Are you serious?

"Are you serious?" He Hongjing couldn't help but ask.

"Of course," Ji Fanxing replied nonchalantly. "Why not listen for yourself?"

With that, she pressed play. The top-tier equipment in the Robin Island recording studio delivered the music with stunning clarity. The moment the song began, Hailan was completely drawn in.

By the time the song finished, Hailan was beaming with excitement, and He Hongjing’s eyes sparkled with delight.

She had never heard a rock song like this before. The title sounded a bit unhinged, and the lyrics were just as wild. The track blended retro electronic synthesizer and disco elements, yet the melody was brisk and the rhythm fluid, making the whole piece light and joyful.

Combined with the lyrics and singing style, both women felt utterly liberated as they listened—this was the spirit of youth, the true essence of rock.

Perhaps it didn’t sound overwhelming on its own, but with her wealth of experience, He Hongjing could already imagine how electrifying this song would be performed live.

In that moment, she felt genuine respect for Ji Fanxing. "King of All Singers" would be judged live, and this song’s strengths were simply too obvious. Yet Ji Fanxing, herself a competitor, was willing to offer up such a powerful piece...

"Thank you, Fanxing, but I can’t sing a song this good in the finals," Hailan said, though her expression revealed just how much she loved it. She and He Hongjing shared the same thought.

Ji Fanxing understood Hailan’s concern and took her hand. "Hailan, don’t refuse. Compared to me, you can express this song even better."

"But..." It would affect your chances in the competition.

Ji Fanxing, reading Hailan’s thoughts, tapped her nose in mild annoyance. "Don’t you trust my abilities?"

"Of course I do!" Hailan hurried to explain, afraid of being misunderstood.

"Then that’s enough. Sing it with all your heart—let yourself go! Let everyone feel the true power of rock!"

Moved by the scene Ji Fanxing painted, Hailan finally gave in. "Alright!"

She looked at Ji Fanxing, sensing an unbridgeable distance—Fanxing seemed so far above her, someone she could never hope to catch up to.

Listening to their exchange, He Hongjing shed her usual boisterous demeanor and sincerely thanked Ji Fanxing.

"Thank you, Fanxing."

"Jing, you’re too kind."

Ji Fanxing helped Hailan not just because of the bond from their past life, but also because she admired her talent. She wanted to see artists like Hailan shine brilliantly on stage, to go further and further.

Most of all, she wished to become friends with Hailan.

Ji Fanxing draped an arm around Hailan’s shoulders, pulling her close, and said with playful arrogance, "You’d better give it your all! I won’t go easy on you!"

Hailan stumbled, pressed up against Ji Fanxing. After her initial surprise, the sense of awe she’d felt faded, replaced by the warmth of true friendship.

She smiled brightly, her tone relaxed, "Yes! Let’s do our best together!"

"King of All Singers" was nearing its finale; the grand final was about to begin.

Ji Fanxing was far ahead in both competition points and online popularity, her lead so overwhelming that her championship was all but assured.

"Ji the God is incredible—she’s single-handedly crushed the entire competition!"

"Thank you, ‘King of All Singers,’ for introducing us to such a treasure—her music is just too good."

"They say her live performances are on another level—recordings and broadcasts don’t do her justice."

"Absolutely! I caught the first stage of the show with a friend just for fun, and we were blown away—her voice is unreal!"

"Envy! The tickets for the live recordings are impossible to get now; they’re selling for sky-high prices!"

"It’s fine—once she debuts, I’ll go to her concerts!"

"But I heard she hasn’t signed with anyone and might not even debut!"

As fans lamented online about missing Ji Fanxing’s live performance, the official "King of All Singers" account posted an announcement:

"Thank you to all the fans for your love and support. We have made an important decision. To thank everyone, we’ll host the ultimate ‘King of All Singers’ concert at Haishi Stadium! The venue holds 10,000 people, and we invite all contestants and special guests to celebrate with you. For ticket info, follow @WheatNet."

The fans were ecstatic!

After all, the original venue only held a hundred; tickets were nearly impossible to buy.

The finale was set for May 5th, right in the middle of Golden Week, when most people would be free.

"This is amazing! I’m getting tickets to see Ji the God live!"

"@WheatNet, you’d better not crash—I’m planning to grab ten tickets!"

"I’ve changed my travel plans just for this—might as well explore Haishi while I’m there."

In no time, both local and out-of-town fans were glued to WheatNet’s ticket release page.

In just one hour, ticket reservations on WheatNet reached 20,000—most of them Ji Fanxing fans.

Backstage at "King of All Singers," Liu Qi monitored the online buzz and ticket data.

His earpiece crackled with his boss’s orders: "Release the next announcement now."

"Yes, boss."

Liu Qi opened his phone and sent out the information, completing his assigned task.

"King of All Singers" was a major gamble for the boss—a show that began on a shoestring, many elements unfinished. Yet it had steadily climbed to become the hottest variety show in the country, now approaching its grand finale.

It was a pivotal moment for the boss’s career.

They had decided to milk the show for all it was worth and make the finale unforgettable.

Ji Fanxing’s fans had already spread the ticket news everywhere—momentum was strong. Yet still, some netizens remained dismissive.

"I don’t get it. Why watch a contest when the winner’s obvious?"

"Seriously, what’s happening to this industry? Now even rookies can fill a stadium? My idol couldn’t even do that!"

"Mengru’s concerts barely fill a thousand seats..."

"People with more money than sense, I guess. The last person to book Haishi Stadium was Lu Tianyu!"

More and more, fans of other singers began to protest, mocking concert-goers as fools who didn’t appreciate real talent.

"Confirmed! Master Fang will replace his apprentice Ren Feichang as a ‘King of All Singers’ mentor!"

On Weibo, Fang Zhijing quickly posted:

"Thanks to the ‘King of All Singers’ team for the invitation. Though I’m joining as a mentor, I regret I can’t fully fulfill my duties. So, at the finals, I will invite one outstanding contestant to participate in the National Music Exchange, hosted by the Dragon Country Music Academy."

This announcement rocked the internet.

Even the doubters fell silent.