Chapter 169: It Looked Like a Failed Dojo Challenge [Third Update]

As the song "Just Love You" came to a close, it marked the conclusion of the first round of competition for this episode.

The five hundred audience members present began casting their votes for Yu Zhile's performance, while the seven singers in the green room were a bundle of nerves.

Strictly speaking, Yu Zhile was a has-been. But a has-been king of singers was still a king of singers! And a popular singer was, after all, just a singer!

Therefore, none of them dared to underestimate Yu Zhile in the slightest. None of them thought that after disappearing for over a year, Yu Zhile had lost his edge, nor did they believe his challenge as a heavyweight newcomer posed no threat to them.

On the contrary, in the eyes of the other singers, the threat Yu Zhile posed to them was simply massive!

This song "Just Love You" was practically Yu Zhile's way of announcing to everyone that the king had returned! The king of singers had returned! Yu Zhile had returned!

Consequently, when the voting results for the first round were announced, the singer in last place looked ready to cry, while those in second and third-to-last place were beside themselves with anxiety!

On the scoreboard, Yu Zhile had provisionally taken first place with an overwhelming 476 votes!

There was hardly any need to proceed with the second round; it was already safe to declare Yu Zhile's challenge a complete success!

When Yu Zhile returned to the green room, the other seven singers could do little more than smile bitterly.

Yet, losing to such a monster of a talent, they were still thoroughly convinced and willing to concede defeat!

Immediately following this, the second round of competition commenced.

According to the rules of the competition, Yu Zhile was once again the final singer to take the stage.

Thus, after waiting another hour in the green room, it was finally his turn to perform again.

Watching his retreating figure as he left the Singers' Lounge, the remaining singers sighed one after another.

"Ah, I'm probably the one getting eliminated this time! I was way too nervous in the second round and didn't sing well."

"Oh, come on! Your vote count in the first round was so high, there's no way you're getting eliminated!"

"Stop arguing, it's definitely me who's going home! Second to last in the first round, and I messed up my song choice this time—I'm practically destined for last place!"

...

Before the show recording began, each and every one of them had been spirited and full of confidence!

Now, they were all sighing and groaning, each claiming to be the one facing elimination. It was almost pitiful just looking at them!

On stage.

As Yu Zhile walked out, the stage screens once again displayed the information for the song he was about to perform.

"Father and Mother"
Lyrics: Yu Zhile
Composition: Yu Zhile
Performed by: Yu Zhile

...

The judges and the audience were filled with anticipation once again!

After a hiatus of a year, Yu Zhile had truly prepared a good number of original songs for his comeback!

Back in the green room, the singers no longer knew what to say.

The moment this unfamiliar song appeared on the screen, they already knew that for this episode, Yu Zhile was here to completely outshine and crush them all.

On stage.

The accompaniment began. Yu Zhile held the microphone, lowered his head slightly, silently counted the beats in his mind, and then brought the mic to his lips to sing:

"I used to wonder so much
How many times the same words had to be said
Those clichés repeated over and over again
Only after growing up did I know if they were truly needed..."

This song, "Father and Mother," was sung by Yu Zhile to his own parents, and at the same time, it was sung for his daughter and son.

Because he, too, had become a parent!

And precisely because he was a parent now, he could truly understand the nagging of his parents in the past, as well as those cliché expressions of concern that he used to find so tiresome.

Just as the lyrics went, over the years, aside from his childhood, he had rarely hugged his mom and dad on his own initiative, nor had he ever spoken words of deep care. But that didn't mean he didn't care about his parents.

However, having children of his own and becoming a father, he could now much better understand and empathize with the feelings his father and mother went through to raise him.

Just like the lyrics expressed!

The praise for such ordinary devotion could never be fully sung in a verse or two!

Everything Yu Zhile wanted to say to his father and mother was entirely contained within this song!

He sang with deep emotional devotion:

"The father and mother gave me neither too much nor too little
Just enough for me to hustle through this era
Just enough for me to live on
A youth's recklessness cannot be squandered away
They once talked to me just like friends..."

At the judges' table, the four judges—three men and one woman—were all moved to tears by Yu Zhile's rendition of "Father and Mother."

The female judge's eyes were red as she stared fixedly at the stage, unsure whether she was looking at Yu Zhile or the background screen behind him displaying the lyrics.

In the audience, quite a few female viewers were shedding tears.

Perhaps the song reminded them of their own parents, making them realize how much they owed them, just like the lyrics described.

Many audience members were reminiscing with emotion: in childhood, they always lied to their parents by saying they had no money left, whereas after growing up, they always lied to their parents by saying they still had plenty.

Someone thought of a video that had once moved countless people to tears. It featured an elderly man who brought his phone to a repair shop, only to be told by the owner that the phone wasn't broken and didn't need fixing. In the end, the old man suddenly burst into tears, murmuring blankly, "Then why aren't my children calling me anymore?"

At this moment, Yu Zhile's song made all the audience members think of their own fathers and mothers.

Some felt an urge to call their mom and dad right then and there. In truth, they didn't even have anything particular to say; they just suddenly wanted to make that phone call home upon hearing this song.

Yu Zhile sang in a low, resonant voice:

"Father and Mother always say the hardships experienced
Are the joys of passing through youth
At this time, in this season
I am reminded of this song once again..."

With the final notes sung, as the vocals and accompaniment came to an abrupt halt, the sound of muffled sobbing could be heard from numerous places throughout the venue.

In the green room, aside from the singers who ranked in the top four during the first round, the remaining three lower-ranking singers were sweating profusely with anxiety.

Because Yu Zhile had undoubtedly succeeded in his challenge!

Didn't they see that the audience members had all been moved to tears by his singing?

Shortly after, once the audience finished casting their votes for Yu Zhile, he waved goodbye and headed toward the backstage corridor.

Yang Bing, waiting for him at the entrance of the passageway, spoke up, "You're safe. This time around, you're bound to succeed in your challenge as the number one!"

Yu Zhile chuckled, "Should I consider this as 'the seasoned blade has not grown dull'?"

Yang Bing corrected him, "That phrase doesn't quite fit your situation. In your case, it should be called—the return of the king!"

Back in the Singers' Lounge, seeing Yu Zhile walk in, the other seven singers stood up one after another to offer premature congratulations and polite words of admiration.

Director Zhang took a sip of the beverage sponsored by the show and said, "Now that everyone is here, let's announce the rankings based on the vote counts!"

Since the third season adopted the infuriatingly drawn-out style from the first season that made people want to punch the director, the moment Director Zhang said he was going to announce the rankings, everyone knew they were in for a grueling torture session!

He began, "Combining the vote counts from both rounds, I've decided to announce the singer with the total highest vote count first—and that person is Yu Zhile!"

This time, Director Zhang wasn't dragging things out at all!

As a result, this crisp and decisive ranking left the singers and artist managers like Yang Bing completely dumbfounded!

Ni Qiqin asked in astonishment, "What's going on this time? You're announcing it directly? No plot twists? No suspense?"

Director Zhang asked with a bewildered expression, "Isn't it already obvious who the number one is? What plot twists or suspense could there be? Next, we will announce the singer in second place!"

Yu Zhile was left speechless as well. You're announcing me as number one just like that? This is way too hasty and anticlimactic!

At least give me a little bit of tension and excitement!

How depressing!

Why did successfully challenging and taking first place feel just like failing the challenge?

There was not a single ounce of a sense of achievement or satisfaction!

...

PS: There's a mountain of trivial matters before the New Year, making it hard to maintain a fixed release schedule. What I can guarantee is that I won't break my streak, delivering at least three chapters a day, and striving for four or five when possible. Thank you for your understanding.