From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

Noisy, bustling, and crowded.

During the short intermission, the Staples Center was a hive of activity.

However, in the blink of an eye, before there was even time to relax, the second half of the awards ceremony was ready, and the live broadcast was about to begin again.

Wait, something seems a little strange—

The stage, unchanged, what's going on?

At the Grammys, performances are undoubtedly the top priority. The lighting, set design, and overall design of each stage are specially adjusted to present the audience with the ultimate performance feast.

Among them, the opening of both the first and second halves are absolute focal points.

This year's Grammys opened with Beyoncé, demonstrating the importance the Recording Academy places on it; the second half was originally planned to open with Janet Jackson and Luther Vandross, showcasing the Grammys' past and present.

As a result, the "Super Bowl incident" disrupted the original plan without warning, and things fell into a maze. How the Recording Academy would handle the second half's opening performance became the focus of Hollywood's attention.

This was a hot potato—

Everyone knew this was an opportunity, and seizing it could lead to overnight fame; but at the same time, it carried enormous pressure. With only a week left before the awards ceremony, it was a last-minute rush job. What if something went wrong?

At that time, people might offer sympathetic glances, but sympathy would be of no avail. Behind the pity and regret lay gloating and kicking someone when they're down.

For a time, rumors flew in Hollywood, but none were confirmed.

CBS Television kept things under wraps, and there were no leaks even until today, which made the anticipation of the guests at the awards ceremony reach a fever pitch.

But now?

Logically speaking, the intermission is for setting up the stage, but now the stage hasn't changed at all, and it doesn't look like there's been any preparation.

An ominous premonition quietly emerges:

Is it possible that the Grammys couldn't find a suitable replacement and, at the last moment, hastily put the fourteenth backup plan into action? Whether it works or not, they have to bite the bullet and go on, so they don't have time to set up the stage.

Could this turn into a disaster?

In a flash, all sorts of guesses and thoughts churned in the air.

Oppressive and dull, tense and anxious.

The entire Staples Center was like a pressure cooker, stretched to the limit.

Five. Four. Three. Two. One.

Like a joke.

"Live broadcast accident," this is probably the common thought in everyone's mind in the Staples Center. After the Super Bowl, a live broadcast accident occurred for the second time within a week, which is enough to go down in North American television history.

Perhaps, the only thing to be thankful for is that CBS Television is delaying by five minutes, and the American audience hasn't temporarily discovered this disaster.

Gloria's mind is also filled with question marks at this moment. The Staples Center's live broadcast on the big screen is synchronized, they can see the situation inside in sync, but no one has an answer and doesn't know what's going on.

Archie looked at Gloria, he believed Gloria had the answers to all the questions.

But Gloria also looked bewildered, spreading her hands, clueless.

"Is this normal?"

"I don't know either."

"Could it be a live broadcast accident?"

"I also... don't know."

Not only them, but all the audience at the entrance of the Staples Center were also confused. No one understood what was happening, and no one knew how to respond.

However, just at this moment.

Archie stared wide-eyed at the screen, exclaiming vaguely.

"Ah..."

Gloria reflexively looked over, and was immediately stunned in place.

Anson?

Isn't that Anson Wood!

The Staples Center, inside and out, was plunged into bewilderment and shock—

What's going on?

On the simple stage, there were no dazzling lights, no turning off all the lights and then turning on the spotlights to create a mysterious effect. Everything was straightforward, showing every corner of the stage in detail.

Then, Anson appeared.

A light blue striped collarless shirt, a light gray suit jacket and trousers, but the sleeves of the suit jacket were rolled up twice, paired with those white flat canvas shoes, looking casual and relaxed.

Carrying a guitar on his back, with nothing but the breeze in his sleeves, relaxed and casual, as if he just happened to be passing by the Staples Center, and just happened to see the excitement here, so he came over to visit.

Some time ago, Anson was a resident singer in a New York bar, where there was at least a light and a chair, creating a quiet and beautiful atmosphere.

Before his eyes, there were no lights and no chairs, and it was even more simple.

Even in the worst and most chaotic situation, at least the lighting engineer could control the scene with a spotlight, using the spotlight to focus attention on Anson, cover up the simplicity and roughness of the stage, and at the same time create opportunities for the on-site staff to save the situation and prevent things from getting worse.

However, this also didn't happen.

The stage lights were all on, showing the undecorated and unadorned platform in detail, exposing all the ugliness in front of everyone.

Unbelievable, unimaginable.

This scene was really too unexpected and too shocking, so much so that they lost their ability to react. The guests and audience inside and outside the Staples Center were all frozen.

One by one, they gaped, stunned, staring blankly at the stage, but no one knew what was happening?

So—

Is this the opening performance of the second half, the August 31st band coming to the rescue at the last minute? Or is Anson coming on stage to tell everyone that there has been a live broadcast accident, and now the entire audience needs to cooperate to create a miracle within five minutes?

Or else Anson will do a stand-up comedy routine to save face? It can't be that the entire CBS Television live broadcast team has turned into zombies, and a Hollywood movie will be staged at the Staples Center in the next second, right?

For a time, minds were opened, and thoughts ran wild.

But no one knew the correct answer, one by one like fools, staring blankly at Anson—

At this moment, the only one who knew the answer was Anson.

One step, two steps, three steps.

Anson came to the microphone calmly, bathed in the noisy yet silent gaze of the audience, the smile on the corner of his mouth slowly rising.

"Hello, good evening."

Unexpectedly, he greeted them?

But there was no self-introduction, and no more words. Then, Anson lowered his head and immersed himself in his own world.

However, Anson picked up the guitar behind him, held it in his arms, and lightly stroked the strings with his fingertips, and a clear and bright string sound rippled out.

The lake of the heart, ripples slightly rippling.

But, Anson didn't take advantage of the situation to play, but pressed the strings with his fingertips, raised his head again, his face full of focus.

"Ahem."

Cleared his throat.

"Let's begin."

Wait, begin what? How did it start? Where are the other members of the August 31st band? How did Anson come on stage and how did it start?

Question marks, one wave after another, almost engulfing the entire Staples Center.

However, there was still no time to breathe, because Anson had already started—

No accompaniment, no melody, singing acapella.

Everything, returning to simplicity, returning to the original, there is only one voice, stripping away the complicated, washing away the lead, showing the most essential appearance of the voice.