Chapter 6

He Jinyun looked at Ye Zexi in confusion.

Ye Zexi's eyes were filled with sincerity. If his bank card had not still been frozen, he would have loved nothing more than to go back and be his useless rich second-generation self right away!

He Jinyun held Ye Zexi's gaze for two seconds before conceding defeat.

Fine. It seemed today's conversation could only end here.

His first expedition had ended in defeat. As soon as he returned to the mentors' lounge, Shan Zeyu came over and asked He Jinyun how it had gone.

He Jinyun rubbed his slightly throbbing temples and told him Ye Zexi's answer.

Shan Zeyu laughed so hard after hearing it. "Inherit the family fortune? I think Ye Zexi just found a random excuse to brush you off."

"Probably," He Jinyun said helplessly.

Looking at his good friend, Shan Zeyu began offering suggestions. "Why not pick someone else? I think Tang Jing is pretty good too. He fits the persona you told me about."

He Jinyun did not rush to refute him. He only said, "Let's see."

*

Era Idol had become a massive hit, and viewers and fans had begun urging the official account to release the edited episodes.

Unlike other idol survival shows, Era Idol's format was far more brutal. There were only four public performances in total.

Half the contestants would be eliminated after the first public performance. The second would narrow fifty contestants down to twenty-five. The third would determine the top ten contestants of the competition, while the final public performance—the grand finale—would produce a four-member group.

Yesterday had been Friday, as well as the live broadcast of Era Idol's first public performance. On Saturday night, the production team would release edited footage of the contestants' daily lives before the performance. On Sunday night, they would release the edited performance footage and the subsequent elimination content.

For that reason, the production team had not immediately closed the voting channel after the performance ended. It would remain open until nine o'clock Saturday morning.

Before then, viewers and fans could vote for the contestants they liked.

Today's schedule consisted of a post-performance review, the judges' critiques, and the announcement of the elimination list.

By the time Ye Zexi arrived, the recording hall was already packed.

The moment he appeared in the doorway, several burning gazes turned toward him, scrutinizing him with admiration or jealousy.

There were also some fairly loud discussions.

"Do you think Ye Zexi will take first place this time?"

"It'll probably be either him or Tang Jing. After all, they really stole the spotlight this round."

Ye Zexi had long since grown accustomed to such discussions and stares. He did not feel the slightest bit uncomfortable. He even looked directly toward each voice.

Quite a few trainees were thin-skinned and quickly shut their mouths, withdrawing their gazes. Ye Zexi also found the person he had been looking for in the crowd—Tang Jing.

From afar, Ye Zexi waved at Tang Jing.

Tang Jing's expression was somewhat complicated. He nodded at Ye Zexi in response.

"Don't worry, Tang Jing. You'll definitely rank first this time. I think Ye Zexi is inferior to you in every way," someone beside him said.

Tang Jing did not answer. He only said, "The judges and viewers have sharp eyes."

That person immediately laughed. "Exactly. Ye Zexi doesn't have that kind of ability. Yesterday was just luck..."

Tang Jing's brows knitted slightly. He suddenly rose from his seat. "I'm going to sit over there."

The smile on that person's lips instantly froze.

Laughter came from behind him. "Oh? Did you flatter the wrong horse?"

That person's face immediately turned livid.

A few minutes later, Shan Zeyu, He Jinyun, and Qu Xiao appeared in the recording hall, and the entire room instantly fell silent.

Everyone knew what they were here for today, so the mentors did not beat around the bush and got straight to the point.

As soon as yesterday's livestream ended, the directing team had sent over footage of every contestant's performance. The three mentors had reviewed it until late into the night, analyzing every contestant's strengths and weaknesses.

Although today's segment was called a critique session, it was really more about pointing out the contestants' strengths and weaknesses.

Shan Zeyu had always pursued perfection. Whether with himself or others, he held everyone to strict standards and strove to present the best possible stage to viewers and fans.

He was also the first to begin today's critiques. As soon as he opened his mouth, Shan Zeyu called out several contestants by name and pointed out the shortcomings in their performances yesterday.

A contestant below whispered, "As expected of Mentor Shan, who pursues perfection. Isn't this way too strict?"

Shan Zeyu went through them one by one, and most of the contestants present were criticized thoroughly.

Until Shan Zeyu called out another name. "Tang Jing."

"No way? Even Tang Jing is getting criticized?"

"His performance yesterday looked practically perfect to me!"

"Mentor Shan is really too strict!"

Shan Zeyu spoke at an unhurried pace. Even his criticisms sounded especially pleasant to hear.

"You did fairly well. You didn't go off-key, and your stage presence was decent too. But the only problem was that you were one beat slow when transitioning into the second line. What happened then?"

Tang Jing raised his eyes and looked toward the three judges at the front.

He Jinyun sat upright at the judges' table. Though he was not looking at Tang Jing, Tang Jing still felt as if he had been pricked. His face reddened visibly, and he was so ashamed he wished he could disappear into the ground.

"It was my fault," Tang Jing said quietly.

Shan Zeyu did not press the issue. He only said, "Pay attention in the future. You can't make this kind of mistake again."

Tang Jing nodded. "Thank you, Mentor Shan."

Shan Zeyu nodded, then lowered his head to look at the notes in his hand. Suddenly, one brow lifted, and he drawled, "Next, Ye Zexi."

Chapter 6

Everyone in the room turned to look at Ye Zexi.

Someone quietly asked, "Ye Zexi is getting criticized too?"

"Not necessarily."

"Even Tang Jing didn't escape it. I think Ye Zexi definitely will too..."

Before the speaker could finish, Shan Zeyu's voice rang out. "Your performance yesterday really surprised me. If your face were not still yours, I would have thought someone else had come up to perform. The stage you presented to the audience was wonderful."

Shan Zeyu had been criticizing people for nearly the entire morning. This was the first time he had praised anyone, and quite a few people looked surprised, though they also felt it was only natural.