Chapter 39-40

Chapter 39: The Concert

In the eastern part of London, on the Greenwich Peninsula, stands the North Greenwich Arena, nicknamed the Millennium Dome and also known as the O2 Arena. It is among the most famous Millennium buildings constructed worldwide to welcome the new millennium. With its unique design and grandeur, seen from above, it resembles a white umbrella with serrated edges, earning it the title 'the Pearl of London'.

Throughout the first decade of the 21st century, it hosted numerous sports competitions and music events, gradually evolving into a sports and entertainment hub that includes malls, dining, and other leisure facilities. Notably, since 2008, the London O2 Arena has been hailed as the world's busiest music venue, a global superstage. Numerous superstars have performed concerts here.

For Taylor Swyfft, this wasn't her first time performing at the O2, highlighting the immense popularity of this crazy sweetheart.

Agent Gloria certainly didn't expect Bruce to be there purely for the concert, without any hidden agendas she might have speculated. Of course, he did share the truth about inspecting the situation for establishing a research center in London, but attending Taylor Swyfft's concert was also a major reason.

Trista Joyce, on the other hand, was convinced Bruce was there to chase girls. The slight impression he made on her that morning had completely vanished. She even helped him cover up, claiming he was with her the whole time. Turns out, he's just another playboy. Having just been attacked, he still dares to come out. How come he's not injured?

"Cheer up, Tris. You should look on the bright side, consider it a generous gesture from your magnanimous boss to comfort you after the assault, providing you with a free perk."

Bruce, dressed in simple casual attire and wearing a white cap, holding an ice cream, blended in with the other enthusiastic and excited fans. The only difference was that he got out of the car right at the entrance of the VIP passage, guided to a private box, unlike most people who had to queue.

The concert was set to start at 8 PM, and the O2, capable of holding over 20,000 people, was already filled to capacity. Outside, a crowd of fans, numbering in the thousands, who couldn't get tickets, were hoping to snag some last-minute black-market tickets or simply soak in the festive atmosphere.

"I haven't had enough sleep, you know sleep deprivation is a woman's worst enemy? Besides, before offering such perks, shouldn't you have asked for my opinion?" Trista showed a displeased expression, wondering why, after experiencing a terrifying ordeal, she felt much closer to Bruce, not merely on a professional level as before.

"Learn to relax. Just like this morning, didn't you feel better after crying? Keeping it all inside is unhealthy." Bruce's indifferent rebuttal did nothing to sway her, maintaining an air of self-evidence.

"Thank you! But please don't mention this morning's incident again." Trista felt a twinge of regret for showing her vulnerability, though she had never faced such a near-death experience before, and to claim she wasn't scared would be a lie.

Seeing her stop nagging, Bruce shrugged in satisfaction, indicating agreement.

The view from the box was clear, providing a full view of the stage, but the concert was still half an hour from starting. Bruce thought for a moment and dialed Taylor's number on his phone, not really expecting her to answer but was surprised when she did.

"Bruce! Hi!" came Taylor's surprised voice from the other end, amidst a noisy backdrop, clearly busy preparing for the London concert.

"Hello, Taylor, I know you're gearing up for the London concert, so I wanted to cheer you on." Bruce raised his voice, as the noise from outside kept pouring in.

"Wait, why is it so noisy on your end too?" Taylor could hear the noise from Bruce's side, which was inevitable given the relentless excitement of her fans, creating a ruckus as if they were about to lift the dome off. "Oh my God! You're in London, aren't you? At the venue?! Did you come specifically for the concert?"

How could anyone say no at such a moment?

Bruce laughed heartily: "I was hoping to surprise you, but it seems your fans have given me away. I know you're about to go on stage, just wanted to let you know, to show my support, I've prepared a little gift for you, just don't be too surprised and forget your lyrics."

"What? What gift have you prepared?" Taylor was obviously intrigued, but the backstage crew was urging her to hurry, so she had to hang up hurriedly with a bit of confusion.

"I didn't know you had such a childish side." Trista smirked, clearly aware of what his "gift" was since she had arranged it herself before coming.

"Childish? Why would

you say that? If it's a celebration, then we must enjoy it to the fullest." Bruce raised an eyebrow, showing a matter-of-fact expression. For him, this was just an ordinary conquest, at most a bit of spice in life, otherwise, wouldn't it be too dull?

In such a festive and holiday-like atmosphere, time flew by rapidly. Bruce had only half-finished his whiskey when the entire venue's lights suddenly dimmed, followed by ear-piercing screams from the audience, as if the entire stadium was shaking, a clear sign that the concert was about to start.

After a couple of minutes, two sets of giant spotlights above the stage lit up, and the audience's cheers slightly subsided.

Then, a soft, sweet, pure monologue began:

"Over the years, you've seen all kinds of Taylor - shiny, beautiful, cute, passionate, downhearted, sad, annoyed, regretful, and even confused. It could be me walking briskly on the street, me standing in the center of the stage pouring out my heart, me hysterical in music videos, and me who wrote every song you love. Defeat, anger, jealousy, falling in love, breakups, heartbreaks, and all those intense emotions belong to me. Some told me, Taylor, don't do it; some mocked me, Taylor, you're heartbroken again; some ridiculed me, saying my chest is too small; some slandered me, accusing me of seeking exposure through scandals and stunts. But I say—ENOUGH!"

From the moment this monologue began, the audience erupted into continuous cheers, shouting "Taylor" during the joyful moments and "we support you" during the downbeat ones. Clearly, they recognized the voice as Taylor Swyfft herself, and at that moment, she was the queen of her domain, effortlessly swaying the emotions of everyone present, driving them to frenzy, to cheer, to joy, and to tears with every word she spoke.

The final forceful "ENOUGH" pushed the cheering to its peak, almost exceeding the venue's capacity, giving a real sense of what a tidal wave of sound feels like, even affecting the area outside with clear, echoing responses, like a tumultuous wave tossing everyone about.

"No matter what they say, I am me; no matter how they view me, I remain me; regardless of how many don't love me, I will always be me. So, from this moment on, I will completely be myself again, because I know, you support and love me. That's why I named this album and even my world tour with these words. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I believe this is the most important thing in life, to become a brand new, most beautiful Taylor Swyfft! So, this performance is named—new me!"

Amidst an endless surge of celebratory screams and shouts, the stage was enveloped in mist and bathed in soft lighting as a tall, beautiful figure appeared from the lift platform, singing the line: drop everything now! It was as if she was telling everyone present to let go of all their troubles and enjoy the night to the fullest with her.

With more than 100 sets of lights lighting up in sequence, the stage was transformed into a dazzling yet stylish spectacle. Taylor Swyfft, deviating from her favorite fresh and sweet style, appeared in a tea-colored dress with a floral pattern, stunning beyond measure.

Chapter 40: Lights of London

The figure that now stood before everyone was a stylish, beautiful, and confident young lady, truly igniting the passionate night.

Bruce wore a look of surprise and astonishment. He had never imagined a so-called pop concert could possess such magic. Nor did he expect the once restless girl sitting beside him to transform so completely on stage, her every glance, gesture, and smile moving the entire audience as if she wielded a magnetic field far beyond human limits, captivating all attention and plunging everyone into frenzy.

Including Trista Joyce beside him, who, usually non-stop in chatter and somewhat resistant, now seemed to forget she was in a box, moving her arms with the crowd and letting out excited screams, her face flushed with excitement.

The concert hit its climax from the start, with Taylor delivering one song after another with unparalleled dedication and devotion. It was as if she was presenting her whole world, her vibrant life, inviting everyone to fall in love with Taylor Swyfft. The arena felt like an erupting volcano, the ground shaking and the sky churning as the sound waves drowned everything else.

Sweat beaded on Trista's face; she never once sat down, as if she wished she could jump down to the stage and join the revelry. To Bruce's amusement, this woman seemed completely bewitched, even trying to pull him into jumping and cheering, completely forgetting her identity.

In such an engrossed setting, time flew by, and Taylor finally had a chance to pause and interact with the audience. Even then, she remained buoyant, hopping around like a beautiful sprite, causing the crowd to scream and boil wherever she went.

Then, an unexpected scene unfolded. Many fans outside the arena had been cheering and singing from the start, but their voices were overshadowed by the audience inside, lacking the firsthand excitement of being in the presence. Suddenly, a wave of terrifying noise erupted from outside, silencing the indoor audience, leaving them clueless about what was happening.

Taylor Swyfft was also surprised, but she simply thought the outside audience was supporting her. Cameras closely followed her, broadcasting her touched wave on the big screen. Holding the microphone high, she shouted, "Friends outside! I love you!"

Backstage, the concert director's team was in chaos. The director, sweating profusely, exclaimed, "Can someone tell me what's happening outside? This segment was supposed to introduce a guest, and now everyone's listening to the screams outside!"

"Oh, my God! Look over here!"

To ensure the effect, Taylor's concert had arranged 30 cameras of various sizes, including 4 outside, with the director's monitor showing live feeds from all cameras to quickly address any mishaps. The monitoring staff now frantically signaled the director, drawing everyone's attention to the monitor.

In the footage captured by the helicopter camera, 8 gigantic silver-white airships hovered silently above the O2 Arena's dome, forming a neat and vast semicircle from the curve's bottom to the middle, all facing the arena's main entrance.

Each airship was marked with a large letter in special fluorescent paint, emitting a soft green glow against the night sky, especially conspicuous even against the concert's brilliant lights, perfectly forming two words:

GO TAYLOR!

The O2 Arena, not an open-air venue, has a roof made of PTFE-coated fiberglass material, a spherical tension membrane structure supported by over 70 kilometers of cables hanging from 12 steel masts piercing 100 meters above the roof. The dome's center rises 50 meters high with a 320-meter diameter, its circumference exceeding 1 kilometer. These closely arrayed airships occupied more than half of the dome's edge, each over 50 meters long!

This spectacle made the letters, occupying most of the airship surfaces, incredibly striking. Likely, the entire London city center near Greenwich could see this cheer.

The recent uproar was clearly the outside fans witnessing the airships' ascent, entering a state of hysterical excitement, venting the frustration of watching the concert on external screens. Meanwhile, those inside the arena, blocked by the dome, were oblivious to the spectacular scene overhead.

"SHIT! Who arranged this? What's happening? Why didn't the organizers inform me of this segment, such a perfect excitement booster," the director lamented, his face filled with regret.

"No, no, I just checked. Neither the organizers, the venue, nor the contractors arranged these behemoths! They're as surprised as we are!" his assistant, a young man, was equally bewildered.

The director made a decisive call: "Regardless, it must be the work of some avid fan, and it's a good thing. Notify the stage to switch the big screens to the exterior view, I want a full panorama! Inform Taylor about the airships, let her improvise and continue interacting with the audience!"

The efficiency of such a large concert was high, and within 10 seconds

, the central stage's composite big screen displayed the aerial panorama shot by the helicopter. The immense airship slogans and spectacular lights elicited screams of delight from everyone. Attracted by the letters, even more people gathered outside the arena, repeatedly chanting in unison:

"Go! Taylor!"

"Go! Taylor!"

"Go! Taylor!"

This rhythmic chanting quickly resonated inside, with over fifty thousand spectators achieving a uniform effect!

Amidst this miraculous surge of people and sound, what flashed through Taylor Swyfft's mind was the recent call from Bruce. The big screen swiftly switched to the waving arms of tens of thousands, then back to a moved Taylor, tears nearly brimming in her eyes, shaking her head in disbelief before lifting her shiny guitar overhead: "Oh My God!"

Trista Joyce, her voice nearly hoarse, continued to jump and shout with everyone: "Go! Taylor!"

Bruce shook his head, amused: "Tris! Didn't you find airships childish? Why the excitement?"

Trista shot him a look, replying loudly, "It depends on who it's for! Taylor is simply a miracle, a true goddess! She deserves my airships!"

Bruce was left speechless by her response. Finding these uniformly huge airships was no easy task, urgently brought in from Germany at nearly three hundred thousand dollars, and somehow, they became hers. Surely she hadn't started taking an interest in Taylor too.

The chanting persisted, Taylor covering her mouth, trying to speak into the microphone but met with louder responses, unable to get her voice across for a full ten minutes until the frenzied fans finally quieted down, Bruce maliciously guessing they were genuinely exhausted from shouting.

Taylor seemed overwhelmed, her chest heaving, the arena lights shining on her as if it were daylight.

"I must thank the friend who sent this gift, I want to tell you, I absolutely love it!"

She paced the stage, then catching her breath, continued: "Many people, oftentimes, don't know what they want. But one day, like me, you'll know what you truly seek in your heart, you'll know! When that time comes, I don't think you should wait. I think you should say it now!"

Familiar fans screamed in response. After her speech, she stood on stage, unabashedly, shiningly performing the heart-stirring and dreamy "sparks fly."

As the thrilling music began, the arena lights dimmed, everyone donning the glow-in-the-dark wristbands distributed at entry, creating patches of blue fluorescence that eventually merged, rhythmically swaying like a vast night sky dotted with dancing stars to the music.

That night, behind Taylor Swyfft, the entire city of London, with all its myriad lights, seemed to illuminate just for her!