"Zhang, if you can't even guess me, then stop boasting about being a networking king all day long. I think you might as well be called the King of Braggarts."

"Oh my God, Teacher Zheng? Why is it you?! Aren't you at home watching your precious grandson?"

"Hey! What are you talking about? Can't I sing just because I'm looking after my grandson?"

"Sure, sure. But weren't you a bit too good at disguising yourself?"

Zhang Jingyao felt like dying. Who was this? Zheng Qiuming! The hugely famous Zheng Qiuming! A renowned singer, a Veteran King of Singers! He once had three platinum records, countless awards, and heaps of classic songs. Who would have thought that this powerhouse, now in his fifties, would still participate in such a show, especially when he hadn't lost any of his strength, not showing the slightest sign of decline in his voice? How could anyone have guessed this?

It wasn't just him; the audience members were about to pop their eyes out.

"Damn, damn, damn! Zheng Qiuming, the King of Songs?"

"My goodness, isn't this ceiling-level difficulty? How on earth do we fight this?"

"I thought this was just a difficult level, but after making it to the finals, I realized it was a nightmare level. And now I find it's actually hell mode!"

The six hundred people in the audience instantly went wild. Nobody expected the show's producers to bring out a monster like this.

If you look at it in terms of martial arts, it's like the pillars of the community were competing in a martial arts tournament, and then the organizers invited the Alliance Hierarch with ceiling-level power. How could anyone compete with that? This is just playing around, isn't it?

Once the venue quieted down, the host hurriedly stepped forward to ask,

"Does Teacher Zheng have anything else to say? Would you like to give a speech or something? After all, you have won the title of King of Songs for this season."

Zheng Qiuming pondered for a moment before slowly picking up the microphone and saying,

"Actually, there's not much to say. My winning the title feels a bit undeserved. An old guy like me really shouldn't have come.

"But when the show invited me, it felt quite interesting. I was thrilled, and I thought I'd come to play and see.

"Who knew, once I got here, boy, these folks were all powerhouses! My competitive spirit was ignited on the spot.

"I've been practicing singing day and night, terrified that my condition would slip and the young ones would overtake me.

"Then, battling all the way to the finals, I unexpectedly took the championship. I thought to myself, 'This is bad, I've played too big a hand.'

"I want to apologize to all the young singers here. It's my fault for not acting my age, for being old and still showing off, bullying you youngsters by pulling rank with my age.

"You can curse me in your hearts. Don't take it personally. I was out of line."

After listening to Zheng Qiuming's words, everyone present was caught between laughter and tears. Nobody expected this elder to be so interesting, speaking in such a polished way, and it looked like he had been surfing the internet quite a bit too.

The host didn't dare to pick up on that and hurriedly tried to smooth things over, but Zheng Qiuming sincerely apologized, then said,

"Just take my championship as a bit of fun. It's an undeserved win. Moreover, I didn't come here in vain, as I've discovered several young singers, each more impressive than the last.

"Now, I won't waste any more of your time. I also want to see who those young singers are. I want to meet and befriend them."

"Wow, Teacher Zheng wants to make friends! This is amazing."

Not to mention anything else, as a Veteran King, Zheng Qiuming's resources and connections are definitely top-notch. Add to that his many years of status in the circle—to put it bluntly, most in the Chinese music industry would show him respect. The opportunity to be his friend, as long as it's seized, basically means there's no need to worry about resources afterward. This is like boarding an express train; just faithfully follow Zheng Qiuming, and it's basically like being carried by a big shot.

With Zheng Qiuming stepping down, it was now the runner-up's turn to take the stage.

"Next, let's welcome our runner-up Singer, [Eating More Won't Make You Fat]!"

Xu Qingqiu walked onto the stage in a daze.

She was still in shock. She only knew she was competing against veteran singers, all powerhouses, but she never imagined it would be Zheng Qiuming! How many people's youth did he represent? He was once the top singer during the golden age of music, a stalwart of the Chinese music industry. And now, she had the incredible opportunity to compete on the same stage with him, making it all the way to the end. Even Zheng Qiuming had come, so who on earth were the rest of those people? Were there any other old monsters?

"This guest, I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Seeing Xu Qingqiu take the stage, the host Big Dragon looked as though he was gnashing his teeth, squeezing out the sentence through them.

"Huh? Ah? What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? I just wanted to see who came up with such a name! Do you know how scared I am of biting my tongue every time I have to introduce your name?

"You're here to test my basic skills, huh? Do you know what I've been through these days? I've been muttering your name in my sleep!"

Watching Big Dragon's dramatic performance, as if he was about to cry, Xu Qingqiu couldn't help but suppress a smile, while silently cursing Chu Tian in her heart. If it weren't for the name he picked, would I have to stand here and listen to people's complaints? He's almost tormented them to death!

Actually, a large part of Big Dragon's act was just that—an act. But wasn't it also a heartfelt sentiment? It wasn't just him; everyone in the audience was looking eagerly at the stage, each one guessing who this female singer could be.

"Who do you think she is? Could she also be one of the old monsters?"

"Impossible. You can tell she's young just by looking. Have you ever seen someone in their forties or fifties wearing a little white dress? I'm guessing she's not over thirty-five."

"I guess thirty. Just look at her figure. The skin on her arms is smooth and firm—a clear sign of youth—and she sometimes has the demeanor of a young girl. Definitely not old."

"No way, brother. What have you been looking at? From this far away, you can tell if her skin is smooth? Dude, are those eyes or telescopes you've got?"

"Heh heh, that's called being professional!"

"Professional, my foot..."

No matter what the people in the audience were saying, it was finally time to reveal the identity of the person on stage.

"My dear singer, I'm going to take a shortcut and skip your name. So far, nobody has been able to guess your identity. Is there anything else you would like to say?"

"I have nothing."

"Phew, that's good! Then please go ahead and reveal yourself. I really want to know how many characters are in your real name. I'm looking to save myself some trouble~"

Amidst his joking and playful banter, the atmosphere in the venue was filled with joy, and all eyes were focused on Xu Qingqiu.

"Now, let's invite this singer to reveal herself!"

As the music started, Xu Qingqiu slowly took off the headgear. Big Dragon, ever so perceptive, quickly helped by taking it and placing it aside.

But the moment he put the headgear down and turned back, he was stunned.

"You've got another layer? Isn't this a bit much? You're really wrapped up tight!"

"HAHAHA!"

This scene caught everyone off guard, and the audience was practically in stitches. What an unexpected twist! Everyone had been watching eagerly, and just when they thought they were getting to see, there was another layer underneath!

Xu Qingqiu tugged at the mask on her face and said helplessly,

"I couldn't help it. The headgear was a bit too large, and I was afraid it might fall off, so I added another mask inside."

After saying that, she gently removed the mask.

"..."

Silence. Complete silence!

The entire studio fell utterly quiet in an instant.

It took a good while before someone stared at the stage in surprise, uncertainly asking,

"Is it her?"

"Xu Qingqiu? How is that possible?"

"Holy crap, really? Could there be some trickery involved?"

"My worldview is shattered! Is that Xu Qingqiu? President Xu? She's the runner-up! The runner-up! Competing on the same stage as Zheng Qiuming without being outdone—is that Xu Qingqiu?"

After the utmost silence came a tremendous uproar that swept across the venue like a tidal wave. It wasn't just the audience, but the judging panel, the staff, the host, and everyone in the backstage dressing rooms as well. Except for Chu Tian and Wei Liangxiao, who already knew, every single one of them wore an expression of disbelief.

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