Chapter 12: Nothing but Iron Plates

Ni Hongdan was both a devoted mother and a music critic with over three hundred thousand followers on each of her three platforms: Weibo, WeChat Official Account, and Platform C. Such substantial followings across all platforms were testament to the quality of her columns and videos.

With the premiere of "Tomorrow’s Star," Ni Hongdan, as a music critic, naturally paid close attention. After feeding her precious daughter Qiqi, washing bottles, and sanitizing everything, it was already ten past eight. She hurried to her computer and clicked on the second episode of "Tomorrow’s Star," simultaneously opening Weibo to keep an eye on trending topics and consider what kind of music review she might write.

In truth, she had majored in vocal performance, but lacking enough natural talent with her voice, she had never managed to make it. Marriage and motherhood left her even less time to practice, and gradually, the dream of a career in music faded. While pregnant, she tried her hand at writing some sharp music reviews, and to her surprise, they were well received. Her professional background lent her writing a certain level of expertise. While top idol fans might not appreciate her critiques, she was respected within the industry. The income she earned improved her family’s life considerably.

For the sake of her beloved daughter, she persisted, following every music-related TV program and using the knowledge she had gained at school to run her critic accounts across all three platforms.

The moment she opened the second episode of "Tomorrow’s Star" on Penguin Video, her screen was instantly flooded with a torrent of live comments. They were all declarations of support from Wu Junchen’s fans. She glanced at Weibo and saw the same—Wu Junchen’s fans defending their idol and denouncing a contestant named "Fang Xing."

Ni Hongdan was familiar with all the popular contestants on "Tomorrow’s Star," but she had no impression of this "Fang Xing." She watched the trainees’ practice sessions at double speed to get a rough idea of the situation, then skipped ahead to the performance stage.

As someone trained in vocal music and with a toe dipped in the entertainment industry, she could tell the show’s producers had deliberately edited the episode to create controversy. For Ni Hongdan, it was always about the music.

Amidst the overwhelming on-screen comments, the performance of "That Girl" began. Fang Xing was the first to step into the spotlight and sing the opening lines: “There’s a girl written in a summer diary. There’s a memory carved into the days of youth…”

Just from the first line, Ni Hongdan’s eyes lit up. With only one phrase, she could tell: this Fang Xing, in terms of vocal ability, didn’t just stand out—he was peerless among the trainees. In these idol selection shows, looks were paramount and vocal ability was generally mediocre at best.

However, this season’s "Tomorrow’s Star" proclaimed it would produce the best-singing boy group. The chief director, Tong Fei, had used her connections to invite a professor from Eastern Conservatory as a mentor for the show. At least on the surface, this season was more professional in terms of vocals than previous seasons or competing shows.

After hearing Fang Xing sing two lines, it was Wu Junchen’s turn. The difference was stark.

Ni Hongdan quickly typed out a review in Weibo’s input box: "Though I’ve only heard two lines, to be fair, these two lines show real skill. I predict there will be a twist later in the program."

She hesitated several times before posting. Even though her words were mild, they still supported Fang Xing. Once posted, she knew she’d be targeted by certain idol fans. Since Fang Xing didn’t have a Weibo account, Wu Junchen’s fans couldn’t confront him directly and had already harassed several bystanders with similar names. To defend Fang Xing now was to speak against the tide.

After a moment’s hesitation, she posted her comment. With over three hundred thousand followers, her post was quickly seen by many. Fans soon began replying:

"Qiqi’s Mom, don’t go against the current—those fans are desperate for someone to attack."
"Delete it, Qiqi’s Mom, and we’ll pretend we never saw it."
"Protect! Protect! Protect the world’s cutest Qiqi!"

Having already debated whether to post, Ni Hongdan felt there was nothing to regret. Just a few minutes after posting, Wu Junchen’s fans began to comment. Yet, since she only evaluated Fang Xing’s vocal skills without mentioning Wu Junchen, their responses were relatively restrained, mostly questioning her: What did she mean? Was she defending Fang Xing?

Any occasional abuse, Ni Hongdan took in stride. As a music critic, criticizing idols’ singing was part of the job; being insulted by fans was routine. If she couldn’t handle that, she wouldn’t have lasted this long.

As the first performance ended, "That Girl" won first place in the public vote. Wu Junchen’s fans cheered but continued denouncing Fang Xing. When the show reached the commentary section, the tone shifted abruptly. Mentors Chen Chaonan, Liang Yusong, and Zhang Huiying all praised Fang Xing’s performance, creating a stark contrast with the live comments, which continued to condemn him. The general audience was left bewildered.

Fans began to question the mentors:

"Where did they find these mentors? Do they even understand pop music?"
"What do they mean by ‘the highs are very high, the lows are very low’? Are they hinting at our Junchen?"
"Who are these mentors anyway? Never seen them before!"

Chen Chaonan was a professor at Eastern Conservatory, and Liang Yusong a music producer—both usually worked behind the scenes and rarely appeared on camera, so their public recognition was limited. But Zhang Huiying was a superstar diva with a large fanbase. Seeing fans attack the mentors, some comments began to push back:

"You dare attack the Diva? Do you think us older fans don’t exist?"
"Zhang Huiying is a Grand Slam winner at the Golden Melody Awards—what championship has your idol won?"

Naturally, Wu Junchen’s fans didn’t dare provoke a diva and quickly backed down, claiming they meant the other two male mentors. In the episode, Liang Yusong also criticized Wu Junchen’s high notes, suggesting he should have lowered the key. After this aired, Wu Junchen’s fans were even more incensed and flooded Liang Yusong’s Weibo:

"Who is this guy? Can he leave the show?"
"Junchen is the new generation’s king of high notes—how dare he say Junchen’s high notes aren’t good enough!"

Those who recognized Liang Yusong were amused:

"Are you joking? The albums Liang Yusong has produced could stack higher than Wu Junchen’s head."
"Zhang Huiying’s award-winning song ‘Unforgotten’ was produced by Liang Yusong."
"Once your idol debuts, he might have to beg Liang Yusong to produce his album. Picking a fight now will only hurt in the end."

Some of Wu Junchen’s fans started researching Liang Yusong, only to discover a long list of superstar albums under his name—leaving them dumbfounded. Fan groups began urging each other to stop attacking Liang Yusong and target the other male mentor instead.

Wu Junchen’s fans then began to attack the lesser-known mentor surnamed Chen on Weibo. They couldn’t criticize the diva, nor the producer—surely they could vent on someone whose name they’d never heard?

Soon after, a student from Donghai Conservatory posted a video of Chen Chaonan teaching, with the comment: "Come back and critique our doctoral supervisor at Eastern Conservatory when you’re qualified to attend his class." After searching his name, the fans were stunned once more.

The public opinion shifted, reversed, and shifted again. Eventually, Wu Junchen’s fans realized that every mentor was a formidable figure—a diva, a music producer, or a conservatory professor. The only one who seemed approachable, Shen Xiyin, was the previous season’s champion and consistently praised Wu Junchen, though she praised others as well. Wu Junchen’s fans tried to attack each mentor in turn, but none could be moved.

Ordinary viewers’ comments began to emerge:

"To be honest, this Fang Xing actually sings quite well, even if it’s just two or three lines."
"I don’t know much about vocals, but if the conservatory professors praise him, he can’t be bad."
"Fang Xing is pretty sunny and good-looking, completely different from those flamboyant types."

Thanks to the mentors’ positive remarks, online opinions about Fang Xing became highly polarized. Several well-known music critics on various platforms commented on Fang Xing’s singing, agreeing that he performed well in "That Girl," though with so few lines, it was hard to give an overall assessment.

The Weibo post Ni Hongdan had made early on was widely shared and praised. Many netizens called her a prophet for recognizing Fang Xing’s vocal prowess after only two lines. As a result, Ni Hongdan gained tens of thousands of new followers overnight.