Chapter 4: First Stage

As the stage went on non-stop, the long recording period made both the contestants and mentors feel exhausted.

The lights were still bright, but the tension in the air was gradually replaced by fatigue.

At this moment, Wei Liangchen, the Yanba of the short drama track, walked onto the stage.

Wei Liangchen's appearance is indeed impeccable. When he smiles, his eyebrows and eyes are curved, as if making people smile with him unconsciously.

His presence made the atmosphere a little more relaxed, and the mentors asked him a few questions as usual.

"Wei Liangchen, I've seen the skit you starred in. Why did you choose to come to 'Road to Star Dreams'?"

Qu Qinghuan glanced at the asterisked prompt on the script, and asked this pointed question gently without changing his smile.

This question is not easy to answer, and you may fall into a trap if you are not careful.

Wei Liangchen smiled and said in a casual tone:

“Although I’m currently participating in more short plays, I also love music, and doesn’t the program’s promotional poster also say that dreams have no limits?

So here I am, and the song I am about to perform, "Confession of Youth", is also a work I have always liked.

I am honored to have this opportunity to share this song with everyone on such a big stage today."

The instructors nodded, indicating that he could start the performance.

Xie Qingyu discovered an interesting point. When the initiator asked this question, this handsome guy seemed to be trying very hard to control his expression and manage his facial expressions very hard.

It seems that everyone has two faces!

As the music started, Wei Liangchen's voice was soft and fresh. Although his singing skills were not outstanding, his emotions were sincere.

Although the performance was a bit immature, it surprisingly fit the atmosphere of the song.

"Youth is like a silent confession,

Whispering softly in the wind,

Those words that were never spoken,

Hidden in the heart, it turns into twinkling stars."

The contestants in the audience didn't have high expectations for him at first, but after seeing his performance, they all showed expressions of surprise.

It’s like your requirement for this person is only 50 points, but the other person shows the strength of 60 points.

"I didn't expect him to be so good. Although his strength is not strong, he has a lot of feeling."

"Yeah, his appearance is such a big plus. Just looking at his face makes me feel good."

The mentors also encouraged Wei Liangchen's performance.

Li Zhiqiu picked up the microphone and spoke in a relatively gentle tone:

“Although the stage performance was a little immature, the emotional expression was very good.

This song suits you very well, I hope you keep working hard."

The general meaning is that if you don't have enough strength, you can make up for it with appearance and atmosphere.

Lu Chuan also nodded:

“As a non-professional singer, your performance is quite good.

I hope you can find your own style on stage in the future."

In the end, Wei Liangchen's rating was C.

He smiled, bowed, and then walked off the stage and returned to his seat.

---

After seeing this, Xie Qingyu had an overall feeling that the contestants this year were generally not too bad, and the strict screening of the program team had obviously worked.

Although there may be some lack of variety show effects, at least the quality of the stage is guaranteed.

"I hope the production team can take the talent show seriously instead of relying on malicious editing to attract attention."

He recalled the attitude of chief producer Liu Yue during the auditions and felt that the program team should be the former.

At this moment, Leo quietly came over from behind his seat, squatted next to Xie Qingyu, and whispered:

"Xie Qingyu, I'm Leo, the one who performed just now. You must remember me!"

Xie Qingyu was stunned for a moment, then smiled helplessly.

He looked at the cameras around him and saw that two of them were pointed at them. Obviously, this scene had been recorded.

"Let's contact each other after the program is recorded." Xie Qingyu said in a low voice, motioning Leo to return to his seat first.

Leo nodded reluctantly and slipped back quietly.

Xie Qingyu looked at his back and felt that this fifteen-year-old mixed-race boy was too straightforward, which could be easily exploited by the production team in a talent show!

---

The performance on stage continued, but the atmosphere became noticeably more depressing.

The contestants were already having trouble opening their eyes, and the mentors were also very tired.

MC Ray even held up the contestant's information in front of his face, pretending to analyze it carefully, but in fact he even held the information upside down.

Finally, the show came to an end.

Qian Song stood up and prepared to go backstage to make final adjustments.

He was the last contestant to perform, and Xie Qingyu whispered to him, "Come on."

Qian Song smiled and nodded: "Thank you, I will."

---

Qian Song's stage performance began.

He chose a powerful rock song "Dawn". When the music sounded, the atmosphere in the venue was instantly ignited.

(No matter how long the night is, it cannot block the light of dawn,

We stand here, welcoming the glory of the dawn.

Every step is heavy, but the pace never stops.

Because we know that there is hope ahead.)

The voice is hoarse and powerful, full of emotion.

His stage performance is also very good. Under the spotlight, he has an upright posture, a firm look in his eyes, and sways his body to the rhythm of the chorus.

The contestants in the audience were shocked by his performance spirit and couldn't help but sit up a little straighter to show their respect.

Wei Qianze put down the information in his hand and watched Qian Song's stage performance intently, with both sighs and admiration in his eyes.

(The light of dawn illuminates our dreams,

Be firm in every step, even if there are storms ahead.

We will not back down, because we know

After the dawn, the glory belongs to us.)

When the last line of the lyrics fell, the contestants praised it. It was quite impressive that he still had such talent after being in the dark for so many years since his debut.

Qian Song stood on the stage, breathing slightly, with a faint smile on his face.

---

The mentors gave very good comments on Qian Song's performance.

Wei Qianze picked up the microphone, nodded and smiled in agreement, with a hint of encouragement in his eyes.

"Your voice is powerful and your stage presence is very mature. I hope you can continue to maintain this state in the future."

Su Jin also picked up the information on the table, flipped through it, and gave some constructive advice.

"You can tell that her dancing skills are very solid and she's put in a lot of hard work. She's very steady!"

In fact, it can be seen that the mentors were not particularly satisfied, but for some reason they still gave the last A grade on the field to Qian Song.

---

Just when everyone thought the recording was over and was about to pack up and leave, the initiator Qu Qinghuan suddenly stood on the stage and said:

"Everyone, don't leave just yet. The production team has a surprise for you!"

The contestants were all stunned. Those who had stood up sat back down, confusion and curiosity written all over their tired faces.

"What kind of surprise is this? It's already 2 a.m., what else is there to do?" someone complained in a low voice.

"Is this another overdubbed recording? I'm already so sleepy..."

"Stop talking and listen to what it is. Maybe it's good news."

Qu Qinghuan looked at the exhausted faces of the contestants below the stage, feeling somewhat reluctant, but the program schedule was such that she could only hurry up:

"I know everyone is very tired, but this part is very important. I hope we can hold on a little longer."

After she finished speaking, she skipped the interactive part originally designed by the program team and announced the rules neatly:

“The production team has formulated new rules for the first stage.

In addition to the five classes of ABCDF, this year's class has added a unique S rating.

The S-level player will be competed for by the seven players in Class A through battle, and the six mentors will vote to select the only S-level player.

The contestants in the audience were instantly excited, and their original fatigue was swept away, replaced by excitement and excitement.

"S-rank? What kind of operation is this?"

"A battle between seven members of Class A? This is too exciting!"

"No wonder the instructors are so strict with Class A. It turns out it's because of this!"

Xie Qingyu sat in his seat, understanding everything.

He felt that the program team's operation was a bit strange from the beginning. There were obviously several contestants who could enter Class A according to the previous standards, but the mentors always strictly controlled the number of places in Class A.

When giving the last spot, I was not very satisfied with Qian Song, but still gave him an A rating.

Waiting here~

The program team obviously wants to make the battle between Class A more interesting.

"Sure enough, how can a talent show be without battles?

Moreover, seven Class A players battling on the same stage is much more interesting than a normal two-person battle."

At this moment, a contestant couldn't help but raise his hand and asked:

"Teacher Qu, are there any special privileges for S-level?"

Qu Qinghuan smiled and began to explain the S-level benefits in detail:

"Firstly, S-level contestants will receive more resources from the program team, including endorsements and promotions for the program, as well as more exposure on camera.

Secondly, S-level players will have their own personal radio station, where the program team will capture the little fun moments in your life and practice, and update them every Friday along with the official stage performance.

"The S-rank for the first stage is voted on by the six mentors, and the subsequent S-ranks are updated weekly and determined by fan votes."

After hearing this, the contestants in the audience instantly became excited and exclaimed in surprise.

"This is too tempting! S-rank is like reserving a debut spot in advance!"

"The production team is really cunning. They haven't made it clear whether this little radio station's 'funny' is good or bad."

"But even so, S-level resources are so tempting, who wouldn't want to get them?"

---

Qu Qinghuan looked at the reactions of the contestants below the stage and continued to announce the following procedures.

"Next, we will randomly select a song from the popular domestic and international group songs selected by the program team as the battle track.

Please note that the songs cannot be adapted in any way. The seven contestants in Class A have thirty minutes to prepare.

After the preparation time is over, the performances will begin one by one. After the performances, the six mentors will vote to select the only S-level contestant.

Hearing this, Xie Qingyu's emotions finally fluctuated a little. He was not familiar with the songs in this world, even those from the so-called popular groups for these contestants.

After reading the battle rules, Qu Qinghuan glanced at the seven Class A contestants one by one.

"Of course, if a player voluntarily gives up the battle, they can inform us in advance. It is not a mandatory requirement."

They are all players who have made it to Class A, and no one will give up this hard-earned opportunity.

Not to mention that this is not an ordinary competition that only determines wins and losses, this is a talent show, and no one would be stupid enough to give up under the filming of so many cameras.

Seeing that no one gave up, Qu Qinghuan turned and looked at the big screen, and the song titles began to scroll quickly on the screen.

A few seconds later, Qu Qinghuan shouted "Stop" and the screen froze on the title of a song - "Firework".

"The battle song is 'Firework'!" Qu Qinghuan announced.

The contestants in the audience were excited again.

"'Firework'? Isn't that the super difficult song?"

"Oh my god, the dancing and singing skills required for this song are so demanding! The production team is so ruthless!"

"Now it's time to watch. Which of the seven contestants in Class A can hold their own in this song?"

Xie Qingyu frowned slightly after hearing the music.

"Firework" is a song with a very fast tempo, complex dance moves, and extremely demanding singing skills.

Even though he is extremely famous in this world, this is his first time to play the role. It is extremely difficult to perform it perfectly in a short period of time.

But he quickly adjusted his mindset. No matter what, there was no room for retreat, especially in the field he was best at.

Qu Qinghuan stood in the center of the stage, smiling as she looked at the seven contestants from Class A:

“Next, we will perform from the song clips prepared by the program team.

Due to time constraints, each contestant will perform the same song excerpt for one minute.

Please take this time to prepare.”

After hearing this, Xie Qingyu felt more confident.

Although it is a bit difficult to fully grasp the song fragments in a short period of time, it is still much better than performing the entire song.

He looked at the other six contestants; everyone's expressions were relatively relaxed.

The countdown begins, and Xie Qingyu and the other six contestants begin to prepare intensively.

While the Class A players were preparing, the players in the spectator seats couldn't help but engage in heated discussions.

"Bai Lang and Gu Yan are definitely safe. They are both too strong."

"Xie Qingyu is also good. His stage presence is really strong. After so many performances, I still like him the most. He has a special charm!"

"+1"

"Although Leo is young, he has a strong learning ability. He might be a pleasant surprise."

"Qian Song is also very stable. After all, he is an 'older' player and has a lot of experience."

---

The preparation time was over quickly, and Qu Qinghuan announced the official start of the performance.

In order, the first to come on stage is Leo.

Leo walked onto the stage with a hint of nervousness on his face. The music started and he began his performance.

He didn't remember all the lyrics, but since the program team didn't allow any adaptation, he chose to just dance instead of singing for safety's sake.

Although there was no singing to support his performance, Leo's dance moves were smooth and natural, and he hit the rhythm very accurately, which still won him a lot of applause.

"Leo is really amazing. He can dance like this in such a short time." Someone in the audience sighed softly.

The second person to come on stage was Wen Yan.

He performed completely by copying the clips given by the program team, without any personal characteristics.

But the first half of the performance was barely complete.

However, in the second half, he suddenly forgot the lyrics and had to continue dancing.

The third person to come on stage was Bai Lang.

He chose to perform the clips given by the program team to the extreme, and he handled it very well in terms of both the control of strength and the continuity of movements.

There were also many players in the stands calling his name.

The fourth person to come on stage was Gu Qi.

His performance was even more eye-catching than the previous ones. He not only perfectly displayed the core of the song, but also incorporated his own style into it.

As the lead singer of the group, his singing skills are impeccable and his dancing skills are equally impressive.

Li Zhiqiu obviously liked his performance and nodded repeatedly as he looked at Gu Qi on the stage.

The fifth person to come on stage was Sun Lele.

The dance moves were very good, but unfortunately, the voice cracked during the high notes.

Although the overall performance was pretty good, it was still inferior to that of several other players.

The sixth person to come on stage was Xie Qingyu.

He had done his best to master the song fragments in a short period of time, although some details were still incomplete.

However, with his many years of rich stage experience and strong expressiveness, he completed the performance without any mistakes and gave it a strong personal style that was unique to Xie Qingyu.

Some young fan contestants in the stands were waving at him. Xie Qingyu nodded at them with a smile and made a shooting gesture towards them.

"Ah! It feels like my heart was hit!" One contestant exaggeratedly covered his heart.

"Go to hell! You were pointing at me!"

"Alas! Is this the child of someone else's family? Why do I feel such a strong aura of dominance from a contestant of the same period? If there is jade, why is there a beam?!!! Wuwuwu"

"I think you're just trying to scam me. He's a naturally gifted player, and you're also naturally negative! The negative of negative numbers!"

“Hahahahahahahahaha!!!”

The last person to come on stage was Qian Song.

He maintained a steady style and performed the segment smoothly.

There weren't many highlights, and it was pretty flat overall, but it also showed his maturity and stability as an "older" player.

---

After all seven contestants finished their performances, the contestants in the audience shouted the names of the contestants they supported.

Among them, Bai Lang, Gu Yan and Xie Qingyu received the highest support.

The mentors started voting without much discussion.

Vocal instructor Li Zhiqiu and all-round instructor Wei Qianze voted for Gu Qiong, believing that his singing skills and stage performance were very good, and his overall strength was relatively more outstanding.

Dance instructor Su Jin voted for Bai Lang, praising his neat and clean dance moves and strong control of the stage.

As for the creative mentor Lu Chuan and the rap mentor MCray, they both voted for Xie Qingyu, affirming his stage appeal and expressiveness, and believed that his stage has a unique charm that other contestants do not have!

Xie Qingyu bowed slightly to the two mentors to express his gratitude.

The initiator Qu Qinghuan hesitated for a long time between Gu Qiong and Xie Qingyu, but in the end he did not choose to split the vote and cast his vote for Gu Qiong.

She liked both of their performances very much. Their abilities in this song were equally matched and each had their own characteristics. She could only say that she personally preferred Gu Yan only for this stage.

If she were to judge based on Xie Qingyu's previous performance in original songs, she would vote for Xie Qingyu.

In the end, Gu Qiong won the S rating for the first stage with a narrow advantage of three votes.

---

"Congratulations to Gu Qiong for becoming the only S-rank contestant on the first stage!"

The audience burst into warm applause. Gu Yan stood in the center of the stage with a faint smile on his face.

He bowed slightly and said sincerely, "Thank you, mentors, and thank you all for your support. I will continue to work hard and live up to this honor."

At this point, the recording officially ended and the stage lights gradually dimmed.

The curtain of the first stage has officially fallen, but the story of Xie Qingyu and other contestants has just begun.