King of the Wilderness

"Don’t worry, dear. It won’t be long before the little one in your belly calls you that too."

This heartfelt sisterly remark made Emily nod subconsciously.

Lin Yu’an stretched out his arms and tightly hugged the four most important people in his life.

A wry but happy smile appeared on his face. "All right, my darlings, if I don’t leave now, I’ll miss the plane."

Outside, Sean O’Connor, the head of security, had long preheated a black Cadillac Escalade ESV.

He personally took on the role of driver to ensure Lin Yu’an’s safety and privacy for this trip.

That day, Lin Yu’an took the car driven by Sean to Wyoming’s largest airport, Jackson Hole Airport, and from there took a first-class flight to the final destination of this journey—New York.

After several hours of flying, when Lin Yu’an arrived in New York, the international metropolis was already brightly lit.

He didn’t rest for a moment but headed directly to the destination of his trip—Madison Square Garden.

A brand-new rehearsal awaited him there....

The official performance would begin the following day at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

The arena, considered the world’s most famous stage, was already packed to the rafters.

Nearly twenty thousand fans from all over the world gathered here, with glow sticks forming a sea of purple.

On stage, Justin Bieber had just finished an explosive dance track, pushing the ambiance of the whole venue to its first climax.

Meanwhile, in the bustling backstage, within a heavily guarded VIP lounge, the atmosphere was entirely different.

"Lin, are you sure you want to do this?"

Justin Bieber’s manager, Scooter Braun, frowned as he looked at the oriental man before him, who was dressed in resplendent attire, his tone filled with confusion and a hint of concern.

"Scooter, we agreed on this long ago." Lin Yu’an’s voice was calm and steady.

He was adjusting the wide sleeves of his deep red traditional Chinese costume in front of a full-length mirror.

In the mirror, there reflected a figure that was starkly out of place in the modern, metallic, and glass-filled backstage.

"I know we agreed!" Scooter paced around the room, somewhat agitated. "I thought you just wanted to wear something with... well, a Chinese element, like a jacket or a shirt."

"But this..."

He gestured at Lin Yu’an’s intricately majestic outfit, which seemed more like a museum artifact, at a loss for words.

"This is a bit too... retro, Lin. The audience here is here for Justin’s pop music concert, not to see a historical cultural exhibition."

"Wearing this outfit while singing an English pop song will give the audience a jarring sense of time and space dislocation."

Lin Yu’an turned around and looked at the top-tier manager who wielded significant influence in the North American music scene, a faint smile on his face.

"Scooter, you forget, this moment is very special to me."

His gaze passed through the window of the lounge, looking toward the distant East, as if he could see the land he had left for so long.

"At the moment I step on stage, it’s already the morning of Lunar New Year in my homeland, China."

"Perhaps the sound of firecrackers has just subsided there, and families are visiting each other with wishes of prosperity. The entire country is immersed in the joy of the New Year."

He gently caressed the luxurious cloud patterns woven in gold thread on his robe.

"And I want to bring this festive blessing from the East to share with my friends here in New York on this stage."

"That’s why, Scooter, this outfit isn’t retro; it’s fitting."

"Don’t forget, today is Chinese New Year. On such a festive day, wearing our nation’s most solemn attire is just right for the occasion."

"Oh, damn! I almost forgot that!"

"Lin, fortunately, you reminded me. Regarding the word ’New Year,’ I must immediately tell Justin not to forget this part in a minute."

"Scooter, there’s one more thing, and it’s the most important thing."

"What?" Scooter turned around, slightly puzzled.

Lin Yu’an’s gaze became more serious and sharper than ever before.

"I need you to confirm what’s written on Justin’s script regarding the New Year greeting?"

Scooter hesitated for a moment, subconsciously answering, "It should be Happy Lunar New Year, right?"

"No." Lin Yu’an’s reply was decisive and left no room for negotiation.

He looked at the bewildered Scooter and solemnly said, word by word, "Scooter, today, as a Chinese, dressed in traditional Chinese attire, standing on stage in New York."

"In celebrating the most important festival for our Huaxia Nation for thousands of years, what I want to hear is the purest and most straightforward ’Happy Chinese New Year.’"

"Lunar New Year is a vague term that tries to erase cultural roots. Chinese New Year is a respect for fact and history."

These words were full of undeniable confidence and stance.

Scooter looked at the young man before him and, after a long while, nodded, "I understand. I’ll personally oversee the director and prompter."

"I promise you, Lin, tonight, from Justin’s mouth, and on all subtitles, there will only be ’Chinese New Year.’

On stage, Justin Bieber ended his slow song set amidst deafening cheers.

He picked up the microphone, a mysterious smile on his face, and said to nearly twenty thousand spectators, "Thank you, everyone! The next song is very special to me."