Lidu's Good Voice (1)

Another extraordinary night had come to New Eridu.

Stars glittered overhead, lights blazed below, and the Star Ring drifted through the darkness like a string of stars scattered across the mortal world.

The whole city looked up at it, as though gazing at a dream close enough to touch.

And why was the scene so breathtaking?

The answer was simple: there was a performance at the Star Ring tonight. It was the night of Lidu's Good Voice.

Inside the Star Ring studio, dazzling lights swept over a huge LED screen and the stage at its center. Every seat around them was filled.

The excited audience waved glow sticks, creating a rippling sea of light.

The show had yet to begin, but the atmosphere was already as lively as Gold Rush Day. Tonight's host stood ready onstage.

Siki was a "queen of odd jobs" who could rival Vivian—the busiest woman among Zenless Zone Zero's NPCs.

She wore blue overalls, her purple twin tails swinging in a graceful arc beneath the lights. Microphone in hand, she beamed as if she had won the lottery.

"Ladies and gentlemen, tonight's show for everyone, Lidu's Good Voice, is about to begin! This program is brought to you exclusively by the Dihgo Group!"

Thunderous applause followed.

"First, let's welcome our music mentors! Our first judge is the professional representative, the diva of TOPS—Yao Jiayin!"

Siki swept out a hand, and the stage spotlight snapped onto the judges' table.

Yao Jiayin sat beneath it, radiant in the light. She inclined herself slightly, waved to the audience, and smiled warmly.

"Jia Yin!"

"Jia Yin! It's Jia Yin in the flesh!"

Glow sticks churned through the stands like a wild sea. Screams rose one after another. Some shouted, "Jia Yin, I love you!" while others cried, "Jia Yin, marry me!"

Behind the judges' table, in the front row of the audience,

Belle leaned toward Wise and whispered, "See, bro? Jia Yin has so many fans! What if I got a few extra autographs and then sold—"

"That's called manipulating the market."

Wise laughed as he cut in, though his gaze remained fixed on Yao Jiayin. "But you're right. Jia Yin really does have a lot of fans."

"Of course! The prize for winning this time was sponsored by Jia Yin herself—"

Before Belle could finish, Siki announced from the stage, "Besides the cash prize, tonight's winner will get to perform onstage with Miss Yao Jiayin!"

"Aaaaaah!"

At the sound of that prize, the crowd's excitement climbed even higher, straight to a fever pitch.

Once the noise had died down a little, Siki raised a hand toward the seat beside Yao Jiayin, a hint of mystery in her voice.

"Next, please welcome our second judge, representing Intelligent Constructs: the renowned music producer from Sixth Street's record store, Miss Epha!"

The camera switched angles.

On the big screen, Miss Epha, an Intelligent Construct, appeared in the seat beside Yao Jiayin.

Miss Epha had black, metallic-looking skin and wore a green floral dress that was tribal-inspired yet stylish, with design flair to spare.

Everything about Miss Epha said one thing: professional.

Then her metallic voice rang out, touched with a magnetic warmth. "Believe in yourself. You are the voice I'm looking for."

The studio fell silent for a second—then applause and cheers erupted together.

"And our final judge, representing the amateurs, is also from Sixth Street: Cecilia."

Siki's suspenseful introduction had the audience peering toward the judges' table, eager to see what amateur could serve as a judge at an event like this.

Despite all the commotion around her, Cecilia sat composed in a simple yet elegant green outfit. As a former diva, she had a presence that rivaled Yao Jiayin's.

One audience member said, "I think I know her. She's a music teacher at 404 on Sixth Street."

Another replied, "Isn't 404 a bar? A teacher for an underground idol group has that kind of presence? And she's that gorgeous?"

Once Siki had introduced all three judges, she lifted her microphone slightly and declared, "The competition officially begins now! Please welcome our first contestant, Nekomiya Mana from the Cunning Hares!"

As Siki finished speaking, the stage lights went dark and the curtain fell.

When the lights came back on, three-dimensional projections of kittens appeared. Then Nekomata stepped into the spotlight.

She strutted along with a catlike gait and began to sing, "Let's all learn to meow like cats, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow..."

Below the stage, Anby waved her glow stick with a perfectly calm expression. Her companions beside her were another story entirely.

On her left, Billy shook his hips while holding up a fan sign. On her right, Nicole swayed from side to side, waving her glow stick and cheering like mad.

Did they look like they were just supporting their teammate?

Only Anby knew Nicole had her eye on the enormous prize money. She had talked Nekomata into entering by claiming that "Cat Thirens have a natural advantage."

The song ended, its final notes lingering in the air.

Onstage, Nekomata finished the last note and gripped the microphone nervously. Even her tail had gone stiff.

At the judges' table, Epha nodded slightly, Yao Jiayin applauded softly, and Cecilia wore an intrigued expression.

Perhaps Nicole had been right—Cat Thirens were naturally adorable, and that did give them an advantage.

But the three judges clearly had no intention of going easy on her for that.

Epha, known for her strict standards, was the first to ask a question.

How many Proxies had poured resources into getting a good disc from her, only to come away empty-handed?

Epha folded her arms, tilted her head slightly, and asked with curiosity, "Miss Nekomiya Mana, why did you enter this music competition?"

"Here it comes!" Nicole waved a delighted hand from the audience. I knew a judge would ask that.

Before the competition, Nicole had spent a fortune on a copy of One Hundred Thousand Questions for Judges and coached Nekomata through the answers all night.

Onstage, Nekomata raised the microphone. Her eyes instantly reddened, and her voice trembled. "I was once a stray kitty living on the streets."

"I never had enough to eat or anything warm to wear. I was scared every single day... It was my friends at the Cunning Hares who, little by little..."

By the time she reached the emotional part, people in the audience were already wiping away tears.

The lights dimmed at just the right moment. A single spotlight fell on Nekomata, making her reddened eyes look especially moving.

Then—bang! The studio doors were thrown open.

Zhu Yuan stood in the doorway with Qingyi and Seth behind her. The three looked as though they had stepped out of a cop movie.

Zhu Yuan showed her police badge, then barked, "Cunning Hares! Following a report, you are suspected of fraud, theft, illegal entry into Hollows, and multiple other crimes!"

"Meow!" Nekomata yelped and vanished from the stage in a flash.

"Anby, Billy, the heat's on! Run!" Below the stage, Nicole hurriedly called for her companions to flee.

Qingyi and Seth immediately gave chase. Zhu Yuan lingered a moment.

She picked up the microphone Nekomata had dropped onstage and said with a solemn expression, "Download the anti-fraud app. Cherish your life. Stay away from scams!"

With that, Zhu Yuan followed her companions. The audience sat in silence for two seconds before someone muttered, "So Nekomata made up that story about her past?"