HDIEUMDBTSB #### Chapter 6: Who Is the Challenger?
### Volume 1: The Road to Revival
The seven initial singers and their music partners arrived together at the recording site. For the sake of the show’s effect and smooth recording, none of them actually knew who the surprise guest was. It wasn’t practical to expect all the singers to act like they didn’t know when they actually did—they could treat the audience like leeks, but not fools.
The singers sat chatting in the hall, while their music partners went to draw the order for this episode. The hall was a temporary setup inside the TV station building specifically for "I Am a Singer." It featured a simple style with blue and silver-black metal, and on the left, stacks of the sponsor Pure Victory Organic Milk were arranged in a pyramid shape. They were empty boxes for display purposes, with the large logo of the show hanging in front of the "pyramid."
The oldest among the contestants was Teacher Hou Yubin, fifty-three years old, who had debuted at twenty after winning second place in the National Young Singer TV Competition. With thirty-three years of stage experience, he had produced many well-known songs. His deep voice and bold, vigorous singing style had graced many historical dramas' theme songs. As an associate professor at the National Theatre, he was a true veteran and a formidable talent, having received the most audience votes twice in more than half of the competition rounds.
"Uncle Hou, last time there were some rumors about the challenger. Do you have any today?" Lin Xia, who was sitting alone on a two-seater sofa, asked.
Lin Xia, at twenty-nine, was the most popular contestant. He debuted at eighteen through the Happy Boys competition. Over five years, he gained popularity through album releases, and at twenty-four, his popularity surged. His singing skills aside, his album sales justified his status as a hot star, earning him the nicknames "Lin Waste" and "Waste Waste."
"Last time, the surprise guest was my student, so I happened to know," Hou Yubin said with a smile. "But there's no information at all about this third surprise guest."
"If even Uncle Hou has no clue, then we can't expect any hints from him," Lin Xia said, spreading his hands.
"Sigh," Zheng Yingying sighed.
"Yingying, don’t be so down. We all have faith in you," Lin Xia comforted. "So you have the trust of all of us."
After half a season of recording, the contestants had become familiar with each other, and Lin Xia's continuous chatter was something they were used to.
"But I don't have faith in myself," Zheng Yingying said with a distressed look. "I ranked second to last in the last round. If a strong competitor comes, I definitely won't be able to win."
Zheng Yingying was one of only two female contestants. She had started in an early idol girl group, and though her skills were decent, her solo career had struggled after the group disbanded. Getting on the show had given her a chance for a comeback, and she certainly didn’t want to be eliminated.
"Yingying, let's look at it from another angle. If the show invites a strong competitor, they will likely challenge the strongest among us, like Uncle Hou or Brother Lin Xia," Gu Nanxi said bluntly. "Does that make you feel better?"
"It does make me feel better. What you said makes sense," Zheng Yingying thought about it and agreed, not noticing anything wrong.
The seating arrangement in the hall—a three-seater, four-seater, and two-seater sofas—reflected the current status of the stars. It wasn’t strictly enforced but more of an unspoken rule.
"I actually hope the surprise guest is a female singer. I know many talented sisters who haven't had exposure and have had to switch careers," Gu Nanxi said.
"There are indeed many exceptional female singers. Having more of them recognized by a national audience would be great," Hou Yubin said. When he wasn’t singing, he resembled a kindly, retired old man taking a walk. He often spoke in a string of idioms, making it a significant oversight for the Chinese Poetry Conference not to invite him.
Gu Nanxi, a few years older than Zheng Yingying and nearing forty, had a well-maintained face with fine makeup, though some crow’s feet and neck wrinkles were occasionally visible on camera. A singer from Hong Kong and Taiwan, she had moved to the mainland early in her career, speaking fluent Mandarin without a regional accent.
"Mr. Tsune, are you worried?" Lin Xia asked in Japanese. "If you're worried, that means you're thinking about it."
To add international flavor, "I Am a Singer" invited foreign singers each season. This time, the guest was thirty-seven-year-old Tsune Mitsukuni from Japan, an artist under Sony whose last album sold 570,000 copies upon release.
In Japan, an album costs over 200 RMB, and Tsune Mitsukuni's double platinum certification by RIAJ also indirectly proves his popularity. He has performed several well-known anime OPs, giving him considerable recognition in China.
"I am indeed very worried. Your country has many powerful singers, and Teacher Hou’s skills truly amaze me," Tsune Mitsukuni said. Since his partner wasn’t around, he had to use a translator for communication.
"At your age, your singing skills are top-notch. Just enjoy the songs," Hou Yubin said.
"Thank you for your encouragement, Teacher Hou. I feel empowered," Tsune Mitsukuni replied solemnly after hearing the stiff translation.
Based on the previous two surprise guests, the conversation was filled with comments like, "We shouldn't underestimate anyone," and "The show’s staff seem to guard secrets like thieves. I just tried to sneak a peek and two staff members immediately stopped me," and "It's both nerve-wracking and exciting."
As the music partners returned to the hall with the order numbers, the contestants' chatter died down, each now focused on their own turn to perform.
Two hundred meters from the main hall, in a separate blue-themed room, Chu Zhi had arrived early. As a surprise guest, he had to remain hidden and couldn’t leave the room. Without a restroom, one might wonder what to do if nature called. Being a young male idol, not a squeamish girl group member, Chu Zhi kept this thought to himself.
In front of the camera, he tried to maintain a calm and composed demeanor.
"Teacher Chu, who are you planning to challenge on stage?" Wei Tongzi initiated the conversation as recording started.
"No one," Chu Zhi replied. "I'll perform last."
"What?" Wei Tongzi’s face showed surprise. She worriedly said, "If you choose not to challenge anyone, you’ll need to get one of the top three audience votes to stay."
Wei Tongzi thought that picking an easy target, like Zheng Yingying, might give him a chance. Getting a top-three vote with competitors like Lin Xia, Hou Yubin, and Tsune Mitsukuni seemed nearly impossible and akin to courting disaster.
"Teacher Chu, you..." Wei Tongzi almost blurted out, "Do you still think you have your old popularity?" But she swallowed the hurtful words.
"What's up, Tongzi?" Chu Zhi looked up and asked.
As a host, Wei Tongzi quickly adapted and changed the subject: "Teacher Chu, are you hungry? If you are, we have the delicious Pure Victory milk."
"Since you highly recommend it, I must try it." Chu Zhi picked up a box from the table, drank a couple of sips, and said, "It’s indeed good. So this is the legendary Pure Victory Organic Milk. It's really tasty Pure Victory Organic Milk. Did the sponsor hear that clearly?"
"Three times! You're a natural at advertising," Wei Tongzi laughed, noting that Chu Zhi had a good sense of humor for variety shows.
While they chatted, the show began. Chu Zhi watched the live broadcast of the other contestants on a screen. The first to perform was Lin Xia, greeted by the cheers of 800 audience members, indicating his high popularity.
Lin Xia's drawn song was a very energetic rock piece. Rock music is excellent for boosting the live atmosphere. Although Lin Xia didn’t have many rock songs to his name, his ability to engage the audience was remarkable. Instead of using the TV station’s band, he brought in the seasoned rock band Zhulao Pao, winning thunderous applause!
After his four-minute performance, the audience used their remote controls to vote, giving him 679 votes.
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