Chapter Forty-Four: The Controversy of the Theme Song

Then that young man from the Uyghur group returned—yes, I think his name is Baranzi, right?
Haha, that’s right. At first, I couldn’t figure out what was going on, but then I realized it must have something to do with Aziguli. Hey, you keep calling him a young man, but Hawuler is actually three years older than you.
After a day of training, Wang Lei returned to his dormitory and waited for Ma Dongmei, who had finished her own session and come back to her cozy little room. As soon as the video call connected, Wang Lei couldn’t wait to tell Ma Dongmei about everything that had happened to him today.
So what? Even if I’m three years younger, I can still call him a young man. In ancient times, he would have had to call me Lady Mentor! Haha.
Once their relationship was established, Ma Dongmei was much more relaxed compared to other girls. After all, a bashful personality wouldn’t suit a volleyball team’s main attacker. Playing so many matches naturally influenced her demeanor.
How do you feel about your batch of players? Are any of them promising?
Ma Dongmei was quite interested in Wang Lei’s athletes, since whether the two of them could ultimately earn Li Weihong’s approval depended on these players.
It’s too soon to tell, but Turghun is definitely promising. He’s got great talent. I even think he might change the course of basketball in the future.
Wow, that impressive? Is his sister pretty?
Yes, very...
Wang Lei suddenly realized the girl was up to mischief, trying to fish for information.
Yes, very... very pretty. Just a bit less than you.
Though he paused for a moment, Wang Lei’s response was quick, and the last remark made Ma Dongmei laugh without even meaning to.

No matter how confident a woman may be, when facing her beloved, there will always be a few little thoughts in her heart. If Wang Lei wanted to spend his life with Ma Dongmei, he would have to be mindful of these subtleties. That’s life: mutual compromise and understanding make for a harmonious family.
Hey, did you hear anything about the theme song you submitted? If it’s chosen, that’d be amazing. Hehe, Lei, you could be a pop star someday.
I handed the song straight to Old Zhang. He plans to sing it himself. Becoming a pop star isn’t for me—besides, if I did, you’d have to deal with jealous fits every day, surrounded by hordes of female fans. Actually, that sounds pretty nice, haha.
Nice? You’d better only sing for me from now on.
Lovers always have endless things to talk about. Even when silent, just looking at each other’s faces brings happiness. Who knows what the future holds, but at least their hearts are moving forward together.
After Wang Lei gave the song to Old Zhang in the capital, he left it alone. Old Zhang loved the song “Believe in Yourself,” and, combining Wang Lei’s ideas with his own, arranged and recorded it personally.
Back in the day, Old Zhang was known as the brightest voice in the rock world. Though now in his fifties and a habitual drinker, his voice remained sharp and full of energy, delivering “Believe in Yourself” with extraordinary passion.
Emerging from retirement to sing again after many years, Old Zhang had high hopes for this song. He even used his connections to deliver it to Zhu Haiqing, chairman of the Jinghai City National Games Organizing Committee.
Old Zhang never expected that the song he sent would cause such a stir.
As chairman of the newly reformed National Games Organizing Committee, Zhu Haiqing was also deputy secretary of Jinghai’s municipal party committee. With the Games poised to showcase themselves on the world stage, Zhu Haiqing bore tremendous responsibility, so busy that he barely had time to see his family.
When Zhu Haiqing first received “Believe in Yourself,” he was genuinely impressed. The stirring melody moved him deeply, and regardless of other considerations, the song was a rare gem for sports.
Though Zhu Haiqing was the top official of the Organizing Committee, he couldn’t just decide the theme song on his own. The Games were of enormous significance, and every detail needed discussion and approval by the Committee’s Advisory Board.
When Zhu Haiqing played the song for a dozen experts at the meeting, the first reaction was unexpectedly dissenting.

Secretary Zhu, we’ve all listened to the song. Setting aside other matters, the song itself is good, but I believe it can’t be our theme song. Our republic is a great nation, and this Games is meant to showcase ourselves to the world. The theme song must be dignified; this one is a bit too vulgar.
The first to oppose was Shi Zhongshan, the music consultant for the theme song selection. An internationally renowned master, especially in Western classical music, Shi Zhongshan was often mentioned alongside Wang Lei’s “prospective father-in-law,” Ma Pingtong—together known as “East Ma, West Shi.” However, it was rumored that Shi and Ma were not on friendly terms, barely acknowledging each other.
Whatever Shi Zhongshan’s motives for opposing the song, his opinion reflected a portion of the Advisory Board.
I don’t agree with Member Shi. What’s vulgar about this song? The lyrics are uplifting, the melody is stirring, and it has a real sense of grandeur. I suggest we use this as the theme song.
Shi Zhongshan had his detractors. Some committee members scoffed at his views, annoyed that he always used his status to promote his own musical philosophy. His comprehensive “Westernization” had met plenty of opposition.
You aren’t a musician, you wouldn’t understand. This is the National Games, not some underground rock gig. No major sports event in the world uses rock as its theme song.
I’m not a musician, true. But as a listener, this song excites me, makes me want to compete myself. Isn’t that enough? Why must we draw lines between East and West, as if yours is superior to all others?
As the debate heated up, tempers flared. Non-musicians on the board grew increasingly irritated by Shi Zhongshan’s domineering attitude, while Shi considered his opponents unworthy “country bumpkins.”
Alright, let’s not get emotional. Since there’s some controversy about this song, let’s set it aside for now and discuss the other candidates. The importance of this National Games is clear to everyone, so I hope in our discussion we keep professional standards and don’t let personal biases cloud our judgment. Let everything be aimed at a successful and perfect Games.
Seeing the disagreement was too great, Zhu Haiqing had to step in and smooth things over, though he himself remained very optimistic about the song.