The song "The Actor" at the beginning stunned me with its portrayal of the aloof school be

Everyone present thought that Chen Ming was a pawn sent by Shengda.

Even Wang Haoran commented in the live chat that Shengda was up to its old tricks again.

After all, the previous two times, the people sent by Shengda were either mocking Jiang Che for bluffing people at school or throwing money at him to buy songs in an attempt to crush him.

None of them had good intentions.

So when Chen Ming took the stage, everyone assumed that this was another dirty job by Shengda.

The live stream viewers have already started speaking out in support of Jiang Che.

"Shengda is at it again, is this never going to end?"

"This company really holds grudges."

But when Chen Ming stepped onto the stage, his first words disrupted everyone's expectations.

He didn't look at his mentor, nor at the camera; he stared straight at Jiang Che in the audience.

"Everyone says you're the strongest contestant on the show."

He paused, his tone carrying an uncontrollable force.

I don't believe it.

I think I'm better than you.

These words caused an uproar in the room.

None of the contestants in the audience expected Chen Ming to be so direct.

In front of a national audience, he named and challenged the strongest person on the show.

This arrogance either stems from genuine confidence or from a complete lack of self-awareness.

But judging from his eyes, he clearly came prepared.

The host was stunned for a moment before he realized what was going on and tried to smooth things over.

"This player seems very confident."

The live stream chat exploded instantly.

"Wow, so aggressive right from the start?"

"The people from Shengda are really bold."

"I'd like to see what makes him think he's better than Jiang Shen."

"Is this because they think they haven't lost badly enough?"

However, some people find his defiance rather interesting.

"At least they dare to confront us head-on, which is better than those who resort to underhanded tactics."

……

Jiang Che understood it at a glance.

Chen Ming's fighting spirit had nothing to do with Shengda's underhanded tactics.

This is a tough nut to crack, buried by the market for several years, making a name for himself in the underground rap scene but never quite becoming a star.

He was famous and talented in the underground world, but he had never been able to step into the limelight.

He was holding his breath, wanting to win head-on against the person who had been elevated to a pedestal on this nationally televised stage.

The will to fight is real.

It's true that they disagree.

No one instructed him; he volunteered to pick Jiang Che.

He wants to win, and he wants to win fair and square.

Jiang Che has never bothered to even glance at the people from Shengda.

He never gave a second glance to the person who mocked him or the person who bought the song.

But when faced with an opponent like Chen Ming, who was purely motivated by music and the desire to win, he sat up straight for the first time.

He abandoned his usual disdain and became serious.

"OK."

He nodded and readily agreed.

He always showed great respect to those who truly loved music.

He's willing to play seriously in this match.

……

This scene was witnessed by Lin Xi'er.

A slight stirring ran through her heart.

Jiang Che never gave Shengda and his group a kind look from beginning to end.

Whether it's threats or buying his songs, he just doesn't care.

But this time, he sat up straight against an opponent who also shared the surname Shengda.

She understood instantly.

Jiang Che has always looked down on capital and scheming.

He respects those who truly take music seriously.

This realization made her impression of Jiang Che even clearer.

The clarity and insight that this person possesses is more captivating than his talent.

……

According to the rules, Chen Ming sang first.

He took the microphone, and an original rap song immediately went viral.

The flow is dense and sharp, the rhymes are perfectly timed, and the pronunciation is as crisp as a knife.

His words were full of aggression and hostility, instantly raising the temperature of the entire stage.

He moved back and forth on the stage, his body full of tension, and every heavy note made people's eardrums go numb.

That's the hard-earned skill honed over many years in the underground rap scene—superb technique and a powerful stage presence.

His sharp edge stirred up a stir in the audience, with many nodding and swaying in agreement.

The live stream chat was flooded with comments.

"This challenger is something else."

"You have to be a professional to rap, this flow is amazing."

"Is Jiang Shen in trouble this time? Has he ever rapped?"

"I haven't seen him rap in the previous episodes, this is troublesome."

These comments struck a chord with everyone in the know.

……

This is precisely Jiang Che's weakness.

Over the course of five episodes, he sang songs in pop, traditional Chinese style, rock, and folk genres.

He has never touched rap music.

A hard-hitting rap battle emphasizes flow, technique, and on-the-spot attack power.

This is a completely different skill from expressing emotions.

No matter how strong Jiang Che's lyrical skills are, he may not necessarily gain an advantage in this arena.

The atmosphere on the mentors' panel was somewhat subtle.

Shen Yan spoke in a low voice.

"Chen Ming's song is truly skillful."

He's been a producer his whole life, and he has a very discerning ear.

The rap's polish and aggressiveness are undeniable; there's no exaggeration whatsoever.

"Anyone who makes a name for themselves in the underground scene is a genuine talent."

Qin Lie didn't speak, but just stared at the stage with his brows slightly furrowed.

He was also considering whether the young man in that corner could handle the situation this time.

This is the first time Jiang Che has stepped into the rap music scene.

For the first time, dissenting voices reasonably outweighed the praise.

Everyone was waiting to see how the singing legend in that corner would handle this head-on punch.

……

Chen Ming's song expresses his dissatisfaction over the years.

Sing about the relentless honing of the underground scene, about the opportunities that slipped through our fingers time and time again, about the breath that was buried in obscurity.

Every word was brimming with passion, striking accurately and powerfully.

This is something he's saved up for years, and today he's dumped it all on this stage.

Those in the know can tell that this song is top-notch in any rap show.

He ignited the atmosphere, and applause erupted one after another.

……

Jiang Che sat in the audience and listened quietly to the entire presentation.

He showed no contempt whatsoever.

He had seen far too many people like this in his past life—people who crawled out of the mud and poured all their resentment into their songs.

He himself was once one of them.

In the first few years after his debut, he was relegated to the least prominent position and ridiculed for having no talent, no background, and that he wouldn't go far.

He knew better than anyone what it felt like to be looked down upon by the whole world.

Therefore, he understands Chen Ming.

Because he understands this, he is even less likely to go easy on anyone.

Going easy on such an opponent is truly disrespectful.

……

The discussion continued on the mentors' panel.

Shen Yan stared at the stage and slowly began to speak.

"Rap is the only area that Jiang Che has never touched."

"Chen Ming picked this point very accurately."

"He's targeting Jiang Che's weaknesses; that's a ruthless move."

Cheng Xue also frowned.

"Jiang Che won too easily in the first five rounds."

"This was his first truly tough battle."

Qin Lie held his teacup, not moving it for a long time.

More than anyone else, he wanted to know whether that young man had any confidence.

……

Lin Xier, sitting in the guest seats, listened with exceptional attention.

She could clearly see Chen Ming's skill level.

Technically, this rap is almost flawless.

If another player were to take over, they would most likely fail.

But his opponent is Jiang Che.

The mix of worry and anticipation in her heart was an indescribable feeling.

She desperately wanted to know what this person, who had repeatedly challenged her understanding of things, would bring out this time.

The live stream room was also stirred up by Chen Ming's performance.

"To be honest, this song is really great."

"Can Jiang Shen handle it? I'm a little panicked."

……

As the song ended, Chen Ming gripped the microphone and looked at Jiang Che provocatively.

"It's your turn."

His eyes were filled with fighting spirit, and also with defiance.

He revealed his most ruthless side, waiting for Jiang Che to respond.

All eyes in the room turned to Jiang Che.

Everyone assumed that Jiang Che would respond head-on with an equally explosive and hardcore rap song.

Bomb for bomb, ruth for ruth.

This is the standard way to fight in this kind of battle.

Jiang Che got up and slowly walked to the center of the stage.

He spoke into the microphone and announced the song title.

The audience was taken aback at first.

This name.

Why... so gentle?