The contestants watched the unfortunate Chu Yuanqing and couldn't help gloating inwardly:
"She's so bad. Has she seriously never learned even a little vocal music?"
"Purely raw vocals. She only got this popular because of luck, right?"
"She has no foundation in either dance or singing. Isn't it ridiculous to say she joined for her dream?"
"She acted so high and mighty yesterday, yet this is her level? She probably knew her actual skills couldn't compete, so she deliberately built a persona during the live broadcast to gain fans. What a schemer."
Time trickled by.
Although Chu Yuanqing wasn't being perfunctory and was merely honestly displaying her true ability, her nearly nonexistent vocal foundation still led to repeated interruptions and corrections, forcing her to sing again.
And after Zhao Dapan interrupted her for the eighth time,
the joy in the girl's heart reached its peak, and even the way she looked towards Zhao Dapan became kinder.
Yes! Most Talent Show viewers admire the strong. A fool who can't even sing a simple pop song properly definitely won't be loved by anyone. Getting eliminated will be easy now, won't it?
Zhao Dapan felt inexplicably guilty under that gaze. The pressure he had been about to apply caught in his throat, and he couldn't bring himself to say it.
Chu Yuanqing had no vocal foundation and sang terribly. Every mentor knew that.
In fact, he had chosen Chu Yuanqing precisely because he wanted to exploit the enormous flaw that didn't match her popularity. Once the later episodes aired, it would stir up even more discourse and controversy, allowing Flash Dance to thrive even further.
Though what he had done was essentially for the show's benefit rather than out of direct malice toward Chu Yuanqing, being watched by her moist eyes suddenly made his conscience ache and his chest feel tight.
It was unbelievable.
Zhao Dapan had struggled through the Chinese Entertainment Industry for many years. In theory, he should no longer have been susceptible to a face-induced critical hit, let alone a sudden awakening of conscience or spiritual shock.
Or rather, what he felt now was closer to the unease—and even guilt—of desecrating a sacred place of pilgrimage.
Zhao Dapan suddenly understood Chen Baijiu's private complaints from before.
Chu Yuanqing truly possessed a kind of inviolable sacredness.
It was as plain as water, yet once swallowed, it carried a clear and cold authority.
Yet even after recognizing it, the feelings in his heart couldn't be eased. Zhao Dapan could only quietly switch to a gentler way of interrupting her and began teaching in earnest, repeatedly pinpointing the flaws in her singing with precision.
Chu Yuanqing was beginning to feel a little ashamed.
The vocal teacher was teaching her so carefully. If she kept failing to learn, wouldn't that mean she was taking up public resources and wasting the other trainees' training time?
After all, the Second Evaluation was a crucial juncture that would determine the fate of every trainee present.
Chu Yuanqing wanted to be eliminated, but not at the expense of anyone else.
With that thought, she entered [Flow State].
Chu Yuanqing's brain began operating at high speed. Using the music theory knowledge she had crammed into herself wholesale the night before, she hastily constructed an analytical database and seamlessly processed the mentor's suggestions.
The girl accepted and learned with single-minded focus, like a sponge absorbing water. Again and again, she soaked up experience, doing her best to adjust her breathing and scales in hopes that her next attempt would be better.
The efficiency of her comprehension and the speed of her immediate feedback could be said to be utterly astonishing.
Unfortunately, [Flow State] wasn't omnipotent.
Chu Yuanqing had only undergone one vocalization lesson. Her larynx, tongue root, pharyngeal wall, vocal fold edges, and even her smile muscles had yet to form any muscle memory.
The gap between her physical hardware and knowledge blind spots caused her rate of improvement to hit a delicate bottleneck, so much so that the contestants failed to notice the subtle changes at first.
Zhao Dapan was profoundly shaken. With his many years of experience in the industry, he could easily see what was happening with her, and the eyes hidden behind his sunglasses grew increasingly fervent.
She was a true piece of unpolished jade!
First, Chu Yuanqing had an incredibly distinctive voice.
This was especially important in a girl group. How to display one's own characteristics and create a memorable point within a group of multiple members was something every member needed to consider.
Second, her psychological resilience was exceptionally strong. After being interrupted again and again, she could immediately accept her flaws and keep singing without losing her state. Such calmness, just like her performance on the Initial Evaluation stage, made her a rare contestant with nerves of steel.
Lastly, Chu Yuanqing's musical sense was actually this good?!
No wonder. No wonder she could display the rhythm that Chen Baijiu had praised during the Initial Evaluation.
For beginners, ascending and descending scales were vague, abstract concepts. Yet relying on instinct alone, she could almost grasp an answer close to the correct one.
If not for her severe lack of necessary training, which had left her physical foundations lacking, teaching her the song Candy would have posed no difficulty whatsoever.
Zhao Dapan's passion was stirred, and the more he taught, the more energized he became.
And amid one interruption and correction after another,
Chu Yuanqing finally stumbled through the entirety of Candy.
During that time, the other contestants also realized something was off.
In a normal demonstration and assessment, one line would be given at most three or four chances.
Chu Yuanqing had been interrupted so many times, yet the mentor still hadn't asked for someone else to take over. That meant she was either royalty or she actually had something special.
Soon, Zhao Dapan stopped instructing her and had her sing the entire song again from beginning to end.
Chu Yuanqing's singing was still immature and clumsy.
But the long list of major and minor problems—her severe off-key singing, incorrect vocalization, faulty breathing, diction, and more—had almost all been corrected and improved. Her highly distinctive voice finally began displaying its proper strengths, making the entire song sound quite pleasant.
At the same time,
the expressions of the other trainees in the room all changed subtly.
Chu Yuanqing's singing couldn't be called amazing, but compared with the beginning, her improvement was undeniably remarkable. If the whole process were edited into the show, it would make for a perfect inspirational arc of falling low before rising high.
I surrender! How did this person improve so fast? Did she turn on cheats or something?!
Book recommendation.
Synopsis: A story about a group of losers who entered Dark Souls to suffer, then returned home in glory.
P.S. This book is an ensemble cast. Each protagonist's story is independent, so feel free to skip between volumes.
Volume One, Subaru Natsuki: Berserker's Re:Zero
Volume Two, Subaru Natsuki: A Knight's Oath Beneath the High Walls
Volume Three, Subaru Natsuki: The Returner's Unrivaled Journey to Another World
Volume Four, Lu Mingfei: Tokyo Frenzy of the Wolf-Blooded
Volume Five, Kariya Matou: The Avenger's Holy Grail War
Volume Six, Kariya Matou: The Reincarnator's Journey of Redemption
Volume Seven, Tatsumi: The Sun Knight in the Shadows
Volume Eight, Tatsumi: Dream Chasers Beneath the Sun
Volume Nine, Subaru Natsuki: The Knightly Legend of the Dragon Witch's Man
Volume Ten, William: The Prospective Hero's Touring Journey
Side Story Volume, David: The Undying Legend of Night City
Worlds: Volumes 1–3 RE0; Volume 4 Dragon Raja; Volumes 5–6 Fate; Volumes 7–8 Akame ga Kill!; Volume 9 RE0; Volume 10 Btooom!; Side Story Volume Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
Characters currently appearing: Subaru Natsuki, Tatsumi, Lu Mingfei, Kariya Matou, Rintaro Okabe, Riku, William Kameshu, Zack, Ken Kaneki, Goblin Slayer, Shinji Ikari, David Martinez
Title: The Trash of the Count's Family
Volume One: 50. Recorded It, I'll Use It When I Get Back.
After hearing that, Zhao Dapan couldn't help applauding in praise.
He had to admit that there was a reason why the award-winning actress Luo Siling had wanted to snatch Chu Yuanqing away after watching the Initial Evaluation stage.
To be honest, as a musician who had independently founded his own studio,
it was difficult not to feel the urge to sign and nurture a piece of unpolished jade like Chu Yuanqing, whose image, talent, mindset, and personality were all outstanding.
Zhao Dapan sincerely praised her:
"Although you still haven't met my requirements, you've improved very quickly. Your voice and musical sense in particular both show unique talent. I believe your weak vocal foundation won't become an obstacle to your progress."
"I personally look forward to your future prospects. If you ever..."
At that point, Zhao Dapan nearly let a recruitment offer slip out.
But Dream Weaver Rabbit's terrifying smile suddenly flashed through his mind, making him hastily stop. He guiltily glanced at the camera set up nearby, coughed a few times, and signaled for Chu Yuanqing to leave.
Although the head mentor had said that low-rated contestants did not have permission to activate live broadcasts, the lower-level practice rooms could actually be broadcast as well.
The difference was that the timing of those broadcasts was highly random.
How long they lasted and when they began all depended on its mood.
Even Zhao Dapan, as a mentor, had no idea whether the stream was currently active. If he accidentally said something that couldn't be edited out, the penalty for breaching his contract would probably wipe out his entire salary.
At the same time, the nano cameras in the room silently rotated through the air, floating in the wind like specks of dust, as if confirming Zhao Dapan's guilty unease.
Dream Weaver Rabbit sat upright in the underground central hub, quietly enjoying Chu Yuanqing's singing. Data streams frantically calculated within its scarlet eyes, while the curve of its split smile grew ever more delighted.
The truth was that the practice room Chu Yuanqing was in had long since caught the attention of this Super AI. Not long after class began, the live broadcast had already been opened to the public.
At this moment, the viewers in the Live Broadcast Room were still immersed in the singing they had just heard and couldn't pull themselves free:
"Qing Bao's voice is so nice! It's creamy and sweet, but also a little cold. Replaying it by my ear is way too sexy???!"
"Hehehe, I originally wanted to curse Zhao Dapan for making trouble and picking on my Qing Bao, but since we got to hear Qing Bao's voice more, I'll reluctantly refrain from having him drawn and quartered."
"Recorded it. I'll use it when I get back."
"Qing Bao is so serious, hardworking, and cute! She improves so quickly too. I can't wait to see her dance in a little skirt???!"
"I can already imagine what BGM they'll use when this gets edited into the show. Qing Bao really is so talented. I'm looking forward to the dance class later!"
"Damn it, random live broadcasts are such a scam! But what's wrong with camping for Qing Bao twenty-four hours a day?"
"Yeah. Too bad we can't screen-record or edit the stream. To avoid getting a lawyer's letter from Flash Dance, we can only painfully give up this footage for now."
Achoo.
Chu Yuanqing sneezed softly. Her whole body suddenly tingled as though an electric current had run through it. Like a small animal, she warily looked around, always feeling that something terrifying was watching her.
The double voyeurism of the Live Broadcast Room and Dream Weaver Rabbit had clearly made this retired Savior sense that something was wrong.
At the same time,
the remaining trainees were even more on edge.
No, we absolutely can't let Chu Yuanqing steal all the camera time!
In a flash of thought, every one of those youthful, beautiful girls decided on the best course of action.
They almost all together looked towards Chu Yuanqing as she returned, revealing sweet, admiring, and faintly surprised smiles as they softly praised her:
"Wow, Yuanqing, you improved so fast!"
"Yeah, I was worried about you earlier, but you handled it so easily. You're amazing."
"Qingqing, have you really never learned singing? I feel like you're so talented. I'm jealous."
"Qingqing, weren't you nervous? Teacher Zhao interrupted you so many times. If it were me, I'd be so nervous I'd cry."
The girls naturally moved closer, using their smiles to narrow the distance between them and visually create the impression that they had a great relationship.
That was right. This tactical closeness—drawing the camera, building personas, showing their presence, and diverting the audience's attention—was the plan that all eight contestants tacitly chose to execute together so they wouldn't completely become background props!
Chu Yuanqing had many fans, performed well, and improved quickly.
It was best not to offend someone like that if they could avoid it. They could keep the unpleasant words in their hearts. Even competing with her head-on in a PK seemed more trouble than it was worth. It would be better to sacrifice the minor to preserve the major and take a roundabout route to victory.
After all, Kiriwake Yayoi had relied on being paired up as a CP with Chu Yuanqing to forcibly overturn the Great Demon King and obtain the theme song that suited her best.
In other words, pairing up with Chu Yuanqing as a CP was a visibly lucrative path!
—Shouldn't they promote the hell out of it?
They might have been gloating just now, but they had been looking for an opportunity every moment to embark on that grand, bloodsucking road of promoting a CP.
Before you continue