Initial Evaluation

...Hmm, maybe what they were calling him was too nasty.

After all, the system had said that turning on green mode didn't mean all negative comments would be blocked.

"Consider me, why don't you?" Zhao Yifeng gave his microphone a deft twirl, his casual tone betraying little investment in the battle. "I shouldn't be too bad, right?"

Lin Xiao was faced with the same dilemma as Xu An.

If he hadn't already had a microphone, the production crew would probably have had to pass one over again, like a game of passing flowers to the beat of a drum.

With things said to that point, Lin Xiao had no choice but to compromise reluctantly. "I choose Zhao Yifeng."

"That's what I've been waiting to hear." Zhao Yifeng rose readily, gave Xu An a seemingly casual pat on the shoulder, and then headed down the steps toward the stage.

[Aaaaah, no way!? He really picked Zhao Yifeng???]

[Poor guy, Xu An didn't say a single word, and they're kicking him around like a ball]

[Look on the bright side, at least he got free screen time]

[If Lin Xiao hadn't said that inexplicable thing, he probably would still have picked Zhao Yifeng]

[Even though I don't like Zhao Yifeng, he's a great singer. Lin Xiao should've picked Cheng Jinghao if he wanted to get into Class A]

[Teacher Zhao's skills are okay]

"Does this count as cutting in?" Liu Qichu muttered.

Lai Yudong sighed softly, setting aside his principle of watching his words and actions for the moment. "He's trying to get him out of a bind."

According to the rules, if Lin Xiao insisted on choosing Xu An, Xu An couldn't refuse. If Zhao Yifeng hadn't stepped in, Xu An would have been the one going down.

As the "emotional radio" acknowledged by his friends, Lai Yudong was exceptionally good at observing and interpreting emotions. Naturally, he saw through the little thought Zhao Yifeng had hidden beneath that casual manner at a glance. Zhao Yifeng had probably put himself in Xu An's shoes and considered his feelings, which was why he had chosen to help.

It was just that...

His solution had too much personality. It could easily add frost to the snow when his public appeal was already so dismal.

Chapter 9: Initial Evaluation

A showdown between main vocals didn't require dancing. Standing in place and singing was enough.

In terms of vocal ability, there wasn't a clear gap between Zhao Yifeng and Lin Xiao, but the former had a better singing sense. Details like where to break up the lyrics, how much emphasis to put on each word, and which techniques to use or leave out seemed simple, yet they could better convey a song's emotion and expression. They were also key to whether a singer could resonate with listeners.

Zhao Yifeng had cleverly chosen a song suited to competition: it had a strong rhythm, clear layers, and a wide vocal range. Its progressively building structure could amplify the advantage his singing sense gave him, and his handling of the vocals and emotions was rich without being excessive.

As for its style, it was a powerfully stirring hype song. The high notes in the chorus seemed to push all the way from the eardrums to the crown of the head, delivering an impact perfectly suited to a live performance.

Lin Xiao, by contrast, had chosen a sorrowful love song that didn't suit his age. His years and experience weren't enough for him to bring out its flavor, making it feel rather like he was forcing sorrow into a new poem. His singing could only be called decent, like an academic performer without emotion.

The first battle ended in Lin Xiao's failed challenge.

Zhao Yifeng remained in Class A.

Lin Xiao dropped to Class B.

[Zhao Yifeng's got some skills after all]

[Who on earth has been spreading that brainwashing narrative that Zhao Yifeng is terrible live?]

[Anyone who's heard Zhao Yifeng sing live at a commercial show knows it's nonsense to say he's bad live]

[Good thing Lin Xiao didn't pick Xu An, or he'd have lost even worse]

[My poor An-baby's performance, 5555]

In the next two battles, Mo Li chose Qin Xu, who was half Chinese and half Thai, while Qu Junwei chose Cheng Jinghao, the weakest overall. Both challengers succeeded and rose to Class A, while the losers dropped to Class B.

With that, the First Stage evaluations for Ascend to Stardom came to an end, and all 101 trainees had received their grades.

The list of seven Class A members was finalized as well—

Su Junzhe, Xu An, Yu Yizhen, Zhao Yifeng, Jin Xiheng, Mo Li, and Qu Junwei.

Su Junzhe was the only one Lai Yudong had no impression of.

Su Junzhe had been the first trainee to enter Class A before Lai Yudong transmigrated. His exact role was unclear, and the bullet comments had barely mentioned his name. But based on two clues—he hadn't raised his hand when Lin Xiao called for a main vocal, and he was nowhere to be found among the rappers nominated in the bullet comments—Lai Yudong could infer that he was either a main dancer or an ace who spread his talents evenly.

The second to enter Class A had been Xu An, so Lai Yudong had been present for most of the First Stage performances, missing only the few who performed before him.

Lai Yudong yawned sleepily. It didn't matter who was in Class A, and it didn't matter whether he'd watched all of the First Stage performances. What mattered most was that recording was over and he could go back to sleep.

His colored contacts were so uncomfortable, his eyes were about to dry up.

But he had forgotten that variety shows generally had pre-interviews, standby interviews, and post-interviews.

[Just switched back from the interview room next door. Is it almost You Shu's turn?]

[Yuzu! Mommy's here!]

[This close-up is incredible, prprpr]

[I missed Miura Yuki's performance just now and only saw a few reaction shots the director cut to. He's pretty good-looking. How skilled is he?]

[If you want looks, he's got looks; if you want skills, he's got looks]

[As long as he doesn't sing or dance, he can do anything with that face]

Lai Yudong sat in the interview room with nothing left to live for. Whether it was the staff member sitting across from him, the camera pointed straight at him, or the bullet comments that had started using his alias

name

for some reason, they all made his eyelids twitch wildly.

In a sense, this was even more terrifying than making him sing and dance onstage.

"What did you think of your performance on the First Stage?"

The staff member opened with a sharp question straight from the script. For someone else, it would have been a question of emotional intelligence: how to choose between confidence and modesty. But asking Lai Yudong to answer it was undoubtedly making him face bloody reality head-on. Fortunately, he had already received Li Ke's scathing critique.

Lai Yudong answered in a second. "Too awful to watch."

His pronunciation was far, far too standard. The broadcasting-major buff wasn't something he could shake off anytime soon, so for sentences longer than three words, he could only cover it up by speaking indistinctly for fear of giving himself away. His slurred tone gave an impression that contrasted with his appearance.