"Let me give 'Chapter Seven of the Night' a genre label," Zuo Yang Feixing said. "Gothic rap. I don't know if the music world has ever seen this style before, but this is the first one I've ever heard. Classical composition evokes the Victorian era, the symbolic lyrics construct a pitch-black aesthetic, and the chromatic piano runs at the end tie it together beautifully. It left me breathless."
He had more to say, but his words ran out. After a moment of reflection, he added, "'Chrysanthemum Terrace' is a great song too, but I prefer 'Chapter Seven of the Night.'"
Comparing the two wasn't exactly fair. The latter carved out its own space within the gothic genre, while the former, as a Chinese-style piece, though refined, wasn't the pinnacle of its category.
Chu Zhi appeared to be listening attentively, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He was thinking about the theme for his next album: "East Meets West." Tracks like "Compendium of Materia Medica" and "Opera" would fit well into that concept.
The second person to speak was a man in his late twenties, one of the younger judges among the 101 public panelists. He was "One Pound from Kemeow," an indie artist with a unique style.
His duo partner, who went by the stage name "Kemeow," hadn't shown up. But iQIYI had paid for the group's appearance, so even solo, he was billed under their shared name.
"Among the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, John Everett Millais was the youngest and most talented," he began. "One of his famous works, based on Shakespeare's Hamlet, is Ophelia."
"Listening to Master Chu's song, I felt like I was gazing at Ophelia. Such beauty, yet wrapped around a core of tragedy. Ophelia was a tool in Hamlet's revenge. Her father died, and her lover abandoned her, leading to madness and drowning. 'Chapter Seven of the Night' is similar, wrapped in the elegant tones of a piano and soaring vocals, yet hiding the horror of a brutal crime."
"Master Chu's voice is too beautiful. Even his version of 'The Sound of Wind in the Wheat' enchanted me. Today, I am utterly captivated."
His remarks focused on emotion and metaphor. There was no technical breakdown, just raw feeling.
Chu Zhi could sense One Pound's artistic soul. Comparing the song to a painting was already an aesthetic leap, but referencing Ophelia—not a widely known piece like the Mona Lisa, but something more obscure—revealed real artistic literacy. Even Chu himself hadn't known the painting.
As One Pound sat back down, more judges began pressing the red seat buttons. Usually only three public reviews were allowed, and now only one slot remained.
Vegas and SmokeStyle were frantically hitting their buttons. Vegas had previously engaged Chu Zhi in a deep back-and-forth about New Chinese style.
But in the end, both lost to one of the few female panelists, who was even faster.
"Mr. Zuo mentioned the lyrics' symbolism, and I completely agree," said Rain Turns Into Poetry.
She was a renowned lyricist. She had written lyrics for the musical performed during the 2010 World Expo's cultural showcase, and held a PhD in literature from Tsinghua University. Currently, she served as a literary consultant for CCTV variety shows.
"Master Chu, are your lyrics referencing The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes?" she asked. "In the stories, Holmes used three types of pipes: a metal one, a black clay one, and a briarwood pipe. The 'briar pipe' in your lyrics must be a tribute to Holmes, right?"
Chu Zhi nodded. He had expected the audience to analyze the arrangement, but he hadn't thought someone would catch the biggest Easter egg in the lyrics so quickly.
Some panelists initially thought she was wasting her chance, just name-dropping literary references. But then Rain Turns Into Poetry took it to the next level.
"Master Chu is clearly a hardcore mystery fan. The line 'The typewriter keeps moving forward, reaching the next line closer to the truth' is a brilliant callback to A Case of Identity, where Holmes uses a typewriter to deduce the suspect's identity."
"The lightning-struck elm from The Musgrave Ritual fits with 'withered tree.' Baker Street, of course, even casual fans of Holmes know."
"The knight in armor links to A Study in Scarlet. The driverless carriage, vanished pistol, midnight visits, and bloody openings—all of it draws from Holmes stories. Nearly every two or three lines in the lyrics correspond to one of Conan Doyle's cases."
She was astonished. "Master Chu, you are the ultimate book fan. You used references from all over Holmes to write a new story—another Victorian-era showdown between detective and killer—and you still made all the lyrics rhyme. Tell me, is that even humanly possible?"
Now that this layer had been revealed, everyone agreed she was absolutely right. It was too much.
From the fusion of classical and electronic music in the composition to the arrangement and lyrics, each individual element was a masterclass.
"Ahem, I mean no offense," she added, "but a song like this must have taken forever to write. I know this might be a bit forward, but may I ask—how long did it take to complete these lyrics?"
"I didn't track just the lyrics," Chu Zhi replied after a pause. "Writing the whole song, from composition to arrangement, took a little over a week."
He knew that sounded outrageous. The original composer, Chung Hing-min, once said the arrangement alone had taken seven months.
But Chu Zhi planned to eventually cover songs from Queen, Backstreet Boys, Linkin Park… If he wanted to adapt the best music from around the world, he had to surpass genius. He had to be something else entirely.
"Over a week?" Rain Turns Into Poetry froze. Then she let out a laugh.
A whole week. So long. Prosperity, democracy, civilization, harmony, freedom…
The 300-person audience erupted. They had just realized how many secrets were hidden in that one song.
"Why do I feel like Chu Zhi's rap songs aren't even in the same category as everyone else's?"
"Girl, don't be shy. Just say it. This is a work of art."
"Cough, I know it's wrong, but I gotta ask. Is it possible that depression made him stronger? Think about his older work compared to now—it's night and day."
"That might be true. He always needs a drink before performing now, but each new song is crazier than the last. A lot of great artists had mental health issues too."
While the crowd buzzed, a broadcast reminder called both performers back to the corridor waiting area. The 101 public judges began casting their votes.
Jo Kwon's face had turned to stone. He had been confident that his new song could go toe-to-toe with "Chrysanthemum Terrace," but he hadn't expected a follow-up with four bombs in a row.
"Despicable Chinese! Why would you use something like that on a variety show? Despicable, just despicable!" he raged inside.
The sound effect played. Voting results appeared: [34 votes – 67 votes].
He had finally taken things seriously, and it still ended in crushing defeat. Damn it. Only now did Jo Kwon realize—he had just lost two matches in a row. He was about to be eliminated.