Chapter 134: The Third Episode of the Music Variety Show
Tang Zhichu pushed open the villa door and was startled.
In the living room, there were about five people—four men and one woman—gathered around, eating and drinking while watching a program.
Hearing the door open, everyone inside was taken aback.
“Who is it?”
“Damn, it’s Little Tang!”
They all froze for a moment, exchanging glances. Luo Xiujie was the first to react, quickly standing up and calling out “Little Tang.”
During the recent recording, Tang Zhichu had defeated He Shuyuan, openly suppressed Qiu Zhen, and still managed to chat amicably with Sun Zhe. He had effortlessly diffused the awkwardness after winning the arm-wrestling match against Sun Zhe.
Everyone had witnessed this, especially the moment when he subdued Qiu Zhen—amid so many people and cameras, it was truly pitiful.
Because of this, when they saw Tang Zhichu, they felt a mix of awe and fear, as if they were in the presence of their own company’s boss.
Tang Zhichu was far from the harmless person he appeared to be at first glance.
“Oh, it’s so lively here. You guys aren’t going home?”
Tang Zhichu glanced around and could name everyone. Aside from Luo Xiujie, three were from Wei Jie’s team, and one belonged to Liu Xingyun’s.
“No... Little Tang, please sit down.”
“Little Tang, have you eaten? We’ve got food here.”
“Little Tang, come watch the program with us. We haven’t seen the third episode yet.”
...
Luo Xiujie had thoughtfully saved a single sofa seat for Tang Zhichu, giving him the feeling of a child sneaking friends home and getting caught by the parents.
Everyone thought Tang Zhichu had gone home today because when he left the recording building, he was picked up by a car. But unexpectedly, he had come back.
Everyone was very enthusiastic, especially a man named Zhu Yiyang. He was part of Liu Xingyun’s alliance and came from a major company—though a new-generation one. Tianhe was an older, established entertainment company with decades of history.
Zhu Yiyang pushed the food toward Tang Zhichu, straightening his posture.
Tang Zhichu knew him as the “Prince of Electronic Music,” whose style resembled that of Liu Boxin from his past life. Of course, these weren’t very deep memories.
His most vivid association was that Zhu Yiyang was a rich second-generation heir from Shanghai, reportedly owning an entire street.
Tang Zhichu had already eaten and drunk earlier, but since he was seated, not eating anything would seem out of place. So he picked up a snack.
“Tang Ge, look, your song is trending again.” Zhu Yiyang lifted his phone.
It displayed the listening rankings on Penguin Music, with “Drunken Red Cliff” prominently in first place, and the second-place song also looked familiar: “If I Were You.”
Because songs made during the show served as promotion and were free to the public.
“The program’s popularity is high. Look at the songs behind yours—they were all born on our show. Why don’t you join us and give it a shot?” Tang Zhichu smiled.
Though most of them were older than Tang Zhichu, they all called him “Little Tang.”
They exchanged a glance and smiled wryly.
At this stage, it was genuinely difficult for outsiders to get on the show. The bar was set very high unless you were cast as cannon fodder.
Zhu Yiyang was more relaxed and asked with a smile, “Tang Ge, what project are you planning for the next episode?”
“I’m good with anything.”
“...”
“What about the main theme for the ‘Dynasty’ documentary?”
Tang Zhichu glanced at him, thinking this guy was pretty sharp, and nodded.
Seeing Tang Zhichu nod, Zhu Yiyang grinned and sat down beside him. “Tang Ge, if you get it, don’t hold back!”
Zhu Yiyang was practically laying his cards on the table—hoping Tang Zhichu would pick him.
It was a strange cycle: those who couldn’t get on the show felt miserable, and when a huge project came along, it was like they hadn’t even arrived.
They also feared a scenario where two mediocre contestants would face off, both producing average work. Would the show cut them both? Cutting was one thing, but being criticized was worse.
...
The third episode of the Original Music Alliance had actually been online for two days.
Two days ago, everyone was busy recording and had no time or atmosphere to watch it.
What struck Tang Zhichu the most was the flood of calls and messages he received.
He didn’t watch the program with Luo Xiujie and the others but went upstairs alone.
Sitting before his computer, Tang Zhichu opened the third episode of the Original Music Alliance.
From the view count, the second and third episodes marked a clear turning point.
Thanks to Yu Hua’s promotion, the show tapped into the popularity of dating shows.
The second episode had just passed 100 million views, and the third had almost doubled that.
“Damn! Can we not mix in dating shows? I thought I’d entered the wrong program!”
“Yangyang’s writing songs while acting? What a scumbag couple!”
“The marketing accounts were right—what good does the reunion do? Keep dating? Separated, it’s different—one acts, one sings, leaving a group of fans to stare helplessly!”
...
Tang Zhichu halved the barrage comments. The dating show buzz hadn’t faded; many comments still discussed it.
Especially when Tang Zhichu appeared, the screen flooded with “Sugar God!” comments.
These were the die-hard dating show fans who, after rewatching, were stunned. Some details clearly showed Tang Zhichu had deliberately arranged the ending.
“I don’t believe it’s Sugar God. That smile and those pearly whites—I feel like he’s faking innocence.”
“Hahaha, me too. Now I see him as an old fox, always scheming!”
“Sugar God, take it easy. This isn’t a dating show!”
...
Just as Tang Zhichu appeared, greeting on the second floor, a flurry of comments appeared.
He hadn’t done anything yet but was already accused of being an old fox, scheming people.
Tang Zhichu himself was stunned—why had the atmosphere evolved like this?
“Oh no! He smiled at Guo Jinglong. He must be thinking, ‘So you’re Guo Jinglong, huh? I’ll deal with you later...’”
“Sugar God: Got you in my sights, old Bi. Stealing my spotlight, huh!”
“Hmph, the more polite he bows now, the more ruthless he’ll be scheming later.”
“This show’s format is great. I’m already hooked just from the host’s intro.”
“Big company living up to its name, really bold with their productions!”
“Xige Yunmiao, you’re fearless. That’s Sugar God you’re messing with. Just look at those two male guests on the dating show—Loser Alliance. At first, I thought it was a coincidence, but watching again, Sugar God definitely set them up. I didn’t catch it at first, but it must be true!”
“Whoa, Pu Jingshi is out. That’s a big shot. Xige is probably doomed!”
“So intense? A big shot entering as a challenger?”
“Whoa, Sugar God raised his hand!”
“Of course it’s you! Stirring things up from the start!”
“Brothers, I get it now. Pu Jingshi’s out because he’s an artist-level figure; switching to game soundtracks is easy for him. Xige does rap—too complicated, can’t compete. Sugar God is on another level. Let’s be pragmatic: if both he and Xige lose, it’s just shielding the rookies. When newcomers join, they’re prioritized for elimination—that’s politics. Shen Jianxin and Xige must remember this. If Xige wins, it’s also political—it offers a safety net, just smaller. If Sugar God wins? No question, he’s the hero. In any case, Sugar God can’t lose this round.”
...