Chapter 14: It’s Over—He Actually Has a Real Work

The show continued, soon reaching the climax of the PK segment.

A fierce showdown, tension thick in the air.

Hashim was first, performing an electrifying rap that sent the atmosphere soaring. Then, Fang Xing took the stage. He borrowed a guitar from a fellow contestant and began to play and sing "Wild Bird."

The opening whistle instantly transformed the restless energy of the venue, drawing everyone into a tranquil world of birds and mountains. Then, with simple yet resilient lyrics, he sang of unwavering persistence:

"A youthful heart cannot be defeated, defiant eyes burn with wild fire. The wild bird beneath the blazing sun, barefoot and proud, hums songs through hardship..."

This song was entirely different from the dance tracks favored by boy groups; it was like a sweet rain falling on parched earth.

The ordinary audience grew quiet, listening intently, following Fang Xing's voice to experience the story told in the song.

When "Wild Bird" ended, perceptions began to shift.

"This song is pretty good."

"Pretty good? This is a bombshell! Best of the night—the only song worth listening to in the entire show."

"His guitar skills are solid."

"He's a student from Donghai Music Academy, after all—trained, so his fundamentals are strong."

"I like this song. When it's up on Cloud Music, I'm setting it as my ringtone."

"It's over—he seems to have real works now."

"I'm going to hate him forever. He just sings—what does he know about music!"

At this moment, the audience recalled Fang Xing's words from the pre-interview: "Let my work speak for itself."

And so, internet jokers rewound to that segment, flooding the screen with comments.

Previously, the barrage of comments was:

"Didn't he say he'd let his work speak? Where's the work? Where is it?"

Gradually, it changed to:

"It's over—he really does have a work!"

"It's over—he really does have a work!"

...

The mentors' reviews that followed praised everything—from guitar playing to the lyrics, composition, and performance of "Wild Bird." Even the notoriously sharp-tongued mentor, Liang Yusong, offered compliments and expressed interest in releasing a single of "Wild Bird."

To know that earlier, Liang Yusong had been scathing in his critiques of the performances and PK tracks, lashing out without mercy.

But with Fang Xing, Liang Yusong was at a loss for harsh words.

And "Wild Bird" truly was excellent. Even ordinary listeners could tell the song was of high caliber.

...

Chen Shirong and Wang Mantong were among the audience. Both were students in the Arts Management department at Dongyin Academy, roommates and close friends, as well as fans of Wu Junchen.

Not just the two of them—their Y307 dorm had four girls: three were Wu Junchen fans, one liked Liu Yichen.

Last time, Wang Mantong even dragged Chen Shirong along to seek out Fang Xing, hoping he could get Wu Junchen’s autograph for them.

But Wang Mantong’s imperious attitude that day left Fang Xing irked; he tossed her "husband" straight into the trash bin.

Friday and Saturday, all four girls in their dorm were glued to their screens, waiting to watch "Tomorrow’s Star."

After Friday’s stage aired, Wu Junchen’s fans were all cursing Fang Xing on Weibo.

Because of the trash bin incident, Wang Mantong bore a grudge, so from last night she joined the fan group in the crusade.

She rallied her three dormmates to join the online charge.

But the other three were more rational, cautioning her: "Let it go—Fang Xing is from our school, after all. No need to pour oil on the fire."

"He dared toss my husband in the trash? How can I let him off?" Wang Mantong was relentless, continuing to post negative comments on Weibo.

The other girls in Chen Shirong’s dorm, after hearing "Wild Bird," were a bit stunned.

As students of Arts Management at Dongyin, they had good musical taste and could distinguish a good song better than average listeners.

Ma Wenwen, the top student in their group, looked surprised, nudged Chen Shirong with her elbow, and asked, "Shirong, does Fang Xing really sing this well? And this song—is it original?"

Chen Shirong was also surprised, frowning. "I don’t know either."

Ma Wenwen had the same instinct as a certain music critic: "Something’s off. Judging from lyrics, composition, and singing, 'Wild Bird' is the best of the night."

Wang Mantong was the weakest academically in the dorm; she had entered Donghai Music Academy mainly to chase idols, so her heart wasn’t in her studies.

She said, disgruntled, "Ma, are you sure you heard right? Is this guy better than Junchen?"

Ma Wenwen couldn’t help rolling her eyes. In their class, she was among the scholarship contenders—not necessarily the best, but at least top three.

"Just look at the guitar skills—few in the orchestral department could match him."

"I don’t care. Junchen is always the best. No one can beat him," Wang Mantong insisted.

Another roommate timidly chimed in, "To be fair, 'Wild Bird' is really good."

She mumbled as she searched for "Wild Bird" on her music app, ready to put it on repeat for days.

Ma Wenwen nudged Chen Shirong again, gossip gleaming in her eyes. "Hasn’t he been pursuing you? How’s that going? Are you together?"

Embarrassment was written all over Chen Shirong’s face. She’d never accepted Fang Xing—frankly, she kept him as a backup. Of course, she wouldn’t admit it, only saying she didn’t feel anything.

She was also surprised; she hadn’t known Fang Xing’s singing was this good, nor that he had original songs.

Ma Wenwen opened Weibo to check the online reaction.

She recalled that yesterday, a music critic had defended Fang Xing against the tide, only to be attacked by fans.

She wanted to see if the critic had posted anything today.

She found the account of Ni Hongdan, the music critic, and clicked in.

Indeed, the critic had posted again, still defending Fang Xing.

"Having heard the three bars of piano in the preview, all I can say is: high quality. Instinct tells me tonight will be the real turning point."

This post had been made before eight o’clock; in just half an hour, it had already received three thousand angry replies from fans.

After some thought, Ma Wenwen quietly liked the post.

Once "Wild Bird" was released, ordinary listeners began to like Ni Hongdan’s post as well.

Unconsciously, Ni Hongdan’s post was pushed to the top.

Her previous vocal analysis videos were of high quality, so many users commented they had discovered a hidden gem.

She enjoyed a surge of followers, her popularity steadily rising.

As the second episode of "Tomorrow’s Star" aired and Fang Xing sang "Wild Bird," public favor began to shift.

A good song is simply good—audience members aren’t deaf.

The more the fans raged, the more the public sided against them.

Thanks to Wu Junchen’s fans, many passersby voted for Fang Xing, just to vent their own frustration.