Don’t be fooled by the drop being just over two million—it doesn’t matter. Weibo followers are too inflated; forty or fifty million followers are mostly bought data, and it’s hard to guarantee real activity. Even one percent is considered high. The reason the original owner was a top star was because there were two or three million real users leaving comments and helping with the rankings.

Suddenly, Grace Bennett had a dark thought: it would actually be great if Eric Carter was massively slandered online, otherwise there’d be no chance to have a meal together.

The thought quickly dissipated, and Grace Bennett was startled by herself—why would she think that? She hurriedly ordered a plate of spicy stir-fried field frogs, Eric Carter’s favorite, to cover up her inner panic.

On the way back, Eric Carter bought milk tea for the band teacher and music director Brian Cooper. Grace Bennett muttered to herself: with such a great personality, why would anyone spread rumors about her being a diva?

There’s so much that filters can change. Before, Grace Bennett’s first reaction would definitely have been, “She’s been blacklisted by the whole internet, so she’s behaving now, not acting like a diva anymore.” But after seeing her in person: “She really does have such a great personality.”

On the 24th and 25th, Eric Carter spent two days in a row rehearsing on stage...

Two days later, “I Really Am a Singer” began recording!

Chapter Six: Who Is the Challenger

The seven initial singers and their music partners arrived together at the recording site. For the sake of the show’s effect and smooth recording, none of them actually knew who the surprise guest was.

There’s no way around it—not every singer can act. Even if they know, they have to pretend not to—pretty awkward. You can treat the audience like leeks, but you can’t treat them like fools.

The singers sat chatting in the lounge while their music partners drew lots for this episode’s performance order. The gathering hall was specially built for the “I Really Am a Singer” segment inside the TV station building, mostly decorated in a minimalist blue and silver-black metallic style. On the left, sponsor Chunsheng Organic Milk’s products were stacked in pyramid shapes—just empty boxes for looks. The big show logo hung right in front of the “pyramid.”

The oldest contestant was teacher David Parker, fifty-three this year. He debuted at twenty as the runner-up in the National Young Singers TV Competition, with thirty-three years of stage experience and many well-known songs. David Parker’s voice is deep and powerful, his singing style bold and unrestrained. He’s sung theme songs for many historical dramas and is an associate professor at the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts—a true veteran with strong skills, having won the audience’s favorite vote twice in over half the competition.

“Uncle Parker, last time there were rumors about the challenger. Any news today?” Sarah Clark sat alone on a two-seater sofa.

Sarah Clark is only twenty-nine, but he’s the most popular among the contestants. He debuted at eighteen on Super Boy, built up popularity over five years of releasing albums, and at twenty-four had a breakthrough. His singing skills aside, his album sales match his fame. People call him [Lin Fei] and [Fei Fei].

“Last time the surprise guest was my student, so I just happened to know.” David Parker chuckled. “This third surprise guest—absolutely no news, no clue at all.”

“If even Uncle Parker has no clue, then none of us can get any info from him.” Sarah Clark spread his hands.

“Sigh.” Emily Harris sighed.

“Emily, don’t be so down. We all have faith in you,” Sarah Clark comforted her. “So you have all our trust.”

After half a season of recording, the contestants were all familiar with each other and used to Sarah Clark’s endless “nonsense.”

“But I don’t have faith in myself.” Emily Harris pulled a long face. “Last time I was second to last. If a tough opponent comes, I definitely can’t beat them.”

Emily Harris is one of only two female contestants. She started in an idol girl group with decent skills, but after the group disbanded, her solo career barely survived. Finally getting on the show gave her a chance at a comeback, so of course she doesn’t want to be eliminated.

“Emily, let’s look at it another way. If the show brings in a tough challenger, they’ll definitely go after the strong ones, like Uncle Parker and Sarah Clark.” Nancy Foster said sharply. “Does that make you feel better?”

“It does, Ms. Foster, you make sense.” Emily Harris thought about it and agreed, not feeling anything was off.

The lounge had three-seater, four-seater, and two-seater sofas. You could tell the stars’ current status by where they sat—not strictly enforced, more like an unspoken rule.

“I actually hope the surprise contestant is a female singer. I know so many talented sisters who have no exposure and have to switch careers.” Nancy Foster said.

“There are plenty of outstanding, exceptional, and gifted female singers. It’d be great for more of them to be recognized by the whole country.” When not singing, David Parker is like a cheerful retired old man out for a stroll. He loves to speak in strings of idioms. If the Chinese Poetry Conference doesn’t invite him, it’s a huge mistake.

Nancy Foster is a few years older than Emily Harris. Nearly forty, her face is still beautifully made up, but at certain camera angles, you can see crow’s feet and neck lines. She’s a Hong Kong-Taiwan singer who came to the mainland early on. Her Mandarin is fluent, with no regional accent.

“Hengkou-san, are you worried?” Sarah Clark asked in Japanese. “If you’re worried, that means you’re worried.”

To add international flavor, the “I Really Am a Singer” team invites foreign singers every season. Thirty-seven-year-old Henry Reed is the invited Japanese singer, an artist under Sony whose last album sold 570,000 copies on release.