Chapter 37: "A Song for You All!"

“Wow!”
“My God!”
“My Zhou Ran!”

The audience erupted in wild celebration as Zhou Ran and Ji Song embraced each other on stage, singing out for Zhou Ran’s victory!

Meanwhile, the number of live-stream comments hit a fever pitch, Zhou Ran’s name flooding the screen until the entire chat became a boundless blue ocean. On Weibo, countless users surged in, frantically posting about Zhou Ran. In the Weibo data center, the staff was struck dumb by the backstage statistics as a crush of new users crashed the servers.

News of Zhou Ran’s championship shot straight to the top of the Weibo trending list. Earlier that day, a rock singer who had just released a new single had bought the top spot, but barely held it for a few hours before being swept down to sixth place. The top five trends were now all about “Who is the King of Songs,” dominating the rankings entirely.

Today, Zhou Ran was the brightest star in the entertainment industry, all eyes upon him.

Though the public ranking from the finale of “Who is the King of Songs” had already been announced, there was still one closing ceremony left. According to the rules, after the winner is crowned they receive ten minutes alone on stage—during which they may speak, perform, or do anything they wish, so long as it isn’t illegal.

Zhou Ran chose to use these final ten minutes to sing a song for his fans, expressing his gratitude, and to take the chance to chat with them. He was deeply thankful for their support, and wanted to connect with them during this special moment.

For his last performance, Zhou Ran decided to sing a song in a style he had never attempted before: “Economy Class” by Liu Cong. In his previous life, Zhou Ran had discovered this song when it was at its peak popularity on the variety show “The Rap of China.” Although he’d never been interested in rap, he found himself drawn to this particular track and felt at ease listening to it.

Backstage, Zhou Ran changed out of his white suit and into the outfit he’d worn on his very first appearance on the show—a white shirt and blue jeans. He wanted to leave as he’d arrived, a gesture to remind himself never to forget his original intentions.

He had always stayed true to his heart: to sing sincerely, let the world know him, treat every song with devotion, and honor every fan.

As Zhou Ran rode the elevator up to the stage, his fans recognized his outfit at once. They had dubbed it his “white battle attire”—many had first been introduced to Zhou Ran by this very shirt.

Moreover, many fans in the audience wore identical white shirts, though theirs bore the initials “ZR” in pinyin across the front. As Zhou Ran appeared, his fans stood up as one, creating a dazzling sight in the arena.

Zhou Ran could see it all clearly from the stage. When he noticed people in outfits matching his own stand up, he smiled, knowing these were the ones who supported him.

He smiled at them, then raised his right hand in a fist to salute—his way of telling them he was always watching over them, that he was always by their side.

The fans responded in kind, returning his salute. The cameras captured the moment, and the live-stream comments exploded with rows and rows of little fist emojis.

“Wuhu! Zhou Ran is taking off!”
“Zhou Ran, Zhou Ran, fly bravely! Your fans will always be with you!”
“Go, Zhou Ran!”

Zhou Ran adjusted the microphone and settled comfortably into his seat onstage.

“The next song is for every fan who has supported me. I hope you enjoy it and that it brings a smile to your face. Thank you!”

He bowed deeply to the audience.

This song was for all his fans, to thank everyone who had voted for him. For this live performance, he had no lyrics to rely on, so he poured his soul into it, prepared to write all night if he had to.

Boarding economy class, arriving at this place,
Looking out the hotel window, gazing at the moon, thinking of home.
My age—not quite new, not quite old,
For new things, my eyes never stray,
Wondering how I can win the crown.

The moment Zhou Ran began to sing, the audience’s eyes brimmed with tears—for who had ever heard of an idol singing a song just for their fans?

And tonight, Zhou Ran was performing in a completely new genre.

As he sang, the giant screen behind him lit up. The production crew had prepared this surprise long before the competition started. Photos of Zhou Ran from the start of the contest until now scrolled across the screen—candids captured when he wasn’t looking.

Unanswered calls
A night filled with stars
Sing softly with me
Even if you’re in economy class
Unanswered calls
Signals lost above the clouds
Child, don’t be afraid
Life isn’t an arena
Tranquility fears only stagnation,
Like a block of ice,
Forgetting the wisdom of “be water” (Bruce Lee’s philosophy),
My homie says, you work so hard,
Of course you need faith.

As Zhou Ran looked back at the glowing screen, his eyes reddened as well. He had never expected these images, capturing his journey from innocence to growing maturity.

He’d experienced so much—great happiness, deep sadness, and moments when he felt like giving up.

But Zhou Ran always encouraged himself to persist; he owed it to everyone who believed in him. He could not let his “Sister Mi” down.

As the poem he left at the production team said: “Do not laugh at the youthful ambitions of a boy, for he once swore to stand among the world’s best!”

He would keep climbing step by step, to become a leading star in the entertainment world, so that everyone would know his name.