Chapter 91: My brother is incredible!

For more than ten minutes after its premiere, Singer had still not yet reached the singing itself. The program was still following the producers as they visited each performer and escorted them to the recording site.

By then, many viewers across the country who had been eagerly awaiting the first broadcast had begun to wonder.

Are you sure this is a singing show?

It feels more like an outdoor reality program!

And yet, despite the long introduction and the fact that the singing competition had still not begun after so much time, the audience did not find it boring at all. On the contrary, they were watching with great relish.

Some singers turned out to be far wittier than expected, tossing out joke after joke and sending the host who came to meet them into fits of laughter all the way there.

Some singers, once glorious and celebrated, now past their prime, spoke of what they had done in the years since leaving the music scene with a bleak, helpless sadness that drew sighs from countless viewers.

Each segment of the journey to the recording venue did more than help audiences rediscover singers who no longer possessed much popularity; it also introduced the show’s new setup and rules.

At home, Yu Zhile suddenly felt the same sensation he had when he first watched Singer in the past. He had only casually suggested a few changes, yet by some twist of fate Old Yang had actually designed a Singer with nearly identical rules and structure.

The aspect he had emphasized most in his suggestions was that the stage and sound equipment had to be excellent, the singers had to have real ability, and those attractive but talentless celebrity idols who relied on looks to win fans absolutely should not be invited.

His second major suggestion was the role of the show liaison.

Thus, there was no host in this program. Instead, each singer would temporarily serve as host, which added an extra layer of variety-show amusement.

Accordingly, each singer would be assigned a standard station liaison. These liaisons were all station hosts.

For every episode, the liaison would travel from all over the country to meet and escort the singers, and the interactions along the way became one of the show’s highlights.

As a result, before the actual competition even began, these opening scenes went on for nearly half an hour.

Holding the baby in her arms while it fussed and tugged at her clothes, Qin Haiyu watched the singers draw lots in the “Singer House” and said, “Why do I feel like this is more like a reality show?”

Yu Zhile nodded. “To put it plainly, this is a reality show with a music competition built into it. So? Compared with the Singer Star you were on, does this Singer have more to watch?”

Qin Haiyu answered honestly, “It’s much better this way. Before, they just filmed an entrance, then went straight into the drawing for the competition. Aside from listening to the songs, there was nothing else to see. But now that there’s a reality-show segment, it feels fresh and interesting.”

Yu Zhile agreed. “A lot of music programs now are just straightforward singing contests. Aside from the songs, there’s really not much to them. Turning it into a reality-show style format and enriching the singers’ interactions makes it feel less dull and less monotonous.”

Qin Haiyu said, “Even though these singers don’t have much popularity or fan traffic, I feel like the ratings for this show should surpass last year’s Singer Star.”

Yu Zhile gave a slight nod.

At last, the first singer was about to step onto the stage.

Since there was no host, the first singer would have to temporarily take on the role.

After the male singer named Zhou Jian came out, he stared at the host cue card and thanked the sponsors line by line. When he finally recited every word without a single mistake, he lifted a hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead before letting out a breath of relief. Then, forcing his nervousness into a steadier tone, he introduced himself: “Hello, everyone. I am your host, Zhou Jian!”

As he said it, he even laughed at the absurdity of his own words.

After all, his hosting skills were dreadful.

Qin Haiyu laughed too. “This competition format and these rules are so interesting! It’s already nerve-racking enough for the first performer, and they still have to act as host too. That’s really making things difficult for him!”

At that moment, Zhou Jian shamelessly announced, “Now I shall reveal the first singer to take the stage! He is a male vocalist who embodies both talent and handsomeness!

Ten years ago, he once ruled the music world, and several of his signature songs won awards for classic Chinese-language hits!

Unfortunately, although his songs have remained popular for all these years, he himself faded like a flower in a single morning and lost his fame after only a few years! Rumor has it the reason he went out of style was that he was simply too handsome to be allowed to keep developing, because with him around, all the other male singers would feel utterly ashamed!

Now, having been forced into working behind the scenes because of his good looks, writing arrangements and lyrics for others, he finally summoned the courage to step onto this stage after repeated invitations from the production team!

Because the director said this was a show that does not look at faces or fame, but only compares vocal skill and real ability, he came!

Now let us welcome, with the warmest applause, this singer of both talent and handsomeness to take the stage and compete!”

On stage, the lights went out.

The stage darkened for about five seconds, and then the lights began to rise again. There was still only one person on the stage, and that was Zhou Jian himself, who had just boasted during his hosting introduction that he was talented but not handsome.

Seeing this, the viewers who had once loved his songs all began to feel sorry for him.

Although Zhou Jian had been showing off earlier, in truth this was also a kind of verbal release. The reason his songs had become famous while he himself had not was not because he lacked ability, but because his appearance was not especially strong. In an age that prized looks, it was hard for him to obtain good resources; he was even mocked and criticized by many people, and so he was reduced to working behind the scenes, quietly persisting in the music he loved.

Yet life has always been this way.

When it takes something from your appearance, it makes up for it with talent beyond the ordinary.

Zhou Jian was exactly such an example.

And so, with strength and optimism, he had held on until now, while the long-lost stage, the long-lost audience below, and the long-lost lights all gathered upon him.

He was filled with mixed emotions, and the audience below burst into thunderous applause.

At that moment, even Qin Haiyu was moved, and she said sympathetically, “Teacher Zhou Jian has really had it hard. Clearly he feels so wronged and unconvinced in his heart, yet he still opened up his own wound with a smile.”

Yu Zhile sincerely admired such people, and said with feeling, “Any grievance or unwillingness, given enough time, eventually turns into compromise. Rather than being gloomy every day, it is better to keep smiling and face life. That is his way of living, and there is a saying that is quite true: the more humorous someone seems on the surface, the sadder they are in private.”

Soon, Zhou Jian’s performance began.

It was a song that Yu Zhile found familiar at a glance, though he had never heard it before in this world: A Person Like Me.

When Zhou Jian’s faint, smoky voice began to sing, as though telling a story, Yu Zhile nearly got goosebumps.

This old brother was incredible.

The production team had struck gold this time.