Chapter 159 Pre-match Communication

Don't ask why I'm being so good to Fu Yingzhou; we're about to part ways, and I have to make sure he's well-fed.

Kong Pan said that the World Music Competition is about to start accepting applications, and there needs to be a pre-competition meeting. Chairman Kan Hong will lead the team. They'll assess each other's abilities.

Poor Lao Niu couldn't go abroad because of work. Even his fiancée had to be investigated before she could go. Fortunately, it was for the country's honor, so all she had to do was report it and she was allowed to leave.

It was a team effort, and a small group at that, with no assistants. The team consisted only of Kan Hong, Shi Shi, Hua Hu, Gu Hanyi, Yan Xuehua, and Gao Rong. In short, there were no contestants from the first round, only the three from the second round, and Hua Hu and Shi Shi from the third round.

Unlike welcoming idols at the airport, they deliberately suppressed domestic media coverage of this event before receiving the honor. The group quietly left the country.

After getting off the plane, the people sent by the Japanese to pick me up were nowhere to be seen.

Everyone's expressions were rather grim. Despite Gao Rong's seemingly peaceful face, his temper was like a powder keg, ready to explode at any moment. Moreover, he had a communist background and deeply disliked Japan.

"They have absolutely no manners. They're from a tiny place, all petty and narrow-minded. They only know how to make a fuss over things like this."

Gu Hanyi adjusted his glasses, displaying the composure and calmness of an old artist: "A cunning person is often short; that's easy to tell."

A full hour passed before the Japanese finally arrived. They looked apologetic, yet with a hint of arrogance, explaining their lateness in broken Chinese.

Gao Rong snorted coldly, about to retort, but was stopped by Chairman Kan Hong raising his hand. Kan Hong smiled and expressed his understanding: "Your country has a small population, and hosting such a large event is already a stretch. We won't mind."

Just when everyone thought Chairman Kan was too good-natured.

Kan Hong then said, "We came here at your invitation, and we didn't want you to make a wasted trip. But it wouldn't be right to keep waiting. I've already arranged a car. We won't trouble you any further."

After saying that, he led the group outside.

The Japanese man who came to pick him up instantly turned pale; they hadn't expected Kan Hong to be so forceful. The man hesitated for a moment, then quickly caught up, his tone urgent: "Sir, this was truly our oversight. Please give us another chance; we'll arrange the best vehicle immediately."

Kan Hong stopped and looked at him calmly: "No need, we can handle it ourselves."

The group followed Kan Hong out of the airport, where a very luxurious minivan was waiting for them. Ironically, the beat-up car driven by the Japanese people who came to pick them up was parked next to them, making the car look rather shabby.

Soon, everyone's mood was somewhat complicated as they traveled along the way. Gao Rong was still grumbling angrily, "This Japanese country just needs to be taught a lesson."

Gu Hanyi comforted him, "Don't be angry. At this exchange meeting, we will use our strength to give them a good slap in the face."

After arriving at the hotel and checking in, everyone was just about to rest when they received news that the pre-match communication session had been moved up, and the organizers had also made some unreasonable demands.

Kan Hong frowned, a determined glint in his eyes: "They're deliberately making things difficult for us. Don't panic, we'll deal with whatever comes our way."

The people sent this time are all exceptionally capable. Even the youngest, Shishi, has the demeanor of a great general. Kan Hong said to everyone, "Hanyi, Xuehua, and Xiaorong, the three of you must unleash your strongest abilities to intimidate them. This will not tarnish the image of our great nation."

The three singers nodded, indicating they would do their best. Kan Hong turned to Shi Shi and Hua Hu, saying, "You two can hold back a bit. It's best to keep them guessing."

Shishi and Huahu exchanged a glance and understood what he meant.

Although the third round of written exams involves two contestants from each country randomly drawing lots to answer questions, the number of potentially obscure and popular questions is limited. There's definitely some pre-selection of questions. You might claim you wrote a skillful and perfectly arranged song on the spot. I could also say I wrote it on the spot! This kind of unverifiable truth is easy to fabricate.

Therefore, their pre-match exchange was destined not to attract much attention.

Japan clearly doesn't want to give the Chinese athletes any rest time.

Shishi didn't seem to care, since everyone knew it was just a cheap trick by the Japanese. Soon, the pre-competition discussion began. The singing group, consisting of Gu Hanyi, Yan Xuehua, and Gao Rong, were the first to take the stage.

Surprisingly, it was Gao Rong. After all, he was the youngest of the three singers. But the moment he opened his mouth, his powerful presence and superb singing skills instantly captivated the entire audience. The arrogant expressions of the Japanese contestants gradually turned serious.

Among the crowd, the eyes of athletes from various countries were all focused on China.

After all, when China won the championship twenty years ago, many of the other countries' athletes present were still young. They only knew that China's ranking was very low in the previous competition.

When it was Shishi and Huahu's turn, they seemingly casually displayed a portion of their strength, yet cleverly concealed crucial techniques. The Japanese competitors, thinking they were nothing special, wore disdainful smiles once more.

However, just as the exchange was about to end, Brian from the United States spoke up, saying, "If everyone's level is like this in the third round, then we might as well cancel the third round altogether."

Everyone had the same idea: to hide their true strength. The competition consisted of three rounds. The first and second rounds were each worth 30 points, while the third round was worth a maximum of 40 points. The total score was 100 points, and the winner was determined by the score.

There are 20 judges in total, all of whom are music masters from various countries.

The scores are usually very close in the first two rounds. The third round is where they pull away from their opponents by a large margin.

After Brian finished speaking, Kenta Tanaka chimed in, "The creation of songs is very important. The development of world music depends on the new generation creating songs to propel it forward. If everyone here is at this level, then I will be very worried about the music scene."

The veterans couldn't interfere in the conversations between the contestants; it would be beneath their dignity. Shishi glanced at Kan Hong below the stage, receiving a subtle look of approval from him, before speaking up: "I have a different opinion."

It turned out that a woman was the one who spoke. The Japanese's patriarchal prejudice against women had resurfaced.

Kenta Tanaka looked at Shishi and said, "Does your country have no one else? You actually sent a lady to make an appearance."

In the third round of sparring just now, Hua Hu did all the talking. So everyone ignored Shi Shi.

Hearing Tanaka Kenta's nonsense, Shishi was furious. Composing herself, she took a step forward and said loudly…