Huayu: Starting with binding the front desk

May 30th marks one week until the National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao).

Instead of studying hard at school, Wang Zhe walked out of the Capital Airport.

After getting on the bus, Yang Yangjin glanced at him and said casually, "Why did you fail the math simulation again?"

"This mock exam was a bit difficult, and I was only three points short."

"I was first in the class in both Chinese and English, and third overall. Why don't you mention that?" Wang Zhe argued vehemently.

"I hope you can perform at this level in the college entrance examination as well."

Yang Yangjin has now completely figured out his personality. Although he sometimes seems quite mature, he is a mischievous little brother at heart.

She didn't dwell on the topic, her expression becoming more serious: "Why isn't Jingyi signing Qinghe again?"

"Oh, Zhou Xun wants to sign her."

Yang Yangjin was taken aback. "Zhou Xun? The Zhou Xun from the 'Four Dan and Two Bing' group?"

Wang Zhe nodded: "I was quite surprised at first, but it really is her."

  

It seems she's going to partner with Chen Kun to start a talent agency, and coincidentally, her mother is a fan of Zhou Xun.

He was indeed surprised by this. In his previous life, Zhou Xun had discovered Zhang Jingyi when she was a freshman in college, and now they had contacted each other right after the college entrance exams. It was very likely that it was because of him that Zhou Xun had noticed her earlier.

Yangyang Jin was silent for a moment, then said with a hint of regret, "Given your relationship, didn't you even try to win him over? Such a promising talent, just letting him slip away like that?"

Wang Zhe shrugged dismissively: "Isn't it good to develop alongside Zhou Xun?"

"Our Qinghe has already signed two female artists, Xiaotian and Ciran. Do we have that many resources to allocate?"

This is only part of the reason; the main reason is that Wang Zhe did not want Zhang Jingyi to sign with Qinghe directly.

Yang Yangjin smiled helplessly. What Wang Zhe said was true. "Indeed, but it's also her luck to be able to develop alongside Zhou Xun."

Why should I worry about this? You're the boss, I'm just your manager.

Wang Zhe sensed the slight unease in her voice and half-jokingly said, "Sister Yangyang, I'm not the boss. My mom and dad are perfectly fine. I'm just a small-time artist working for you."

"Alright, stop fooling around. I'm not angry, it's just a little disappointing."

After spending a lot of time together, the two became more like siblings than a manager and artist with a clear hierarchy.

"Sis, why are you so fond of Jingyi? Aren't you satisfied with Xiaotian and Cheran?"

"Don't label me like that. I just think she's quiet and has a bit of a spark. Xiaotian and Cheran are too outgoing."

Wang Zhe was speechless at this reason.

Zhang Jingyi, Wenjing?

She does have a quiet appearance and is indeed reserved in front of people she doesn't know well, but only he knows how unruly she can be when she gets stubborn.

"It's Dragon Boat Festival today, haven't you eaten any zongzi yet?" Yangyang Jin handed him a small zongzi.

"I had completely forgotten that today is the Dragon Boat Festival."

Wang Zhe took it and started eating; he was indeed a bit hungry.

He came to Beijing this time to participate in the recording of the first stage of "The Coming One".

At around 5 a.m. the next day, Wang Zhe arrived at the Haizi Film and Television Base to participate in the recording of the program.

In the backstage dressing room, the makeup artist was styling him.

Yang Yangjin stood to the side, constantly reminding him of things to pay attention to, her mouth never stopping.

"You are participating in the beauty category, and your mentor is Yang Mi."

This is your first time recording a variety show, so do your best and don't blurt out anything...

Wang Zhe looked up at her helplessly: "Sister Yangyang, I know, you've said it so many times, aren't you thirsty?"

"I'm not thirsty. Think carefully before you answer a question."

Yangyang Jin added another sentence, and finally stopped nagging.

After the styling was finished, Yang Yangjin took two steps back and looked at it, a slight smile unconsciously curving her lips.

No wonder those three little girls were always hovering around him.

Wang Zhe wore a dark brown T-shirt underneath a light khaki suit jacket, matching wide-leg pants, and black canvas shoes.

The earth-tone color scheme is refreshing and crisp, exuding youthful energy without appearing casual, resulting in an outfit with just the right amount of style.

Combined with his already outstanding face, he looked like a young man who had stepped out of a Western oil painting.

If Wang Zhe gathered his first batch of fans with his musical talent in the past, now that he has fully grown up, he will not lack attention just because of his face.

Yang Yangjin reached out and straightened the wrinkles on his collar: "Alright, go to the players' lounge. We have to record all day today."

Wang Zhe feigned innocence: "To the players' lounge? Didn't they prepare a private room for me?"

"We didn't give you any special treatment. You chose to be a contestant yourself, so you'll be treated the same as all the other contestants."

When Wang Zhe arrived at the players' lounge, there were already quite a few people sitting inside.

He looked around but didn't see anyone familiar. In his previous life, "The Coming One" was quite popular, but the contestants who really broke out were mostly concentrated in Xue Zhiqian's solo track. As for the beauty track that Wang Zhe participated in, he couldn't remember anyone whose name he could recall.

He found a corner to sit down and didn't take the initiative to talk to the other contestants, many of whom were just going through the motions.

It's called the beauty filter industry, but after looking around, he didn't see many companies that even remotely relate to the word "beauty filter".

What he found most unacceptable was that one contestant had a rugged appearance but wore heavy makeup and dark eyeshadow.

Wang Zhe silently withdrew his gaze, thinking to himself: This isn't a stunningly beautiful face, it's a chaotic mess of demons.

When the other contestants saw Wang Zhe enter, their expressions varied, with most reacting with shock.

The rumors circulating online are actually true; Wang Zhe is indeed going to participate in "The Coming One" as a contestant.

It's worth noting that among the three mentors, the star promoter of the Magic Voice track only has a little over ten million followers on Weibo, while Wang Zhe has even more followers.

His talent goes without saying; "The Wind Rises" is still at the top of various music charts and becomes popular again every graduation season. Not to mention, he is also the OST creator for several hit dramas.

Why didn't he participate in "Singer" and instead came to a new talent show to flop?

Wang Zhe ignored the stares directed at him and looked down at his math study materials on his tablet.

Most contestants didn't dare to approach him casually, but some were bold enough to think for a moment and then sit down next to him.

"Hello, Wang Zhe, I am Zhao Tianyu."

Wang Zhe turned to look at him, going through his memories from his past life, but he didn't recognize him. He must be a nobody.

This is normal, though. Although Long Danni is known as the "Godmother of Talent Shows," the people she selects are often the most popular during the competition, but they basically disappear afterward.

He nodded: "Hello."

His gaze then returned to the tablet, showing no intention of continuing the conversation.

If it's "Baijiu Mao" or "Second Generation Ma," he'd be interested in chatting about it.

Zhao Tianyu didn't feel embarrassed. He saw that Wang Zhe was looking at math materials on the tablet and then remembered that besides being a teenage idol, he was also a senior high school student who was about to take the college entrance examination.

He recalled the online discussions about Wang Zhe's academic performance not long ago, and felt a pang of emotion.

No wonder they've reached this position.

The recording hadn't started in the lounge yet, and Zhao Tianyu didn't suspect that Wang Zhe was putting on a show, so he sat quietly to the side without making a sound to disturb him.

He still knows his limits.

Other contestants who wanted to curry favor with Zhao Tianyu gave up after seeing him get the short end of the stick.

Wang Zhe was satisfied with this; he didn't like this kind of ineffective socializing.

……

As recording began, the contestants took the stage one by one, but Wang Zhe remained quietly in the corner.

Unlike the other contestants, he didn't pay close attention to the performances of the players on the broadcast screen.

His appearance was scheduled in the middle, and some people around him were nervously clearing their throats repeatedly, while others were fiddling with their hair in front of the mirror one last time. He didn't look up at all and kept looking at his study materials.

After some time, his assistant came running over to tell him that he could wait in line and that he was next.

Wang Zhe put away his tablet, stood up, straightened his coat, and followed his assistant toward the players' passage.

He stood in the passageway for about half a minute when he heard the announcement: "Please welcome top star Wang Zhe."

Wang Zhe stepped out of the passage, stood in front of the star promoters, and said in a calm tone, "Hello everyone, I am Wang Zhe."