This celebrity is absolutely wicked.

Chapter 386 He's really become a royal candidate.

The contract signing was mainly for Zhao Long's arrival. In fact, the preparations for the first batch of contestants had already been completed; signing the contract was just to complete the process.

The recording of the program began soon after the contract was signed.

Lu Ran checked the time; he could find some time to go over there.

"Okay, I'll be there on time."

In the following days, the internet was flooded with promotions for The Masked Singer.

This is the first time in the world that a singer has participated in a singing competition while wearing a mask; no variety show has ever done this before.

This immediately piqued the curiosity of netizens.

“Singing with your face covered, so no one knows who the singer is, then it all comes down to the singer’s skill.”

"This is a true competition in pure instrumental music."

"If we can't see their faces, fans can't be sure if their idols participated, right?"

"If this is a variety show that truly tests music skills, then it's definitely worth watching."

Nowadays, there are fewer and fewer good music variety shows.

If it weren't for Lu Ran's emergence last year, the show "Future Singer" wouldn't have left much of an impression on the audience.

The later show, "The Voice of China," was an even bigger mess.

In music variety shows, especially competitive ones, fairness and impartiality have become largely irrelevant in recent years.

Even in last year's "Future Singer King", Lu Ran could be said to have used all his skills to get to the end.

You think you can win the championship just because you sing well? That's impossible.

Netizens were also deeply saddened by this.

Fortunately, "The Masked Singer" gave everyone hope.

Their faces are covered up, so we can't see their faces and we don't know who they are. At least that's fair.

Many people in the music industry also participated in the discussion.

"I don't think The Masked Singer can be truly fair. Established singers have very distinctive voices, and I don't believe that professional judges can't tell the difference."

"Whether The Masked Singer can succeed depends on the rules set by the production team. If they can truly maintain complete secrecy and singers can also hide their own characteristics, it's not impossible."

"I'm not worried about fairness and impartiality. Anyway, the current music variety shows in the Chinese entertainment industry are far from fair and impartial. I'm more interested in the contestants. Some people can cross over to sing. Anyway, no one will recognize them when they wear masks."

"Now that you mention it, I'm a little worried. What if some controversial celebrities go on this show to try and clear their names?"

With the participation of these musicians, the discussion surrounding "The Masked Singer" has been increasing.

Fans of some celebrities also flocked to their idols' Weibo accounts, urging them to sign up for the show.

Some fans are also discussing this on Lu Ran's Weibo.

"Is Director Lu going to participate in The Masked Singer?"

"I think I'll participate, right? This variety show is produced by Dongsun Video, and Lu Ting's new dramas are all available on Dongsun Video."

"I'm kind of looking forward to it!"

The next day, The Masked Singer officially announced the lineup of guests for the first episode.

"Music producer Tang Yufeng!"

Since they couldn't promote the singers' identities, they could only promote the identities of the guest group.

The moment Tang Yufeng's name was mentioned, netizens were in an uproar.

"Even someone like Guan Ye, who doesn't appear on screen much, is here as a guest."

"He used to call me Master Guan, now I'm called Second Master."

"The guest panel is responsible for helping the audience guess the singer's identity. Since Er Ye has collaborated with so many singers, it should be easy for him to guess."

Another day passed, and The Masked Singer officially announced the identity of the next guest.

The top-tier singer is Tong Junda.

Tong Junda is a veteran singer in his fifties who was once very popular and has many representative works.

With professional singers appearing, netizens became even more interested in the show.

On the third day, The Masked Singer announced the identity of the third guest.

Music producer Lien Hsing-han.

After several days of promotion, the popularity of "The Masked Singer" has really soared.

Some celebrities have even announced that they will participate in "The Masked Singer" and let everyone guess who they are.

Few people will take this attempt to ride the wave of popularity seriously.

A few days before the show's recording, Lu Ran and Zhao Long went to the recording base of "The Masked Singer".

According to Lu Ran's plan, Zhao Long participated in the recording of the first episode. If things go well, other singers from the studio can also go up and compete.

There are at least six singers competing in each episode, and being able to stand out from six people is a boost to a singer's popularity.

He also wants to release albums for the artists in his studio, and he can use this stage to promote the albums.

Having popular variety shows to perform on stage is very beneficial for singers.

On the way to the recording base, Zhao Long was very excited.

It's impossible for me to be nervous; I'm a veteran in the entertainment industry, after all.

This opportunity has fallen into his lap, so he must perform well and rely on his abilities to achieve a good ranking.

Shortly after, the production crew's car drove into the underground parking lot.

Zhao Long got out of the car fully armed, wearing a mask, hat and sunglasses, so as not to be recognized by passers-by.

This is also a confidentiality measure required by the production team; at least it looks legitimate.

Lu Ran also tried to conceal his presence before going upstairs with Zhao Long.

Li Quan, who was also fully armed, followed behind the two.

In the director's office of "The Masked Singer".

Director Jin Hong, who was already balding, greeted Lu Ran and Zhao Long with a beaming smile as they entered. "Welcome, welcome!"

Jin Hong first shook hands with Lu Ran, and then extended his hand to shake hands with Zhao Long.

After pouring tea for the two men, Jin Hong took out the contract and placed it in front of Zhao Long.

"Here is the contract, please take a look."

Li Quan took the contract directly and examined it carefully.

He is a professional in this area.

Jin Hong also laughed and said, "Then let me introduce the competition rules to us. Each episode of our program has six singers participating, competing in pairs. Three people advance, and these three people compete in another round. The person with the highest score at the end is the champion of the episode, who will need to be unveiled and advance to the semi-finals."

Lu Ran thought the rules were fine at first, but then he realized something was wrong.

"Will the first season's winner be unmasked immediately?"

Lu Ran thought he hadn't heard clearly.

Jin Hong smiled and nodded: "Yes, the King of Singers gets a direct and glorious unveiling; this is an honor unique to the King of Singers."

Lu Ran: "Why did you have to reveal your face?"

Jin Hong was puzzled by the question: "If you don't reveal your identity, how will anyone know who you are? Only by revealing your identity can the audience know who you are, and only then can you monetize your popularity. Otherwise, many singers wouldn't be willing to participate."

I only go on shows for the money. If I lose, I have to reveal my identity, which is too embarrassing. If I win, I can't reveal my identity. I can't handle this kind of hype, so why would I go on variety shows?

So, that's how the rules of the Masked Singer are.

The winner reveals their identity, while the loser does not.

Lu Ran continued to ask, "So, if the current champion advances to the semi-finals, are all six singers in the second round newly selected, or...?"

"In the first round, a winner will be selected and will advance to the semi-finals. The remaining five people will stay on stage, and a replacement singer will be selected to enter the second round of the competition. The winner will advance, and the remaining five people will continue to compete."

Lu Ran frowned.

Zhao Long, standing to the side, asked in surprise, "So, as long as I don't win the title of 'King of Singers,' I can actually sing more songs on stage?"

Jin Hong: "You could say that, but since you sing so many songs, you can't reveal your identity."

This time, Lu Ran didn't speak, but instead fell into deep thought.

He realized he had made a mistake.

He subconsciously assumed that the "King of Mask Singer" in this world was the kind of "King of Mask Singer" he understood, but it wasn't.

In each round, the winner of the singing competition is revealed and advances to the semi-finals, while the remaining contestants are allowed to continue singing. What's the difference between this and eliminating the champion?
Actually, this is a minor issue.

At least the champion singer made it to the semi-finals.

After all, you're already the King of Singers, how can you possibly compete against someone below you?

The problem is, now that the champion has revealed his identity, what's the point of the semi-finals?

This isn't "The Masked Singer" at all; they're playing their cards right.

Lu Ran looked at Jin Hong: "How can we ensure the fairness of the competition if the participating singers don't wear masks during the finals?"

Jin Hong laughed and said, "You don't need to worry about that. The leaders above have already given instructions. Your relationship with our Dongsun Video is there for all to see. As long as you are a singer from Burning Studio, you will definitely advance to the semi-finals. Even in the semi-finals, we will arrange for the judges to favor singers from Burning Studio."

What Jin Hong said was perfectly reasonable.

Aren't all music variety shows like this nowadays? Where's the fairness?

This time, however, Lu Ran was in a position of privilege.

This time he's truly become a royal player.

After Jin Hong finished speaking, he noticed that Lu Ran, Zhao Long, and Li Quan were all looking at him.

The three men stared intently at him, making him feel a chill run down his spine.

Lu Ran is now an important partner of Dongsun Video, so we definitely can't neglect him.

It's unacceptable to eliminate an important business partner who's participating in the show.
Jin Hong definitely needs to make arrangements.

Anyone can participate; if you want to advance to the semifinals, you can.

Besides, Lu Ran himself is talented, and when he sings his new song on stage, no one can say anything.

Jin Hong suspected that he had said something wrong.

He tentatively asked, "Isn't this arrangement appropriate?"

Lu Ran: "It's not appropriate."

Li Quan placed the contract he hadn't finished reading on the table as well.

The contract states that the fee for recording one episode of the program is 800,000 yuan.

As long as Lu Ran nods now and Zhao Long signs the contract, he'll get 800,000 yuan.

This is just the labor fee. Once the title of "King of Singers" is revealed, the advertising and endorsement fees will be added, and earning millions will not be a problem.

Zhao Long's expression also turned serious.

Jin Hong asked, "Oh, what part is not right? We can fix it."

Jin Hong was still a little nervous.

Seeing Jin Hong's expression, Lu Ran didn't know what to say.

Ultimately, the production team of "The Masked Singer" was considering his best interests.

The money is in place, and the rules are in place too.

Anyone who shows up can advance to the semifinals; many people want to advance but have no chance.

But this isn't right.

If Lu Ran really agreed, what would that make him?

The dragon slayer becomes the dragon?

If you're going to win the title of "King of Singers," you have to win it based on your ability. I absolutely refuse to do anything that breaks the rules.

Lu Ran said to Jin Hong, "Director Jin, could you please give me some time so we can have a chat?"

(End of this chapter)