Chapter 19: Fang Hao

Yang Wei and Qi Kai were cousins; now it all made sense. No wonder, after Lin Chuan took the stage, Yang Wei targeted him at every turn, determined not to rest until he eliminated him. If it hadn't been for the support of numerous fans at the end, whether Lin Chuan could advance smoothly today would have been an open-and-shut suspense.

Huang Quan and Li Rong exchanged a glance with Lin Chuan, sighed deeply, and said, "Man, you'd better be careful from now on. Yang Wei and Qi Kai won't let you off so easily!"

Lin Chuan managed a bitter smile and could only nod helplessly.

"Don't rush off later," Huang Quan patted Lin Chuan's shoulder. "We're all from the same division. You making it to the top thirty brings us all honor. I'll host tonight—let's have a meal to celebrate!"

"Exactly! No matter what, even if all three of us are eliminated, we should celebrate for you," Li Rong chimed in with perfect timing.

Lin Chuan gave a calm smile; since they showed such sincerity, he wouldn’t play the aloof celebrity. He nodded in agreement almost without hesitation.

But before Huang Quan and Li Rong could say anything more, Lin Yi Yang was unexpectedly excited. It seemed the kid was quite keen on going out to celebrate.

For the next while, Lin Chuan waited in the staging room with Lin Yi Yang. After about two hours, Huang Quan, Li Rong, and the rocker all took the stage for their performances.

Luckily, none of the three were eliminated; all advanced smoothly into the top thirty. This made tonight’s celebration all the more meaningful.

It was worth noting that, though the rocker usually acted aloof and disliked conversation, when Huang Quan invited him to join the celebration at the restaurant, he didn’t refuse—just nodded in agreement.

The four remaining contestants from the Beining division had nothing more to do after their performances. Though contestants from other divisions were still locked in fierce battles, it was no longer their concern.

The group left the television station, hailed two taxis by the roadside, and headed straight for a moderately sized hotel downtown.

The Tianbao Hotel wasn’t large, but it stood in the bustling heart of Beining City. Because the prices weren't too high, the clientele was constant and lively.

Usually, if you hadn’t booked ahead, it was hard to find a table at this place.

Fortunately, Huang Quan had called ahead and reserved a small private room.

Not long after, when the taxi stopped at the Tianbao Hotel’s entrance, the group stepped out one after another.

"May I ask, do you have a reservation?" A young, attractive hostess greeted them with a bright smile as they entered the hotel lobby.

"Yes, I believe it's Room 306," Huang Quan replied politely.

"Please, could you come over to register?" The hostess stepped aside and led Huang Quan toward the bar.

Meanwhile, another hostess approached Lin Chuan’s group and guided them toward their private room.

The hotel’s décor was reminiscent of European style, the golden, splendid lobby creating a striking impression. Everyone who dined here felt as if they'd entered a European palace.

The elevator stopped at the third floor. The hostess went ahead, glancing back every few steps to gesture for Lin Chuan’s group to follow.

In his previous life as a white-collar worker, Lin Chuan had frequented hotels of this scale a few times, so he wasn’t particularly surprised.

However, seeing Li Rong and the rocker remain so composed was unexpected. The rocker, fine—for all his cool detachment and obsession with his electric guitar. But Li Rong, an outspoken tomboy, by demeanor and attire an ordinary girl with nothing remarkable, seemed perfectly unfazed by the surroundings. It was a bit odd.

Even if she didn’t gush over the lavish décor, surely her eyes would betray a spark of excitement or curiosity. Yet her expression was calm, almost indifferent, as if she’d often dined in places like this.

Though puzzled, Lin Chuan wasn’t the gossiping sort; he chuckled softly, shook his head, and let the matter go.

Soon, the hostess stopped in front of the reserved room—Room 306.

But just as they were about to enter, footsteps echoed down the corridor. Lin Chuan and his companions turned to see a group of people dressed eccentrically; among them, a man and a woman sported hair dyed in all manner of colors—a quintessential non-mainstream crowd.

"Hey, isn’t that…what’s his name, Chuan? I’ve seen him on TV!" One young man, about twenty, pointed at Lin Chuan and commented.

"I know, that’s the original songwriter. He’s pretty famous now. You’d better put your claws down, or he’ll lay you out," another man joked.

Lin Chuan, Li Rong, and the rocker cast them a cool glance. Though their expressions soured, they didn’t bother to argue, pushing open the door to enter the private room.

At that moment, one of the non-mainstream group curved his lips in a sly smile and said slowly, "Lin Chuan, the songwriter, right? I heard you advanced today. Congratulations!"

This speaker, unlike the others, wore a blue jacket and jeans; his fair, handsome face was tinged with a subtle air of mischief.

Lin Chuan looked him over and, out of courtesy, nodded, "Thank you."

"Heh, no need. When you truly make it to the end, then you can thank me. Lin Chuan, I look forward to competing with you in the later rounds. But before that, you’d better not get eliminated, or I’ll be disappointed," the handsome man finished in a soft voice, then strode into his own private room.

His companions, as they passed Lin Chuan, whistled or made faces at him and Li Rong, their expressions begging for a beating.

"Damn, I really want to teach them a lesson!" Li Rong gritted her teeth, watching their backs.

"What happened just now?" Huang Quan caught up, registration complete, sensing the odd atmosphere though he’d missed the scene.

"Hmph, those guys were way too arrogant just now…" Li Rong recounted the incident, fuming.

Now, as they sat in the private room, their good mood had been utterly disrupted by those non-mainstream intruders.

After a while, Huang Quan sighed lightly. "I don’t recognize those non-mainstream types, but the one who made all the noise—I know him. His name is Fang Hao, one of the hottest contenders for this year’s 'Song to Stardom' champion."

"Fang Hao? Never heard of him!" Li Rong shrugged, unimpressed.

Beside her, the rocker shook his head, equally clueless.

Huang Quan smiled calmly, unconcerned, and continued, "You may not know Fang Hao, but you must have heard of Fang Yuanzhe?"

Sure enough, as soon as Huang Quan mentioned the second name, Li Rong and the rocker’s faces changed. Lin Chuan, though unsure of Fang Yuanzhe’s exact identity, could tell from Li Rong’s reaction that this was someone significant.

Huang Quan began his explanation with the legendary Fang Yuanzhe, detailing Fang Hao’s background.

Back in the eighties, Fang Yuanzhe was a leading figure in the music industry; at that time, his name was known throughout the land. Then, in the nineties, for reasons unknown, Fang Yuanzhe suddenly vanished from the music scene. A few years later, a company called ‘Yuanzhe’ emerged nationwide, with Fang Yuanzhe himself as the boss.

Giving up fame and status in entertainment, Fang Yuanzhe decisively entered business. Initially, many lamented his choice, unable to understand it. But as time passed, Yuanzhe Company rose rapidly, soon becoming a publicly listed enterprise. Those who doubted him were left astonished, their skepticism thoroughly disproven.

Even in his entertainment days, Fang Yuanzhe had excellent connections. After becoming CEO, he continued to collaborate with numerous agencies and entertainment companies.

Fang Hao, his son, had signed with an agency even before entering 'Song to Stardom.' Thus, regardless of his final ranking, the competition was merely a gold-plating exercise for him.

Moreover, though Fang Hao’s fame in the earlier rounds couldn’t match Lin Chuan’s reputation as an original artist, his ability was equally formidable. That’s why Fang Hao was considered one of the top favorites to win.

After Huang Quan finished sharing what he knew about Fang Hao, everyone present—including Lin Chuan—couldn’t help but gasp.

In terms of talent, background, and prospects, Fang Hao far surpassed Lin Chuan.

If Lin Chuan faced Fang Hao in the later rounds, regardless of win or loss, he’d gain nothing.

If he lost, he’d miss the champion’s glory and the handsome prize, but his future might not be too bleak; a talent scout could still bring him into the entertainment world, and with his classic songs, fame would not be hard to achieve.

But if he beat Fang Hao and angered Fang Yuanzhe, with his current reputation and status, even as the champion Lin Chuan’s path forward would be fraught with obstacles; advancing would be nearly impossible.

Lin Chuan forced a bitter smile, speechless.

In just one day, he’d managed to offend several powerful figures with deep backgrounds—nothing could be more unlucky than this.