Chapter 39: Now Let Meng Xiaotian Take the Stage

After the mentors finished their opening act, Liu Shao took the microphone and returned to the stage.

He called out to the audience, “Was the mentors’ opening performance exciting?”

Instantly, the crowd erupted in cheers like a surging tide.

“It was amazing!”

“And did the mentors sing well?”

“They sang beautifully!”

“Do you want to hear another song from them?”

“Yes!”

Liu Shao understood the audience’s feelings well. With just three questions, he had reignited their enthusiasm.

But Liu Shao was only teasing; the show’s schedule had been set long ago. No matter what he said, the mentors weren’t about to sing another song on a whim.

“Haha, I’d love that too! It seems we all feel the same!” Liu Shao laughed. “The purpose of our show is to discover even more wonderful voices. The mentors have given us a fantastic start, so let’s look forward to the performances of the contestants!”

“Of course, I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities for the mentors to sing later in the show! Now, let’s invite our four mentors to take their seats!”

With just a couple of sentences, Liu Shao deftly shifted the audience’s focus from the mentors to the contestants and left them full of anticipation—truly a masterful move!

As Liu Shao finished speaking, the four mentors stepped off the stage to thunderous applause, taking their seats at the special table in front of the audience.

Yan Mi adjusted her microphone and said, “Just now, when Liu Shao said he wanted me to sing another song, I got so nervous my face went pale!”

Her unique, doll-like voice trembled slightly. Though it sounded like a complaint, in everyone’s ears it came across as playful and endearing.

“I don’t know how the other three professionals feel, but I spent several days preparing for just this one song. If you ask me to sing again, all I can manage is a few lines of ‘Two Tigers’!”

The audience erupted into good-natured laughter.

Yan Mi was famously not a great singer. At first, the viewers had grumbled about the show inviting such a pretty face with little musical talent, but her self-deprecating joke melted much of their resistance.

After all, the mentors’ abilities had nothing to do with them—the audience wasn’t the one competing. If the mentors were attractive and likable and spoke well, wasn’t that a good thing?

Meanwhile, the live stream’s comment section had become a wall of messages, so dense that it was impossible to see the stage unless one turned off the comments.

“Oh my god, how can someone be as adorable as Mimi?” “Yan Mi is killing me with laughter—I’m officially a fan now!” “Talent shows are usually so dull; it’s nice to have someone to liven things up and look at!”

At the venue, hearing Yan Mi’s words, Zhou Zhiqian joined in the banter. “Sister Mi singing ‘Two Tigers’ wouldn’t be so bad—I’d actually look forward to that. What do you think, everyone?”

“Yes!”

Han Hong considered for a moment, then said earnestly, “We’re live. Singing ‘Two Tigers’ now would mean paying royalties. Maybe we should forget it.”

“When the director first approached me, he didn’t even buy me a meal—I ended up taking him to eat at Shaxian Restaurant. If Mimi starts singing now, the production team might just go bankrupt on the spot.”

The whole audience burst out laughing, and the director, Wu Tong, was shown on the big screen, his face red and helpless, thanks to the mischievous cameraman.

As laughter lingered, Zheng Huayu, looking bored, said, “Let’s end these pointless topics. We’re here as mentors, not amateurs. Our real job is to seriously and professionally evaluate the contestants’ abilities.”

“Haha, but the competition hasn’t started yet! It’s fine to chat a bit,” Zhou Zhiqian tried to smooth things over, glancing at Yan Mi.

Sure enough, Yan Mi’s smile faded at Zheng Huayu’s words.

There was no doubt that his comments about professionalism were aimed at her. Whether he meant it or not, she got the message.

Still, Yan Mi had been in showbiz for years. Even if she felt upset, she didn’t show it.

Han Hong, however, was different. Her straightforward nature flared up, and she retorted, “I think lightening the mood is great. Keeping up the mentor façade is exhausting! To be honest, I’ve never really agreed with the title of ‘mentor.’ We’re just giving the contestants a chance to be discovered by the public. Who knows, maybe some of them are better than I am. There’s no need to act superior—otherwise, we might just end up embarrassed!”

Zheng Huayu’s expression changed, and he was about to reply when Liu Shao, sensing the tension, quickly intervened before the situation could escalate or the audience noticed.

“Mentor Han Hong has an admirable attitude. There are indeed some very talented contestants in this competition—some whose names are already well known!”

“But Mentor Huayu has a point, too. The real stars are the hundred contestants who are about to take the stage!”

He paused deliberately, then announced, “So, without further ado, let’s welcome our first contestant!”

As he finished, the stage lights dimmed. The cameras cut to the big screen at center stage, playing a video introducing the next performer, specially recorded by the production team.

“Hello, everyone. My name is Lou Xiaobin, I’m from Luoshi in Yu Province, a true native of the Central Plains. I joined this show to fulfill a long-held dream of mine…”

The video gave everyone a brief glimpse into the contestant’s past, though just how truthful it was remained to be seen.

Once the video ended, the camera returned to the stage, where the spotlight fell on Lou Xiaobin himself.

He bowed to the band behind him, signaling them to start. A lively drumbeat rang out, followed by a rousing introduction.

Clearly, Lou Xiaobin was about to perform an upbeat song!

As the first contestant, his performance was more than satisfactory—even hitting some high notes that left Han Hong surprised.

Unquestionably, all four mentors expressed interest in recruiting him for their teams. In the end, Lou Xiaobin weighed his options and chose Han Hong, who’d shown him the most support.

The competition continued. The pre-existing tensions among the four mentors only heightened as they began to compete fiercely for contestants, often arguing heatedly over their choices.

Of course, this made for great television, and the live viewership soared.

In the control room, Wu Tong’s face lit up as he watched the skyrocketing numbers.

He turned to the staff. “Who’s up next?”

“According to the original schedule, Su Chen is next.”

“...Su Chen?” Wu Tong frowned.

Indeed, Su Chen’s original song would be a draw and attract more viewers. But with the current surge in numbers, if Su Chen’s performance failed to deliver, it could stall the upward trend.

Wu Tong couldn’t accept that.

Then he remembered his impression of Su Chen earlier and made a decision. “Move Su Chen to the end. Let Meng Xiaotian go on now.”

“Understood!”

With that, the staff member headed backstage to inform the contestants…