Chapter 47: Collective Shock! The B-Lister Gets Drunk and Starts Singing! He Drops a Massive Bombshell [Requesting Monthly Votes]

[Sister Zheng can be excused since she isn’t a professional singer after all, but what on earth were Teacher Hua and Teacher Yang thinking by turning their chairs at the very last second? Let me guess—were the previous contestants' performances so agonizingly awful that it left a bitter taste in their mouths, and they were only moved because that instrumental background music happened to drown out the singing?]

[If that guy on stage had known those two would turn around just by listening to the accompaniment, he probably wouldn’t even have bothered singing.]

[Isn't this show supposed to be a contest to crown the king of singers? Pardon my lack of humility, but I’m pretty sure I could sing better than this guy without even taking a shower. If the threshold for a judge to turn around is this low, put me in coach, I can do it too!]

[They’re not even trying to hide the fact that they’re taking dirty money anymore.]

[It’s obvious that the judges invited by the production team are all strapped for cash lately, especially Teacher Yang. It’s been how many years since he put out any new work? He goes on and on about having reverence for music—well, I’d like to ask, where on earth has your reverence for music gone?]

[Hey upstairs, stop throwing around buzzwords you just learned, okay? This pretty boy has such a healing look; he’s infinitely more pleasing to the eye than some washed-up hack. Besides, according to his profile, he just turned 18 this year and is completely new to the industry. It’s already pretty impressive for someone like that to sing like this.]

[Exactly! Kind words bring good fortune; can’t you give a newcomer a little bit of tolerance?]

[No matter how badly he sings, he’s still better than that washed-up hack!]

[I’d argue with you over almost anything else, but if you’re going to claim this guy sings better than the washed-up hack—fine, you win!]

[The most humiliating episode in the history of the fandom!]

Discontented and controversial voices instantly flooded the live broadcast room.

The competition for "King of Tomorrow's Singers" was divided into two distinct stages with slightly different advancement rules: the rounds before the Top 16, and the rounds after the Top 16.

Prior to the Top 16, a contestant needed over 500,000 votes to advance. Each judge's chair turn accounted for 100,000 votes, meaning that if two judges turned their chairs, the contestant would advance even if they fell short of the 500,000-vote threshold. Once the Top 16 was reached, however, the format shifted to a one-on-one PK system where the higher vote-getter emerged victorious.

With three judges all turning their chairs as they had just done, there was no longer any need to tally online votes. This untalented, pretty-boy contestant would advance directly to the next round, securing a spot in the Top 32.

After Zhang Dada stepped forward to conduct a brief interview with the contestant, it was time for the judges' critique segment.

Completely ignoring the contestant's abysmal vocal skills, Teacher Yang offered a brief review: "I think your vocal timber has quite a distinct profile. I hope to see you bring an even more brilliant performance in the next round!"

"Indeed, this contestant's tone quality is exceptionally unique. Good singing techniques are a dime a dozen, but a distinct personal style is rare and hard to come by in today's music scene. Therefore, based on this point alone, I believe you have immense potential for future plasticity!" Teacher Hua followed closely with his evaluation.

Sister Zheng brushed it off with a single sentence: "I thought it sounded pretty good, so I turned my chair."

[Sister Zheng’s single review of "sounds pretty good" literally blew my mind.]

[Her review is actually the most objective one. After all, having dated a washed-up hack, the best-sounding music she’s heard in all these years is probably "Applying for a Loan," which the hack tailor-made for her. Using the washed-up hack as a benchmark, I actually accept her reasoning that the contestant sounded good.]

[Teacher Hua’s critique is also reasonable. As the Grand Mage of the Chinese music scene, his personal style is certainly distinct. For so many years, not only has no one surpassed him, but no one has even been born yet who can successfully imitate him!]

[Hahahaha, what a toxic burn!!]

Following the advancement of this pretty-boy contestant, within a mere half-hour span, five consecutive contestants took the stage. While all of them possessed decent looks, the moment they opened their mouths, it sounded nothing short of a sonic assault.

Viewers behind their screens were driven to physical discomfort, tearing at their hair in frustration. Yet the three judges on stage seemed to have their meridians unblocked ever since turning for the first contestant. For all the subsequent performers—who fell vastly short of even being capable KTV tone-deaf belt singers—the judges unanimously turned their chairs to pass them. Consequently, the show's mechanic of advancing via 50万 votes had not been triggered once since the show began.

Several of the advancing contestants hadn't even garnered a measly 100,000 votes despite the immense viewership of the livestream, yet they advanced simply because more than two judges had turned their chairs for them.

[I genuinely can't take it anymore. If this keeps up, I'm going to have to go listen to "Applying for a Loan" to wash my ears!]

[I used to think the washed-up hack was the absolute rock bottom of this show. Turns out he was actually the pillar!]

[It really is all thanks to the competition making him look good!]

[If the washed-up hack doesn't get on stage soon, I seriously can't watch this anymore. What the hell is even this garbage singing? If I weren't waiting to see the washed-up hack and Sister Zheng in the same frame, I would have shut this off ages ago!]

[This is nothing short of a new-era form of torture!]

[These three judges are truly shameless, not even bothering to put on an act anymore. "King of Tomorrow's Singers" should just be renamed "King of Tomorrow's Couch," as in the king of casting couch rules.]

[I think it should be called "King of Tomorrow's Money," where whoever has the cash is king!]

......
......

Meanwhile,
Backstage.

[Ding! Detected that the host is drinking 'Xifeng Liquor', +10 to 'Vocal Cavity Foundation'!]
[Detected that the host is moderately drunk, +100 to 'Vocal Cavity Foundation'!]
[‘Vocal Cavity Foundation’ upgraded to: LV4!]

Ignoring the gazes of the other contestants in the break room, Lü Ming clutched a 150-yuan bottle of six-year-aged Xifeng Liquor and chugged it straight down. His uninhibited and bold demeanor caused the female contestants secretly observing him to furrow their brows in deep consternation. They simply could not comprehend why an idol with such peerless, god-given looks was so obsessed with alcohol.

Hearing the system prompt chime in his mind, Lü Ming wore a look of delight.

It finally upgraded!

His harvest over these past few days had been bountiful. His [Acting Foundation] had already reached LV3. Combined with his LV3 [Line Delivery Foundation], while he wouldn't dare claim he could rival the top-tier heavyweights who had spent decades deeply entrenched in the television and film industries, his current acting skills put him leagues ahead of the entire younger generation.

Now that his [Vocal Cavity Foundation] had reached LV4, he possessed two LV4-level skills simultaneously. Strictly speaking in terms of foundational prowess, it was no exaggeration to say that even the current heavenly kings and queens of the music industry—and even those veteran seniors—were no longer his opponents in this specialized field!

Just as he was happily marveling at the changes brought by his new skill, a staff member came by to inform him that he was next up to perform. Lü Ming finished off the remaining baijiu in the bottle in a single gulp, then strode out of the break room with a slightly swaying, carefree gait.

"In just half an hour, he drank a whole catty by himself!"
"He really didn't even bother chasing it with a single peanut!"
"Going on stage in that state, is he even sure he can find the right pitch?"
"You should be worrying about what kind of disaster he's about to cause. I vaguely remember the last time I got drunk at KTV, my friends recorded me singing and posted it in the class group chat. I still don't have the courage to watch that video a second time. People who sing while drunk don't 'sing'—they 'roar.' No technique, all emotion!"

Watching Lü Ming's retreating back, the crowd muttered amongst themselves with complex expressions.

Even those young female contestants who had previously coveted Lü Ming's physique silently put away their adoration, realizing this guy was about to drop a massive turd in front of audiences nationwide.

"Let us welcome our next contestant. The song he has prepared is..." On the brilliantly lit stage, the moment Zhang Dada saw Lü Ming's name, he immediately perked up. But upon glancing at the song title on his cue card, he froze, his tone filled with utter disbelief as he announced, "‘Love Until Death’!"

The live audience and online viewers didn't think much of it at first.

However, after the host stepped down, a young man walked onto the stage wearing a rooster costume adorned with a chicken feather taller than his head, with a guitar strapped across his back. The audience seating area instantly erupted into a commotion.

"Whoa!!!"

The crowd exploded in an instant, and a slew of female contestants covered their mouths in astonishment.

Noticing the commotion in the auditorium, the three judges sitting with their backs turned in their chairs immediately knew who had arrived.

Although the show featured a few genuinely talented contestants, none of them had shown up for today's premiere live broadcast, leaving Lü Ming as the biggest star among the roster.

Sister Zheng straightened her posture, instinctively feeling for the two raw eggs tucked into her pants pockets.

She was not joking in the slightest!

The moment it was confirmed Lü Ming would perform today, she had specifically instructed her manager to buy a whole crate of eggs. Knowing she couldn't actually bring those out to cause trouble, the staff had forced her to leave them behind, leaving her with no choice but to secretly stash two raw eggs in her pockets. She was simply waiting for Lü Ming to finish singing so she could let her lingering, ghostly-annoying ex-boyfriend taste a bit of retribution.

Meanwhile.

As the accompaniment slowly began to play, viewers in the livestream room were filled with a profound sense of bewilderment.

[I can accept that it's not "Applying for a Loan," but what the hell is the meaning of "Love Until Death"?]
[Who gave him the courage to challenge a classic high-note anthem like this?]
[Could it be that he's trying to use this song to win Sister Zheng back? After all, Huayue has already blacklisted him; looks like the only path left for the washed-up hack is to become a kept man.]

[Even so... does the washed-up hack have some kind of profound misunderstanding of his own abilities?]
[I bet you—forget about whether he can even hit the high notes, if he manages to sing a single pitch in tune, I'll vote for him!]
[I feel like he's not here to win Sister Zheng back, but rather to destroy the audience's ears!]
[Isn't the most important part his outfit? He looks like some non-mainstream rebel from the 90s, and they're playing backing tracks right there on stage—what the hell is the point of you carrying a guitar on your back?]
[Gentle reminder: Viewers suffering from high blood pressure or heart disease, please voluntarily turn your volume down or exit the livestream immediately to avoid unnecessary casualties.]
[Get ready to listen to the most insane auditory bomb in the history of Chinese pop music!]

Amidst the slightly apprehensive gazes of the netizens, Lü Ming—whose emotions were running high due to the effects of the alcohol—precisely caught the optimal entry point. With a steady breath and genuine emotion, he began to deliver the verse:

"Treat~ every~ day~, as if it were the apocalypse to~ love~ each~ other~"
"Every~ single~ second~, is so beautiful that tears~ fall~ down~"
"Ignoring~ whether~ others look upon us favorably or~ unfavorably~"
"As long as you~ have~ the courage, come with me~"

Listening to the magnetic, resonant voice echoing through the broadcasting hall, the expressions of the live audience shifted drastically. First, they shot a shocked glance at Lü Ming, and then their gazes snapped in unison toward Teacher Yang.

It wasn't that Lü Ming was singing poorly. In fact, operating at peak condition, he had pushed his technical foundation to a state of near perfection, executing both vocal mastery and emotional rendering flawlessly!

Even Teacher Yang, who had initially harbored no expectations and was lounging lazily in his judge's chair, jolted upright the moment he heard the voice coming from behind him. His eyes widened as he stared into the camera, pointing at his face in sheer disbelief before looking left and right, only to find Sister Zheng and Teacher Hua staring back at him with equally wide eyes.

People weren't drawn in by Lü Ming's solid vocal technique; rather, everyone's attention was locked entirely on the sound he was producing.

Comparing the vocal style Lü Ming was exhibiting at that moment to Teacher Yang's signature, highly distinctive personal style, it wasn't just completely similar—it was an exact carbon copy!

[Holy crap!]
[What is going on? Is my phone broken?]
[What the f***, are they not even pretending anymore?!]
[Even if the production team wants to fake it, they could at least show a shred of respect for the audience's intelligence! Playing Teacher Yang's cover recording while letting the washed-up hack mime the lyrics on stage—you guys really think you can get away with anything, huh?]

The bullet-screen comments completely exploded.

The sheer cognitive dissonance between the sound they were hearing and Lü Ming standing on stage passionately lip-syncing was simply too immense. Especially since Teacher Yang—the founding pioneer of this very vocal style—was sitting right there in the audience witnessing the crime scene firsthand. His expression of absolute shock only served to cement the viewers' suspicions that Lü Ming was lip-syncing.

Even Zhang Dada, standing at the edge of the stage, was dumbfounded.

He communicated frantically with the production team through his earpiece, looking as though he were trying to verify the truth.

Amidst everyone's utterly disbelieving gazes, Lü Ming once again launched into the next verse, delivering it with his unique, signature "Kun-style vocal technique."

As he invested further emotion into the performance, his vocal style quietly underwent a subtle transformation—retaining Teacher Yang's traits while simultaneously heightening and refining them to a degree. He sang in a soft murmur:

"Love~ doesn't need a deliberate arrangement~"
"Go by feel to kiss~ and~ embrace~, and~ it will be quite delightful~"
"Enjoy the moment, don't fear getting~ hurt~ the moment you open your heart~"
......

Deng Ziqi, an avid fan of gossip, was also among the viewers of this livestream.

Having been in low spirits lately due to a dispute with her agency—even sliding into a mild depression—she had coincidentally stumbled upon short video clips of Lü Ming going wild at the Mushroom House. Her interest piqued, she happened to tune into the "Keep Running" livestream. After witnessing firsthand all of Lü Ming's comedic antics throughout the broadcast, she had come to view this male star, who shared her own misery, as her personal source of joy.

Therefore, upon hearing that Lü Ming would be participating in a music reality show, despite knowing his notorious reputation for singing, her fondness for the man drove her to come tune in for the gossip.

At first, hearing Lü Ming mimic Teacher Yang's style, she had shared the assumption of many netizens that the production team had arranged for a lip-syncing session that had horribly backfired. But hearing the song progress to this point, her eyes widened in disbelief as she pointed at the screen:

"Rea... really? This is real? This isn't Teacher Yang's voice—he's simulating it himself using his own vocal timbre!"
"Oh my god, his breath control and vocal cavity foundation... is this really the same person as that tone-deaf washed-up hack from before?!"

Deng Ziqi could hardly believe her eyes.

Amateurs watch the fun; professionals watch the craft.

The moment she confirmed that Lü Ming wasn't lip-syncing to a pre-recorded track but was actually delivering his own live vocals, Deng Ziqi felt her entire understanding of the industry collapse.

At that very moment, she was far from the only professional musician paying attention to this music show.

Given Lü Ming's astronomical internet traffic, gossiping is human nature. Even though they knew the kid was bound to make a massive fool of himself, various industry heavyweights wanted to see just how badly he would crash and burn. Yet his actual performance landed like a boulder creating a thousand ripples, leaving countless musicians staring in utter disbelief.

They never dreamed that the washed-up hack, mocked by netizens and dismissed by everyone, was actually playing them all for fools.

This guy wasn't crashing and burning—he was blowing the roof off the place!

Meanwhile, the live broadcast camera zoomed in close enough to practically press against Teacher Yang's face.

Teacher Yang, who had initially been filled with skepticism and darting eyes of doubt, heard a vocal timbre that was startlingly similar to his own yet distinctly unique. His shock deepened instantly.

If it were merely a similar vocal style, that would be one thing. The real issue was that while utilizing a vocal placement identical to his own, the person on stage possessed breath control so steady and pitches so precise that it sounded as though it had been pitch-corrected in a professional recording studio!

Had he not heard it with his own ears, he simply wouldn't have believed that anyone in the domestic entertainment industry could achieve this level of foundational craftsmanship!

Disregarding whether or not he was allowed to turn his chair for a washed-up hack, Teacher Yang decisively slammed the red button before him. His chair whipped around to face the stage with a sharp snap. The mystery was simply too unsettling for him not to turn around and see with his own eyes what on earth was going on.

Teacher Hua, whose musical proficiency was more limited, hadn't quite caught the subtle nuances. Seeing Teacher Yang suddenly spring around and face the front, he wore an expression of sheer astonishment. Sister Zheng was equally flabbergasted.

......
(Author's note: Today's condition is actually pretty good. Preparing to release an extra chapter for the league leader bro. I won't sleep until I finish writing it, expected before 3 AM.)