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

"Wait a minute, Zhou Shen won the group championship, and Xu Yao also won the group championship, so the finals mean...?"

"Zhou Shen vs. Xu Yao! A battle of gods!"

On the trending topics list, #ZhouShenQiQinGroupChampion# rose to second place, and #ZhouShenPastMemoriesFollowTheWind# rose to fourth place.

#Xu Yaozhou See You at the Summit# Reached third place.

Someone commented under the trending topic: "When Xu Yao was helping Zhou Shen with his modifications, did he ever imagine that he would face off against Zhou Shen in the finals?"

Someone below replied, "Of course he thought about it. He was talking about meeting at the top, sharing exclusive inside information. That's confidence, that's vision."

Someone commented in the live chat, "Zhou Shen and Xu Yao, one transformed his appearance, and the other blew up the stage. One went from a mushroom haircut to a teenager, and the other went from a chubby guy to a champion contender. I love The Voice of China Season 3!"

The barrage of comments was still going on, and the trending topics were still rising, when Xu Yao's WeChat messages exploded.

Dozens of messages were unread, mostly emojis from Zhou Shen. This guy has completely gone mad, utterly insane.

"Brother Yao, congratulations on advancing..."

"Brother Yao, don't let me make you cry in the finals..."

……

A few more were posted by team members.

Chen Yongxin: Yao-ge, you're not allowed to abandon us junior brothers and sisters now that you're famous!

Xu Jianqiu: Yao-ge, hurry up and lose weight, catch this wave of popularity, gather a bunch of female fans and debut on the spot.

Xu Yao scrolled down the list one by one, then picked up his phone and dialed Yao Beina's number.

The phone rang twice and was answered.

"sister."

"Xiao Yao!" Yao Beina's voice came through the receiver, filled with undisguised excitement. "I saw your segment on the show! Your rendition of 'You Got Me Drunk' was amazing! Team champion, you're much better than my sister was back then!"

Xu Yao leaned against the headboard, a smirk playing on his lips: "Sis, you were the champion of the CCTV Young Singers Competition back then, I can't compare."

"The CCTV Young Singers Competition is the CCTV Young Singers Competition, and The Voice of China is The Voice of China." Yao Beina's voice was tinged with laughter. "You have this kind of aura, this kind of presence. I didn't have that back in my day."

The two exchanged a few pleasantries.

Xu Yao was ready to get straight to the point.

"sister."

"Um?"

"Next, I'm going to win the championship and show you."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone. Then Yao Beina's voice changed, no longer smiling, but serious.

"Xiao Yao, it's impossible." Her tone was calm, but every word was spoken with certainty. "The production team won't let you win the championship. Do you know what kind of background Canxing has? Do you know how many people they've signed? Do you know what the sponsors want? You think The Voice is a singing competition? No. It's a business."

Xu Yao remained silent for a while.

"Sis, don't be so pessimistic. Human effort can overcome anything. What if I win the championship? How will you reward me?"

Yao Beina smiled. This brat seems to have changed a lot; he's even taking the initiative to call her now.

He actually started asking for things?

"Hey kid, you've got your eye on something, haven't you?" Yao Beina's tone relaxed a bit, as if she were coaxing a child. "Tell me, whether we win the championship or not, I'll buy it for you."

Xu Yao took a deep breath.

"Sis, if I win the championship, you have to promise me one thing."

There was silence on the other end of the phone; Yao Beina did not answer immediately.

"Okay, I promise you." She paused, then added, "Even though your chances of winning the championship are zero."

Xu Yao gripped his phone tightly.

"Sis, I won the championship, so you've fulfilled your dream from back then. Go and get chemotherapy."

There was complete silence on the other end of the phone.

It wasn't the quiet of "wait a minute" from before; it was a frozen, unsettling silence.

Xu Yao could hear that Yao Beina's breathing had changed; it was no longer steady, but quickened for a moment before being suppressed again.

Xu Yao knew that his sister's illness was in its late stage, but not yet terminal.

If she is willing to undergo chemotherapy, she will most likely live for more than five years.

But Yao Beina refused.

It's not that she's not afraid of death; she just doesn't want to trade chemotherapy for an ordinary life without music.

"Xiao Yao," Yao Beina finally spoke, her voice low, "From the first phone call you made when you participated in The Voice of China until now, you've been stammering and waiting for me here."

"Sister, please." Xu Yao's voice softened, as soft as a child's pleading, but there was no hint of jest in it. "From childhood to adulthood, I've never asked you for anything. Just this once."

"Xiao Yao, stop fooling around." Yao Beina's voice carried a weary gentleness. "I have my own path to walk."

"I know. You're preparing for the Spring Festival Gala."

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

This time the silence lasted even longer, and then Yao Beina's voice changed.

"You know that?"

Xu Yao did not answer; he knew he had to stop his sister from appearing on the Spring Festival Gala.

After the Spring Festival Gala, Yao Beina's name became a hot topic, but it was also the final bloom of a flower, a swan song of her life.

"Xiao Yao, do you know how much I've sacrificed for music? The Spring Festival Gala is every singer's ultimate dream. If everyone has to die eventually, I hope my life will be as beautiful as a summer flower."

The two remained silent for a long time.

"Sister, I completely agree with your idea. I just feel that the Spring Festival Gala has never been a singer's ultimate stage; at best, it's just a rocket. A concert for tens of thousands of people is a singer's ultimate dream, the kind of fireworks that light up the night sky."

A soft laugh came from the other end of the phone.

"Xiao Yao, you said winning The Voice of China is already pretty awesome, but a concert for 10,000 people? Isn't that just wishful thinking?"

"Sis, you'll undergo chemotherapy for two years, and I only need two years to hold a concert for 10,000 people. You'll be the only guest at my concert, and the two of us, brother and sister, will sing our hearts out from beginning to end."

Yao Beina didn't speak. Xu Yao could hear her sigh softly on the other end.

"You brat, you'll brag about anything to trick me into having chemotherapy. Do you even know the significance of a concert for 10,000 people?" Her voice carried a helpless laugh. "I've made up my mind. How many times have my parents, my uncles and aunts tried to dissuade me? They just couldn't change my mind."

Xu Yao sighed deeply, knowing full well that the conversation would end this way.

"Sis, let's listen to God. If I win the championship, it means that human will can overcome fate, so you'll agree to chemotherapy."

"You can't possibly get it." Yao Beina's tone became serious. "You don't understand the power of a management company, and the world isn't just black and white. Xiao Yao, I'm not trying to discourage you, I'm just afraid that the higher your hopes are, the greater your disappointment will be, and I'm afraid you'll give up again."

"I know it's extremely difficult," Xu Yao interrupted her. "So, it's up to fate. Stephen Chow once said that what God arranges is the greatest."

Yao Beina fell silent.

Xu Yao waited for a long time, so long that he thought the call had been disconnected.

"Sis, please..." he softened his voice, "Please, please... Sis, my dear sister, the most beautiful sister in the world..."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Yao Beina finally couldn't help but laugh. "You brat, I just can't do anything with you."

She paused for a moment. What's wrong with this kid today?

It's like he's become a completely different person. This big fat guy is actually acting like a child, it's really speechless.

Yao Beina took a deep breath: "Okay. We'll leave it to fate."

Xu Yao's eyes lit up.

"Sister, you can't go back on your word."

"Don't worry," Yao Beina's voice softened. "Besides, you're not going to win the championship anyway."

"That's not necessarily true."

Xu Yao held his phone and finally smiled.

"Alright," Yao Beina said, "I'm not talking to you anymore, I have to go to rehearsal. Just focus on the competition, and like I said, keep a calm mind. No matter what the result is, you won't be too disappointed."

"Okay. Sis, you should get some rest."

"Um."

The phone hangs up.

Xu Yao sat on the edge of the bed and placed his phone on the bedside table.

Then he stood up and took a couple of steps around the room.

Stop.

I took two more steps.

"Yes."

The voice wasn't loud; it sounded like he was talking to himself.

"Yes, yes."

His voice grew louder, and he clenched his fists.

"Yes, yes, yes..."

He turned around, faced the mirror in the room, raised his hands above his head, and jumped up.

He's 1.85 meters tall and weighs 105 kilograms; when he jumped, the floor shook.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes! There's hope!"

Overwhelmed with excitement, Xu Yao bent over, placed his hands on his knees, and gasped for breath.

In the original timeline, after participating in the Spring Festival Gala, my cousin missed the last window of treatment and burned out her last breath on the music stage.

All of this in this lifetime.

Xu Yao will not let it happen.

From the very first day I stepped onto the stage of The Voice, this thought has never left me.

Some things can only be said when you're qualified to stand on the championship stage and have the hope of achieving them.