Once the hundred trainees were all present, the lights dimmed, and the mentors performed their entrances. The last to perform was Steven.
After his act, he stayed on stage, struggling to tear his gaze away from the girl in the number one seat, and signaled for everyone to quiet down.
Steven said, “Regardless of who you are or where you come from before, once you’re in the training camp, you’re just trainees. All your past glories are gone, and we start from zero. It’s a survival of the fittest.”
The hundred trainees would first perform individually, and then the mentors would score and rank them. There were five levels–A, B, C, D, and F, with F
being the worst.
Just as the performances were about to begin, Steven was called offstage by an assistant. They said the fourth mentor had arrived. He was in his early twenties, bright and handsome, with striking blond hair. As soon as he appeared, the venue erupted in cheers.
“Ryan Clark?”
“Wow! It really is Ryan!”
“How did Ryan end up on this show?”
Ryan debuted four years ago with the song Destroy, which topped the Aploth new song charts and stayed there for ten months. Each subsequent song maintained high popularity, and every album broke sales records, earning him numerous awards. He was crowned the King of Singers.
In recent years, he had received countless invitations, but he only participated in singing and refused to join any variety shows. He had only taken on a few high–end endorsements and had seventy million fans.
Before today, the fourth mentor was a mystery. No one expected it to be Ryan, Listening to the girls‘ excited screams, Eric and the others rubbed their ears. Alex smiled and asked, “Didn’t you say you had work today and couldn’t make it?”
Ryan’s gaze inadvertently swept over the girl in the highest seat, and he raised an eyebrow, flicking his bangs playfully. “I’m just here to make sure your evaluations are fair,” he joked.
These mentors were all big names in the singing and dancing circle. Alex laughed and said, “Since you’re late, should you perform several songs?”
Jocelyn chimed in, “What do you guys think?”
“Sure!” The entire venue erupted in enthusiasm. Ryan sang a song. As the last note faded, he subconsciously looked toward Quiana in the number one seat, a hint of nervousness in his eyes.
But Quiana showed no reaction, crossing her legs with a posture that was defiantly arrogant.
“Before the individual performances, i have a question,” Eric turned and looked at Quíana in the upper back, smiling. “Quiana, how does it feel to sit in that seat?”
Quiana raised an eyebrow, leaning back, her voice relaxed and lazy. “Comfortable.”
‘That seat was large enough for three people and had a gold trim. How could it not be comfortable?‘ Eric thought. He couldn’t argue. Jocelyn was straightforward, “Who gave you the courage to sit in that seat?”
Quiana shifted her position, speaking slowly. “Myself.” Her tone was defiant.
Alex couldn’t hold back either. “Do you think you’ll still be able to sit there after the performance rankings?”
Quiana furrowed her brow, seeming confused. “Why not?” Her counter–question, especially with that seriously puzzled expression, left everyone momentarily speechless,
Byan couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “She really is just like herself.”
1/2
15:56 Wed, 16 Apr
Chapter 122
458%會
Jocelyn and the others were taken aback. Quiana’s face and presence would definitely make her a front–runner in any girl group, but the person herself…
“Here, we compete on talent,” Jocelyn, the only female mentor, said. She had heard about Quiana before coming and didn’t have a good impression of her. “I hope you can be as confident during your performance as you are now.”
Alex smiled. “I read in the news that you’re a forensic pathologist. You’re not going to perform an autopsy on stage, are you?”
“Don’t even joke about that!” Eric quickly interjected. “Our show isn’t that gruesome.”
While their tone was playful, their words clearly belittled and demeaned Quiana, suggesting she lacked talent and didn’t deserve her position. Some people in the crowd started laughing
Ryan frowned, displeased. “You’re the mentors. Are you going to mock the trainees before they even start performing?”
Eric said, “It was just a joke.”
Ryan raised an eyebrow. “Do you find this joke funny?” His tone was calm, but his expression was stern and cold. ‘Is he defending Quiana?‘ Everyone
looked at him and wondered.
Since debuting as a singer at nineteen, Ryan had become a household name across the country in just five years. His status was on par with anyone in
the room.
Hearing him defend Quiana was even more surprising than his first appearance on a variety show. The microphone was off, so no sound could be heard. Jocelyn frowned. “With all the negative press around her, what we said is the truth
AD
