Chapter 125: The Competition Rankings Revealed, Who Takes First Place?

As the rankings were being announced, Zheng Tao began his classic time-wasting tactic:

"Would everyone like to hear the results of Shen Xiyin and Chen Lizhu’s challenger attempt first, or would you prefer to hear the rankings of the other original performers?"

Xie Yuwen, a top-tier original performer, immediately covered his forehead and said speechlessly, "Here he goes again, the most hateful Director Zheng is at it again."

"Don't be nervous. The performances are over; what is there to be nervous about?" Zheng Tao chuckled.

"Forget it. Hearing the results is more nerve-wracking than taking an exam." Everyone rolled their eyes at him in unison.

"Since everyone is so nervous, let’s announce the challenger results first..."

Zheng Tao held up his cue cards, took a glance at them, then looked at Shen Xiyin and Chen Lizhu. He paused for several seconds before asking, "Xiyin, do you think your challenge was successful?"

Shen Xiyin widened her eyes and replied, "I don't know. Chen Lizhu sang so wonderfully; I’m not sure at all."

Zheng Tao continued, "Do you think you have a chance at success? What are the odds?"

Shen Xiyin considered this for a moment and answered, "Fifty percent. Until the results are announced, it’s always fifty percent."

Zheng Tao then looked at Chen Lizhu and asked, "What about you, Chen Lizhu? Do you think you can hold onto your spot as an original performer?"

Chen Lizhu placed a hand on her chest and replied, "I don't know either, but I'm very nervous. I feel like she sang so well, and her song was so beautiful; I’m very worried."

"Alright, I won't keep everyone in suspense any longer..."

Zheng Tao looked at his card and began to read: "The final result of the challenge is that it was successful..."

He stopped there, pausing for a full three seconds before adding, "...or was it not?"

Everyone slumped back into their sofas, complaining, "Here he goes again! You call that not keeping us in suspense?"

"Director, just put us out of our misery," Shen Xiyin groaned loudly, collapsing into her seat.

"The ratings for announcing results are very high. Let’s take a sip of the sponsor's Natural Ranch organic milk first to relax," Zheng Tao continued to torture the performers and agents present.

"He's even adding commercials!" The singers gritted their teeth in frustration.

"Alright, I won't torture you all anymore. Let’s announce the final challenge results..."

Zheng Tao looked at his cue card and announced, "Based on the final votes from the 500 audience judges, Shen Xiyin received 196 votes, and Chen Lizhu received 181 votes. They ranked fourth and fifth, respectively."

Upon hearing the vote count, everyone didn't react for a moment.

"So, was it a success or not?"

Zheng Tao raised his voice and said, "Congratulations to Shen Xiyin, the challenge was successful."

"Yes!"

Shen Xiyin clenched her fist in triumph, then pressed her palms together to apologize to Chen Lizhu. Chen Lizhu’s expression was a bit stiff, but she held it together.

Zheng Tao continued, "Although Chen Lizhu failed in the first round of competition, it does not necessarily mean she must leave the 'Voice' stage. If your combined ranking for the two rounds of competition lands in the top three, you will be exempt from elimination. So, you must work hard in the next round."

After announcing the results, Zheng Tao explained the challenge rules: "Since Shen Xiyin succeeded in her challenge tonight, two original performers must leave after the next round. Who leaves depends on Chen Lizhu’s combined ranking over the two rounds. That is to say, if after the two rounds, Chen Lizhu is in the top three, she is safe, and the two original performers with the lowest combined rankings will be eliminated. If Chen Lizhu does not make the top three, she and the original performer with the lowest combined ranking will leave the 'Voice' stage."

The original performers present let out a soft sigh upon hearing these rules. In contrast, Shen Xiyin was very calm. Because she had succeeded in her challenge, she did not need to perform in the next round and only had to wait for the results.

Because she succeeded, the situation for the next round became very delicate. If Chen Lizhu performed well in the next round and pushed her combined ranking into the top three, then it would be the other original performers who would be eliminated—and two at once. Consequently, competition grew among the original performers. Furthermore, there was still another challenger waiting. If this mysterious challenger also succeeded, the situation would become even more chaotic. If the original performers didn't want to see so many of their own eliminated, they would have to find a way to push Chen Lizhu out of the top three.

After the challenge results were out, Zheng Tao continued to announce the rankings of the others: "We already know the fourth and fifth place singers. Next, would you rather hear the first place or the last place?"

The original performers who felt they hadn't performed well tonight became nervous: "Let's not announce the last place yet. Let's announce the first place and see who took the top spot."

Heavenly King Liu Hongsheng and the top-tier ancient-style singer Xu Xinyu, both of whom had excellent performances tonight, had a chance at the top spot, so both wanted to hear the result for first place.

Zheng Tao scanned the room, maintaining his smile: "Everyone wants to hear the first place? Then we shall follow your wishes and announce the winner."

"The first-place performer tonight is... Xu Xinyu..."

Xu Xinyu widened her eyes, but given the nature of this "dog of a director," she didn't dare to be happy too early. Sure enough, Zheng Tao paused for three seconds and added, "Xu Xinyu, who do you think is first?"

Xu Xinyu fell back into her seat and complained, "Director, can you stop with the dramatic pauses?"

Zheng Tao asked again, "Who do you think is first?"

Xu Xinyu leaned forward and looked around, saying, "I think it should be Senior Hongsheng or Fang Xing."

Zheng Tao continued, "Do you think it's possible you could be first?"

Xu Xinyu frowned and replied, "It's possible, but the probability is low."

"What are the odds?"

"Maybe thirty percent."

Zheng Tao used his old trick again: "Then tonight’s first-place performer is... Fang Xing, what do you think? Who will be first tonight?"

Fang Xing grinned and said, "If I say myself and it turns out not to be me, wouldn't that be very awkward?"

Zheng Tao laughed along, "So you think you have a chance at first place?"

"I should think so," Fang Xing nodded.

"Besides yourself, who else do you think has a chance?" Zheng Tao pressed.

"Same as Xu Xinyu, it’s a choice of three," Fang Xing replied.

Zheng Tao then looked at Liu Hongsheng and asked, "What about Heavenly King Liu? Who do you think will be first?"

Liu Hongsheng replied calmly, "I share their view; it will be one of the three."

Zheng Tao had questioned three people. The other singers realized that the first-place winner tonight was likely one of these three.

Zheng Tao continued his torture: "I won't keep everyone in suspense. I will announce the first-place performer now. The singer who ranked first tonight has a two-character name..."

At this, everyone pricked up their ears and instinctively looked toward Fang Xing, as he was the only one of the three mentioned with a two-character name. However, after a three-second pause, Zheng Tao added, "...or is it three characters?"

Xie Yuwen, who wasn't among the three, was also being driven mad and couldn't help but complain, "Director, aren't you worried about being beaten up by viewers on the street after the show airs?"

Zheng Tao took a sip of milk and said, "For the sake of ratings, I am willing to be beaten up. Alright, this time I really won't keep you in suspense. The singer in first place is a male singer..."

Shen Xiyin, now the most relaxed, laughed, "I know, he's definitely going to add: '...or is it a female singer?'"

Zheng Tao waved his hand, "This time it's for real. The singer who ranked first tonight is a male singer."

After waiting three seconds, everyone confirmed he had nothing more to say. They turned their attention to Liu Hongsheng and Fang Xing. Of the three people Zheng Tao had cued, Xu Xinyu was female, so there were only two answers left. As for the others, the odds of them taking first were low. Everyone had heard all the performances and knew which one was stronger. Although he hadn't heard the final result, Liu Hongsheng began to sit up straight. As the biggest star of the season and the only Heavenly King in the industry present, it was reasonable for him to take first in the opening round. He felt his chances were high and began managing his expressions, planning to smile appropriately when the results were announced.

After torturing everyone for over ten minutes, Zheng Tao switched to a formal tone: "The singer who ranked first tonight is... Fang Xing. Congratulations!"

Liu Hongsheng had been prepared to smile and accept the congratulations, but the name "Fang Xing" caused his expression to freeze.

Fang Xing waited three seconds and asked, "Director, are you sure there isn't a second half to that twist?"

Zheng Tao nodded, "No more twists. The first-place song tonight is 'The Brightest Star in the Night Sky.' Congratulations!"

"Congratulations, congratulations..." The other singers followed suit.

Fang Xing stood up and thanked them: "Thank you, thank you..."

Zheng Tao continued announcing the results. The singers were all exhausted from the ordeal. Fang Xing had won first place in the opening round with "The Brightest Star in the Night Sky." Liu Hongsheng was second, and Xu Xinyu was third. Since the announcement, Liu Hongsheng’s expression remained stiff, his smile reaching only his lips.

The "Voice" production team spent months negotiating with big-name stars. For a Heavenly King like Liu Hongsheng, the team had to spend months of effort to sign him, and the contracts were filled with special clauses. Liu Hongsheng had expected to take first place in the first round, only to be beaten by Fang Xing. Of course, his contract didn't guarantee him first place, but the team had promised to create conditions to help him rank well. However, the final votes were decided by 500 audience members, which the production team couldn't fully control.

After the results were announced, the original performers had their own anxieties, especially those at the bottom of the rankings. With two performers to be eliminated in the next round and the situation in flux due to Shen Xiyin’s success, everyone was tense. Fang Xing, however, was calm. He knew that no matter how the rules changed, the fundamental rule remained: sing every song well, rank highly, and you will never be eliminated. Furthermore, having taken first in the first round, he was unlikely to be eliminated even if he slacked off in the second.

Zheng Tao then announced the theme for the next round: "The next round is a themed competition. The song choice is unrestricted, as long as it fits the theme."

Xie Yuwen asked, "What is the theme?"

Zheng Tao teased, "This theme is full of youthful vitality and memories."

"What theme? Full of memories?" The singers looked at each other.

Zheng Tao announced: "The theme for the next round is 'The Taste of First Love'."

"What!" Several singers widened their eyes. This theme was extremely tricky for some, especially the older performers, for whom singing about the "taste of first love" felt out of place.

Liu Hongsheng coughed, "This theme is a killer for me. Is the production team trying to get me?"

Zheng Tao laughed, "Not at all. You were the 'King of Love Songs' back in the day. The taste of first love can be sweet, sour, bitter, or spicy; it can be a memory. Isn't this your specialty?"

Every singer began to rack their brains thinking about what to sing. The theme was easier for younger singers, but for the 45-year-old Liu Hongsheng, it was more fixed. He decided to sing a song about regret, using a reminiscent tone to add depth to the performance.

With the theme announced, the first recording session ended. The guests and singers headed home. Fang Xing and Guo Keda took a flight back to Donghai that night.

The next day, the "Voice" official Weibo posted two updates:

【The first round of recording is over. The challenger succeeded, and the competition is now unpredictable.】

【The theme for the second round has been released: "The Taste of First Love." Which first love song do you want to hear the performers sing? Reply with the song title in the comments for a chance to see your wish come true.】

As the most popular music variety show in the country, "Voice" attracted massive attention. The posts immediately garnered hundreds of thousands of shares and comments. Fang Xing, feeling a bit unsatisfied after the recording, saw the post and added his own:

【I've been chosen as the target for the challenge. Should I be ruthless? Or even more ruthless?】

The post immediately drew in netizens and trolls:

【Challenged? What show is this? A music variety show?】

【Forget what show it is; you should definitely be more ruthless!】

【Ruthless +1】

【Ruthless +2】

【What show is it? Tell us clearly!】

Due to the show's confidentiality requirements, the singers' identities were supposed to be kept secret until the broadcast. However, after the first recording, it was already an open secret in the industry. The secrecy was only to maintain the audience's curiosity. Fang Xing didn't name the show, but he was quickly figured out.

【You might as well have just shouted "The Voice" from the rooftops.】

【You're a singer; isn't it normal to be challenged?】

【Wait, you're a singer, how are you an original performer? That doesn't make sense.】

【Now that you say that, I suddenly want to watch this show.】

Trolls even started rewriting lyrics:

【I love the way you were challenged, I love how you stood against the despair.】

【"Stood against the despair," nice!】

【Is the singer who challenged you named "Despair"?】

【I want to know who challenged you! I'll count to three, someone tell me the answer.】

Netizens began to speculate, naming every famous singer in the pop industry. They teased the singer who chose Fang Xing as a target, but no one knew who it was. Some had guessed correctly in the comments, but with dozens of names being thrown around, no one knew which was true.

Meanwhile, Li Siqi had only made a brief appearance and hadn't performed. Back at the Chaoyin Culture headquarters, the team met to analyze his strategy.

"Fang Xing is a 'competition-type' singer. The more intense the competition, the better he performs. We shouldn't go head-to-head with him. I think we should pick a different target for the next round," said Artist Director Liu Rongxuan.

Li Siqi’s agent shook his head, "That might be difficult. Siqi already mentioned in his pre-interview that he would pick Fang Xing again for the second round."

Liu Rongxuan corrected him, "That’s not important. We can talk to the production team and have that segment cut. Pick an easier opponent; Fang Xing took first place in the first round; he’s too hard to deal with." He patted Li Siqi on the shoulder, "You were right not to perform in the first round. Fang Xing’s song was too powerful."

The agency team was discussing switching his target. However, Li Siqi, scrolling through Weibo and seeing Fang Xing’s post, looked annoyed: "Look at his Weibo, what does he mean? Is he provoking me? I don't believe his second song can be better than the first. I’m picking him regardless."