Chinese Entertainment King: Starting as a Fat Boy and Becoming a Singing King

Xu Yao looked at Zhou Shen's hesitant face and his heart clenched: "Please don't tell me that you still chose Na Ying."

Zhou Shen blinked and whispered, "Actually... I almost chose Teacher Na-young."

"I was standing on the stage when all three mentors turned around. Nayoung was especially enthusiastic, and she kept saying, 'Come to my team, I need a voice like yours.' My mouth was open, and I almost shouted 'Nayoung!'"

He stopped, took a deep breath, as if recalling the thrill of that moment.

"Then I remembered what you said: 'Never choose Na Ying.' In that instant, I changed my mind and chose Teacher Qi Qin."

Xu Yao finally breathed a sigh of relief, patted his shoulder, and patted him harder than before: "That's great."

Zhou Shen tilted her head to look at him, her eyes filled with a childlike curiosity: "Brother Yao, why are you so sure we can't choose Teacher Na Ying? Do you know something inside about the show?"

Xu Yao did not answer the question directly.

"Mr. Xu Yao, Mr. Zhou Shen, please come with me for a moment."

A middle-aged man in black overalls appeared at the end of the corridor, holding a stack of documents and a tablet computer.

He wore a name tag on his chest that read "The Voice of China - Contestant Management Department".

Xu Yao recognized this person. Before the blind auditions began, this was the person who handed out a recording and participation agreement to all the contestants in the waiting area.

"Is it about the contract?" Xu Yao asked.

The middle-aged man nodded: "Yes. Both of you have successfully turned around and chosen a mentor, and now you need to proceed to the second stage of the signing process. Please follow me to the signing room."

Xu Yao and Zhou Shen exchanged a glance, then followed the middle-aged man through the corridor and into a small conference room.

A woman wearing glasses sat at the other end of a long table, with several documents spread out in front of her.

Seeing them come in, she stood up and nodded, gesturing for them to sit down opposite her.

"Congratulations on your successful advancement." The woman's voice was efficient and professional. "I am the legal specialist from the program team, my surname is Chen. Next, I will explain the specific signing process and contract contents to you both."

She picked up two contracts from the table and pushed them in front of Xu Yao and Zhou Shen respectively.

"First of all, the agreement you signed before recording the blind auditions was the 'Recording and Participation Agreement.' That agreement was mainly to protect the use of portrait rights, broadcast authorization, confidentiality obligations, and recording discipline during the recording of the program."

She paused, opened the contract in front of her, and tapped one of the pages with her finger.

"However, this contract is different. This is a 'Full-Term Contract for Contestant Management,' and the contracting entity is Dream Voice Culture Communication Co., Ltd.—an affiliated company of Canxing Culture, the producer of the 'Good Voice' program. This contract means that from the date of signing, your artist management affairs will be fully handled by Dream Voice, including but not limited to: music copyright, record production, commercial performances, GG endorsements, film and television appearances, and all other commercial activities related to performing arts."

Zhou Shen looked down at the contract, his brows furrowing slightly.

Although he was young, he had spent four years at the music academy and had some knowledge of agency contracts in the industry.

"Sister Chen," Zhou Shen asked cautiously, "what is the duration of this contract?"

Chen, the legal counsel, adjusted his glasses and said calmly, "During the competition, plus the eight years after the competition."

"Eight years?" Zhou Shen's eyes widened.

"Eight years is the standard term." Chen's tone left no room for negotiation. "All trainees who advance through the rounds are subject to the same terms. If you don't sign, you can't join the mentor's team, nor can you continue to participate in subsequent competitions."

The meeting room was silent for a few seconds.

Signing it would be an unfair contract; not signing it would prevent you from joining the team.

In today's music scene, a good voice is indeed the best stage for newcomers to shine.

"I'll sign," Zhou Shen said.

He pushed the signed contract back to Chen, the legal counsel.

Xu Yao hesitated for a moment, but ultimately signed the contract.

Congratulations to both of you.

Chen, the legal counsel, carefully put away the contract, stood up, and shook hands with them.

"From now on, you are both members of the Great Voice family. A dedicated team will handle all subsequent rehearsal arrangements, accommodation assignments, and competition schedule notifications. Best wishes to both of you for the competition."

When Zhou Shen walked out of the signing room, his hands were still trembling slightly.

"Brother Yao, I really succeeded! My voice has been recognized."

Xu Yao comforted him, "I've said it before, your unique voice is not a burden, but a precious gift from heaven."

Ding.

A crisp electronic notification sound rang in Xu Yao's mind.

Xu Yao paused for a moment.

[Host has completed the mission: Signing a contract with the Best Voice Team]

[Main Quest 1: The Battle for the Best Voice has begun]

[Mission Objective: Win the 2014 Best Voice Annual Championship]

[Task Rewards: Idol Points will be calculated based on the final ranking]

Xu Yao stood in the corridor and smiled slightly.

This was a key reason why he participated in "The Voice of China"—to complete the tasks assigned by the system.

[Core Function: Accumulate Idol Points by completing tasks, improving singing performance, and gaining audience recognition. Idol Points can be used for...]

[1. Body Function Remodeling: Improving basic physiological indicators such as physical fitness, endurance, and lung capacity]

2. Body Shaping: Targeted fat burning, improved posture, and enhanced appearance

3. Voice Evolution: Expanding Vocal Range, Enhancing Resonance, and Raising the Upper Limit of Vocal Function

Remodeling of bodily functions and optimization of body shape.

This is exactly what he needs most.

After transmigrating, his biggest problem wasn't his voice, as the original owner had a good enough voice. His biggest problems were his physical health and appearance.

Two hundred and fifty jin.

On the stage of "The Voice of China" in 2014, a 250-pound fat man, no matter how good his singing skills were, could not possibly win the championship.

Xu Yao knew the rules of this industry all too well.

Although The Voice of China claims to have a "blind audition that doesn't judge by looks," everything from the blind auditions to the mentor assessments and the final showdown—the camera work, the branding, the audience voting—tells you that this is a world that judges by looks.

A fat person can become a powerful singer, a great vocalist, but can never become a champion.

A champion needs a story, an image, and a persona that can be packaged and sold in the market.

A person weighing 250 pounds would not be considered an option in the 2014 aesthetic standards.

Xu Yao's original plan was to work out and lose weight like crazy before the blind auditions.

But three months of intense training made him realize a reality: weighing 250 pounds, it was almost an impossible task to lose weight to under 150 pounds in a few months.

Moreover, due to a sudden and rapid increase in weight, various physical indicators deteriorated, leaving him breathless after singing a song.

[Current Idol Value: 1000]

Should a body scan be performed immediately?

Xu Yao silently repeated one word in his mind: Yes.

[Body scan consumes 200 Idol Points.]

In an instant, he felt a faint warmth spreading from the top of his head to the soles of his feet, as if an invisible scanner had scanned him from head to toe.

The whole process lasted less than three seconds, and there was no discomfort whatsoever.

[Body scan complete]

[Current data: Height: 185cm, Weight: 125kg, Body fat percentage: 35.2%]

Core muscle strength: Slightly weak

[Voice condition: B+ (Voice cords are healthy, resonance is good, but there is room for improvement in breath support)]

[Body shaping suggestions: Lose 35-55kg and reduce body fat percentage to below 15% to achieve the best stage performance]

Xu Yao quickly did some mental calculations.

The signing task was completed, and 1000 idol points were awarded as a reward.

The competition for the best voice only lasts for a few months in total.

In other words, I hope that on the day I win the Best Voice championship, my weight and appearance will amaze everyone.

Xu Yao took out his phone and looked at the text message sent by the production team.

The message was very brief.

[Dear Xu Yao, you have been assigned to the exclusive hotel for Yang Kun's team: XX Hotel, XX Road, Jiaxing. Please arrive before 18:00 today to check in. The team's first practice session will be held tomorrow morning at 9:00 at the program's rehearsal center. Your specific room number will be provided later. If you have any questions, please contact the player management department.]

"As expected," Xu Yao put his phone away, "the four teams are staying in different hotels."

Zhou Shen also checked his text message: "I'm on Qi Qin's team, in the same area but a different hotel, so won't our chances of meeting be greatly reduced?"

"You can see him during rehearsals."

Xu Yao patted Zhou Shen on the shoulder, his tone becoming serious: "Our goal now isn't to meet and chat every day. Your goal is to train hard and hone your voice to its best under Qi Qin's guidance. My goal is the same."

"And then?" Zhou Shen asked.

"Then," Xu Yao said, a certain determination in his eyes that Zhou Shen couldn't quite understand, "we'll meet on the stage of the ultimate showdown."

Zhou Shen paused for a moment: "Brother Yao, you have confidence, but I don't..."

"Zhou Shen, believe me, we will meet at the summit."

The two parted ways at the entrance of the production team's building and got into different cars.