Chapter Twenty-One: The Legendary Piano Duel

Several days of trending topics had breathed new life into the once-faded "Transformation Project." The latest episode’s ratings had surged into the top three, and Zhao Weiming now walked through the TV station with his back straight and shoulders squared. Many praised his bold revelation that the show had a script, calling it a stroke of genius that triggered a ratings explosion. Others, however, believed he merely stumbled upon a stroke of luck—a fortuitous discovery of Zhou Miao, whose personality and appearance alone drew endless discussion.

But no matter what others said, it was all irrelevant. In the end, only the ratings spoke the truth. Thanks to the show’s stellar performance, even before his new project had a proper name, sponsors were lining up, waving money at him.

Zhao Weiming entered the backstage data monitoring room. A new episode of "Transformation Project" was about to air, and he wondered if the ratings might soar even higher. Currently, the show ranked third, with only a slim gap separating it from second place—a gap that still left plenty of room for hope. He wanted to witness this moment with his own eyes.

At 7:30 p.m., the new episode aired right on time. As he waited for the numbers, Zhao scrolled through the live comments on a streaming site, where he could find the most candid feedback and spontaneous audience reactions.

"It’s starting, it’s starting!"

"I live for the next episode of 'Transformation Project.'"

"Here it comes—my source of happiness has arrived!"

Tonight’s episode featured Zhou Miao and his two companions receiving a secret mission from the producers. The show’s cunning team had lured them into accepting the task by offering rewards none could refuse, setting off a chain reaction of internal strategizing and mutual maneuvering—a move so clever that viewers instantly recognized the producers’ expertise.

The comedic highlight came when chubby Wang Jiang, at his wits’ end with Zhou Miao, went to the director to borrow a phone. At first, viewers were curious—what was he up to?—only to discover he was seeking help from Baidu.

"That’s so me—when in doubt, ask Baidu."

"How to handle Zhou Miao the goofball? Let’s Baidu it."

"Hold on, let me search Baidu before I talk to you."

To everyone’s surprise, Wang Jiang actually found a seemingly reliable method, which the production team then adopted, leaving the audience in eager anticipation.

"Zhou Miao, run! Reinforcements are coming!"

"Fast-forward to when Zhou Miao gets a lesson in humility!"

Hu San, too, was watching that night’s episode and couldn’t help but worry for Zhou Miao. For someone so proud, being schooled in music would surely sting.

The next day, the three were taken by the crew to a piano studio. When Zhang Liangkuan, a man with long hair, appeared, the live chat filled with question marks as everyone wondered who he was. Fortunately, the show provided a brief introduction: he had once been a singer and was a renowned graduate of the Central Conservatory’s piano department, now running a music studio in Yunnan.

By coincidence, Zhou Miao had even bought one of Zhang’s albums—a twist so serendipitous that some viewers suspected the show was scripting events again.

Then came the iconic scene: Zhou Miao seated at the piano, ready for Zhang’s assessment. The atmosphere was tense; though it was mentioned before that Zhou Miao had studied piano since childhood, no one really knew his true skill.

Yet the moment the music began, everyone was stunned. Even without musical expertise, the audience could recognize excellence. The unnamed piano piece, under his fingers, stirred emotions and set hearts pounding.

Most astonishing was the transformation in Zhou Miao himself. This boy, usually the class clown, seemed entirely different at the piano—expression cold and focused, slender fingers dancing across the keys, radiating only one word: professional.

"This is bad—he’s showing off again."

"I just realized how handsome Zhou Miao is. Why did I never notice before?"

"He’s got the looks of a husky—handsome but a total goofball at heart."

But before the audience could finish marveling, the true highlight began. Zhang Liangkuan and Zhou Miao sat at two pianos, back to back, like dueling cowboys under the Western sun. The camera was positioned between them, capturing a visually electrifying shot.

The music erupted—ten fingers storming the keys like a torrential downpour. Each took their turn, escalating the tempo and difficulty, playing with wild abandon. Listeners were utterly enthralled.

For a moment, the normally chaotic comment section fell silent; everyone was riveted by the intensity of this piano duel. The showdown was so unexpected and overwhelming, viewers forgot to comment, completely absorbed in the musical spectacle.

Zhang’s final mistake went unnoticed by the average viewer. All they saw was the two suddenly joining in a double piano performance, pushing the battle to its absolute peak.

When the last note faded, the audience realized they were covered in goosebumps.

This contest was nothing short of magnificent—regardless of musical knowledge, no one could fail to be moved by such a feast of sight and sound.

The previously quiet comment stream now surged with exclamation marks, words failing to capture their awe.

Only after a long while did Hu San return to her senses, finding her ice cream had melted all over her hand and dripped onto her dress. Unlike others, whose minds were blown by the spectacle, she wondered: how much sweat and effort had Zhou Miao poured into the craft behind this stunning performance?

Until now, Zhou Miao had always seemed easygoing and unserious, as if nothing in the world could make him care. But tonight’s episode had completely shattered Hu San’s preconceptions.

She’d thought she knew him—his dislike for fish and greens, his love of spicy and sweet food, his preference for black clothes and figurines...

Yet only now did she realize that everything she understood was simply the face Zhou Miao chose to show the world.

Within an hour of the episode’s airing, the piano duel had rocketed to the top of Weibo’s trending list, staying there for hours. The performance clip was spreading like wildfire across every major social platform.

"My mom asked why I was watching variety shows on my knees."

"As a piano major, I’m crying—those finger speeds are insane!"

"Gods at war—no movie would dare stage something like this!"

The duel drew countless piano professionals out of the woodwork. Some kindly explained to lay viewers that Zhang had made significant mistakes toward the end, and if not for Zhou Miao’s timely save, it might have been embarrassing for him. Though Zhang had lost, it didn’t mean he was inferior—he’d simply grown rusty at such high-level pieces from lack of practice.