After taking advice, I became a top male idol.

There are three days left before the second round of recording.

Beijing Broadcasting and Television Station, Rehearsal Hall No. 3.

Inside the spacious rehearsal hall, in addition to the five students, there were seven or eight folk music teachers holding pipa, erhu and flute, tuning their instruments.

This was an outside help that Han Xuening specially invited from the Yanjing Folk Music Orchestra by using her personal connections.

"Okay, the accompaniment just now was perfect. Thank you all for your hard work."

Han Xuening clapped her hands to signal everyone to take a break, then turned to look at the five students standing in front of her.

"Everyone, our opponent this time is Ye Lan's team. Although Ye Lan is a superstar, to be honest, she doesn't have a deep understanding of traditional Chinese style music. And I've also seen the lineup of her team; they're either pop singers or folk singers."

Han Xuening continued, "As long as we proceed steadily and do our best to showcase the charm and grandeur of traditional Chinese style, we have a great chance of winning this competition."

"Don't worry, Sister Xue Ning, we'll definitely be fine!"

"Exactly, with this setup, we could practically throw a traditional Chinese style concert."

The trainees expressed their strong confidence.

Two of the trainees, who are backed by major entertainment companies, even brought out pre-prepared adapted songs.

"Teacher Xue Ning, this is a revised version of 'Walking in the Misty Rain' by the company's top lyricist and composer, with the addition of a guzheng solo. Please listen to it."

"Teacher, my piece 'Drunken Sword' incorporates martial arts elements, and I've already designed the stage design."

Han Xuening listened to their reports and nodded frequently. It must be said that while the adaptations were somewhat contrived, they were generally quite good.

Han Xuening's gaze fell on the young man sitting in the middle, dressed in a modified Tang suit, with a refined and scholarly demeanor.

Li Ziming.

More importantly, he does have some early training; it is said that he trained his voice for two years with a famous Peking Opera master when he was young.

He is Han Xuening's biggest trump card.

"Zi Mo, everyone is looking for stability, but my requirements for you are different."

Han Xuening said seriously, "You're the finale, you need to blow up the stage. You need to get more than just victory, you need to get the highest score of the entire competition and raise our team's overall score! Are you confident?"

Li Ziming smiled faintly and put down his teacup.

In such situations, while others were drinking mineral water, he brought his own set of Yixing teapots, exuding the air of an old artist in every gesture.

"Don't worry, Teacher Xue Ning."

Li Ziming took out a thick sheet of music from his bag and handed it over with both hands.

"I've been working on this song for half a year. I originally planned to save it for a single, but since I've joined Teacher Ye Lan's team, I've decided to release it ahead of schedule as a sign of respect."

"Oh? Original content?"

Han Xuening took the sheet music, and her eyes lit up after just one glance at the song title.

"The Prosperous Chang'an"

These four words alone exude an overwhelming sense of grandeur and magnificence!

She couldn't wait to look down.

The lyrics are ornate and full of classical allusions, depicting the grand scene of all nations paying tribute during the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

"The palace gates open to the heavens, and the officials of all nations bow before the emperor..."

"The background of this song is the Tang Dynasty," Li Ziming explained at the right time. "I want to use music to recreate the glory of that era. In terms of arrangement, I plan to start with chime bells, add a duet between pipa and guzheng in the middle, and end with a bass drum."

"And..." he paused, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes, "I designed a dramatic chant in the chorus of this song."

"Theatrical chanting?!"

The surrounding students gasped in surprise.

In this parallel world, although there are songs with traditional Chinese style, very few dare to add serious theatrical chants to pop songs.

Li Ziming's move was simply a case of overwhelming force.

This is hardly a competition song.

This is clearly a textbook example of authentic traditional Chinese style music!

"Great! That's wonderful!"

Han Xuening couldn't help but slap the table in admiration, "This song has such a lofty theme! It will definitely win over the audience! Zimo, could you sing a bit a cappella? I want to hear how it sounds."

"I've made a fool of myself."

Li Ziming did not refuse. He stood up, took a moment to catch his breath, and spoke directly.

"Remembering the past—"

The moment the sound was made, the entire rehearsal hall fell silent.

His vocalizations are produced very far back, carrying a deep resonance, a foundation built from years of training.

Moreover, he skillfully incorporated the soaring spirit of folk songs into his pop singing style, making it sound both traditional and modern.

"Under the moon over Chang'an, ten thousand lights illuminate the city, a scene of prosperity and grandeur—"

High notes are as steady as Mount Tai, and transitions are as smooth as silk.

Although it was just an a cappella performance, the imagery of the Tang Dynasty's golden age was already palpable.

"Clap clap clap clap!"

As soon as the song ended, Han Xuening led the applause.

The other trainees also looked on with admiration, even with a hint of despair—being on the same stage as someone like this was like being outmatched.

"Awesome! Brother Mo is invincible!"

"It's so good! Who can resist it?"

"Team Ye Lan is doomed to lose this time; even a miracle can't save them!"

"It's safe!"

Han Xuening stood up excitedly, "Zimo, this song, paired with the live accompaniment of the folk music orchestra, is absolutely a game-changer! Although Ye Lan has Gu Qingzhou, he sings pop R&B, which is no match for your authentic traditional Chinese style!"

Li Ziming smiled modestly, "Thank you, Sister Xue Ning, I will do my best."

Comparing cultural background? Singing skills? Prestige?

Completely crushed!

"This time, we're guaranteed to win!"

……

at the same time.

On the other side of the city, in the core area of ​​the CBD.

The top floor of the Starry Entertainment headquarters building, the president's office.

In front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, Zhang Yue stood respectfully in front of the desk, her face beaming with undisguised joy.

"Mr. Liu, this is fantastic news!"

Zhang Yue continued, "The theme and contestant list for the second episode of 'The Voice of China' have been finalized!"

"The theme is [Traditional Chinese Style]! And Ye Lan's team was drawn against Han Xuening's team!"

Behind his desk, Liu Yilong, the head of Xinghuang Entertainment, was reviewing documents.

Upon hearing this, he slowly raised his eyelids, his eyes revealing neither joy nor anger.

"What kind of good news is this?"

"You think about it!"

Sister Zhang explained eagerly, "I've looked into Li Ziming from Han Xuening's team; he's a top star in the traditional Chinese music scene! He grew up in the opera world! And I heard that Han Xuening even specially invited the Beijing Folk Music Orchestra to help her win! This is perfect timing, location, and support!"

At this point, Sister Zhang couldn't help but chuckle:

"And what about Lin Zhixing? Hmph, he's just a self-taught amateur! I knew that back when we were at the company, he couldn't sing. At most, he can belt out a few rock tunes, but traditional Chinese style requires cultural depth! Asking him to sing traditional Chinese style is like Zhang Fei trying to embroider—a complete blunder!"

Sister Zhang became more and more excited as she spoke, as if she could already see Lin Zhixing making a fool of himself on stage. "I heard that he's going to do something original this time. Trying to do an original Chinese style piece in front of Li Ziming and the folk music ensemble? Isn't that just showing off his limited skills before an expert?"

"This time, Ye Lan's team is doomed to lose! According to that brutal total score system, losing means the immediate elimination of two players!"

Sister Zhang stepped forward, "At that time, Lin Zhixing, as the worst performer and weakest link, will definitely be the first to be eliminated! We won't even need to blacklist him; Ye Lan will kick him out herself to protect the regulars like Gu Qingzhou!"

"Once he's eliminated and his glory days are over, he'll be nothing but a fallen dog! Then we'll buy a few trending topics to kick him while he's down, and he'll never be able to recover!"

After finishing this long speech, Sister Zhang looked at Liu Yilong expectantly, waiting for the boss's praise.

She felt that her analysis this time was so perfect, it was as if Zhuge Liang had been reincarnated.

Liu Yilong neither smiled nor spoke.

He simply watched Zhang Yue quietly.

a long time.

"Are you done talking?" Liu Yilong asked calmly.

"I...I'm done." Sister Zhang paused, a chill creeping down her spine. "Mr. Liu, are you...not happy?"

"Happy? Why should I be happy?"

Liu Yilong threw the pen in his hand onto the table with a crisp "thud".

"Zhang Yue, you've been with me for so many years, how come your vision is still so narrow?"

"All you can think about is how to kill him, how to vent your personal anger. But what am I thinking about? Money! Profit!"

Sister Zhang was so frightened that she trembled and lowered her head, not daring to speak.

"Are you blind? Lin Zhixing is incredibly popular right now! 'The Lone Warrior' is still on the charts!"

Liu Yilong got up, walked to the French windows, and turned his back to Sister Zhang.

"Alright, I understand." Liu Yilong waved his hand. "You can go out now. Keep a close eye on public opinion. If Lin Zhixing falls from grace, immediately arrange for an online army to beat him up when he's down."

"Understood! I'll take care of it right away!"

Sister Zhang happily agreed, swaying her slightly plump waist as she left the office in her high heels.

"idiot."

After the door closed, Liu Yilong picked up the phone on the table and dialed an internal number.

"Hey, Lao Wang? Come to my office."

A moment later, the artist director of Xinghuang Entertainment walked in.

He is Wang Qiang, the artist director of Xinghuang Entertainment. He is much more cunning than Sister Zhang and is Liu Yilong's confidant.

"Mr. Liu, you wanted to see me?"

"Old Wang, I have a task for you."

Liu Yilong pointed to Lin Zhixing's file on the table, "Go and contact Lin Zhixing. Regardless of whether he wins or loses this competition, I want this guy."

"You mean... dig it up?" Wang Qiang was somewhat surprised. "But things are really tense with Zhang Yue..."

"Zhang Yue is an idiot; she's more trouble than she's worth."

"Didn't she drive Lin Zhixing away? Then tell Lin Zhixing that as long as he's willing to come back, I won't hold a grudge."

"Give him an A-level contract!"

Wang Qiang was taken aback. "President Liu, isn't this price too high? And his relationship with Zhang Yue is so strained..."

"snort."

Liu Yilong sneered, "Tell him that if he's angry and finds Zhang Yue an eyesore..."

"I can fire Zhang Yue on the spot! I can even hand over all the dirt on Zhang Yue over the years, including her abusing her position to sexually harass trainees and take kickbacks, to him to deal with!"

"Give him face, save him face, give him money!"

"I want him to know that at Xinghuang, I only value people. Sacrificing a foolish agent for a cash cow is a worthwhile deal."

Wang Qiang's heart tightened.

That's what capitalists are like.

Driven by profit, he sold off his long-time employees without hesitation.

Wang Qiang nodded quickly, "If Lin Zhixing is really eliminated this time, I'll negotiate with him. The success rate is very high. This would be a timely help."

Wang Qiang continued, "And if it weren't for the fact that one of our artists had a scandal, he wouldn't have had a chance to be on The Voice of China."

"Enough of that. Go on." Liu Yilong waved his hand. "Remember, be polite."

Watching Wang Qiang's departing figure, Liu Yilong sat back down in his chair, gazing out the window at the bustling city of Yanjing.

"Lin Zhixing... I hope you're a smart person."

"In this circle, there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests."

"If you don't know what's good for you, then don't blame me."