Esports world champion, debuted as the center of a talent show

The next morning, the door to the practice room was opened on time.

Jiang Zhiyu and Lin Sen walked in one after the other. A boy, Qi Sixian, was already sitting in the room.

He arrived very early and was sitting cross-legged on the ground, fiddling with a pen. He only looked up when he heard the noise at the door.

Qi Sixian's gaze swept over the two of them, finally settling on Jiang Zhiyu, and she gave him a bright smile: "You've arrived."

Lin Sen was somewhat surprised, because he and Jiang Zhiyu were already among the earlier trainees, but he didn't expect someone to arrive even earlier than them.

"Why are you here so early?" Lin Sen asked, his tone tinged with surprise.

Qi Sixian nodded and explained in a low voice, "This is my last stage performance, and I don't want to have any regrets."

The live stream started very early today; the live stream camera on the wall of this practice room was already turned on.

[Finally, someone came! I've been watching this young man sit here alone for half an hour!]

Today is another day of online coaching for Jiangjiang!

[The second performance is an original stage production; I'm really worried about its quality.]

This group's popularity is so extreme; both the top and bottom rankings are in this group!

[I have a feeling this will backfire; original stage performances are probably too difficult for trainees.]

How many members of Jiang Zhiyu's group can create music? I only know that Lin Sen can choreograph a little, so what about the others?

Jiang Zhiyu sat cross-legged next to Qi Sixian and asked casually, "I remember when you did your first stage performance, you mentioned in your self-introduction that you could compose music?"

Qi Sixian suddenly turned her head, looking at him in shock: "How could you remember?"

He thought that as an insignificant nobody, he wouldn't be remembered by the audience, and even the other contestants on the show might not remember him. But Jiang Zhiyu, who was surrounded by people, actually remembered something he casually said on his first stage performance.

"During your initial stage introduction, you were the only one who said you could compose music, so it's normal that people remember you." Jiang Zhiyu replied while flipping through his notebook and scribbling aimlessly on it.

Qi Sixian was stunned for a moment, then suddenly smiled and joked, "When I get out of here in a while, I'll find my brother and get him to become a fan of yours. Forget about competitions, I'll take him to see your performance."

[Qi Sixian can compose music? Really?]

Wow, you can't judge a book by its cover! Qi Sixian has a blank face that looks like he wouldn't do exams, but he can actually compose music?!

Why was it that before he joined Jiang Zhiyu's team, I had no impression of him at all, and he even seemed like a complete stranger?

[I've always felt that becoming a member of Jiang Zhiyu's team means escaping the imminent danger of being eliminated. Do you guys feel the same way?]

Not long after, the other members arrived one after another.

Jiang Zhiyu, Deng Sushui, Yu Jin, Lin Sen, Zhuang Sheng, Fang Shi, He Sen, and Qi Sixian gathered together.

Jiang Zhiyu got up from the ground and, together with the others, moved chairs from the corner and sat down around the table in the middle.

The desktop was clean and simple, with only draft paper and a few pens scattered around.

Jiang Zhiyu sat in the middle and got straight to the point.

"Yesterday, the keyword I drew was 'day and night.' What are your thoughts on this theme? Feel free to share, and then we'll choose one together."

A brief silence fell over the training room as everyone began to ponder the meaning of this keyword.

Not long after, Deng Sushui was the first to raise her hand.

"I think day and night are the most basic alternation of day and night. Daytime represents busyness, excitement, tight schedule, and full of drive; it is the passionate daytime of youth."

"The night is the quiet after a busy day, a time to relax, rest, and unwind from the day's fatigue."

"The daytime segments are fast-paced, energetic, and overall positive. The nighttime segments are slower-paced, with gentler movements and a quieter atmosphere, focusing on relaxation and healing."

Everyone nodded, and Jiang Zhiyu simply wrote down the core of this idea on a draft paper.

Immediately afterwards, Yu Jin took over the conversation.

"My understanding is similar to Deng Sushui's; it's also about day and night in real life. Daytime is about the vibrant and passionate daily life of youth."

"Nighttime is different; it's about solitude and emotions. No matter how lively the daytime is, when you're alone at night, all sorts of thoughts come to mind. You worry about being eliminated, you feel anxious about not being good enough, you miss home, and you doubt whether you can make it to the end."

"I want to capture the anxiety and disparity of youth, with a vibrant and sunny daytime and a quiet and emo nighttime, creating a strong emotional contrast."

Lin Sen sat quietly to the side, lost in thought, when he suddenly looked up and asked a question: "What if we don't interpret it literally... Jiang Jiang, what do you think?"

The room was silent for a few seconds.

All eyes turned to Jiang Zhiyu, who had been silently taking notes.

Sensing everyone's gaze, Jiang Zhiyu first tapped the paper lightly with the cap of his pen, and after a moment of silence, he spoke: "I do have an idea."

The room fell silent the moment those words were spoken.

The group of people instinctively sat up straight, looked at him intently, and waited for him to say something next.

Jiang Zhiyu spoke with clear logic and a steady pace, gradually unfolding his concepts and completely stripping away the natural definitions of day and night.

"Let's interpret it differently. Let's stop treating day and night as time and start treating them as completely opposite antonyms."

"Daytime is a mask that must be worn under the rules of the collective. It's about living to meet the expectations of others, playing the role of a perfect dummy in life, always glamorous and positive."

He paused for a moment, then continued.

"And the night is the time when everyone's gaze is cut off, and all labels and personas are removed, revealing the most naked and authentic self."

"It's okay to have negative emotions, to be vulnerable and repressed, to acknowledge your imperfections, and to accept yourself in the darkness."

"So I think the theme could be—daytime is a worldly mask, nighttime is the naked true self."

[Wow...it gave me goosebumps.]

[What a brilliant concept! It's like a double life scenario; the underlying message is so profound.]

[Day and night are antonyms, symbolizing the duality of human nature... Jiang Zhiyu is a genius!]

I like this; I feel the final stage effect will be amazing. (Provided their creative abilities can keep up.)

Jiang Jiang seems to have a story to tell.

Jiang Zhiyu's voice was not loud, yet it drew people in effortlessly into his narration.

The cruelest thing about growing up is that it forces people to learn to pretend and fake smiles.

People conform to the world during the day, wearing layers of shackles and playing the role that others expect.

Only in the dead of night can one truly embrace one's own soul.

A long silence fell over the practice room, broken only by the mechanical sound of the camera lens turning.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment, and this space felt completely isolated from the bustling world outside.

Trainees who need to live in front of the camera can almost all resonate with this topic.