Being a gigolo was too much for him, so he had to become a music superstar.

He doesn't have time to dwell on such trivial matters right now, because he has a much bigger pressure ahead of him.

Chen Hao cleared his throat beside him: "Director Zhao, President Wang... called again yesterday."

Zhao Leiming's expression changed slightly.

Wang Shaohui, president of Tianhai Entertainment, is one of the biggest financial backers of the entire Future Star project.

Chen Hao leaned forward and lowered his voice, saying, "President Wang's meaning is very clear: Chen Jiahao must at least make it into the top three of the finals. The subsequent competition format and player groupings must be appropriately adjusted without causing a backlash from the public."

Zhao Leiming didn't speak, but just let out a heavy sigh.

Chen Jiahao is a newcomer that Tianhai Entertainment has invested heavily in cultivating, and this Future Star competition is his springboard to debut. The company has already invested tens of millions of yuan in training and promotional resources for him, and they would never allow him to fail in a program they co-invested in.

Zhao Leiming has seen this kind of thing too many times. Behind every talent show is the hand of capital. He's uncomfortable, but he can't fight city hall.

"How's Jiahao's group assignment going?" Zhao Leiming asked.

Liu Lei opened another file: "He's in the second group. His group consists mostly of weaker contestants who won't pose a threat. We've chosen those with average vocal skills and limited stage experience to ensure Jiahao is the absolute best in this group."

Zhao Leiming nodded.

Then he glanced at the list again.

"What about Lin Buyi?"

"The third group."

Who else is in the third group?

Liu Lei hesitated for a moment: "There's a rather tricky opponent, Zhou Qian."

Zhao Leiming narrowed his eyes.

"Zhou Qian? That genius from Longcheng Conservatory of Music? He's here too?"

"Yes. He was recommended by Longcheng Conservatory of Music and is known as the most outstanding student in the history of the vocal department. His singing skills are absolutely top-notch. He was originally supposed to be a heavyweight contestant in a later group, but after internal discussions, the production team felt that they needed some exciting moments to boost ratings in the early stages, so they moved him to the third group."

Zhao Leiming stroked his chin.

The third group consisted of an overwhelmingly talented professional, plus an amateur who appeared out of nowhere.

"This group is interesting," he muttered to himself.

Chen Hao chimed in from the side, "Director Zhao, should we keep a special eye on Lin Buyi?"

Zhao Leiming thought for a moment, then waved his hand.

"No need. He's just an amateur, what's there to pay attention to? He's in the same group as Zhou Qian, and his singing ability alone is enough to give him a hard time. Don't get distracted, just keep an eye on Jiahao's situation."

After he finished speaking, he stood up and flipped the list over.

"Please confirm the recording schedule for the first official stage performance."

"It's all arranged," Liu Lei said. "The 32 contestants will be divided into four groups of eight, and the recording will be done in four sessions. Two people will be eliminated in each session, leaving 24 people to advance to the next stage."

"Okay." Zhao Leiming walked to the window and looked at the city skyline outside.

He did not mention Lin Buyi's name again.

In his view, an amateur with two veto votes wouldn't make much of a splash in a competition of this level.

……

The night before the match.

When Lin Buyi came up from the basement, he was covered in sweat.

A day of intense practice left his voice a little tight, but he had adjusted his overall condition to the best level he could achieve. These past few days, he had been practicing for at least eight hours a day, refining everything from breath control to the explosive power in the high register.

He took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and sat on the living room sofa to check the guitar's condition one last time.

Tune the strings, test the sound, pluck each string one by one to make sure the tension is correct.

The sixth string was a little too low, so he turned the knob twice and played it again.

This time it's right.

He carefully placed the guitar in its case next to him.

Footsteps echoed down the stairs.

Su Nianwei came down from the second floor, wearing a burgundy silk nightgown and holding a glass of something in her hand. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be milk. It was hot, and a layer of steam clung to the glass.

She sat down on the sofa opposite and placed her cup on the coffee table.

There was a moment of silence between the two.

The only thing ticking in the living room was the old-fashioned wall clock.

Su Nianwei spoke first.

"What time do we leave tomorrow?"

"Seven o'clock in the morning." Lin Buyi looked up at her. "Recording starts at nine, but the contestants need to arrive before eight to prepare."

"I'll have the driver take you."

"No need, I—"

"This isn't a discussion, it's a notification," Su Nianwei interrupted him, taking a sip of her milk. "The villa is a forty-minute drive from the recording studio, and even by bus it might take an hour and a half and you might not make it. It would be really embarrassing if you were late. Don't worry, the driver will stop somewhere far away where no one will see us."

Lin Buyi opened his mouth, as if to say something.

But after thinking about it, he realized there was no need to argue with her about this.

"it is good."

Su Nianwei didn't say anything more. She lowered her head and drank her milk, holding the cup with both hands, all ten fingers pressed against the cup.

Lin Buyi glanced at her.

This woman is sensitive to the cold. Even though the heating is on in the room, she still habitually holds onto something warm.

He turned his gaze back and continued to check if the clasp on the violin case was fastened securely.

Su Nianwei finished her milk and put the cup down. She stood up and walked a few steps upstairs.

She stopped when she reached the corner of the stairs.

She had her back to him.

"Lin Buyi"

"What?"

There was a silence of about a second.

"Just don't embarrass yourself tomorrow. If you do, I won't recognize you."

She finished speaking and went upstairs. Her footsteps faded into the distance, and then, with a click, the bedroom door closed.

Lin Buyi sat on the sofa, watching the direction she disappeared in.

She said, "Don't embarrass yourself."

But what she meant was, "Just sing well, I care about the result."

Lin Buyi translated it in his mind and suddenly found it a little funny.

This woman can never speak directly. She's clearly thinking A, but she'll say B. Making everyone guess all the time, isn't she tired of it?

But for some reason, he didn't feel annoyed tonight.

Perhaps because I'm going to the battlefield tomorrow, I've calmed down.

He closed the violin case and placed it on the floor next to the sofa.

Then I took out my phone and dialed a number.

The phone was answered after ringing twice.

"Brother!" Lin Qingxue's voice came through the receiver, filled with surprise and joy. "Why are you calling so late?"

"It's nothing, I just wanted to talk to you."

Lin Buyi leaned back on the sofa, his voice softening unconsciously. He always did this when talking to his sister; it wasn't intentional, it was a natural bodily reaction.

"How are you feeling today? Did you take your medicine on time?"

"I've eaten, I've eaten. The nurse's keeping an eye on me, I can't even slack off," Lin Qingxue said with a grin. "What about you, brother? Are you done with your overtime? Your voice sounds a little hoarse."