Chapter 51: The Provocation

Zhang Ming’s reply provoked an even greater frenzy among the reporters than the production team’s earlier announcement about broadcasting the competition live.

Upon hearing his words, the journalists in the room began to buzz with uncontrolled chatter.

“Quiet!”

“Quiet!”

From the stage, Director Feng Wang struggled to regain control of the press conference. He dreaded to think of the public backlash the next live broadcast would endure if Zhang Ming’s brazen declaration were reported verbatim.

“Actually,” he interjected, grasping the microphone with effort, “Zhang Ming means that he hasn’t been in China for very long. It’s quite normal that he hasn’t had time to pay attention to local music, what with all his competition preparations.” He tried to smooth things over for Zhang Ming.

“He doesn’t even know about ‘Invisible Wings’ and ‘The Original Dream,’ which have been topping Penguin Music’s new song charts recently?” a reporter, eager to stir up trouble, shouted directly from the audience.

“Compared to the new song charts in the Free Nation, how much weight does that particular chart you mentioned really carry?” Zhang Ming retorted with a disdainful smile, having heard the chart’s name.

His words utterly crushed the confidence of many reporters, for he spoke an undeniable truth.

“Didn’t Sister Ying’s songs also make it onto your Free Nation’s bestseller charts in the past?” a reporter, unwilling to accept the facts, began to challenge Zhang Ming’s statement.

“The era of the older generation has passed,” Zhang Ming declared with absolute confidence. “The younger generation in China can’t even get on the Free Nation’s charts.”

Director Feng Wang immediately thought that after the press conference, he would have to treat some familiar reporters to a meal. Zhang Ming’s statement could not be reported verbatim, as it would offend many veterans still active in the music scene.

However, Zhang Ming clearly had his own agenda. He continued, standing with the microphone in hand, “To prove this point, I will keep winning the upcoming competitions. This will demonstrate that there truly aren’t any songs here that can impress me, and it will equally prove that the era of the older generation is truly over!”

Having finished speaking, Zhang Ming cast a provocative glance at the other contestants.

“I wonder if you all can accept this challenge?”

As Zhang Ming stood up, the two other Chinese singers gathered around Xie Ying, forming a united front. Below the stage, reporters frantically activated their flashes, eager to capture this pivotal moment.

Zhang Ming intended to challenge three opponents at once, or rather, to challenge the entire Chinese music industry by himself. Only the female singer from Japan remained seated, looking bewildered at the two standing factions.

The situation on site had spiraled out of control. The reporters in the audience would certainly not miss the opportunity to widely publicize this topic. This was no longer a simple matter of friendly exchange between domestic and international singers.

The issue had escalated into a showdown between singers from different countries, and the losing side would bear immense public pressure from their homeland.

Zhang Ming had blown the issue out of proportion. Director Feng Wang could only think of one thing: he wanted to kick out the sponsor who had brought Zhang Ming in, and send Zhang Ming himself packing back to the Free Nation.

His small show, “The Vocalist,” simply could not withstand the overwhelming public pressure from the internet.

After much effort, Director Feng Wang managed to conclude the press conference according to the planned schedule. He personally saw off all the reporters, handing each a hefty red envelope, asking them to write their reports in a way that minimized the negative impact.

He wasn’t sure how much good it would do. Given Zhang Ming’s arrogant attitude during today’s interview, he would likely continue to provoke the audience during the live broadcast.

The best way to silence him was to defeat him. His only hope now rested on Xie Ying.

“Sister Ying, do you feel confident about the next competition?” he asked, his voice tinged with bitterness.

He had seen her coughing when he picked her up, and now he felt uncertain. The other two second-tier singers, who had hoped to revive their careers through the show, also felt a similar lack of confidence.

“I will win. I will perform my signature song in the next competition,” Xie Ying declared calmly, a seasoned veteran.

Seeing Xie Ying’s confidence, the other two were infected by her resolve. They nodded firmly. “We’ll also bring out our best songs. Let Zhang Ming see the true power of the Chinese music scene!”

“With Sister Ying taking the lead, I feel much more at ease,” Director Feng Wang’s previously anxious heart finally settled. “I’ll go and have a word with the judges for the next episode. That’s the safest approach.”

He dared not actually let Zhang Ming win the upcoming competition. He intended to conspire with the judges to temper Zhang Ming’s arrogance, to make him realize that this was China, not the Free Nation.

‘If you’re a dragon, you’ll coil; if you’re a tiger, you’ll crouch,’ he thought. ‘And you’re just a brash young man.’

Xie Ying called out, stopping Director Feng Wang just as he was about to leave. “No!”

“We must win honorably. Winning by colluding with the judges would diminish the credibility of our music scene. Besides, this is a live broadcast; whether a song is good or bad isn’t up to us or the judges. The audience will naturally give their honest assessment.”

“But…” Director Feng Wang still tried to persuade her.

“There are no ‘buts.’ We will respect our opponent and win honorably. I hold the position of a Heavenly Queen, and I have my pride!”

A sharp glint appeared in Xie Ying’s eyes. Despite her physical disadvantage, her fighting spirit reignited fiercely.

“I understand!”

Looking at the Heavenly Queen, whose fighting spirit had surged, Director Feng Wang realized that any petty tricks would be an insult to her. He abandoned his original idea and turned to walk toward the door.

“In that case, I will build you a perfect stage. Don’t worry about the expenses; I’ll find a way. From now on, defeating Zhang Ming rests on your shoulders!”

With these words, Director Feng Wang strode out the door, head held high. This time, there was no scheming, only a straightforward desire to compete against Zhang Ming with their voices.

Hearing the door close, Xie Ying looked at the other two singers and said, “Let’s practice together until the show begins recording.”

Understanding the hidden meaning in Xie Ying’s words, both singers thanked her profusely. Although Xie Ying said they would practice together, she primarily intended to provide them with as much guidance as possible within the limited time.

Such instruction from a Heavenly Queen was incredibly rare and valuable to others; there was no reason not to study diligently.

After the press conference concluded, various media outlets quickly published their reports. Director Feng Wang’s red envelopes had indeed had some effect.

The media outlets understood that Zhang Ming’s challenge this time was aimed at the entire Chinese entertainment industry. A single misstep could ignite public sentiment, and if they were too extreme, angry viewers would lash out. Thus, they wrote very carefully, choosing their words with extreme caution.

However, Zhang Ming’s actions at the press conference itself were difficult to completely suppress, and some details still leaked onto Weibo.

So, while Lin Ziyao’s related search terms were still trending, many agitated viewers left comments on Lin Ziyao’s and Qin Yu’s Weibo pages.

They also tagged “The Vocalist,” demanding that Lin Ziyao and Qin Yu participate in the show together to teach Zhang Ming a lesson for his arrogant claims that their new songs lacked substance.

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