Chapter 29: The Champion is Revealed

The final melody ended with a dolphin-like prolonged high note. Xiao Chi half-knelt on the ground, one hand slowly lifting as though bearing an enormous weight, finally raising it high above his head and tightly clenching his fist.

In that instant, the audience seemed to be swept away by a storm. The thunderous applause resounded continuously, and the shouts from all directions gathered into Xiao Chi’s name, growing louder and more unified, soaring into the sky!

Even the judges at the front felt the air vibrate with the wave of energy, staring at each other in astonishment, speechless.

Only Xie Ting, sitting in the center, stood up from his seat and clapped along with the audience. His deep, profound eyes were filled with a smile. After a moment, he leisurely sat back down and exchanged a meaningful glance with the music critic, Shang Quan, sitting next to him.

Xie Ting clearly said nothing, yet it felt as if a thousand words were left unsaid.

Shang Quan hesitated, his lips moving as though he wanted to speak but couldn’t bring himself to. Finally, he awkwardly took a sip from his teacup: “It’s just a display of skills. When it comes to emotional impact and emotional release, clearly, Fang Zichang’s To My Dearest You is superior. Singers who only show off their skills have no future.”

Xie Ting’s eyebrows twitched slightly, and he lazily leaned back in his chair: “Master Shang, you have a sharp eye. I remember when I first debuted and participated in the Star Show competition, you criticized me in the same way. Your advice often echoes in my mind, and it’s what drives me to keep striving forward.”

Shang Quan froze, then turned away, pretending to pour more tea. He chose to ignore Xie Ting’s teasing.

Amidst the cheers from the crowd, Xiao Chi, the one at the center of it all, appeared to treat it as a trivial matter. He simply smiled shyly at the camera.

Suddenly, he remembered that Ji Chenxuan might be watching his broadcast backstage.

Xiao Chi immediately moved his feet, looking around, and found the nearest camera to himself. He flashed a “V” sign at it.

“Ahhh, Chenchen is so cute!”

“I’m the one doing the scissor hands, do you have anything to say to me?”

“Chenchen gave me a V!”

The bullet comments on the major live streaming platforms went crazy again. For the platform’s maintenance programmers, tonight was destined to be a day of complete system crashes.

Backstage VIP Room.

Watching the enlarged image of Xiao Chi’s handsome face on the screen, especially when he made the “V” sign, Ji Chenxuan felt as if he was eyeing him through the screen.

“This guy…” Ji Chenxuan crossed his legs, shifting from his left leg to his right, his hand supporting his cheek, changing positions restlessly, unable to sit still, his mind in turmoil.

“I told him not to keep doing these strange hand gestures…”

Ji Chenxuan muttered under his breath, and Zhou Tong, sitting on the couch next to him, looked up at the sound. Ji’s smile lifted at the corners of his mouth, crooked like a bent steel ring, impossible to flatten. His assistant felt speechless.

He tactfully cleared his throat: “It’s almost time. Would you like to go see the stage?”

Ji Chenxuan’s brows furrowed slightly in contemplation, but he ultimately shook his head: “No, let’s leave him with a surprise. By the way, is the ‘gift’ ready?”

Zhou Tong smiled broadly: “Don’t worry, President Ji, I’ve got everything arranged!”

—

The Contestants’ Rest Room

A muffled “bang” echoed as Fang Zichang smashed the remote control for the projector. The screen rippled like water waves, but the quality was unexpectedly excellent, and Xiao Chi’s every expression remained clear and vivid on the screen, stubbornly refusing to disappear no matter what.

“Are you kidding me? Are you sure you bribed someone inside to switch the songs for him?”

Seeing Xiao Chi perform the incredibly difficult original version of “Overlooking China” with such ease, Fang Zichang was so shocked that his eyeballs almost popped out!

Wasn’t the plan to embarrass him? How did it end up like he stole all the limelight instead?

The manager, frantic, wiped the cold sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief. “I’ve double-checked! The money’s been paid! The selection clearly sent the rearranged version, but what was played live was obviously the original by mistake!”

“You mean to tell me this Xiao guy, who’s never rehearsed the original ‘Overlooking China’, can perform it to this level of completion? And he did it on the spot?”

Fang Zichang’s chest heaved violently, his face turning a sickly shade of green, as if coated in decaying moss, with a hint of rust-like bitterness.

The manager handed him a cup of warm water with trembling hands and gently tried to calm him down: “It’s too late to get angry now. Don’t panic, the final result isn’t out yet. Anything can happen, and there’s still room for negotiation! Besides, half of the decision lies with the judges, and they might not necessarily follow the crowd’s opinion.”

Fang Zichang grabbed the water cup with a cold expression, took a sip, and then irritably threw it to the ground. “Did you pay the hush money?”

“Yes, we did. All of it,” the manager sighed inwardly. “Let’s get ready to go on stage.”

—

Main Stage of Star Avenue

The host glided onto the central stage on a hoverboard. The orchestra’s music grew more urgent, and he drew out a long tone, teasing the audience’s anticipation.

“Thank you to the five contestants for their wonderful performances! All the data has been sent to the backstage studio. Let’s take a guess at the rankings of our five contestants. What do you think they will be?”

Several fan groups in the audience immediately started chanting, each refusing to back down. By now, the championship, second, and third places were glaringly clear. One step forward and the sky was the limit, but a step backward meant all their efforts would go to waste.

Who could withstand such a disparity?

One by one, the contestants stepped onto the stage and posed before the cameras, putting on expressions of mutual admiration. However, the fans in the audience were like oil-filled cans, ready to explode at any moment, with a heavy sense of rivalry in the air.

Friends walk together for life, but whoever wins the championship is a dog!

The host held the microphone, fueling the fire before smoothly changing the topic: “Let’s first hear the judges’ predictions! Master Shang Quan, you gave Xiao Chi the lowest score in the first round. Have you changed your mind?”

His voice clearly resonated throughout the venue, and the camera quickly focused on the judges’ seats, with Shang Quan suddenly becoming the center of attention.

In the backstage area, Liu Bing let out a chuckle. This host sure knows how to stir up trouble.

Shang Quan’s forehead creased deeply as his frown deepened. He put on a long face and, with a neutral tone, said: “I don’t mean to target anyone. The scores are just based on the matter at hand. I still believe that flashy skills alone, copying and mimicking the original without adding your own interpretation, results in a soulless performance!”

“Oh? So you mean Xiao Chi’s performance lacked soul?” the host sharply pointed out the key question.

Shang Quan smiled slightly: “As everyone knows, I’m just an old man who speaks his mind. I still stand by what I said—there’s no intention to target anyone. Truly outstanding singers evoke emotional resonance in people. It’s a long, steady, and powerful energy, not just a fleeting moment of excitement that fades away.”

Host: “Are you referring to Fang Zichang, the contestant?”

Shang Quan didn’t answer directly. Instead, he glanced around, seeing the thoughtful expressions of the other judges, and only then did he slowly turn back and smile. “Everyone here is a well-respected professional in the industry. I believe everyone will make the best decision.”

Host: “It seems you’re quite confident about your prediction?”

Shang Quan gently stroked the short beard on his chin and smiled without saying a word.

On stage, Xiao Chi remained calm and composed, while the other contestants looked like lambs waiting to be slaughtered, nervously awaiting their fate.

Fang Zichang frequently glanced at the judges’ seats, his smile almost frozen on his face. His hands were tightly clenched together, the knuckles white with tension.

He couldn’t help but wonder if Shang Quan’s claim that he had connections and influence among the judges was actually true.

With all his indirect comments, would the other judges really show him favor?

Noticing the camera was now focused on him, Fang Zichang quickly turned his head to nod at the audience, but his nervousness made his smile look unnatural.

The host, having finished with Shang Quan, turned his attention to the judge sitting next to him, Xie Ting: “What do you think of Shang Quan’s prediction, Mr. Xie?”

Xie Ting straightened up, his lips curling into a smile as he glanced at the others. “Since Master Shang has placed his bet on Fang Zichang, I’ll place mine on Xiao Chi. That’s the more interesting choice, don’t you think?”

“Thank you to both judges for their predictions. Now, we’ve reached the final stage of the competition. Who will take home the championship trophy? Let’s look at the big screen and witness the birth of a new star!”

As soon as the host finished speaking, the central screen slowly rose as if alive, and colorful fireworks exploded in the air above the arena.

The names of the five contestants appeared sequentially on the giant screen, followed by colored lights indicating the dual rankings from both the judges and the audience.

Five colored lights rose like flaming torches, transitioning from green to red and gradually deepening in hue.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed anxiously on the screen. As the judge’s scores were revealed, the lights for Fang Zichang and Xiao Chi were neck-and-neck, finally stopping together at the orange square! The other three contestants lagged behind.

Hearing the deafening cheers from the audience, Fang Zichang’s face turned pale. He barely suppressed a tremor, his anger rising sharply. What about those so-called influential critics? At the critical moment, they were useless!

The result was unexpected, and on the judge’s panel, Shang Quan’s face was grim. Not to mention Xie Ting, who, sitting beside him, couldn’t help but chuckle: “Master Shang, looks like my stock just went up.”

Shang Quan frowned and said coldly, “It’s not over yet. Don’t celebrate too soon.”

Before Shang Quan could finish his sentence, the five colored lights began to surge again, growing brighter—five seconds… ten seconds… twenty seconds…

The lights representing the audience’s popularity, previously orange, now transitioned into a bright red, racing towards the top of the conical screen.

As time passed, the three trailing contestants couldn’t keep up with the rising popularity of Xiao Chi and Fang Zichang. They exchanged a look and saw the shared disappointment in each other’s eyes.

Both the audience inside and outside the arena were staring intently at the screen, eagerly waiting for the final result. Once they realized their chosen contestants were unlikely to win the championship, many spectators, holding their tickets, shifted their attention to the other two.

Half a minute passed, and Fang Zichang, gripping the microphone, had already started sweating nervously. Finally, after a minute, the colored lights for the two contestants that had been neck-and-neck finally began to show a clear gap!

Fang Zichang’s light stopped at a purple-red square, moving slowly, while Xiao Chi’s light surged forward, heading toward deep red and black-red with unstoppable momentum!

It was over! Completely over!

So much effort, so much money—gone down the drain!

Fang Zichang, utterly defeated, looked up at the giant screen. His hands trembled uncontrollably, his face full of disbelief, his nose tingling, and his eyes reddened.

With a dull thud, the microphone fell to the ground, immediately snapped up by the gossip-hungry entertainment journalists who were quick to capture the moment!

As the colored lights for the five contestants finally settled, the Star Show championship was officially revealed!

“Ahhh! Chenchen is the best!!!”

“Thank you, King Xie, the prophecy master! My stock just hit the limit! It’s at the top!”

“From today on, I’m a fan of Chenchen’s career!”

“Waaah, is this the childhood of a superstar?”

“Big congratulations to my son for debuting! Drawing red envelopes—8888!”

The cheers and excitement from the audience surged like a tidal wave, drowning out the host’s voice several times.

Except for Fang Zichang, who was engulfed in deep disappointment, the other three contestants proceeded to shake hands with Xiao Chi.

Xiao Chi maintained the calm smile he had when he first stepped onto the stage. He waved to the audience, his round eyes scanning the crowd like radar, trying to spot Ji Chenxuan.

But unfortunately, the stage was packed with a sea of people, and no matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t find him.

That’s right, Ji Chenxuan was probably still in the VIP lounge backstage. Or perhaps… had he already left?

After all, he was just here for work, not to watch his competition…

Xiao Chi pursed his lips slightly, and the joy of winning the championship somehow diminished a little.

“We’ve just received breaking news. To celebrate the event surpassing the highest viewing record ever, the organizers have arranged for a high-ranking official to come to the stage to present the championship trophy. In addition, a mysterious grand prize has been prepared for the winner!”

Xiao Chi froze, suddenly turning his head to look toward the VIP passage at the side of the stage.

The host stretched his neck excitedly, lifting the microphone high: “Next, let’s welcome the CEO of Huanyi, Ji Chenxuan!”

The world went silent. All the noise and commotion seemed to fade away.

Thump, thump—

It was the sound of his heart pounding fiercely in his chest.

The lights spun, the stage spun, and the dazzling spotlights painted a dreamlike glow, while the orchestra played a melody that felt like the distant murmur of a lover.

A familiar figure appeared at the end of the passage, slowly walking toward him.