545: Chapter 545 The Great Entertainer

Star City.

Lin Chuyan had arrived a few days early.

On one hand, it was to cooperate with the production team to record some additional footage outside of the live broadcast content, which would be used to fill the program's runtime. On the other hand, it was for rehearsals; arrangements, sound, band coordination, stage design, and many other aspects required his personal attention, as he strove to achieve the most perfect performance effect.

Over these few days, the coordination between both sides had gone quite smoothly. Especially regarding the arrangements, since there was no need for the "Singer" side to help with production, the collaboration was even more comfortable.

The effect of the final rehearsal was nothing short of stunning. The production team was full of confidence in Lin Chuyan's "exaggerated"; everything was ready, just waiting for him to blow the roof off the place.

Lin Chuyan's internal monologue: "Nonsense, how could it not sound good when it's a recreation of the E-God's DUO concert live version?"

In the hearts of many music fans, the DUO version of "exaggerated" is the pinnacle of the E-God's performing career, and Lin Chuyan holds it in high regard as well. Being able to recreate this classic in a live performance this time, he decisively chose this version.

Especially the arrangement at the end; at the 4-minute mark of the song, that questioning "Hmm?!" from the E-God could be called a stroke of genius. It is no exaggeration to say that when Lin Chuyan heard it back then, he got goosebumps instantly.

However, even so, he did not let his guard down.

Ever since he got the song "exaggerated," apart from checking Weibo these days, he had spent almost the entire day soaking in the practice room; he was practically singing until he felt like throwing up.

It couldn't be helped; performing this song well really wasn't easy.

In terms of breath control, some sections needed to be steady and even, while other places needed to be full of power.

The transition between true and falsetto voices was even more complex. He had to pay attention to which word to start the transition on, and even the clever handling of the two words "exaggerated" — one true, one falsetto — required repeated deliberation.

This was just the basics; on the live stage, the transmission of emotion was the most important thing.

The loneliness and desolation at the beginning of the song, and the inner unwillingness, struggle, and desire in the chorus, all needed to be precisely interpreted.

Although adding points via the system could improve his singing technique, it couldn't grant him the ability to express emotion. Fortunately, this song happened to fit his recent experiences and state of mind perfectly.

"Singer" set, artist lounge.

Lin Chuyan had finished his styling. He was wearing a unique suit and was sitting upright on the sofa at this moment.

From the trousers to the jacket, this suit was neatly divided into two parts: black on the left, brown on the right. On the black chest, right over the heart, were two embroidered pink dragonflies, as if metaphorically representing the two sides of him.

"Teacher Lin Chuyan, are you ready?" Hu Wei asked softly.

The production team would assign a "Music Partner" to every Singer participating in the program. Generally, they would find a host or Singer with a slightly lower status to take on this role, and this time was no exception.

Hu Wei was two years older than Lin Chuyan; she was a female Singer and also his loyal fan.

"I'm ready, let's go." No emotion could be heard in Lin Chuyan's voice.

Once everything was prepared, the live broadcast began.

But unexpectedly, the barrage comments were in an uproar from the very beginning.

[Boycott the trash artist! Boycott the trash program!]

[F**k! If it's trash, why are you still watching?]

[My brother looks so good, completely unaffected. The Haters must be fuming to death.]

[So looking forward to it, Lin Chuyan is going to be crushed into dust by Adela.]

Hu Wei took a quick glance, her brows slightly furrowed.

"Teacher Lin Chuyan, we are appearing last. Adela will be scheduled before you, to make it easier for the public jury to vote."

Lin Chuyan's expression was calm; he was already used to these controversies and didn't even pay them any mind: "Reasonable. Then let's just chat casually."

"Does Teacher Lin Chuyan feel nervous?"

"Eh, it's just singing a song. They call it a PK, but actually, once you get on stage, you can't influence anyone else. Just sing your own part well; there's nothing to be nervous about."

These words made sense.

What his idol said was always so reasonable.

Hu Wei continued to ask: "Aren't you worried about being scolded if you lose?"

"Huh? Don't I get scolded every day? Why would I worry about this?"

Hu Wei couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Then, Teacher Lin Chuyan, have you heard the songs of your opponent for this PK, Adela? How do you feel about them?"

Lin Chuyan's voice was very sincere: "I have. I've listened to some of her live performances on "Singer"; she is very talented, and taking first place is well-deserved."

He knew when to be arrogant and when to be humble.

The main thing is that one must be sincere as a person—Adela really does sing very well, and belittling an opponent is meaningless.

Besides, only by defeating the strong can one demonstrate one's own value, right?

"What about the other online Singers? Are there any you like?" Hu Wei continued to ask.

"There are good and bad ones. I won't talk about the bad ones. I don't want to belittle others, but I find that if I don't say anything derogatory, I can't evaluate them, so I'd better not say anything."

This was also sincerity.

"Okay, okay."

Hu Wei didn't really dare to continue asking such questions; one had to remember this was a live broadcast.

However, the barrage comments exploded again upon hearing this.

[Lin Chuyan is Acting crazy again. I'd like to see how awesome you actually are.]

[Who did he name and scold? Do you have no idea how well the online Singers sing? They've already given you plenty of face!]

[An artist who beats women on set, and you still invite him on the show? You want traffic and have no shame.]

[The person above is mentally disabled. I can also say I saw Lin Chuyan molesting an old lady with my own eyes; do you believe that?]

The two of them chatted like this, and the popularity of the official live stream room soared all the way, breaking the recent peak popularity for a pre-show live broadcast.

After a while, the first online Singer went on stage, and the competition officially kicked off.

The playback equipment on the backstage wall was displaying the live scene in real-time, and the Singer's voice came through. Lin Chuyan listened for a while, and people took many screenshots of his facial expressions, turning them into memes.

[Dying of laughter, this is truly terrible.]

[I want to see what you can sing like in a bit!]

[I surrender, give some face, hey!]

[Kick him out! If you don't want to listen, just play on your phone, what are you making faces for?]

Just as these words were said, as if hearing the Haters' inner voice, Lin Chuyan really lowered his head and played on his phone, and he played for more than half an hour.

"Teacher Lin Chuyan, Adela is on stage. This song is called "Desert Rose"." Hu Wei reminded him.

"Here we go."

Lin Chuyan looked up, his gaze focused on the playback equipment.

On the screen, Adela was wearing a gorgeous long dress, holding a microphone, and the moment she opened her mouth, it was a long, high-pitched wordless chant.

The melody full of Middle Eastern flair and the unique Arabic vocal runs instantly grabbed everyone's ears.

Starting with a big move right from the beginning!

Lin Chuyan's eyes lit up, and he stood up directly to applaud.

Awesome, truly awesome. Otherwise, how could she take first place? What were those things before? He was almost listening until he got sleepy; not falling asleep was already giving them a lot of face, okay.

The barrage comments also surged at this moment, and netizens finally understood Lin Chuyan's behavior of playing on his phone earlier.

[Holy crap, she hasn't even started singing yet, but just this chant has already defeated everyone before her.]

[There is a sense of holiness like a high priestess chanting!]

[Who said Lin Chuyan is arrogant? He just hadn't heard anything good, okay!]

[Exactly, sincerity is most important. If it sounds good, clap. If it doesn't sound good, those who want to pretend can go pretend themselves.]

[It's over, is my brother really going to lose?]

Wawa, as a professional judge, was also listening on-site. As soon as Adela opened her voice, he felt the situation was not good: Oh no, it feels like a fifty-fifty situation...

This is a big move, absolutely a big move. Having said that, couldn't you online Singers save your big moves for the final episode when deciding the winner? Why sing it here? Anyway, you won't be eliminated.

However, Wawa thought about it and understood: That's right, for Adela, this moment is the biggest battlefield. No matter how well she sings in the final episode, she can't win the championship, so it's better to use it here.

Adela's singing voice was ethereal and compassionate, and full of imagery: the suffering experienced by humanity, the bitter struggle under suffering, the stubbornness of refusing to give up, countries ravaged by brutality, and the people rebuilding their homes on the ruins after the silence of war... it all seemed to be found in Adela's singing.

After the song finished, the Haters were truly excited this time.

[Awesome, Adela is truly strong. Lin Chuyan, let's see how you die this time!]

[Didn't you want to PK with the first place? Wish granted, hahaha.]

[Good, good, good, from now on I'm an Adela fan! Finally, a sense of vindication!]

[Shout? Why aren't the fans shouting anymore?]

[Lin the Dog's fans have the same character as Lin the Dog, still stubborn when death is imminent.]

As a fan of Lin Chuyan, Hu Wei felt uncomfortable reading these barrage comments: "Teacher Lin Chuyan, let's go, we are ready to go on stage."

"Okay." Lin Chuyan nodded, thought for a moment, and comforted her, "Don't be sad."

He also saw the barrage comments, and for this, he only had one sentence to say: Let the storm come more fiercely! Otherwise, how could it be "exaggerated"?

Only in this situation can a classic be forged.

He didn't say anything more; he walked towards the stage.

Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump.

The unique heartbeat rhythm sound effect of the "Singer" stage sounded, meaning the next Singer was about to take the stage.

It is said that many Singers would feel nervous upon hearing this sound effect, but Lin Chuyan had a naturally big heart and felt nothing about it—at this moment, all his thoughts were immersed in "exaggerated."

The actor's sense of belief was in place in a second.

Is he a clown for people to laugh at? A has-been nobody? An idol earning traffic? An unreachable star?

No... He is... The Great Entertainer.

The big screen on the stage slowly split from the middle to the sides. Lin Chuyan held the microphone, walked out steadily, and stood still in the center of the stage.

The audience at the scene erupted into enthusiastic cheers. Lin Chuyan felt a bit dazed, as if he had returned to the concert.

It had actually only been ten days or so since the concert, yet so many things had happened in between... Thinking of this, the corners of Lin Chuyan's mouth twitched, a smile that was not quite a smile.

It was like self-mockery, and also like sarcasm.

Ruan Xingyu was also sitting in the audience. How could she not come to support her own husband?

Her expression was very calm: This is absolute fairness! One is singing an English song that everyone is unfamiliar with, and the other is singing a brand-new Cantonese song that no one has ever heard before. Still the same saying, if you lose, lose honorably; if you win, win uprightly.

The cheers gradually subsided.

Lin Chuyan adjusted his breathing, put his left hand into his trouser pocket, and turned his head to signal the band members. [PS: Promise me, listen to the DUO version while reading.]

The next second, a slow, slightly sad, and heavy string melody played, setting a suppressed tone for the song, as if leading the audience into a lonely and desolate world.

"Someone asks me, I will speak, but no one comes."

"I expect, until helpless, have words to say, cannot get them loaded."

"My mood is like a bottle cap, waiting to be pried open, but my mouth is growing moss."

"The quieter I am in the crowd, the more I am ignored, I have to create an accident myself."

"Like suddenly singing loudly, any place is like opening a four-sided stage, wearing the flashiest clothes, pretending to be very emotional, remember to put hands in pockets when someone comes to take pictures."

Wawa in the audience couldn't sit still: A new song, it was actually a new song never heard before! Not "boundless oceans, vast skies", not "in the name of the father", not "lonely patient", not any familiar song! This is too risky! But these lyrics... they were clearly a self-portrait of Lin Chuyan. Combined with his recent experiences, every sentence was full of deep meaning.

Wawa continued to listen, and the first chorus started:

"Treat me as exaggerated, it's only exaggerated because I'm afraid."

"If I'm like wood or stone, will I get attention?"

"Actually, I'm afraid of being forgotten, so I'll exaggerate my performance! Very uneasy, how can I be elegant."

"Does the world still praise silence? Not explosive enough, how can there be topics, let me exaggerate, be a Great Entertainer."

The barrage comments also reacted at this moment.

Wanting attention, afraid of being forgotten, exaggerating the performance, how to be elegant, does the world still praise silence, not explosive enough how to have topics...

And, The Great Entertainer...

Every line of these lyrics accurately depicted Lin Chuyan's situation.

As the line "The Great Entertainer" fell, the stage lights suddenly brightened, and more spotlights focused on Lin Chuyan. The stage floor was designed into three tiers, and Lin Chuyan started walking up, standing on the second tier.

His left hand was still in his trouser pocket, until this line arrived—

"Self-esteem has already been through many falls."

"Attention can cure hunger, never having obtained it, then you know why I am."

"Many big actions, committing these mistakes, gambling for people to see if I am considered pathological!!!"

The drumbeats became more and more dense, the Piano melody ran through the whole song, the Guitar and backing vocals set each other off, and the second chorus began to push forward.

Lin Chuyan raised his hand, his body swaying with the rhythm, but his feet remained steady.

"Does the world still praise silence? Not explosive enough, how can there be topics, let me exaggerate, be a Great Entertainer!"

"HA... HA... HA..."

He leaned back, fully immersed, and all the long-suppressed emotions found a more lasting outlet for release.

Screaming, venting, roaring.

He lowered his head and walked up to the highest tier.

"There aren't many lucky ones, if you've never been one, then you know why I am."

"Using ten times the painstaking effort, to make one stand out, are normal people as controversial as me!!!"

This question struck straight to the heart, and all the audience at the scene were deeply moved.

The charm of the stage lies not only in the song itself but also in the Singer's brilliant performance.

And this is precisely Lin Chuyan's unique charm.

A brilliant performance that integrated his life experience and personality.

The music suddenly paused, and the next second, the final chorus erupted like a volcano.

Lin Chuyan's voice went from the initial restraint, to the explosion in the second section, and then to the final hysteria.

"You, call me exaggerated! I'm not afraid of adding a few boos!"

"If I have a dull moment on stage, will you watch the performance?!"

"Is it hysterical enough? Drench the flowers with tears! I only want you to be surprised."

"Did I seem not to exist in the past, increase the stakes. Veins are showing, tell me, do I exist now?!"

The black suit jacket on the left side was taken off by him and thrown onto the ground. As if all the baggage, disguises, pressure, shackles, burdens, worries, masks, fetters, restraints, and bindings... were all cast off by him.

If Lin Chuyan needed to have a response to these overwhelming malicious slanders, then... it is now.

He pointed his finger at the camera, issuing a question from the depths of his soul: "Hmm?!"

"Stare at me, don't just look at the ceiling!!!"

"No!!!"

"I may not be your cup of tea, but you can still drink to your heart's content!"

"Drink up!"

"Drink up!"

"Ah!!!!!"

With the final roar, all the stage lights lit up, and the cold fireworks around and above exploded instantly.

exaggerated? But this is Lin Chuyan.

All the barrage comments achieved a high degree of unity at this moment.

[Holy crap]

[Holy crap]

[Holy crap]

Lin Chuyan stood on the highest tier. This is The Great Entertainer. This is his staircase to godhood.