This was Wenzhou. Among the audience were many Wenzhou locals, and on stage was Jewish from Wenzhou.

Before the final round even began, someone in the crowd shouted, “Wenzhou rocks!” The sense of city pride didn’t need to be stirred by the rapper himself; the audience already had this awareness. This was Wenzhou, and the champion of the Wenzhou division should naturally be a Wenzhou native.

Liang Zhen wasn’t slow to realize that, but he wasn’t planning to go head-to-head. It’s like a fight: you’re alone, while the other side is a group. Jewish, with the home field advantage, was like a protagonist with a halo.

Although the audience was enthusiastically cheering, Jewish didn’t use his killer move right away. Each 1vs1 round had three battles. He and Liang Zhen each won one purely based on skill and flow, with no clear winner.

So the contest continued into the unlimited round. The rule was that as long as you were willing to pick up the mic and continue attacking, the battle wouldn’t stop. In a different location, Liang Zhen and Jewish might have been deadlocked until one made a significant mistake.

But this was Tangshan Livehouse in Wenzhou. Jewish, standing on this stage, had the time, place, and people in his favor. The third round started with Jewish according to the order. He was bold. After the MC introduced “Wenzhou, Jewish,” the first thing he did after taking the mic was ask the audience, “Tell Liang Zhen from Lanzhou, which city will tonight’s champion represent?!”

Unsurprisingly, the audience shouted out the name of the same city. Even any differing voices were drowned out by the shout of “Wenzhou.”

Shao Mingyin stood at the back, but the tension from the entire crowd reached him too. Xue Meng was also high. When Jewish ended his freestyle with, “Which city are you here for today?” he was infected too, raising his hands and shouting his city’s name.

After Jewish finished, Liang Zhen, without hesitation, took the mic from him. The MC signaled the DJ to change the beat and repeated the introduction heard countless times tonight—”Lanzhou, Liang Zhen.”

Liang Zhen didn’t mind Jewish stirring up the audience. If this were Lanzhou, he would do the same. This championship wasn’t just personal; it represented a city. To win the championship, you needed enough strength and the trust of the city.

Liang Zhen performed steadily without mistakes but couldn’t engage the audience as much as Jewish. Shao Mingyin could clearly hear the difference in applause after the first round. It was a dangerous sign. Although he wasn’t on stage, his heartbeat accelerated.

He remembered Xue Meng’s words: in battle rap, comebacks are rare. After the first round, the gap would only widen. The one at a disadvantage would be crushed so many times that they couldn’t hold on and wouldn’t pick up the mic, determining the outcome. Each time Liang Zhen took the mic without hesitation, but after many rounds, the gap was evident. This had nothing to do with skill. It was like a basketball game held in one team’s home court; the process and result would definitely be influenced by the audience’s inclination.

And with this inclination, Jewish had the upper hand. In an uncertain round, Jewish showcased a fast rap:

“Don’t blame me for speaking out of turn

When I grab the mic, my inspiration flows and my words sting

Your city is the capital, but its GDP can’t match Wenzhou

Lanzhou in the geographical center, but an unnoticed well no one cares about or hears of…”

Jewish rapped very fast but with clear articulation. In battle rap, anything could be attacked, especially the cities the rappers came from, which offered a large space for performance. In such a tense situation, to determine the winner, Jewish clung to this aspect.

Everything he said, comparing the two cities from geography to economic development, was factual. After this fast rap, Xue Meng had already thrown his decision to support Liang Zhen out the window, jumping and shouting several times, “Damn, Jewish is awesome.” Teacher Gu glanced at him but didn’t interrupt the kid’s excitement, just reminding him to be careful not to trip on the short stairs ahead.

After Jewish finished, Liang Zhen took the mic again. The MC took the longest time since the start of the match to quiet the audience before introducing—”Lanzhou, Liang Zhen.”

Shao Mingyin stood straight, listening intently to the voice from the microphone. He could hear some rhymes, the only rap technique he could identify until Liang Zhen suddenly switched the mic to his other hand, clenched his free right hand, and pounded his collarbone twice.

This brief pause of less than two seconds fit perfectly with the beat of the background music. Liang Zhen deliberately created a pause that matched the rhythm’s silence. At first, the audience didn’t realize, but when the music started again and Liang Zhen resumed rapping, the crowd burst into cheers. Someone in front of Shao Mingyin shouted loudly, “Damn, awesome, freestyle with a break.”

Shao Mingyin applauded too. Music is infectious, even if he couldn’t explain how Liang Zhen’s technique achieved this effect, he could tell it was cool.

But Xue Meng’s reaction wasn’t as intense, even looking a bit worried. Shao Mingyin waited for his analysis and asked what break meant.

“It’s a pause, a part of the flow. When to pause and when not to is entirely up to the rapper. Breaks are often used in songs because you’re familiar with the beat after recording. Using breaks in a freestyle is impressive, but…” Xue Meng showed a conflicted expression, “but to be honest, I think Liang Zhen might have made a mistake.”

“Was it a mistake?”

“Yeah, he was at the end of his line and should have rhymed, but he made a break. I guess he couldn’t come up with a rhyme, but he reacted quickly and paused to buffer.”

Shao Mingyin still couldn’t believe it was a mistake. “But it worked really well.”

“Because he’s handsome,” Xue Meng replied with an expression of dissatisfaction. “If I looked like Liang Zhen, people would cheer even if I just moved to the beat. Plus, his pause coincided perfectly with the music, making him look cool. So, no one thinks too deeply about it.”

Shao Mingyin: “…”

Shao Mingyin became more worried. “Will the judges notice?”

Xue Meng nodded. “If I can notice, of course the judges can. It depends on their personal bias. Some might deduct points for forgetting lyrics, while others might give points for quick improvisation.”

Shao Mingyin continued watching the stage. Whether it was a mistake or not, that flashy and impressive pause had indeed helped Liang Zhen gain a lot of popularity. After he finished, Jewish immediately took over the mic. After another round of competition, Liang Zhen was clearly struggling. By his last line, even Shao Mingyin could tell his words didn’t match the beat, which made him anxious. Without thinking, he shouted Liang Zhen’s name towards the stage.

“Liang Zhen!”

But Liang Zhen didn’t hear Shao Mingyin’s shout. They were too far apart, and Liang Zhen started pacing back and forth—earlier, he had stood calmly, unfazed by the opponent’s insults. Now, he had his arms crossed and was looking at the ground while pacing, as if deep in thought. Shao Mingyin could sense Liang Zhen’s unease, which Jewish also picked up on. He continued to focus his attack on the city:

“I heard the high-speed train from Lanzhou to Xi’an just opened this year,

But from Wenzhou, I can go anywhere at 200 km/h.”

Confident that Liang Zhen wouldn’t retaliate on this point, Jewish delivered these lines with a nonchalant attitude. Liang Zhen indeed had no rebuttal. Firstly, what Jewish said was true, and secondly, this wasn’t Lanzhou. Confronting a crowd of Wenzhou locals would likely backfire.

He had to change his focus. He took the mic and told Jewish, “Stop talking about your hometown so much. If you’re a man, don’t keep reminiscing about your home’s stove.”

But Liang Zhen was already at a disadvantage. As long as Jewish kept harping on their city names, Liang Zhen would lose if this continued.

Jewish took the mic, and Liang Zhen, standing on the other side, began pacing again. His mind was racing, listening to Jewish while searching his memory for rhymes.

Shao Mingyin saw it all. When Liang Zhen took the mic again Shao Mingyin shouted “Lanzhou, Liang Zhen” with the MC, it was the first time he shouted so loudly. The light above him was dim, but Xue Meng beside him could see the veins on his neck standing out from the effort.

But they were too far back. No matter how much Shao Mingyin shouted, Liang Zhen couldn’t hear. Liang Zhen couldn’t see either—he’d mentioned before that the lights were too dim for him to see the audience clearly.

Liang Zhen finally couldn’t withstand the pressure. His mistake was obvious, and when he fumbled, some in the audience booed. Knowing it would be futile to continue, Liang Zhen handed the mic to Jewish.

Jewish accepted it eagerly. He knew that with Liang Zhen’s current state, if he delivered harsh enough lyrics, the victory would be his. Even before he started, the crowd’s excitement was like they were preemptively celebrating his victory. Almost everyone cheered for Jewish.

Except Shao Mingyin.

He didn’t hear what Jewish said; he only had eyes for Liang Zhen on the side of the stage. Like a trapped beast, Liang Zhen paced anxiously.

Liang Zhen wore a hoodie and, as he moved, he pulled the hood up. Even when he came back, he kept his head down, the hood obscuring his face. Shao Mingyin couldn’t see Liang Zhen’s expression but could sense the oppressive atmosphere around him.

It was January, the coldest time in Wenzhou, yet the Livehouse was heating up from the music and rhythm. Liang Zhen’s sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, his pale arms reflecting the light, reminding Shao Mingyin of Liang Zhen’s half-joking comment the day before: “The Yellow River nourishes people. Officer Shao’s partner is as handsome as can be.”

He heard the crowd cheer again, likely for another of Jewish’s punchlines.

He saw Liang Zhen still pacing, the stage lights on everyone, but at that moment, Liang Zhen seemed invisible. His hood-covered face was now hidden, enduring the opponent’s verbal assault without being able to fight back. Liang Zhen wouldn’t surrender; he’d just bottle up his anger, his clenched jaw slightly puffing his cheeks, much like when he played “Lanzhou, Lanzhou” on his guitar in the rain, filled with the same frustration.

In a flash, Shao Mingyin realized Liang Zhen’s unease wasn’t fear of the opponent.

Everyone else might think Liang Zhen was retreating, but Shao Mingyin knew he wouldn’t. Liang Zhen needed him now!

Shao Mingyin took a step forward, but Xue Meng grabbed his arm, asking where he was going.

“Officer, don’t try to push through! It’s impossible!” Xue Meng advised kindly. “It doesn’t feel the same from the back. Up front, it’s like a wall of people, all high like they’re on something.”

Shao Mingyin didn’t respond. He let go of Xue Meng’s hand and began moving forward, inching closer to the stage through the crowd. Soon, he couldn’t hear Xue Meng calling his name. His ears filled with various sounds from the stage and crowd, overwhelming his senses as he struggled through.

But when he looked up and saw the ever-closer Liang Zhen still pacing, the light shining on Liang Zhen, so bright. Liang Zhen was tall, Shao Mingyin had to look up. Even though no one was cheering his name, that boy was born to sing on stage.

Even if no one cheered for his city.

Shao Mingyin lowered his head, determined to reach the Liang Zhen in his heart and mind. He continued pushing forward with all his might. Meanwhile, Jewish reached the climax of his part, building on the high-speed rail joke, planning to give Liang Zhen a “green train ticket.” With the constant noise from the crowd, the DJ stopped the music, leaving Jewish to deliver the final blow—speaking in Wenzhou dialect, enunciating each word, pointing down with his left index finger:

“Go back to where you came from”

With these words, the winner seemed decided. Liang Zhen stopped pacing, touching his head through his hood, feeling lost amid the cheers for Jewish. Not because he was losing, but because…

“Liang Zhen!”

Liang Zhen thought he was hallucinating, hearing someone call his name at this moment.

“Liang Zhen!”

He took a deep breath and looked towards the voice. He saw someone at the edge of the stage, hands on the stage floor, making noise.

But that sound wasn’t to attract Jewish’s attention. It was to cheer for him.

Liang Zhen removed his hood, and the light hit his face again. Shao Mingyin looked up at Liang Zhen, seeing his sharp features illuminated. Liang Zhen wasn’t smiling, his face showing a mix of youthful defiance and toughness.

“Liang Zhen!” Shao Mingyin called his name a third time. While everyone cheered for Jewish, certain of his victory, only Shao Mingyin, at this moment, called for Liang Zhen.

“Liang Zhen!” Shao Mingyin’s eyes shone, “Take the mic!”