Chapter 1012

After leaving the stage.

The Clown walked off with the audience cheering him on.

Han Qi was almost jumped in excitement. “Teacher! That was a really great song!”

With his performances complete, Zhang Ye could finally talk without hesitation. “It wasn’t too bad. I think I did alright.” He felt rather satisfied.

The song was not that easy to sing. In fact, it would be easier to sing some other songs that required the belting of high notes. In contrast, this song’s high notes were not that obvious and there weren’t many pitch changes either, so that made it very difficult to sing and would require a greater skill to execute well.

It was a song that didn’t exist in this world. But in Zhang Ye’s previous world, “Fake Monk” was a very illustrious song by Cui Jian. It was a decades-old song and enjoyed quite the high status within rock music and music industry. It was known by virtually everyone, and later often performed by many people on various variety shows and singing talent shows as one of the more classic songs around. Celebrities like Tan Weiwei, Phil Chang, Jeff Chang had all covered it before, even Yu Qian. It could be seen from this alone just how important and enchanting this song was to people of that era

Zhang Ye also liked “Fake Monk” a lot. The original version of the song used folk music instruments for its accompaniment as well. As one review had praised, Fake Monk had gone against tradition in the name of tradition with its accompaniment. Zhang Ye retained this arrangement as well as adding in some other things according his own understanding before presenting the song on this stage.

On the way back to his waiting room.

A continuous stream of program team staff were giving him the thumbs up.

Some of them even approached him to ask for a photograph.

“Teacher, can we take a picture together?”

“Please take a picture with me, Teacher Clown.”

“I like you so much!”

“That song was great!”

The song had touched quite a few people, especially the older ones who had a rush of emotions evoked from listening to the song!

Thinking of those songs The Clown sang during the audition in front of the program team, everyone nearly vomited blood!

How glorious it is to be an oil worker?

As a fifty-year-old pro driver, you are all smiles?

Bullshit!

That was all just pretentious shit!

This was the real Clown!

This was who The Clown really was!

While Zhang Ye took a few pictures with the employees here, Sunflower in the Starlight’s voice came from the stage behind him. His song selections today didn’t seem that good as he couldn’t perform to the best of his ability.

“Living in this tedious world.

“What am I meant to do?

“Vastness, loneliness, companionship.”

However, a lot of the audience were still happy with Sunflower’s performance and trying to guess who he was.

As Zhang Ye was not exactly considered as part of this world, and he wasn’t too familiar with the people here, he gave up on trying to guess. At least he was quite sure that he wasn’t familiar with who Sunflower was, although nothing was definite since they were all wearing masks. So on this point, Zhang Ye himself did not want to confirm anything.

…

10 minutes later.

“We’re here,

“Dancing in the wind.”

Sunset Glow also finished singing.

The applause was enthusiastic!

There were cheers coming from everywhere in the audience!

Dong Shanshan came onstage at this moment and said, “Let’s welcome The Clown and Sunflower in the Starlight back onto the stage.”

Sunflower, who had been waiting in the wings and listening to Sunset Glow’s performance, returned to the stage very quickly.

Meanwhile, The Clown made his way back from the waiting room and took a bit longer to get back.

As Sunset Glow was the last contestant to perform, the judges started giving their opinions about her singing first.

Zhang Xia said in astonishment, “I’ve come to realize that Sunset Glow’s singing is really amazing. She has performed perfectly to her potential. I listened to those two songs in pure satisfaction!”

Sunset Glow laugh lightly and said, “Thank you, Grandma Zhang.”

Wang Zhuishu agreed, “Sunset Glow seems to be the type of singer who slowly warms up as her voice silently starts to infect us. When you first hear her sing, it doesn’t seem like much, but it really does get much better every time we listen to it. It can really touch people’s hearts, so that’s really good. I’ve come to rediscover Sunset Glow today, and I believe that she’s definitely a professional singer!”

Chen Guang added, “Sunset Glow’s weapon is not belting out high notes but sentiment and subtlety. There aren’t many like her in the music industry.”

Amy stared hard at her and had a niggling feeling that she was very familiar. “Do we know each other?”

Sunset Glow laughed. “Guess.”

Amy said in annoyance, “The problem is that I can’t guess at all!”

The audience laughed.

Yao Jiancai could sense something, so he said with a chuckle, “Amy, from what she’s saying, I think the two of you must know each other.”

Amy said, “I already have a candidate in mind, but I can’t be sure!” She stared at Sunset Glow and said, “Are you the person I’m thinking of?”

Sunset Glow shook her head. “I don’t know who you’re thinking of.”

Amy looked at her and said, “I’m very close to that person, so close that we’ve even shared the same skirt before. But that person’s voice isn’t as low as yours and her singing style is different too. Did you change your vocal register on purpose?”

Sunset Glow stopped answering and just laughed.

Amy immediately said, “That won’t do. I better give her a call now and see if she answers!”

Amy then took out her cell phone on the spot and dialed a number.

Du du du.

Du du du.

After five or six rings.

Amy set her phone down in shock. “She didn’t pick up! Could you really be her?”

Zhang Xia laughed and said, “Stop speaking in riddles. Just tell us who it is.”

But Amy did not speak.

Next was Sunflower’s turn.

Chen Yidong was still praising Sunflower as usual, with only the utmost praise for him.

But Zhang Xia said, “Sunflower still sang very well, but I’ll reserve my opinions on his song choices for today.”

Sunflower chuckled and just nodded.

Amy analyzed, “From his accent, I think he’s a singer from Hong Kong.”

Wang Zhuishu said, “Yeah, I feel the same. There’s a 70 to 80% chance. Although his accent isn’t that obvious, the pronunciation habits of singers from Greater China are very difficult to change.”

Amy bluntly questioned, “Are you a singer from Hong Kong?”

The synthesized voice of Sunflower sounded. “The director won’t allow me to tell.”

The contestants’ answers were all very conservative as they did not want anyone to so easily guess who they were.

Finally, the conversation shifted to The Clown.

Dong Shanshan asked, “Do our judges have anything to say about The Clown’s performance?”

Chen Yidong said, “There’s nothing much left to say. All I can say is that I’m convinced!”

Wang Zhuishu smiled wryly and said, “He’s definitely an excellent singer! The two songs today were good in both lyrics and melody, but the singing was even better. There’s absolutely nothing to pick on! It was amazing!”

Amy asked anxiously, “Teacher Clown, which industry senior are you really? Can you stop teasing us like that? Just hurry up and let us know already!”

The Clown laughed.

Amy quickly asked, “Then can I ask you a question?”

The Clown thought about it for a bit before nodding.

Amy pointed at herself and asked, “Do we know each other?”

The Clown hesitated for a moment then gently nodded.

“We do!?” Amy scratched her head. She was going crazy. “Who on earth are you!”

Chen Guang quickly followed up, “Then do we know each other?”

The Clown coughed and then nodded again.

Chen Guang was going crazy too. “Among the people I know, there’s not a singer who has a style like yours! I’m generally quite familiar with all the Mainland China singers, but there are some singers from Greater China I don’t know. Could it be that you’re from Hong Kong?”

Zhang Xia waved it off and said, “That can’t be. How can he be with that kind of an accent?”

Chen Guang said, “He might have deliberately hidden his accent?”

Amy also said in surprise, “Oh yeah, he might really be from Hong Kong! We might know each other, but there’s also a possibility that we don’t know each other well?” Then she asked The Clown, “Are you a celebrity from Greater China?”

Wang Zhuishu asked, “Where are you from?”

Chen Yidong also continued questioning, “Right, where is your hometown? Can we ask that?”

Everyone was looking at The Clown, wanting to know the answer!

Dong Shanshan was about to help him fend off the questions.

But no one could have expected that The Clown would raise his microphone and start singing through the voice transforming microphone in Cantonese!

“My ol’ home, hey, is right in this hamlet!

“I was born and raised here in this hamlet!”

The people in the audience were floored!

But the more The Clown sang the more animated he become.

“Though our village isn’t much, we have hills, rivers, and forests.

“The villagers are friendly and everyone gets on well.

“So many things have happened inside this hamlet.

“Thinking back on them, it’s speshly funny.

“If you friends are in-ter-est-ed, I can show you, show you around, and have you meet our villagers!”

Amy burst out laughing!

Chen Guang was floored!

Zhang Xia, Yao Jiancai, and a few others cramped up with laughter!

Beside him, Petal Shower’s shoulders were shaking uncontrollably. She was obviously laughing beneath her mask as well!

Your ol’ home is right in this hamlet?

Does Hong Kong even use the term hamlet at all?

Get lost! Just get lost! Who wants to meet your villagers!

And besides, doesn’t your Cantonese sound too non-standard?

The audience was doubled over in laughter!

“Aiyo, I can’t take it!”

“You can even come up with these sort of things on the fly?”

“I’m dying of laughter, hahahahaha!”

“Bro, what are you trying to do, imitating a Hong Konger like that!

“Pfft! I can see right through you and know that you don’t have a rural residence!”

“Why is The Clown such a tease!”

“Who is he really?”

“I don’t know!”

The program team staff were also amused. They thought to themselves about how these people did not see for it themselves when this person sang that “as a fifty-year-old pro driver, I am all smiles” song. He was truly an out-and-out troublemaker who could really come up with all kinds of nonsense! He pretended to be a worker once, and now, he’s even pretending to be a citizen from Hong Kong?

Zhang Xia said with a laugh, “He’s definitely not a singer from Hong Kong!”

Amy had to take her hat off to him. “Senior, don’t pretend anymore. Really, stop pretending already!”

Yao Jiancai said, “If that’s the accent of a Hong Kong singer, then I’ll be flying out to Australia for a concert tomorrow! That Hong Kong accent of yours was way too pretentious!”

Amy laughed, “Hahahahaha!”

Chen Yidong said, “This personality of his has confused me even more!”

Amy said while laughing, “Yeah, this makes it even harder to guess who he is!”

A Cantonese version of “Our Villagers” from Zhang Ye’s world had tickled the judges and audience funny here!

Finally, the voting began!

The audience picked up their voting devices.

“The Clown!”

“The Clown!”

“Sunset Glow!”

“Sunflower!”

A lot of people were shouting the names of the contestants that they liked.

When the judges and contestants looked at the real-time tallies on the big screen, they couldn’t help but give a wry smile. Right from the start, the difference between tallies pulled away!

The Clown was far ahead!

In the end, the results were decided!

Sunset Glow: 142 votes.

Sunflower in the Starlight: 101 votes.

The Clown: 257 votes!

The second episode’s Masked King was crowned!

It was still The Clown!

The Clown continued to hold the title of Masked King!

The audience erupted into cheers!

The judges stood up and gave him their applause!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cui_Jianhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitar_Tanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Changhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Chang_(singer)Yu Qian – a Chinese host and crosstalk comedian born in 1969https://youtu.be/AF5gZHDN8ek

(not a Cantonese song, but a parody by somebody impersonating Andy Lau’s voice. The language is apparently closer to Northeastern Mandarin, but trying to sound Cantonese.)