FWTS ### Chapter 102: The Weakest Backup Singer in History

"Is this system stuck or broken, or is it really just on a streak?" Hou Muyun stared at the results of his ten consecutive draws, completely dumbfounded.

"Hopefully, the cards aren't fake!" Hou Muyun placed one Memory Attribute Card into a card slot and used it. Seeing the attribute point increase by one, he sighed in relief. He then used the remaining four Memory Attribute Cards, increasing his memory attribute value to 14!

He picked up a book, scanned a page, then closed his eyes to recall. He found that he could remember much more content than before. After scanning the page a second time, he could recall most of it. By the third glance, he had memorized everything, including punctuation marks!

Hou Muyun's scanning wasn't just a line or two but at least 300 characters. Even if these 300 characters formed a cohesive information point, it still amounted to dozens of pieces of information!

This kind of memory seemed almost monstrous, even to Hou Muyun himself!

"With this kind of memory, I can almost claim to have a photographic memory now," Hou Muyun thought. Confirming that the cards drawn during the system's "glitch" were all useful, he felt utterly relieved and elated.

Speed reading combined with photographic memory!

This combination wasn't just about increasing efficiency in reading. It could also be used to earn points! At the very least, he could participate in a show known for its high ratings, often dubbed a "human extreme freak camp."

Next, Hou Muyun used the five Voice Charm Attribute Cards, increasing his voice charm attribute value to 12! He said a sentence, and this time he could distinctly feel the change in his voice. It was not just more magnetic; it had a layered quality, even without much emotional inflection. This was impressive!

Hou Muyun discovered that every attribute value above 10 brought a significant change. Ten seemed to be a critical point, and beyond that, the values reached a level not achievable by mere effort alone.

This "effort" referred to an extraordinary, life-consuming effort! There's a saying that most people's efforts aren't enough to reach the point where talent begins to matter. Beyond a value of 10, talent, and not just a little bit, became essential.

After washing up, Hou Muyun went for a run. The hotel they stayed at was arranged by Shi Shiwusi, significantly better than the one provided by Mango TV. At least breakfast could be ordered to the room with a single phone call.

He spent the entire morning writing and went to the rehearsal room after finishing his noon livestream. When he arrived, Shi Shiwusi was already there, and from the piled-up takeout boxes, it was clear he had been there since the morning.

"Monkey, here's the song list I selected. Take a look and give me some feedback," Shi Shiwusi said, handing the song list to Hou Muyun. "Although I knew early on that I would make it to the finals, I only started preparing yesterday due to various matters, so our time is limited. The final live broadcast is on the 4th. We need to finalize the songs today."

"That's a lot of options!" Hou Muyun glanced at the list, which had 17 songs. This was the result of prior screening, and they needed to select two songs from this list—one for the duet and one for Shi Shiwusi's solo in the final. Clearly, Shi Shiwusi took this competition seriously, even though he knew his chances of winning the title were slim.

Shi Shiwusi said, "Help me cut it down by half."

Hou Muyun replied, "Cutting it in half? Aren't you afraid I'll cut out the songs you're attached to?"

Shi Shiwusi joked, "That would be even better. I could just sing the one that's left!"

"Alright then," Hou Muyun said, considering for a moment before starting to cut songs. He soon realized that Shi Shiwusi was lying about not being attached to any songs; he was reluctant to cut any of them.

"You have a severe case of decision-making paralysis! This needs treatment!" Hou Muyun ruthlessly cut the list down to six songs: three for the duet and three for the solo. The duet options were "I Want Us to Be Together," "Uptown Funk," and "Raise Your Hand if You Love Me." The solo options were "Heartbeat," "Hill," and "Love of My Life."

Looking at the twelve songs he had cut and the remaining six, Shi Shiwusi almost cried. "We can't cut any more from these six! Let's start arranging them, try them out, and see the effect before deciding!" He added, chasing after Hou Muyun, "You'll have to give input on all the arrangements."

"Sure, I'll just give my clueless input on arranging music!" Hou Muyun agreed.

…

At 8 PM on December 1, the official website and social media of "Singer" announced the nine groups of duet partners. Since its first season, "Singer" has been a hugely popular variety show. The final competition attracts a lot of attention as people watch to see which star singer will win the crown. The duet partner segment is a major highlight.

The duet partners aren't limited to singers; the show has a tradition of inviting celebrities from other fields. For example, the first season's winning duo invited a famous actor as their duet partner, making it the most exciting part of that season's finale. There have been opera singers, international stars, current heartthrobs, and long-absent veteran artists.

The duet partner list for this season was no different. It included famous actors, current sensations, top singers, and superstar performers. Amidst these big names, Hou Muyun's name seemed out of place!

He wasn't a famous actor, a current sensation, or a top singer. As for being a superstar, some people thought so, but others didn't. Many believed that "Music Wars" only judged whether a challenge was successful without determining a winner, so they didn't think Hou Muyun's singing surpassed the five celebrity mentors.

To many, Hou Muyun was just a popular streamer or a recent contestant in a singing competition, at most a newcomer in the music industry. Naturally, this sparked some criticism and even mockery, accusing Hou Muyun of using Shi Shiwusi's connections to piggyback on the show's popularity.

Additionally, Hou Muyun carried the titles of bestselling novelist and comic book writer, which many saw as a significant cross-field jump.

However, many others didn't see it this way. Most of these people were Hou Muyun's fans, who believed his singing and voice quality made him a suitable duet partner. Nonetheless, they were not the majority.

Regardless, Hou Muyun's name appearing in the duet partner list sparked a lot of discussion, more than any of the other eight names. Some even labeled him with a title that even his hardcore fans couldn't easily refute: "The Weakest Duet Partner in History!"

This "weak" referred to his fame and status!

Even though Hou Muyun had been generating a lot of buzz recently, he truly had no standing in the music industry.

…

Around 9 PM, Hou Muyun and Shi Shiwusi finally finished arranging the six songs. Hou Muyun, who previously knew nothing about music arrangement, had picked up some basics after participating in "Singer" and "Music Wars." Spending seven or eight hours on it today gave him a better understanding.

With a comprehension level of 7, coupled with his ability to play multiple instruments and a singing skill of 9, Hou Muyun's learning and adaptation abilities were incredibly strong. Adding in an inspiration level of 11, he gave so many ingenious arrangement ideas that Shi Shiwusi and the others suspected Hou Muyun had extensive experience in music arrangement.

His suggestions were just too ingenious!

"That's it for today. Let's go eat!" Shi Shiwusi said, leading the group of ten to a nearby restaurant. While eating and chatting, they naturally checked their social media, where they saw the online discussions about Hou Muyun being a duet partner.

"The Weakest Duet Partner in History!"

Shi Shiwusi almost choked with laughter when he saw this comment and teased, "Monkey, what do you think of this title?"

Hou Muyun, starving after not eating since noon, was devouring his food. He replied, mouth full, "What can I think? Just squat in the pit you dug for me and watch!"

Shi Shiwusi was pleased. "Rare chance to mess with you."

Everyone laughed, but they all had seen Hou Muyun's musical talent and knew how absurd that title was.

Hou Muyun also laughed, thinking that all this buzz would definitely boost his points.


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