Chapter 138: Fleece the Same Person Every Time? Performing “Moonlight”!
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Teacher Han Guangming was already mentioned in the previous episode. He is a towering figure in the world of music, a true master with formidable talent. He belongs to what is known as the national team.
The so-called national team has various interpretations. One view is that it refers to those elite figures who emerged from official art troupes. Each member has undergone professional training and even receives subsidies. Their vocal skills surpass those of today’s so-called top pop singers by far. Not to mention the top-tier artists, even the crowned kings and queens of music show them great respect and dare not casually provoke them.
This is not to say the national team necessarily holds more influence or has more fans than the reigning superstars. Rather, it signifies a level of skill that even the biggest stars must admire and acknowledge.
Of course, in earlier times, the national team rarely stepped into popular entertainment, so their fame wasn’t widespread. Only in recent years have they gradually become more visible.
Another interpretation stems from a formal singing competition organized by official media, where only the top singers competed. Those who won notable rankings in the contest were also called members of the national team.
In short, these three words have become synonymous with weight and prestige in the music world—never to be underestimated.
In the last episode, Bai Ling’s performance was mistaken for Teacher Han Guangming’s. But in truth, their singing styles differ, a fact made clear this time around. Of course, it’s also possible that Han deliberately altered his vocal timbre slightly.
He removed his headgear, revealing his face, and smiled, saying, “I did tweak my voice just a little. How did you recognize me so quickly?”
Though advanced in years, nearing sixty, his lung capacity had been fully displayed in the earlier performance. Even now, his voice remained strong and resonant.
Li Yuanhong stood and said, “Teacher Han, aren’t you underestimating us a bit? With such a distinctive voice, how could we not recognize it?”
Others chimed in enthusiastically. “Exactly!” “Teacher Han, it’s way too obvious.”
Not just the musicians but many in the audience could guess at least roughly.
Han Guangming laughed and shook his head. “Alright, alright. I was just here to join the fun anyway. Mainly, I wanted to see Ding Dang Mao’s performance.”
“Hope you don’t mind this old fellow sitting with you judges,” he added.
Everyone made room, offering the center of the long sofa to Teacher Han.
With that, Han’s performance concluded, and others took their turns. As the moments passed, anticipation grew—soon it would be Ding Dang Mao’s turn.
Backstage, the assistant called Bai Ling to the stage. She steadied her nerves and ascended.
No doubt, whether it was Teacher Han or the others who had performed, they were all remarkable artists.
Before Bai Ling stepped on stage, the feeling was clear: the husky was about to face a pack of wolves!
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“Good evening, teachers. I am Ding Dang Mao!” Bai Ling greeted with a male voice.
She was about to signal the accompaniment team to begin when Teacher Han suddenly spoke, “Friend, tell me honestly, do you recognize me?”
Naturally, everyone gave him face. Bai Ling responded, “If you mean recognizing your voice, then absolutely. Few people wouldn’t know you.”
“But if you mean knowing you personally, then no.”
Han seemed a bit disappointed. “I thought some old buddy was deliberately imitating my style.”
Then a smile returned. “But if you don’t know me personally, that means you must be young—probably under thirty-five.”
“Tsk tsk, the future looks bright!”
“I’m very much looking forward to this performance.”
At this, everyone realized and nodded. “Right, Teacher Han knows so many people. If he doesn’t know you, you have to be young.”
“At least younger than Leng Yan…”
Caught off guard, Leng Yan snapped, “What are you saying? Can’t I be under thirty-five?”
Everyone burst into laughter.
“Don’t you know your own age?”
Leng Yan was speechless, sulking. He made a mental note to blame everyone present—and even the ants.
“The young generation having such skill is already quite impressive.”
“The last performance was solid, the vocal technique was good, just not the best.”
“Thanks to his timbre, he actually edges out Leng Yan’s ‘Youth of China’ a bit. Ding Dang Mao has a promising future.”
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“I can’t wait to find out who he really is. What will he sing this time? I’m curious.”
“Blue cat on stage, please begin your performance.”
The judges didn’t discuss much longer.
The show officially began.
Bai Ling focused on the accompaniment team as the music’s prelude began.
The moment the classical instruments’ tones emerged, everyone froze.
“Wait, this isn’t right!”
“Doesn’t it sound familiar to you?”
“It’s very familiar, too familiar. Feels like I just heard it recently.”
“Whose song is this?”
“Who else but mine?” Leng Yan said bluntly. “Isn’t this my last performance’s ‘Moonlight’?”
As the original singer, he remembered it perfectly.
Others realized it too, belatedly.
“Damn, Moonlight!”
“What’s this guy’s game? Is he stealing your thunder, Leng Yan?”
“Wow, that’s ruthless—targeting just one person? That’s too much!”
“Leng, I’ll remember this grudge for you!”
“But this song is really hard. I tried singing it again at home; it just didn’t feel right.”
“No kidding. This guy is bold. ‘Youth of China’ was one thing—his timbre suited it perfectly—but this one?”
“Honestly, this shouldn’t be his forte. Is he really suited for this?”
“Could this backfire?”
“Maybe, but who knows?”
“This actually makes it harder to guess his identity.”
“Bai Ling is probably raking in the royalties.”
Just from the prelude, the judges talked animatedly.
Their thoughts were simple: Ding Dang Mao would either soar or crash spectacularly.
If the latter, that would be quite entertaining, even if this show’s entertainment value might suffer.
But all the performers invited were skilled.
Could Ding Dang Mao be the first to completely botch a performance?