interview
Lin Ting shook his head: "I'm here to be a commentator, and also to provide vocal coaching and support."
Zhang Fengming asked, "Hey... I don't have anything else to say, I just wanted to ask if anyone else knows about your other identity?"
Lin Ting continued to shake his head: "Please keep this a secret for me. I'm not planning to tell anyone yet."
Zhang Fengming was stunned for a moment, then said in a panic, "Wait, logically I should pretend I don't know you..."
Lin Ting turned his head and looked away. Seeing this, Zhang Fengming followed Lin Ting's gaze, but there were several people in the direction Lin Ting was looking. Before he could figure out who Lin Ting was looking at, Lin Ting looked away.
Lin Ting said, "It's alright. If anyone asks, just say that I've long admired the talented Zhang and we've become friends as soon as we got a little acquainted."
Zhang Fengming sensed the teasing in his tone and said helplessly, "Don't joke with me. You and Zhao Qinfeng are quite close, aren't you? I remember you two had a falling out."
Lin Ting shook his head and said, "It's a misunderstanding. I really admire him."
Zhang Fengming: "Okay, okay, I'll be careful. You should be careful too."
Lin Ting nodded: "Thank you for your hard work."
Zhang Fengming left. After a while, Zhao Qinfeng returned.
Before Zhao Qinfeng could ask, Lin Ting said, "I know Zhang Fengming and we've worked together before, but I'm not going to say it outright for now."
Zhao Qinfeng nodded without pressing further. He had never intended to interfere with Lin Ting's interpersonal relationships, and it was normal for Lin Ting to have acquaintances in the music industry, after all, he had been a music critic for so long that he was practically an insider.
After returning, everyone said goodbye to each other. Lin Ting was assigned a single room with a private bathroom, not far from Zhao Qinfeng's room. However, to avoid suspicion, the two simply parted ways naturally and went into their respective rooms.
The official recording was on the second day, so Lin Ting took out the relevant materials again tonight.
The format of this program is not new; the talent show format is already established. It's just that the assessment mainly focuses on music.
Overall, Lin Ting's work on this show was not much different from what she had done before, except that she had more decision-making power.
He sent Zhao Qinfeng a goodnight message before going to bed.
The two haven't reached the point of sharing a bed at home yet, so they're not uncomfortable with each other being together like this.
The next morning, the mentors met and began interviewing the students.
Lin Ting has been temporarily placed in the singing track, but he will be moved to the songwriting track in the afternoon.
"Good morning, everyone." Lin Ting greeted everyone and sat down.
There are three mentors in the singing competition: Zhao Qinfeng and two female singers.
There's also Wang Qiong, a music critic whom Lin Ting knows. During the audition process, Wang Qiong will be a regular participant in the singing category.
These two female singers debuted on the same show, finishing second and third respectively. Rumors circulated that they were at odds, but Lin Ting felt that the two seemed very familiar with each other and got along well, so the rumors might not be true.
"Hello, Mr. Lin Ting. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Zhou Yuqiu, a singer." Zhou Yuqiu and Lin Ting shook hands politely.
"I'm Zhang Lin," another female singer greeted her simply.
Although they don't know each other, they are actually connected. For example, Lin Ting commented on their works and performances in a video, and he also wrote lyrics for the songs they sang.
In short, Lin Ting acknowledged their abilities.
The initial pleasantries quickly ended, and the morning interviews began in earnest.
When Lin Ting was still with the company, he had to take time out of his schedule to participate in interviews. At that time, no one was willing to take on this task, but he was more enthusiastic and patient with recent graduates, so he often participated in interviews.
Interviews are highly efficient, requiring interviewees to showcase their strengths to the fullest extent within a very limited time while avoiding any obvious mistakes when questioned by the interviewer. Meanwhile, interviewers also need to select the best candidates who meet the company's current needs.
The situation wouldn't become more complicated, only the tension would increase. Music has always been a realm for geniuses, with many sub-fields, but the common characteristic is that each field can only accommodate the most talented individuals.
Their interviews were conducted in a "multiple-to-one" format, with the three mentors, along with Lin Ting and Wang Qiong, sitting in an arc, all facing the students' seats.
In addition, there were many staff members around who were responsible for filming and keeping an eye on the situation on set.
The trainees were all very young, after all, this is an industry that highly values "fame should be achieved early". Before coming, Lin Ting saw the average age of the trainees listed in the materials - 21 years old, even though the minimum age requirement was 18.
The interview process is relatively simple: a brief self-introduction and a short a cappella performance of no more than two minutes. The results will be announced on the spot. The number of people who pass the audition is fixed, with sixteen spots available for each track.
After listening all morning, Lin Ting was exhausted and almost collapsed. The three of them ate their boxed lunches together and talked about the terrible situation that had just happened that morning.
"Why...why does this selection process take two whole days..." Zhao Qinfeng ate his meal helplessly.
Lin Ting rubbed his forehead; he was still a little dazed.
Zhou Yuqiu took a couple of bites, then suddenly shed a tear, startling Lin Ting so much that she almost dropped the lunchbox. She quickly asked her what was wrong.
"It's nothing, I just wanted to curse but couldn't, and I got internal injuries from holding it in." Zhou Yuqiu's face was still streaked with tears, but his eyes were extremely fierce, and his tone was so calm that it was a little creepy.
Zhang Lin didn't seem flustered at all, and was not surprised at all by Zhou Yuqiu's reaction. He reached out and patted her back.
"Let's talk quietly here. It'll make you feel better if you talk about it. We still have to listen to more this afternoon..." Lin Ting chimed in, trying to persuade them.
Wang Qiong also said, "Yes, don't get angry. Come on, let's start..."
They swallowed their food in between words, using their short lunch break to vent.
Although everyone was devastated, there was no cursing; instead, they genuinely discussed the issues.
But the key issue is that there are just too many problems. Almost none of them have mastered the basics. Many people have no experience at all and sing entirely based on feeling.
"Yes, what's even more infuriating is that, that..." The female singer waved her chopsticks, looking a little anxious, but couldn't remember for a moment.
"Li Qing," Lin Ting and Zhao Qinfeng said in unison.
"Yes! It's him! He told us in the earpiece to let him pass, what was he thinking? Even if he has connections, it's too weird to let someone who's singing so off-key pass the audition!"
After finishing their meal, Lin Ting went next door with the staff. After another round of pleasantries, they added another seat for him.
"Teacher Lin Ting, we're mainly discussing songwriting here, so let's not be too strict with the singing for now," one of the mentors advised.
Lin Ting nodded: "Of course, the focus is different, I understand."
Moreover, after a morning of torment, he felt that nothing could hurt him anymore.
After listening to a few performances, Lin Ting was a little puzzled: Why is it that everyone's music is generally above average, but the lyrics are so perfunctory?
He didn't bring it up directly during the interview, but instead asked the other mentors about it during a break.
"The melody is relatively more straightforward. At least if the lyrics are bad, we might not be too critical, but if the melody is bad, there's a direct risk of being eliminated," one mentor said.
The other mentors shared similar views.
Lin Ting agreed, but as a lyricist himself, he was inevitably more sensitive to this issue.
Since he doesn't have any real power right now and isn't very familiar with everyone, he didn't say much, just briefly mentioned it without going into detail.
The break ended quickly, and the interviews continued. Besides the self-introduction and two minutes of a cappella singing, there was an extra minute to share the creative process behind the performance.
Lin Ting keenly realized that self-presentation is also an important skill. Some people may have mediocre work, but their stories can be moving, which adds to their appeal. However, while the mentors were moved, they didn't pass such students based solely on their stories.
That's good, otherwise it would be putting the cart before the horse.
The interview lasted until 6 p.m. Lin Ting came out of the room and stretched.
He sighed silently, realizing he had another day of interviews to go, and then bumped into Zhao Qinfeng coming out of the next room.
"Want to eat?" Lin Ting asked naturally, somewhat like the way she used to ask her friends after school if they wanted to eat together.
Zhao Qinfeng nodded and left with him.
Although the recording base was quite remote, there were still some small restaurants nearby. Lin Ting and Zhao Qinfeng asked the front desk if they had any private rooms, but were told no, so they just found an empty seat in a corner and sat down.
After they sat down, they heard a commotion at the next table. Lin Ting didn't intend to listen to what the people at the next table were talking about, but they were indeed very loud, so Lin Ting still heard them clearly.
"Sigh, only two of us made it through, the competition was fierce!"
"Who says otherwise... You passed, how does it feel?"
The person whose name was called shook their head and didn't speak, it was unclear whether they were denying it or didn't know.
They then talked about the mentors they had encountered, some praising and some criticizing, but since they had mostly only met once, their conversations were superficial, mainly focusing on appearance, voice, and what comments they made.
"Even Zhao Qinfeng's voice is so pleasant to hear!" Someone mentioned Zhao Qinfeng, their voice rising several octaves, almost with a hint of shyness.
Lin Ting leaned closer and whispered to Zhao Qinfeng, "I'm calling on you."
Zhao Qinfeng remained quite calm, saying, "I've heard this kind of talk a lot, but it's still quite rare to hear it to my face."
They scanned the QR code on the table to order food and quietly discussed what dishes to order. The discussion at the next table continued, and they even mentioned Lin Ting, who had sat in the corner and hardly said a word when they were there.
"Do you know that mentor who sits in the corner and doesn't seem to have much of an impact?" someone suddenly asked.
While ordering food, Lin Ting also listened to the changing conversation at the next table, and began to think about it as well.
He has little presence? That probably describes him perfectly. After all, most of the mentors present have a strong presence, and Wang Qiong is a senior who frequently makes an appearance, so his presence is quite strong.
The other two music critics were interviewed in a single track, and only Lin Ting was genuinely interested in both. It just so happened that the production team intentionally arranged for them to rotate.
"Oh, I know! His name is Lin Ting! He did some commentary on 'Voices Spread Far and Wide' before, and what he said made a lot of sense. He's really good!"
"I remember now, he didn't seem to talk much and he sat in the corner, but he listened very attentively."
"Huh? Isn't that someone from our singing competition? How come you, from the songwriting competition, ran into them too?"
Lin Ting had never been talked about like this before. Facing Zhao Qinfeng's mocking gaze, she sat up straight, feeling as if ants were crawling all over her.
“I’m calling on you.” Zhao Qinfeng returned Lin Ting’s words verbatim.
Lin Ting glared at Zhao Qinfeng, then focused on ordering, ignoring the chatter at the next table.
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