I Became the Top Competitor in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 37.2

In the meantime, the show was reaching its most critical and central part: the trainees’ initial stage performances. Most trainees had already watched it—the parts they missed were because they fell asleep—but everyone was still very excited. Watching it live versus watching it on screen were two completely different feelings, and everyone was concerned about their own segments. There were dozens of stages from 126 trainees. After editing, only the highlights remained. Trainees who made it into a segment looked thrilled, while those who only flashed by looked disappointed.

When Xie Tongyue called out for Chi Meng and Vision Culture to get ready backstage, the Chi Meng watching the show sat up slightly, preparing to seriously evaluate her own performance. Just then, she heard a familiar humming sound.

019, who had learned how to secretly go online, was waving a glow stick enthusiastically.

Behind her, Cen Hongjie put on her headphones, opened her laptop, and clicked into the Dongjiang TV app, dragging the progress bar. The video briefly lagged, and then dense comments (danmu) flooded the screen.

The video app went online ten minutes earlier than the TV program and allowed users to fast-forward, so there was already a lot of feedback.

Various colored comments floated across Cen Hongjie’s vision as she rested her chin on her hand, her glasses reflecting the laptop’s light.

The exquisite girl stood on the stage, smiling, calmly conversing with the mentors. The string of “Not bad” remarks she received drew a wave of “hahaha” text laughter, interspersed with comments like “Meng-jie is definitely not bad,” “Extremely good,” and “As expected of you”—comments that seemed to imply a deeper understanding of the situation, but were sadly drowned out in the sea of messages, barely noticed by anyone.

Just as Chi Meng prepared to perform, a sudden flood of high-energy comments—the kind that only members who have recharged to a certain level can use—erupted. The huge, multi-colored letters swept across the screen like a wave, warning viewers of the high-energy moment ahead.

The girl’s gentle and pure voice was like the sound of nature, instantly shattering the barriers in people’s hearts. The dense stream of comments suddenly emptied, and the auditorium, unbeknownst to anyone, fell silent. Everyone quietly listened to Chi Meng’s voice coming through the excellent speakers.

Cen Hongjie had been in the industry for many years, dealt with many artists, and seen countless performances, but Chi Meng’s voice was the purest she had ever encountered. It was like a piece of jade excavated from deep in the mountains: transparent and absolute.

Her voice was, and she herself was even more so.

The bright stage lights fell on her. She gently raised her hand, and the light landed on her fingertips. When she opened her eyes and smiled at the camera, Cen Hongjie, watching from outside the screen, curved her lips in response.

“…Wow.”

A single comment floated by, as if waking everyone from a quiet dream—a dream where the wind blew over endless wild grass, revealing the other side of the mountain and the sudden leap of morning glow.

“It’s so beautiful… I have goosebumps!”

“Ahhh, truly beautiful!! I declare this to be my favorite stage!”

“Chi Meng, right! You’re the one I choose!”

“She could have killed me with her looks, but she chose to drown me with her voice. I really want to hear her sing a lullaby; I’d have sweet dreams every night.”

“I feel like this girl is very approachable, and she’s so pretty. When she smiles, it’s like a cloud; she must be a gentle, girl-next-door type of darling. I love her!”

“Not only gentle, but do you guys feel she has a very special aura? Like… she’s been meticulously raised, someone who’s seen the big stage and doesn’t panic in a crisis. Compared to the other trainees, she’s very calm and natural.”

“She’s not even eighteen yet.”

“I also think she’s a well-bred lady. Didn’t the comments section guess she was the daughter of a big sponsor? If I had a daughter like this, I’d wake up laughing in the middle of the night!”

“Okay, I declare that from today on, Chi Meng is my girl! Waving voting ticket.jpg”

“I just want to know what the No. 98, 99, and 100 trainees were talking about earlier! Damn it! You have the guts to show a close-up, but do you have the guts to play the audio?! They completely blocked us from hearing the three of them chat!”

“Hahaha, are you talking about Chi Meng, Song Jiaqi, and Su Mengyao? Add Chen Zhu, and it’s a beautiful sight.”

“I only saw the expression on the three of them holding hands, but Song Jiaqi’s face was so dark then, hahaha, what did they say?”

The trainees couldn’t see these comments, but in the show, they could see the other trainees’ evaluations of Chi Meng during the interview segment after her performance.

Lin Tingxia: “Super beautiful voice! I want to listen a hundred more times!”

Liu Yuexin: “It leaves a lasting impression.”

Chen Zhu: “Her voice is beautiful, and her vocal technique is great. I really like it.”

When asked who they most wanted to collaborate with and who they least wanted to collaborate with, Chi Meng’s name appeared many times.

“Trainee Chi Meng’s vocal color is lovely. Collaborating with her would definitely make for a good stage.”

“I don’t want to collaborate with Chi Meng… I feel like I’d be completely overshadowed. It would take a lot of courage to work with her.”

This was the first time Chi Meng heard other people’s evaluations of her, and she was a little surprised. The on-screen Chi Meng smiled and sat down in Class B amidst the applause of the trainees. The Chi Meng outside the screen saw her on-screen self’s bright and pure smile. The two gazed at each other across the screen. Chi Meng curved her lips and leaned back in her seat.

“Why…” She paused, then asked, “Did Ren Xing’s interview not include you?”

Song Jiaqi was busy folding a ship out of a chip bag. She didn’t change her expression and said, “Went to the bathroom.”

Chi Meng glanced at her. Song Jiaqi placed the finished paper boat on the armrest between them.

“It’s for you,” Song Jiaqi said generously.

Chi Meng: “Thank you.”

She picked up the small paper boat and placed it on top of Song Jiaqi’s head.

Song Jiaqi reached out to block it.

The two were engaged in a “sword fight” in the back, while the trainees in the front row were doubled over in laughter at Su Mengyao’s “Pleasant Goat” reference. Song Jiaqi’s expression grew colder, as if enhanced by a buff. Her finger, like a sword, pinched the plastic paper boat and threw it towards Chi Meng’s head.

The battle was fierce.

Finally, Chen Zhu in the front row turned around coldly and gave the two of them a look that demanded they understand the situation.

Instantly well-behaved, Chi Meng sat with her arms crossed, her smile serene, as Song Jiaqi covered her head with the boat hat.

Chen Zhu: “…”

Song Jiaqi smiled slightly and sat down properly.

On the screen, the Ren Xing Entertainment trainees appeared. The 《Zì Zhèng Qiāng Yuán》 (Clear and Round Pronunciation) stage was performed again. The trainees below the stage and their on-screen selves applauded together. Watching it again, it was indeed still perfect!

As Chen Zhu walked towards the Class A seats, the main content of the first episode slowly concluded. At the end, there was a highlight reel of interviews from the trainees who appeared in the first half. Their individual quirky answers brought a knowing smile to viewers’ faces. Finally, the PD asked everyone the same question.

Out of 126 trainees, who is your top pick?

The answers came in a chain.

Luo Jia of Power Culture: “I like all of them. Everyone is very pretty and very good at singing and dancing!”

Hua Xiaowei “Lin Tingxia? Her hairstyle is so cute.”

Lin Tingxia: “Chi Meng and Su Mengyao! I also really like Song Jiaqi and Chen Zhu! Heavens, I can’t choose! Can’t I have both arms full?”

An Kui next to her shattered her beautiful dream with a slap.

Lin Tingxia, weak and insincere: “I like Mei Yangyang (Beautiful Goat).”

Mei Yangyang, with her fluffy hair and bright eyes: “Chi Meng little sister! Although she lied to me about her age, I choose to forgive her! Plus, she’s the first trainee I met! I love her so much!”

She gave a sweet smile at the camera and made a heart gesture with her hands.

The screen shifted, and the final arrow pointed toward Chi Meng. The beautiful girl sat down, her eyes full of what looked like starlight. She smiled brilliantly and said to the camera: “Song Jiaqi.”

PD: “Please tell us your reason.”

On the screen, the girl gently swayed from side to side on the stool. She curved the corner of her mouth, tilted her head, slightly widened her eyes, and said seriously, “Because—she’s beautiful.”

“Her eyes, nose, mouth… in short, from top to bottom, I like all of her.”

Lin Xueyang: “Ah!” (Clutching chest and collapsing to the ground)

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