Some fans really did jump up, rushing onto the stage to chase Zhang Bin.

The scene descended into utter chaos. The host was frantically shouting, but it was useless. Many security guards tried to intervene, but they were simply pushed aside.

Hundreds of fans swarmed the stage, hunting down Zhang Bin. He broke into a run, his face a picture of pure frustration. Why are Empress Zhu Danyan's fans so crazy?

"Hahaha..."

Seeing such a hilarious scene, countless audience members burst into excited laughter. Ma Rufei, Chen Chaoyue, Zhang Haijun, and Zhao Dawei could only stare, utterly stupefied.

"Cackle, cackle... That idiot actually wants to replace the pianist," Lv Yuze laughed madly, his face alight with glee. "Forget about whether you're qualified. First, you have to get past the audience. It'll be a miracle if they don't beat you to a pulp."

On stage, the crowd was still screaming as they pursued Zhang Bin, leaving him with nowhere to hide. In the end, like a monkey, he shimmied up a round pillar. Naturally, the fans couldn't climb up after him. All they could do was glare from below and curse furiously.

"You bastard, get down here or you're dead!"

"Jerk, you should go back to the mountains and be a monkey! How could you possibly know how to play the piano?"

"If you don't come down, I'll throw my shoe at you!"

And indeed, a woman took off her high-heeled shoe and hurled it at Zhang Bin's head. But it missed, flying past him and smacking Host Cheng Hui right on the butt. The impact sent him staggering, and he nearly fell over.

"Ouch!" he yelped, clutching his rear as he scurried to the side. His misfortune triggered a wave of raucous laughter from both the live audience and the viewers watching on television.

What made it even more comical was that more fans, ignoring the security guards and the shrieks of Empress Zhu Danyan, began taking off their shoes. They launched a veritable rainstorm of footwear at Zhang Bin.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Shoes of all colors—reds, greens, and more—flew everywhere in a chaotic yet striking display. Miraculously, however, every single shoe missed Zhang Bin. They all veered off course, tumbling down to land messily on the heads of the fans who had thrown them.

"Ouch!"

Cries of pain erupted as many fans clutched their heads, looking utterly pathetic.

"Everyone, please listen to me!" Zhang Bin shouted, thinking fast. "The pianist, Gao Wei, has fainted in the bathroom! There's no way he can come and perform the accompaniment. I'm the only one who can replace him, because I'm also one of Empress Zhu Danyan's pianists. Um, the substitute."

"Pfft..." Empress Zhu Danyan couldn't help but laugh. He must think these fans are idiots. I've heard of substitutes for football teams, but since when does a band's pianist have a substitute?

However, the fans actually bought it. They began shouting anxiously, "He fainted in the bathroom? What do we do? It's a good thing we didn't kill the substitute just now, or we'd be sinners for the ages!"

"Alright, get down! We won't hit you anymore. But if you don't play well, you'd better watch out!"

"You monkey, you better play well, or you'll get what's coming to you!"

"Play badly, and we'll bust your balls!"

After barraging Zhang Bin with another round of threats, they swarmed off the stage. The security guards finally let out a collective sigh of relief. With a mischievous smile, Zhang Bin slid down from the pillar. He walked over to the grand piano and sat down, ready to play.

Since it was the final round, the contestants' masks had already been removed. Exposing the band would no longer risk revealing any identities. The stage curtain was drawn back, revealing all the musicians. Singing this way had more feeling, and the audience would find it more exciting.

Because of the issue with the pianist, every eye in the audience was fixed on Zhang Bin, and most of those gazes carried a threatening glint. It was a clear warning: play well.

An ordinary person might have crumbled under such immense pressure. But Zhang Bin was a Zither Grandmaster. How could he possibly panic? He even closed his eyes, beginning to summon his emotions. To produce the most beautiful music, one had to infuse it with feeling.

"That bastard probably can't even play. Look, his eyes are closed. Is he about to take a nap?"

"He's scared stiff! He's about to break down and faint any second now."

"Sigh. A substitute is a substitute, after all."

"This is a disaster. It's going to be hard for Zhu Danyan to win the title of Song King now."

Disappointment washed over the faces of the audience as they murmured amongst themselves. Even Empress Zhu Danyan was so anxious she stomped her foot. Zhang Bin really can't play the piano. What are we going to do?

Ma Rufei, Chen Chaoyue, Zhang Haijun, and Zhao Dawei all covered their eyes, unable to watch.

"Senior Brother is too much. If he can't play the piano, why did he even go up there?"

"Sigh, that bastard Lv Yuze really got his way this time. Look at him now, how smug he is."

"He has no balls. How can you call him a bastard?"

Their chatter was a jumbled mess. Listening to them, Mi Yiyao didn't know whether to be annoyed or amused. Their conversation was just nonsense.

Lv Yuze, on the other hand, was indeed feeling smug. He stared at Zhang Bin as if looking at a dead man, muttering to himself, I refuse to believe the King of Gamblers knows how to play the piano. And even if he does, can he play it well? Going up there is just asking for humiliation. You've lost for sure today, and so has Empress Zhu Danyan. I am the godfather of the entertainment industry; in this neck of the woods, I call the shots.

As if sensing Lv Yuze's stare, Zhang Bin's eyes snapped open. He shot a mocking look at his rival, and his hands began to move.

His movements were fluid, his posture graceful. An extraordinary aura began to emanate from him, surging out to fill the entire hall.

The music flowed like water, elegant and enchanting. It was as if it held a magical power, instantly transporting everyone into a mystical world. They seemed to see a magnificent Phoenix, besieged by a horde of evil monsters. Wounded and near death, it let out an incredibly desolate cry.

It wasn't just the audience. Even the singer, Empress Zhu Danyan, was completely lost in the music. She forgot she was supposed to sing as crystalline tears welled up in her beautiful eyes, her heart aching in sympathy for the Phoenix.

"My God, those are Grandmaster Level Zither Skills!" some of the music experts in the crowd exclaimed, recognizing the profundity of his technique. They were utterly shocked, their faces masks of disbelief. "That's no substitute! The other guy, Gao Wei, isn't even worthy of carrying his shoes!"

Zhang Bin, how can you be so good at everything, an expert at that? With Zither Skills like these, you could look down on the entire world... It would be a true pity if you didn't become a huge star, Mi Yiyao cried out excitedly in her heart.

"Incredible! Zhang Bin, you're too awesome!"

Zhao Dawei and his friends were so amazed they nearly fell to their knees in worship.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Lv Yuze's face was a mixture of terror and rage. "How could the King of Gamblers suddenly become a grandmaster-level Zither Maestro?" He looked like he wanted to rush the stage and chop off Zhang Bin's fingers.

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