Meanwhile, the old station manager, having just finished his own affairs, was idly wandering around the television station. He found himself outside the recording hall of "Masked Singer."
"Since I'm already here, I might as well go in and see today's show," he thought. With that, he walked directly into the recording hall and found a spot to sit in a corner.
"Grasping joy and sorrow, weaving them into paint and powder,
Singing old tunes until they’re worn, what matter if bone and ash are me?
A floating duckweed in chaotic times, I endure the sight of war fires burning mountains and rivers,
Though lowly, I dare not forget my country; even if no one knows me."
On stage, Wang Shu continued to sing, and the audience below listened intently.
Upon hearing these lyrics, the old station manager was shocked. He sensed something profound in the song. The line "Though lowly, I dare not forget my country" immediately revealed the song's core message. While it seemed to be about opera, it was actually about a yearning for civic responsibility towards the nation.
"Good lad, just this one line elevates the song. Truly a master of poetry!" the old station manager exclaimed, praising Wang Shu for the continuous surprises he brought to Jiangnan Television.
"Do you know who he is?" a curious audience member beside him asked the station manager after his exclamation.
"Hm? No, I was just talking about a friend of mine!" the old station manager replied, momentarily taken aback before quickly fabricating an excuse. The audience member gave him a knowing look, as if about to say something more, but then held back.
"People pass below, their old colors gone,
On stage, they sing a song of heartbreak and parting.
The word 'love' is hard to ink, she sings, her blood must be the ink,
The curtain rises, the curtain falls, who is the guest?"
As the chorus began, Wang Shu's astonishing opera-like vocals stunned the entire audience. Everyone stared in amazement at the young man on stage wearing a monkey mask.
"This is the first time I've heard this style of singing; it's incredible!"
"This singing style seems to borrow from opera. I've never heard anything like it before."
"I used to think opera was outdated, but now I realize my perspective was too narrow. This singing style is truly magnificent!"
The audience members whispered among themselves, discussing this novel vocal technique they had never encountered. Previously, they would have simply switched to another program upon hearing the melodic, operatic strains. But today, they were captivated.
"Impressive. Combining opera singing with popular music is truly astonishing."
The old station manager was once again amazed by Wang Shu's operatic rendition. He himself was an opera enthusiast, often attending performances and occasionally humming a few tunes. However, in today's fast-paced life, opera had lost its popular appeal, leading to many theaters struggling to sell tickets and eventually closing down. He had once feared that this art form would soon be forgotten and discarded. Yet, here he was, hearing the familiar operatic style on a pop music stage, and even more importantly, integrated seamlessly with a contemporary song.
The live audience, meanwhile, was captivated by this operatic style, finding it both novel and intriguing. They had never paid much attention to opera before, dismissing it as something only older generations enjoyed. But when elements of their ancestors' art were incorporated into the pop music they loved, they suddenly realized the genius of what their predecessors had left behind. Those few lines of singing alone required immense breath control and skill. Most people, even if they could replicate the notes, would only manage a dry, forceful shout, failing to capture the true essence.
Wang Shu then meticulously performed the Kunkun opera spoken lines from the original song. He considered this section, which served as a transition between verses, to be the song's true highlight. As he delivered these lines, the audience listened with rapt attention, afraid of missing a single word.
"A scene unfolds, sleeves dance and fall,
Singing of joy and sorrow, union and separation, none of it is mine.
Fans open and close, gongs and drums beat and fall silent,
..."
After this spoken interlude, the song returned to its second repeating section. This time, the audience was even more attentive. The old station manager sat in his corner, listening intently. If the first listen was about the music, this time they were absorbing the song's narrative.
"I initially thought this song was just about opera and romance, but now I realize it's about our nation!"
"On a small stage, the actors may seem heartless, but I see deep emotion in them."
"The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every common man!"
Many audience members began to grasp the underlying story from the lyrics.
"You take your bow, and I appear,
Mock not the fleeting romance, nor the absurdities of men,
We have questioned the past, and sung of glory and ruin with fervor,
Saying it's heartless, saying it's emotional, how can we fathom?
...
Saying it's heartless, saying it's emotional, how can we fathom?"
As the song concluded, Wang Shu lowered the microphone and stood silently at the center of the stage. Below, the entire audience was moved to tears, yet their faces bore expressions of resolute determination. Though present-day China was not the China of yesterday, today's China was the result of countless ancestors who had shed blood and sacrificed their lives. They might have been humble laborers or performers on a small stage, but when the nation's survival was at stake, they were all warriors defending China's borders, heroes of the Dragon Country.
After a moment of silence, the host returned to the stage. As Wang Shu was the last performer, it was time to announce the night's rankings. Finishing in the top three in this round meant a chance to compete for the overall championship of "Masked Singer." The remaining three contestants would have an opportunity for a revival match. The winner of the revival match would then advance to the finals.
With the vote count revealed, Wang Shu unsurprisingly secured the first place once again. Zhang Liangying, unfortunately, was ranked fifth and was eliminated.
"Monkey King, this guy is truly formidable. He's basically in first place every episode, and every song is a masterpiece!"
"I really want to know who this guy really is. I'm starting to suspect he's actually a part of the current music scene."
"Where in today's music industry can you find someone who creates original songs every time? How many singers have that kind of ability?"
"I created a group on Weibo to guess Monkey King's identity, and we have over two thousand people, yet not a single person has figured out who he is."
At this moment, the audience was eager to discover the identity of the singer behind the monkey mask. They wanted to know what kind of artist could produce original songs of such quality consistently. After all, in the current music landscape, they couldn't find anyone as extraordinary. Of course, there was the exceptionally talented composer Wang Shu, who had taken the music world by storm from the moment he debuted. However, they couldn't confirm if this "Monkey King" was indeed Wang Shu.
After the recording concluded, Wang Shu received a call from Bian Yuan on his way back to the hotel. Bian Yuan informed him that he had won the championship of this week's "Weekly Good Voice." Shortly after the call ended, Wang Shu received a 300,000 yuan transfer from Bian Yuan. Looking at the transaction notification on his phone, Wang Shu felt very pleased. After all, this was the first singer he had personally discovered, and in just one week, Bian Yuan had earned the company 300,000 yuan. If Bian Yuan became truly famous, he might even bring in three million or thirty million yuan in the future.
"It seems I need to sign more promising talents. It's too exhausting to do everything alone!" Wang Shu mused. His own capabilities were limited. Although he had an inexhaustible supply of excellent songs in his mind, if he only continued to sell them, he would eventually run out. Meanwhile, the cheapest research data in the system store cost seven or eight million yuan, even tens of millions. Even with these prices, he struggled to earn enough, living frugally just to scrape by. What about when he encountered scientific research technologies that cost hundreds of millions? How would he afford them? Furthermore, according to the system's rules, any research technology he purchased from the system store could not be used for profit. Thus, he was essentially pouring money into a bottomless pit. If he continued alone, he estimated he wouldn't last more than a few months. However, his first signed artist had now generated value, proving his approach was correct. By discovering and nurturing talented individuals, and then promoting them, they could continuously generate income for him.
Upon returning to the hotel, Wang Shu began contemplating whether he should establish another entertainment company. However, upon reflection, he dismissed the idea. He had only encountered a few promising individuals: Bian Yuan and Li Lang. He was uncertain about Li Lang's current attitude, so in essence, he currently only had one signed artist, Bian Yuan.
Just as Wang Shu was fretting about the scarcity of signed artists, Zhang Liangying called him again. Wang Shu glanced at his phone and answered.
"Looking to buy songs from me?" Wang Shu asked directly, knowing Zhang Liangying's personality.
"Yes," Zhang Liangying replied with a hint of dejection in her voice.
"You can buy songs, but this time, my price has increased!" Wang Shu stated unequivocally.
"Increased? When did it increase?" Hearing about the price hike, Zhang Liangying's heart tightened. She was currently engaged in a lawsuit with her company and was experiencing financial difficulties. The previous 500,000 yuan had already depleted half of her savings, and she now had less than a million yuan remaining. Wang Shu's announcement of a price increase at this moment left her feeling lost.