Chapter 66: Congratulations from All Directions!

A tense soundtrack filled the air. The giant screen was split into two halves—blue for Galen, red for Sun Youjia. The director switched the cameras to the audience, capturing scenes of voting in progress.

Outside the venue.

Although the judges had just praised Galen, the outcome of the audience vote still weighed heavily on many hearts.

In the Galen family’s cramped, thirty-square-meter home, neighbors and relatives watched the television with eager eyes, awaiting the final result.

In Hasmuqi, in a hotel room, Chen Yingying clasped her hands tightly, watching the voting numbers soar, silently praying.

At Rainy Day Music, even the overtime staff waited in anxious anticipation. Li Ronghao and Liu Xiayu had joined the team in the office, all awaiting the final announcement.

Similar scenes played out in many other places.

Inside the studio.

The blue section’s tally climbed steadily higher.

Three hundred...

Four hundred...

Five hundred...

When the count surpassed five hundred, a wave of cheers erupted from the audience. Some couldn’t help but shout in excitement.

Finally, the votes settled at 746!

Meanwhile, Sun Youjia’s tally stood at only 178.

Though there were a thousand people present, some abstained, and others missed the chance to vote for various reasons.

The moment the results appeared, the music cut off abruptly. Plum raised Galen’s arm high. “Let’s congratulate Galen! Seven hundred forty-six votes! A resounding victory in the Challenge!”

Applause thundered, and the shouts rolled through the hall like a tidal wave.

Galen’s joy was unmistakable. He had anticipated this result, but in the moment, he couldn’t contain his emotions.

The audience’s enthusiasm nearly caused a live broadcast mishap, as the applause and cheers showed no sign of stopping.

The floor director, seeing the time, signaled discreetly to the stage.

Plum caught the cue and quickly took control, “Thank you for your applause! Congratulations to Galen for qualifying for the ‘King of the Challenge Annual Finals’! The finals will be held in November, when Galen will compete with other champions for the title of ‘King of the Challenge’! Let’s look forward to Galen shining again!”

“Thank you, everyone! Thank you!” Galen waved to the audience. As the theme song of Star Showcase filled the air, he left the stage.

After he’d gone, Plum turned again to Sun Youjia. “Youjia, today’s loss is meaningful. Your journey is just beginning—there’s much more to learn!”

“I know!” Sun Youjia nodded.

“Don’t be discouraged. We hope you’ll return to Star Showcase. Next time, perhaps you’ll be the challenger!”

“Thank you!” she replied.

After a few more words, Plum turned to the camera. “Don’t go away, viewers! After the break, we’ll bring you exclusive interviews with both contestants. Please stay tuned!”

The program cut to commercial.

By then, Galen had returned to the lounge.

Inside, a host from Central Television was already waiting to interview him.

From the moment he stepped in, a flurry of people surrounded him—touching up his makeup, adjusting his clothes, fussing with his hair.

The two female assistants sent by Yida were also busy, handing him scripts and water.

Some of the interview questions were written on the spot, others prepared in advance. The sheet Galen was reading now contained fresh questions and suggested responses.

Once everything was ready, Galen and the host sat down on the sofa.

Mai Le sat across from Galen, just out of the camera’s line of sight, holding up cue cards.

“Three! Two! One! Action!”

The live director gave the countdown. The TV on the wall played a short intro, then the feed switched to the lounge.

When he saw his own face appear on the monitor, the host immediately beamed, “Welcome back! I’m your host, Fang Hong! Now, let’s talk to our newly crowned challenger, Galen, and hear his story!”

Turning to Galen, Fang Hong greeted him, “Hello, Galen!”

“Hi, everyone! I’m Galen!” He waved gently at the camera, smiling as warmly as he could.

“Don’t be nervous,” Fang Hong teased. “You seemed pretty relaxed on stage earlier! Have you been on TV before?”

“No!” Galen laughed. “This is my first time on a show like this, and my first singing competition. To win the challenge—it’s truly thrilling!”

“Haha! Clearly, Galen isn’t a man of many words. So let’s keep things light!”

Following the script, Fang Hong asked a few simple questions. Galen gave answers that satisfied everyone.

After all, it was live—there was no room for the playfulness of a pre-recorded show. Every step had to be cautious; a stray joke could mean embarrassment before a national audience.

Fortunately, Fang Hong was an experienced host, and with his guidance, everything ran smoothly.

The interview ended. As the crew packed up their equipment, Fang Hong reached out his hand, “Thank you for your cooperation. You did very well today—especially your song choice. Very positive!”

“Thank you, Brother Hong! It’s my pleasure. I’ll count on your support in the future!” Galen replied with a smile.

“Of course! If you ever need help, just ask—I’ll do anything I can!”

Both Fang Hong and Plum were hosts at CCTV Channel 2. They’d worked their way up from announcers to their current positions. In the entertainment world, their influence sometimes rivaled that of top celebrities.

Especially Fang Hong—while he wasn’t the channel’s top host, his seniority was undeniable. At a local station, he’d certainly be a pillar.

They exchanged numbers and chatted a bit longer before Fang Hong took his leave.

As he opened the door, Wu Chaoyang happened to be coming in. The two exchanged brief pleasantries.

Once only friends remained, Galen remarked, “Wu, you really know everyone!”

Wu Chaoyang waved it off with a laugh. “Just old friends from the industry. We’re all in the same circle; it’s only polite to say hello.”

He added, “By the way, I have good news for you!”

“What is it?” Galen asked. “Don’t tell me I have to appear on another show?”

“No!” Wu Chaoyang said. “That video you played today, and the song you sang—Channel 2 wants to turn them into a public service announcement for broadcast. They’ve already agreed on the terms. Come sign the contract tomorrow morning!”

“What?” Galen’s eyes widened. “You mean they’ll pay for that?”

“Hey! Watch your words,” Wu Chaoyang chuckled. “Don’t make it sound so crass!”

He grinned. “Leave the follow-up to me. You must be exhausted tonight. I’ll have Mai Le take you home. Starting tomorrow, you’ll be busy!”

“Alright,” Galen nodded.

By the time Galen left the TV station, it was nearly eleven at night.

He sat in the car heading home. The moment he turned on his phone, messages began pouring in.

The first was from Cai Fei. Upset that Galen hadn’t told him about the show, he scolded Galen roundly, and changed their previous agreement: instead of him treating Galen to dinner, he insisted Galen would now have to treat him.

The second was from Wang Qilin—much the same, though without the scolding, and his excitement practically jumped off the screen.

Then came messages from each of the six members of the Jiazi Band, one from Ai Ya, and notes from Wen Tao and Wu Yusheng. Even Liu Qianqian, with whom Galen barely interacted—and had some past friction—sent a message.

Only Zhao Liang hadn’t written. Galen recalled Ai Ya saying he’d signed with Starstone; perhaps the company was restricting communications.

Several old classmates, colleagues from his days in the song and dance troupe, nightclubs, bars—acquaintances of all kinds—sent their congratulations.

All this fuss, just because he’d been on a show. People he hadn’t spoken to in years were reaching out.

Not wanting to appear rude, Galen sent a polite reply to all. Then he checked his inbox and call logs—still no message from Chen Yingying.

Puzzled, he wondered if she hadn’t watched the show.

He called her, and after only two rings, she picked up.

“Galen, congratulations!” Chen Yingying’s voice sounded a bit odd.

“Hm? Yingying, what’s wrong?” Galen immediately sensed something amiss.

“Sigh! You won a prize, but I didn’t!” Chen Yingying sighed. “Made the trip for nothing.”

“How could that be?” Galen frowned. “Didn’t Professor Jin say she could help? I’ll call her and see if there’s still a chance!”

“Ha!” Chen Yingying suddenly burst out laughing. “I’m teasing you! The competition hasn’t even happened yet—how could I have won?”

“What do you mean?” Galen asked, puzzled. “Isn’t your contest today?”

“Today was the professional group! I’m in the amateur group—that’s tomorrow!” Chen Yingying laughed. “Look how nervous you are. Don’t you trust me?”

“Ah...” Galen sighed in relief, then laughed. “So that’s it. You scared me! Don’t joke like that again.”

“Alright, no more! Are you home yet? Go to bed early. My contest starts in the morning, so I can’t stay up chatting.”

“Go get some rest! I’m almost home myself!” Galen urged. After some affectionate words, they ended the call.

He wasn’t done yet, though—he dialed home next.

His younger sister answered, excitement in her voice. “Brother! I saw you on TV! The whole family did! You were amazing!”

“Ningning, where are Mom and Dad?”

“They’re getting ready to watch the rerun! I’ll call them!” she shouted, then yelled, “Mom! Dad! Big brother’s on the phone!”

Soon, his mother’s voice came on. “Ah Lun, you’ve really made us proud this time! That’s my son, so capable!”

His mother sounded not the least bit tearful, only brimming with pride and satisfaction.

After chatting with his mother, his father took over, equally cheerful. No one in the family sounded anywhere close to tears.

Then his two younger brothers scrambled to talk to him.

Especially the second brother, who boasted he’d be the envy of his classmates tomorrow, and maybe even promoted to class monitor by their teacher. His innocent excitement left Galen both amused and exasperated.