“Zhang-chan, how do you write this singer teacher’s Chinese name?” Henry Reed asked his music partner Julia Bolton.

“Eric Carter.” Julia Bolton slowly pronounced the name: “Eric Carter.”

Henry Reed repeated the awkward Chinese name twice, then muttered, “Chu-san is famous, so why haven’t I heard of him in Tokyo?”

Tokyo is basically the island nation, but Sarah Clark didn’t directly answer the question about the island country’s singer. There are very few young idols who can break through national borders—almost none, really. Most of the so-called fame abroad is just local Chinese people boosting the numbers.

Sarah Clark gave a special kind of useless compliment: “A great voice, truly a great voice.”

Not long after, Eric Carter also arrived at the gathering hall. As usual, the singers stood up and applauded. David Parker also stood up; he appreciated talented young people.

“Hello, teachers, I am Eric Carter.” Eric Carter introduced himself.

Sarah Clark said, “This is our second time meeting, right? I think the last time we met was… last time.”

Nancy Foster said, “There’s a rumor that you’re not photogenic. I didn’t believe it. The retouched photos online are definitely three or four points more dazzling than in real life, but it turns out the rumor is true.”

“I’m Emily Harris.”

“There are so many outstanding singers in the country, I didn’t even know there was someone like you.”

……

They greeted each other, and Henry Reed immediately gave a bow to express his appreciation for the earlier song.

“I’m sorry I hadn’t heard Chu-san’s songs before.” Henry Reed said, and his music partner Julia Bolton translated the Japanese for Eric Carter.

Eric Carter couldn’t quite understand the islander’s way of thinking, but he more or less got that the singer in front of him was complimenting him.

“It’s just right that you’re hearing them now.” Eric Carter replied.

“If there’s a chance, Chu-san, you must come to Tokyo for a concert.” Henry Reed said.

Don’t even mention going to Tokyo for a concert—at this rate, he wouldn’t even have money for a plane ticket to Tokyo. The little guy always brings up the most awkward topics. Eric Carter wasn’t exactly kind-hearted, empathetic, or compassionate—just shrewd—so he politely chatted with Henry Reed.

Then Eric Carter greeted the most respected senior present. He said, “Teacher Hou, I still often study your songs.”

“It’s good for young singers to be eager to learn. The sea of learning has no bounds; you can always improve. Your voice is very gifted. If you can also improve your technique, you’ll become a true vocal powerhouse.” David Parker said.

Among the singers present, only Henry Reed and David Parker exchanged a few words with Eric Carter. After greeting him, Sarah Clark, Nancy Foster, and the others didn’t speak up again, all worried about getting themselves into trouble.

After a short while, the show’s director Ryan Morgan came over to announce the number of votes for the surprise guest Eric Carter. First, he announced the current votes for the seven contestants—

David Parker: 716 votes

Henry Reed: 699 votes

Sarah Clark: 679 votes

Nancy Foster: 647 votes

Emily Harris: 635 votes

Jason Howard: 611 votes

Ethan Wright: 594 votes

For Eric Carter to succeed in the challenge, he needed more than 679 votes. With 800 audience members on site, all with different tastes, getting over 650 votes was already extremely difficult, not to mention that the surprise guest was under a wave of negative sentiment.

“Eric Carter, why didn’t you choose a contestant to challenge?” Director Ryan Morgan asked.

“Because all the contestants are very strong, I really don’t know who to pick.” Eric Carter answered. This was his calculated move, taking the final performance slot to leave the audience with a deeper emotional impression from his songs.

“Then do you think you can succeed in the challenge?” Director Ryan Morgan asked.

Apart from using contestants as hosts, “I Am Really a Singer” also had a director who loved to keep people in suspense, asking all sorts of questions but never announcing the results, driving everyone crazy.

“I drank two cartons of Pure Victory organic milk, so I have double the confidence.” Eric Carter replied.

“All right, let’s announce the vote count for the surprise guest Eric Carter. He received—” Director Ryan Morgan suddenly changed course: “If you don’t succeed in the challenge, will you regret your choice?”

“Director, has anyone ever told you that repeatedly keeping people in suspense is unethical?” Eric Carter was getting really anxious.

He had indeed played his trump card, but no one knew just how bad the original’s public image was. If it was so bad that “everything you do is wrong,” then he was in trouble.

Equally nervous was singer Ethan Wright, a member of a rock band and an old hand with little fame. He was currently last in the voting. If the surprise guest succeeded, it meant he would be eliminated.

“Now, tell me, we’ll discuss whether it’s ethical later.” Ryan Morgan said. “So, will you regret it?”

Eric Carter could tell the director liked to tease contestants. He quickly thought of a suitable answer: “I don’t like to regret my choices, because that would be doubting my past self.”

Ryan Morgan nodded. “I like your answer. So, your vote count is—”

o: During the new book period, recommendation votes and monthly votes are very important.

Chapter 10 Challenge Succeeded!

“700 votes, exactly seven hundred!” The show’s director Ryan Morgan announced loudly. “Second place in this round’s competition. Congratulations to the surprise guest Eric Carter for succeeding in the challenge.”

As soon as he finished, applause broke out in the gathering hall. Henry Reed was the first to clap, looking eager and not caring about the feelings of the soon-to-be-eliminated. The others only started clapping a few seconds later to offer their congratulations.