"Does anyone still remember that midsummer year,"

"Beneath the parasol tree, the wish that was made,"

"Seems like everyone is different, but definitely not brooding over money... AH! AH!"

It's uncertain if it resonated with the audience's hearts, but her rendition of "Passing By" left tears streaming down their faces. That final high note, in particular, was like both a question and a defiant cry.

After finishing, Xu Qingqiu quickly moved the microphone away, afraid her breathing might be picked up. This part had been challenging for her. Considering she had never sung such high notes before, she still felt uncertain inside, even though she had practiced several times.

But this was a competition, where everyone was giving it their all. Why would she be here if not to try her hardest? Just to go through the motions?

So, even at the risk of failing, she persisted. Although she almost cracked on the very last note, she fortunately maintained control, stayed steady, and the result was a perfect performance!

"Wow, which big shot is this? Couldn't be some veteran Queen, could it? That aura, those high notes, how can anyone compete with that?"

"That's not right, the costume doesn't seem to match our age group, does it? Why do I feel like it's a young person?"

"My goodness, those high notes scared me to death! What kind of monsters have you brought onto this show? Why am I even here? I feel like such a clown!"

In the backstage green room, Xu Qingqiu's song left everyone inexplicably shocked. Even the veteran Singers with serious skills watched the stage with wide eyes, each wondering which big shot had come to crash the party. But after guessing several names, they still had no clue. No one dared to underestimate this guest who, despite her stage name sounding like a sweet newcomer, possessed monstrous talent.

"The performances from the three Singers are all over now. We've come to the voting segment. What will the final results be? Please pick up the voting device in your hands and start voting now!"

As the host's voice fell, an exciting burst of music filled the studio, lasting for three minutes; this was the time for audience voting. The production team didn't prohibit discussion, as there wasn't much to discuss in such a short time anyway.

"Who are you planning to vote for? I think all three were pretty impressive."

"[Another Bite Won't Make You Fat]! Definitely voting for her! Her high notes were killer!"

"The chubby girl? Which one is that?"

"[Another Bite Won't Make You Fat]! Her name is too long; save your breath."

"Well, you can't just call her 'the chubby girl,' can you? She's a beautiful woman; calling her 'chubby' isn't right."

"Let's focus on voting. Who did you guys vote for?"

"I voted for Iron Armored King! His rock was amazing. You can tell he's old-school, and I just love rock and roll!"

Everyone had their own choice, and each person had different reasons for their choice. Despite personal preferences, which are subjective, the results were largely influenced by Singing Skills and live performance overall.

Without a doubt, all three Singers were powerhouses, each with their own vocal strengths and unique styles. Their stage presence was also flawless; all of them were seasoned veterans, impossible to fault. There were no minor mistakes either; that would have been an injustice to their years of stage experience.

So, the audience was also in a dilemma. Some seemed to suffer from decision paralysis, their troubled expressions showing they didn't know who to vote for.

"Alright, the last thirty seconds are counting down. If you don't vote, it will be treated as a forfeit. Please hurry and make your choice!"

"Ten, nine, eight, seven... three, two, stop voting!"

"The final results are in now! Let's look at the big screen!"

The host moved aside and, along with all the audience members, watched the bar graph scrolling on the big screen with anticipation. The three names were listed side by side. Vote numbers were rapidly increasing, but they were very close, almost evenly matched.

The numbers soon slowed their increase. [Mysterious Wanderer] was the first to stop climbing, finally settling at 172 votes. The other two contestants were still gaining votes, but the pace had slowed considerably.

Under the watchful eyes of the audience, the second to stop gaining votes was [Double Iron Armored King], ending with a total of 198 votes.

Undoubtedly, the result was clear: the ultimate victor was Guest Number Five, [Another Bite Won't Make You Fat]. Even though her vote count was still rising, no one spoke; everyone fixed their gaze on the numbers on the big screen.

It got slower and slower until, towards the end, it barely moved. If the bar hadn't changed color, everyone would have thought it had stopped.

You could hear a pin drop in the studio. Amidst this tension, the last bar chart finally turned from green to red.

The number solidified at 217.

"The first King of Songs has been crowned! Let us congratulate Singer Number Five, [Another Bite Won't Make You Fat], with 217 votes for the ultimate victory!"

"Please join me in welcoming this episode's King of Songs, [Another Bite Won't Make You Fat]! Please, come onto the stage!"

Xu Qingqiu had just returned to the green room when she was bewilderingly called back out. Even when she got on stage, she was still in a daze. After all, she had witnessed the entire competition firsthand.

This was because they used top-tier equipment. Professional music gear isn't like the equipment at KTVs, and certainly not like the singing microphones bought online, which often come with built-in sound cards and mixers. With those, even with just a bit of skill, the singing wouldn't sound bad because reverberation would cover most vocal flaws.

But top-level equipment isn't like that. The better the equipment, the purer it is, recording only the vocals. As a result, the Singer's timbre and technique were fully preserved. This meant the details were rich, providing a pure, lossless, original sound experience.

However, there was a downside: even the smallest flaws became glaringly obvious. Even a breath taken could be heard all too clearly. That's also why professional Singers learn microphone techniques—it's necessary, as breathing too loudly otherwise seriously affects the listening experience.

So, in this live setting, those without real talent wouldn't dare sing with the microphone fully open. Only truly powerful Singers could handle such a demanding environment.

This wasn't to say the contestants were flawless—they weren't. But their flaws were few and far between, minor to the point of being negligible or not affecting the overall perception of their performance. In other words, if one couldn't control those minor flaws, they didn't have the skill to stand on this stage.

So Xu Qingqiu was keenly aware that these were all genuinely top-tier Singers. To have won the title of King of Songs amongst such skilled vocalists honestly surprised even her, but more than surprise, she felt a rush of excitement.

Next was Xu Qingqiu's solo showcase. On stage, the host asked witty and humorous questions, which Xu Qingqiu answered generously. The two bantered back and forth, effectively boosting their public images.

In the backstage green room, Qin Xiao stared daggers at a mask decorated with Jasmine Flowers. She watched the screen in fury, grinding her teeth.

She wasn't a fool. She might have been misled before, but now, with a clear head, she quickly realized that among these Singers, she probably had the weakest Singing Skills.

Qin Xiao didn't understand why the show's producers had specifically invited her, even offering a fee twenty percent higher than the market rate. She had thought her company had settled things with the producers and that she was just there to make an appearance. But the current outcome was completely different from what she had expected.

This was only the first round of the competition, and she had been eliminated after singing just one song. According to the show's rules, a starting Singer who failed three times would be automatically eliminated. This was already her first failure; she had two more chances.

If things really went according to these rules, she knew full well she couldn't compare to any of them. What was the point of competing then? She was doomed to fail anyway. If she faced someone else in a PK next time, anyone present could trounce her. Was there even any suspense? Was the production team using her as a foil? Or perhaps a stepping stone? She, Qin Xiao, was the leading lady of Baise Entertainment, for heaven's sake! When had she ever been treated like this? Did they really think she was a pushover? Not to mention, her album was set to release next month, and the show would air just as its promotion was in full swing. And here she'd be, facing three consecutive failures and being forced to unmask after elimination? Wasn't this just a ridiculous joke?

She hadn't brought her phone to the show, so she could only grit her teeth and endure it alone. As soon as the recording ended and she returned to her hotel, she immediately found her manager and demanded to withdraw from the competition!

"Withdraw? Why?" Her manager looked at her with furrowed brows, a serious expression on his face.

In her manager's view, this 'decorative vase' of a celebrity was having another fit of pique. Even in this situation, she still remembered to act like a diva.

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