Chapter Sixty-Four: Response

The awards ceremony concluded, and everything unfolded just as Zuo Qiu had predicted. Aside from winning Best Newcomer, Zhou Miao walked away empty-handed. If not for the fact that the other rookies debuting last year were utterly incomparable to Zhou Miao, he likely wouldn't have even received the Best Newcomer award.

As the guests gradually exited, Zhou Miao and Zuo Qiu did not return backstage. Instead, they walked straight out along the red carpet. At the entrance, swarms of reporters blocked their path. "Mr. Zhou, what are your thoughts on losing Best Arrangement to Huiyuan's 'Leading the Trend'? Do you believe there was any corruption among the judges?"

Zhou Miao did not answer the question. Instead, he glanced around and said to the reporters, "Just a moment." With that, he parted the crowd and strode toward the roadside. As the reporters wondered what he was up to, he walked directly to a trash can and, without hesitation, tossed his freshly awarded Best Newcomer trophy into it.

The scene erupted. The frantic flashes of cameras painted Zhou Miao's side in dazzling white, as if it were broad daylight. The departing guests and celebrities were stunned by his audacity—this young man was truly bold, openly slapping the face of the Golden Melody Awards organizers. No one hurried to leave; instead, they paused, eager to witness the unfolding drama.

Zuo Qiu could only sigh and rub her forehead helplessly. This guy simply couldn't tolerate even the slightest injustice.

Zhou Miao dusted off his hands and returned to the reporters. "I know what you want to ask. I'll speak, and you just listen."

"First, is there any corruption in this year's Golden Melody Awards? I don't think so. It's fair and impartial," Zhou Miao declared with sincerity, and had he not just thrown his trophy into the trash, the reporters might almost have believed his words.

Sure enough, in the next instant, his tone shifted. "It's just a pity the judges' taste is somewhat lacking. Though they've worked hard to select what they believe are the best songs, their aesthetic sensibilities still fall far short of the public's."

"But that's already their limit. We can't expect too much from them—after all, you can't ask a grade schooler to solve calculus."

Zhou Miao's biting sarcasm made the reporters grin from ear to ear. This was big news.

"Are you saying the judges' standards are too low, so they can't appreciate the quality of your music?" a female reporter pressed.

Zhou Miao chuckled. "I won't comment directly on that; everyone has their own preferences. But, to be honest, the songs that won tonight left me rather disappointed."

"Take Mr. Luo Yonghui's 'July Love,' for example—it's actually quite pleasant. But Mr. Luo likes to recycle melodies; many of his songs use the 4536251 chord progression, including 'July Love.' That overused melody winning Best Composition? I can only assume the judges were hearing Luo's work for the first time and found it novel."

"As for Li Weiwen's 'Void,' which won Best Lyrics, the lyrics are indeed void. To put it nicely, it's stream of consciousness; bluntly, it's pretentious nonsense—writing cryptic lines to make people think you're profound. But if you ask him to explain what his lyrics mean, he can't. It's just enough to fool the Golden Melody judges."

"And the funniest is 'Leading the Trend' winning Best Arrangement. I know many will criticize me, claiming I don't understand and that it's experimental electronic music, pioneering the future of music or something."

At this, Zhou Miao rolled his eyes. "Please, he hasn't even mastered basic music theory, yet he's pioneering the future of music? Building skyscrapers without laying the foundation?"

Zhou Miao's unfiltered critique left everyone dumbfounded. This was more than a slap in the face—he was undermining the very foundation of the Golden Melody Awards.

Crucially, Zhou Miao's arguments were logical and well-founded, not baseless spite. Even those unfamiliar with music found his reasoning compelling. If such statements stood, how could the Golden Melody Awards retain any credibility?

"Um... Mr. Zhou, aren't you worried that the Golden Melody Awards will deliberately suppress you in the future, preventing you from winning?" a reporter asked with genuine concern.

For the first time that night, Zhou Miao removed his sunglasses, revealing a radiant smile. "Don't worry, they won't have the chance. Let me announce something right here: from now on, I will never attend any award ceremony again."

With that, Zhou Miao took Zuo Qiu's hand and parted the crowd of reporters. The hotel car had been waiting at the curb for some time.

Yet the reporters persisted, trailing after them with questions. "Are you avoiding future participation because you're afraid of suppression?"

Zhou Miao helped Zuo Qiu into the car, closed the door carefully, then put on his sunglasses and, pushing them up with his middle finger, smiled, "No—it's because they're not worthy."

He climbed in, and the car slowly pulled away. The reporters, desperate to continue, pounded on the windows, but Zhou Miao had said all he intended to say, paying them no mind.

Zuo Qiu massaged her temples, exasperated. "Are you satisfied now?"

"Very," Zhou Miao loosened his tie and slumped back in the seat, feeling utterly refreshed.

Though Zhou Miao's actions were extreme, he wanted those people to know: before they tried to mess with him again, they'd better consider the consequences. He was never a docile lamb—he was a mad dog.

Within five minutes of the interview, Weibo crashed. Tonight's scandal was far more explosive than any celebrity romance.

The Golden Melody Awards, long past their prime, finally tasted the terror of true internet traffic. Of the top ten trending topics, seven related to the Golden Melody Awards and Zhou Miao. The number one, burning hot, was: Zhou Miao Blasts the Golden Melody Awards!

Below it were: Zhou Miao Throws Best Newcomer Trophy in the Trash, Golden Melody Awards Upset, Zhou Miao: They're Not Worthy!... Overnight, the once stagnant Chinese music scene suddenly became lively. Multiple superstar icons finally remembered their account passwords and logged in to share their opinions.

The Golden Melody Awards issued a statement overnight, but their explanations paled in comparison to Zhou Miao's incisive song-by-song analysis; their credibility collapsed in a single night.

In truth, the three award-winning songs did have their merits: 'July Love' had a classic melody and solid quality—an upset win, but not entirely unreasonable. 'Void,' though its lyrics were indeed void, could be elevated to high art by those willing to praise it; nonsensical lines could be spun as lofty stream of consciousness. 'Leading the Trend,' as experimental electronic music, was similar—regardless of quality, it could be hyped as pioneering the future of music.

Unfortunately, Zhou Miao saw through all this at a glance, and in front of all the reporters, he mercilessly demolished their backup arguments.

The three artists were particularly unlucky, caught in Zhou Miao's crossfire with no way to refute him. After all, he spoke the truth. All they could do was post dry remarks on Weibo: "Those who understand, just understand," and the like.