Inside the meeting room, arguments continued to erupt from time to time, naturally focusing on Li Mubai and Lin Yueyin as seen on camera.

These two can be considered Tianrui Entertainment's strongest signings this year. Lin Yueyin had already risen to the level of a third-tier singer while still in school.

Li Mubai is even more outrageous. Before his debut, he was already a top streamer on a certain live streaming platform with millions of fans. After his debut, he quickly rose to fame with a few songs. His unique voice, coupled with his handsome appearance, attracted countless fans.

According to a senior executive at Tianrui Entertainment, Li Mubai's debut was his peak, and as long as things are managed properly, it's only a matter of time before he becomes the top star in Xiazhou.

The company also intends to make Lin Yueyin and Li Mubai a new benchmark, creating a "golden couple" persona to lay the foundation for future market expansion.

The argument continued, and almost no one paid attention to Lin Rui. After all, in other people's eyes, Lin Rui, whom Zheng Jing had brought up, was a joke and didn't even have the qualifications to be a runner-up.

Although she is now invisible and has no presence, Zheng Jing still stares intently at Lin Rui in front of the camera.

"Alright, everyone, quiet down."

Zhou Rongze raised his hand, and after the meeting room had completely quieted down, he cleared his throat: "After half an hour of observation, I'm sure you all have your answers. I've decided to give the two promotion slots for graduation season to Lin Yueyin and Li Mubai. You have no objections, right?"

They neither opposed nor were surprised; they clearly agreed with the result.

Even before the selection process began, Tianrui Entertainment had already reached a consensus that the selection was just a formality, intended to appease the emotions of Group Two.

As for the four groups led by Zheng Jing, they were automatically filtered out.

The leader of Group Two opened his mouth, but ultimately fell silent, glancing occasionally at the smug Groups One and Three, his displeasure evident.

"Since no one has any objections, I hereby declare this selection process over and the meeting adjourned."

Zhou Rongze clapped his hands and stood up, but before he could move his chair, Zheng Jing, who had been staring at monitor number 7, suddenly said, "Wait!"

"Team Leader Zheng, even Old Xu from Team Two has tacitly agreed. Are you going to offer a different opinion?"

“Xiao Zheng, I understand that Group Four has it tough, but this isn’t a charity. We can’t treat you differently just because you’re having a hard time, right?”

"No wonder. We finally found a college student, and he does look quite presentable. But Team Leader Zheng, you have to understand, this isn't a modeling agency. It's not enough to just have good looks."

…

Everyone chimed in with their own thoughts, but Zheng Jing ignored them all and simply looked at Zhou Rongze: "Mr. Zhou, could you please take a look?"

Zhou Rongze frowned, his face darkening, clearly displeased with Zheng Jing's impolite behavior.

But seeing the genuine excitement in Zheng Jing's eyes, I glanced at monitor number 7 out of curiosity.

In front of the camera, Lin Rui, whom he had long ignored, was sitting at the piano, his ten fingers dancing lightly on the keys, his mouth opening and closing as if he were singing something.

"Cut the scope, number 7."

Because the big screen was still switching back and forth between Li Mubai and Lin Yueyin, no one could hear what Lin Rui was playing or singing on screen number 7.

Only Zheng Jing, who was wearing a headset and watching the activity on monitor number 7, knew what Lin Rui had done!

The staff quickly switched the camera to Lin Rui's room.

"Back to square one"

Standing blankly in front of the mirror,

Clumsily tying the red tie into a knot…

The slightly melancholic melody, accompanied by a magnetic voice, instantly quieted the previously noisy conference room.

In terms of vocal range alone, Lin Rui is not yet as good as the original singer Hu Xia, but his voice has a certain inexplicable infectiousness that can easily calm the audience down.

Everyone has a picture in their mind: a young man standing in front of a mirror, awkwardly adjusting his suit, with a vain look on his face from time to time.

What song is this?

The group looked at each other, realizing that as industry insiders, they were completely unfamiliar with the song.

"Quiet down, all of you!" Zhou Rongze snorted in dissatisfaction, glancing at Lin Rui in the camera lens with a flickering look in his eyes.

On camera, Lin Rui skillfully played the piano keys, and the notes gliding from his fingertips suddenly accelerated, filling the entire conference room with a melancholic melody.

I wish I could go back to those years.

Before and after returning to their classroom seats,

I'm deliberately trying to elicit a gentle scolding from you...

The room fell silent, all eyes fixed on Lin Rui under the camera lens, their faces displaying a complex mix of emotions that were hard to define.

The singing seemed to possess an irresistible magic, drawing them all into their own memories.

They thought that the fleeting years and the past, which they believed should not have wasted, had been buried deep in their memories, but now, like a torrential downpour, they are being relentlessly drenched in their thoughts.

Who hasn't experienced innocence and naivety?

Who hasn't experienced innocence and first love?

That fleeting first kiss, like a dragonfly skimming the water, remains as sweet as ever.

But as they walked out of the school gate, their departing shadows receded into the distance, and the sweet moments under the poplar trees at sunset were gone forever.

“This is our lost youth,” Zhou Rongze murmured, his voice tinged with helplessness.

The heavy rains we missed over the years

The love that was missed in those years

…

This world, bit by bit,

It's all about you.

boom!

Inside the meeting room, although everyone was mentally prepared, based on their professional experience, they knew that the chorus would not be simple.

But when Lin Rui sang the words "those years," they were instantly captivated.

If only I had been more proactive back then!

If only I had been more resolute back then!

If only I had chosen to go to his city back then!

If only I had been more tolerant of her little flaws back then!

…

The same three words evoke different, yet the same, resonance.

“There are no ifs…” Zhou Rongze murmured to himself.

At first, the people didn't understand, but soon they seemed to understand.

Their eyes were slightly red, and some even took out tissues early to secretly wipe away the tears from the corners of their eyes.

The singing continued, and Lin Rui's gradually hoarse voice seemed to be a catalyst for sorrow, causing a sudden pang in one's heart.

Those who listen to the songs are lost in memories, and so are those who sing them.

A beautiful figure gradually appeared in Lin Rui's mind. He couldn't see her face clearly, but she felt a strange sense of familiarity to him.

The throbbing in his heart was like a pounding pulse, strong and powerful. It was as if he saw the beautiful figure getting further and further away from him. Heart-wrenching pain spread throughout his body. Lin Rui could no longer control his emotions, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Click...

The sealed memories seemed to loosen and begin to crack. He remembered that year when he and she parted ways after graduation. It wasn't because of the obstruction of their parents, nor because of the vulgar issue of the bride price, nor because of any change in their relationship. It was simply because they were no longer in the same city after graduation.

It is often said that distance makes the heart grow fonder, but for them at that time, distance only led to estrangement, until they became like strangers.

Then one day, he received a text message from her telling him that she was getting married.

That night, he got completely drunk, hid under the covers, and cried like a child.

"Meeting again,

I will hold you tight…

As the music faded, her slender fingers left the keys, and a jumble of memories flooded her mind, but they seemed unable to fit into her body, resulting in severe acclimatization problems.

Lin Rui struggled to break free from this state, but an overwhelming drowsiness suddenly overwhelmed him, and then everything went black before his eyes. He slid down and passed out...