Chapter 132 Theme: Being Yourself

The hottest topic in the entertainment industry today is undoubtedly the live-streamed creative challenge between Lin Qihua and three renowned songwriters. This standoff is the culmination of more than a week of grievances between Tang Zhijie and Lin Qihua. Before this, Tang Zhijie held an absolute advantage, with media opinion overwhelmingly skewed against Lin, successfully causing his defeat in the latest episode of "The Vocalist."

If this momentum continued, Galaxy Entertainment and Lin Qihua would be the first to crumble under the pressure. Tang Zhijie’s side chose to press their advantage, targeting the very foundation of Lin’s career: the authenticity of his work. They ignited nationwide suspicion regarding his songwriting. While they lacked concrete evidence, many things do not require proof—merely planting the seed of doubt is enough. Under the weight of such a powerful narrative, the outcome would be inevitable.

However, a simple challenge and a wager threatened to reverse the entire situation, drawing all suspicion and attention to this singular event. If Lin succeeded, he would prove his own merit and logically invalidate all prior accusations as baseless. If he failed, it would be the end of everything; he would be forced to exit in disgrace, branded for life, and turned into the industry's laughingstock.

There was so much calculation involved, but the core issue was whether Lin Qihua could, as he claimed, compose a song on the spot based on a designated theme. Confidence in his own talent was the key to this strategy—a gambit no one else could pull off.

This was an open ploy—a "Yang Mou"—where the move is declared in plain sight, and the opponent is forced to accept it. Even if Yu Wenhao stepped in, he could not reverse the tide. This is the power of an open strategy, an effect an underhanded scheme could never achieve.

What Lin Qihua did not expect was for Cheng Dinglong to appear and provide him with a divine assist. If the challenge between Lin and the three songwriters had been a mere bet, Cheng’s involvement elevated it to a new level. His prestige, influence, and credibility drew everyone’s attention. The event had transcended the entertainment industry; even mainstream media began to take notice. They were not easily swayed by Yu Wenhao and offered objective, impartial commentary, calling this a landmark event. They noted that the outcome would have profound consequences on the entertainment industry and pledged to provide continuous coverage.

Now, the stakes were too high for anyone to lose; everyone understood the cost of defeat.

But did Tang Zhijie have a choice? No. Did Chen Yan? No. They could only watch the time tick away, awaiting the final verdict.

"What a bunch of incompetent allies," Chen Jian muttered, furious that it was Liu Feng who had stepped forward to provoke this, conveniently forgetting that he himself had proposed the plan, and Liu Feng was merely the executor.

"Who could have known he would pull this move?" Brother Guo grumbled. "Our people stepped up and did what was arranged. Now that the situation has changed, are you trying to pin the blame on us?"

"That’s not what I meant," Chen Jian quickly explained. "We need to find a way to solve this."

"How can we solve it? Master Cheng said he would set the theme and act as the judge. Even if we object, his reputation is such that his word is final. Furthermore, Lin Qihua will perform it during his encore; whether it is good or bad, the public will decide. We don't have the power to influence that," Brother Guo said calmly. In this alliance, besides Yu Wenhao, he was the most composed. Even if they failed, it wouldn't affect him much; he could simply throw Liu Feng under the bus. It was a different story for Star Shine Entertainment and Tang Zhijie. Thus, their mindsets differed, and their attitudes followed suit. One shouldn't expect camaraderie in this business; sacrificing others to save oneself was the true reality of the industry.

"It seems we can only wait for the result. I refuse to believe that with such a tight deadline and a randomly assigned theme, he has the ability to pull this off," Tang Zhijie said viciously.

"That’s all we can do," Chen Jian sighed. This was the helplessness of conspirators—no matter how many schemes they had, they were reduced to passive observers in the face of reality.

On Thursday, Lin Qihua and the others arrived in Xiangzhou. This time, there were no protesters, nor were there supporters—it felt much like the beginning. The only difference was that Xiangzhou Satellite TV had deployed a powerful broadcast team led by their ace host, Le Kai. They would accompany Lin and the others from the airport, providing live coverage throughout. Xiangzhou Satellite TV had temporarily adjusted its entire schedule to broadcast the event in sync with the online stream until Cheng Dinglong announced the results. It was clear that the station attached great importance to this, not only for their show "The Vocalist" but also to leverage this nationwide event to push themselves ahead and distance themselves from competitors, hoping to secure a favorable position in the coming wave of reforms.

Upon reaching the station, Lin Qihua was taken to a separate studio. It was set up like a roundtable discussion, with a table, several chairs, and four independent rooms with transparent glass walls. Both the hall and the rooms were filled with cameras, showcasing the station's thorough preparation.

"This is the briefing and judging area," Le Kai introduced. "Master Cheng is waiting here. The small rooms are for your creative process. Each person has one, and everything is under surveillance and live-streamed. Anyone online can click on any feed to observe."

Lin Qihua looked around and smiled faintly. "Very thorough. Your station’s execution is truly impressive."

"You flatter us," Le Kai shrugged. "Actually, we were the most surprised. But since you dared to propose such rules, you must have been mentally prepared. Pushing yourself to the edge of a cliff, seeking survival through death—I admire that."

"I had no other choice," Lin Qihua said with a bitter smile. "I was backed into a corner. What else could I do? I had to gamble."

During the live stream, Le Kai naturally did not express his own stance. After chatting for a while, he sat in the hall to await the others.

Before long, the others arrived. When Cheng Dinglong entered the studio, accompanied by the station’s vice president, everyone stood up to pay their respects to the esteemed senior.

"Haha!" Cheng, nearing seventy but still full of vigor, laughed and shook hands with everyone. "I’m an old man acting young, sticking my nose into your business. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all. We are honored that you would step in, Master Cheng," everyone replied.

"Qu Ping, you shouldn't blame young Lin," Cheng said to Qu and the others. "It’s true, he dragged you into this mess, forcing you into a situation where one slip could ruin your reputation. But think about it—if he hadn't been pushed to the edge, would he have done this? Under these conditions, he is fighting a desperate battle. It’s do or die."

Lin Qihua quickly stood up and bowed to the others. "It was my recklessness that put you all in a difficult position. I seized an opportunity, and for any offense, I ask for your forgiveness. I am also grateful to Master Cheng for speaking up and giving me a chance to clear my name."

"Sigh, I don't blame you," Han Dongli said first. "You wagered your own future. Since we stood up to criticize you, we should accept the consequences. Now, I actually hope you succeed."

"Yes, I feel the same. I was very angry at first because you forced us to be tied to you. But thinking about it now, isn't this a chance to witness history? I’ve come to terms with it," Qu Ping added with a smile.

"That’s the right way to think," Master Cheng applauded. "Do you know why I stepped in? Because I saw an opportunity to witness history—a chance to show the charm of creation to the national audience. To tell everyone that the beauty of a song starts with the beauty of its creation. By witnessing the process, I hope people will value creation and support it, pushing our country’s musical strength to new heights. A good work always has the creator’s soul poured into it. If I can achieve that goal, then I suppose I have my own selfish motives."

"When you put it that way, I suddenly feel honored to be a part of this," Yan Jun laughed, extending his hand to Lin Qihua. "Good luck. I look forward to your work. The better it is, the happier we will be. Of course, we will also do our best, because we are creators, too."

"Yes, let’s have a fair fight. Regardless of who wins or loses, music will be the winner," Qu Ping and Han Dongli said, shaking Lin’s hand. "We admire your courage and hope your talent is as the Master expects, delivering a satisfactory answer to the national audience."

"It is my good fortune; how could I not give my all?" Lin Qihua shook their hands, affirming his commitment.

"Good, very good." Seeing this, Master Cheng was even more pleased. "I think the audience watching this live will look forward to your works. No matter the result, they will applaud your attitude. Regarding the theme, I trust none of you believe I would leak it to young Lin in advance?"

"Of course not."

"Who is Master Cheng? If anyone dared to doubt him, I would be the first to object."

"Haha, good. Then I shall set the theme."

"Please, Master." Lin Qihua and the others bowed in unison.

"Based on the events surrounding young Lin recently and the dilemmas we as creators face, my theme is: 'Be Yourself.' There are no content restrictions, but it must be a Mandarin song. The time starts now and ends at 10:00 PM—twelve hours in total. I will be here the entire time to judge the results. Any questions?"

"No," the four replied together.

"Good. See those four rooms? Those are your creative spaces for the next twelve hours. Everyone can see you. I hope you can remain focused, perform at your best, and create works that satisfy both yourselves and the audience."

"We will follow your instructions."

"Then, begin."