The Villain Slaps The Protagonist’s Halo - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: I'll Tell You Who's the Boss

Xie Yihang's Weibo account followed the other three members of DDD, yet only Nie Fei didn't reciprocate the connection. Despite Nie Fei's past four years of outright verbal jabs at him, there had never been a single repost of his content, presenting an obvious stance of avoiding any association.

Sure, Nie Fei had paid a price for this, labeled as the most tactless figure in the entertainment circle. But he couldn't care less. For four years, he remained unswayed by public opinion.

This marked Nie Fei's first "interaction" on the web.

Despite the current public criticism directed at Nie Fei, Xie Yihang, having been on stage, knew Nie Fei had captivated the entire audience during the live recording. When the show officially aired, the expected reaction from the outside world was almost predictable.

So, what was Nie Fei's motive now? When the show airs, this bit of news will surely surface. Would he end up being the one to face external criticism?

Xie Yihang's mind was a mess. He remembered his own debut days, enduring relentless criticism. Though most of these criticisms were likely from rival company's hired trolls or other boy band fans, he couldn't control his fragile feelings, putting on a brave face during the day and secretly crying at night. Thankfully, everything had turned out well in the end...

The hardships of his debut were something Xie Yihang absolutely didn't want to experience again.

"Xiaohang, stop fooling around. Come to the recording studio." Shi Yanshen appeared for the first time after the show's recording. Xie Yihang had tried calling him several times, but there was no answer until today's sound check. Shi Yanshen approached from behind, sporting pitch-black shades perched on his nose, his expression indiscernible. Though the address was as affectionate as before, as he passed by Xie Yihang, Shi Yanshen didn't stop but continued on.

Xie Yihang let out a sigh and hurried to catch up.

It took Nie Jia six days to finalize the finals' song. Though this duration wasn't considered swift based on Nie Fei's past records, it stunned all the studio staff, including Chen Tian. When he took off his headphones, Chen Tian felt disconnected from his own head. This song was a complete revolution.

Nie Fei had been labeled with various titles by the public, both praising and insulting, but "Godly Composer" was a halo even Poison Only admitted. Whether in melody or lyrics, Nie Fei carried a strong personal style from his debut, devoid of any love-themed songs, only fiery passion and grandeur. Each melody in his songs was a story, every lyric a world.

Many creative artists admired DDD's songs, easily sparking their own inspiration.

That was why Nie Fei could single-handedly drive the entire DDD group, making them popular nationwide and amassing a countless fanbase even overseas.

However, this new song had no resemblance to Nie Fei's past style. This was an outrageously wild rock piece, devoid of any subtle rhythm. It exploded right from the chorus, gaining pace and intensity, escalating to a point where only a terrifying high note could complement the track perfectly. The entire song was a raging inferno, inciting an urge to scream and release an unknown surge of emotions.

"Nie Fei must be intentionally provoking Galaxy," Chen Tian finally regained his excitement after a while, his scalp tingling with enthusiasm.

During the previous recording, over a thousand high votes from the audience had all gone to Galaxy, slapping DDD's face hard. It seemed to have provoked Nie Fei. Always proud, Nie Fei, instead of showcasing his strengths against a rock band in the finals, immediately composed a rock song, pitting his weaknesses against their strengths.

No, perhaps Nie Fei was challenging Galaxy, deliberately using his weaknesses to crush their strengths, executing an absolute, all-around domination, slapping Galaxy's eight members and their audience in the face.

Chen Tian couldn't contain his excitement, even shaking his legs. He couldn't wait for the final day of the competition without even having heard the sound check.

This genre-defying rock piece would undoubtedly usher DDD into a new peak.

Galaxy would be facing an opponent akin to a deity in the finals.

Shi Yanshen, after listening, also remained shocked for quite a while. "We've got the finals in the bag."

"Galaxy had already achieved a breakthrough with their explosive rock performance last time, but when compared to the song Nie Fei just wrote, they were instantly overshadowed. Even if Galaxy manages another self-transcendence in this weekend's finals, it's impossible for them to reach Nie Fei's level in just a week.

On the finals day, as long as there are no mistakes dragging Nie Fei down, they won't need to perform exceptionally well to overpower Galaxy.

At this moment, Shi Yanshen truly realized that Nie Fei was the soul of D Group, the epitome of the music industry icon.

"Nie Fei has already divided the parts," he allocated them based on the three individuals' vocal ranges, though he didn't force them to strictly follow his plan, letting them audition first. Chen Tian glanced at Xie Yihang, who stood nearby, reading the manuscript with a detached expression. "I have no issues with the parts he assigned. You guys figure it out. I need to go practice," Chen Tian said.

"I'm fine with it too," Shi Yanshen added but suddenly remembered he only checked his own part. Scanning through, Chen Tian and his parts combined accounted for about 20%, with minimal parts for the chorus. Nie Fei held the largest share, just like last time with 'Battle of the Stars,' where Nie Fei's voice dominated the entire song. Shi Yanshen had no objections. He was self-aware enough to acknowledge that among the four, only Nie Fei could handle the chorus.

What puzzled Shi Yanshen was that Xie Yihang only had the brief opening lines of the chorus. In essence, after those initial three lines, Xie Yihang would essentially be sidelined.

Xie Yihang had a limited vocal range, which meant there were certain songs he couldn't perform. That, of course, included the broad-ranging rock genre required for this song. Shi Yanshen understood that Xie Yihang participating in this song at all was already a stretch; he didn't have the capability.

"Are they muting my mic again this time?" Xie Yihang lifted his head and asked.

Chen Tian paused, turned to look at Xie Yihang. This time, Xie Yihang didn't wear a pitiful expression or teary eyes; instead, he appeared stubborn, furrowing his brows as if indignant about Nie Fei's actions.

"You have a part," Chen Tian stated flatly.

"Just three lines?" Xie Yihang argued, "I've always been the center. I don't understand why Nie Fei is targeting me, deliberately suppressing me. What did I do wrong?"

"Who said you must be the center? If you can't handle it, let someone else take over. Why are you so obsessed with this center position? Is it a legacy for your family name? Only the Xies can claim it?" Chen Tian sneered coldly.

Xie Yihang's stubborn demeanor quickly faded under Chen Tian's words, and his eyes reddened. He looked to Shi Yanshen for help, full of grievances. "Shi Yanshen... is Nie Fei trying to push me out?"

"He won't," Shi Yanshen stepped forward, patting Xie Yihang's shoulder. He admitted that Nie Fei's talent had made him feel guilty about the restrictions within the company. But fundamentally, had Xie Yihang done anything wrong? He might have been a bit naive, a bit foolish, but he had no ill intentions. While Nie Fei openly ridiculed and suppressed Xie Yihang without knowing the restrictions he faced within the company, wasn't that Nie Fei's issue?

"He's not capable of that," Shi Yanshen affirmed, a storm brewing in his eyes. Suddenly, he felt Nie Fei's arrogance, thinking that the company's restrictions on him were justifiable.

Sensing Shi Yanshen's softened stance towards him, Xie Yihang regained his former caring and gentle demeanor, couldn't help but sniffle softly, "Is it because Nie Fei wants to be the center that he's targeting me?"

Before Shi Yanshen could respond, Chen Tian's icy voice cut in, "Xie Yihang, you're the one who wants to be the center. Don't forget, in 'Battle of the Stars,' the most stunning chorus was given to Shi Yanshen. If Nie Fei wanted attention, why didn't he sing it himself? It's not like he can't; it's because Shi Yanshen's voice suits it better. Don't speculate with your petty thoughts. Nie Fei isn't targeting anyone; he's just dividing parts based on reality. If you can't sing, that's your problem. If you care so much about lyrics, write your own!"

With that, Chen Tian sharply turned away, grabbing his guitar, and left.

Xie Yihang was left feeling ashamed and red-faced, unable to utter a word.

The staff in the recording studio dared not breathe. Normally, it was Nie Fei and Shi Yanshen arguing, and usually, Chen Tian sided with Shi Yanshen. Today, he staunchly defended Nie Fei... could D Group really be on the verge of collapse?

"What's gotten into you?" Shi Yanshen angrily reprimanded Chen Tian's back, then turned to reassure Xie Yihang after catching his breath, "Don't mind him. Go ahead and audition. Any part you can sing will be exclusively yours."

Xie Yihang cautiously nodded and entered the recording booth.

Xie Yihang's vocal range was limited. He managed to stay as the center for four years not only due to Shi Yanshen's covert support but also because Nie Fei's style happened to fall within Xie Yihang's range. Thus far, there hadn't been any slip-ups. However, with Nie Fei's alterations to 'Battle of the Stars,' Xie Yihang couldn't sing a single line. Now, being asked to perform rock, it was impossible for him.

The results of the audition that day were evident. Besides those three lines, Xie Yihang couldn't sing any other part. Eventually, they had to accept the distribution of parts, perfectly aligned with Nie Fei's initial allocation.

The inner workings of D Group were clearly in disarray. There was no dance rehearsal for this song. Nie Fei and Chen Tian hadn't returned to the company before the finals. Xie Yihang managed to spare a couple of hours each day for practice while also juggling other commitments."

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