Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Three Dukes Select Songs

At six o'clock in the morning, Meng Fanxi, who lived on the top bunk, and Lin Ruohe were the first to wake up.

Lin Ruohe was on the lower bunk. After waking up, he sat by the window to clear his head, while Meng Fanxi lay on the bed staring blankly at the ceiling.

The peaceful morning was shattered by a sudden knock on the door, startling both the awake and the still-awake.

Meng Fanxi sat up and exchanged a glance with Lin Ruohe by the window. The latter carefully opened the door a crack.

It was the production crew; they handed in a task card and then left.

The task card instructed everyone to decide on a song as soon as possible and submit it to the production team; otherwise, the production team would decide on the song themselves.

Meng Fanxi got out of bed and sat at the table with Lin Ruohe, staring blankly at the task card. The people in the backstage monitoring room of the directing team smiled knowingly as they watched the two boys with their neat hairstyles and their harmonious demeanor without saying a word.

"What's wrong?" Ren Yuchen's muffled voice came from under the covers.

Meng Fanxi said in a breathy voice, "Let's decide on the songs for the third public performance this morning, otherwise the production team will decide on them themselves."

Ren Yuchen, Zhang Yang, and Gu Huailang had just been woken up by the production crew. Upon hearing this, they all poked their heads out with an "ah!" and got up. The five of them crowded around the table, looking like they were trying to stare intently at the task cards.

Only Xu You was still fast asleep in bed.

The six of them were all ready to go an hour later. Fu Hanfei had been exercising on the school playground early in the morning, and Meng Fanxi and the others did the same.

"Teacher Fu, what song should we choose?" Lin Ruohe asked Fu Hanfei when she had the chance, showing him the task card.

The production team clearly didn't choose to knock on Fu Hanfei's door. He seemed surprised after seeing the task card, "Is the time so tight?"

Meng Fanxi said, "So we need to make a decision quickly."

Seven people sat cross-legged in the dance studio. The members of the small dance troupe were all in class, and the dance studio seemed a bit empty and deserted at the moment.

Xu You, being very outspoken, asked Fu Hanfei directly, "Teacher Fu, can you sing?"

Fu Hanfei's eyes widened dramatically, as if he had been offended, and his voice rose an octave, "Just kidding, of course I would!"

After spending time together yesterday, their relationship has become much closer, and they speak more casually and naturally.

Meng Fanxi hissed and said meaningfully, "Generally, a reaction like Teacher Fu's is a sign that he feels somewhat guilty."

Fu Hanfei had completely lost the aloofness he displayed during the first episode's recording. His competitive spirit surged, and he confidently picked up his phone and handed it to them, saying, "Here, pick any song from my playlist, and I'll sing it anytime, anywhere."

Upon hearing this, the six people happily took the phone and started searching through Fu Hanfei's music app.

Fu Hanfei had created many playlists with specific categories, and a hint of surprise flashed in Zhang Yang's eyes. "Teacher Fu has good taste."

Fu Hanfei felt a little better. "Of course, how bad can someone who dances well sing? Although I can't compare to Tan Yi, I certainly won't hold you back."

After discussing it, the six of them chose "Searching for Stars," the song they were most familiar with from their playlist.

"Searching for Stars" is a song that trainees from various companies must practice. It has a simple and catchy melody and a strong rhythm.

Once Fu Hanfei sings this song, everyone will be able to gauge his talent.

Fu Hanfei was full of confidence after seeing the song. He nodded calmly along with the accompaniment. He found the right spot when the song started. Just as Meng Fanxi was about to secretly affirm him, Fu Hanfei's voice cracked on the next line.

Everyone burst out laughing without restraint. The six of them were doubled over with laughter. If Fu Hanfei's off-key singing was a little funny, what made them laugh even more was his frozen expression and red ears after the off-key singing.

The dance world's biggest boss probably never imagined that his dark history would be born out of nowhere.

"Ahem," Meng Fanxi straightened his posture and added, "Teacher Fu, although there are some minor flaws, I didn't expect your voice to be so good."

Moreover, since the singing was in tune, Meng Fanxi felt that there shouldn't be too much of a problem with the collaborative singing and dancing.

"Really?" Fu Hanfei regained some confidence. "Then let's move on to the next step."

His eyes darted around, and he tried to save face, saying, "I didn't really practice my voice today."

The seven people began to seriously discuss the choice of songs.

Hsu Yu: "How about 'Nightcrawler'? It's so cool."

Gu Huailang: "You've fallen in love with songs about travelers?" The last performance was "The Traveler," and this time it's "Night Traveler."

Fu Hanfei thought for a moment, “This song is suitable for singing and dancing, and also for competitive stages.” He said seriously, “But it’s hard to come up with anything new.”

Meng Fanxi nodded in agreement. "Night Walker" is a good dance song, but it has appeared on stage in almost every previous talent show. Even if they add more elements to the stage performance, the song itself can no longer bring a sense of novelty to the audience.

Zhang Yang flipped through the list and played a song. "How about this one, 'Too Late to Begin'?"

With a song that leans towards lyricism, Meng Fanxi could immediately imagine the scene on stage when they entered into a dramatic performance.

Lin Ruohe: "This song is not bad, there is room for performance." But there was still a hesitant look on his face.

Meng Fanxi didn't know if Lin Ruohe had the same concerns as him. He first praised the song's outstanding features: "This song is probably different from the other groups' performances. It will be very special if it airs on the show."

“However,” he changed the subject, “there is one more thing we need to pay attention to. The song to be performed will be at the graduation ceremony of Xijingu Primary School, and it must fit the overall atmosphere of the graduation ceremony. ‘Too Late to Begin’ is not suitable.”

"Too Late to Begin" is a love song, and a sad ballad at that. Their previous song "Swimming Fish" was also of this type, so although they were very comfortable performing it, it wasn't the best choice.

When Meng Fanxi mentioned the graduation ceremony, everyone remembered the occasion for this performance.

Lin Ruohe said, "I was worried that this song might cause visual fatigue for the audience because it was the same type of song as the previous performances. Thanks to Fanxi's reminder, we need to decide what style of song to perform at the graduation ceremony first."

Ren Yuchen analyzed: "Graduation ceremonies are usually quite sentimental. It depends on whether we start by evoking their memories and deepening the sadness of parting, or by helping them temporarily forget about parting and immerse themselves in the stage."

Gu Huailang added, "It must be a stage that students will remember fondly many years later."

Zhang Yang expressed his opinion: "If it were me, I would prefer to see a more joyful and engaging stage."

Xu You also agreed, saying, "Yes, we're the last to perform at the graduation ceremony. By then, all the other performances that were supposed to be sentimental will have already been done, so our performance needs to be a bit more upbeat."

Meng Fanxi also agreed, feeling that everyone had basically reached a consensus. "That's right, the last song is of great significance. For the students, it is an inspiration to look forward to the next new stage in their lives, and for us, it is a clarion call to launch our sprint towards the finals."

An admiration flickered in Fu Hanfei's eyes.

They reached a consensus and began searching through the music library for inspirational, uplifting, or purely energetic songs that could get everyone involved.

Fu Hanfei didn't get much involved in the selection of the six eternal stars. He just watched the six people discuss and deliberate from close range, occasionally agreeing with them.

He usually watches each episode before going to bed because he can't guide the trainees during regular filming hours like Zhu Lou and the others. He can only learn about the unknown side of the trainees by watching the show in his spare time.

As the biggest highlight of the show from the beginning, the Eternal Six Stars forged ahead with the help of the production team's early marketing efforts, established a foothold in the first episode, and lived up to the expectations placed on them by the production team.

The way they appeared in the post-production editing was no different from the boys he remembered; they were very real both on and off stage.

He hadn't spent the most time with any of the mentors, but looking at them now, he had a strange feeling.

These six teenagers can go very, very far.

As the leader of a dance troupe, he understands best the bumps and stumbles in group interactions and the sacrifices and contributions each person needs to make in interpersonal relationships.

These six people are remarkably united in their goal of debuting from the very beginning. They are able to express their opinions freely during discussions, and none of them are stubborn. They are all willing to listen to and acknowledge their teammates' ideas, which is truly commendable, especially considering that all six of them are very capable.

Recalling the recent rumors that the six people were not favored by the Will Company, he was more inclined to believe that it was because the Will Company felt that putting six people together was too wasteful and therefore did not support them.

If it's simply a matter of disliking them, then he can wait until the show ends and his company signs these six people, but the competition at that time will probably be fierce.

"Teacher? Teacher Fu?" Meng Fanxi's voice pulled Fu Hanfei out of his reverie.

"What do you think of this one?" Lin Ruohe handed her phone to Fu Hanfei.

The words "That Was a Glimmer of Light" were prominently displayed on the playback interface. The music started playing; it was a majestic song with a distinct and powerful rhythm, but he had never imagined it could be performed on stage.

This is because it's not a new song from recent years, but a song written by a singer who retired from the music industry due to illness. It was once a minor hit, but as the singer retired, the song gradually faded into obscurity.

Fu Hanfei immediately understood the direction of their performance. Looking at the song, his understanding of the Eternal Six Stars was refreshed once again. These teenagers all had their own ideas and different understandings of the song, which showed that they usually listened to a wide range of songs. He was very satisfied that they were able to pick this song out from so many songs.

Based on his previous assumption that it would just be some ordinary inspirational songs, he became even more serious: "Okay, let's settle on this one. We'll train with the dance troupe. They're preparing for the finals, and we'll prepare for the third round."

Meng Fanxi then said, "I have another idea, about the small dance troupe's competition and our third public performance."