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

three!

two!

One!

"Please lock the tickets!"

As Dong Xuelan's voice faded, the vote count froze on the big screen:

939 votes!

"We won!" Gu Yang jumped up from the sofa and hugged Ling Luo tightly. "Nine hundred and thirty-nine votes! We've surpassed Jin Zening in total score!"

A faint smile appeared on Ling Luo's lips.

His gaze slowly shifted from the screen back to the gesticulating boy beside him.

"Are you not nervous now?"

Gu Yang's cheeks flushed with excitement, and he shook his head repeatedly.

  

Dong Xuelan announced loudly: "939 votes from the audience! Adding the 380 points from the professional judges, Suo Binbin's final score for this round is—1319 points!"

"Now, please draw your next theme song. Please note that if you come in second place this round, you will enter the losers' bracket, where you will also need to sing the theme song you drew. So, Suo Binbin, are you ready?"

Gu Yang opened his mouth, then realized he'd almost forgotten that there was another Wei Yi behind Suo Binbin.

If Wei Yi's score surpasses Suo Binbin's, then Suo Binbin will have to go to the loser's bracket.

Gu Yang pursed his lips, lowered his head to think for a moment, and asked, "Ling Luo, do you think there's a high chance we can poach Binbin?"

"Use your little brain to think, it's definitely not that big," Ling Luo shook her head. "He signed a ten-year contract, and the penalty for breach of contract is already high. Moreover, if he terminates the contracts for those endorsements that Guanghe Entertainment secured for him, the brands will also hold him accountable. What he has to pay is far more than just that penalty."

"What do you mean by 'my little head'?" Gu Yang pouted, as if he were stupid. He was very smart, okay?

However, upon further reflection, it was indeed not easy. Thinking about it, he sighed, "If only Binbin could sign with our company."

Ling Luo leaned back on the sofa, amused, and said slowly, "It's not entirely without a chance."

Gu Yang: "Hmm??? You have a way?"

"That depends on your brother's negotiation skills," Ling Luo turned to look at Gu Yang. "The Gu family's name might not mean much to you, but it's a huge asset to a company like Guanghe Entertainment. If you can be on good terms with them, they'll never think of offending them."

Gu Yang suddenly realized, slapping his thigh: "Oh! I get it, it's because they're bullying their master!"

Ling Luo's hand, which was resting on the sofa armrest, trembled almost imperceptibly.

What a peculiar description!

"Are you a dog?"

After speaking, Ling Luo looked Gu Yang up and down, considering whether the word "dog" could be realized.

He still owes Gu Yang a championship gift, and Gu Yang just said he wanted to thank him "properly".

Gu Yang felt a chill run down his spine from his gaze, and instantly felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

He quickly picked up his phone and sent a message to his brother, pretending to be very busy.

"Brother, I'd like to get Suo Binbin signed with our company."

Backstage was bustling with activity, while on stage, Suo Binbin had already drawn her theme and was leaving the stage.

As soon as Suo Binbin returned backstage, Gu Yang gave him a big hug, praising him incessantly. Ling Luo wanted to pull him off the stage and immediately implement the "puppy" plan.

Gu Yang's worries did not come true. Wei Yi also chose a rock song, but unfortunately, it didn't have the explosive power of Jin Zening, and he unfortunately came in third place.

The show was so captivating that Gu Yang completely missed his brother's message: "[Ling Luo already told me to bring the song to their door to change the performer, didn't you know?]"

Suo Binbin breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stood up: "Thank you, thank you, Teacher Ling."

"It's alright, have a seat." Ling Luo nodded calmly.

As they were talking, there was a knock on the door of the lounge. Zhang Minghui, who had already put on makeup, poked his head in.

He had already changed into his performance costume, his face painted with an exaggerated red smile that stretched from his mouth to his ears, and two blue teardrops painted at the corners of his eyes.

His worn-out, dusty, colorful suit made him look like a circus performer who had just crawled out of the ruins.

"Holy crap!" Gu Yang exclaimed in surprise, "Your outfit..."

"Holy crap!!!" Suo Binbin's emotions had been fluctuating a lot just now, and now seeing Zhang Minghui's makeup and styling, she almost lost her mind.

"How about it? Crazy enough?" Zhang Minghui grinned, his face paint contorting, making him look particularly eerie.

"That's enough," Gu Yang waved his hands repeatedly, "Just don't come to my dreams tonight."

"Hehe, I was looking for you." After joking, Zhang Minghui turned to Ling Luo, took a deep breath, and his expression became much more serious. "Teacher Ling."

Seeing this, Ling Luo didn't know what to say, only offering a word of encouragement: "Yes, sing well."

Zhang Minghui nodded vigorously.

Ling Luo glanced at the big screen and then at the time. It was already nine o'clock, and the second group had already taken the stage.

Even though there were no acquaintances in the second group, Gu Yang and Zhang Minghui still watched attentively, occasionally turning their heads to say a few words.

An hour later, the first group took the stage.

In the previous round, Gu Yang was the champion of the first group, Liang Chenliang was the champion of the second group, and Zhang Minghui was the champion of the third group.

In this match, the three competed on the same stage. Regardless of whether Gu Yang or Zhang Minghui came in first, one of them had to enter the loser's bracket for a head-to-head match.

Zhang Minghui was the first to take the stage.

"Minghui is going on stage first, so he must be under a lot of pressure." Gu Yang frowned slightly.

Moreover, following Zhang Minghui is Liang Chenliang, an academic vocalist known for his stability.

His singing skills are solid, his stage presence is steady, and he almost never makes a mistake.

Zhang Minghui, on the other hand, drew the same death theme—"The Clown's Crazy Moments."

One wrong move and you could become a real "clown".

"Don't worry about him," Ling Luo said calmly. "Worry about yourself instead."

Gu Yang's theme is "Hope Engraved in a Chaotic World".

Equally grand, equally difficult to manage.

"What do I have to worry about?" Gu Yang snorted, still defiant. "At worst, I'll just go to the loser's bracket. You'll definitely bail me out anyway."

Ling Luo chuckled softly, and taking the opportunity of giving him the thermos cup, she gently touched Gu Yang's hand.

Gu Yang's palms were covered in fine sweat.

"Your hands are so cold?" Ling Luo's fingertips gently caressed the back of his hand, and the warm touch instantly relaxed Gu Yang's tense nerves.

"Can't you speak properly? There are live cameras backstage." Gu Yang's cheeks were burning. She immediately grabbed the recording device clipped to her chest and angrily threw a pillow at him.

"I'm keeping an eye on it."

He didn't have a microphone on him.

When Gu Yang heard Ling Luo speak so matter-of-factly and nonchalantly, he was so angry that he wanted to punch him a couple more times.

This person is getting bolder and bolder.

The live stream chat was already filled with concern for Zhang Minghui.

[Oh no, the scores before them are so high! Although Zhang Minghui isn't competing against them this round, the two players after him are even stronger.]

[How is Minghui supposed to play this? His theme is death-themed!]

[The Joker's crazy moments... How am I supposed to sing this? I can't just go crazy on stage, can I?]

On the judges' panel, Qi Hanze crossed his legs, looking on with amusement: "Teacher Zhuo, what do you think that pervert Luo Mu will do this time?"

Zhuo Tongyu said seriously, "I don't know. But this topic is a double-edged sword. If you play it well, you can become a legend. If you mess it up, it'll be a joke."

Amidst everyone's discussion and speculation, the stage lights suddenly went out.

The entire room fell silent.

A blindingly white spotlight suddenly shone on the center of the stage.

Zhang Minghui stood there, head down, motionless.

His clown makeup, under the stark white light, looked sinister and terrifying.

In the studio, some timid female audience members even let out low gasps of surprise.

Song information appeared on the big screen.