Chapter 84: The Two Fools (Fifth Update, Please Vote)

“All five mentors have cast their votes for Lin Feng. At present, Lin Feng leads five to zero. However, the thousand audience members in attendance have yet to vote, and you will ultimately decide the outcome of this PK match. Now, are you ready to cast your votes?” Yang Fan’s voice soared, stirring the atmosphere in the venue.

“We’re ready!” the audience responded in unison.

“Very well, the voting channel is now open. Press the ‘A’ button for Sun Hao, the ‘B’ button for Lin Feng. Please cast your votes!”

No sooner had Yang Fan finished speaking than the audience began pressing the buttons on their remote controls. At that moment, everyone’s attention converged on the massive screen behind the stage, where the real-time tally for both contestants was displayed.

Before the audience began voting, Lin Feng had five votes, Sun Hao had none.

Once Yang Fan announced the opening of the voting channel, Lin Feng’s tally began to soar: fifty, one hundred, three hundred, five hundred…

In contrast, Sun Hao’s count remained stubbornly at zero—a glaring, stinging zero!

Sun Hao’s face darkened on stage, as though he could wring ink from his expression. This was a humiliating blow. “Original Good Songs” had already run for three seasons; this was the fourth. In all previous intra-team PK matches, not once had any contestant received zero votes—not even a tally below triple digits. The largest margin to date was 856 to 144—the widest gap thus far. From the current situation, Sun Hao would break that record without suspense. He might even set a new precedent for all talent shows with live audience voting; never, in any show with a public jury, had one side ended with zero votes.

As the countdown began, Lin Feng’s vote count had reached 968, while Sun Hao’s stubbornly remained at zero.

“For heaven’s sake, even a single vote would do!” Sun Hao silently prayed, fists clenched, eyes glued anxiously to the screen.

Finally, in the closing seconds before the voting channel shut, Sun Hao’s tally jumped: one, then two!

Two votes—Sun Hao secured them in the very last instant!

“My god! I got votes!” Sun Hao rejoiced, feeling in that moment as though he’d conquered the world. No matter what, he would not bear the shame of a zero-vote record; at least two people supported him!

“Alright, the voting channel is now closed,” Yang Fan announced. The numbers froze on the screen.

Sun Hao: two votes!
Lin Feng: one thousand and three votes!

“My god!”
“A total annihilation!”

“I don’t even think ‘total annihilation’ is strong enough to describe this margin…”
“I just want to know who cast those two votes. Are their ears deaf? Or their hearts blind?”
The audience whispered among themselves.

On stage, Sun Hao felt as though he’d swallowed a dead fly. Though he’d escaped the fate of zero votes, two was hardly any better—at best, he’d avoided being called a zero-vote loser.

The difference of one thousand and one votes between them now stood as the greatest margin ever seen in four seasons of “Original Good Songs.” Unprecedented, and likely never to be surpassed!

“Now, I hereby announce: Fan Quan team’s intra-team PK, Group Three, Lin Feng wins! The final score: one thousand and one votes to two votes!”
“Congratulations, Lin Feng, on advancing to the Top Six of Fan Quan team.”

Yang Fan proclaimed the final result, and the hall erupted in applause.

“Regrettably, Sun Hao, your journey in ‘Original Good Songs’ ends here. Is there anything you’d like to say to the audience here and those watching at home?” Yang Fan’s tone softened as he turned to Sun Hao.

“No,” Sun Hao replied with a dark face, shaking his head. What was there left to say at this point?

“Oh, right—before I leave, may I make a small request?” Sun Hao thought for a moment.

“Please, go ahead.”

“I’d like to thank the two friends who voted for me. They are the reason I will continue making music, for they showed me that my music is still liked by someone.” With heartfelt sincerity, Sun Hao said, “Can they come up to the stage? I wish to thank them personally with a bow.”

“That’s simple enough. I can retrieve the numbers of those who voted for you,” Yang Fan replied with a smile, then had the staff pull up the voting records. According to the data, the votes for Sun Hao came from remote controls number 249 and 251.

“Would audience members 249 and 251 please come up to the stage,” Yang Fan called out to the crowd.

He called for a while, but no one appeared.

Yang Fan shook his head and said to Sun Hao, “It seems those two audience members are unwilling to show themselves, so you’ll have to leave with some regret. But I believe, surely more than just those two like your music—perhaps thousands watching at home…”

“Host, we’re numbers 249 and 251,” two young men with buzz cuts stood up in the audience.

“Luckily you two came forward in time.” Yang Fan invited them onto the stage, then smiled at Sun Hao. “Now, you needn’t leave with regret.”

Sun Hao nodded, then bowed deeply to the pair. “Thank you. You gave me the courage to keep making music. You are the wings in my song. Thank you—I will continue to work hard. Though only you two among a thousand voted for me, I do not feel it’s too few. If two out of a thousand like my music, then among the nearly two billion people in the country, there must be millions who do. That is enough for me.”

Sun Hao spoke with stirring emotion, though in truth, he was merely giving himself a graceful exit.

But reality dealt him yet another harsh blow.

“Vote for you? You must be mistaken. I voted for Lin Feng!” one of the men declared.

“I voted for Lin Feng as well!” the other echoed.

“You… Are you joking?” Sun Hao was stunned, his previously sincere face now clouded with frost.

“Who are you to me? Why would I joke with you? That song you sang—how could it ever compare with ‘Old Boys’?” one scoffed.

“Exactly! You thought your song could beat ‘Old Boys’? Keep dreaming!” the other chimed in.

“Gentlemen, our records show you pressed the ‘A’ button, which means your vote went to Sun Hao,” Yang Fan reminded them.

“What? ‘A’ is Sun Hao? Not Lin Feng?” one exclaimed.

“I knew it! ‘B’ is Lin Feng!” the other complained.

“It’s all my fault—I didn’t hear clearly!” one said, regretful.

Upon hearing their exchange, everyone in the venue understood—the two men had pressed the wrong button.

Sun Hao was speechless, nearly faint with anger. All his words of gratitude had been wasted; his emotional speech, too. Out of a thousand, not a single person had actually voted for him.

Had he known, he wouldn’t have insisted on thanking those who voted for him.

“Um…” Yang Fan coughed, embarrassed. He hadn’t expected such an outcome. “Well then, gentlemen, please return to your seats.”

“Next time, can you make clear which button represents whom? I wanted to vote for Lin Feng, but got it wrong.”

“Exactly! You need to improve—how can the national broadcaster not make the voting system clear?”

The two muttered complaints as they left the stage.

…