AFVSIBS ### Chapter 155: "Are You Kidding? You Only Gave 59 Points?"

Jiang Lin wasn’t giving up. Seeing no hope in competing for the most votes, he pinned his hopes on achieving the highest score. He refused to believe that "Desert Camel" would receive as many perfect scores as "Little Apple" did last time. At the very least, his mentor, Huang Shanwen, surely wouldn’t give a high score to such a song.

“Thank you, everyone. Thank you all for your support,” Wu Heng said excitedly on stage, immediately bowing in gratitude for the votes.

Zhou Chen, on the other hand, remained calm, as if everything was within his expectations.

"Next, the scoring panel will rate 'Desert Camel,'" the host announced, moving on to the scoring segment as time was running out.

"Do you think 'Desert Camel' will get a high score this time? If they do, it might win both the highest vote and highest score."

"I think it's very likely to get a high score. Remember, 'Little Apple' received many perfect scores last time, with only Huang Shanwen giving it a low score of sixty."

"Yes, I also think 'Desert Camel' will score high and compete for the highest score tonight."

"It all depends on Huang Shanwen's score. Last time, he gave 'Little Apple' just sixty points. Will he give 'Desert Camel' sixty points again?"

...

Online discussions about "Desert Camel" were rampant. Most people were optimistic about the song receiving a high score. However, some were worried that Huang Shanwen’s score might drag down the overall rating, as he had done with "Little Apple."

The host, with her impeccable sense of timing, announced, “Time’s up. Let's see the scores from the panel.”

Sure enough, except for Huang Shanwen, the other nine panelists gave perfect scores. Huang Shanwen, however, gave an even lower score than he did for "Little Apple," awarding just 59 points. This meant the average score for "Desert Camel" was 95.9 points.

His 59 points sparked immediate discussion.

“What’s Huang Shanwen’s deal? Why only 59 points? Does he think the song is just barely passable?”

“I think ‘Desert Camel’ has some qualities of a catchy song, but it’s not so bad that it’s unqualified. Especially the lyrics—they’re quite meaningful and philosophical. The only downside is the simple melody.”

“Yeah, I can’t understand why he gave only 59 points. It’s not even a passing grade.”

“The host will definitely ask Huang Shanwen about it. Let's wait for his explanation.”

...

As the discussions continued, people waited eagerly for Huang Shanwen’s reasoning behind his low score.

As some netizens had guessed, the host was very curious about why Huang Shanwen had only given 59 points. So, right after the scores were revealed, she immediately asked, "Mr. Huang Shanwen, we noticed that you were the only one on the panel to give a score of 59. We're curious about your reasoning. Could you share it with our audience?"

Huang Shanwen didn't hold back. He picked up the microphone and replied, "I think 'Desert Camel' is a mishmash, not good music at all. Let's start with its melody: it's monotonous, repetitive, and lacks musical sophistication. As for the lyrics, while there's some storytelling and content, the chorus with obscure words feels forced. I strongly dislike such music, so I didn’t give it a passing score, just 59 points."

Huang Shanwen's explanation left Wu Heng, standing on stage, visibly angry. After all, it was his song being harshly criticized. Zhou Chen, however, remained indifferent, as if nothing had happened, standing on stage with a calm expression.

"Although I respect Mr. Huang Shanwen, I disagree with his reasoning. Who says a song's melody can't be simple? Does it have to be complex to be considered good music?"

"Exactly, I don't agree with that view either. If complexity is the criterion, then create a complex melody yourself. But if the public doesn't understand it or like it, does that make it a good song?"

"I trust my own ears. If my ears tell me 'Desert Camel' is enjoyable and it lifts my spirits, then it’s a good song. As for the melody or lyrics, I don’t care that much. I'm not a music teacher or taking a music exam."

"I think Huang Shanwen is just old and can't accept new elements of the modern era. Or maybe he has something against Zhou Chen and Wu Heng, considering their 'Little Apple' took the vote king and score king titles from his students Jiang Lin and Lu Jie last episode."

...

Many people couldn't understand why Huang Shanwen gave "Desert Camel" such a low score. Some even felt he was biased against Zhou Chen and Wu Heng, which influenced his low score.

Regardless, once the scores were announced, it was set in stone. Fortunately, "Desert Camel" still had an average score of 95.9, which wasn’t low. Last episode, "Little Apple" had won the highest score with 96 points.

So, unless other artists surpassed 95.9 points, "Desert Camel" still had a good chance to win both the vote king and the score king titles.

Seeing this score, Jiang Lin and Lu Jie backstage were instantly filled with despair. This meant their last hope might be shattered. Their previously confident demeanor had vanished.

Adding to their despair was what happened backstage: as soon as Zhou Chen and Wu Heng left the stage, the viewership ratings for "Our Music" started to drop.

"Director Zhao, you were right. Our ratings dropped from a peak of 4.2 to 3.7 and are still falling," Assistant Xiao Sun reported the latest ratings to Zhao Liang immediately.

"This is Zhou Chen’s influence. Now, almost all of the top five trending topics on Weibo are about him," Zhao Liang sighed deeply.

"Director Zhao, you shouldn’t be too disappointed. Even if we stabilize at 3.0, it's still an impressive figure," Xiao Sun consoled him.

"Heh, I’m afraid even 3.0 might not hold. Go check on it, and report any updates to me," Zhao Liang responded.


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