Chapter 105: Doubts and Responses

Qin Han didn’t think there was anything wrong with his answer, but upon hearing it, both the live audience and viewers at home erupted in excitement.

Because his phrase, “I suppose so,” almost confirmed the marriage between Qin Ruolin and Lin Feng—it was just the date that hadn’t been set yet.

If these words had come from anyone else, their authenticity might have been questionable. But coming from Qin Ruolin’s own younger brother, the credibility was undeniable. As a result, the news of Qin Ruolin and Lin Feng’s impending wedding instantly became the hottest topic of the moment. The media, building on their previous reports, let their imaginations run wild, flooding the airwaves with coverage.

Soon, rumors surfaced online claiming that Lin Feng and Qin Ruolin were marrying because of a pregnancy.

Some outlets even reported that Qin Ruolin’s recent trip to Europe, ostensibly for work, was actually to secure the pregnancy.

Others said the couple had already purchased a love nest, even attaching photos of Qin Ruolin viewing houses two years prior.

In short, a whirlwind of rumors about their marriage spread like wildfire.

Back at the live broadcast of the music program...

Since this was, after all, a music show, Wu Chuan, the host, couldn’t delve any deeper into gossip and moved on to the next segment.

The votes for Qin Han were announced.

On-site votes totaled 498.

Off-site votes reached an astonishing 1.18 million.

Everyone was stunned at the number—Wu Chuan, the host, and all the staff of “Music PK Arena” alike.

The show had been running for over three years, and the previous record for off-site votes was only 520,000, which had just recently broken the half-million mark. Qin Han’s off-site votes more than doubled that record, shattering it completely.

“Oh my god, breaking one million votes! This is the highest vote count in the show’s history! Congratulations to Qin Han, congratulations to Lin Feng—you have won this round of the PK!” Wu Chuan announced loudly after a brief moment of shock.

“Since Lin Feng has already won the first two rounds of PK, the final winner of this match is—” Wu Chuan pointed to Lin Feng standing at the side of the stage, ready to make the announcement.

At that moment, however, Zhou Ziqian suddenly interrupted.

“Wait!”

Zhou Ziqian stormed onto the stage, his face dark, and said coldly, “I don’t accept these off-site votes. I believe someone is maliciously rigging the votes!”

“Rigging votes?!!”

“Yes, the vote count is just too outrageous.”

“This time, Zhou Ziqian’s objection actually makes some sense. Over a million votes is indeed unbelievable!”

“...”

Zhou Ziqian’s challenge gained support from many in the audience and viewers at home, especially longtime fans of “Music PK Arena.” The previous highest off-site vote count was 520,000—it was truly hard to believe the sudden surge to over a million.

“Mr. Zhou, our vote counting is supervised by an authoritative agency. There is no vote manipulation,” Wu Chuan patiently explained, as the show was still live.

Zhou Ziqian sneered coldly, “If it wasn’t rigged, how could there be such a high number? As far as I know, the previous highest off-site vote count was 520,000. If it’s not rigged, where did all these viewers suddenly come from? So many votes? I seriously question the fairness of your show!”

Wu Chuan was somewhat speechless. Zhou Ziqian making such accusations on live television was essentially slandering their program. Although many voting competitions have rumors of fraud and backstage manipulations, such matters should never be aired publicly.

The director whispered through Wu Chuan’s earpiece to segue into a commercial break—this situation clearly couldn’t continue live.

The screen cut to advertisements. Meanwhile, the show’s producer Zhao Tong and chief director Cui Bin immediately took the stage.

“Mr. Zhou, you just said those things live on air. Isn’t that a bit irresponsible?” Zhao Tong frowned, showing no patience for Zhou Ziqian. His sudden on-stage challenge was already a live broadcast incident.

The television industry had its own strict rules: during live shows, no matter how dissatisfied or suspicious you might be, you must ensure the broadcast proceeds smoothly. Major issues can be addressed after the show ends. Causing trouble mid-broadcast is tantamount to disrupting the live process and openly antagonizing the network.

“Producer Zhao, do you really think these vote counts are normal? I just can’t believe Lin Feng got over a million votes in such a short time—it’s ridiculous!” Zhou Ziqian shot back coldly.

Zhao Tong snorted, “If we say the vote counts are abnormal, that would be true. We have indeed detected irregularities. But I wonder if Mr. Zhou dares to let our production team reveal that?”

“What? What do you mean by that?” Zhou Ziqian’s expression changed instantly. He had only suspected Lin Feng of vote rigging, but in reality, he himself had manipulated votes. As part of the production team, Zhao Tong could easily expose Zhou’s own cheating. If the team made that public, Zhou would become a laughingstock.

“What I mean is, Mr. Zhou knows well enough,” Zhao Tong said grimly. “Lin Feng’s votes this round have surpassed one million, but all the data monitored backstage is genuine.”

“So, Producer Zhao means the show is determined to declare Lin Feng the winner of this PK round?” Zhou Ziqian asked darkly.

“Who wins or loses isn’t up to us—it’s decided by the data!” Zhao Tong replied.

“Sister Zhao, I think we really need to handle this carefully,” Cui Bin, the chief director who had come up with Zhao Tong, spoke up. “Mr. Zhou’s words have already aired live. If we don’t provide an explanation, we can’t answer the audience. After all, over a million off-site votes are shocking. Here’s what I suggest: let’s put this round’s results on hold, say the production team is verifying the vote counts, and proceed with the next PK round between Mr. Zhou and Lin Feng. That way, the show still has suspense, and it shows our serious attitude. Once we complete the verification, we’ll announce the final outcome. Zhao, what do you think?”

“I agree with Director Cui. The production team must thoroughly check Lin Feng’s vote count!” Zhou Ziqian immediately concurred.

Zhao Tong was in a dilemma. She knew Cui Bin and Zhou Ziqian were acquaintances. But she had already investigated Lin Feng’s votes and found nothing abnormal. The only slight irregularity was that most of the voting numbers came from Jiangning—but that was understandable, as Lin Feng had led Jiangning to win the CBA championship, so local support was expected.

“Producer Zhao, let’s do as Director Cui suggests. Since Zhou Ziqian questions the authenticity of this round’s votes, have your team verify them carefully to prevent anyone from making excuses if they lose!” Lin Feng then stepped onto the stage and continued, “Also, I propose that for the third PK round, we cancel off-site voting entirely. Just use the five hundred people on-site to vote—either for me or for him. Whoever gets more wins.”

Seeing Lin Feng take the initiative, Zhao Tong nodded. “Fine, we’ll do as you say. But Lin Feng, rest assured, our production team will handle any vote-rigging fairly!”

After speaking, Zhao Tong cast a meaningful glance at Zhou Ziqian.

...