Chapter 34 Unfair Treatment

“Holy crap!” Wang Yilong let out a sharp, shocked yell. No wonder Su Chen’s name had sounded familiar—he’d seen it in the company files! There were more than ten pages of printed material, all about Su Chen alone. The dossier emphasized that Su Chen was the hottest singer on the internet these days, and all trainees were required to study his work and songs, analyze the secret of his overnight popularity, and learn from his success.

Wang Yilong never expected that the “big shot” his whole company was studying would be sitting right next to him, here to compete in “Rising Star.”

Wang Yilong’s outburst drew annoyed glances from everyone around, even startling Su Chen. After offering awkward nods of apology to the others, Wang Yilong turned eagerly to Su Chen, his eyes practically shining.

“Boss! Are you the Su Chen who sings ‘Queen’?” he whispered.

Su Chen, thinking something serious had happened, was taken aback by the question. He replied helplessly, “...Yes.”

“No way! It’s really you! Unbelievable! My luck is insane!”

As Wang Yilong babbled on, Su Chen began to regret ever responding to him at all.

Why did I even bother with him just now?

Fortunately, the ride from the hotel to the Hunan TV Tower wasn’t long. After enduring twenty minutes, Su Chen finally arrived—parched, his whole body buzzing as if he’d taken a blow to his insides.

How could this man possibly talk so much?

Seeing that Wang Yilong was still intent on following him, Su Chen’s heart clenched. He slipped quickly to the very front of the crowd and made his way into the building, successfully leaving Wang Yilong behind.

Enough was enough—he really couldn’t handle this guy.

The Hunan TV Tower didn’t look particularly large from the outside, but once inside, the space was astonishingly roomy. Just the venue for “Rising Star,” excluding the stage itself, could seat over a thousand people. For an indoor venue, this was already as grand as it got.

Su Chen gazed out over the hall, intending to walk around the stage, but found the staff blocking his way.

“Hey, hey, hey! How many times do I have to say it? Contestants are to stay off the stage. Just look from the side!” a staff member shouted at him.

Su Chen paused, then asked, “Didn’t the production team reserve time for us to rehearse on stage?”

“I haven’t received any notice about you all rehearsing on stage. Just wait down here and behave,” the man replied impatiently.

Frowning, Su Chen said nothing more and abandoned the idea of going up. But before long, he noticed a contestant—clearly not a novice—getting on stage and actually running a sound check and rehearsal.

His voice wasn’t particularly distinctive, but his technique was impressive. He turned a love song into something deeply moving.

“My god... I didn’t expect Meng Xiaotian to join ‘Rising Star’ too.”

“Meng Xiaotian?” Su Chen turned to Wang Yilong, who had appeared beside him at some point, confusion in his eyes.

“Wait... You don’t know Meng Xiaotian?!” Wang Yilong looked at Su Chen as if he were some endangered species.

“...Is he famous?”

“He was Tianbao in ‘Optimist’—that group that was popular everywhere a few years back!” Wang Yilong explained. “Only someone like him gets to rehearse on stage. They say we get a day or two to familiarize ourselves with the stage, but in reality, unless you’re someone with ability or connections, most of us aren’t allowed up there.”

Clearly, Wang Yilong was aware of the industry’s darker side. But he seemed used to it; aside from envy toward Meng Xiaotian, there was nothing else in his tone.

“Aren’t you angry about this unfair treatment?” Su Chen asked.

“What’s the point? When I make it big, I’ll be the one up there. Then others will envy me,” Wang Yilong replied with a laugh.

Su Chen pressed his lips together, falling into silence.

Just then, Meng Xiaotian finished his song on stage, basking in the envious gazes of those around him. He felt on top of the world.

Three years ago, “Optimist” broke up over unfair profit distribution. Meng Xiaotian had played dirty, using contract loopholes to drive his two teammates to ruin. Fearing media exposure, he’d gone underground for three years. But now, with time dulling the scandal and his former teammates too drained to seek revenge, he was back, ready to bask once more in the spotlight.

All it would cost was eliminating that kid named Su Chen. Simple enough, wasn’t it?

Meng Xiaotian shot a sidelong glance at Su Chen, a wicked grin curling his lips.

In the audience, Su Chen sensed Meng Xiaotian’s unfriendly gaze, puzzled.

Did this guy have plastic surgery or something? Why is his mouth crooked?

Two days swept by in a blur. Su Chen prepared a wide array of songs, enough to handle any kind of competition. The rest of his time was spent resting his voice. The cardinal sin before a contest was over-practicing; if you damaged your throat, you might as well buy a ticket home.

During this period, Han Jiangxue was especially considerate and didn’t disturb him at all. Judging by her social media posts, she spent her days either eating or lazing around watching variety shows in her room—living the dream.

She might be a bit of a homebody, but that was far preferable to clubbing every night.

On the afternoon of the tenth, the recording of “Rising Star” was set to begin that night. Su Chen and the others boarded the shuttle bus sent by the production team, with a hundred contestants and accompanying staff filling three buses exactly.

The previous days had felt manageable, perhaps because not everyone had arrived and the competition hadn’t started yet. But today, the bus was a cacophony—voices clashing, and the suffocating mix of men’s colognes blending into a nauseating cocktail.

Unlike Su Chen, most contestants hadn’t chosen to appear bare-faced. Not only were they dressed in the latest trends, but the majority wore flawless makeup. Their sharp brows and starry eyes should have made them look masculine, but to Su Chen, it all seemed rather effeminate.

Withdrew his gaze, Su Chen took out his phone and messaged Han Jiangxue: “I’m on the bus now, we’re about to arrive at the TV tower.”

Almost instantly, she replied: “Good luck, I’ll be waiting to watch your performance live!”