The stage of the "Masked Singer" program.
The audience was seated, and the four judges were in their seats.
The venue was still bustling, but the show was about to begin.
Because the venue was large, just like in the city qualifiers, there was a large screen behind the stage for the audience to watch later.
At this moment, the camera was still testing, and its position was on the judges' table.
"I'd heard that Liu Huan would be here long ago, I didn't expect it to be true."
"Wow! Is that Han Qi next to him?"
"The judges this time are really star-studded. These teachers haven't appeared on screen for a long time!"
"Of course, these are all old veterans in the industry. Teacher Liu Huan is a master-level existence, and Teacher Han Qi is busy with charity work all over the country, so how could she appear in public frequently."
"Compared to these two, Yin Na is a notch lower, did she get in through the back door?"
"You can't say that, Yin Na is also one of the older generation singers who has released many hit songs."
"Haha, Teacher Mo Yan looks very happy, always smiling."
"Teacher Mo Yan has always had this gentle and kind personality."
"I'm really looking forward to Teacher Han Qi's comments, her comments are famously sharp!"
"Anyone is fine, as long as Yin Na talks less. Teacher Han Qi is famously sharp, and Yin Na is famously bad at judging."
Seeing that the judges were all familiar faces with strong professional abilities, the audience members started to whisper and discuss amongst themselves.
In their hearts, their interest in this show grew even stronger.
The fact that they could invite such professional judges indicated that the organizers highly valued the level of the singers.
However, quite a few audience members were quite annoyed by Yin Na.
Previously, on a program, she had eliminated a very strong singer on a trumped-up charge, and there were often news reports of her being arrogant.
However, despite a lot of negative publicity, she still held some status in the Chinese music scene and frequently served as a judge in music competitions of various genres. The program team likely invited her for this reason.
At this moment.
A broadcast sounded in the venue: "Lights, camera, all departments, ten seconds to showtime!"
Following this broadcast.
The discussions among the audience gradually quieted down.
Then, host Lin Han walked from backstage onto the stage.
He had a smile on his face, looking quite spirited.
"3!"
"2!"
"1!"
"Start!"
As the countdown ended, music began to play.
Lin Han held the microphone and said to the camera with a smile, "Welcome to 'Masked Singer,' sponsored by Xiang Guo Wu Yu!"
He was so happy!
After the city qualifiers, he went from an obscure host to the hottest figure in the hosting industry. He used to envy his seniors for being able to appear on various large variety show stages, but now Lin Han had soared, becoming the host of "Masked Singer," a show everyone in the industry wanted to host!
Of course, he knew he became popular because of Ting Yu.
He was naturally extremely grateful. Not long ago, he had asked someone to send some tea from his shop to Ting Yu. It wasn't that he didn't want to thank Ting Yu in person, but Ting Yu was too busy in October, and he couldn't reach him at all.
He had been continuously expressing his gratitude, such as by reposting Weibo posts related to Ting Yu and occasionally flattering him online to show his sincerity.
The stage of "Masked Singer" this time was even larger than the city qualifiers, and it was the peak of his hosting career. He knew that as long as he hosted this program, his resume would likely surpass that of most of his peers, and he would firmly establish himself among the top hosts.
Starting at the peak, this was something many people could only dream of.
Although he was very happy.
He also had some minor regrets.
Without Ting Yu, he wouldn't be able to interview contestants who said surprising things.
No more meme-worthy expressions.
Well, it was truly a pity.
Saying goodbye to the world of memes made him a little reluctant.
Thinking of this, Lin Han almost burst out laughing.
His idol persona could finally be picked up again!
"Next, please welcome our first contestant, Mr. Hat, to the stage!"
After saying that, a person dressed in a black tuxedo and wearing a giant hat mask appeared from the stage entrance. The hat looked like a full head covering, and it was quite amusing.
His appearance and gender could not be seen, and because the hat was so large, his height was also indiscernible.
"He's covered up too much, isn't he?"
"Damn, who could possibly guess this!"
"I have to say, this styling is awesome!"
"Mr. Hat, why is your hat bigger than your head..."
The audience burst into laughter.
But everyone was quite considerate and gave him the applause he deserved.
Host Lin Han began his usual procedure: "Mr. Hat, please begin your performance!"
There were no extra pre-performance questions.
Since the contestants were masked and their voices were altered, clues could only be revealed at the beginning. Anything done beforehand was redundant.
The first round of the show featured six contestants, paired up for duels. Therefore, after both performed, the host would conduct interviews with them together.
Mr. Hat nodded in response.
Then he walked to the center of the stage.
The accompaniment began to play.
It was a melodious piano piece.
Upon hearing the intro, Mo Yan, sitting at the judges' table, couldn't help but be startled.
"Is that one of Teacher Mo Yan's songs?" Liu Huan smiled and said softly.
"'Deeply Devoted.' Starting with such a sad love song, it seems he wants to go for an emotional route first and save his strength for the second song," Han Qi nodded, pinpointing Mr. Hat's intention.
"Heh, I'm looking forward to him giving this song a brand new interpretation," Mo Yan maintained his usual gentle demeanor.
He wouldn't arrogantly say that someone was unworthy of singing his songs. Whether it was a top singer or a newcomer, he mostly offered encouragement.
It was precisely because of this that so many people respected and liked him, an elder in the producer community.
"Our story is very simple,
It can be told in a few sentences.
But when the story falls upon ears,
Is it not so bland..."
This was a storytelling love song.
The verses in the early part were calm, and it was only in the chorus that the emotions truly took hold.
This was also the unique style of Mo Yan's love songs, always using a simple tone to draw you in deeply, leading to an explosion at a certain point, directly causing an uncontrollable sadness.
It had to be said that this hit song, combined with Mr. Hat's hoarse voice tinged with a hint of sadness, was performed in a very tear-jerking manner.
As he sang the last line, quite a few audience members sang along.
When he finished the last line, thunderous applause erupted from the venue.
"This Mr. Hat is very strong!" Liu Huan frowned in thought.
"Indeed, I find his voice somewhat familiar, but I can't quite place it," Mo Yan also nodded with a smile.
"He probably changed his singing style slightly," Yin Na, who had been silent until now, chimed in.
The audience also began their own speculations.
"I think this person's voice might be from someone in their forties or fifties!"
"At this age, there are many who sing love songs, and their low notes are hoarse and soft, while their high notes are penetrating. There are many like that, the range is too wide..."
"Could it be someone from one of the four major entertainment companies?"
"..."
As the audience speculated, Mr. Hat had already retreated from the stage.
The host went on stage again: "Please welcome our next contestant, Mr. Faceless Knight, to the stage!"
As soon as his words fell.
A slender figure wearing a mask and a mask walked out from backstage.
Dressed in a black tight-fitting suit, with a handsome black cape behind him.
As he walked, the cape billowed in the wind, making him look very cool.
"Damn, this guy chose his costume well! This outfit is really cool!"
"Looking at the tight-fitting suit, it's definitely a male singer!"
"Hmph, with that figure, maybe it's a flat runway?"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible, I have never seen such a flat runway in my life!"
Mr. Faceless Knight went on stage without any extra words.
He nodded at the staff.
Suddenly, the accompaniment began.
Upon hearing the intro, everyone's expression changed!
A simple melody, conveying a faint sense of sorrow.
The judges also showed a knowing smile.
"The sounds of prosperity, enter the temple, dazzling the world.
The dream is cold, tossing and turning for a lifetime, how many love debts are there..."
After these two lines were sung.
The familiar pronunciation and singing style.
Made the audience completely lose their composure!
Yan Hua Yi Leng!
This voice, this pronunciation, Ting Yu is here???
And at this moment.
Su Yu, who was still waiting backstage, was completely bewildered inside his rabbit head.
Who the hell is this bastard, wearing my favorite outfit, singing my song, and imitating my pronunciation???
...
ps: Only the first episode will have detailed descriptions of supporting characters, as it is necessary for everyone to understand the competition rules. The following competitions will be briefly mentioned if they are not important...