Follow me and I'll make you advance
In the corridor of the recording base of "National Star-Making Plan", a sharp whistle cut through the silence of the early morning, like a rusty knife, pulling Yu Xiao out of his chaotic sleep.
He slept in the lower bunk of a twelve-person dormitory last night. The hard mattress hurt his bones and his back felt like it was being rubbed by countless tiny gravel.
The moment he opened his eyes, he saw the slogan "Work hard to debut" posted on the upper bunk bed. It had yellow letters on a red background. The smell of cheap ink mixed with the sweat of more than a dozen people in the dormitory choked him so much that he almost couldn't help but reach out and tear off the torn paper.
"All trainees, assemble in the lobby!" The voice over the loudspeaker was like sandpaper grinding against iron, hoarse and piercing. "The first evaluation will begin in five minutes! Latecomers will be eliminated!"
Yu Xiao got up slowly, the headache from not getting enough sleep still lingering.
He walked to the paint-chipped mirror at the dormitory door and looked at the man in the wrinkled training suit - his collar was askew, his hair was messy and sticking up, and there were red bloodshot eyes from not waking up yet.
This look, not to mention the exquisiteness he wore at dinner parties in Paris, even the cleaner in his garage looked more respectable. An indescribable irritation rushed from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, almost overflowing.
He took out a fountain pen from the canvas bag with the program logo printed on it. This was the only personal item he could bring in. The pen was a low-key silver. It was a gift from his mother on his eighteenth birthday and was worth enough to buy the entire training building.
Yu Xiao unconsciously turned the pen, and the cool touch of the metal calmed his restlessness a little.
When I walked out of the dormitory, the corridor was already crowded with people.
One hundred trainees, wearing identical gray uniforms, looked like products fresh off the assembly line.
Some people were practicing their vocalizations repeatedly against the wall, the veins on their necks straining; some were mumbling to themselves while holding lyrics books, their fingers nervously twisting the corners of their clothes; and a few acquaintances gathered together, straightening each other's clothes and muttering "come on".
Their faces showed either nervousness or excitement, like lambs just released from the slaughter, with their eyes sparkling with infinite longing for their "debut".
Yu Xiao leaned against the wall, observing the farce with a cold eye. Ratings? Debut? In his eyes, the very things these people were desperately striving for were mere things his father could whip up with a single word.
He could even imagine that when he had "had enough fun" and left here, Yu Zhenting might just buy the show and give the championship to someone he liked.
"Master Yu...oh no, Yu Xiao," the black-framed glasses-wearing assistant from yesterday trotted over. Her name was Xiao Zhou, and she was in charge of connecting with the trainees. She clutched the list tightly in her hand, sweat dripping down her forehead. "Hurry up and get in line! Roll call is about to begin! The director's already rushing us."
Yu Xiao sneered and didn't move.
His expression made Xiao Zhou even more nervous. She knew this man was the prince of the Yu Group, someone she couldn't afford to offend, but the program's rules couldn't be broken. Her eyes were red with anxiety, and her voice was pleading, "Yu Xiao, please, just get in line. It'll be quick..."
It was not until Xiao Zhou was about to cry that Yu Xiao reluctantly stood up and slowly joined the end of the line.
When he moved, several trainees who were whispering around him instantly shut up and glanced at him furtively with curiosity and a hint of fear.
After all, yesterday in the corridor, the aura of No. 88 that kept strangers away had left a deep impression on everyone.
Roll call is by number.
From 1 to 99, the names were read out one by one. Most of the responses were filled with a hint of youthful nervousness, and some were so excited that their voices trembled. Yu Xiao listened until he was drowsy, his fingers unconsciously twirling the pen, the metal pen reflecting tiny points of light in the morning light.
until--
"Number 76, Yunheng."
A clear male voice replied, "Here." It wasn't loud, but it was like a small stone dropped into Yu Xiao's drowsy consciousness, instantly causing ripples. He suddenly raised his eyes and looked.
In the middle of the line, the boy who had squatted down in the corridor to pick up the water cup yesterday took a step forward.
He didn't straighten his back like the others, nor did he clench his palms nervously. He simply stood there quietly, like a painting suddenly stepped out of a picture album, so clean that it was hard to look away. The morning light slanted in through the high windows of the hall, falling just on the side of his face, casting a light shadow on his long eyelashes. Even his training clothes, which were washed white and had a slightly deformed collar, looked exceptionally clean.
Most of the trainees around were looking at each other, trying to get close to each other, and were busy asking who was a professional trainee and who was being promoted by a company.
Only Yunheng was there, with her eyes slightly lowered, her fingertips gently pinching the corner of her clothes, as if she was counting the lines on the floor tiles, or as if she was silently reciting lyrics, forming a quiet little world of her own.
"Who is this? He has a very special aura."
"Looks like an amateur. I've never seen him in the entertainment industry before."
"Look at his clothes, they're so worn out. I guess he's just a passerby with no background."
There were intermittent discussions, but Yu Xiao didn't listen.
His eyes seemed to be attracted by a magnet and could not be moved away from Yunheng.
Unlike the stunning glimpse yesterday, the young man standing in the crowd now looked more like a stalk of wheat growing in the wrong place.
While others are desperately vying for the spotlight, eager to showcase all their strengths, he carries a certain aloofness, a sense of "stay away from me." Yet, within that aloofness lies an unconscious tenacity, like a tender bud emerging in early spring—soft on the surface, yet able to push through the hard, frozen soil.
It was much more interesting than the cookie-cutter faces he had played before.
A playful smile appeared on Yu Xiao's lips.
He had originally planned to stay in this crappy show for three months and then leave when the old man's anger subsided, but now, he suddenly felt that maybe he could have some fun.
One hundred trainees, like a feast.
And he picked out the dish that suited his taste the most at first sight.
"Next up is the free team formation session!" the director shouted through the loudspeaker, his voice particularly harsh through the speaker. "Each team can have a maximum of five people, and you can form a single team. The free selection test will begin in half an hour! The timer starts now!"
The grading method of "Everyone Creates a Star" is different from other talent shows. It allows everyone to freely choose teammates and then draw songs to rehearse and perform.
The crowd exploded instantly like a hornet's nest.
Those with connections are busy trying to curry favor with others and gather together to discuss which company has better resources; those with strength are eager to grab teammates and loudly shout that they are good at singing and dancing; and some who have no confidence stand there at a loss, watching others form teams, their eyes full of anxiety.
It was a chaotic scene, comparable to a vegetable market during the morning rush hour.
Yu Xiao leaned against the wall without moving. He wanted to see who the young man named Yun Heng would choose.
He saw Yun Heng surrounded by several trainees. The leader was a boy with dyed yellow hair who looked like he had some basic skills. He was enthusiastically inviting him to join a team: "Brother, want to join us? I've been in a dance troupe before, so I can definitely lead you!"
Huangmao felt that although Yunheng had no background, she had a good temperament, so he wanted to extend an olive branch.
Yun Heng shook her head, her voice not loud but clear: "Thank you, but I want to be in my own group."
Huang Mao was stunned for a moment, probably not expecting to be rejected. He felt a little embarrassed and said in a harsh tone, "On your own? Do you know how hard it is to advance in the solo group? Don't let yourself be eliminated in the first round. You won't have time to cry!"
Yun Heng didn't say anything else, but just retreated to the corner and stood in a place where no one was around. It seemed that he was determined to be in his own group.
"Heh." Yu Xiao chuckled softly and walked over with his long legs. His height and long legs made him stand out in the crowd, and coupled with that innate sense of oppression, the noise became slightly quieter wherever he passed.
Several trainees who originally wanted to go forward to invite Yun Heng stopped in their tracks when they saw that it was Yu Xiao who was coming over.
Everyone can see that No. 88 is not someone to be trifled with, and there is no need to offend him for an ordinary person.
Yun Heng raised his head, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes. He didn't have much impression of Yu Xiao. He only remembered that this person inexplicably said "Hello" to him in the corridor yesterday and then left. Looking at the person in front of him, he was stunned for a moment, then smiled politely: "Excuse me... is there anything I can help you with?"
Yu Xiao looked at the pure, unpremeditated clarity in his eyes, like unpolluted mountain spring water, and the playful urge in his heart intensified. He suddenly felt that this talent show game might actually be worth playing.
"Team up?" Yu Xiao asked, his voice filled with a hint of nonchalant certainty. "I'm in need of a teammate."
Yun Heng was stunned for a moment, then shook her head, her tone gentle but her attitude firm: "Thank you, I think I'll just be in my own group."
He doesn't like to trouble others, nor does he want to drag others down. He knows his own level and he only wants to earn an appearance fee of 3,000.
"Don't even think about it." Yu Xiao interrupted him. His tone wasn't forceful, but it carried an air of irresistibility, as if what he said wasn't a suggestion, but an order. "Join me in the group, and I guarantee you'll pass the rating."
The boy's brows furrowed like an annoyed cat, and a hint of stubbornness flashed in his eyes: "I don't need it."
Although he has no background, he doesn't want to rely on such inexplicable promises to advance.
"Oh?" Yu Xiao took a half step forward and lowered his voice so only the two of them could hear. "Are you sure? I thought I heard the director say that the pass rate for amateurs forming a team alone is less than 5%." He paused, his eyes falling on the worn-out digital watch on Yun Heng's wrist. "You're not here for the 3,000 yuan lost wages? I think the advance is 6,000 yuan, right?"
This sentence seemed to have hit the boy's soft spot.
Yun Heng's lips formed a straight line, and his fingers unconsciously clenched the corner of his clothes. He came to this program just to get the 3,000 yuan in lost wages so he could buy fertilizer for farming.
He was silent for a few seconds before he raised his eyes. His voice was a little cold, but with a kind of helpless compromise: "What do you want?"
"It's very simple." Yu Xiao smiled, with an even stronger interest in his eyes. "Be in my team and follow my arrangements." He stretched out his hand, not to shake hands, but to pat Yun Heng's shoulder gently as if he was stroking a pet's fur.
Yun Heng took a step back suddenly, avoiding his touch, her face turning pale.
He doesn't like the closeness of strangers, especially this kind of invasive touch.
But he also knew that he had no room for bargaining.
He bit his lower lip and whispered, "...Okay."
Yu Xiao found it even more amusing to see him agreeing despite being obviously reluctant.
Like a captured little animal, it clearly wants to resist but has to surrender.
"There are three more people." Yu Xiao pointed at two trainees who were at a loss not far away, and a boy who was standing alone in the corner, looking very shy. "Go and call them over."
Yun Heng was stunned for a moment. Although she didn't understand why Yu Xiao chose these seemingly insignificant people, she still did as he asked. When the three heard that a group was willing to take them, they were overjoyed and hurried over to thank Yu Xiao repeatedly.
At the team registration office, Yunheng filled in her name on the form, and the tip of her pen slid across the paper, leaving behind beautiful handwriting.
Yu Xiao walked over and sat down next to him, picked up a pen and wrote his name in the teammate column.
Two names appeared side by side on the paper—Yu Xiao and Yun Heng.
It's like a long-destined entanglement that has just begun.
Yu Xiao looked at the name on the paper, then glanced sideways at the boy next to him. Yun Heng was looking down, her long eyelashes drooping, her cheeks slightly puffed, like a sulky child.
He suddenly felt that this "transformation" forced upon him by the old man might become the most interesting game he had ever played in his life.
And the prey of the game has been caught.
Half an hour later, the assessment began.
The trainees took turns to perform in groups. The performances of the first few groups were mixed, some were amazing, while others made people frown.
When it was Yu Xiao's group's turn, they discussed and chose a lyrical song of moderate difficulty.
As the accompaniment began, Yun Heng took a deep breath and walked to the center of the stage. His voice was very clean, like a mountain spring, clear and with a touch of natural sweetness, which was unexpectedly suitable for this song.
She was a little stiff when dancing, and her movements couldn't keep up with the beat. It was obvious that she had never practiced before. You could see that she was very nervous, and her palms were sweating.
Yu Xiao stood diagonally behind him, taking in his embarrassment, but there was no mockery in his eyes. Instead, he found it a little... cute.
Like a bird that tries hard to learn to fly but always falls over.
When it was Yu Xiao's turn to sing, he didn't even bother looking at the prompter. He casually took off his jacket and threw it on the ground, revealing the white T-shirt underneath. It was a simple action, but it inexplicably carried a kind of lazy handsomeness.
His voice had a natural magnetism, deep and infectious. When he sang the chorus, his eyes looked across the crowd and landed precisely on Yun Heng.
That look was direct and burning, like a hunter locking onto his prey, not concealing the possessiveness in it, as if declaring his ownership.
Yun Heng felt uncomfortable being stared at and subconsciously avoided his gaze, but his heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason and his face felt a little hot. He didn't understand why this person was looking at him like that.
He didn't know that at this moment, Yu Xiao had already started thinking about the next "rules of the game" in his mind.
How can I completely confine this stubborn wheat to my own territory?
A determined smile curled up Yu Xiao's lips. The lights from the stage fell on his face, half bright and half hidden in shadow, like an abyss hiding countless thoughts.
This game has just begun.
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