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

……

Over the next few days, Lin Buyi lived an extremely disciplined life.

Every morning at six o'clock, I would get up and go for a run on the lawn in the backyard of the villa to practice my breathing. After eating the nutritious breakfast that Su Nianwei had prepared, I would go straight to the basement to practice singing.

In addition to "Sorrow", he has prepared another song.

He knew the formula of talent shows very well. In the first round of preliminary selection, he was only facing a few judges; he didn't need to go straight to the big stage. Releasing a trump card like "Sorrow" at this point would be a waste.

He needed a song that would catch the judges' attention but wouldn't reveal all his secrets.

So he chose another song by Mao Buyi from his previous life—"If One Day I Become Very Rich".

The song has a catchy melody and straightforward, even somewhat cheesy, lyrics, but it perfectly reflects his current persona and situation.

He was just a poor kid who participated in the competition for the money.

These past few days, Su Nianwei has been unusually well-behaved. She hasn't made any unreasonable demands, and every night she just watches Lin Buyi finish practicing his guitar before they go to sleep separately.

Lin Buyi knew that this woman was waiting—waiting for the results of his preliminary selection. If he was eliminated, she would definitely make up for the debt she had incurred over the past few days, tenfold.

The afternoon before the match, Lin Buyi went to the hospital.

There was a fruit basket in Lin Qingxue's ward, left by the patient in the next bed before being discharged.

"Brother, you're here." Lin Qingxue put down her paintbrush as soon as she saw Lin Buyi.

Lin Buyi walked over and carefully examined his sister's complexion. It was rosier than a few days ago, indicating that the recent treatment was working well.

"How are you feeling today?" Lin Buyi asked with a smile.

"I'm doing great. The nurse said all my indicators are recovering." Lin Qingxue held Lin Buyi's hand and carefully examined his face. "Brother, have you not been resting well these past few days? Your dark circles are so heavy."

Lin Buyi smiled bitterly to himself. Practicing singing at the top of his lungs in the basement every day, how could he possibly get any rest?

But he said, "The company recently took on a big project, and everyone is working overtime. However, the supervisor said that the bonus will be very generous once this project is completed."

"Really?" Lin Qingxue's eyes lit up. "Then, brother, when you get your bonus, you must buy yourself some new clothes. Look at this jacket of yours, the cuffs are all worn out."

Lin Buyi looked down and saw that the skin was indeed slightly broken.

"Okay, when I get my bonus, I'll take you out for a big meal." Lin Buyi patted her head.

After leaving the hospital, Lin Buyi stood by the roadside, watching the passing vehicles.

He has to get that five million.

For Lin Qingxue, and for himself.

……

The next morning.

The lobby on the first floor of the Tianhai Entertainment Building was temporarily transformed into the registration area for the preliminary rounds of the second season of "Future Star".

Lin Buyi carried the expensive guitar that Su Nianwei had bought him as he walked into the hall.

Hundreds of people had already gathered in the hall. A diverse group of young people, some with brightly colored hair, others dressed in extremely extravagant stage costumes, chatted in small groups.

Lin Buyi walked to the registration desk and gave his name.

The staff handed him a number: "Number 187, go to section B to wait, and go in when your name is called."

Lin Buyi took the number plate and walked to Section B, finding a corner to sit down.

Several trainees dressed in a K-pop style were having a heated discussion nearby.

"Hey, have you guys heard? Xue Xinghe is one of the judges for the preliminary round!" a blond-haired guy said in a low voice.

"Xue Xinghe? Doesn't he never participate in these kinds of talent shows?" Another red-haired man asked in surprise.

"You don't know this, do you? Tianhai Entertainment paid a hefty sum to hire him to keep things under control. He's notoriously sharp-tongued, so be careful not to make any mistakes when you go in."

Lin Buyi listened from the side and made a mental note of the name Xue Xinghe.

At this moment, a boy wearing black-rimmed glasses approached the blond-haired man and pointed to the number plate in Lin Buyi's hand.

"Look at that guy," the bespectacled man whispered. "I just saw his application form. It says he's an individual trainee, he doesn't even have a company."

Huang Mao turned his head and glanced at Lin Buyi, his eyes full of disdain.

"Tch, probably just some clueless nobody trying their luck. These days, does anyone really think just anyone can become a star?"

"Exactly, look at the clothes he's wearing, they don't even cost two hundred yuan in total. Someone like that is destined to be eliminated in the first round."

Their voices were neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for Lin Buyi to hear. Lin Buyi didn't even lift his eyelids.

He looked at the number plate in his hand.

187 number.

almost.

After waiting for about two hours, the loudspeaker in the lobby finally came on.

"Please ask contestant number 187, Lin Buyi, to proceed to audition room number 3 to prepare."

Lin Buyi stood up, slung his guitar over his shoulder, and strode towards audition room number 3 amidst the mocking gazes of those around him.

Pushing open the door, you'll find a spacious room inside.

In the center of the room was a microphone stand, and directly opposite it was a long table with three judges sitting behind it.

In the middle is a middle-aged man who looks very serious. The sign in front of him reads: Senior Producer - Fang Yizhou.

On the left is a stylishly dressed woman with a sign that reads: Vocal Instructor – Zhou Wanting.

On the right was a young man with dyed silver hair and an earring. He leaned back in his chair, twirling a pen in his hand, looking somewhat nonchalant. The sign read: Popular Singer – Xue Xinghe.

Lin Buyi walked to the microphone and stood still.

"Hello teachers, I am contestant number 187, Lin Buyi."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was steady.

Fang Yizhou reached out and flipped through the documents in front of him, then looked up at him. His gaze lingered on him for a moment—or more precisely, on the slightly worn cuffs of his jacket.

"Lin Buyi, an independent trainee, not signed with any company." Fang Yizhou read the contents of the information aloud, then looked at the rest of the information. "I see your information says you're... a third-year finance major?"

"Yes, Teacher Fang." Lin Buyi nodded.

Fang Yizhou's brow twitched slightly. It was a subtle movement, but Lin Buyi noticed it. After an entire afternoon and over a hundred contestants, finally, someone who wasn't a music major had arrived. The judges' curiosity was piqued.

Why would a finance major participate in a music talent show?

This question is not unexpected. From the day Lin Buyi decided to participate in the competition, he knew he would be asked this question.

He had already thought about how to answer.

But he didn't say any of those fancy words about chasing dreams, loving music, or wanting to stand on a bigger stage. It wasn't that he didn't want to say them; it was that he couldn't bring himself to say them. Those words sounded too fake, so fake that even he couldn't believe them.

"Because I need to be a champion."

Lin Buyi's gaze swept steadily across the faces of the three judges from left to right.