Chapter 137: To Defeat Lin Ze, Leak the Questions...

"Why go to the hospital?"
"To get my brain checked..."

Lin Ze was quite busy these days, filming *Super Singer-Songwriter* one week and *I Am an Actor* the next. Or at least, it was considered busy for him. Imagine, having to work three days a week—alas.

...

After the events of last week, Xu Shenshen and Old Master Shi were feeling a sense of defeat. The old man and the young man, now comrades in the same trench, had found common ground.

"Old Master Shi, I don't think we have much of a chance to beat him on the show," Xu Shenshen said cautiously.

The two were sitting in a high-end cafe.

"Think about it. From the moment he released his first song, we all thought he was just a flash in the pan, because writing even one piece like that is an achievement in itself. Who would have guessed that his first, second, and now who knows how many songs, were all created in just over two months?"

As he spoke, Xu Shenshen stirred his coffee. He took a sip with the spoon, found it a bit bitter, and added several sugar cubes.

Old Master Shi listened to the clinking of the spoon against the cup, his veins bulging on his forehead. "Look, did you come here to drink coffee or sugar water?"

"Hmm..." Xu Shenshen scratched his head. "Old Master Shi, this coffee is so bitter. It’s not as good as the 'Nescafe' we have at home."

He didn't exactly whisper, and a waiter passing by nearly burst out laughing. The waiter walked over to the counter and seemed to mention it to a colleague, the two occasionally glancing their way.

Old Master Shi, suffering from a headache, quickly pressed down on Xu Shenshen’s hand. "Alright, alright, keep it down. Now, pick up where you left off."

"Ah, right. I was saying, we never know how much stock he still has hidden away." Xu Shenshen tasted the coffee, found it cloyingly sweet, and gave a dry cough. "Instead of trying to defeat him on the show, we should produce a masterpiece outside of the show and use that to beat him."

Had he made this suggestion two episodes ago, Old Master Shi would not only have refused but likely scolded him. But now, though reluctant to admit it, Old Master Shi’s heart had begun to waver.

"There’s some truth to that."

Old Master Shi nodded and sized up Xu Shenshen, wondering how to tailor a song to his style. After a long while, he couldn't come up with anything; aside from his decent looks, the man didn't seem to have any defining traits. Singers like Chen Nan or Li Xiyan each had their own unique quality, and only by matching a song to that quality could they achieve true resonance.

"Go back and talk to your agent, Zhang Huai. First, establish a persona for yourself. Zhang Huai is very good at that."

Old Master Shi kept mulling over the songwriting process, and suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him. Since he didn't know what type of song to write, why not take a gamble and guess the theme that might appear on the show? The director made the themes look flashy, but there was always a core idea. For instance, wasn't the last one essentially just campus-themed songs?

Or perhaps...

At this thought, Old Master Shi felt a jolt run through him.

...

*Super Singer-Songwriter* had not received much attention at the start, and the investment was minimal. Otherwise, they wouldn't have had to rely on connections through Li Xiyan to invite Chen Nan and Lin Ze. The others were brought on as cheaply as possible, like Xiao Wei and A Guang.

The investors had pointed out that the show's biggest flaw was the one-day composition constraint. Who could create a genuinely good song in such a short time? Only top-tier lyricists and composers might have a slim chance. The director never expected that someone would show up, treat it like a game, and still produce songs that sent the show's popularity through the roof.

But with success came new problems. An assistant ran over with the data.

"Director, the completion rate is still low. Most people just skip straight to Lin Ze."

"After listening to Lin Ze, they either leave or look for other singers they like. I’ve seen online that some people only listen to others because the audience says a specific song is good."

The show was a hit, but not a complete one, and the director was worried.

"..."

The director tugged at his hair, pulling out a handful.

"Director, why don't we do this? We could secretly leak the themes to the other six people each time, so they at least have a fighting chance against Lin Ze..."

"That wouldn't be right..." The director sighed. "It would be unfair to Lin Ze. Besides, we gained our initial audience precisely because of this format."

"Director, it wouldn't hurt to discuss it with Lin Ze. The most important things are the audience and the quality of their work..."

Just then, the director’s phone rang.

"Hello? Yes, speaking."

"Hello, Director. This is Zhang Huai from Donghuang Entertainment."

"Ah, hello, hello, Mr. Zhang. Is there something I can help you with?" the director asked.

"Nothing much, just wanted to discuss a few things. Are you free now? Shall I come over?"

"Yes, I'm at..."

Before long, Zhang Huai arrived. After some polite pleasantries, he got straight to the point.

"I wonder if you’ve realized that your show isn't as watchable as it could be..."

The remark hit the nail on the head, but the bluntness left the director feeling annoyed. "Mr. Zhang, are you suggesting..."

"I have a way to increase the watchability, if you're interested..."

"You could leak the next theme to me, so we can prepare a week in advance..."

Zhang Huai continued, and the director remained silent—a sign that the path might be viable.

"No... that would be unfair to the other contestants..." the director shook his head.

"Oh? What's fair and what isn't? Think about it—the moment you allowed pre-written drafts, it was already unfair. Some people can participate with finished works."

"Some people have an incredible amount of stock. Do you know how hard this has pushed Old Master Shi? He’s practically vomiting blood!"

The director’s resolve wavered. The show needed competition. Last time, Lin Ze didn't leave a single vote for the others—how could they call that competition?

"Lin Ze is already a force in the music industry that cannot be replicated, he..."

Zhang Huai's voice sounded like a devil's whisper in the director's ear.