Chapter 25: A Carefree Laugh Over the Vast Sea

This particular vocal quality was something Zhou Ran deliberately employed, for this song demanded precisely that kind of feeling. Zhou Ran had listened to the original version sung by Mr. Huang Zhan. Although there were slight technical imperfections, the sense of boldness and unrestrained spirit Huang Zhan brought to his performance more than made up for it.

This song, "A Laugh in the Sea," was a classic from his previous life, serving as the theme for "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer." Zhou Ran gradually let his voice swell, amplifying that spirit of grandeur and freedom. A song like this needed to be unleashed, not sung with hesitation.

"Heaven laughs!
The world’s tides surge!
Who wins, who loses? Only the heavens know!"

Zhou Ran's voice struck at the hearts of the audience with every note, and everyone found their emotions rising and falling along with his singing. The audience was drawn in by Zhou Ran's presence on stage—it was hard to believe this was the performance of someone who had debuted less than two months ago.

Unbridled!
Reckless!
Magnificent!

The way Zhou Ran stood on stage was so strikingly handsome that it seemed to pierce straight into the hearts of those watching. He gave off the aura of one who remains sober while all around him are intoxicated.

Zhou Ran gripped the microphone with a sense of power, as the screen behind him lit up, displaying a landscape of ink-washed mountains and surging lakes.

"The rivers and mountains laugh!
Mist falls from afar!
Waves wash away the dust of the mortal world, carrying away beauty and sorrow."

As Zhou Ran’s weathered voice mingled with the sounds of the pipa and the great drum, a scene seemed to unfold before the audience’s eyes: atop a lofty peak, someone stood at the very summit, pointing down at the vast earth, witnessing the tides of history. Mist fell like dust, and the rivers surged restlessly, wave after wave, breaking endlessly against the shore.

Everyone could feel the oppressive atmosphere of this world, as if they were but lonely boats adrift at sea, surrounded by towering waves—so small, so helpless.

At that moment, on the panel of professional judges, Li E was utterly stunned by Zhou Ran’s performance, sitting there in a daze, while Sun Dan was already completely enchanted by the world within the song—that beauty, that immensity.

Meanwhile, at home, Li Mi was watching Zhou Ran’s performance on TV, cheering him on like an ardent fan.

"Ahhh! My Zhou Ran!"
"You’re so handsome!"

If Zhou Ran could see Li Mi’s reaction now, he would have been shocked, for in private, Li Mi was nothing like the composed, elder-sister figure he remembered—she was like a completely different person.

In Zhou Ran’s mind, Li Mi was always cool and reserved, a confidante who would help him in every way. He could never have imagined she had such a girlish side, or that she would scream for him.

Though she always seemed indifferent toward Zhou Ran, in truth, Li Mi had done much for him behind the scenes; otherwise, he wouldn’t have gained Ning Wei’s recognition so quickly. She claimed she was going to travel the world, but a month had passed and she remained where she was, making no move to depart.

Zhou Ran’s performance continued.

"The breeze laughs!
Yet it stirs up loneliness!
All that remains of heroic spirit is a sleeveful of sunset light!"

Backstage, Fujiwara Taku listened to Zhou Ran’s singing, his face taut with tension, as if he were about to suffocate. Zhou Ran’s performance was simply too beautiful, the momentum so overwhelming. Fujiwara Taku was utterly intoxicated by Zhou Ran’s voice—at that moment, he became a die-hard fan. This man was simply too charismatic—handsome, with a beautiful voice—how could anyone compete? (Just a notch below the handsome idols on screen.)

"The people laugh!
Loneliness no more!
Heroic spirit lingers in our foolish laughter!"

La la la la la!

After Zhou Ran finished the last line of "A Laugh in the Sea," he let out a long, deep breath.

These past days, the pressure had been immense. Countless people were awaiting his performance. Zhou Ran had seen many encouraging messages from fans in his inbox. He didn’t want to let down those who supported him, nor did he want to let the cynics have their way.

He would use this song to slap the haters in the face—no matter how they looked down on him, he would answer with an unforgettable performance. At the same time, he wanted to make sure his fans would not be disappointed, to protect them, so they could proudly show off their idol’s music.

They could say, with pride, "This is a song by my Zhou Ran."

Zhou Ran was deeply grateful to have people who liked him. He cherished his fans twice as much, because his experiences in his previous life had taught him how precious such support was.

When Zhou Ran’s song ended, the audience remained spellbound, still lost in the world his voice had created.

The critic known as the "Ear Emperor" kept muttering to himself, "Now this is true Chinese style, this is real Chinese style." While the lyrics of "A Thousand Degrees" were excellent, the impact of "A Laugh in the Sea" was even stronger.

After watching Zhou Ran’s performance, Ear Emperor immediately opened a word document—he couldn’t wait to analyze the song, certain that a thorough review would bring him great success.

It was a long time before the audience recovered from Zhou Ran’s performance.

"Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap—"

Applause erupted throughout the hall. Some audience members, unable to contain their excitement, rose to their feet and clapped enthusiastically for Zhou Ran.

The ovation continued for several minutes before the venue finally quieted. Meanwhile, Zhou Ran’s name flooded the live-stream chat, the online audience reaching an astonishing fifty million.

Host Mr. He rushed onstage, exclaiming, "My goodness, your applause was so overwhelming, I was nearly frightened to death!" He even patted his chest in mock relief, bringing the audience out of their deep emotions and making them laugh aloud.

Such was the skill of a top-tier host—able to regain control of the stage at a critical moment.

"Alright, let’s thank contestant Zhou Ran for his brilliant performance," Mr. He concluded before leaving the stage, turning the rest of the proceedings over to the production team to tally the votes.

Zhou Ran’s victory was almost certain. Mr. He had seen it with his own eyes backstage—nearly every audience member had reached for their voting devices and cast their votes for Zhou Ran.

If Zhou Ran didn’t win, that would be the real scandal, Mr. He thought.

As for the remaining three contestants backstage, after witnessing Zhou Ran’s performance, all they could hope for now was to contend for the final remaining spot.