The night before the college entrance exam results were released, I redeemed my Peking University ad

[Ding! Daily Selection System activated!]

"Select a card for redemption!"

[Ding! Redemption successful! Please specify the option type!]

"music!"

[Ding! Options have been refreshed!]

If you had 100 yuan, how would you spend it?

1. Beyond's four-part series: "Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies," "Glorious Years," "Truly Love You," and "No More Hesitation" (30 yuan)

2. JJ Lin's four-part series: "Jiangnan," "Cao Cao," "A Thousand Years Later," and "Back to Back Embrace" (20 yuan)

3. Xu Song's four-part series: "If Back Then," "What's Wrong," "Broken Bridge and Lingering Snow," and "Appreciated by All" (20 yuan)

4. Jolin Tsai's four-part series: "Sun Never Sets," "Dancing Diva," "36 Love Strategies," and "Magic" (NT$20)

5. The four-part symphony of "Ten Thousand Frontiers," "Ode to Young China," "As You Wish," and "My Motherland" (30 yuan)

6. Master-level arrangement + master-level harmony (20 yuan)

……

"I choose 1, 3, 5, and 6!"

The next second, countless melodies, lyrics, and arrangement logic flooded into my mind like a tide.

"A steel pot..."

"Red rain pouring down..."

"Youth has its own strength..."

……

The powerful Cantonese, the melodious traditional Chinese style, and the majestic melody of the main theme—all the timeless classics etched in the memories of generations—are now his possession.

0 points.

Ji Bai updated his Weibo.

[Please enjoy and appreciate "If Only Then" @Yan Dahai @Music Critic Lao Zhou @Lyricist Chen Shu @Arranger and Producer A Kai @Chinese Style Composer Liu Ming @...]

Ji Bai tagged all the industry insiders who had previously stirred up trouble.

The Weibo post had barely been published when the royalists were already on the verge of a frenzy.

"Holy crap! The Emperor is so powerful!"

"You are now all surrounded by me!"

"It's like stepping back into the Great Hall of the People! Back then, the Emperor was just like this, lashing out at a bunch of foreign bigwigs in the audience. And today he's here to challenge the songwriting world again, huh?!"

"The Emperor's majesty remains undiminished!"

"Enough with the chit-chat, let's get straight to the work—it's awesome!"

"Stop talking, stop talking, let's listen to some music!"

"I've already got my little stool ready, waiting for some people to feel embarrassed."

……

Bystanders with a gossip-loving attitude, fans waiting to see the joke, and industry insiders with an air of superiority all clicked on the video at almost the same time.

It was still that worn-out wooden guitar, still that warm yellow lamp. The boy lowered his eyes and strummed the strings, his voice clear and melodious, tinged with a hint of melancholy.

Why were you so good to me back then?

Why have you become so cold now?

I know that love is destined to go and cannot be stopped.

Anyway, if it's not mine, I shouldn't want it...

……

The verses are gentle, like rain pattering on a windowpane in the past, which is catchy enough.

But when the chorus rose in pitch, and that melodious, opera-style trill flowed through the headphones, everyone was stunned:

"The torrential red rain stirred up memories, how could they be hidden?"

Your beautiful eyes, as they were back then, still linger in my heart.

The final moment by the ferry crossing marked the end of an era.

If our meeting had been just like the first time, why would we be sad about parting...?

……

The simple guitar accompaniment, without any fancy techniques, is like a jar of aged wine, with its Chinese-style imagery in the lyrics and the lingering charm of the melody, intoxicating with just one sip.

Why did Ji Bai choose Xu Song instead of JJ Lin or Jolin Tsai?

Because these four songs by Xu Song can be sung and played!

The remaining tracks, such as "Cao Cao" and "Dancing Girl," while explosive, require complex arrangements and instrumentation, necessitating a professional recording studio to fully realize their potential.

Xu Song's songs don't require so much trouble; a simple acoustic guitar is enough to fill the entire performance.

After a few minutes of silence, the comment section exploded.

"Holy crap! What kind of divine ancient-style lyrics and music is this?!"

"This isn't considered a classic? Then half the songs in the Chinese music scene should be reworked!"

"Help! That line about the torrential rain brought me to tears. Everyone has that unrequited love in their heart!"

"Those who were just calling it 'bubbly pop' songs, come out and say something? Is the imagery in these lyrics, the melodic transitions, really 'flashy and superficial'? 'Immature'?"

"My ears are pregnant with their third child! Ji Shen, you have to take responsibility for me!"

"Is the Great Emperor some kind of deity descended from heaven to undergo tribulation? This cross-domain, dimensional-lowering attack is just too much!"

"Three songs! Three high-quality works of different styles! If you're saying he plagiarized, explain yourself. He can't possibly plagiarize three timeless classics that nobody has ever heard before, can he?"

"I hereby declare that from now on, the Emperor's main profession will be singing, and mathematics will only be a side job (doge)."

"I never expected that the Great Emperor would possess two top-grade spiritual roots!"

"Where's Yan Dahai? Where's the music critic who was jumping around the most just now? Come out and give your critique!"

……

Yan Dahai gripped his phone, his fingertips trembling slightly. He froze on the headboard, a storm raging within him.

Another song... another top-notch, widely sung timeless classic!

Three timeless classics already!

He had initially believed that Ji Bai had only written a short tune by chance and had no ability to consistently create hit songs, but now reality was slapping him hard in the face.

A boy who has solved five world-class mathematical conjectures and excels in both the arts and sciences has a terrifying talent for songwriting.

The lyrics and music convey a profound meaning, and the vocal skills surpass those of most professionals who have been working in the industry for decades.

Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back; you can only grit your teeth and persevere.

It cannot be denied that Ji Bai has a certain creative talent; the melody is smooth and the lyrics have a touch of ancient Chinese style.

However, objectively speaking, the song has a simple structure, its narrative is limited to romantic love, it lacks a profound core, and the arrangement is thin and lacks depth.

Overall, it still doesn't meet the industry's recognized standards for a hit song; the young artist still needs time to refine and polish his craft.

No sooner had this Weibo post been published than various industry accounts that had previously coordinated their narratives followed suit, posting a series of articles criticizing the song:

@Music critic Lao Zhou: "The melody is pleasant but lacks memorability. The lyrics, which are in the ancient style, are just a collection of images without any deep meaning. It's at the level of a popular online love song and can't be considered a hit."

@Lyricist Chen Shu: "The lyrics are narrow in scope, full of love and sorrow, lacking a core that can resonate with all ages, and are clearly far from the standard of classic lyrics."

@Arranger and producer A-Kai: "The entire piece is accompanied by a single guitar, the arrangement is completely devoid of design and there is no progression of sections. The production quality is far below the threshold of a Golden Melody Award."

@Liu Ming, a composer specializing in traditional Chinese music: "The melodies of traditional Chinese music are formulaic and lack elements such as opera singing and vocal transitions. They can only be considered ordinary folk tunes and are not worthy of being considered high art."

……

On the other side, Shen Yizhen's fans were also...

"That's it? You dare to bring out a lousy love song that just piles on classical Chinese phrases to argue with people?"

"The melody is nothing special; it's only because of the fans' overly biased opinions that it's been hailed as a masterpiece!"

"No matter how many songs you write, you can't erase the fact that you plagiarized, infringed on copyrights, and tried to ride on my idol's popularity!"

"Stop using songwriting as a distraction, come out and publicly apologize to Yizhen right now!"

"All the industry leaders disagree; only a bunch of mindless fans are indulging in self-pity—it's utterly ridiculous!"

"What's so great about mass-producing mindless pop songs? Real musicians don't even bother with this kind of fast-food production!"

……

The royalists are furious!

These guys are really stubborn!

They still won't admit defeat!

Just as they were about to defend the Emperor, Ji Bai updated his Weibo again:

Please enjoy "What's Wrong?"