The Show Begins

July 30th, noon.

The four songs recorded in the professional studio arranged by the production team were simultaneously released on the "Best Songwriter" special zone opened by Penguin Music.

The show hadn't even aired yet, but the internet was already buzzing.

The Goose, notorious for being stingy, was finally being generous this time. Although downloads weren't allowed, they provided the highest quality audio source.

It was made available for everyone to listen to for free.

Other platforms were green with envy.

Because even though it wasn't a paid service, it was a highly successful internal collaboration for the company.

It would bring a massive amount of traffic to Penguin Music.

As soon as the audio was uploaded, it instantly became a sensation across the entire internet!

Although there were only four songs, which wasn't enough to satisfy everyone, those who had been following the show were still very excited.

As expected, the four songs broke out into the mainstream.

Except for Xue Lin, who was originally an ordinary person with no fans, the other three were already somewhat famous online.

Among them, Zhong Yutong had the most fans.

Plus, she had already promoted them in her fan group and vlogs.

In just over an hour, her votes had already surpassed fifty thousand.

She was far in the lead!

Second place was Song Dao.

Although Kong Xi and Hu Wei had recently become popular, and Lin Fei's triumphant return had somewhat decreased Song Dao's popularity, he still had a considerable number of fans who liked Brother Dog.

Those who were attracted by his looks even mobilized all their connections to get people to vote on Penguin Music.

So, Song Dao also had over forty-three thousand votes.

Zhao Qi was in third place with a respectable thirty-nine thousand votes.

On one hand, he had millions of followers on various platforms.

On the other hand, his agency had also started to put in effort.

Some artists from Qiankun Entertainment were cheering for their talented and handsome junior brother on their social media platforms.

Xue Lin was the most unfortunate.

It was almost painful to look at.

She had only garnered a little over two thousand votes.

While her being an ordinary person was a factor, it was more so because her folk-style song clashed with her sweet voice.

It wasn't that a sweet voice couldn't sing folk music, but it overshadowed the storytelling inherent in the genre.

Even before the show aired, her song's comment section was filled with negativity.

This is how it is in the internet age; anyone can go online.

People who are unhappy with their own lives particularly enjoy causing trouble online.

They never consider others' feelings, unless they themselves face similar attacks one day.

Even then, they might not gain any insight, only feeling wronged.

"Why are they all targeting me?"

Meanwhile, at the production team's gathering.

Xue Lin was feeling a bit down.

Even with various delicious foods laid out before her, she didn't have much appetite.

Everyone from the show was having a meal together.

Seeing her like this, Zhong Yutong, who was currently in first place, voluntarily sat next to her.

She took Xue Lin's hand and said, "Linlin, don't be discouraged. The show hasn't even aired yet. We have existing fan bases, so our current votes don't reflect the general public.

Once the show airs, believe me, with a face as cute as yours that I just want to take a bite out of, you'll instantly gain a lot of fans.

Your votes will naturally go up then!

Also, I bet within three days, my 'Brother Song Dao' will knock me off the first place throne...

Out of the four of us, his song is still the most powerful!"

As she spoke, she glanced at Song Dao across from them.

Song Dao was speechless.

Everyone else started laughing.

Zhong Yutong emphasized, "I'm serious. I don't even need to mention Brother Dao's singing skills; it's his emotional delivery that's truly amazing!"

Zhao Qi smiled, but inwardly he scoffed.

What a load of nonsense, that emotional state stuff is just what a simp would say!

He didn't believe Song Dao's crappy song could beat his own composition, "Huazhou," unless the audience had absolutely no taste!

Zhong Yutong's lighthearted and humorous tone made Xue Lin chuckle. She then said, "Sister Qi told me I'm not good at this style, but I just wanted to try. I messed up. I'm okay, but I'm worried someone might attack Sister Qi later."

"What kind of storms hasn't your Sister Qi weathered?"

Sun Meiqi said proudly from the side, "How could this little thing hurt me? Aren't there still so many songs left? Get back to your comfort zone, our Sister Flower Combination will only get stronger with every battle! Defeat them! Defeat Teacher Song Dao!"

As she spoke, she even shook her fist at Song Dao.

Everyone burst into laughter again.

Afterward, Ma Shen and Li Jun also offered a few words of comfort.

Although the old man liked to joke, he was very good to these children who were like his grandchildren.

"You're still in the process of finding your way. With your talent, you'll find it soon."

He couldn't help but sigh, "People nowadays are too eager for quick success. I hope you young creators aren't so impatient. Take your time."

Xue Lin thanked him earnestly.

Lin Fei also nodded, "Exactly, take it step by step. Learn from Teacher Song, be down-to-earth and methodical."

Song Dao: "..."

I'll just assume you're praising me.

Over the next few days, the group continued to eat, drink, and play, though there was a slight change in personnel.

Xue Lin was replaced by Zhong Yutong in the group with Lin Fei, Song Dao, and Sun Meiqi.

Ever since recording that song, the famous internet celebrity seemed very interested in Song Dao and became much more friendly towards him.

Xue Lin, after deep reflection, decided to return to her comfort zone and create a song that would amaze everyone.

Ma Shen and Zhao Qi didn't participate in these activities, only occasionally chatting briefly in the evenings when everyone returned to the old villa.

As for the old man, Li Jun, he somehow got a fishing rod and went to the small lake behind the villa to fish whenever he had free time.

He was also living a very leisurely life!

After a few days of fermentation, Song Dao's song, "Don't Say You Don't Care About My Tears," had indeed, as Zhong Yutong had predicted, successfully climbed to the top of the special zone rankings.

It once again sparked heated discussions online.

Although there were only four songs in total, their comment sections were already very lively. Even Xue Lin's song had over 30,000 votes.

The reviews had shifted from initial mockery to serious and rational analysis.

There were likely many professionals among the listeners, offering very pertinent advice, as well as some fans who came over from Sun Meiqi's side.

Since Sun Meiqi hadn't heavily promoted it on her personal account, the number of visitors wasn't too large.

However, there was still some improvement.

But compared to those ranked higher, it was still too weak.

Song Dao, ranked first, had already surpassed 500,000 votes.

This didn't mean only 500,000 people had heard the song; the actual number might have exceeded a million or even more.

Even if it was just a casual vote, many people were reluctant to do so. (This is a reminder to you all, be more considerate.)

Zhong Yutong remained in second place, with just over 400,000 votes.

However, she was being closely pursued by Zhao Qi, whose vote count was also over 370,000.

August 9th.

Saturday.

The first episode of "Best Songwriter" was scheduled to premiere tonight at 8 PM sharp on Tencent Video.

The official broadcast was about to begin!

No one had returned to their rooms.

In the large living room of the old villa, everyone sat on the sofas, facing a huge projection screen.

An advertisement was playing on it.

The coffee table was laden with various fruits, pastries, snacks, and drinks.

However, no one was really touching them.

Watching their own show was also part of the material for future episodes.

Variety shows today were very different from the past; their biggest characteristic was that they were no longer so "proper."

Especially for variety shows like Best Songwriter that focus on a relaxed, casual vibe.

With several cameras pointed at them, everyone felt too embarrassed to take out their phones and play games. They could only chat while waiting.

As the show began to air, the bullet comments instantly exploded.

Dense, overwhelming!

Everyone's faces lit up with joy.

Sun Meiqi even reached out to Song Dao beside her.

Song Dao helplessly high-fived her.

Lin Fei, on the other side, glanced over, a faint smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.

The explosive bullet comments meant that countless people, just like them, were waiting for this show to air.

Even the old man, Li Jun, understood this logic.

"I can't see anymore, they're too dense," he put on his reading glasses, trying very hard to read.

The others also remained silent, watching the content of the bullet comments intently.

"Hahaha, Sister Fei is as always! She hasn't appeared in public for so many years, and she's still so beautiful!"

"Oh my god, how does Sister Fei maintain herself? She looks even younger than before!"

"We saw it in the trailer, Sister Fei is really beautiful! So relaxed, I love it!"

"Brother Dog is so photogenic! Laughing so hard, why is he so funny? Ten years east, ten years west, one day I'll be the chief director too, hahaha, this is too interesting..."

"Song Dao is so handsome, I love his looks!"

"Zhao Qi is the most handsome!"

"Zhong Yutong is so beautiful, who is that girl next to Sun Meiqi? She's so cute!"

"Did the production team pick the trainees based on their looks?"

"Ma Shen is here too? Hahahaha..."

"The production team knows how to stir things up!"

However, amidst these voices, there were also some less harmonious ones--

"Does it feel like there are no big stars in this show besides Lin Fei?"

"Yeah, Ma Shen and Sun Meiqi are okay, but who is this old man?"

"I've never seen this person, is he famous?"

"Never heard of him!"

Whether in the bullet comments or the comment section, this kind of sentiment quickly began to increase.

But another voice quickly emerged.

"You don't recognize Li Jun?"

"Someone actually hasn't even heard of this old man?"

"Are you kidding me? Go ask those Heavenly Kings and Queens if they know him!"

"Although he's not a singer, I dare say that in the entire Chinese music scene, everyone would respectfully call him Teacher Li!"

"A legendary songwriter, and you treat him like a nobody? Do you know how many Heavenly Kings, Queens, and top superstars he has trained?"

"Ignorance isn't scary, what's scary is that you won't even bother to search!"

"Although Sun Meiqi's status is a bit lower than Lin Fei's, if it wasn't for the song 'Lovesickness', it would be hard to say who would command a higher price if they both took commercial endorsements at the same time!"

"They say Ma Shen is second-tier, but who knows that his concerts are always packed, and he holds dozens of them a year?"

It could only be said that there were still knowledgeable viewers among the audience, which made the production team's recently raised hearts relax again.

The old man sitting on the sofa naturally saw those bullet comments and reviews, with no displeasure on his face.

With his status in the industry, he truly didn't need to care about such voices.

Besides, he was a creator, so it was normal for people not to recognize him.

As the show continued, it soon reached the part where Lin Fei, with a face mask on, looking like she was being forced to work, went to find Song Dao.

Then the two quickly decided to go out for a meal...

The style of the bullet comments changed rapidly again.

"No, can someone tell me, is this a music show? Could it be a food show?"

"A Bite of Huazhou: A Taste of Xia Kingdom, I just finished eating, and Lin Fei and Song Dao made me hungry!"

"Why is Song Dao asking Sister Fei to pay the bill?"

"My stomach is not good! What about it?"

"Can't you see that Sister Fei dotes on Song Dao?"

"The slacker duo even influenced the Sister Flower Combination next door. Two beautiful women, and you two led them into becoming little gluttons participating in a food show together."

"Did you see Teacher Ma's slightly awkward expression when he faced Sister Fei and Song Dao?"

"Teacher Ma: The production team gave too much."

"Zhao Qi seems to look down on Brother Dog, too bad your song can't beat his!"

"This old gentleman is too funny, he actually teased Heavenly Queen Lin Fei on the spot, urging her to find a boyfriend... Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter!"

"Crying with laughter, the 'slacking off' duo treated this like a food show, Teacher Li Jun treated it like a fishing show, everyone's here on vacation, right?"

After some people had introduced him, those who came later already knew the identity and standing of this old gentleman.

If an ordinary person dared to tease Lin Fei like this, they would have been roasted into silence on the spot.

But now, all sorts of teasing felt much more good-natured.

This show is really joyful.

The atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant from beginning to end.

Of course, the disagreements between Ma Shen and Zhao Qi during the creation process and their refusal to back down were also quite interesting to watch.

Nowadays, truth and falsehood aren't that important; people just want to have a good time.

And Xue Lin, the young girl who had previously had very low votes, finally gained considerable favorability.

"I knew why she would sing a song like that, so she wanted to challenge herself."

"Sun Meiqi already told her it wasn't suitable, and the little sister still dared to do it? Hmm, this spirit of daring to challenge oneself is worth encouraging."

"My Tongtong is so amazing. Although I've heard the song before, watching her creative process now, I have to admit she's truly talented."

"Comparing talent with Brother Dog? A song in ten-plus minutes!"

"Brother Dog is indeed a bit awesome. He has released a total of three songs so far, and every single one has been a hit."

"Come on, writing a song in ten-plus minutes isn't difficult, especially for his assembly-line products. I've seen people broadcast themselves writing songs on Carrier Pigeon."

"Oh yeah? You write one that's this popular, let's see."

At the end of the show, during the student performance segment, the sight of Song Dao sitting upright on the piano bench, playing and singing, once again set the bullet comments ablaze.

Regardless of what the mainstream voices said, Song Dao's image as a young, talented, tall, and handsome artist was showcased through this program.

During the subsequent review segment, Ma Shen's understated comment also caused the bullet comments to erupt in arguments.

Supporters said Teacher Ma's words were spot on and very pertinent.

Opponents said that people should be free to create whatever they like, and who was he to dislike it.

Amidst the commotion, as the first episode concluded.

Best Songwriter became popular!

Explosively popular.

Song Dao also became popular.

If he was previously popular online and had achieved some level of mainstream recognition, then now, Song Dao, personally brought along by Lin Fei, had truly begun to possess something called "national recognition."

That night, almost all the trending searches across major platforms on the entire internet were dominated by "Best Songwriter."

[Lin Fei and Song Dao's Relaxed Vibe Max]

[Sun Meiqi and Xue Lin Sister Flower Combination]

[The Hidden Master of the Hall, Li Jun]

[Ma Shen and Zhao Qi Argue Over Creation]

[Li Jun Urges Heavenly Queen to Find a Boyfriend On-Site]

[Best Songwriter Premieres to Explosive Popularity]

[Best Songwriter is a Food Show]

This program, which countless netizens called "the most unconventional music variety show in history" upon its premiere, had completely exploded.

Its popularity instantly surpassed everything else.

The four mentors and four contestants, all experienced a surge in popularity.