Finally, after what felt like an eternity of two minutes, Hua Cheng Yu's performance concluded.
The audience finally relaxed the frowns they had been wearing.
The few specially invited expert consultants were also somewhat bewildered by Hua Cheng Yu's performance, almost unsure of how to even critique it.
They could only resort to generic phrases, praising Hua Cheng Yu's stable vocals and innovative performance style.
After all, these professional consultants were well aware of Hua Cheng Yu's temperament; he had been known to directly throw down his microphone and quit during a previous show.
Therefore, they dared to offer only cautious evaluations.
After his performance, Hua Cheng Yu felt incredibly satisfied with himself, believing his adapted and interpreted folk song was significantly better than the original.
He considered the praise from the expert consultants to be well-deserved, and even felt a touch of disappointment that they couldn't discern the deeper meanings he had woven into the song.
However, he quickly rationalized that his ideas were so brilliant, it was understandable that others wouldn't easily grasp them.
"Hua Hua, can you give yourself a score for today's performance?"
Just as Hua Cheng Yu was preparing to leave the stage and return backstage to rest, Zhang Ji walked up to him and asked.
"I believe my performance today deserves a perfect score of 100! This is the most comfortable I've felt singing on this stage!"
Hua Cheng Yu said with unwavering confidence, as he felt he had genuinely performed well. He had hit several incredibly difficult high notes that he usually struggled with, and managed to conquer them all.
"Okay, thank you for your performance, Hua Hua. Hua Hua, you can head backstage to rest. Next up, we have the familiar 'Little Diva with Lungs of Steel,' Deng Xiao Qi!"
Zhang Ji felt a wave of awkwardness at Hua Cheng Yu's self-satisfaction, but maintaining composure on stage, he smiled and ushered the singer off before announcing the next contestant.
The second performer was Deng Xiao Qi. As a singer from Hong Kong, Deng Xiao Qi had left a deep impression on the audience from the previous day's competition.
Deng Xiao Qi was known for her unique voice and explosive high notes. Yesterday, she had secured first place with one of her signature songs, causing quite a stir.
Now, hearing her name again, the audience was filled with anticipation, as they felt her singing was far superior to that of the "Young Master Hua."
The judges on the audience panel also looked forward to Deng Xiao Qi's song, hoping to cleanse their ears.
After all, Young Master Hua's performance had been akin to noise, even feeling like it had soiled their auditory senses.
Deng Xiao Qi's performance today was a new song. While perhaps not as outstanding as her signature track from yesterday, it was still a quality piece.
This time, the audience panel approached the judging with utmost seriousness. If yesterday's competition was based on initial impressions, today's was a true ranking based on skill.
With the lowest combined scores from both days leading to elimination, the five hundred audience judges listened intently.
Upon concluding her song, Deng Xiao Qi once again showcased her exceptional vocals and electrifying stage presence. Even Wang Shu, who had been dozing backstage, was jolted awake by the young singer's voice.
Compared to Hua Cheng Yu's cacophony, listening to Deng Xiao Qi's high notes was like hearing celestial music that momentarily cleared the mind.
Sometimes, the difference was starkly apparent. Some individuals were born with exceptional talent in a particular field; what others struggled to achieve, they accomplished with apparent ease.
Furthermore, Deng Xiao Qi had treated him kindly earlier, which significantly boosted Wang Shu's positive impression of her.
Suddenly, Wang Shu remembered a singer from Earth who shared a similar style and vocal prowess to Deng Xiao Qi – Deng Zi Qi.
He thought that a few of her songs might be a good fit for this Deng Xiao Qi.
He wondered, however, if the young singer had the financial means to purchase them from him.
Gazing at Deng Xiao Qi on stage, Wang Shu began to ponder.
After all, certain songs were meant to be sung by those who could truly bring out their unique charm.
Following a series of accolades from the expert consultants, Deng Xiao Qi happily returned backstage.
The subsequent performers each had their own distinct qualities. Although some had minor missteps, Wang Shu found them to be far better than Hua Cheng Yu's unconventional performance.
Among them, Wang Shu recalled the young man named Zhang Ji with particular interest. While his song choice wasn't exceptional, Wang Shu quite liked his voice. He also observed that Zhang Ji was a straightforward and somewhat earnest individual.
As the performances of the seven initial contestants concluded, Zhang Ji reappeared on stage, microphone and cue card in hand.
"Next, we will enter the challenge segment, and we will welcome the first challenger of this episode!"
Zhang Ji announced to the audience.
"There's a challenge segment too? How exciting!"
"This show is quite interesting. I thought it was just a competition among seven established singers, but there's a challenger!"
"I'm looking forward to it. Who do you think the challenger will be?"
"It's too hard to guess. It should be another well-known singer, given that the invited guests are all famous."
When the audience heard Zhang Ji mention the challenge segment, many of them perked up. They hadn't been aware of this aspect of the show and were now even more eager.
Zhang Ji, having anticipated the audience's reaction, continued with a hint of mystery as he revealed the challenger's identity.
"You may not know him, and even I only recently learned of him. But that does not diminish his excellence and talent! Please welcome Wang Shu!"
"Wang Shu? Which Wang Shu? Have you heard of him?"
"I'm not sure. I don't seem to recall hearing the name Wang Shu!"
"The name Wang Shu sounds familiar, but I can't quite place it right now."
Upon hearing Zhang Ji announce Wang Shu as the challenger, the crowd was once again taken aback.
They hadn't heard of him, let alone heard any of his songs.
However, it seemed unlikely that Hunan Satellite TV would invite an unknown, struggling singer to challenge for fear of diminishing the show's prestige.
Before they could dwell on their thoughts, the stage, which had dimmed moments before, now lit up once more.