Chapter Ninety-Four: Tit for Tat

On stage, Sig nudged Tang Zhichu and whispered, "You should've told me you could do this."
Tang Zhichu shook his head slightly. "Just made something up."
For a moment, Sig found Tang Zhichu unfathomable—was he truly unaware of his own talent, or was he just putting on an act?
But the outcome was good; Tang Zhichu’s victory meant their own side won, though Sig still felt a bit disgruntled.
The host began to speak, linking each song together with a few words and then handing the decision over to the project team.
Directly ahead, the four members of the game project team looked at one another, uncertain who should speak or what to say.
At last, the man in the middle leaned toward the microphone. "First, I want to thank the production team; this trip has been well worth it. I also want to thank the four exceptionally talented musicians..."
After his words, the group collectively stood and bowed.
This was a situation where offending people was almost unavoidable, but there was little else they could say. It was taboo for outsiders to judge insiders—so all they could do was offer praise.
The four exchanged glances, and the man in the middle continued, "Every song is excellent. It's truly difficult for me to choose. Let's do this: the four of us will vote."
They fell into a smooth rhythm, choosing in order from left to right.
"I'm definitely inclined toward Teacher Pu Jingshi’s 'The Distant River,' so my choice is Teacher Pu!"
"I like Teacher Sig’s 'Valor Unmatched.'"
"I personally love Teacher Little Tang’s 'Drunken Red Cliff!'"
Three people, three different choices. In the end, only the player representative remained.
On stage, everyone understood what was happening.
Damn, you had to admire these businesspeople—they really knew how to keep things balanced.
Each person picked a different contestant; aside from the one left out, who looked downcast, everyone else had to thank the project team, and the whole scene became much more pleasant.
One person’s sorrow was entirely drowned out by the buoyant atmosphere.
And conveniently, they left the final decision to the player representative—brilliant.
That player representative smiled shyly and said, "Teacher Little Tang, I really love your song—it’s truly amazing. The moment I heard it, my mind filled with images from the game. I don't know much about music, but I like this song a lot. So if I have to make a decision, it’s 'Drunken Red Cliff' for me!"
The audience seemed to have no objections—they spontaneously burst into applause, which went on and on.
Backstage, there was a stir among the professionals.
"Impressive, truly impressive."
"The young man came prepared."
"Looking at it this way, Teacher Shen really took a gamble and won!"
"This song deserved to win, no question."
…
There were four alliances, each supporting their own. For Stellar Alliance, things weren’t so bad—they were ranked second in points at the moment, and though this round was a total loss, the Vanguard Alliance had fielded Pu Jingshi and still lost. In effect, the top two both failed this round.
That made everyone’s loss a little easier to swallow.
"Teacher Shen, well done!" At the far right, Bai Xiwei stood and punched the air in Shen Jianxin’s direction.
Shen Jianxin cupped his hands in response, grinning so widely he could hardly close his mouth.

This wasn’t just a simple victory—it was an unexpected delight.
Tang Zhichu had displayed remarkable efficiency and creativity.
"Old Shen, you’re something else! Hiding such a trump card!" said Liu Xingyun, the somewhat rotund founder of Stellar Alliance, from next door.
No one really disputed the outcome; as professionals, they could recognize quality when they heard it.
Only now did everyone realize that Shen Jianxin’s all-in bet on Tang Zhichu wasn’t just about being a good judge of character; he’d truly recognized Tang Zhichu’s talent.
Sun Zhe of Vanguard Alliance suddenly interjected, "He’s the one who finished his piece on the very first day, right? Definitely came ready. Teacher Shen really has an eye for talent."
Shen Jianxin’s smile faded a little as he replied, "Jingshi is very strong as well—he went on stage by the third round, setting an example for us older musicians."
At this, Sun Zhe’s expression stiffened slightly.
Shen Jianxin was laid-back and supportive of newcomers, but deep down he was proud—he’d been a dominant force in the record era, once standing at the pinnacle of the national music scene, and so felt a certain responsibility to help younger talents.
Sun Zhe had emphasized that Tang Zhichu finished recording on the first day, suggesting he must have known about the project in advance—otherwise, how else could he have been so prepared?
It sounded like praise on the surface, but there was a hidden jab.
Shen Jianxin had always held his tongue among these entertainment company types, but only because he hadn’t won before—now that he had, he wasn’t about to let himself be slighted.
So he pointedly noted that Pu Jingshi had spent three rounds on the show before taking the stage—having watched these projects for nearly a month. Even if Tang Zhichu had known about the project in advance, they were still starting from the same line. And yet, the others still lost.
Sun Zhe’s face tightened, but he responded, "There’s no such thing as old or new generations here—we’re all here to learn and improve."
As art director of Tianhe and a friend of Pu Jingshi, Sun Zhe naturally tried to cover for him; after all, once this episode aired, Tang Zhichu would be seen as having stepped on Pu Jingshi’s shoulders.
After Shen Jianxin stood up for his protégé, the two men squared off.
"You’re right, we are all here to learn and grow—I agree."
The same words, but with entirely different undertones—a veiled retort.
One a current heavyweight in the entertainment industry, the other a legendary figure in music—ordinary musicians wouldn’t dare interject.
Liu Xingyun couldn’t sit still and gave a hearty laugh to break the tension. "Yes, yes, we’re all here to exchange ideas."
Bai Xiwei suddenly interjected as well, "Teacher Liu, that's not quite right—we’re all here to make money."
The room erupted in laughter, finally easing the mood.
…
On stage, Tang Zhichu signed a contract. Once done, someone from the game company pulled him aside.
"Teacher Little Tang, looking forward to working with you."
Tang Zhichu shook his hand. "Likewise."
"Here’s the thing—we really love your song, and I have a small request."
"Go ahead."
"Not only is your music outstanding, but your image is as well. If possible, we’d love to take our collaboration a step further and have you film a promo video for us. If... if we could get Chen Siyang too, we could create a Zhou Yu and Xiao Qiao duo—wouldn’t that be wonderful? Don’t worry, your endorsement fee will be more than satisfactory."
Tang Zhichu glanced at him and shook his head. "I’m sorry, I’m not considering this kind of commercial deal at the moment. As you saw, I only just joined this show."
The other man smiled and didn’t mind, pressing a business card into Tang Zhichu’s hand. "No problem, if not this time, maybe next time. Our company’s in Shanghai—if you ever come by, we’ll be sure to treat you well."

With that, he left. Tang Zhichu hadn’t expected that a man who looked to be around forty would actually watch reality dating shows, or have ideas about pairing him with Chen Siyang.
If it were just him and the commitment wasn’t too heavy, Tang Zhichu might have considered it—after all, he was short on cash.
But involving Chen Siyang changed things; the dating show had only aired halfway and was already trending, but the ending wasn’t a happy one. If he and Chen Siyang started taking commercial offers together now, it would be courting disaster.
With the contract signed, the rest of the project was just a matter of procedure.
With the host as witness, Tang Zhichu and the project team shook hands and posed for photos on stage.
At the backstage corridor, Pu Jingshi hadn’t yet left. Watching those on stage, he shook his head and smiled wryly at himself.
The show had put these older musicians on a pedestal, leading to a sense of letdown. Just like this round—Pu Jingshi was satisfied with his work, but it hadn’t been chosen; he would have to reflect and regroup.
That’s the market for you—there’s no room for pride.
"I should... I should try playing that game sometime. I can’t just get excited about a project title anymore..." Pu Jingshi muttered to himself.
"Hey, Teacher Pu!"
Having just stepped off stage, Tang Zhichu saw Pu Jingshi and hurried his pace.
Pu Jingshi smiled. "Congratulations."
Tang Zhichu didn’t reply immediately, instead scrutinizing Pu Jingshi before finally smiling back. "Thank you. I was a bit rash this round."
Pu Jingshi shook his head. "You did the right thing. I came here to learn; winning or losing doesn’t matter. You’re young, with a bright future—don’t get complacent."
Pu Jingshi was more magnanimous than Tang Zhichu had expected. He’d waited at the corridor on purpose, clearly for the cameras’ benefit.
But that worked in Tang Zhichu’s favor—if the footage wasn’t cut, it would silence those who might say Tang Zhichu had challenged Pu Jingshi unfairly.
He hadn’t interacted much with others this episode, but several people left a strong impression on Tang Zhichu, such as Shen Jianxin, Guo Jinglong, and now Pu Jingshi.
"After you," Tang Zhichu said, stepping aside.
Pu Jingshi smiled, didn’t protest, and walked with Tang Zhichu back to the lounge.
As they opened the door, a crowd surged forward—some to praise Pu Jingshi, some to congratulate Tang Zhichu.
Shen Jianxin gave Tang Zhichu’s head a vigorous rub, looking excited. "Good lad!"
Tang Zhichu leaned into Shen Jianxin, and the two sat down together.
Shen Jianxin placed Tang Zhichu on one side and Sig on the other, one to his left, one to his right.
…
The recording for the third episode began at 11:40 in the morning and didn’t finish until dusk.
At the end, a line of cars waited at the back entrance of the studio, each ready to pick up its artist—some heading home, others off to new engagements.
There was always a day of rest between recordings.
In the manor, peace returned in an instant.