Chapter 3: Do Not Mock the Aspirations of Youth

Taking the elevator, Zhou Ran arrived at the program’s recording site. The venue was vast, seemingly able to accommodate a thousand spectators. Various stage design equipment and audio systems were fully in place—top-tier devices at a glance. Zhou Ran’s rehearsal was scheduled as the last one, but fortunately, the song he was to perform had uncomplicated accompaniment. After a brief discussion with the onsite band teachers, everyone understood their parts.

After playing through the piece several times, Music Director Wei Gang’s expression grew complicated. Bai Ning, who was observing from the sidelines, saw Wei Gang’s look and hurriedly asked, “Mr. Wei, is Zhou Ran’s accompaniment not good?”

“No, quite the opposite. Zhou Ran’s accompaniment is very simple and pleasant to listen to, but it’s too quiet. Is it really suitable for a competition?” Wei Gang voiced his concern. Typically, contestants choose pieces that can stir the audience’s emotions, while Zhou Ran’s song seemed to lack competitiveness.

“I believe in my work. It will resonate with the listeners, I have faith,” Zhou Ran replied.

His confidence stemmed from the originality of his song, which would earn extra points, as well as affirmation from his previous life’s experience with the piece. Besides, he had a secret weapon prepared for the competition.

“Alright, it’s your choice,” Wei Gang respected everyone’s decisions. He could only offer advice; ultimately, it was up to the contestant’s own performance.

During Zhou Ran’s rehearsal, Bai Ning conceived a thought: “At Zhou Ran’s current state, he might really advance in the competition!”

A few hours ago, Bai Ning would have dismissed this as wishful thinking, but now, she felt it was increasingly possible.

The next day, the program officially began recording.

Contestants arrived one after another at the recording site. During the session, Zhou Ran was assigned a room by himself, completely isolated, and apart from the staff, none of the other singers knew his identity as an amateur contestant. This arrangement was meant to ensure the show’s effect, as professional singers sometimes acted too artificially.

“Hello, everyone!” This was Jin Kun greeting the staff. Jin Kun had debuted in recent years, rising to fame immediately—his first album was a smash hit. However, online voices began to doubt his singing ability, so Jin Kun joined the show to prove his talent.

Every contestant came with their own motives, whether to become famous, prove themselves, or break through their comfort zone.

Before the competition started, a staff member brought a whiteboard to each singer’s room, asking them to write a motto.

This segment was added on the fly. Ning Wei, a genius of variety shows, had come up with it—when someone got eliminated, their motto could be shown to elicit tears from the audience.

When the staff came to Zhou Ran’s room, they especially urged him to write something nice; it was clear they expected Zhou Ran to be the first to use it.

Zhou Ran smiled helplessly and began to write.

“Aspire high, do not mock the young.” Bai Ning, watching beside him, found the phrase intriguing and asked, “What’s the second half?”

“Want to know? I won’t tell you,” Zhou Ran joked, teasing her for once.

“Hmph, never mind, who cares,” Bai Ning retorted.

The order of appearance for this competition was decided by drawing lots; Bai Ning drew for Zhou Ran and picked number eight—the last slot.

Zhou Ran wasn’t sure whether he should feel happy or regretful. Being last meant the judges would remember him, but it also meant his performance would be compared with all those before, making it harder to score high.

“Impressive,” Zhou Ran gave Bai Ning a thumbs-up as she entered. Drawing eight was quite a feat.

“No big deal,” Bai Ning waved dismissively, signaling Zhou Ran to lower his thumb.

Soon, the television screen switched on, indicating the competition had officially begun.

The first to perform was Jin Kun, a pop idol. As he took the stage, cheers erupted from the audience—his popularity was undeniable.

Jin Kun chose a classic rock song, validating Wei Gang’s earlier point: energetic songs tend to score well in such competitions. Even though Jin Kun’s singing had some flaws, he managed to whip up the crowd’s enthusiasm, igniting the atmosphere. The audience approved of his rock performance, and as Jin Kun finished, they started voting with their devices.

In the end, Jin Kun received 823 votes, a commendable result.

“Not bad! Very impressive,” Zhou Ran acknowledged Jin Kun’s performance.

It was clear that those confident enough to come to this stage had some real ability—each contestant had their tricks. Jin Kun’s skill in energizing the audience was remarkable, enough to overshadow any shortcomings in his vocals.

One by one, the other contestants took the stage, receiving scores of 790, 804, 820, 832, and 799 votes. Even the lowest-scoring rap artist, Amu, garnered 790 votes.

Now, the veteran singer Ji Song was performing.

Ji Song opened with an inspiring song. His powerful voice and commanding style brought the music alive, the audience swept up in the grandeur—this was the sound of battle, iron and horses, everyone instantly captivated. Old is gold; Ji Song’s live performance was spot-on.

His flawless delivery stunned the audience, and unsurprisingly, he received the highest score so far: 890 votes, far ahead of the others.

In the room, Bai Ning grew anxious after watching Ji Song’s performance, quickly looking at Zhou Ran.

Ji Song’s act was devastating—it raised the voting standard, and subsequent performances would inevitably be compared to his, making things much more difficult.

Though Zhou Ran felt the pressure, he knew this could be a good thing; sometimes, pressure pushes people to excel.

In the broadcast hall, host Jiang Lu held her cue cards, introducing the final contestant.

“Now, let’s welcome our amateur contestant Zhou Ran.”

The stage suddenly went dark, revealing only a silhouette with a guitar. The lights slowly rose, illuminating Zhou Ran and his surroundings.

The audience began to whisper about Zhou Ran.

“Who is this guy?”

“Never heard of him.”

“With Ji Song’s performance, we might as well head home and sleep early.”