Chinese Entertainment King: Starting as a Fat Boy and Becoming a Singing King

After the four-into-one elimination round ended, all the trainees from Yang Kun's team left, leaving the training ground empty.

Xu Yao's training camp continues in preparation for the finals.

Every morning I practice my voice, every afternoon I rehearse, and every evening I work on the details and spend two hours at the gym to lose weight, rain or shine.

Soon, the championship match between the four teams was officially broadcast.

Xu Yao lay exhausted on the bed, watching a program on his phone.

The first match to air was the championship game of Nayoung's group, and the trending topic never stopped from 10 pm onwards.

Zhang Bichen and Liu Mingxiang had their first match. Liu Mingxiang sang "Autumn's Deepening", while Zhang Bichen sang "Never to Meet Again".

Some viewers commented that "Liu Mingxiang's voice is so soothing," while others said that "Zhang Bichen's Korean-style singing is so charming."

When Liu Mingxiang left, Nayoung's eyes reddened, and the comments section was flooded with "Liu Mingxiang left too soon."

Then it was Zhang Bichen and Cheng Bing's turn.

Cheng Bing sang Stefanie Sun's "Against the Light," and Zhang Bichen sang "My Destiny."

The live chat exploded instantly.

Some people said, "Cheng Bing's 'Against the Light' is so beautiful, why eliminate her?" Others said, "Her life has been difficult ever since someone said she was the champion."

Cheng Bing's expression wasn't one of disappointment; rather, she seemed relieved.

But most of the comments were in Zhang Bichen's defense.

"Zhang Bichen is great. Humility always pays off. Keep it up!"

"It is no exaggeration to say that Zhang Bichen is the most promising and has the highest overall quality among the mainstream contestants in the first three seasons of The Voice of China."

Some professional analyses of singing skills have also started appearing in the comments section.

"Cheng Bing's breath control is incredibly powerful, but her vocal finesse is definitely not as good as Zhang Bichen's. Zhang Bichen's vocal cord closure technique is top-tier among female singers in China in the future."

"Zhang Bichen's vocal break is so smooth, and his chest voice support in the mid and low register is also very solid. Cheng Bing is clearly at a disadvantage in this area."

"Cheng Bing's F5 strong mixed voice in the line 'Against the Light' was indeed explosive, but the emotional progression of the whole song was not as smooth as Zhang Bichen's."

Previously, there were rumors online that Cheng Bing was the pre-selected champion, but this has now debunked those rumors.

Some people lamented that "Cheng Bing was ruined by the public opinion surrounding her championship," while others were relieved that "she no longer has to be criticized."

Xu Yao looked at these comments without feeling anything.

Zhang Bichen would win, and might even be the champion; he knew it all along.

The live chat during Yang Kun's group's championship match was much more lively than that of Na Ying's group.

The first round, four teams advancing to the next two, will see Chen Yongxin and Xu Jianqiu face off.

Xu Jianqiu sang Shin's "If," roaring as he finished, his head covered in sweat.

Comments on the screen included, "She sang with such effort, it was heartbreaking to watch," and "This song is so tragic."

A few professional comments also appeared in the live chat.

"Xu Jianqiu's vocal cords vibrate too much at the edges, he belts excessively. This singing style is impressive on stage, but it is extremely damaging to the voice. I wonder if Yang Kun reminded him to protect it."

Chen Yongxin sang a powerful English song called "The Prayer," and the style of the comments section completely changed.

"Chen Yongxin chose the wrong song and couldn't handle it."

"It doesn't have the right feel, it's too shrill. They chose the wrong song. This song requires operatic-level chest support, and her voice can't handle it."

"Her voice is beautiful, but this song doesn't suit her."

But the mentors don't see it that way.

Yang Kun remained silent for a long time before saying, "Jianqiu, your singing was very poignant and genuine; I was moved. But Yongxin's performance today was perfect, grand, and international. I choose—Chen Yongxin."

The live chat exploded.

"Xu Jianqiu got eliminated again? He sang so well!"

"I can never understand the selection process of Yang Kun's team."

"What's wrong with Chen Yongxin's song? Her advancement is unreasonable."

Some people defended Chen Yongxin, saying, "The mentors were there in person; how can we compare it to watching on TV?"

Some people analyzed from a professional perspective: "Chen Yongxin's mixed voice technique is indeed more mature than Xu Jianqiu's. Although Xu Jianqiu's emotional intensity is high, his vocal placement is too high. His throat position is obviously raised in the second chorus, and his pitch also fluctuates. Chen Yongxin's performance was incredibly stable throughout, so choosing her was reasonable. However, she was indeed not suitable for that song."

The other group – four to two – is Xu Yao versus Feng.

The comments section went absolutely wild during this part.

Yu Feng sang first, singing "Treasure," and dancing along.

The live chat was flooded with comments like, "It feels like a concert!"

"He sings and dances well, and most importantly, he's handsome!"

"What kind of drug did Yu Feng take today? He's amazing! His vocal cords are really good. Even with such a large range of motion, his breath didn't dissipate at all. His core support is incredible."

"Yu Feng's rhythm is really impressive. His understanding of funk rhythm groove is spot on, and his handling of sixteenth note syncopation is clean and crisp."

Then it was Xu Yao's turn.

Xu Yao turned his back to the audience, raised his left hand, and uttered an "Oh," which silenced the entire venue.

Then he turned around and started rapping in Korean, which caused the live chat to explode.

"Holy crap, this fat guy can speak Korean???"

"His presence is so commanding, it feels like the entire stage belongs to him."

"Yu Feng is already very strong, but I knew who would win the moment Xu Yao opened his mouth."

"What kind of god-level contestant is this? They've got to do something like this on The Voice?"

Musician-style analysis also appeared in the comments section.

"Xu Yao's mid-low range is as broad and deep as the sea at night, with an extremely high proportion of chest resonance and an extremely low vocal placement. This kind of vocal quality is very rare among male singers in the Chinese music scene, belonging to the type that is 'given a gift from God.' Yu Feng's timbre is clearer and leans towards R&B, and his stage performance is impeccable, but as soon as Xu Yao's voice comes out, you instantly know what 'a rogue timbre' means."

"It has to be said that Xu Yao's Korean pronunciation is excellent among native Chinese speakers. The consonants are aspirated properly, the vowels are full, and the connected speech and final consonants are handled very naturally. You can tell that he has really put in the effort and is not just cramming at the last minute."

The most explosive part is the second chorus.

With his back to the audience, Xu Yao said "Oh—" three times in a row, then flicked his hand and took off his black leather jacket, revealing a tight-fitting bodysuit with muscle lines printed on it.

The comments section went crazy.

"Holy crap! Muscles! When did Fatty Xu get these muscles???"

"Wait, that's a bodysuit! He's wearing a bodysuit! Hahahaha, that clown Xu!"

"That's confidence! So what if I'm fat? I can still blow up the stage!"

Nayoung exclaimed from the mentors' panel, "Oh my god, is that Xu Yao?!"

The audience erupted in cheers when the performance ended.

"Yu Feng's loss was not unjust; Xu Yao's live performance was absolutely unstoppable."

"See that? What's wrong with Fatty? Where's the guy who gave us the inside scoop last time? Come out here, Fatty Xu Yao can't possibly win the team championship, can he?"

"There is definitely something going on behind the scenes. The production team tried to suppress Xu Yao before, but they couldn't, hahaha."

"This is so exciting! What kind of comeback story is this? Is this a slap in the face to the production team?!"

When Xu Yao saw the comment "The production team previously wanted to suppress Xu Yao," his heart stirred slightly.

Did a staff member from the production team leak this information out of anger?

The second round is the championship battle.

Xu Yao and Chen Yongxin's ultimate showdown.

Chen Yongxin sang first, choosing Leslie Cheung's "I".

The comments section said, "The voice is very clean, but it's still not as good as Leslie Cheung's."

"The song choice was still wrong. This song requires too much life experience. Leslie Cheung sang about the clarity of 'standing calmly in the eye of the storm,' while Chen Yongxin sang about the stubbornness of 'I am still young but I work very hard.' It's not that she sang badly, it's just that they are two different things."

It was Xu Yao's turn. He sang "You Got Me Drunk".

The moment the first "open—" was uttered, the comments section fell silent again.

Then it exploded.

"This subwoofer...it's going to blow my headphones up."

"What does it mean to be 'knocked out of one's mouth'? This is what it means to be 'knocked out of one's mouth'. The moment Xu Yao's voice came out, my eardrums were resonating."

"Searching for Xu Yao's ex-girlfriend across the entire internet +1."

+2.

+10086.

"That ex-girlfriend must be regretting it terribly now."

Final score – Xu Yao 127 to 74, a resounding victory.

The live chat was flooded with comments like crazy: "Wow, wow, wow, Yang Kun's group champion—Xu Yao!"

"Wait, Xu Yao got two turns in the blind pick, right? Na Ying and Wang Feng didn't turn."

"No matter how many rounds it goes, he and Zhou Shen are the biggest surprises of this season, and the team's championship is well-deserved."

When Parhat arrived at Wang Feng's team, he faced off against Geng Sihan and sang "Missing Whom".

The camera cuts to the audience, where Naying's eyes are red, and Yang Kun keeps nodding, deeply moved by Parhat's voice and emotions.

Wang Feng sat calmly in the mentor's seat, but Xu Yao noticed that his hands were trembling, indicating that he was not at peace.

"When Parhat sings 'Whom Do I Miss,' all I see when I close my eyes are my relatives from my hometown."

"The moment Uncle Pa opened his mouth, I knew it was his song. There was no trace of technique in his voice, only stories."

"Other singers are singing, but he himself is the song. I think he's similar to Jonathan Lee."

But Geng Sihan also has quite a few fans: "Geng Sihan's screams are too intense, won't his voice be ruined?" "Isn't Geng Sihan Wang Feng's favorite student?"

There were even people in the live chat analyzing the situation seriously.

"Geng Sihan's pharyngeal vocal technique is considered very scientific for a rock voice, but Parhat's almost broken vocal technique is a talent that cannot be trained. Parhat was born with a desert in his throat, while Geng Sihan is still digging with tools."

After Parhat became the champion of Wang Feng's group, the live chat was filled with cheers.

Some say, "Pascal is the real artist."

When it was Qiqin's turn, the style of the comments completely changed.

The four finalists took the stage one by one.

When Qin Yuzi sang "Lemon Tree," the comments section said, "Qin Yuzi has such a great stage presence" and "She sings and dances exceptionally well."

When Wei Ran sang "Eye Contact," the comments section said, "Wei Ran's voice is very distinctive."

Liu Shuangshuang sang "A Thousand Words," her voice gentle and soothing.

Then Zhou Shen appeared.

He stood alone on the stage and sang Qi Qin's signature song, "Past Events Drift Away with the Wind."

The lights dimmed, leaving only a spotlight shining on him.

"Can you believe that Zhou Shen still blindly chose that skinny guy in the T-shirt?"

"This look is so good! White shirt and light-colored pants, it's simple yet unusual, and she's practically glowing."

But many more people are asking, "Is the show just good at packaging people? Zhou Shen's current look is like that of a completely different person!"

A comment floated across the screen: "Zhou Shen wasn't modified by the production team, it was modified by my brother Yao! It was all modified by my brother Yao!"

The second question immediately followed: "Really?"

"Xu Yao buys clothes for Zhou Shen, takes him to get a haircut, and teaches him about typhoons. What do you think?"

The third point: "I saw it on Weibo before, Zhou Shen himself said, 'Without Brother Yao, there would be no me today.'"

Article 4: "Xu Yao himself is fat, how can he help others with their transformation?"

Some people have provided professional commentary on Zhou Shen's singing.

"Zhou Shen's handling of 'Past Events Drift with the Wind' is so delicate. In the verses, he used a lot of weak mixed voice and breathy voice, keeping the volume very low but with extremely strong penetrating power, which fully captured the feeling of 'talking to oneself'. In the chorus, he switched to balanced mixed voice, and the transition between vocal registers was seamless."

"Zhou Shen's ethereal voice requires a lot of natural talent; it sounds like it's floating off the top of his head, completely effortless. Qi Qin used to have a similar style when he was young, which is why he said Zhou Shen reminded him of his sister, Qi Yu. This isn't just mutual flattery; it's a genuine resonance."

In the final battle for the Qiqin Group championship, Zhou Shen ultimately defeated Qin Yuzi to become the champion of the Qiqin Group.

The live chat exploded.

"I, Zhou Shen, have won! The champion of the Qiqin group! I predict that the overall champion will be me, Zhou Shen."

"Xu Yao helped Zhou Shen change his appearance, and Zhou Shen repaid him with his strength. This is true brotherhood."

"It could also be a bromance."

"Watch your mouth upstairs, you're laughing so hard your freshly stitched wound is splitting open."