Chapter 2: Who Is the King of Songs

At night, before going to sleep, Zhou Ran organized his thoughts. Right now, he held a spot on a variety show—a precious opportunity that could lead to his debut. He had to seize it with all his might.

Before bed, Zhou Ran had deliberately looked up information about the program he would record tomorrow. The show was titled “Who is the King of Singers?”—a music competition produced through collaboration between the country’s leading Mango TV and Kiwifruit Media, with the renowned variety show director Ning Wei at the helm.

The format invited seven long-established, famous singers and one amateur to compete on the same stage. There would be eight rounds in total, with the first five being elimination rounds. Each episode featured a thousand music industry professionals who voted and scored the performances. In the first five rounds, the lowest scoring contestant would be eliminated each time, and a replacement singer would join to continue the challenge. The competition was harsh—every episode would see someone sent home.

Zhou Ran was the amateur contestant in this lineup. In fact, the so-called “amateur” was simply a tool for the producers to attract more viewers.

From the moment its production was announced, the show garnered widespread attention, with major brands vying for naming rights. Zhou Ran couldn’t help but wonder—how exactly did Sister Mi manage to secure this chance for him?

No matter how he tried, he couldn’t puzzle it out. He decided not to dwell on it—once he made a name for himself on the show, he’d be sure to repay Sister Mi for her kindness.

The competitors on this show were formidable: newly popular idol Jin Kun, the band Phoenix, veteran singer Ji Song, rock musician Li Di, ballad queen Zhang Yuan, rapper Amu, and Shen Wei, who had debuted with melancholic love songs.

Aside from these renowned names, there was only Zhou Ran, an unknown nobody. The popularity of the other singers was overwhelming; any one of their fan bases could crush Zhou Ran’s a hundred times over.

If Zhou Ran wanted to survive and advance, he could only rely on himself. Fortunately, the Zhou Ran of this world was blessed with outstanding looks—a perfect ten. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gained nearly a hundred thousand followers overnight on the Douyin platform just with his face.

On this point, Zhou Ran was quite satisfied—after all, at least this face truly belonged to him. If all else failed, he could still make a living off his looks, though what kind of living that would be was anyone’s guess.

More importantly, his mind was filled with a trove of songs foreign to this world. With such musical treasures from Earth’s predecessors, his confidence grew—if he couldn’t advance with these, he might as well buy a block of tofu and end it all.

His voice was no less impressive: highly malleable, capable of both high and low notes—a fine instrument, perfectly suited for singing.

Lost in these thoughts, Zhou Ran drifted off to sleep.

—

The next morning, Zhou Ran was up early, too excited to have rested much at all. He’d packed his luggage the night before, though there wasn’t much—just a few shirts, trousers, some underwear, and that was about it.

His most valuable possession was a guitar, something deeply meaningful to him. No matter where he went, he took it along. It had been a gift from his parents for his eighteenth birthday.

Carrying his suitcase and slinging the guitar over his shoulder, Zhou Ran went downstairs to wait. It wasn’t long before Yang Mi pulled up in her car.

“Good morning, Sister Mi!” Zhou Ran greeted her warmly when he saw her.

“Get in,” Li Mi said, rolling down the window.

“Alright!” Zhou Ran didn’t stand on ceremony. Over the past year as a trainee, he’d spent more time with Li Mi than anyone else.

The recording venue was a half-hour drive away. When they arrived, Li Mi offered encouragement as Zhou Ran got out of the car. After all, he was going to compete alone, with no familiar faces around—she, as his closest ally, wanted to give him support.

Just as Zhou Ran was about to leave the car, he suddenly turned and asked, “Sister Mi, when I become famous, will you come back and be my manager?”

Li Mi was momentarily taken aback by his words. She didn’t give a direct answer, only replying ambiguously, “Let’s talk about it when you’re famous.”

After Zhou Ran walked away, Li Mi sat alone in the car, shaking her head with a wry smile. “Honestly, he’s not letting me off the hook.” After a brief silence, she murmured softly to herself, “Alright, Zhou Ran, I’ll wait for you to become famous.”

At the entrance to the recording venue, the show’s talent coordinator was already waiting. The person assigned to welcome Zhou Ran was Bai Ning, a host from Mango TV. She was twenty-one, with long hair and a black dress—gentle and graceful.

The role of the program’s manager was to liven up the atmosphere. If things became awkward on set, this was their moment to step in. They also got some on-camera exposure, a chance to boost their own recognition.

When Bai Ning was assigned as Zhou Ran’s manager, she felt a little aggrieved. As a newcomer at Mango TV, she had no say, and the chance to manage the star contestants naturally didn’t fall to her. She could only be paired with Zhou Ran—two rookies forming a team.

Bai Ning hadn’t expected much. The so-called “amateur contestant” was really just there for show, and “one round and out” seemed a foregone conclusion.

“I’m sorry to trouble you, waiting here in this heat for me,” Zhou Ran quickly expressed his gratitude to Bai Ning.

“It’s nothing, really—it’s my job.” Any lingering resentment Bai Ning felt vanished the moment she saw Zhou Ran’s face.

“So handsome!” Bai Ning couldn’t help swallowing nervously.

Suddenly, being paired with Zhou Ran felt worthwhile. Even if it was just for one round, working with such a handsome guy was a win.

“Mr. Zhou, shall we go meet the producer first, and then head to the stage for your initial rehearsal?” Bai Ning asked.

“Of course. And please, just call me Xiao Ran or Ah Ran—anything but Mr. Zhou. That just sounds odd,” Zhou Ran replied, scratching his head.

“Alright, Xiao Ran,” Bai Ning nodded in agreement.

Inside the broadcasting building, staff bustled everywhere, moving quickly as if carried by the wind. Zhou Ran first went to the director’s office to greet Director Ning Wei, who responded politely but perfunctorily, telling Zhou Ran not to be nervous and leaving it at that.

Clearly, Ning Wei didn’t pay Zhou Ran much attention—in his eyes, Zhou Ran was destined to be eliminated in the first round.