Huayu97: Starting with Wu Song Fighting the Tiger

Fish Leong got up at dawn, sat in a wicker chair and practiced her singing softly, her voice clear and resonant.

"The judges in the second round are very strict, and they won't let anyone accompany you, so you'd better stay calm." Sister Zhu mumbled her advice while munching on a Malay flatbread, and she was also adjusting Fish Leong's light blue floral dress. "I've inquired, it's still the Lido Hotel, the small banquet hall is more formal than the last round, it starts at ten o'clock, I'll take you there on my motorcycle, I promise you won't be late."

Liu Xiang sat to the side drinking Bak Kut Teh, looked up at Liang Jingru, and comforted her, saying, "Don't panic, just do what you practice and perform to your best ability. I'll wait for your news at the guesthouse. If you advance, I'll take you to eat the most famous laksa in the city center."

Fish Leong nodded, feeling a little nervous, but still looked up at him and smiled, revealing her dimples: "Yes, Brother Liu Xiang, wait for my good news. I'm sure I'll make it to the finals!"

Upon arriving at the competition venue, the rules for the second round of the qualifying tournament were significantly stricter than those for the first round. A bright red sign was posted at the entrance of the Lido Hotel's small banquet hall, reading "No Companions Allowed, Entry by Number." Two staff members in white shirts stood guard at the door, looking much more serious than the day before. Sister Zhu escorted Liang Jingru to the door, giving her a few more instructions before riding away on her motorcycle.

The banquet hall was set up with a simple judging panel, where three local senior music teachers sat. The sixteen contestants below the stage each had their own thoughts. Some were nervously rubbing their hands, while others were silently reciting lyrics. An old-fashioned cassette player was placed on one side of the stage, serving as the only accompaniment equipment.

When it was Fish Leong's turn to perform, she took a deep breath, walked onto the stage, and announced the song "Tian Mi Mi" (Sweet Honey). Then, Teresa Teng's classic melody started playing from the cassette player.

She closed her eyes and opened them again, all the tension in them vanishing. Her clear, soft voice flowed gently, perfectly conveying the sweetness and tenderness of the song. Without any deliberate showing off, she moved the entire audience with her unique, sweet voice and empathy. The judges nodded frequently, and one teacher even couldn't help but tap her foot to the beat.

After the song ended, there was a two-second silence in the banquet hall, followed by enthusiastic applause. The three judges unanimously gave their approval, stating that she was the best performer in this round.

Fish Leong jogged out of the hotel, pulled out some change from her pocket, and dialed the guesthouse. Her voice was as cheerful as a little bird's: "Brother Liu Xiang! I made it to the finals! The judges said I sang the best!" Liu Xiang on the other end of the line laughed and agreed, saying he would go eat laksa when she got back. After hanging up, Fish Leong's lips were still upturned, and she walked with a light step.

However, the second round of the competition was very tight, and the organizers directly notified her that a small celebration banquet would be held at 7 p.m. in the banquet hall on the third floor of the Lido Hotel to reward the eight singers who advanced to the finals. Fish Leong went back to her homestay, tidied up a bit, changed into a light yellow dress, and told Liu Xiang and Sister A-Zhu about the celebration banquet. Liu Xiang told her to drink less and to be more mindful of her thoughts.

Sister A-Zhu originally wanted to go with her, but Fish Leong persuaded her not to, saying that they were all contestants and it would be inconvenient for her to go. Liu Xiang told her to be careful and to call if anything happened.

In the evening, four round tables were set up in the banquet hall on the third floor of the Lido Hotel. A whole table of Penang local specialties was laid out. All eight singers who advanced to the next round were present. There were three women and five men. In addition to Fish Leong, the female singers included local girl Lin Meiqi, who sings Hokkien songs, and Zhang Man, a beautiful overseas Chinese girl with delicate features.

Manager Wang, the organizer, sat in the main seat. He was in his forties with a slightly protruding belly and a greasy smile on his face. Several judges and staff members surrounded him. He held a wine glass in his hand and said, "We're all preparing for the finals." However, his eyes kept lingering on the three female singers, and his sticky gaze made people feel uneasy.

Just half an hour into the celebration banquet, Manager Wang stood up with a wine glass in hand, a fake smile on his face: "To all the contestants who advanced, especially the three female singers, our Chinese music scene is in dire need of fresh blood. I have access to a lot of record company resources here, and I'd like to have a private chat with you all about your future development. Let's go to the office area next door and plan things out properly for each of you."

But when these words were spoken, the male singers didn't take it seriously and even laughed and joked, while the three female singers' expressions changed instantly. Lin Meiqi was the first to be called away by Manager Wang. The door to the lounge was gently closed and locked, and she stayed there for twenty minutes. Liang Jingru sat in the corner, feeling vaguely flustered. She took a sip of water but couldn't even taste it; she only felt that the surrounding air was oppressive.

When Lin Meiqi came out, her face was as pale as paper, her lips were bitten until they were red, her eyes were slightly red, and she kept her head down without saying a word.

Then, Manager Wang called Zhang Man. Zhang Man clutched the hem of her clothes and slowly moved inside. Less than ten minutes later, suppressed sobs could be heard from the break room. Soon after, Zhang Man ran out crying, her hair disheveled and her skirt wrinkled.

The atmosphere in the banquet hall suddenly became completely awkward. The male singers stopped laughing, looked at each other, and their eyes were full of embarrassment.

Fish Leong's heart was pounding. Just as she was about to get up and leave, Manager Wang came out of the lounge, wiped his mouth, and still wore that greasy smile. He waved to her and said, "Fish Leong, it's your turn. You performed the best this round. Let's come in and have a good chat."

Fish Leong shrank back, stood up timidly, and said, "Manager Wang, I don't want to talk about resources anymore. I want to go home right away."

"Go home?" Manager Wang's face instantly darkened. He took two steps forward, his tone blatantly threatening, "You think you can just leave once you've made it to my finals? Today you either come with me to the lounge, or you're disqualified from the finals and can forget about ever coming back to Penang again!"

As he spoke, he reached out to grab Liang Jingru's wrist. The moment his greasy fingers touched her skin, Liang Jingru screamed in fright, jerked back, and fled the hotel in a panic. She went to a phone booth, where she dialed Liu Xiang's number with trembling hands, barely able to finish her sentence: "Brother Liu Xiang... Manager Wang of the competition... he wants to disqualify me... and he's pulling me away..."

Upon hearing the tearful voice on the other end of the phone, Liu Xiang's eyes instantly turned cold. After hanging up, she immediately dialed the contact number of the Malaysian security department she was cooperating with, and said in a cold tone, "Manager Wang of the singing competition on the third floor of the Lido Hotel is suspected of seriously harassing female contestants. If you want to continue cooperating, deal with this matter immediately."

Without uttering a single unnecessary word, the other party simply replied, "Okay."

Not long after Fish Leong hung up the phone, the banquet hall door was suddenly pushed open.

Several Malaysian police officers in uniform walked in, followed by a liaison from the security department. They went straight to Manager Wang, flashed their badges, and coldly questioned him: "Mr. Wang, is it true that someone has reported you for abusing your power in the competition to harass and blackmail female athletes?"

Manager Wang's face turned deathly pale instantly. He abruptly released Liang Jingru's hand, repeatedly protesting, "No! It's a misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding!"