Chapter 115: Returning to the Mortal World

Before Zhang Qiyang had even finished his performance, the forum for the show "My Song" was already in an uproar—

“Rap? That’s not rap. Singing? That’s not singing. What on earth is this nonsense? Zhang Cannon will definitely come in last today! Awesome!”

“Are the live audience members actors? Why are some clutching their heads? This performance is way too fake!”

“I noticed it too—the expressions on the audience’s faces are way over the top. Several people had their mouths wide open like they just ate a rotten egg. Even the worst extras couldn’t pull off such idiotic looks! Stupid Zhang Cannon, can you at least give your extras a copy of ‘An Actor’s Self-Cultivation’? Stop making us sick, please!”

“I suspect Zhang Cannon bought the audience again today! No wonder he insisted on performing first—he came prepared! Last week he didn’t buy an audience to test his real popularity, and it ended in humiliation. This week, Zhang Cannon is making a comeback!”

“Where are the cannon fodder? Are they all listening to Cannon Lord sing? More idiots hating on Cannon Lord? Come on, cannon fodder, let’s wipe them out together!”

“The cannon fodder are on their knees listening to Cannon Lord sing! Cannon Lord is mighty! No need to argue with idiots!”

“Mark my words, if Zhang Cannon lands in the top three this round, I’m smashing Old Wang’s TV next door!”

“Listening to this rubbish is worse than listening to a vacuum cleaner—both are noise, but the vacuum cleaner is actually more pleasant.”

“Whoa! Did I see that right? Someone in the audience is actually crying! How much black money did Zhang Cannon pay? That expression is more intense than a funeral!”

“Haha, the one crying isn’t even the most exaggerated; the fat guy next to her is way more dramatic—red-faced, veins bulging, shouting so hard his neck muscles are about to burst. Is he going to attack Zhang Cannon because Cannon made his girlfriend cry?”

“Cannon Lord is truly an anomaly! Cannon Lord is the greatest!”

“This song is really well written—I’ve got another ringtone choice for my phone.”

...

As these various comments flooded the internet, the live audience was already in a frenzy.

Zhang Qiyang’s explosive roar of the song “Outlier” felt like a spell cast upon everyone present, transforming all the spectators into outliers themselves, unfathomable to outsiders.

By the end of the performance, Zhang Qiyang was drenched in sweat—he was practically soaked through! He had unleashed his emotions through his singing and thoroughly satisfied himself in the process.

When the performance concluded, the entire audience and crew rose to their feet, applauding Zhang Qiyang with respect.

Some young fans even shouted excitedly, egging him on.

One guy, the most amusing of all, led the chant of “Encore,” urging Zhang Qiyang to sing another song.

Such unruly behavior nearly got the audience member kicked out by the staff.

Before the recording began, all audience members had been briefed by the staff.

There were strict regulations about what could and couldn’t be done during the recording.

For example, shouting “Encore” was strictly forbidden.

The staff had specifically warned against such disruptive cheering.

But Zhang Qiyang’s “Outlier” was so incendiary that all rules were kicked aside by the sheer force of his voice!

Surrendering to the torrent of sound, many audience members felt an urge to break the rules and embrace being outliers true to their hearts.

Unfortunately, rules were rules, and they lacked the power to break them—so for now, they complied.

Amid the thunderous applause and cheers, Zhang Qiyang wrapped up the first round of today’s competition.

He truly unleashed the power of a supercharged ratings booster.

During the five minutes he sang “Outlier,” the peak viewership rating for “My Song” soared to 4.2%!

It looked like the show was on track to break 5% right out of the gate.

The staff, including Luo Tao and others, were ecstatic—as if they had witnessed a living ratings deity.

But the other singers felt like they were facing a death god akin to Kevin Durant, each grappling with rising pressure in their own way.

After watching Zhang Qiyang’s rebellious and wild performance, even Li Xuan felt the weight of the challenge.

At first, singers like Yue Li had assumed Zhang Qiyang would be a weak contender—probably finishing last, especially since his previous week’s performance was poor.

They thought he was a spent force, unable to rally again.

But who would have guessed that Zhang Qiyang, choosing to perform first today, would deliver such a soul-stirring, earth-shaking, and wildly intense show?

He had raised the bar of the entire competition to the stratosphere right at the start!

How were the singers coming after him supposed to follow that?

The most frustrated was Yue Li, who was scheduled to perform immediately after Zhang Qiyang.

Last week, Yue Li also followed Zhang Qiyang and, after Zhang drenched the audience in a storm, brought them a bowl of soothing chicken soup for the soul, earning herself an impressive ranking.

But today was different.

If last week Zhang Qiyang’s performance was a storm, today it was a volcanic mudslide!

The audience, already steamed through by the searing metal waves of sound, was fired up to the max. Offering them a warm bowl of chicken soup now would only earn a fight!

Fortunately, Yue Li’s piece today, “Light Rain,” wasn’t the same kind of soul-soothing comfort song as last week; it was a tender and heartwarming love song with a fresh, gentle vibe.

Listening to it felt like a light rain falling on the body, slightly cooling the audience’s raging emotions.

But for most listeners, the wild melody of “Outlier” still echoed loudly in their minds as Yue Li sang.

Zhang Qiyang’s vocal power had been so overwhelming that many felt their eardrums might have been torn apart—the listening experience was unforgettable.

So even after Yue Li finished “Light Rain,” many were still savoring the thrill of “Outlier,” barely noticing Yue Li’s gentle drizzle of a song.

Only a small portion of the audience, those who favored Yue Li’s style, were pulled back to reality by her soothing voice from Zhang Qiyang’s wild inferno, allowing them to enjoy the subsequent performances comfortably.

The third performer, Zhou Delin, further rescued the audience from Zhang Qiyang’s storm of outliers.

This week, Zhou Delin performed a heartfelt and story-rich song called “Family of Five,” as if anotherworldly Eason was recounting past memories through his singing, drawing much attention into his song.

This family-themed piece allowed everyone to see their own reflection, their own family, within it.

It was a song that pulled people from the skies back to the ground, restoring their rational and emotional balance.

Following that, Zhao Lei and Lin Haoran’s performances further helped the audience return to a pure and normal state of musical appreciation, without the abnormal agitation that Zhang Qiyang’s demonic singing had stirred.

Thanks to the efforts of these singers, the audience’s emotions finally settled.

It wasn’t until Zhao Ziqi’s performance that the crowd once again stirred with excitement.

Zhao Ziqi challenged herself with rock this week, performing a hard-hitting hardcore rock song titled “Miserable World,” which whipped up a wild little whirlwind at the venue.

The audience listened with overflowing passion and boiling blood.

Zhao Ziqi’s choice of “Miserable World” was very popular.

The song was released twenty years ago by the godfather of Chinese rock in this realm—a piece that could pierce the heart.

Whenever someone dared to cover this song, the audience would give heartfelt applause.

Zhao Ziqi’s rendition didn’t just get the live audience on their feet; viewers at home also heaped praise on her respectful homage to a classic.

The Chu Entertainment team was extremely pleased with Zhao Ziqi’s performance.

Watching the excited crowd, they felt a strong premonition—Zhao Ziqi was certain to defeat Li Xuan tonight!