Chapter Forty-One: The True Deity of the Music World!

The melodious, ethereal accompaniment seemed to drift in from the vast grasslands.

As the music began, Zhou Lu stood at the center of the stage, and despite everyone's doubts, she slowly started to sing.

"A Diao."

"Living somewhere in Tibet."

"Perched on mountaintops like a vulture."

"A Diao."

"Sunlight spills over the steps of Jokhang Temple."

"Brew a pot of sweet tea, let us talk about the past."

Just a few lines into the intro, the airy lyrics struck like rhythmic drums, stirring waves in the hearts of everyone present.

The venue, already quiet, grew utterly silent.

Zhou Lu's voice soared above the hall.

"A Diao."

"False smiles come in countless forms."

"When you descend the mountain, remember to bring your Zhoma knife..."

"Beautiful, just beautiful! The goddess Zhou's voice feels piercing—I feel as if I'm standing on the great grasslands now!"

"This song by Zhou Lu is truly stunning! It feels like a brave struggle against fate, an urge to soar upwards."

"Her voice is so resolute, so full of vitality! It's like her indomitable resistance against an unfair destiny, never willing to yield. That feeling is in so many of her songs."

"Hey, that's deep! I don't quite get it, but all I know is, after hearing this song, I feel brimming with strength!"

"Beneath the brim of a gray hat, hollow cheeks."

"You rarely speak, answering simply; who cares where you go tomorrow?"

"Even if you collapse on the road, embrace exile, confusion, and freedom."

"Like the wind that sweeps across rugged, uneven paths."

"Slow, steady footsteps, fading, mottled tracks."

"Perhaps, not even a trace remains here, but I—"

"Still will not give up hope just because of pain."

"Scars bloom into the most beautiful flowers."

"Scars bloom into the most beautiful flowers."

As the chorus burst forth, the entire venue erupted!

If Chen Nian's "Boundless Sky" was about breaking the chains of fate with determination after courage has been found—charging toward dreams even knowing what lies ahead—then Zhou Lu's "A Diao" was an ode to yearning for life and freedom, to a calm defiance and struggle against destiny!

At the same time, it emphasized an unwillingness to let reality blunt your edges!

Though their themes differ greatly, without question, both songs strike straight at the heart and are works worth pondering.

In the waiting area, Fan Qiya's brows were tightly knit. She couldn’t understand the lyrics, but from the atmosphere and the audience's reaction, she knew the pressure was immense.

In the singers’ lounge, Chen Nian, sitting quietly in a corner, watched Zhou Lu’s near-perfect performance on stage and nodded in satisfaction.

For this song "A Diao," Chen Nian had chosen Zhang Shaohan's rendition.

As someone who shared a similar fate with Zhang Shaohan, this song seemed tailor-made for Zhou Lu.

As long as Zhou Lu could deliver a flawless performance, Chen Nian believed that neither Xiang Dimo nor Fan Qiya nor anyone else would stand a chance—Zhou Lu, or rather, A Diao, would defeat them all!

"Director Mo, Director Mo! This is incredible, just incredible!" In the backstage studio, Mo Fan was completely absorbed in Zhou Lu's performance.

At that moment, his assistant burst in.

"What is it, what is it?" Mo Fan impatiently pulled off his headphones.

"The number of viewers in the livestream has surpassed fifteen million! And the show's rating has hit 9.9—the highest in Huaxia's history!"

Mo Fan froze in disbelief, then leapt up, grabbing his assistant's shoulders and shaking him wildly.

"Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha!"

"9.9! 9.9! I did it! I, Mo Fan, did it!"

Fifteen million viewers, a multimillion salary—none of that mattered to him.

As an outstanding gold-medal producer, a show rated 9.9 was the lifelong faith he pursued!

"A fate full of hardships, yet calm in obsession."

"Waving farewell at countless stations of youth."

"Willing to settle for the ordinary, yet never willing to fail in mediocrity."

"You are A Diao, you are a free bird."

"A fate full of hardships, yet calm in obsession."

"Waving farewell at countless stations of youth."

"Willing to settle for the ordinary, yet never willing to fail in mediocrity."

"You are A Diao."

"A Diao, love is a seed of sorrow."

"You are a tree, you will never wither..."

As the song ended, it propelled the program to its climax.

In the production office of "Who Is the Singer," the previously noisy private room fell into complete silence.

Everyone sat alert and watchful, eyeing each other, but not a word was spoken.

In just one episode, a mere three-hour livestream had shattered the foundation built over six seasons of "Who Is the Singer."

If Xing Fei's performance was like a hidden trump card, then what Chen Nian and Zhou Lu delivered this episode was nothing short of a nuclear bomb!

Wang Tao, the boss of Xinji Entertainment, covered his face, deep in thought.

If he could go back, even if Luo Youdao had pulled out his investment, even if Xinji Entertainment would have suffered greatly, he should have blacklisted Chen Nian completely!

Beside him, Lin Xinrou was utterly despondent.

After witnessing Chen Nian's terrifying, monstrous talent, she suddenly realized—though she always saw Chen Nian as her greatest rival, in his eyes, she was probably insignificant.

Even when he helped Luo Xiaoyi out at her concert, it was probably just a casual gesture...

Next, Zhou Lu and Fan Qiya switched stages.

Dressed in a flowing white dress, Fan Qiya stood on stage, her face serene, all previous unwillingness washed away.

The performance had not yet begun, but she seemed to realize that this battle was already lost.

Sure enough, after her song ended—though her performance surpassed that of senior Xiang Dimo—in the face of Zhou Lu’s "A Diao," she was completely overwhelmed.

335 to 165!

A resounding victory for Zhou Lu.

The two foreign guest singers, so arrogant on the stage of "The Voice New Generation," were both eliminated after just one episode!

"Goddess Zhou! You are the best!"

"Goddess Zhou, you and Chen Nian are the saviors of Mandarin pop!"

"The living gods of the Mandarin music scene!"

When the scores were announced, the audience erupted with excitement.

"Wait a minute!"

Suddenly, someone realized something.

"Didn’t Goddess Zhou say at the start that the lyrics and composition of 'A Diao' were both by Chen Nian?"

"What? Are you serious? Both lyrics and music by Chen Nian?"

"That's right! I recorded a video just now—Zhou Lu said it herself, it's all Chen Nian!"

"My god, one person, one episode, eliminated two international superstars?"

"Unstoppable! Now that's the true god of Mandarin music..."

Once the audience realized this, Chen Nian was utterly deified in the world of Mandarin music!

When the recording ended, Xiang Dimo and Fan Qiya, abandoning their previous arrogance, sought out Chen Nian before leaving and exchanged contact information with him.