Chapter 142: Recording the Fourth Episode, Facing the Heavenly King Alone

SPK fans have been busy online disparaging "Qilixiang" and belittling Fang Xing. However, the more professional the music critic, the higher the praise for "Qilixiang." It is only those critics who rely on a venomous persona to chase traffic who offer mixed reviews.

Several vocal-specialist content creators have begun to analyze "Qilixiang" from various perspectives. First, they dissected the sheet music, analyzing and evaluating it note by note. Others stripped away the accompaniment to isolate the vocals, comparing the singing technique frame by frame. The more professional the content creator, the more their conclusions leaned in favor of Fang Xing. A well-known music creator with millions of followers, "Beat Knight," even listed every original song Fang Xing has released since "Star of Tomorrow." He produced a video where he compared the songs line by line after removing the accompaniment.

The video went viral on C-Station, quickly climbing to the top of the homepage rankings. In the video, Beat Knight played Fang Xing’s acapella tracks while providing commentary:

"Starting with the first song, 'Wild Bird,' this was already a relatively mature piece. However, as everyone knows, I am usually quite strict when reviewing singers. Therefore, 'Wild Bird' has a flaw: it is not well-suited for a competition. If the arranged version of 'Wild Bird' were performed on the stage of 'Voice,' it would be difficult to take first place; it would likely rank in the middle of the pack. Nevertheless, to musicians, 'Wild Bird' is a top-tier song within the context of a talent show. Of course, it wasn't the top song in that season of 'Star of Tomorrow' because Fang Xing sang nine other songs later. If you exclude Fang Xing's own catalog, 'Wild Bird' would still rank in the top three—you have to give some respect to that traditional-style song by Xu Xinyu."

After finishing his critique of "Wild Bird," Beat Knight immediately moved on to "Nocturne."

"'Nocturne' is definitely a 'hook-from-the-intro' song. However, the true complete form of this track is the arranged version released later. Hearing the piano-vocal version of 'Nocturne' on a talent show was a pleasant surprise, but the arrangement adds so much to the song. Therefore, if you want to hear the real 'Nocturne,' I still recommend the arranged version released later."

Following this, Beat Knight analyzed every one of Fang Xing’s songs from start to finish, eventually concluding:

"In fact, the mentors on 'Star of Tomorrow' already pointed it out. Just as the mentors said, during his time on the show, Fang Xing’s vocal ability was growing at a speed audible to the naked ear. When singing 'Wild Bird,' one could clearly hear that his voice was still a bit tense, but his pitch was incredibly accurate—precise as a tuning fork. If I had to grade Fang Xing at the time of 'Wild Bird,' he would be a 'Gold-Tier' singer. Then, moving to 'Lovers in the World,' 'The Wind Rises,' and finally the finale's 'A Man Should Be Self-Reliant,' he was already touching the threshold of the 'Master Tier.' In a single program, advancing from the Gold tier to the threshold of the Master tier is something many established singers might spend decades achieving.

"As for the highly debated 'challenger match' between Li Siqi and Fang Xing these past few days, I can only say that, barring any surprises, Fang Xing’s starting point is likely Li Siqi’s finish line. Fang Xing’s baseline strength on 'Star of Tomorrow' was already Gold-Tier, while Li Siqi’s performance on 'Voice' is only above Silver and not yet Gold. Furthermore, Fang Xing’s performance on 'Voice' has already crossed into the Master tier. I suggest that when netizens discuss Fang Xing and Li Siqi, they should stick to their popularity rankings and avoid debating their singing technique, as that would be like comparing a porcelain vase to a hammer."

Thanks to the efforts of numerous music critics, the entire online audience now knows that Li Siqi’s singing technique is inferior to Fang Xing’s; only his fans remain willfully blind. SPK has been calling for a boycott of this season of "Voice," but they cannot stop the show’s popularity from rising, nor its ratings from climbing, which have already surpassed the peak ratings of the previous season.

...

After watching the second episode of "Voice," Fang Xing had to catch a flight to Xiangjiang for filming. As he dragged his suitcase out, he set his house keys on the coffee table and said, "Remember to lock the door when you leave. I'm flying to Xiangjiang."

Ning Xiaoyun, nibbling on a piece of dried sweet potato, moved the chinchilla onto the back of the sofa and said, "Since you're working so hard, I'll let you pet Mimi for a while to relieve some stress."

"I don't think I'm under much stress," Fang Xing replied. He reached out to stroke the round chinchilla, waved, and headed out.

Lu Xiang'er followed him to the door and asked curiously, "You're just going to leave like this? You’re leaving us in your house—aren't you afraid of things being stolen?"

Fang Xing changed his shoes, looked at her, and asked, "I am afraid. I'm afraid you'll steal my heart."

Lu Xiang'er looked speechless and muttered to herself, "Smooth talker."

Fang Xing pointed at the snack wrappers in the living room and said, "Don't worry about the living room; I'll call a cleaner when I get back."

With that, he went downstairs and hailed a taxi to the airport.

...

After Fang Xing left, Ning Xiaoyun peeked out the window. Seeing him exit the residential complex, she turned back and said excitedly, "He’s really gone. This is our territory now."

Lu Xiang'er said, "Ning Xiaoyun, can't you be a little more polite? This is our first time visiting."

Ning Xiaoyun didn't care at all, shaking her head and saying, "I don't need to act like a refined lady in front of Fang Xing. Unlike someone else, who was performing so perfectly."

Lu Xiang'er began cleaning up the trash on the coffee table and urged, "Hurry up, let's tidy up the garbage; we need to go home."

Ning Xiaoyun wagged her finger. "No, no, no, Lu Xiang'er, you're too immature. At a time like this, naturally, one must..."

Lu Xiang'er frowned, staring at her in confusion. "Naturally, what?"

Ning Xiaoyun turned and walked toward the master bedroom, gripping the doorknob. "Naturally, check the bedroom to see if there are any dangerous items."

"Hey! Going into someone's room without permission is very rude!" Lu Xiang'er rushed over to hold her hand down.

"Aren't you curious? Maybe there are things left behind by another woman," Ning Xiaoyun said with a wicked grin.

"If there are, so what? What does that have to do with us?" Lu Xiang'er feigned indifference.

"You really don't want to see?" Ning Xiaoyun pressed.

Lu Xiang'er shook her head firmly. "I don't!"

"Fine then. Let's go home and sleep. Mimi, we're going home." Ning Xiaoyun picked up the chinchilla and leisurely prepared to leave.

"Hey! You made such a mess in the living room, leaving snack trash everywhere. Hurry up and clean it!" Lu Xiang'er said, continuing to pack up the wrappers and bottles.

"Didn't Fang Xing say he'd hire a cleaner when he gets back?" Ning Xiaoyun said, acting nonchalant.

Lu Xiang'er straightened her face. "Clean it up, otherwise how will you have the face to come visit again?"

"Fine, fine. This young lady will reluctantly tidy up the trash." Ning Xiaoyun put the cat down and started cleaning. Lu Xiang'er grabbed a broom and began to sweep.

"Cleaning the trash should be enough, right? Do we really need to sweep?" Ning Xiaoyun’s eyes widened.

"It's basic courtesy," Lu Xiang'er emphasized.

Ning Xiaoyun walked to the corner, crouched in front of a robot vacuum, and pressed a button. The robot emitted an electronic sound: "Floor sweeper activated. Executing automatic cleaning task."

Ning Xiaoyun smiled triumphantly. "There, done with one button. Can we go home now?"

Lu Xiang'er finished clearing the trash and even tied up the kitchen garbage bag to take with her.

...

Xiangjiang City.

By the time Fang Xing arrived in Xiangjiang, it was already the early hours of the morning. He went straight to his hotel and fell asleep. He slept until broad daylight, until the show’s director came to ring his doorbell to inform him it was time for rehearsals.

The rehearsal ended, and there was a three-hour break at noon. At four o'clock, they began filming the entrance shots for the singers.

Sitting in the van, Fang Xing asked in confusion, "No quiz boards or game segments today?" Previously, there had always been an interactive segment before recording to determine the order of the performances.

"You'll know once we get to the studio," the filming director said, not satisfying Fang Xing’s curiosity.

Upon arriving at the Xiangjiang Satellite TV headquarters and entering the waiting area for the starting singers, Fang Xing saw that Shen Xiyin and Wang Tingwei had already arrived. On the coffee table sat seven bottles of milk. They were in glass bottles, and one look told him there was something fishy going on.

Fang Xing pointed at the milk and said, "So, the order for tonight's performance is in these, isn't it?"

Director Zheng Tao smiled and nodded. "Don't be in such a hurry; let's wait until the other singers arrive."

It wasn't long before all seven singers arrived. After greeting each other, they sat casually on the sofas. Director Zheng Tao pointed at the seven bottles of milk on the table and said, "Everyone, choose a bottle of milk. Once you've finished it, the competition can begin."

Based on their experience with previous seasons, everyone knew there was definitely a trick to the seven bottles.

"This definitely has to do with the performance order, right?" Xie Yuwen also sensed the issue.

Zheng Tao didn't answer but urged, "Go ahead and pick."

"Wait a second." Xie Yuwen picked up a bottle and held it above his head to check the bottom. It had a piece of white cardboard stuck to it, so he couldn't see anything.

Fang Xing reached out, picked one up, and said, "It's all random anyway, I'll just pick one."

Xie Yuwen also picked one up and said, "Indeed, it's random; it's the same no matter what you pick."

Shen Xiyin clasped her hands together and began to pray: "Please don't be number 1, please don't." After she finished praying, she picked up a bottle of milk.

The others also chose their bottles and drank the milk. Once they were finished, a number appeared on the bottom of the glass bottle. Fang Xing’s number was six, which meant he would be nearly last.

When Shen Xiyin saw the number on the bottom of her bottle, she rolled her eyes, collapsed onto the sofa, and wailed, "I'm done for."

Fang Xing looked over curiously and asked, "Did you get number 1?"

"Not number 1, but it's almost as bad—it's number 2." Shen Xiyin looked like she had completely given up.

"Who is number 1?" Xie Yuwen asked, very curious.

At that moment, Liu Hongsheng showed his bottle; it was indeed number 1.

Seeing that Liu Hongsheng was number 1, Shen Xiyin slumped even further. "Fine, I don't need to compete anymore."

The number 2 spot was already bad, and now that number 1 was Liu Hongsheng, it meant she would have to perform right after him. Following a Heavenly King, she felt she was absolutely finished.

Fang Xing considered this for a moment, picked up his bottle, turned the bottom toward her, and said, "How about I switch with you?"

Shen Xiyin’s eyes lit up. She pressed, "Really?"

"I don't care. If you want it, take it. If not, forget it." Fang Xing had taken first place last time, so his standing was secure. Besides, he had prepared a "king bomb" of a song for this episode, so the performance order no longer mattered.

Shen Xiyin quickly nodded, beaming. "Yes, yes, yes! Thank you, Teacher Fang, thank you, Teacher Fang..." She reached out with both hands to take the bottle.

It was strange; when they were on "Star of Tomorrow," she was clearly Fang Xing's mentor. Yet, only a few months later, she was now willingly calling him "Teacher Fang" and looking like she needed his protection.

Zheng Tao formally asked, "Fang Xing, have you decided to swap your performance order with Shen Xiyin?"

Fang Xing nodded and replied, "Confirmed."

"Very well, your performance order is now number 2," Zheng Tao announced.

In this way, Fang Xing and Liu Hongsheng were back-to-back again. Liu Hongsheng was 1, and Fang Xing was 2. Outside the show, their teams had just clashed over an endorsement deal for Baoboli. Now, at the recording of the fourth episode of "Voice," they were at it again.

However, Liu Hongsheng was actually happy to hear that Fang Xing was swapping with Shen Xiyin. His spot was number 1, and Fang Xing’s original spot had been number 6. Number 6 was the best position; after performing, only one more singer would go before the audience voted. At that point, the audience would still have a fresh impression of the sixth song, leading to more votes. In this program, Liu Hongsheng had come to view Fang Xing as his only real competitor. His goal was to beat Fang Xing just once. If Fang Xing were 6 and he were 1, he would be at a significant disadvantage. Now that Fang Xing was 2, there was effectively no difference from being 1. Thus, Fang Xing no longer had the advantage.

...

Once the performance order was set, there was a half-hour break before the official recording began. The host, He Hao, stepped onto the stage and began his opening remarks:

"Welcome, singers, guests, and the 500 judges in the audience. Welcome to the fourth episode of 'Voice.' Tonight, who will be the first singer to perform? He is the nostalgia of the 60s and 70s generation; he is the owner of platinum records from the domestic cassette era. He is a veteran of classic film and television hits, having walked from the era of Hong Kong music to today, becoming a symbol of an era. Have our audience friends guessed who it is? That's right, let us invite this singer to the stage. Please!"

As he finished, a person stepped out from the back of the stage, backlit—it was none other than the Heavenly King, Liu Hongsheng.

"Hello, Heavenly King Liu," He Hao said, stepping forward to greet him.

"I don't deserve such a title. Hello, Teacher He, hello," Liu Hongsheng replied quickly.

"This should be your first time performing first, right?" He Hao began the pre-performance interaction.

"Yes, the first time I've drawn number 1," Liu Hongsheng replied with a nod.

"Are you nervous about performing first?" He Hao continued.

"It's alright. Besides, every time I've performed first in the past, I've taken first place," Liu Hongsheng joked.

"It seems Heavenly King Liu is aiming for the championship tonight. So, what kind of song are you bringing us tonight?" He Hao turned to the main topic.

"'True Character,' the theme song for 'People in the Jianghu,'" Liu Hongsheng replied.

"Wow! That TV series is the nostalgia of countless viewers, and this song is one everyone can sing along to. Will the whole audience be singing along later?" He Hao asked in an excited tone, stirring up the audience's emotions.

"Shh..." Liu Hongsheng made a gesture for silence. "Let's not do that. This is a competitive stage; let me sing the song through completely."

"Fair enough. Then let us listen to this 'True Character,'" He Hao said, turning to walk off stage, leaving the stage to Liu Hongsheng.

"True Character" was indeed a nostalgic piece for those born in the 60s, 70s, and some of the 80s. However, those born in the 90s and 00s didn't have as deep an impression of it. Plus, since it was a Cantonese song, not many people could sing it. He Hao’s suggestion of a sing-along was just for show. The judges from the 60s and 70s might have heard it, but a full sing-along was unlikely.

The studio fell silent. The spotlight hit Liu Hongsheng. The intro of the song began, and Liu Hongsheng picked up the microphone and began to sing:

"Walking this path of the Jianghu, fortunate to have brothers by my side. People of the Jianghu, true character, standing by each other through thick and thin, loyalty above all..."

When Liu Hongsheng finished, the studio erupted in warm applause, especially from the older audience section.

He Hao returned to the stage and said, "This version of 'True Character' feels quite different from the original. Was it rearranged?"

Liu Hongsheng replied, "Yes, the song is twenty-five years old. The arrangement wasn't as mature as it is today, and the sound quality wasn't as good. To present this version of 'True Character,' my team reproduced the song, and I'm very satisfied with the effect."

He Hao followed up, "Indeed, this version of 'True Character' is more grand and magnificent, with a sense of sweeping power. I believe the audience here enjoyed it, didn't you?"

The audience responded loudly: "Yes!"

"Thank you to Heavenly King Liu for the song. Now it’s time for the second singer to take the stage. This singer originally drew the number 6 spot, which is the most popular position because by the time voting comes around, you would have already forgotten the first and second singers, which is why everyone wants to perform at position 6 or 7," He Hao said, feigning blame toward the audience in a joking tone.

"We wouldn't!" the audience shouted back.

He Hao continued, "This second singer originally drew position 6, but he traded spots with someone. And this singer has already taken first place several times; he truly has the talent and doesn't need to pick his performance slot."

Hearing this, the audience guessed who it was and immediately began to cheer:

"Fang Xing! Fang Xing! Fang Xing..."