Chapter One Hundred and Four: The Mysterious Guest

A heavyset young man of more than two hundred pounds swayed his long, wide sleeves as the music rose, a pipa threading through the accompaniment.

Two backup dancers came onto the stage, helping him out of the performance robe and handing him the microphone.

He went on singing in a fitted dress.

"One night in Summer Capital!"

The online livestream exploded.

"A two-hundred-pound guy in a dress? That's even scarier than a little girl's voice!"

"Why does this guy move so gracefully? Did he train for that?"

"Hey, are you a student of traditional opera? That vocal style is incredible!"

"Dresses are unbeatable; a two-hundred-pound guy is unbeatable!"

At the judges' panel, Wang Feng exclaimed, "My heavens! That's like a pig eating a ginseng fruit, a first for me!"

As the music stopped and the performance ended, host Yang Yang stepped onto the stage.

Jiang Yun held the microphone. "Please introduce yourself."

"Hello, everyone. Hello to the four judges. My name is Chen Zhen. I'm twenty-eight this year, and I'm a programmer!" Chen Zhen said.

"Chen Zhen, do you know what? You really shocked me," Wang Feng said. "Your build and your voice are utterly mismatched. Who would have thought that a man weighing over two hundred pounds could produce such a delicate voice?"

Wang Feng lowered the microphone.

Chen Zhen bowed. "Thank you, Judge Wang Feng!"

Tian Zhen picked up the microphone. "Chen Zhen, why did you think of singing 'A Night in Summer Capital' while wearing a dress?"

"Because dresses, long robes, and stage costumes all carry the flavor of old Summer Capital, and I felt they matched 'A Night in Summer Capital' very well."

"But you're a man. A huge man of over two hundred pounds, at that. How did you come up with this?" Tian Zhen asked.

Chen Zhen looked a little embarrassed.

Wang Feng teased, "Tian Zhen, that's a real soul-searching question!"

"Actually, it was just a sudden idea of mine!" Chen Zhen said, gripping the microphone, sounding somewhat nervous.

Zhou Lun picked up the microphone. "All right, let's say you pass. I still have one last question."

"Please go ahead, Judge Zhou Lun!"

"Why did you come to The Voice?"

"I wanted to show myself. All this time, because of my body, I haven't been very confident. But my voice is special, so I came!" Chen Zhen said.

"Good! You pass!" Zhou Lun looked toward Jiang Yun. "Jiang Yun, anything else you want to ask?"

Jiang Yun shook his head. "No."

Host Yang Yang said, "All right, now please have Chen Zhen choose a team!"

Tian Zhen picked up the microphone. "Chen Zhen, come to my team. I'll take you to concerts. Between now and next summer, I still have five concerts left!"

Zhou Lun snatched up the microphone. "Chen Zhen, don't listen to her. I can take you to concerts too!"

Yang Yang said, "Please state your condition, Judge Wang Feng."

"I don't have much to say. Since those two are taking you to concerts, I'll let you sign with my studio."

"Judge Jiang Yun, please state your condition!"

"I'll write songs tailor-made for you!"

"Wow, that's quite tempting!" Zhou Lun teased. "Jiang Yun, has writing custom songs become as common as cabbage now?"

"Exactly!" Tian Zhen agreed. "Whoever comes along, you write them a custom song; everyone gets a custom song from you. Aren't you afraid you'll run out of ideas one day?"

Jiang Yun smiled. On reflection, that was true; if he made that kind of offer for everyone, even a system behind him couldn't support such extravagance forever.

Soon enough, it would really be as common as cabbage.

"Then I'll change my condition," Jiang Yun said. "Sign with my company, and I'll help you debut."

Chen Zhen felt awkward. Signing with Jiang Yun's company would be worse than signing with Wang Feng's studio.

Jiang Yun's company was obviously nothing but a shell.

Yang Yang said, "All right, Chen Zhen, please choose your team."

"I choose..."

"I choose Judge Wang Feng's team!"

"Woo-hoo!" Wang Feng leaped up in excitement!

Jiang Yun froze, somewhat taken aback.

"Haha, Jiang Yun, now that's awkward, isn't it? Singing your song and choosing someone else's team!" Zhou Lun mocked shamelessly.

Seeing Zhou Lun's arrogant expression, Jiang Yun rolled his eyes.

Yang Yang announced excitedly, "Congratulations to our Judge Wang Feng, who has gained another contestant. He now has five contestants, drawing level with Judge Jiang Yun!"

The audience burst into applause.

The livestream chat began filling with comments as well.

"Wang Feng is catching up from behind!"

"Who says otherwise?"

"Jiang Yun is not doing well this episode!"

"Jiang Yun's cabbage-level offer is no longer enough to attract contestants!"

"Think about it: Jiang Yun gives that kind of offer to everyone, so people are already immune to it."

At the recording studio, the four judges' chairs rotated back around, leaving Jiang Yun and the others facing away from the stage.

Mao Yi sat in the waiting room, watching the broadcast on a flat-screen TV. A staff member entered.

"Teacher Mao, you understand the rules, right?"

Mao Yi nodded.

"Then please go on stage!"

At the judges' panel, Jiang Yun and the others had their backs to the stage.

Yang Yang stood at center stage. "Please welcome the next contestant!"

Spotlights flashed, and Mao Yi's figure appeared beneath them as he walked to the center of the stage.

The audience stirred.

Just as they were about to shout Mao Yi's name, Mao Yi raised his index finger and made a shushing gesture.

The crowd fell silent at once, one by one cutting off their voices and obediently following his lead.

At the judges' panel, Jiang Yun frowned. "What's going on? Why is the audience acting so strangely?"

With his clear-logic skill, Jiang Yun immediately sensed something different.

Zhou Lun looked baffled. "Is it? Why don't I feel anything?"

"I feel it too!" Tian Zhen said. "The atmosphere really is a little strange!"

Wang Feng nodded. "It is a bit strange."

On stage, Mao Yi and Yang Yang stood at center.

Yang Yang held the microphone. "Please begin your performance."

Yang Yang stepped off the stage.

The music started.

"Oh oh oh..."

"Whoa! Jiang Yun's 'Become Rich' again—another cover of Jiang Yun's song!"

"Oh oh oh..."

"If one day I become very rich, my first choice wouldn't be to travel the world."

As soon as Mao Yi began to sing, all four judges frowned. He was disastrously off-key, somehow both on and off the pitch at once, and with that rooster-like voice, he was even cracking his notes.

Jiang Yun and the others all frowned.

"Cluck-cluck-cluck!"

The audience laughed with gleeful cackles, partly at Jiang Yun and the others, partly at Mao Yi deliberately singing off-key. The way Mao Yi intentionally dragged everything out of tune was simply hilarious.

Mao Yi kept straining his throat, deliberately singing off-key: "If one day I become very rich, then I can keep everyone by my side..."

Tian Zhen folded her arms. "What kind of singing is that? Didn't he pass the audition?"

Jiang Yun, Zhou Lun, and Wang Feng all frowned.

"Cluck-cluck-cluck!"

Hearing Tian Zhen's comment, the audience burst into those same ridiculous cackles.

Seeing the audience's reaction, Zhou Lun said, "Why do I feel like the atmosphere is a little eerie?"

"Didn't you just say you couldn't feel anything?" Tian Zhen shot back.

"I feel it now. Even an idiot can tell something's off!"

On stage, Mao Yi held the microphone, and the rhythm suddenly grew intense.

Mao Yi returned to his original voice and sang, "Become rich, I become rich."

The audience erupted into applause.

The camera pushed toward the judges' panel.

Tian Zhen stared at the camera. "Mao Yi! It's Mao Yi, isn't it?"

"Tap!"

Jiang Yun was the first to press his button.

"Tap, tap, tap!"

Tian Zhen and the others pressed theirs too.

"Mao Yi! It's really Mao Yi!"

Mao Yi waved toward Jiang Yun and continued singing in his natural voice.

"If one day I become very rich,

I will buy every rare smiling face,

and let all the poor children be afraid no more..."