In this round, Yue Ji’s performance was, once again, completely off the charts.

Her sharp high notes were like a home invasion, forcing their way into everyone’s mind.

Instrument Score: 68. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

The moment the score appeared, the entire audience was stunned again.

The netizens were just as baffled.

[Seriously, how are these scores even decided? Why are they so up and down?]

[Thank god, thank god. The scores are all over the place, so even though I was optimistic about Yue Ji, I didn’t bet on Number 1.]

[Is the score based on the instrument’s mood or something?]

[Maybe the instrument wasn’t fully charged today, so it’s throwing a little tantrum. How embarrassing for everyone.]

The most furious of all was Composer No. 1. His face was grim as he squeezed a single word through his teeth, "Open."

A staff member looked toward his superior.

After seeing his superior nod, he quickly and politely went to open the Capsule Cabin’s door.

And when the door opened, Composer No. 1 left without a single look back.

The host gave an awkward laugh. "Haha, it seems Composer No. 1 has urgent business. He couldn’t even wait for the results to be announced before leaving.

But that’s alright. No matter the final results, we, the organizers, will be sure to personally deliver any prizes to each of you.

So leaving the venue early won’t affect one’s final results.

And now, let’s welcome the singer for Composer No. 2 to the stage."

As he finished speaking, the singer chosen by Composer No. 2 was brought onto the stage.

Everyone seemed to forget the recent incident, immersing themselves in the new song.

As for whether they were truly so calm on the inside, only they themselves knew.

Jiang Qin thought, ’The reason Composer No. 1’s score isn’t as high as the last round is likely a problem with the song itself. I don’t understand it, though. This song is so similar to the one from the previous round, so why didn’t it get a high score? In my opinion, there was nothing wrong with Yue Ji’s singing. The low score must be because of the composition.’

...

Singers took the stage one after another.

Soon, it was Jiang Qin’s turn.

This time, she had chosen a male singer who had become famous quite a while ago.

She had never worked with him before. She had only chosen him because she heard a song he recorded on the singer selection app and fell in love with his voice.

At this moment, the male singer, who had a relatively mature-looking face, was standing on stage with his eyes closed.

The lights were dim, and flames seemed to burn along the edge of the stage.

"Moonlight splashes the starry river,

The long road stretches on,

Wind and smoke fade to nothing,

...

I call out to the Buddha,

No shore to turn back to,

...

What use...

...have I for this iron staff?"

A performance of "Wukong," a song full of shifting tones and infused with operatic stylings, set the entire stage ablaze.

The singer on stage was also lost in that intense emotion.

The roared-out notes seemed less like a melody and more like an emotion bursting forth from within.

Before the score was even given, netizens were already in a heated discussion.

[If this song doesn’t get a high score, there’s no justice in the world.]

[Scoring instrument, I’m warning you, be smart!!]

[Oh my god, I can’t believe Jiang Qin is collaborating with my idol! I thought his fanbase was pretty small these days.]

[Fellow fan, who gets it? The veteran hasn’t sung in public for ten years, has he?]

[I can finally hear my man’s voice again! I can die with no regrets!!]

[A dream collaboration! My favorite composer is working with a singer I used to love!!]

Perhaps the scoring instrument felt the netizens’ threats, because it produced the highest score of the entire competition:

93.5!!

For the stingy instrument, a score over 90 was as rare as a dodo.

All the composers were stunned, especially the dozen or so who had performed before Jiang Qin. They completely lost their composure.

"FUCK! You Mechanical Clan people said you weren’t trying to build up a god, but this is clearly paving the way for someone!!!"

"Son of a bitch, you dog-ass Mechanical Clan! You’re just messing with us, aren’t you?"

"Just you wait! When I get back, I’m getting a lawyer and suing you for damaging my reputation!!"

"Using so many of us senior composers as stepping stones, how dare she??

I’ll make you pay for this!!"

Even the calm ones couldn’t stay calm anymore. "I admit, the song is indeed good, and the singer’s performance was also excellent.

Both the melody and the emotional shifts resonated deeply with people.

But isn’t this score a bit too unreasonable? You have to understand, it’s not like none of us have composed songs in this style before.

But in the end, their scores were never high.

So it’s perfectly reasonable for us to demand an explanation from the organizers, isn’t it?"

The Mechanical Clan members: Heh, reasonable my ass.

They couldn’t even be bothered to argue back.

The competition was almost over, and people were still suspecting them of fixing it. They were at their wit’s end.

All the composers were shouting about boycotting them...

To ensure future collaborations could proceed smoothly, the person in charge of the competition for the Mechanical Clan had no choice but to come out and explain.

Of course, he couldn’t reveal the predicament his clan was in.

So he only said, "Before this competition began, we told all of you more than once.

We aren’t looking for pleasant-sounding music, but for sounds that can elicit a reaction from the instrument.

All you esteemed composers’ works are wonderful. On any platform, they would surely garner a huge number of plays.

We don’t deny that your songs sound good and the singers are very talented, but that kind of audio isn’t what we need, so naturally, we won’t choose it..."

The person in charge said a lot, but the summary was: I’m here to find audio for research, not to listen to songs!!

Jiang Qin thought, ’I really can’t blame the organizers for this. They did emphasize this point many times, after all. Besides, as the person at the center of it, I know better than anyone that I have absolutely no connection to the Mechanical Clan. All this talk about building up a god, promoting someone, stepping stones... it’s just ridiculous.’

Even though the Mechanical Clan explained again, many composers were still disgruntled.

They didn’t bother with the staff anymore and went straight to their personal live streams to throw shade.

"If I had known this was what the competition was about, I never would have participated."

"If the country hadn’t approached me and asked me to join this competition, I wouldn’t have even considered coming out of retirement."

"What was the point of inviting us here if you already decided who the champion would be?"

"Forget it. I’ll just chalk this one up to experience. From now on, I’ll just retire peacefully at home. I’m not coming out again, no matter what anyone says."

Their words were actually effective. The netizens in the live streams, who had just been suspecting them of being unskilled, were now starting to feel sorry for them.

[There’s really no point in participating in such an unfair competition.]

[We won’t come next time. This is just bullying.]

[Right, even if the Mechanical Clan offers a collaboration, we shouldn’t work with them!!]