Volume 1, Chapter 119: If I Can't Win an Award Singing in Chinese, Then I'll Sing One in English

The moment the name was announced, everyone in the venue fell silent, save for Xu Kun, who sprang to his feet in excitement.

It was the same old story. The Chinese Golden Melody Awards were co-organized and funded by several major entertainment conglomerates, making the annual awards notoriously lacking in integrity. It was standard practice to use the platform to promote their own contracted artists. People generally understood this—earning money was nothing to be ashamed of.

But this was beyond absurd. A song in English winning a nomination for a Chinese music award was one thing, but actually winning the prize? That was an insult. No one could believe their ears, and the expressions of every Chinese singer present shifted. Those English lyrics weren't a proud announcement of winning the highest honor in the Chinese music scene; they were a slap in the face to every Chinese artist in the room.

The cameramen, ever eager for drama, panned once more to Jiang Yu. On screen, Jiang Yu sat expressionless, neither happy nor sad, his thoughts unreadable. Beside him, Su Muyu looked indignant; this time, Jiang Yu had truly been relegated to a mere prop. Sensing her distress, Jiang Yu turned, their eyes meeting. In her gaze, he read her concern for him. He offered a comforting smile before turning his attention back to the stage.

Xu Kun walked up to the podium, trembling with excitement, and hoisted the trophy high. Simultaneously, the track "Hughug" began to play. Sparse, scattered applause echoed through the hall—a clear indication of the audience's dissatisfaction.

The live stream comments exploded instantly.

"What the hell? Did I hear that right? Who won the Chinese Golden Melody Award? Which song?"
"This is ridiculous! This is supposed to be the highest award in our music scene? Is this a joke?"
"This is disgusting. I'm going to spend two hours ranting about this on my computer today, and if I spend even a minute less, I’m being too kind!"
"Damn, everyone knows what Xu Kun is about. One hundred million followers? That’s one in every fourteen people in the country. If you know, you know!"
"I am truly disgusted!"

***

Finally, amidst this bizarre atmosphere, Xu Kun finished his acceptance speech, and the ceremony concluded on that preposterous note. No one in the chat cared about the other winners; once an English song had taken the prize, nothing else mattered.

The next segment was the closing performance, and Jiang Yu was the scheduled act. As the host called his name, Jiang Yu walked onto the stage under the gaze of the entire room. The final interview of the night had also been arranged for him.

"Mr. Jiang Yu, you received multiple nominations tonight but didn't walk away with an award. Do you have any regrets?"

Truth be told, this ceremony was targeting him with extreme prejudice.

"This is just bullying!" Yang Weiwei, known for her fiery temper, cursed aloud. Zhou Muren also looked furious; Jiang Yu was being subjected to the dirtiest side of the entertainment industry. Su Muyu’s eyes glistened; she felt a pang of heartache for this young man who had been all smiles earlier. She regretted not realizing this sooner—if she had known, she would have refused to attend.

Jiang Yu’s recent rise had been too meteoric. As a newcomer, he possessed a talent so sharp it was terrifying. The heads of the major talent agencies were afraid. They had spent fortunes grooming their own rookies, and they knew that as long as Jiang Yu was around, those rookies would never see the light of day.

If they couldn't have him, they would destroy him. And the best way to destroy him was to break his spirit. Most geniuses were prideful; once thwarted, they would begin to doubt themselves and might never recover. That was why they had colluded to suppress him at this awards show.

But was Jiang Yu just another ordinary genius? Did they think he was a pushover?

He smiled, looked at the host, and shook his head. "No regrets. The reason I didn't win is probably because I chose the wrong song. If there’s a next time, I’ll sing in another language; maybe then the award will be mine."

The faces of those watching from the wings changed instantly. He was fighting back head-on! No one expected Jiang Yu to discard all pretense and openly call out the absurdity of an English song winning a Chinese music award. A wave of murmurs rippled through the audience. *Wow, this kid is bold.*

***

Most people in his position would choose silence and resignation, but Jiang Yu had chosen to confront them. The host felt awkward; he knew Jiang Yu’s character well—he was someone who would answer any question asked of him, the same person who had dared to stand up to capital-heavy giants like Fanxing Entertainment early in his career. Not wanting to press further, the host decided to skip straight to the performance.

"Mr. Jiang Yu must be ready to shine on this stage. I’m a fan of yours and I’m very much looking forward to this. Could you tell us the title of the song you’re performing and what genre it is?"

Jiang Yu cast a faint glance at the host, his lips curling slightly as he pulled a USB drive from his pocket.

"Actually, I had prepared a Chinese song. I thought it was pretty good, but after the awards, I felt it might not be appropriate for this stage anymore. Sound engineer, may I change the song?"

The host was stunned. Jiang Yu’s request had backed the entire ceremony into a corner. Changing a song wasn't a major issue, so they had no reason to refuse. However, Jiang Yu’s previous tracks, "Don't Bite Me" and "I'm Not a Rapper," had left them wary. If Jiang Yu started hurling insults on stage, it would be a disaster.

Sensing the host's hesitation, Jiang Yu smiled slightly. "Don't worry, I won't be singing a Chinese song today either. I've prepared an English song, after all..."

"Since singing in Chinese doesn't win awards, right?"

As these words left his lips, the expressions of the staff backstage shifted dramatically. The audience erupted in an uproar.

Yang Weiwei turned to Su Muyu. "Wow, Jiang Yu is so cool! He dared to say that twice. I declare that from today on, I’m his fan! But isn't he afraid of being blacklisted by those agencies for saying that?"

Su Muyu’s lips curved into a soft smile as she watched the rebellious figure on stage. "They can't blacklist him."

Zhou Muren’s eyes were filled with admiration. "I like this kid! No matter what happens, I’m backing him all the way!"

The veteran singers around them shared the same sentiment, their eyes filled with respect. They had compromised too much in this industry; to see someone finally say the things they dared not say and do the things they dared not do was truly admirable.

Seeing the public opinion on the live stream reaching a boiling point, the people backstage deliberated and decided to grant Jiang Yu’s request. A staff member walked up and took the USB drive from him.

Moments later, the music began—a sound that made one’s skin crawl. Jiang Yu gripped the microphone, looked at the crowd, then turned to the camera and offered a faint smirk.

"Welcome to the wild, no heroes and villains!"