Chapter 92: At a Glance, One Could Tell He Was an Expert

Opening first and serving as a temporary host as well—that is an immense burden for any singer.

And yet, under that burden, Zhou Jian still delivered a performance far beyond expectation. That alone proved he was a true king.

With a single song, he sang out the unwillingness in his heart and the dissatisfaction he felt toward this appearance-obsessed society.

But he did not give in, and so he also sang of his love for music and his gratitude for life.

Out of fashion?

Popular songs, unpopular singer?

Must an ugly man be condemned simply because he became famous?

His smoke-rough high notes, as if they could tear space apart, seemed to answer through song: “I don’t give a damn what any of you say!”

His rearranged cover of I Am Such a Person instantly ignited the entire hall.

Even Yu Zhile found himself unconsciously bouncing his leg along with the beat. Zhou Jian might not be handsome, but his singing and voice were the kind that inspired envy.

After finishing, he let out a long breath, then humorously resumed his role as host, saying that since the production team dared to let him serve as temporary host, then he would shamelessly use that authority to solicit votes for himself.

At that, the audience burst into laughter.

Weren’t they just saying there was no backstage manipulation? And yet this was the biggest fix of all, wasn’t it?

Still, it was simply too entertaining.

After watching so many music programs, this was the first time the audience had seen a singer step in as temporary host and so brazenly campaign for himself.

At that moment, many viewers had already begun to like the show and were looking forward to the next singer’s appearance.

After finishing his self-promotion, Zhou Jian picked up the cue card and, reading word for word, announced the next singer to take the stage.

Once he had finished, amid the cheers of Ni Qiqin, he returned in high spirits to the backstage lounge known as the Singer’s Home.

The burden of temporary hosting would then, by the same logic, be passed to the next singer to perform.

Qin Haiyu praised again, saying, “The rules and setup of this show are so interesting. No wonder Ni Qiqin became Teacher Zhou Jian’s program manager—so this show doesn’t even need a host!”

Looking at such an amusing program, she could not help feeling a little envious and tempted. If last year’s I Am a Singing Star had been this interesting, she would have gladly gone on it herself instead of being quietly sold onto the show by her husband.

Yu Zhile nodded in agreement. “Fresh and interesting interactive segments, the nostalgic feelings of veteran singers, and the entertainment reality of new names replacing old ones—I believe that within no more than two episodes, they’ll prove that the popularity and traffic they’ve gathered through real strength are no worse than those so-called traffic stars.”

Qin Haiyu thought the same.

This was the first time she had seen a music program with such a beautiful stage and such excellent sound quality.

Then came the second singer.

Another male vocalist—and what was most hair-raising was that this man’s low voice was simply too powerful.

Some people say that if a female soprano is the skylark atop the pyramid, then a male bass is the foundation that steadies everything below.

One powerhouse singer like Zhou Jian had already been astonishing enough for Yu Zhile, but he had never expected the production team to unearth such a treasure.

When the second singer stepped onto the stage and opened his mouth, that uniquely charismatic bass voice stunned everyone at once.

When Zhou Jian sang his first line, Yu Zhile had nearly gotten goose bumps. Now, with this bass voice, he truly did get goose bumps.

There was even a tingling sensation across his scalp.

He praised, “This production team is incredible! Who found these gods? They came out of the gate with two trump cards—that’s what a real music show is! This level, this singing, this sound quality... it’s pure bliss to listen to!”

Qin Haiyu was envious again. “This year the production team really has money! The band lineup is extravagant enough already, and even the stage and audio equipment are so much better than last year’s I Am a Singing Star! Last year’s live sound system definitely didn’t have audio this good. This one is so comfortable to listen to!”

Yu Zhile said, “It can’t be compared. Last year the production team invited traffic stars with appearance fees so outrageous that they had to make do everywhere else.

“This year they’ve reworked the show and invited real singers whose appearance fees are much lower, so they’ve saved plenty of money to upgrade the stage and music equipment.”

Qin Haiyu sighed. “That makes sense. Based on last year’s lineup alone, the appearance fees added up to well over a hundred million. This year, the seven singers’ fees together probably don’t even reach fifty million.”

Very quickly, after the two performances ended, Yu Zhile felt reassured. With this kind of quality and this level of music, there was no need to worry about the ratings at all.

The first-day ratings might not be spectacular, but he believed that through word of mouth, the show would soon catch fire.

And this program would also give the long-dormant powerhouse singers a chance for their careers to bloom again, then completely reshuffle the music scene.

This would be a chance for real vocalists to prove themselves through undeniable strength, and to strike a heavy blow against those traffic stars without genuine ability.

They would prove it, and they wanted to prove it.

The music world does not need traffic stars.

It needs singers with real strength.

The reason classic songs become classics is not fan traffic, but the songs themselves.

A good song can remain popular even after so many years.

A bad song, no matter how much fan traffic is forced into it, can never become a classic and will never truly be accepted by the world.

And that was precisely why certain singers had agreed to take part in this program.

Before anyone noticed, all seven powerhouse singers had finished performing.

This was the music program with the highest musical standard and the strongest singer lineup Yu Zhile had ever seen.

He was almost curious—who had discovered all these masters?

A little later, after the director dragged things out for quite some time, the singer who had taken first place in the premiere episode was finally announced.

It was Zhou Jian, who had opened the show with such a flawless and beautiful performance.

After watching the program, Qin Haiyu went off to shower, still not quite satisfied, while Yu Zhile watched over the baby and casually refreshed Weibo on his phone, only to discover with surprise that there was not a single trending topic about the premiere of I Am a Singer.

Yet Star Brilliant, the show that had piggybacked on last year’s I Am a Singing Star and was airing its second episode today, had even put some celebrity’s first-round elimination on the trending list.

And I Am a Singer, with its nonstop musical highlights, did not have a single trending topic?

Just then, Yang Bing sent a message: “The premiere of I Am a Singer is over. Did you watch it at home?”

Yu Zhile replied, “I watched it. The quality of this show is unbeatable! Aside from the singer lineup, everything else absolutely crushes other programs of the same type. If this doesn’t become a hit, then heaven itself would have no sense!”

Yang Bing said, “With you saying that, I’m relieved.”

Yu Zhile asked curiously, “These seven singers are all too strong. Who picked them? Whoever it was had incredible taste—you can tell at a glance they’re someone who knows the business.”

Yang Bing replied awkwardly, “It was me…”