Chapter 40: The Pillar of Class F

At exactly eight o’clock in the evening, the fourth episode, part one, of “Tomorrow’s Star” was released punctually on Penguin Video.

After the opening music, the host, He Hao, announced an upgrade to the competition format.

Ten teams, five themes, facing off in pairs.

Right from the start, the show amped up the atmosphere of competition, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats.

Some viewers even began skipping over the earlier training segments, heading straight for the stage performances.

The first eight stages featured decent singing and dancing, with impressive stage design, yet none managed to truly stand out or offer much excitement.

For these first eight performances, Wu Junchen and Liu Yichen emerged as the undisputed winners, satisfying the fans’ expectations.

But the general audience’s real interest lay with the final theme: “Martial Arts Dream.”

The show’s trailer had focused heavily on the anticipated rematch between Fang Xing and Hashim.

The buzz around this segment was at its peak.

At last, the show reached the “Martial Arts Dream” segment.

It began with a VCR of Hashim, discussing his creative motivation for the theme.

“Even a VCR? The showrunners must really favor him,” some younger viewers commented after seeing Hashim’s segment, feeling sympathy for the overseas Chinese artist’s childhood.

Yet, it wasn’t long before sharp-eyed, irreverent netizens spotted a flaw.

“Martial arts comics from over a decade ago, still preserved in perfect condition, looking as good as new. Truly, a scientific miracle.”

“You’ve spotted the key detail.”

“I’m ashamed—my beloved comics from elementary school were all eaten by bugs.”

“You don’t get it. In my house, books are stored in liquid nitrogen. Even after more than ten years, they’re still pristine.”

Next up, Hashim’s team performed “Beauty Without Tears.”

The adaptation was extensive and even included rap.

The fusion of ancient melodies with electronic music produced a rather odd sensation.

After the verse, Hashim took the mic, faced the camera, and launched into a rapid-fire rap:

“Hey! My martial arts dream is a beauty without tears.
“No need to explain, no need to ponder, she’s the best in my heart.
“Whoever stands against me, I’ll shatter their dreams, make them kneel before me...”

These brazen lyrics, paired with his arrogant expression, were truly textbook examples of bravado.

The live chat exploded:

“These lyrics are something else—so bold, so wild.”

“Is this the guy who apologized in that pre-show interview?”

“Put those two videos together and it’s a full-on split personality.”

“If these two teams don’t brawl on stage, it’s a miracle of self-restraint.”

Later in the song, they even threw in English rap.

At that point, the chat went into meltdown:

“Martial arts with rap? Fine. Martial arts with English rap? Get out!”

“It’s over. My childhood classic is ruined.”

“This is my childhood, being dragged through the mud.”

“I need to listen to the original ‘Beauty Without Tears’ to cleanse my ears.”

“Australia has kangaroos, but no martial arts!”

“Australia has kangaroos, but no martial arts—agreed!”

In the end, the chat became a chorus of mockery.

...

The show continued.

Finally, it was Fang Xing’s group’s turn.

The moment the intro to “Lovers Under Heaven” began, a breeze of ethereal martial spirit swept through.

Lu Ming and Shao Yu opened together, singing the first lines with such beautiful timbre it was intoxicating:

“Love—how to do it, how to err, how to see, how to bear, how to teach someone to follow you through life and death.
“Love is a taste that can’t be spoken, only savored; once tasted, you won’t leave unscathed...”

Just two lines in, and the chat exploded:

“Ah! I’m healed.”

“These harmonies are heavenly!”

“Showstopper! Showstopper! I bet this is tonight’s best!”

“Don’t be so sure—there’s still the PK round in the next episode.”

“I don’t care. This is the best tonight, period.”

When they reached the ethereal, wordless bridge—“Ah... who can understand the taste within”—many viewers sat stunned in front of their screens.

The soaring high notes, buoyed by rich harmonies, felt like aurora lights drifting above a sea of clouds—so pure it was mesmerizing.

“Are we really watching a boy band competition? How can the vocals be this good?”

“G5, certified by the pros—this bridge reached up to a G5!”

“What does G5 mean? Someone explain.”

“A female singer hitting G5 gets paid. A male singer hitting G5 risks his life.”

“This song doesn’t even belong on this show—it’s too powerful.”

“That’s it, this guy’s so good, I guess I’ll be hating on him for life.”

“You all keep hating—I’m switching to being a fan.”

“I could never be a fan. I’ll hate him for life. Not a day less.”

“He’s just a singer—what does he know about harmonies?”

But that wasn’t even the climax of the performance.

As the song reached the interlude, Wang Huajun descended beneath the stage via the lift.

Sharp-eyed viewers noticed someone was missing from the stage.

“There are only four people now—one’s gone.”

“He went down on the lift. I saw it clearly.”

“Are we sure he didn’t just fall?”

“He went down on the lift? Then there must be a surprise coming.”

Shortly after, Wang Huajun, bald and draped in a massive red monk’s robe, descended from above, performing an aerial dance.

The spectacle was so breathtaking the audience was left speechless.

“What is this!”

“What am I even watching!”

“Is this really not the Spring Festival Gala?”

“I came for a boy band competition, keyboard at the ready, and you show me this? How am I supposed to roast this?”

“Are we sure these last two stages belong to the same show?”

“Editing team, did you splice in a performance from the wrong show?”

“How is this not the best of the night?”

“My mom just asked me why I’m kneeling in front of the TV.”

“I hereby declare ‘Lovers Under Heaven’ the winner. If I’m wrong, I’ll eat my monitor.”

“I’ll eat...!”

“Can you freeloaders stop treating this chat like an all-you-can-eat buffet?”

“I went back and listened to ‘Beauty Without Tears’ and rushed back—the comparison is brutal.”

“That rap stage earlier—what even was that? To compare it to this is just shameless.”

“Shameless—agreed.”

“Shameless—seconded.”

As soon as “Lovers Under Heaven” aired, it shot up the trending charts and was still climbing rapidly.

Judging by the speed, it was on track to claim the top spot.

The rematch between Fang Xing and Hashim also trended.

But opinion on Weibo was now overwhelmingly one-sided.

Music critics in particular unleashed a torrent of commentary.

At this point, it wasn’t even a matter of speaking out against the odds; it was a full-on rout.

“Egg against stone! The rematch between Fang Xing and Hashim.”

“A rematch from different dimensions—the overseas prodigy’s losing streak.”

Lu Ming was trending as well.

“How has a Class D trainee improved this fast?”

Under this topic, the irreverent netizens were savage as ever:

“That’s easy—just latch onto a thick-legged Class F teammate.”

“Class F and Class D are a perfect match.”