Chapter 70: "Best Newcomer in Chinese Music"

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Chen Yi and Ji Song, Zhou Ran found his seat and sat down, quietly waiting for the award ceremony to begin. While waiting, he decided to pass the time by scrolling through his phone, only to find a new message as soon as he unlocked it.

The sight of a new message had Zhou Ran smiling at his phone even before checking who had sent it. At this moment, he already guessed who the sender was, and his smile deepened as he confirmed his guess upon opening the message.

It was from Zhang Xiaofeng.

“Go for it, Zhou Ran! You’ve got to shine tonight. Everyone in our crew is watching your live broadcast! Try to win every award you can!”

At that very moment, in the Xingcheng studio of "The Drummer," Chef Huang and the film’s main creators were gathered before the large screen, watching the Huayu Golden Song Awards ceremony. The crew was cheering Zhou Ran on—after all, he was one of their own, and they wanted to show their support.

They had also posted the news of Zhou Ran’s participation in the ceremony on Weibo, sharing and reposting it, doing what little they could to help.

“Haha, thank you so much, Sister Xiaofeng!” Zhou Ran replied, smiling at her words of encouragement. The feeling of being cared for, of having someone rooting for him, was truly comforting.

Of course, the crew’s support was also thanks to Zhou Ran’s good relationship with them. If he hadn’t gotten along well with the team, neither the show nor his place in the crew would have lasted.

Soon, the first award of the Huayu Golden Song Awards was about to be announced.

The first award was the Best Newcomer Singer. This award carried considerable weight—it could only be won once in a singer’s lifetime, during their debut year.

Because of this, it was often the most regretted award among singers. Many were late bloomers; no matter how much their later achievements or how many awards their songs won, they could never claim the Newcomer Award again.

The presenter for the Best Newcomer Singer was Jin Kun, the previous year’s winner. This was a longstanding tradition at the Huayu Golden Song Awards—they always had the previous winner present the award, symbolizing the passing of the torch.

Backstage, Jin Kun took the winner’s list, straightened his sleeves, and slowly walked onto the stage.

"Hello, everyone, I'm Jin Kun! It's an honor to present the Huayu Best Newcomer Singer Award tonight!" He began his introduction with the microphone in hand.

"Alright, let's get straight to it. Please look at the big screen!" As Jin Kun finished speaking, the screen behind him lit up, displaying this year’s nominees for Best Newcomer Singer.

Wu Wenyi

Li Bo

Ruofeng

Zhou Ran

As the audience and viewers in the live stream saw the first three names, they paused in confusion, trying to recall who these people were. None seemed familiar.

It was a funny, yet harsh and very real situation. Zhou Ran’s meteoric rise this year had absorbed almost all the attention in the newcomer category. His dominance could only be described as a landslide, greatly overshadowing the recognition of other debut singers.

If a singer managed to break through Zhou Ran’s dominance and become known to the public, their talent must exceed that of previous years’ newcomers.

As a result, there was little speculation online about who would win the Best Newcomer Singer award—it was almost a foregone conclusion that Zhou Ran would take it, as none of his competitors could surpass him.

After the nominees were shown on the big screen, Jin Kun paused briefly before announcing the winner.

"I hereby announce that the winner of this year’s Huayu Golden Song Awards for Best Newcomer Singer is..." Jin Kun paused dramatically as he approached the announcement.

This trick of suspense was common at award ceremonies; Jin Kun had learned it from the director of "Who Is the King of Singers," who often used it to heighten anticipation during the show. Though clichéd, it was effective.

As Jin Kun prepared to announce the winner, Zhou Ran felt a surge of nervousness. Despite his confidence, there was always the possibility of an unexpected twist—what if the organizers made a sudden decision and gave the award to someone else?

The audience and viewers followed Jin Kun’s voice, eager to see who would claim the Best Newcomer Singer award.

Many media outlets had already prepared their articles, waiting for the announcement so they could publish instantly. For them, posting a minute sooner meant a windfall of traffic.

Amidst the anticipation of thousands, Jin Kun finally announced the winner.

"I declare the Huayu Best Newcomer Singer Award goes to Zhou Ran. Congratulations, Zhou Ran!" After a moment’s suspense, Jin Kun read out the final name. As soon as he finished, he felt a rush leave his body.

The moment Jin Kun announced Zhou Ran’s name, the hall erupted in applause, celebrating his victory.

The background music that began to play was “Sunny Day,” the first song Zhou Ran performed on the "Who Is the King of Singers" program.

"Congratulations, Zhou Ran, on winning the first award of your career," Ji Song stood up and applauded as soon as Jin Kun called out Zhou Ran’s name.

Ji Song had watched Zhou Ran since his first appearance on the show, witnessing every step of his progress and transformation.

He could only describe Zhou Ran’s win with four words: "Well-deserved honor!"

"Congratulations, Zhou! Go up and accept your award," Chen Yi also stood up early to congratulate him.

"Nice! Beautiful!" Zhou Ran, hearing his name called by Jin Kun, gave a strong wave of his hand, expressing his excitement in that moment.