The night before the college entrance exam results were released, I redeemed my Peking University ad

"Today, I watch the snow fall in the cold night..."

Cantonese.

Standard Cantonese pronunciation.

His voice was slightly hoarse, like a blade scraping sandpaper, each word was enunciated with great force, revealing a desolation that seeped from the very marrow of his bones.

"With a heart that has grown cold, I drift far away..."

"Chasing after them in the wind and rain, their shadows indistinguishable in the fog..."

"The sky is vast, the sea is wide, but will you and I change...?"

The moment the chorus began, Ji Bai's voice suddenly rose, carrying an almost tearing force, like a ray of light cleaving through thick clouds.

"Forgive me for my untamed, unrestrained, and freedom-loving life..."

"I'm also afraid that one day I'll fall..."

"Anyone can betray their ideals..."

"Why would I be afraid that one day it will just be you and me..."

The high notes are surprisingly stable, and the vibrato has a rough, grainy quality. It's not the kind of perfectly polished voice, but a more primal, soul-stirring power.

When Ji Bai sang, he tilted his head slightly back, the veins on his neck bulged slightly, and his knuckles holding the microphone turned white.

The studio lights shone on him, making the thin layer of sweat on his forehead glisten.

The song's arrangement is well-defined, with clean and crisp transitions between sections. The harmonic arrangement is just right, and the rhythm and tempo of the drumbeats are so precise that it seems impossible for a high school student to compose something like this.

This is a truly complete, studio-produced track that is ready for immediate release.

The video freezes on the moment the last chord fades away, with Ji Bai slightly out of breath and giving the camera a very faint smile.

It's as if they're asking: Do you have anything else to say?

silence!

The entire internet fell into a deathly silence.

Then, the volcano erupted.

"Holy shit!"

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

"Cantonese!! He's actually singing in Cantonese!!"

"Forgive me for my untamed and free-spirited life... Who wrote this lyric? Who the hell wrote it?! I'll copy it a hundred times on my knees!!"

"This arrangement! This solo! This harmony! Did one person do all of this?! Did one person handle the entire band's work?!"

"Who said the arrangement was weak last night? Who said the production was lacking? Come out and show yourselves! Come on out!"

"I'm someone who never listens to Cantonese songs, and this song gave me goosebumps! It was high-energy from start to finish!!"

"This is real rock! This is truly powerful music! All those pretentious love songs are utter garbage compared to this song!!"

"As soon as the chorus started, tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. This song has soul!"

"It's not that the Emperor can't write profound songs, it's that he hasn't been giving it his all before! This song, 'Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies,' will make even those who don't understand Cantonese kneel in awe!"

"I'm speechless, I'm at a loss for words. Every note of this song is slapping certain people in the face!"

"Where's Yan Dahai? Come out and give your opinion! Does this song meet the standards of a Golden Melody Award? You fucking say something!"

"Once this song is released, every single one of those who criticized it before will be slapped in the face!"

"Perspective! What is perspective?! Those who said the Emperor only wrote mindless love songs, how do you feel now that you're listening to this song on your knees?"

"The song title 'Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies' is the Emperor's response to these people! You can criticize all you want, I'll just keep going!"

"Please, please release this song on a professional platform! I'll pay for a membership! I'll buy the album! I'll do anything! Don't let this kind of song only be posted as a video on Weibo!"

"This song would crush any music program; it'd be a straight champion!"

"Last night was just a warm-up; today is the main course."

"Emperor: Yesterday was just playing around with you guys. Today's is what you call a song."

On the trending topics list, the hashtag #JiBaiHaiKuoTianKong# is followed by a dark red "Explosive" character.

The number of views jumped from 100,000 to 1 million, and from 1 million to 5 million, as if it had been accelerated.

No one mentions the word "plagiarism" anymore.

No one questioned the boy's creative abilities anymore.

From last night to today, five songs, five styles, each more explosive than the last, with the last one reaching legendary status.

The comments section of the royalists was completely flooded with a sea of ​​jubilation.

"Speak up, Kuroko!"

"Come on! Keep setting the pace! Why are you all quiet now?"

"Where's the person who said the Emperor had no stock? Does your face hurt? Is it swollen?"

"Those who say the arrangement is weak, come out here! Analyze the arrangement of this song 'Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies' and see where it's weak!"

"@Teacher Yan Dahai, does this song meet the standards of a Golden Melody Award? Why aren't you giving your feedback? Why are you silent?"

"Stop playing dead, Teacher Yan! Didn't you post four or five Weibo posts last night? Why haven't you posted anything today? Did your phone die?"

"If this isn't good enough, then there are no good enough songs in the entire Chinese music scene!"

"The Emperor said last night was just a warm-up; today is the appetizer. Are you all ready?"

"Please keep criticizing him! The more you criticize the Emperor, the more excited we get, and the more songs we have to listen to!"

"Great Emperor: You're forcing me to use the ultimate imperial weapon!"

……

Beijing, old Western-style houses.

Yan Dahai stared at his phone screen, the color draining from his face little by little.

Complete arrangement.

Master-level production quality.

The moment the intro started, he felt like he was nailed to his chair, unable to move at all.

The moment the chorus line "Forgive me for my unruly and free-spirited life" burst out, he even forgot to breathe.

This can no longer be described simply as a "golden hit".

This is……

This is a timeless classic!

It's the kind of song that people will still listen to, sing, and be moved by ten, twenty, or thirty years from now.

Last night he said that Ji Bai's song had "thin arrangement" and "insufficient production".

The production quality of this song is top-notch, not only for a high school student, but even for top-tier music production teams in China.

Yan Dahai's hands were shaking, his whole arm was shaking, and the words on the phone screen were blurred into a mess.

No more.

All the points that could be used for attack are gone.

The lyrics aren't profound enough? Every word in the lyrics of "Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies" pierces the heart like a nail.

Is the arrangement not layered enough? The arrangement of this song, from piano to electric guitar to drums, is layered and progresses perfectly.

Not good enough? This song can be released directly as an album without any modifications.

Yan Dahai slowly closed his eyes, leaned back in his chair, and felt as if all his strength had been drained away.

He knew he was finished.

It's not just that he lost his reputation in his later years, but that he was completely nailed to the pillar of shame!

From now on, whenever someone mentions this song, they'll probably just... mention him along with it?

……

Private club.

Su Wan's phone slipped from her fingertips and fell onto the carpet, screen up, still playing the chorus of "Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies".

"Forgive me for my untamed, unrestrained, and freedom-loving life..."

Ji Bai's voice burst from the phone, echoing in the empty private room, like heavy hammer blows hitting her chest.

She froze on the sofa, not even bothering to tie the loose belt of her robe. Her lips were slightly parted, and the expression on her face was no longer shock, but blankness.

Has he reached his limit?

Do not!

This boy has no limits.

What exactly did she mess with?