It was eight o'clock in the evening.
The largest stadium in the capital of Japan was packed.
Most of the audience members were Japanese locals, but there were also many foreigners who had come to watch the competition.
They held colorful light sticks. The sky blue ones belonging to Ting Yu, which had been a small patch from the first match, had now expanded significantly. They had even surpassed those of other producers who were not locals, becoming the second most numerous light sticks after the home favorite, Miyamoto Sawa.
When "Era Music King" first began, many had high hopes for Shawn, as he had consistently dominated the Era Music charts.
However, as the competition progressed, people realized that Shawn's dominance wasn't as terrifying as they thought. There was also Ting Yu, this Ting Yu from China, a top-tier dark horse who had carved out a significant space within Shawn's mythical dominance.
The invincible Shawn was no longer as invincible, while Ting Yu from China, who had been the most underestimated, had actually maintained the first position on the points leaderboard for three consecutive rounds.
Adding to this, before the current round of competition, Ting Yu had a spar with his opponent Miyamoto, and Ting Yu had won.
Many people believed that Ting Yu would win against Miyamoto again in this round, causing his support rate to surge. Even in Miyamoto's home ground in Japan, the cheers from his supporters were unrestrained.
"I used to think the Chinese music scene was lagging behind, but now it seems that at least Ting Yu is not inferior to other producers in terms of music. I'm looking forward to Ting Yu's performance!"
"Ting Yu won me over in the episode from Country E. While everyone else was writing about the intensity and passion of war, he alone spoke against it, reminding us of the brutality of war. I like producers like him, who can bring us positive energy."
"Ting Yu's music has always been excellent. I started following him from the first episode and then went back to listen to his previous music. Each song has its unique charm."
Those holding the sky blue light sticks at the venue were not just fans from China, but also people from all over the world. They had been captivated by Ting Yu in these past few rounds and had voluntarily come to Japan to support him.
Among these people were even top singers whose names were known worldwide!
Unbeknownst to many, Ting Yu had already gained considerable influence globally. His fame was spreading rapidly overseas with the broadcast of "Era Music King."
The cheers continued unabated.
Then, at a certain moment.
The stage lights suddenly lit up.
"Welcome everyone to the fourth episode of 'Era Music King'! After a month of waiting, I'm sure you're all very excited. Let's now begin the competition and witness the clash between the world's top musicians! Let's welcome our producers with the most enthusiastic cheers!!"
The host's energetic voice boomed.
Immediately, dazzling fireworks erupted on the stage!
Amidst the starry brilliance, eight producers appeared one by one.
This had become a staple of every episode. As the producers entered, the audience's cheers were a continuous wave.
Among them, Miyamoto Sawa, the home favorite, received the loudest cheers, not necessarily because he had the highest support, but simply due to the advantage of being the home crowd favorite.
When Ting Yu finally appeared, his fans erupted in wild cheers. Although their numbers were still less, their fervor was in no way weaker than that of the home favorite Miyamoto Sawa.
"When did he gain such support?" Shawn asked, his face grim and his brow furrowed.
"Heh, after all, he's won so many rounds. We all know the exposure 'Era Music King' provides. It's not surprising he has so many supporters," Jin Chengxian sneered.
"Don't worry, after this round, he'll be out of the picture." Miyamoto Sawa straightened his back, a confident smile playing on his lips.
Hearing this, Shawn looked at Miyamoto Sawa. He didn't know why the latter was so confident, but since Miyamoto Sawa said so, it meant he had his own trump card. Thus, Shawn began to feel a sense of anticipation.
...
Next, the host interviewed each of the producers separately.
The questions were generally about their views on their performance.
"Mr. Ting Yu, as the biggest dark horse in this competition, are you satisfied with your current results?"
When it was Su Yu's turn, the host's tone notably heightened.
"The finals haven't arrived yet, so I can't say if I'm satisfied or not," Su Yu replied calmly, shaking his head.
"Haha, it seems Mr. Ting Yu is still so confident about winning the championship!" the host continued, driving the narrative.
Su Yu could tell the host was trying to corner him, but he hadn't intended to be low-key in participating in "Era Music King." He wanted to be bold and outstanding, as he represented the Chinese music scene and the honor of a nation. Being too humble would only lead others to look down on them.
"If the competition isn't for winning the championship, what's the difference between that and being a salted fish?"
He still wore his signature smile, but his words were explosive!
Generally speaking, in such world-class competitions, achieving a top-three finish was considered very good, as it represented the peak of global talent.
But Su Yu's statement directly slapped those who were content with merely making it into the top three.
His goal was simple: the championship!
"Holy crap, so arrogant, but I like it!"
"How dare he say that? Does he really think the championship is that easy to win?"
"My apologies, but based on his current performance, he actually has a chance to win the championship."
"Aren't Chinese people usually very humble? This Ting Yu is speaking far too arrogantly."
"What's wrong with someone with talent being a bit arrogant?"
"Go, Ting Yu, boost our national prestige!"
Su Yu's statement instantly caused the bullet comments to erupt in a heated debate!
While Chinese netizens were naturally fired up, the championship contenders from countries like the United States felt Ting Yu was too presumptuous.
"He really dares to speak his mind," Shawn's eye twitched involuntarily.
"Excellent. This statement will become his greatest shame later," Miyamoto Sawa took a deep breath, suddenly feeling refreshed.
If Su Yu had answered humbly, losing later might have garnered him some sympathy votes. But he was too arrogant. If he lost the competition later, his arrogant remarks would be enough to turn him from the strongest dark horse into someone everyone would condemn.
"Next, we enter the draw segment. Please, the four producers from the winners' bracket, come to the draw table to select the order of matches for this round!"
There was always a draw segment in each episode.
Previously, this segment wasn't particularly important, but after so many rounds, everyone realized that the audience's enthusiasm noticeably waned after Ting Yu's performance. Therefore, several producers wanted to perform before Ting Yu.
This would significantly improve the show's engagement!
Not long after, the draw results were announced.
Simultaneously, Shawn unconsciously let out a sigh of relief.
The expressions of the others, however, immediately turned somewhat grim.
This was because Ting Yu had drawn the second group for this round, while Shawn was in the first group.
This meant that, except for Shawn's group, everyone else would once again experience the shadow cast by Ting Yu.