Chapter 58: Those Who Dare Not Vote Are All Warriors (Seeking Votes and Favorites!)

According to the program schedule, after the performance, it was time for voting. However, the chief director Tong Fei suddenly changed her mind and had the producer remind He Hao to have the mentors comment first.

Originally, the mentors were not supposed to comment in order to prevent their opinions from influencing the voting results. But now, what was there left to influence? Besides, all four mentors were on their feet, especially Chen Chaonan, who seemed eager to speak. For the sake of the show’s effect, it was only natural to let the mentors comment first.

He Hao, catching the production team’s cue, looked toward the mentors and said, “All four mentors are standing, and it looks like everyone has something to say. Who wants to go first?”

“Me, me, me...” Zhang Huiying was always quick to speak up, never one to hold back. “Fang Xing, your song is perfect in every way, but I really don’t like it. Because—” She paused, took a breath, and went on, “Because this song doesn’t suit me to sing. But it’s just too good, too brilliant. The better it is, the less I can sing it, and the less I like it.

“But even if I don’t like it, I have to give you my vote. Otherwise, I’d look unprofessional.” Without waiting for the host’s signal, she raised the card with Fang Xing’s name on it.

He Hao quickly reminded her, “No, Mentor Huiying, in this round, it's Shao Yu who is competing, not Fang Xing.”

“Oh? That’s right. Well, Shao Yu, you sang very well too. Both of you are great; I just mixed you up for a moment.” Zhang Huiying hurriedly searched for Shao Yu’s card on the table.

Shao Yu bowed and said gratefully, “This song was a duet with Fang Xing. We’re both competing together; it doesn’t matter whose name you raise. Without Fang Xing, I wouldn’t have made it to the third round.”

He Hao gestured for calm and said, “Mentor Huiying, let’s hold off for a moment. I see Mentor Chen has been waiting a long time. Why don’t we let him comment first?”

“Sure, of course.” Zhang Huiying sat back down, leaving the camera to Chen Chaonan.

Chen Chaonan stood, took up the microphone, and steadied himself before he spoke. “To comment on this song, I must stand up. This is my way of showing respect to the sages.

“This song uses Mr. Liang Qichao’s ‘Young China,’ conveying inspiration, hope, and energy, which I deeply admire.

“I can say this is the song I recognize most throughout the entire season.

“Fang Xing and Shao Yu both gave an excellent performance.

“I’ve said before, Fang Xing, you don’t need to force high notes.

“Vocal music isn’t about who can sing the highest, but who can reach the peak of their range.

“It’s not only about tenors. There are also baritones and basses.

“Just like in an orchestra, there are violins, cellos, and double basses.

“In a symphony orchestra, all these instruments are indispensable.

“For ‘Young China,’ the last chorus modulated up a half-step to B4, which is exactly your best range. You interpreted it perfectly.

“In this song, you expressed the sages’ deep concern for the nation and their grand ambition.

“Your voice balanced gentleness and strength, passion and breadth, and your harmonies with Shao Yu were excellent.

“I’m even considering making this song a practice piece for our classes at school.”

“That’s all I have to say. If I were to vote, my vote would also go to Fang Xing and Shao Yu.”

After Chen Chaonan finished, the trainees from Tide Sound Entertainment and Liu Yichen’s fans at the venue all felt that this was truly the end.

Before Chen Chaonan’s comments, the five trainees from Tide Sound Entertainment and the fans still harbored a sliver of hope.

But as soon as he finished, everyone knew in their hearts what the outcome would be.

In the lounge area, Liu Yichen covered his face with his hands, his body trembling slightly, his emotions clearly out of control.

This PK round was contested in his name. Losing meant elimination.

A contestant who’d held second place in the popularity rankings for more than two months was now being eliminated in the third performance show. It was simply unbelievable.

Yet, these were the rules. If you chose to compete, you had to be ready to bear defeat.

Wu Junchen patted his shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, the votes aren’t in yet. The result isn’t certain.”

Liu Yichen was silent for three seconds before murmuring, “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one being eliminated.”

He felt a deep sense of injustice. It was a duet, but only he would be eliminated.

Wu Junchen’s eyes flashed with irritation, but he didn’t show it on camera. He continued comforting him, “Don’t think like that. Elimination isn’t the end. There’s still the revival rankings. You’ll definitely come back.”

Liu Yichen, of course, knew about the revival board and that he still had a chance. But there was only one chance to return.

And as the contestant ranked second in popularity, being eliminated was a huge blow to his pride.

The camera zoomed in on the two of them. Wu Junchen gently patted Liu Yichen’s back, continuing to comfort him. “Losing this time doesn’t mean we’ll always lose. If we lose now, we’ll win next time. We still have a chance. Never give up.”

Liu Yichen forced a smile and turned his head away from the camera, unwilling to face it.

Hearing Wu Junchen’s clichés, Liu Yichen sneered inwardly and muttered, “Stop acting. I’m not in the mood. What’s the use of this nonsense? Since the show started, have you seen Fang Xing lose even once?

“He’s a monster. Who knows what possesses him—his songwriting, his singing, everything is so strong, yet he’s here at a boy group competition.

“Next time you want to compete with him, do it yourself. Don’t drag me along.”

Wu Junchen looked a bit embarrassed.

He thought back and realized that, except for the debut stage, every song Fang Xing had performed since—six in total—had been overwhelmingly powerful.

From “Wild Bird” to “Nocturne.”

From “Lovers Under Heaven” to “Difficult Scripture.”

From “The Wind Rises” to “Young China.”

All six were like trump cards.

The voting hadn’t even begun, and Liu Yichen was already falling apart.

After the mentors had finished their comments, He Hao guided the show forward and arranged for the mentors and professional judges to cast their votes.

The result was no surprise: except for a few judges who abstained, all votes went to Fang Xing and Shao Yu.

He Hao called on one of the abstaining judges, “Luo Siwei, music critic from Blue-Grey Music, I noticed you didn’t vote just now. Could you tell us why?”

Luo Siwei stood, took the microphone, and replied, “I’m not qualified to judge this song, or to vote. It’s as simple as that.”

Another critic beside him immediately protested, “Luo Siwei, that’s not right. If you’re unqualified, are we qualified? Does that mean my vote is meaningless?”

He Hao quickly mediated, “What Luo Siwei means is out of respect for the sages. This song shouldn’t be measured by votes. But there’s nothing wrong with voting either—if you think the song is good, you vote for it. That’s all right.”

After smoothing things over, He Hao announced the results, “In this PK round, Fang Xing and Shao Yu’s duet ‘Young China’ received the most votes and won this contest.

“According to the rules, Liu Yichen, who represented his team in this round, will have to leave the stage of ‘Tomorrow’s Star’ for now.”

“No!” A heart-wrenching cry erupted from the audience.