Zhang Bin also smirked, not at all blaming Ma Rufei. Men, after all, enjoyed saying such flirtatious things to liven up the atmosphere.

He took a long look at Mi Yiyao, whose pretty face was flushed with anger, and chuckled. "Alright, I agree. From today on, you are my agent."

"Yay!" Mi Yiyao let out a victorious cheer, her face brimming with ecstasy.

"Senior Brother, congratulations on finding such a capable and beautiful agent."

"Brother, I hear your beautiful new agent is very competent. It was a waste for her to only manage Zhu Danyan before..."

Ma Rufei, Zhao Dawei, and the others all congratulated him, their words sounding especially suggestive. Mi Yiyao was a rare beauty, and they were all convinced Zhang Bin would "devour" her. How could they not take the opportunity to tease him?

Mi Yiyao was angry, anxious, and ashamed, but she was powerless against this group of troublemakers.

In that short time, contestant number three, Feng Banmei, and contestant number four had each taken the stage to sing a song. Feng Banmei's song was titled "Love in the Wilderness," a classic, heartbreakingly poignant love song about one's world turning into a wasteland after losing a lover. The lyrics were exceptionally beautiful.

Furthermore, she had removed her mask to reveal her true face. It was none other than the superstar Feng Banmei, whose popularity was second only to Heavenly Queen Zhu Danyan. As a result, the cheers from the live audience and those watching on TV soared to a new peak, almost deafening Zhang Bin and his friends.

She also received a massive number of votes, instantly skyrocketing to the top. She was already leading second place by two hundred thousand votes and was ahead of Zhu Danyan by nearly a million. Her vote count was still climbing rapidly, and the gap was widening by the second.

"It looks like Feng Banmei is on track to win Singing King this time."

"Feng Banmei doesn't just want to be Singing King; she's aiming for the Empress's throne."

"After being overshadowed by Zhu Danyan for years, she's finally about to reach the summit."

"Feng Banmei's three songs are truly classic. They'll probably hit the top ten on the pop charts tomorrow."

"I heard they were written by Lv Yuze, no wonder they're so amazing..."

Amid the cheering, numerous viewers began whispering among themselves.

Of course, Heavenly Queen Zhu Danyan's fans were furious and quickly fired back.

"What do you know? The Empress is about to take the stage. She'll overtake Feng Banmei in minutes."

"Sister Yan's throne as Empress is unshakable. No one can challenge it!"

"I just hope contestant number five is Sister Yan. Only then does she have a chance of surpassing her."

A victorious smile had already appeared on Lv Yuze's face. His scheme had succeeded.

Just as expected, after the fourth contestant performed, it was Zhu Danyan's turn.

The moment Zhu Danyan walked on stage and removed her mask, she triggered a landslide of cheers. The song she was about to perform, "Rebirth from Fire," was undoubtedly the most powerful of her three songs. Once she sang it, she was certain to shoot to first place and claim the title of Masked Singing King.

However, the accompanying music was strangely silent.

Panic spread across Zhu Danyan's face. There was a problem with the band; the pianist had been suddenly taken ill and had run to the restroom, clutching his stomach. The piano was the main accompaniment for this song. Without a pianist, the performance would be greatly diminished. Naturally, the impact wouldn't be as good, and her chances of surpassing Feng Banmei would be almost nil.

Most importantly, this would be a huge psychological blow to Zhu Danyan, and she might not perform well.

"Dear audience, please wait a moment..." Host Cheng Hui said apologetically. "The pianist in Heavenly Queen Zhu Danyan's band might have eaten something that disagreed with him..."

A vicious smile spread across Lv Yuze's face. The pianist was his student. With just one phone call, the other party had obediently complied. He also knew perfectly well that the Empress's song was a brand new, original piece that hadn't been rehearsed; no other master pianist could possibly play it. This was a live broadcast. There was absolutely no time to wait, nor was there time for the Empress to adapt.

Therefore, she would have to sing the song without piano accompaniment. How could she possibly win against Feng Banmei?

"This is bad, Senior Brother! Lv Yuze must have resorted to an underhanded scheme!" Ma Rufei shouted angrily.

"I've always heard Lv Yuze was despicable, but I never thought he'd stoop this low!" Chen Chaoyue chimed in. "I'm sure he's behind this. Look at the smug expression on his face!"

"The pianist is named Gao Wei. He was once Lv Yuze's student," Zhao Dawei added with a sigh. As a member of the Special Action Team, he knew many secrets, including such trivial ones.

"I saw him making a phone call just now," Sun Tie said, his voice filled with hatred.

"What do we do? Are we just going to let him get away with this? Zhang Bin, think of something, quick!" Mi Yiyao, sitting next to Zhang Bin, was nearly frantic with anger.

Damn it... This idiot actually resorted to such despicable methods? I underestimated him. The godfather of the entertainment industry really does have powerful connections. Zhang Bin muttered to himself, but his face betrayed no tension. He said with a calm smile, "No problem. I'll step in."

"You know how to play the piano too?" Mi Yiyao was stunned.

The others also stared in disbelief. Zhang Bin was just a countryman who had once been so poor he rattled when he walked. He might have had a chance to strum a guitar or play a flute, but he definitely never had the opportunity to play the piano. Was he really going to fill in? Was this some kind of joke?

However, Zhang Bin wasn't about to explain himself. He simply parted the crowd and walked onto the stage.

Upon seeing Zhang Bin, Zhu Danyan clung to him as if he were a lifeline, asking anxiously, "Zhang Bin, what do we do?"

"I'll play the piano for you. It's no problem," Zhang Bin said with a wicked smile. "The title of Masked Singing King is yours. There won't be any surprises."

"Let's just wait a bit longer. Maybe Gao Wei will be out shortly," Zhu Danyan said tactfully, evidently doubting Zhang Bin's piano skills.

"He's Lv Yuze's student. He isn't coming back," Zhang Bin stated flatly. "And even if he did, we couldn't let him play. Who knows if he'd sabotage the performance." After he said this, Zhu Danyan nodded in reluctant agreement, and he went to explain the situation to the host.

"Dear audience, there's been a slight issue with Heavenly Queen Zhu Danyan's pianist, and he is unable to perform," Host Cheng Hui announced, a strange look on his face. "Therefore, a friend of the Empress has bravely volunteered to take his place and play the piano accompaniment. Let's give him a round of applause!"

The entire audience was dumbfounded, unable to believe their ears. Swapping pianists at the last minute in such an important competition? Wasn't that just handing the championship to someone else?

Suddenly, an earth-shaking chorus of boos erupted from the crowd. Some audience members even started cursing loudly.

"Get off the stage! Get off!"

"What right do you have to replace Gao Wei?"

"You idiot! Drag him off the stage!"

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