The program finished airing past ten o'clock. This was also the time when the internet had the most active netizens. Even the health-conscious crowd hadn't gone to sleep yet, let alone the night owls.

As "King of Mask Singer" hit the trending searches, it quickly came to the attention of even more netizens. Snippets of the show kept being released, causing discussion about the program to spike even more rapidly.

This was especially true for the two most standout figures in the early stages: host Big Dragon and the leader of the guessing panel, Zhang Jingyao. Once referred to as amateur crosstalk actors, they were another highlight of the show. Their comical interactions had many netizens talking, and their memes became the hottest topic of the night.

Even the man himself couldn't help but jump into the fray.

[I never expected a singing show to have you guys constantly watching me. To be honest, I really didn't know [cry][cry][cry], I really didn't know.jpg]

The fact that the man himself got involved wasn't the main point; what was most interesting was how he played along with his own memes. Zhang Jingyao had participated in countless variety shows over the years, so his Variety Sense was ready to go at a moment's notice. He not only emphasized that he really didn't know, but he also posted some pitiful emojis. He even edited the most used screenshot among the netizens, placing stickers of streaming tears on top, and next to it, in large text: 'I really didn't know.'

This move completely cracked up the netizens, and they flocked to leave comments below.

What Zhang Jingyao didn't expect was for such a stunt to skyrocket his fan count. As a washed-up singer, he had fallen to the point where he had to earn money by joining variety shows. His fan count hadn't even broken ten million. If it weren't for his smooth talking, his respected position in the industry, his approachable nature, and his good relations everywhere, he probably would have been unable to get by.

Yet, he unexpectedly blew up from a singing variety show and even started gaining new fans. Who in the world could he even talk to about this?

Could it be that he was about to enjoy a second spring?

Thinking about this, he, who had just finished showering and was preparing to sleep, found he couldn't fall asleep now. He started interacting with his phone, grinning from ear to ear. His wife saw this and called out to him twice without a response. She almost hit him, but he still couldn't stop.

How could he stop? If this caught fire, his value might increase, not to mention he'd have access to more resources. There was no way he could stop.

Once he explained the situation, even his wife couldn't contain herself, itching to help him reply to the netizens.

Apart from Zhang Jingyao, the other guests also noticed the buzz that night, but it had nothing to do with them. They could only watch enviously from the sidelines, wishing they could enjoy the spotlight for themselves.

But some took a different approach.

Aside from Zhang Jingyao, another key figure was Xu Qingqiu. She first made a clarifying statement, then smoothly plugged her new song. This tactic was just as engaging for the netizens, garnering exposure no less significant than Zhang Jingyao's, and many saw it as an opportunity.

It wasn't long before someone took action. A netizen posted on their Weibo a screenshot from "King of Mask Singer," featuring one of the singers, "Singing Dad." The screenshot was marked with several key points, circled, with a lengthy analysis in the text suggesting that this singer looked a lot like a singer named Xie Tianlong.

After seeing this, many felt there might be some truth to it, and discussions quickly escalated.

Coincidentally, this singer named Xie Tianlong, whose popularity he felt had been declining sharply, was currently green with envy over that rascal Zhang Jingyao's stroke of luck. He never expected his own fortunes to turn so quickly.

But he also knew he definitely hadn't participated. Admitting he had would not only backfire spectacularly but also damage his reputation. However, he had other plans. The netizen had tagged him seeking confirmation.

After some thought, Xie Tianlong composed and sent out this Weibo post:

[Thank you for your concerns, everyone. I would like to state that I'm not "Singing Dad." However, I can offer a little hint: sometimes, when guessing, don't just look at the surface. You have to learn to see through the disguise.]

Notably, at the end of the post, he purposefully shared an image of the show's battle lineup. On this image, whether by accident or design, a line was drawn under a certain name.

This instantly sparked a huge controversy—not one where people were berating him, but rather one where they speculated whether his ambiguous statement meant he had really participated. And his Weibo comments section quickly flooded with netizens seeking clarification, with his fan count also climbing incrementally.

Xie Tianlong couldn't help but laugh at the spectacle. While appearing to firmly deny it in the comments section, he kept making ambiguous and highly misleading statements. This only led the netizens to misunderstand further.

But if he ended up exposed, he would be fine because he had denied everything all along and only offered a bit of advice based on his experience, nothing more. Even though some clever netizens realized they'd been played, they had no evidence.

But most netizens followed blindly, not sensing his subtle maneuvering. They might even discover a singer whose songs they'd heard and liked before but hadn't paid attention to. Now that they had encountered him, they casually hit follow, thinking they might see more works they liked in the future.

And just like that, someone who hadn't even participated in the show brazenly reaped a wave of benefits.

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