Don't call me a singing god, I just want to go back to doing scientific research.

The song "Rotten Mud" was not written to please the masses.

It is a knife.

Some may appreciate its sharpness, while others may fear its bloodshed.

The host, Dong Xuelan, immediately turned to the next judge, attempting to ease the tension with a more professional perspective.

"Thank you, Professor Ba Meng. Professor Xiao Ruqian, from a production and arrangement perspective, how would you evaluate this piece?"

Xiao Ruqian pushed up his glasses, his expression as calm and objective as ever.

"Conceptually speaking, this was a very successful attempt."

"It uses the roughest timbre and the most unstable rhythm to perfectly construct the core image of 'mud.' This approach of weakening the melody and strengthening the atmosphere and emotion is common in indie rock, but you are the first to dare to bring it to the mainstream competition stage."

He first gave his approval.

"But," he changed the subject, "this song has a very obvious problem."

"It's too short."

"With one minute and forty-five seconds, plus the intro and outro, the effective vocal part is probably only one minute and twenty seconds. Two verses and one chorus of repetition. This structure is more like an unfinished demo, or rather, a fragment of emotional catharsis, rather than a structurally complete song."

  

"It throws out the emotion, but doesn't give that emotion any room to develop or extend. So the audience feels blocked, like the ending is too abrupt. If another section could be added, whether it's an instrumental solo or an emotional transition, it would make the work more complete."

Xiao Ruqian's comments were incisive and hit the nail on the head.

After he finished speaking, he also gave his score.

Xiao Ruqian: 88 points.

It received the same score as Tomoe, but for completely different reasons. One was based on emotional experience, while the other was based on technological structure.

[Teacher Xiao is so professional! Turns out, he just thought the song was too short!]

Indeed, it felt like we were just about to take off when we crashed; my emotions were stuck in the middle.

[Was Teacher Luo's doing this on purpose? Isn't this how life's disappointments abruptly end, giving you no chance to catch your breath?]

[Hey! You fucking know how to do reading comprehension!]

Finally, everyone's attention was focused on Zhuo Tongyu.

As a top producer in the Chinese music scene, his evaluation carries the most weight.

Zhuo Tongyu's expression was very serious. He remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking.

"I agree with Professor Xiao's opinion; the structure of this song is too simple."

"Its arrangement is almost entirely based on the band's most basic three-piece setup: guitar, bass, and drums. There are no harmonies, no complex sound effects, and even the guitar riffs are very simple. This means that the entire song's progression relies almost entirely on the lead singer's voice and emotional outbursts."

"The requirements for this singer are extremely high."

Zhuo Tongyu's gaze fell on Zhang Minghui.

"And Zhang Minghui, you did a great job. Your voice has that hoarseness and graininess from being crushed by life, and your screams have that resentment and anger. It was you who made this simply arranged song stand out."

"However, as a producer, I must point out that this approach is risky. If the singer's emotions are even slightly off, the entire performance will instantly fall apart and become a disaster."

"So, the score I'm giving you is for your performance, and also for that 'daring'."

Zhuo Tongyu gave his score.

Zhuo Tongyu: 90 points.

A fair score, but with room for leeway.

Finally, the scores from all four judges were released.

The judges' total score was 359 points.

A score that's neither top-tier nor low.

On stage, Zhang Minghui looked at the score and breathed a sigh of relief.

When he sang this song, Ling Luo had prepared him mentally beforehand.

With this score, I'm about the same as the two contestants before me. From now on, the ranking will be determined by the audience's scores.

After thinking it over, he bowed deeply to the judges.

Ling Luo leaned back on the sofa, looking at the large screen in front of her.

The judges' score of 359 is indeed a bit low compared to the previous rounds of competitions where his songs were sung.

However, the result was even better than he had expected.

It's not over yet. Whether they can turn the tide depends on the audience's ratings.

Just as I was thinking this, my phone vibrated.

Yang Bao: [Ling Luo, the judges' scores are very close, it's a bit risky.]

Ling Luo imagined Gu Yang sitting in a corner of the audience, pouting, sending him a message with a worried look on his face.

Ling Luo chuckled softly.

Ling Luo: [It's okay, there's still a chance.]

Yang Bao: [I'm nervous, [afraid]]

Ling Luo: [You weren't nervous when you called me "husband," but now you're nervous for someone else? [Jealous]]

Yang Bao: [...We're at work, speak properly.]

Ling Luo: [I'm not feeling any better, Yang Bao. Please come back soon, I miss you.]

Gu Yang glanced at it, blushed, and immediately put his phone back in his pocket.

This person just flirted with him, but then didn't take responsibility for it.

hum.

After chatting for a bit, Gu Yang was no longer nervous.

On stage, the host, Dong Xuelan, had already adjusted her demeanor, her professional smile returning to her face, and began to guide the next segment.

"Thank you so much to the four teachers for their professional comments! It seems that 'Rotten Mud' is indeed a highly controversial piece!"

"So, what do the audience members think of this song?"

"Next, we will move on to the audience voting segment! Please pick up your voting devices and cast your valuable vote for Zhang Minghui's performance!"

As she finished speaking, a slight commotion arose in the studio.

The audience, who had been speechless from the shock of the song, seemed to have finally found an outlet and began to discuss it quietly with those around them.

"This song... I really can't stand it, it's too depressing, it makes me feel uncomfortable all over."

"But don't you think... he's singing about me? Being manipulated by my boss every day, feeling suffocated by life, wanting to curse but not daring to, aren't I just a lump of mud?"

"I still prefer songs like 'The Nameless' that give me strength. This song only makes me want to quit my job and lie down."

"Hey upstairs, isn't it possible that some people don't even have the right to lie down?"

Arguments, doubts, and strong support...

All the emotions converged into a massive torrent of data at this moment.

On the big screen, a huge countdown began to tick.

"Voting countdown: ten, nine, eight..."

On stage, Zhang Minghui clenched his fists tightly, his back soaked with sweat.

"Three, two, one! Voting is over!"

Time resets to zero.

The scene fell silent instantly.

All eyes were focused on the big screen.

Dong Xuelan held the card, glanced at the numbers on it, and a flash of surprise crossed her face, which then turned into an indescribable excitement.

She took a deep breath, her voice trembling slightly.

"Okay, now I have the voting results from our one thousand audience members!"

"Before announcing the vote count, I want to say that the charm of music may lie in its uncertainty. It can evoke resonance, and it can also generate controversy."

"And today, Zhang Minghui and his 'Rotten Mud' have undoubtedly achieved the ultimate!"

"So, how much support did he actually get from the audience? Look at the big screen!"

The words fell.

A number exploded on the screen like a bomb!