Chapter 124: The Ah Q Method of Spiritual Victory

The production team of *Sounds of Nature* had opted for a back-to-back recording schedule, filming two episodes in rapid succession. This meant that immediately after finishing the first round, Zhou Ran and Zhang Yuan had to start preparing for the next stage, which was only two days away. This approach had its share of pros and cons.

On the positive side, recording two episodes in one go naturally created a sense of urgency. It also helped the contestants maintain their momentum, preventing them from losing their performance edge as they might if they had to wait a week for the next session.

However, the downside was the grueling schedule. The tight turnaround drastically reduced the contestants' rest time, making it difficult for some to adapt to such an intense pace.

This recording format adopted by the *Sounds of Nature* team was a national first, and indeed, a rarity even on the global stage.

As the director, Wang Chong was not entirely sure if this format would succeed. He could only feel his way forward, taking it step by step. After all, someone had to be the first to try new things, and he had chosen to be that pioneer.

Once Director Wang Chong finished announcing the details for the next episode, the singers in the lounge dispersed one by one. By the time the first episode finished recording, it was already nearly ten in the evening. Crucially, none of the singers had eaten; they had performed their entire sets on empty stomachs.

Most singers preferred not to eat before a performance. This was similar to the habits of many e-sports players; eating beforehand would divert blood flow to the stomach, dulling their reflexes and affecting their performance. Thus, many competitors chose to fast before a match, perhaps eating a biscuit or two at most to stave off hunger.

The same applied to singers. Performing on stage required absolute concentration, and fasting helped keep their focus sharp and intense.

Consequently, by the time the taping wrapped up, the singers' stomachs were rumbling. They had only been waiting for the director's cue to leave. The moment Wang Chong dismissed them, they hurried off to find a restaurant to satisfy their hunger.

A few singers had invited Zhou Ran and Zhang Yuan to join them for dinner, but the duo politely declined. They weren't particularly close to the others, and they wanted to avoid the social complications. Both Zhou Ran and Zhang Yuan knew exactly what lay behind such invitations.

Instead, Zhang Yuan and Zhou Ran drove away from the studio and found a quiet restaurant. Zhang Yuan wanted to use this dinner as an opportunity to treat Zhou Ran to a proper meal, expressing her gratitude for his invaluable help during the show.

But while Zhou Ran and Zhang Yuan were enjoying their meal, someone else was stewing in bitter disappointment. Yes, none other than Xu Yan.

Once the recording ended, Xu Yan's foul mood erupted. Finishing in second place infuriated her, but what frustrated her most was that she couldn't find anyone else to blame.

She had personally overseen the song selection, so there was nothing wrong with the track itself. That left only her own performance. Yet, searching her conscience, she knew she hadn't made any mistakes on stage. Her vocals had been on point, and she had executed every detail flawlessly.

In other words, she had lost simply because her skills fell short of Zhang Yuan's. Realizing this only made her angrier. Given her pride, how could Xu Yan ever bring herself to admit she was inferior to Zhang Yuan?

Sharing her frustration was her producer, who was having dinner with her. He was equally unwilling to accept his defeat at Zhou Ran's hands. He firmly believed he was capable of outdoing Zhou Ran, chalking up the loss to mere bad luck. If given another chance, he was certain he could come out on top.

Furthermore, the theme announced for the next episode of *Sounds of Nature* happened to be his specialty. He was confident he could outperform Zhou Ran. In fact, defeating Zhou Ran had become the ultimate goal for many composers and lyricists in the industry; in their eyes, surpassing Zhou Ran was the ultimate validation of their talent.

Zhou Ran's meteoric rise had seized too much of the spotlight and sliced away a massive portion of the industry pie. Moreover, his recent sweep of the Golden Melody Awards, winning both Best Composer and Best Lyricist, had put him squarely in the limelight. No one liked having someone tower over them, and Zhou Ran was currently the one casting a shadow over everyone else.

Thus, after a round of self-consoling, Ah Q-style rationalization, Xu Yan and her producer managed to rally their spirits. They silently vowed to surpass Zhou Ran and Zhang Yuan in the upcoming episodes to achieve their goals.

Neither Xu Yan nor her producer realized the irony: by setting Zhou Ran and Zhang Yuan as their targets, they had tacitly admitted that the duo had already surpassed them. After all, one does not aim to overtake someone who is behind them.

Yet, while Xu Yan and her producer were plotting their comeback, Zhou Ran had already decided on the song for the next episode.

The moment Director Wang Chong announced the themes of youth, love, and inspiration, a vague concept had formed in Zhou Ran's mind. By the time he sat down to eat with Zhang Yuan, he had finalized the exact song he wanted to adapt.

The song he chose for Zhang Yuan was a track adapted from a Japanese original in his previous life—a prime example of a wildly successful cover by an internet singer.

It had remained a hit from 2017 all the way through 2022, maintaining its popularity and consistently holding a spot on various major music charts.

Zhou Ran had originally planned to perform the song himself, but since Zhang Yuan needed a track, he decided to give it to her. It suited her vocal range perfectly, as the original singer was also female. This would make it much easier for Zhang Yuan to perform than it would have been for him.