Chapter 2 On the first stage

As soon as the official announcement of the talent show "Road to Star Dreams" was released, it sparked widespread discussion.

Although talent shows have emerged one after another in the past few years, their popularity has gradually faded as audiences become aesthetically fatigued and the market becomes saturated.

Many people believe that talent shows have entered the era of "reheated meat meeting", and most of the contestants are "old faces" who have participated in other programs, and the novelty has long disappeared.

However, the production team of "Road to Stardom" is obviously not satisfied with this.

They cancelled the company's internal recommendation mechanism for exemption from examination, and all contestants had to pass the audition. This move gave the program a sense of fair competition to some extent.

Despite this, the outside world's expectations for this program are still not high.

"What new tricks can a talent show come up with? It's nothing more than a bunch of old favorites cooked over again."

On a well-known entertainment forum, a netizen's comment received thousands of likes.

"But I heard that the auditions this time are quite strict. Even the trainees from Tianguang Entertainment have to start from the auditions. I think it's quite interesting." Another netizen replied.

"I heard that the 'twin stars' specially created by Tianguang Entertainment are very talented. I think their names are Gu Yan and Bai Yan. I can still look forward to their performance on the first stage."

"And there's Wei Liangchen, the face king of the skit circuit. He's certainly handsome, but his acting is actually pretty awkward. I don't know how talented he is, but he's probably just a pretty face."

"Qian Song is here too. He practiced for five years and finally debuted, but his group ended up being a complete failure. Now he's here to participate in the talent show again. He's really persistent..."

The discussion on the forum was in full swing, and at this time Xie Qingyu was sitting in the lounge arranged by the program team, quietly waiting for the recording of the first stage.

In the lounge, the contestants gathered in groups of three or four, some talking in low voices, while others were practicing their moves intensely.

Xie Qingyu sat in the corner, holding a bottle of water on a stool by the wall.

His behavior was in stark contrast to the tense atmosphere around him, as if it had nothing to do with him.

Just then, the door of the lounge was pushed open and a tall young man walked in.

He was wearing a simple black training suit, his brows were stern, his steps were steady, and he exuded an aura that kept strangers away.

"Bai Tang is here!" someone whispered.

Xie Qingyu raised his head, and his eyes met Bai Lang's in the air.

The eyes of the person opposite were cold and sharp, as if he could see through everything.

He nodded slightly to Xie Qingyu as a greeting, then walked to a seat nearby and sat down.

"Bai Lang performed very well in the audition. I heard that Tianguang Entertainment has high hopes for him." Someone nearby whispered.

"Yeah, I heard he has no weaknesses in dancing and vocals, so he's sure to have a good debut."

"There was also an amateur named Xie Qingyu who sang an original song live and was immediately confirmed. Am I just too ignorant? Isn't it mandatory to test all aspects?"

"That means their creative talent has surpassed the audition process. Wow, that's amazing!"

"Anyway, this class is no easy feat. Sigh, all the strongest ones are gathered together!!!"

Hearing his name being mentioned, Xie Qingyu blinked slightly. He heard his name~

The atmosphere in the lounge gradually became tense as the staff notified the contestants, and the contestants began to go to the recording site one after another.

Xie Qingyu also stood up, straightened his clothes, and was about to leave when Bai Lang suddenly walked over.

"Thank you Qingyu."

Bai Lang's voice was a little cold. "I've heard people talk about your performance. I'm looking forward to your debut performance."

Xie Qingyu was stunned for a moment, glanced at the name tag on her body, then smiled politely and said, "Thank you, I'm looking forward to your performance too."

Bai Lang nodded, said nothing more, turned around and left the lounge.

---

At the recording site of the first stage, the lights were bright and the big screen in the center of the stage was flashing the logo of "Road to Star Dreams".

The contestants took their seats in turn according to the arrangements of the program team. The seats were divided into several blocks, each block was marked with the contestant's name and number.

Xie Qingyu found his seat and just as he sat down, he felt that the contestants around him were looking at him curiously.

It seems that they want to see what is different about this contestant who only performed an original song in the audition and went straight to the recording site.

At this moment, a whisper came from the side, and the contestants who were secretly looking at Xie Qingyu were attracted by the noise again.

"Look, Wei Liangchen is here!" someone whispered.

Xie Qingyu looked in the direction of the voice and saw a tall and handsome young man walking towards him.

Wearing a white casual suit and with picturesque features, he looked like the male lead from an idol drama.

His appearance immediately attracted the attention of the surrounding contestants, and everyone began to discuss in low voices.

"Wei Liangchen's face is really competitive, so handsome, but I don't know how strong he is."

"I heard he was in the skit circuit. His acting didn't seem very good, but I'm not sure about his singing and dancing."

"But since he's so handsome, even if his abilities are average, he'll probably still attract a lot of fans."

Wei Liangchen seemed to be unconcerned about the discussions around him. He walked to his seat with a smile and sat down, looking calm.

Immediately afterwards, Qian Song also walked in.

He was wearing a simple black T-shirt and wide-leg pants of the same color, which looked somewhat like his own private clothes.

With a faint smile on his face, he looks much more mature than others.

As a "senior" who has debuted before, his appearance made many contestants feel pressured.

"Qian Song is here too. I heard he's been practicing for eight years, so he should be very strong."

"But his group seems to have been lukewarm. He came to the draft this time, probably hoping to give it another try."

Qian Song walked to his seat and sat down, his eyes sweeping over the contestants around him who were secretly watching him, and finally stopped at Xie Qingyu next to him.

He smiled slightly and nodded as a greeting.

Xie Qingyu also smiled back, and felt a little more favorable towards Qian Song.

Being able to persist in the entertainment industry for so many years under such circumstances is a kind of courage in itself.

---

As the contestants took their seats one after another, the lights on the stage suddenly dimmed. Then, passionate music sounded and the big screen in the center of the stage slowly opened.

The program initiator Qu Qinghuan walked out with a smile, and there was an exaggerated exclamation from the audience.

"Hello everyone, I'm Qu Qinghuan, the initiator of 'Road to Stars.' I welcome all contestants to the first stage recording of 'Road to Stars.'"

As an actress with a very high national popularity, Qu Qinghuan's appeal is unquestionable.

"Ahhh my goddess is so beautiful!!"

"I can actually see Qu Qinghuan in person in my lifetime. That's Qu Qinghuan!"

"I've watched every one of her TV series. Anything produced by Qu Qinghuan is a masterpiece!!!"

Immediately afterwards, other mentors also came on stage one by one to start their stage performances.

Vocal instructor Li Zhiqiu is a queen-level singer in the Chinese music scene. She has been in the industry for 20 years and has many legendary albums.

She performed her hit song "Presence".

As soon as he came on stage, he triggered a chorus from the contestants in the audience.

"Wow, this song is really great, a must-order song at KTV!"

"As expected of a queen, she's so steady!"

"Tears of the times! I wonder how jealous my mom would be if she knew I could meet Teacher Li Zhiqiu live, haha."

"What do you mean? Are you saying Teacher Li is old? Be careful or Teacher Li will step on your heels~"

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

The second person to appear was the all-round mentor Wei Qianze, and his appearance was like thunder.

"Wei Qianze, is he the one from Eclipse???"

"I'm really going crazy. There was no news online about him coming before he came. The production team did a great job of keeping it a secret!"

Before the program is recorded, some news will usually be released online to test the attitudes of netizens. Everyone has heard about the others more or less, but there is no news about Wei Qianze at all.

The reason why everyone was so shocked was that Wei Qianze was a member of the Eclipse boy group, which is one of the top boy groups in the country and is very well-known.

Wei Qianze did not choose to perform their group's song, but instead gave everyone a random dance.

Even so, the contestants in the audience still cheered and applauded excitedly.

Because they all know that Wei Qianze's coming here means that the initial popularity of the program will definitely not be low, and he will have a lot of opportunities to show himself.

Xie Qingyu looked at the restless contestants around him and felt helpless. He had just arrived here and didn't know any of the mentors, so he could only rely on the reports of other contestants.

But judging by the reactions of other contestants, the mentor lineup should be pretty good.

The dance instructor Su Jin, creative instructor Lu Chuan, and rap instructor MCray who came on stage next raised the atmosphere in the venue again.

The contestants were shouting until their voices were hoarse, as if they were not recording a show but attending a concert of the mentors.

"I can't believe my eyes, who did I see? Lu Chuan!!!"

"A genius producer who has created countless classic songs for superstars in recent years! At only 28 years old, he's already been recognized as a top music producer in the industry!!!"

"And Su Jin! Oh my god! Isn't my goddess competing abroad? The production team caught her here!"

"Isn't the most shocking thing about MCray being invited? He's a legend in the underground rap world, a direct personality, and a well-known foul-mouthed rapper! The production team is so stubborn! Are they really not afraid of being criticized?!"

"What a fantastic lineup of mentors! Our show will be a huge hit!"

---

After the mentors’ performances, the contestants will go on stage for their initial stage evaluation.

Xie Qingyu sat in his seat, looking at the stage indifferently.

Compared to other contestants who were either excited or nervous, he only felt intimacy and familiarity about the stage.

Because his performance was so different from the other players next to him, the crane camera on the field had turned towards him several times.

At this time, the stage lights came on again, and the curtain of the first stage officially opened.

When the first contestant, Wei Ran, walked onto the stage, her steps seemed a little heavy.

There was a hint of nervousness on his face, and his fingers unconsciously clenched the microphone.

As the music started, he took a deep breath and began to sing Li Zhiqiu's famous song "Unknown Dream".

However, Wei Ran's voice was trembling from the beginning, the high notes were even broken, and the lyrics were seriously out of tune.

The mentors in the audience frowned, and Li Zhiqiu's expression was particularly serious.

As the original singer, she had extremely high expectations for this song, and Wei Ran's performance obviously disappointed her.

After the performance, there was an awkward silence.

Wei Ran stood on the stage with a pale face, obviously aware that his performance was not satisfactory.

"Not yet," Li Zhiqiu picked up the microphone and spoke sharply.

"I'm grateful that you chose my song. But your performance... obviously didn't meet my expectations.

The high notes were broken, the lyrics were out of tune, and he couldn't even master the basic pitch.

I understand your nervousness, but as a singer, your performance on stage is the most important thing."

Wei Ran lowered her head, her voice choked with sobs: "I'm sorry, teacher..."

Other mentors also gave their evaluations, and in the end, Wei Ran was rated F.

As he walked off the stage, his steps were a little unsteady and his eyes were full of loss.

Xie Qingyu looked at Wei Ran's back, his eyes narrowed slightly.

It can be seen that Weiran’s ability is not bad, but he made mistakes because he was too nervous.

But the stage is so cruel. No matter how good your ability is, it will be in vain if you cannot perform at the critical moment.

---

The second performer to take the stage was a four-member group from the same company.

Their performance was average, their dancing was neat and their singing was fairly stable, but overall it lacked highlights and failed to attract the audience's attention.

After the performance, the mentors exchanged glances, obviously not satisfied with the group's performance.

"Your performance was... steady, but too steady."

Su Jin picked up the microphone, with a hint of helplessness in her tone.

"What the stage needs is highlights, things that people can remember. Your performance was too bland and lacked appeal."

Wei Qianze also nodded: "The coordination is not bad, but lacks individual characteristics. The stage is not won by being neat, but by having unique charm."

After discussion, the mentors gave the ratings: Liu Xiu, the main member of the group, received a B grade, and the other three were all rated D.

A hint of joy appeared on Liu Xiu's face, but the other three looked a little disappointed.

The atmosphere at the scene eased due to the performance of this group, and the contestants began to discuss in low voices.

"The instructor's grading is so strict. It feels like even the slightest mistake can send me straight down to D grade."

"Yeah, but that's normal. After all, there are only 7 spots in Class A, and the competition is fierce."

"It's already great that Liu Xiu got a B grade, but it's a bit miserable for the others..."

---

The third person to perform on stage was a boy named Leo.

As soon as he walked onto the stage, he immediately attracted the attention of the entire audience.

His baby face and 185cm height create a great contrast, and coupled with his mixed Chinese and British appearance, he stands out.

"Leo, how old are you this year?" Qu Qinghuan asked with a smile.

"Fifteen," Leo answered shyly.

"You're this tall at fifteen?" Lu Chuan teased. "What did you eat to grow up?"

Leo scratched his head, feeling somewhat helpless. “I don’t know either… Actually, I’m quite troubled. I’m too tall, and it’s easy for me to bump into things when I dance.”

The mentors were amused by his answer and the atmosphere became much more relaxed.

Leo's performance piece was "Let Me Cry," a song by a niche band.

The music started, the sound was unexpectedly low, slightly hoarse and infectious, instantly grabbing everyone's attention.

(I'm chasing shadows in the night,

A fragile heart, a fleeting light.

The chains I wear, they're not my own,

But they keep me tethered, far from home.)

Compared with the previous contestants who took the stage, his performance was very relaxed, as if he was completely immersed in the music.

The contestants in the audience were also infected by his performance and swayed their bodies gently to the rhythm.

……………………

（Let me cry, let me fall,

Let the tears dissolve these walls.

I'm a soul that's born to fly,

And I'll rise beyond the night.)

When the song reached the climax, Leo's pent-up emotions burst out instantly. Every note was wrapped in boiling emotions, hitting the hearts of the audience hard.

The atmosphere in the venue was instantly ignited, and the mentors also showed expressions of appreciation.

…………………………

（Let me cry, let me bleed,

For the freedom that I need.

In the silence, I'll find my way,

To where the stars and shadows play.)

At the end of the performance, the audience burst into warm applause.

MC Ray couldn't help but nod, his face full of excitement: "This kid is really something!"

Leo stood on the stage, breathing slightly, with a shy smile on his face.

"Leo, that was a great performance."

Li Zhiqiu picked up the microphone with approval in his tone.

“The voice is very infectious and the emotional expression is very good.

This song may be a niche song, but you performed it very well.”

Lu Chuan's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he nodded in agreement: "You have a strong stage presence, you don't look like a fifteen-year-old at all. I really admire your relaxed and confident demeanor."

Afterwards, at the instructors' request, Leo performed another dance segment with smooth movements and a strong sense of rhythm, which once again won the instructors' recognition.

Without much hesitation, the instructors unanimously gave an A rating.

Leo became the first A-level contestant in the first stage.

"Thank you, teacher!" Leo bowed happily with a bright smile on his face.

The contestants in the audience applauded, and someone whispered, "Leo is really amazing, he deserves the first A!"

Xie Qingyu also applauded him, and couldn't help but smile when she saw Leo's back as he happily jumped to sit down.

Everyone on this stage has his or her own story and dream, and Leo's performance has undoubtedly won him more opportunities.