Chapter 125: We Accept (A special addition for Hall Master Song Zi!)

Liu Xingyun patted the young man beside him. The young man braced himself, stood up, and said, "Sister Wei, please go easy on me!"

The host also breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, a showdown stage had been formed. He hurriedly announced that the first showdown of this episode would be between the Stellar Alliance and the Sunflower Alliance.

For the young man, this was a respectable outcome. Competing against Bai Xiwei was better than sitting there waiting to be eliminated, even if he lost. Deep down, he was grateful to Liu Xingyun for the opportunity.

To Liu Xingyun, it didn't matter. If they lost, he would just eliminate someone as usual; the situation in this episode was complicated, and stepping aside was a way to protect himself.

As for Qiu Zhen, he was already getting excited. He had first buttered up Tang Zhichu so that Tang Zhichu wouldn't pick him, effectively tossing himself over to the Pioneer Alliance.

Sun Zhe and Qiu Zhen were on the same team, and Sun Zhe was something of a mentor to him. Although their relationship wasn't as close as that between him and He Shuyuan, he understood Sun Zhe.

Sun Zhe was pragmatic but possessed a broader perspective. He wouldn't let He Shuyuan compete against him, nor would he let Pu Jingshi go up; otherwise, it would just be internal attrition for Tianhe Entertainment, which was pointless.

Qiu Zhen had calculated that he would likely be cut this time, but the most ironic part?

Bai Xiwei had gotten involved, and she was promoting Tang Zhichu even more aggressively than he was.

Qiu Zhen also understood He Shuyuan. That guy had a reserved, brooding personality. On the surface, he was shy and indifferent to worldly strife, but inside, he cared more than anyone.

He wouldn't be able to stand it if Qiu Zhen ignored him to promote Tang Zhichu, and Bai Xiwei’s involvement was just adding fuel to the fire.

If He Shuyuan felt resentment, he had to vent it. If Sun Zhe could prevent him from venting that frustration on him, could Sun Zhe stop He Shuyuan from going after Tang Zhichu?

This was what Qiu Zhen had been contemplating for the past few days: getting Tang Zhichu and He Shuyuan to clash.

He hadn't expected it to actually happen.

If He Shuyuan won, it wouldn't impact Qiu Zhen much. But if He Shuyuan lost? That would be interesting. The power structure within Tianhe Music would have to shift. Even if Qiu Zhen couldn't take the top spot, he could at least snatch a significant portion of benefits from He Shuyuan’s plate.

Had Tang Zhichu figured it out?

He had. This was a setup.

But he was playing along.

That was why he told Chen Jianxin not to accept Bai Xiwei's project.

As the saying went, if he didn't capitalize on his early accumulation aggressively, he would be doing a disservice to his status as a transmigrator.

"Are there any challenges?" the host asked.

Suddenly, the venue fell into a deathly silence. No one responded, and no one spoke.

The Stellar Alliance, a losing-bracket team, had actually formed a showdown stage with another losing-bracket team, the Sunflower Alliance.

If no one had deliberately pushed for this absurd situation, no one would believe it.

Although many didn't know why this had happened, they realized that only the Wildfire Alliance and the Pioneer Alliance remained.

Would it be a direct confrontation between those two?

This question jumped into the minds of many.

One was a dominant powerhouse who had swept the competition for three consecutive episodes, and the other was a top-tier newcomer who had long dominated the charts.

Would they collide?

Seeing no response, the host didn't waste time and proceeded to the next step: "Since the losing-bracket teams have formed a showdown stage, the alliances with lower points will now choose their projects. If the alliance with higher points does not accept, then the higher-scoring alliance will counter-pick until a showdown stage is formed! Teacher Sun, please send someone to select a project!"

All eyes in the room turned toward the Pioneer Alliance.

At some point, the number of staff members at the entrance had increased.

In places invisible to the crowd, even Yu Hua had appeared.

This situation was something neither the musicians present nor the production team had anticipated.

Sun Zhe smiled, looking composed. He leaned back and whispered something to He Shuyuan.

He Shuyuan looked at the task board and nodded.

A moment later, He Shuyuan stood up.

He appeared shy again, holding the microphone with both hands, and said intermittently, "Host... host, we... we choose the fifth-ranked project, Teacher Su Yuanchao's solo single!"

Everyone looked at the big screen in unison.

Ranked fifth, Su Yuanchao's single, with a production budget of 800,000, was a project newly added last episode.

Su Yuanchao was someone who had been as famous as Pu Jingshi when he first debuted. He had amazed many listeners in the early days of the Chinese music scene. Now, like Sun Zhe, he worked behind the scenes, having moved through several entertainment companies before joining an online music platform.

This was a difficult project because Su Yuanchao was a veteran of the music scene, known as the "King of Folk" in his prime. Writing a song for him would carry immense pressure.

Some people began to whisper.

He Shuyuan lived up to his reputation; he went for a big task right out of the gate.

The host repeated the project He Shuyuan had chosen, then looked toward the Wildfire Alliance with a grave expression: "Teacher Chen, what is your choice? Please consider it carefully."

At this moment, the host couldn't help but feel grave.

As a host, his insight was sharp, and he knew some of the inside story.

That was Tang Zhichu, the person the chief director wanted to promote.

In the host's eyes, this was a trap set by Tianhe for Tang Zhichu. Since Qiu Zhen was a Tianhe man, the host even suspected that Qiu Zhen joining the Stellar Alliance had been arranged by Sun Zhe to facilitate this setup.

The host represented the production team and knew Tang Zhichu's value to the show. While he appeared impartial, deep down, he was biased toward Tang Zhichu. Plus, having listened to Tang Zhichu sing up close every episode, he was something of a fan himself.

That was why he added the request to "consider it carefully" when he asked.

A solo single project was highly subjective; the competition might not be on stage, but off it.

Sun Zhe was so shrewd—would he ever fight a battle he wasn't prepared for?

Seeing the host look over, Chen Jianxin nodded cautiously. The hand behind his back was actually gripping the hem of Tang Zhichu's trousers, constantly signaling him not to be impulsive.

A head-on collision was one thing, but it had to be fair.

In Chen Jianxin’s view, as long as they didn't choose this, they could counter-pick a public welfare project to compete on, which would be a fair, direct test of skill.

Tang Zhichu felt at least three hands grabbing him.

Yun Miao even said directly, "Think twice. Building a reputation is like sculpting a golden body—it's mysterious, but it's real."

Tang Zhichu smiled and whispered, "Trust me?"

Sigma was the first to let go. He patted his chest for some reason, looking ignited and excited, though he didn't say a word.

Chen Jianxin froze for a moment, then was the second to let go.

Seeing that everyone else had let go, Yun Miao felt awkward holding on, so he followed suit.

Tang Zhichu stood up slowly. He didn't even look at the Pioneer Alliance, but instead looked at the host: "We accept."

Many in the room couldn't help but grit their teeth, and goosebumps spread across their skin.

There were many details they couldn't perceive, but having been forced into choices for four consecutive episodes—Pu Jingshi, Liu Xingyun, Qiu Zhen, and now He Shuyuan—this level of confidence and courage left that figure deeply etched in their minds. They had a feeling that the sky over the Chinese music scene might be about to change.

In the Pioneer Alliance camp, Pu Jingshi shook his head with a bitter smile, while a trace of a smile appeared on the corner of Sun Zhe’s mouth. *Still young,* he thought.

He Shuyuan’s expression was unreadable, but the feigned shyness had vanished from his face.

Bai Xiwei looked conflicted. She couldn't help but call out, "Your rules are too complicated. Little Tang, why don't we just compete against each other instead?"

In this shout, she didn't even use his nickname "God Tang," and the warning was implied.

Such a crisp voice eased the tense atmosphere in the room.

Tang Zhichu laughed: "Thanks, Sister Wei. It doesn't matter who I compete against; it's just a project."

This time, the host didn't immediately confirm. He looked toward a corner as if receiving verification. Only then did he say with a serious expression, "Very well. The second showdown stage will be the Pioneer Alliance versus the Wildfire Alliance. Are there any challenges?"

Everyone looked at the host as if to say, *What do you think?*

The host gave an awkward laugh: "With two showdown stages formed, there are no challenge stages this episode. I hope you all create works you are satisfied with. Our mission is to stimulate the current Chinese music scene, to achieve musical art through visible commercial means, and to inspire both yourselves and the audience. Good luck!"

The host's words carried a personal touch, with hidden meanings.

But at this point, no one was listening to that; they were all lost in whispered discussions.