As expected, all six trainees from Xinda Media and BKL Entertainment chose Class A.
Yang Siyi watched helplessly as these six people walked past the B class seating area without hesitation, lining up and sitting in the A class seats one by one.
Ah. He sighed deeply. After all that, he was still the only one in the B class.
Right, this is BKL. How could they not choose Class A?
No trainee hasn’t heard of BKL’s great reputation. It’s a super big boss standing at the peak of the domestic boy group field.
Led by Yan Qiao, the five BKL trainees wore hoodies of different colors but similar styles, wide-leg cargo pants, plaid shirts tied around their waists, and flat-soled sneakers. They looked like they all knew how to dance.
They chatted and laughed with their teammates naturally, showing no signs of nervousness or stage fright upon entering an unfamiliar stage. This aura of being surrounded by big shots made Yang Siyi silently swallow his impulse to strike up a conversation.
The only trainee from Xinda Media sat on the outer edge of Class A, closest to the steps.
He wore a formal white suit, his hair neatly combed with gel. His shoulders were broad, his posture upright, as if he could step on stage any second to give an acceptance speech.
“Wen Xinyi, 21 years old, a senior university student, an online singer with over two million fans on the forum. Performed on the Spring Festival Gala stage at 7, signed with Xinda Media at 15. Has not officially entered the entertainment industry yet due to focusing on studies.”
The system quickly finished its report, then said: “Host, someone on the forum revealed that Wen Xinyi is Xinda Media’s key cultivated next-generation king of songs. He sounds like a main character too!”
Quentin withdrew his scrutinizing gaze: “Have you been soaking in the forum lately?”
System: “There’s so much information on the forum, and the firewall is so fragile. This system can easily handle it. Host, you can ask this system any gossip you want to know!”
The cheerful electronic tone revealed a sense of “Host, this system will steal forum data to support you” (smug).
Quentin smiled: “….Okay.”
As more and more trainees chose Class A, Quentin and Xue Mingzhu gradually moved to the innermost seats.
Most young people participating in talent shows are fearless and aggressive. There are also smart people who know that choosing Class A might get them more screen time and opportunities to show themselves.
Thus, by the time all 101 trainees were seated, the total number in Class A had reached 34, accounting for one-third of the total.
Besides that, Class B had 25 people, Class C had 24, and Class F had 18.
101 boys gathered together, creating an unbearable cacophony. Many of them are social terrorists, skilled in socializing. They could find common ground in each other’s past experiences, and peers always have endless topics to discuss.
Suddenly.
Music like flowing water converged from all directions. The tone of the heavenly voice also became upbeat.
“Next, please welcome…”
“The host of ‘Next Stage’,”
“Qin! Miao!”
Gradual white lights lit up around the stage. In the center of the pitch-black large screen, stars flickered one after another.
Finally, against a galaxy background, swirling nebulae gradually merged into elegant golden letters.
-Next stage
Amid the cheers and applause of the many trainees, a tall girl with a ponytail, wearing a pure black academy uniform skirt, walked lightly onto the stage.
She was tall, estimated to be over 1.7 meters. The well-tailored suit outlined her graceful shoulders and neck. Her aura was extremely outstanding, like a black swan floating leisurely in the center of a lake.
“It’s Qin Miao! Oh my god, I’m seeing a live Qin Miao!!”
“I must find a chance to ask for her autograph later. If I get it, this trip wasn’t in vain!”
“Qin Miao seems to be an artist from Wanming Pictures. Hey, Qiao Xue, isn’t that a senior from your company?”
“Brother Qiao, are you familiar with Teacher Qin Miao? Do you have her contact information?”
“What’s Qin Miao’s personality like in private? She must be very gentle and easy to get along with, right?”
The three from Wanming Pictures sat in the middle of Class F. Facing the curious gazes of the surrounding trainees, Qiao Xue smiled shyly: “She is a company senior, but I haven’t seen her much. Teacher Qin Miao is very busy with work; she’s usually not at the company.”
Seeing they still wanted to press further, Qi Yang, who hadn’t spoken next to them, suddenly said: “Qin Miao is about to start speaking. Let’s all be quiet.”
The young man’s face showed little expression, his eyes looking straight ahead, as if he had just spoken casually.
He had thick eyebrows and big eyes, a high nose bridge, and healthy light wheat-colored skin…a standard Chinese-style handsome guy with strong features.
It’s often said that only those handsome enough to withstand the test of period dramas are truly handsome. Last year, Qi Yang gained nearly ten million fans by playing the role of the “legitimate son of the general’s mansion,” the fourth male lead in an ancient idol drama.
The high-spirited young general, dressed in red, came riding on horseback, landed smoothly, hooked the female lead’s waist in slow motion, and with his other hand, drew his sword to deflect incoming hidden weapons.
The cliché “hero saves beauty” plot was stubbornly carried by Qi Yang’s handsome face. Countless viewers in front of their screens were captivated, and they screamed at this scene.
Given his status as an actor at the height of his career, it was really surprising that he chose to participate in a male idol survival show instead of joining a film crew after graduating from the Beijing Film Academy.
Although young, Qi Yang had a strong aura that could command the room.
Once he spoke, the other F class trainees felt too embarrassed to keep pestering Qiao Xue with questions.
The F class seats were closest to the stage and Qin Miao could easily take in the trainees’ dynamics with a slight lift of her eyes.
She saw Qiao Xue being surrounded by the boys. Even if she couldn’t hear clearly what they were saying, she could guess the gist.
Perhaps because “NS” was the first boy group survival show in the country, the trainees crammed in by various companies were almost all semi-amateurs who hadn’t deeply entered the entertainment industry.
They didn’t know the cruelty of show editing, didn’t understand how to restrain their curiosity in front of the camera, and hadn’t yet seen themselves as public figures who needed to be careful with their words and actions. They dared to say anything, and asked any question.
Qin Miao held the microphone, smiling as she scanned the 101 trainees below. Following the script memorized by heart, she began explaining the general process of this three-month boy group survival show.
From ratings to performances, from performances to voting, from voting to eliminations.
101 to 72, 72 to 36, 36 to 18….
The final 18 would participate in the live finale, with the audience voting to select 7 to debut as a group.
As her narrative unfolded, the trainees felt their hearts being gripped tightly.
Nervousness, anticipation, confusion, timidity… countless complex emotions intertwined, making their heartbeats faster and faster, thumping as if they might jump out of their throats any second.
“…Well then, next, let us welcome the four mentors of ‘Next Stage’!”
Zhang Miao raised her pitch: “Vocal Mentor…Mentor Chen Shiyu!”
“Dance Mentor…Mentor Yang Xu!”
“Rap Mentor…Mentor Vinki!”
“And our Originality Mentor…Mentor Lin Qifeng!”
“Everyone, please give a round of applause…!!”
Lights more magnificent than when the host took the stage suddenly lit up, making the trainees’ seating area appear much dimmer.
Excited faces turned towards the radiant stage. Applause like tidal waves surged forth, almost threatening to shake the roof off the entire recording studio.
However, the four well-known mentors did not emerge amidst the applause.
The lights suddenly darkened, and a familiar musical intro began.
Over ten backup dancers wearing animal masks stepped to the beat, walking with cat-like steps as they gradually converged from the side aisles to the center of the stage.
“Wait, this intro… it’s ‘Forest World’, right? Lin Qifeng’s song!”
“A classic OST ah… reminds me of sneaking to watch TV behind my mom’s back when I was little… whose DNA is stirring?”
“Huh? This chorus cut isn’t right. It seems like it’s not just ‘Forest World’; it’s a medley of several songs… look over there, all four mentors are on stage!”
…
…
…
Quentin, who was sitting below the stage, was getting a bit drowsy from waiting.
He was naturally short on energy, and prone to sleepiness. His physical condition in his previous life was worse than now, perhaps from staying up late ruining his health, or maybe malnutrition during his developmental years.
If it weren’t for the system actively outputting large paragraphs of speech whenever new trainees entered, it’s chattering nagging him awake, he would probably have already slumped over, propped his head up and dozed off.
Looking at Xue what’s-his-name sitting next to him, this guy had already fallen asleep once during the hour it took for the 101 trainees to enter in groups.
Xue Mingzhu had participated in rap shows before and knew to avoid cameras when slacking off.
He maintained the pose of The Thinker sculpture, covering his eyes, and managed to doze off for twenty minutes amidst the surrounding noise.
Even though he was startled awake by the host’s entrance BGM just five minutes ago, he showed no panic. Instead, he put his hand down as if nothing happened, his gaze clear as he looked towards the stage.
It was clear that he had a rich experience in sleeping during class.
Look, who’s really more arrogant here.
After the musical intro began, Quentin focused his attention and began to appreciate the stage performance seriously.
His innate keen emotional perception allowed him to easily immerse himself in the performer’s perspective. His experience as a global top original singer in his previous life further helped him appreciate the music.
Chen Shiyu was around forty, and possessed a calm demeanor. Even while smiling, she couldn’t suppress the powerful aura around her.
Her vocal pressure was too strong. Whenever the four sang together, the audience could only hear her clear and highly recognizable voice which steadily overpowered the others.
Every transition was smooth and skillful, making people’s scalps tingle. When the dolphin notes came out, the entire audience was shocked.
Yang Xu, who was in his early thirties, had the most extensive singing and dancing experience among the four mentors.
His dancing was explosive. His use of his limbs was already masterful, with every inch of muscle exerted and relaxed at the right moment with the music’s beat.
Watching someone like this dance was undoubtedly a top-tier visual feast.
Vinki was a tall, thin young man wearing a baseball cap backwards, dressed in a very hip-hop style. The rap lyrics were specially written for the many trainees present. The rhymes were flawless, and the lyrics were inspiring.
His most outstanding strength was being able to balance fast delivery with clear articulation during performance, with an exquisite sense of rhythm.
Quentin could tell he wasn’t showing his full strength, just simply showing off in front of the younger generation.
Among the four, the only Originality Mentor’s presence on stage wasn’t strong. Standing alone on the side, he was easily overlooked.
After all, the other three mentors’ specialized skills were outstanding. Lin Qifeng’s talent was mainly manifested in composition, making it hard for him to take the lead in stage presence.
Quentin had only started using the Light Music app yesterday, but he had already gained a glimpse into this mentor’s strength and fame from the golden song charts.
With three songs in the annual top ten chart, sixth place on the total golden song chart, hot collaboration songs with many famous singers, he was undoubtedly one of the most sought-after original musicians in modern times.
However, even after the four mentors’ collaboration stage came to an end, a certain 8G internet surfing system remained quiet. The previously chattering electronic voice had suddenly fallen silent.
Quentin couldn’t help but ask: “System, why aren’t you introducing the four mentors’ information?”
“Because the main characters can’t be mentors, ah.”
The system replied briskly; “Host, you don’t need to care about the mentors’ information. Just focusing on finding the main characters is enough.”
Quentin was silent for a few seconds: “….Just tell me anyway.”
All the trainees’ phones were confiscated by the production team before entering the dressing room, leaving him unable to do any last minute research.
Actually, he should have looked it up last week, but he was too busy writing songs; he didn’t have time to do these things.
For Quentin, at this moment when he had not had any intersection with the main characters, music was far more attractive to him than they were.
He was very curious: with the strength these four mentors had shown on stage, what kind of honor and status did they possess in this world’s entertainment industry?
