock sharp," the staff member said.