Chapter 3, the initial evaluation stage performance—was it a case of starting strong but ending weak? It was a case of "a strong start but a weak finish"...
On the first day of her stay at Yue Di Xing Li, Jiang Ting Han set his sights on her.
Now that we know Anri-chan's weakness, it would be a shame not to take advantage of it.
After training, she got Tsukichi Anri a banana to replenish her energy and carefully peeled it for her. She knelt down in front of Tsukichi Anri in a posture commonly used by Japanese people, trying to look at her straight ahead. Her dark eyes were like a ripple in autumn water, moist and brimming, as if something captivating was trembling inside.
Anri Tsukichi stared at that face, momentarily mesmerized, then cautiously asked, "Coldy-chan, is there something you need?"
Jiang Tinghan said sincerely, "Xingli-chan, I have some questions about dance that I'd like to ask you. I wonder if you have time?"
Her long eyelashes fluttered twice, and the light in her eyes rippled like waves on a lake: "It's okay if I don't have time. They're just minor issues anyway. I can figure them out myself."
The aroma of tea is so strong.
Anri Tsukichi said cheerfully, "Ah, of course, no problem! I'm happy to be able to help Coldy-chan!"
Jiang Tinghan remained expressionless, but her voice softened considerably: "Actually, you can just call me Han, there's no need to call me Coldy."
Anri Tsukichi: "Then I'll call you Han-chan from now on?"
She addressed people in Japanese, but switched to English when speaking other things.
Jiang Tinghan paused for a moment, then continued, "Okay."
Okay, this can be considered as bringing them a little closer, right? And there's also her special nickname for Anri, "Kohan-chan".
When Anri Tsukichi transforms into a teacher, she is very strict. Coincidentally, she encounters a super-hard student who studies to the point of exhaustion. This person also believes in striving for perfection. Sometimes Anri Tsukichi feels that she has passed the test, but Jiang Tinghan feels that he can do better.
After all, I grew up under the education that "one point can kill a thousand people", and I have always adhered to the belief that "every point counts".
Anri Tsukichi joked, "Kan-chan, you must be a famous 'rolling queen' in your area, right?"
Jiang Tinghan nodded, then shook his head: "Actually, many people here are like that."
Even Anri Tsukichi, who thought she had trained very hard, was shocked. Her voice trembled as she repeated in disbelief, "Are all Chinese people like this...?"
Terrifying!!!
Cramming education is like filling your books with "Shining World"!
"Culture" has crossed national borders in a strange way.
With Anri Tsukichi's help, Jiang Tinghan's dancing skills improved dramatically. If this were a video game, he would have already leveled up several times.
Before we knew it, the day of the initial evaluation had arrived.
The studio for "Shining World" is as bright as its name suggests, with lights shining so brightly that it's as if Hou Yi has returned the nine suns he shot down.
Jiang Tinghan almost thought he was recording "Today's Talk" instead of "Shining World." Otherwise, why would the lighting be like an interrogation room in a movie or TV series? It's as if they're afraid the contestants aren't under enough psychological pressure, so they're forced to carry a heavy burden.
The lights are turned off only when each individual or team takes the stage, and then the spotlight shines on the trainees, some shining brightly while others fade into the background.
Grape sat closer to Jiang Tinghan and whispered in her ear, "Go for it, Naga! I really believe in you!"
Jiang Tinghan smiled slightly: "Let's cheer each other on."
Grape whispered, "I even learned a Chinese phrase to cheer you on!"
Jiang Tinghan became somewhat curious and quieted down to listen attentively.
Grape, in a suppressed yet excited tone with a strange accent, said, "Show yourself, little darling!"
Jiang Tinghan: "?"
Miss Putuoxi Patak, your knowledge is mixed up, how come you still have a Northeastern accent? Is it really that contagious? Even the clash of Indian and Australian accents couldn't defeat the Northeastern accent?
Some strange sense of national pride arose.
The mentors were ready, and the contestants went up one after another to showcase themselves.
Anri Tsukichi's performance combined expansive street dance with energetic singing, and even though her vocals were relatively weaker, she still received an A rating.
Grape, incorporating its own unique characteristics, sang and danced, appearing very agile, yet its arm swings and leg kicks were quite powerful, and its singing was even more melodious. Just as Jiang Tinghan expected, it received an S rating.
Kim Seo-hee and her best friend Kong Yeon-seo performed on stage together. This was a typical case of the strong leading the weak. Kim Seo-hee made it to A, while Kong Yeon-seo, to Jiang Tinghan's surprise, was C.
Her dance was neither good nor bad, but she sang several off notes that everyone could hear, and she even made a "quack" sound like a duck. The girl sitting in front of Jiang Tinghan had a hard time suppressing her laughter.
While C is barely reasonable, it still feels a bit high. However, Kong Yeon-seo is beautiful, has a good temperament, and seems well-mannered, which is a plus.
In the blink of an eye, all of Jiang Tinghan's roommates rushed up in one go, while Jiang Tinghan went to wait in the wings.
She can't be left behind.
"Hey! Playboy!"
"It's about time, and your time's up."
The first thing that plays is a recitation that sounds like a queen's declaration. The voice is cold and restrained, but it doesn't sound awkward; it has a certain quality to it.
The original singer of "I Don't Care" is well-known to everyone, but compared to the original singer's playful and sharp shouting style, the person on stage takes a completely opposite approach, making people feel chills and instantly going from the sweltering heat to the dead of winter.
The tone of her voice was somewhat nostalgic, but mostly ruthless, as if the phrase "Your time is up" had a hidden meaning, instantly giving some of the contestants who understood Korean goosebumps.
As soon as the stage lights came on, that stunningly beautiful face was revealed to the audience in an instant. Without even having time to prepare themselves, they were immediately overwhelmed by the intense beauty.
The mentor who met her gaze felt his heart stop for a moment.
"hiss--"
Suddenly, a lot of snakes rushed into the studio.
Snakes from all over the world raised their heads to watch the Snake King's performance.
She was wearing a black and red Japanese sailor uniform, and her jet-black hair was draped in large waves down her back and on both sides of her face. It seemed thicker than usual, covering Jiang Tinghan's entire face, making her snow-white face appear even more delicate, like jade hidden in black fur.
In that instant, her 1.7-meter height seemed to be at a disadvantage, making her look like a delicate, miniature doll. Even with her old-fashioned thick black eyeliner and glittery eyeshadow, she still looked pure and lovely, not at all gaudy.
Jiang Tinghan spoke. At this moment, she was the only one on the stage, the only one singing, the only one doing whatever she wanted.
"I can never forgive the lipstick stain on your collar. I can't reach you on your phone every day. It seems you have no intention of changing."
“You call all your girlfriends ‘friends.’ Don’t assume I want to be like them.”
I won't let it fight.
The mentors were taken aback again; that timbre was quite unique!
Her voice is bright and has a minty quality; once you hear it, you'll probably find it just as unforgettable as her face.
The mentors were already silently giving their scores in their minds.
She sang fairly steadily, and didn't try to imitate the original singer Park Bom's unique timbre and singing style. She simply used her singing method to cover the song, without being led by the nose, which was good.
Is it Coldy?
A tutor looked down and searched through Jiang Tinghan's information, instantly finding out her practice time.
It has now been updated to reflect current conditions and now displays one month's information.
If I remember correctly, the initial evaluation period was one month! Doesn't that mean starting from scratch?!
Huh? Ah? Hmm?
The girl in front of me, whose singing wasn't disastrous at all, but rather quite steady—was she a beginner?!
The mentor's pupils dilated in shock, almost dropping his jaw in astonishment. His gaze was instantly drawn back to Jiang Tinghan. Unlike the original singer, whose lively and energetic dance moves were meant to convey warmth and vibrancy, Jiang Tinghan's every smile and gesture was captivating, but her dancing appeared somewhat weak and limp.
If I had to describe it, it could only be associated with "relaxation," but not much. It looks like it gets tired after moving around a bit, like a robot whose battery is slowly running out.
Is it a case of sacrificing the dance to ensure the singer's survival?
The tutor felt a pity. This was a shame, because it meant he wouldn't get an A. To get an A, one subject had to be excellent and the other had to be above average.
The accompaniment faded and then stopped.
Is this how it ends? Wasn't the performance a bit too short? It really started strong but ended weakly...
The camera remained focused on the girl in the center of the stage, her head bowed, seemingly regretting and heartbroken over her performance. Suddenly, she abruptly raised her head, her long, narrow phoenix eyes meeting the camera's gaze with a fierce hatred and a chilling glint that seemed to pierce the lens!
Is breaking up with a jerk the end of it? Of course not!
"Thump—!"
A loud bang from the drum set brought everyone back to their senses!
Drumbeats! Keep it up! Electric guitar! Keep it up! The original accompaniment, start again!
It only adds drum beats that even beginners can copy from the template and an electric guitar riff that can be produced by simply plucking the guitar strings. It shouldn't be considered a major change as the copyright holder claims, right?
Jiang Tinghan can't play guitar or drums, but she quickly found the right tone for drumming and plucking by watching a few online tutorials. Then, a brilliant idea struck her: even though she can't play instruments, she could edit videos! While impulsive ideas are generally considered bad for cooking, they seem to be a different story when it comes to music.
If you can't play the do re mi fa so smoothly, just play each note separately once, cut them out, and then put them back together. It only takes a few seconds anyway. Once the electric guitar and drums start playing, the atmosphere is there! Then you can rock and roll to your heart's content!
"Boom!" Another loud drumbeat resounded, making everyone in the audience tremble.
The performance of "genius (editor) producer" Coldy is far from over!
Jiang Tinghan's entire body suddenly became powerful, as if the endless hatred had filled her with electricity. After two weeks of hard training, she finally mastered the silky smooth and crucial chest-out wave, which rippled out like water, providing an extremely comfortable visual experience and giving her brain a refreshing "crackling" sensation.
She raised her arms and, with that movement, took off her sailor uniform, revealing a black sleeveless top covered in graffiti. The largest graffiti, with the word "Love" written in scarlet, was then cleaved in two!
What do you mean by being well-behaved and cute? It's all an act! She's just playing the role of someone who was easy to manipulate in her ex-boyfriend's eyes, someone as innocent and pure as a white flower.
With a simple dance move, Jiang Tinghan raised her arm and turned around, naturally pulling out the sleeveless lower half of her dress that was tucked into her skirt. This made her entire outfit more casual, carefree, and rebellious, instantly giving her a rock and roll vibe.
"Cause I don't care eeeee!"
"I don't care about eeeee!"
"Boy, I don't care!"
Shedding the constraints of her sailor uniform, Jiang Tinghan seemed to come alive. Her snow-white arms swung, and her long hair danced wildly, drawing sharp arcs in the air again and again, just like the girl she was playing—full of resilience and sharp thorns.
With every wave of the hand, every turn of the head, every sway of the shoulder, and every time the whole body is mobilized to dance, a surge of vibrant life force bursts forth!
No one can resist her charm!
One more chorus!
"Cause I don't care eeeee!"
"I don't care your shitty life,I don't care your clown lies,
I don't care about your trashy style!
Singing the lyrics she had revised, even if it was just a short line inserted into the song, Jiang Tinghan felt incredibly satisfied. Although she had never been in a relationship, as she sang, it was as if there was a real scumbag in front of her, whom she was cursing to death.
What's most important in a song? Rhyme? Pun? Theme?
That's all wrong! It's about emotions! The most important thing is to make the audience feel good!
Even if the lyrics don't rhyme, she still wants to vent her anger at this moment!
"I remember I used to cry because of you."
"The boy cried until dawn."
"Now it's your turn to cry."
Whether it was their imagination or not, they seemed to hear someone crying pitifully, and a sudden, fierce chill ran down their spines.
The mentor felt a chill run down his spine. This wasn't just a promising start followed by a disappointing finish; it was a divine start followed by an amazing finish! Even if it was a snake, it was a snake god like the Naga!
"hiss--!!!"
The snakes, the contestants offstage, all sprang into action again, taking a sharp breath. If they didn't make a sound soon, they'd be frozen into hibernation.
Jiang Tinghan, standing in the center of the stage, raised both hands, closed one eye, and her other eye, used for aiming, flickered under her black, spiky hair. She made a gesture of raising a pistol, as if symbolizing the girl's successful counterattack.
The black eyeliner and bright eyeshadow that had just made her look innocent now made her seem cold and crazy, like a little madwoman who had lost all senses and only knew how to seek revenge. Only when she killed the person in front of her would she come back to life, just like in the second half of her performance.
Jiang Tinghan stared at the camera in front of her, opened her bright red lips, and silently uttered a sound: "Bang—"
An invisible smog hung in the air; that damned ex-boyfriend had been executed.
And this performance, which was a complete reversal of the two extremes, left the entire audience speechless!
—Just one minute.
A note from the author:
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The mentors will be introduced one by one in the next chapter, along with their classic commentary. The one who completely revamped "I Don't Care" (taking the blame and running away) actually didn't change much [shrug].
Let me think carefully about when to make this dragon's appearance.
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