Chapter 129: Unexpected Defeat [Second Update]

After the second round of the semifinals, where four competitors fought for three spots, Qin Haiyu secured second place and smoothly advanced to the finals.

Immediately following, the most intense and thrilling wheel knockout round was about to begin!

First, the initial singer would perform on stage, and the live audience would vote. Then the second singer would take the stage; after voting concluded, the contestant with more votes would be safe and remain on stage, while the one with fewer votes would enter the danger zone.

This process continued until all five singers had performed. The first to withstand this wheel battle and remain on stage would directly qualify for the finals.

The remaining four singers would then perform in turn, and ultimately, the one with the highest votes would advance to the finals, while the other three would miss out.

So, the pressure was certainly on!

Yet, for Yu Zhile, confident in a five-to-two battle, there was still hope. Although his vocal skills might not overwhelmingly surpass the others, he had a significant advantage in song choice!

Thus, when the wheel knockout began, Yu Zhile, the third performer, sang a song that made everyone present wonder if they had misjudged him.

"A Person Like Me"

Lyrics: Patrick Star
Composition: Patrick Star
Performed by: Patrick Star

“Wait… is this an original? I thought the production team must have mistaken the song title!”
“Is this inspired by his previous adaptation of 'A Person Like Me,' leading to the creation of this new piece?”

Backstage, Qin Haiyu was stunned. Patrick Star clearly had an original song prepared—so why hadn’t he performed it when competing against her earlier?

Could it be that because she was a woman, he chose to let her win easily?

Hmph, how condescending!

Qin Haiyu felt a bit displeased. She had intended to give her all in the competition, bringing out her best state and most confident songs, yet he hadn’t even shown his prepared original to challenge her!

That wasn’t gentlemanly behavior at all!

It was plainly a sign that he didn’t regard her as a worthy opponent!

He simply thought she didn’t deserve to be his rival!

What a detestable fellow!

He better make it to the finals!

Then I’ll show him how I defeat him and claim the championship, becoming the true Masked King!

Lost in these thoughts, Qin Haiyu felt a bit embarrassed… Oh dear! She was drifting off! Blame her husband for preparing such a beautiful song—it was making her daydream!

She even began imagining the scene of her husband cheering excitedly from the audience when she won the championship.

---

At that moment, Yu Zhile strummed his guitar and began to sing.

"A person as outstanding as I am
Deserved to shine brilliantly through life..."

Upon hearing the opening line, many felt an urge to shout “nonsense” at Patrick Star, but the very next line—

“How, after more than twenty years, am I still drifting in the crowd?”

—made everyone swallow their words.

A strange resonance and melancholy quietly blossomed in their hearts.

“A person as lost as I am
A person like me who searches
A person as mediocre as I am
How many others have you seen...”

Yu Zhile’s deep voice instantly touched the core of the audience.

Teacher Wu sincerely admired him: “Another excellent original! He will surely have a place in the future music scene!”

As a veteran who had created many classic songs, this was the first time Wu expressed such praise for a singer!

The other judges remained silent, because since the show began, every original song performed by Patrick Star had been outstanding, each one going viral online immediately after airing!

Such a talented singer—if he didn’t deserve a place in the music world, then what face would these judges have to remain in the industry?

“A person as mundane as I am
Never pretends to be profound
But sometimes when I hear old songs
I suddenly get lost in thought...”

Yu Zhile’s voice, deep and filled with a weary life’s story, seemed to be telling a tale.

Yet only the listeners truly knew what the story was.

When people hear such songs, they sense a backstory and long to know what the author experienced when writing it.

But once the song is heard, it no longer belongs to the author—because the listeners’ sighs and tears become the song’s true story.

Yu Zhile wasn’t a singer who told stories with his voice, but when paired with such songs, his singing involuntarily evoked memories buried deep in people’s hearts.

This was the power of music!

He finished the song with the line:
“A person as inexplicable as I am, is there anyone who cares?”

That lyric, that vocal passage, struck the audience’s hearts once more!

Backstage, Qin Haiyu suddenly paused. She realized that Patrick Star seemed so pitiful, so lonely.

She inexplicably felt sympathy...

As Yu Zhile set down his guitar, Teacher Wu suddenly stood up and applauded enthusiastically: “I’m more and more eager to know who you really are!”

Yu Zhile modestly replied, “Just an unknown nobody.”

---

Teacher Wu leaned forward on the table and said, “If you’re a nobody, then the entire music scene must be full of small fry!”

“Uh... Teacher Wu, you flatter me!” Yu Zhile hadn’t expected such high praise from the elder, and felt both honored and a little intimidated.

The other three judges were equally curious, and before host Ni Qiqin even took the stage, they couldn’t wait to speak up, eager to discover who Patrick Star really was.

Then the audience began voting!

On stage, two masked singers, including Yu Zhile, faced off. If Yu Zhile received more votes than the other, he would remain on stage while the other entered the danger zone.

Soon, the results came in!

Yu Zhile earned 456 votes this round, leading by 24 votes and sending the other masked singer into the danger zone!

Two more masked singers were yet to perform; if neither surpassed Yu Zhile’s votes, he would advance directly to the finals.

If someone outvoted him, he would have to enter the final four-to-one knockout round.

At this point, Yu Zhile felt a bit nervous.

Although he believed his spot in the finals was secure, he feared the last two singers might perform extraordinarily well.

Still, he thought there was no reason for him to lose this round. After all, “A Person Like Me” resonated deeply with the audience during live competition.

And even if he lost this round, it wasn’t a disaster—though the next four-to-one round would be tougher, he still had tricks up his sleeve.

After the fourth singer finished performing, the vote tally appeared on screen: 39 votes. Safe!

Only one singer remained.

And this one was a tough contender!

Known as “Masked Hero” on the show, although it was their first time sharing the stage, Yu Zhile had recognized this singer as a powerhouse from watching TV at home.

So in this wheel battle, he wasn’t fully confident he could defeat the opponent.

Especially since this time the Masked Hero came out with an electric guitar, clearly intending to perform rock.

When the electronic intro began, Yu Zhile felt the pressure.

At a live competition, a well-executed rock song easily energizes the crowd and earns high votes.

With such strong vocal skills and a solid performance, the opponent’s exceptional delivery was daunting.

That cool electric guitar, that high-energy rock stance—the sight and sound made Yu Zhile want to rock out alongside him.

When the opponent finished, Yu Zhile couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up.

When the final votes were announced, he smiled wryly, both helpless and admiring—he hadn’t expected to lose at the end of this wheel battle.