Shout out prices, and then sing... "Discount!"

(Baonghean)Da Nang city is about to enter its traditional fireworks festival on April 30th, after successfully organizing the inauguration ceremony of the Dragon Bridge, Tran Thi Ly Bridge, and the world-record-breaking Ba Na Hills Cable Car Line 3.

In the face of general difficulties, the city was forced to cut some unnecessary and extravagant activities. The last time this happened was the operation of a large convoy of vehicles that was planned to escort the leaders' motorcade from the city center to the Ba Na Hills tourist area.

This time, the leaders of Da Nang city cut the huge performance fee of a famous singer - My Tam, even though she is a "daughter of the homeland," born and raised in this dynamic city.

The press seized the opportunity to investigate the truth. Many were shocked to learn that the fee reached up to $6,000 per show. Newspapers didn't hesitate to use sensational headlines like "exorbitant price," "astronomical price," etc. In a country with four seasons of festivals and year-round celebrations of traditions, this was clearly an unparalleled opportunity for media companies, agents, and of course, the so-called "bizarre" crowd.

Whether the price is high or low, as mentioned above, is difficult to say or discuss. All I know is that a provincial leader recounted that every year during his province's anniversary celebrations, they would prepare a budget plan for approval. After reading it, he broke out in a sweat, summoned the members, and resolutely cut it in half. The members protested loudly, saying that company A would withdraw at this price, but for some reason, no one did. This shows how people take advantage of this opportunity to inflate prices to share the spoils and do business among themselves.

The incident in Da Nang involving that singer is certainly not outside the tangled web of connections between that company, that manager, and the all-too-familiar "price gouging" story in the art market. Certainly, after this incident, the "big name" singer will face public disapproval and their value will decrease, even if they arrogantly claim they "had to submit an official request" (!).

The press once again seized the opportunity to use a rather amusing term: "singing at a discount!"

But it's quite possible that if people can ignore the huge motor setup, then it's okay if someone doesn't sing, because who doesn't know the old saying, "The market will still be crowded even without the lady of the house"!

Phu Chau