In the midst of all the flurry, two days passed in the blink of an eye.

On Sunday, National Day, the whole country was resplendent in red, and the people were jubilant.

It was the first day of the holiday. Tourist attractions nationwide were crowded, but most people chose to stay home.

The online disputes continued unabated, but tonight, a different scene was in store.

At eight o'clock in the evening, Lemon TV aired a special variety show for the first time.

The audience, driven by strong curiosity, tuned in immediately, many of them eager to try their hand at the singer-guessing segment.

"Here it comes, here it comes! Is this that singing show where they don't show their faces?"

"It must be. Didn't you just finish watching the promo? Is there any info online about which singers are participating?"

"I don't know. Some netizen mentioned that the show was recorded over a month ago, but not a single hint has leaked out. Isn't their confidentiality work a bit too good?"

"I saw someone online saying Xu Qingqiu was participating, but who knows if it's true."

"Really? Didn't she just release an album? If it's her, does that mean all the singers are young?"

"Who knows? Let's just watch for now." As the young couple, home for the holiday, discussed this while watching TV, the program on screen began.

"Welcome, everyone, to 'King of Mask Singer,' sponsored by Guangyuan Milk! I'm your host, Big Dragon!"

"..."

"Next, let me introduce the rules of the program. Our aim is to let everyone listen to the most genuine singing voices..."

"Now, let me give you an overview of the scene here. First off, our 600 professional audience members have been selected from across the country. Welcome, everyone!"

"Over here are our guessing panelists, comprising veterans from across Greater China and overseas Chinese communities, all of whom are renowned in the industry."

"First and foremost is our all-knowing industry insider, known as the King of Connections in the Chinese music industry, the famous singer Zhang Jingyao! He is also the leader of our guessing panel. Everyone, please welcome him!"

"Second is the godfather from Bay Island, the renowned lyricist, Li Ming!"

"Third..."

The host's introductions immediately caused a huge uproar among the audience.

"Damn, Zhang Jingyao is there too? With him around, who could manage to hide? Last time, during a backstage singing interaction, he recognized someone from just one vocal note. He's like a bug in the system! How are we supposed to play this game?"

"Li Ming! He's written so many songs for singers. Is there anyone with even a slight reputation who doesn't know him?"

"The production team is really playing big here, but they'd better be careful not to mess this up."

"No way! Haven't you guys checked the internet? Nobody has guessed correctly!"

"Not even one? That's too fake, right? Someone must have guessed at least one by now. Either the production team has hired some unknown singers, or there's some trickery going on to create hype."

"Who knows? Let's just watch."

After the host finished the introductions, it was finally the singers' turn to come on stage, a moment everyone had been eagerly anticipating.

While most of the audience was merely curious, many were eager to see just what kind of singers could possibly remain unguessed.

In the blink of an eye, the commercials ended.

"PHEW! That was a long run of ads, but our sponsors can always do more. Everyone, take note! Alright, enough chit-chat, let's get to the main event!"

"Hello everyone, this is the first episode of the first season of 'King of Mask Singer'!"

"Now, let me introduce the rules of the program..."

"This season's starting lineup consists of six singers. Let me introduce the first one. She is the lonely onlooker who sings her dreams with her voice, 'Highland Antelope'!"

The host started reciting the names of the initial singers from the cue card, but this name didn't give away any clues.

"Highland Antelope? What kind of name is that? Why call her 'Highland Antelope'? Could she be from the mountains? Which mountain regions have antelopes?"

"Not necessarily. Maybe it's describing her personality? Or perhaps it relates to the antelope's quality of climbing steep cliffs?"

"No, no, this name must have some clue, right? Could it have been randomly chosen?"

"Who knows? The show didn't explain the origin of the names..."

As the introduction of the first singer concluded, viewers in front of their TVs started debating, but the show continued with the host announcing the second singer.

"The second one, a musical traveler shaping a journey of dreams with purity, 'Jasmine Flower'!"

"Jasmine Flower? Who is 'Jasmine Flower'?"

"The audience reaction seems big. Could someone have already guessed it? No way, how could they?"

"'Jasmine Flower'? 'Jasmine Flower'! Do you remember Xu Qingqiu's album has a song called 'Flower In The Wonderland'?"

"Yes, what about it? No wait, are you suggesting a pun?"

"Exactly! See how the introduction says 'shaping a journey of dreams with purity'? Isn't that her album title, 'Dreams to Start Again'? Right?"

"Now that you mention it, it seems likely. But then again, if it were that obvious, wouldn't it have been guessed right away?"

Before they could finish their debate, the third singer was introduced.

"The third singer, she's an optimist frolicking in the ocean of music, an adorable music lover. She is 'One More Bite But Never Getting Fat'!"

"What in the world? Can a name even be that long?"

"PFFT! Who is this singer? Isn't this hilarious?"

"Who knows? Maybe she treated this like picking a screen name? I've realized this show has absolutely no pattern in choosing names; it's purely based on mood. All sorts of bizarre names are popping up."

"HA HA HA! She must be a funny female singer. This is so amusing. Could she be on a diet?"

"You know, the show hasn't even started yet, but just hearing their names feels quite entertaining."

It must be said, the name was unexpected, but it worked well; it certainly made everyone remember her. Many found it quite amusing for now, though the fun was soon to diminish.

"Alright, the groups are all set. Now let's welcome the first singer of the first group, 'Double Iron Armored King'! A big round of applause, please!"

The audience, somewhat distracted, clapped mechanically, their eyes glued to the stage.

The same was true for the viewers in front of their TVs. As if hearing everyone's anticipation, the camera switched to the stage, where a figure slowly emerged from the backstage darkness.

"Damn! How can anyone guess this? They're wrapped up so tightly! Might as well put a sack over them next time!"

"PFFT! HA HA HA! This mask is huge, right? Who came up with this? It's too cruel."

"Cruel or not, I don't know, but it's quite wicked. I thought it would be like a masquerade, just wearing a mask for show. Good grief, they'd cover even the neck if they could! How can you guess anything?"

"It's not impossible to guess, though. Look, the lower part isn't covered. A leather trench coat—that style of dressing is quite unique, isn't it?"

"Think about it: male, looks to be middle-aged from the style, right? And considering the name, this 'Iron Armored King' must be some character, right? There, you've got your clues."

"You're right. Looking at it that way, it seems quite easy to guess. He's going to talk and sing later. At his age, he must be someone notable; maybe someone will recognize him."

The two were optimistic, but the program did not progress as they imagined.

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