I was exposed for adding my female boss to my group of female friends.

"This host is so annoying. What's Chen Liang's level? He got famous with his catchy pop songs. Why does he have to use him to piggyback on Jia Yi's fame? We've already given him face, but he still insists on pushing him. Did Chen Liang bribe the production team?"

"Hehe, Jia Yi's fans' classic logic: Yes, yes, yes, only your Jia Yi didn't bribe anyone, so he came in last place for two rounds in a row, while everyone else bribed someone."

"Chen Liang's talent has already been proven by his previous song 'I Remember,' and Jia Yi has also collaborated with Qin Yunshang. Do you remember what song he wrote?"

"Exactly, Chen Liang can carry Jin Lan, while Jia Yi only drags Jin Lan down. In the game, this is called a backhand tutorial, repeatedly slapping Jia Yi in the face, and Jia Yi's fans still have the nerve to complain."

"Chen Liang only writes shallow, catchy songs. I really don't know who likes them. They're probably all elementary school students!"

"Yes, Chen Liang writes catchy pop songs, but Jia Yi's songs are even worse!"

……

After the interview segment concluded, the host began the routine announcement of the next stage.

"Next, before the selection process, I have something to announce first."

He glanced around and said, "The next match we'll be in the stadium will be the final."

After he finished speaking, the audience below the stage were all stunned.

Is the final already?

Thinking about it carefully, it's been almost three weeks since everyone arrived in Japan.

My trip to Japan, which lasted for more than a month, was indeed coming to an end.

Because the competition was so intense, with everyone either practicing or writing songs, time seemed to fly by.

The host continued, "The next match will be held at Yoyogi Stadium, which has 5000 seats. Your task is to fill that stadium."

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned for a moment.

Fill the venue?

What new tricks is the production team up with this time?

"In the next selection process, the partner you choose will not only be your partner in the final competition, but also your partner in the subsequent recruitment activities. Please choose carefully."

Seeing that everyone still looked confused, the host continued:

"For the next week, you will be performing at a livehouse designated by the production team every day. For each audience member you attract, you will receive a free ticket to the finals."

"The production team will count each person's votes. Each vote is worth 10 points, and this score will be included in the final score."

"In other words, the more people you recruit, the better, as it will directly determine your ranking in the finals."

"And your performances in livehouses can only feature songs by the songwriters you have chosen."

At this point, he glanced at Chen Liang and said:

"For example, if you choose Chen Liang, then you can only sing songs he has written, such as 'I Remember' and 'Ah Zhen Fell in Love with Ah Qiang.' Of course, you can also sing his new songs."

At this moment, Meng Xing raised his hand and asked, "I would like to ask, can we still sing songs that we didn't write for the competition, but wrote before?"

Everyone burst into laughter, laughing at Meng Xing's wild idea. Meng Xing himself laughed too.

But to everyone's surprise, the host nodded and said:

"Yes, as long as you're willing to authorize your partner to sing."

After the host finished speaking, Meng Xing was stunned.

If that's the case, wouldn't that be... very unfair to Chen Liang, who has just debuted and has never written a song before?

Everyone looked at Chen Liang, only to find him sitting there calmly, as if he had no objections at all.

The usually shy Lu Chujiu suddenly raised her hand and asked a question:

"Excuse me, what's the minimum number of songs required for a performance in a livehouse?"

The host said in a deep voice, "Of course, the more the better. Performances shorter than half an hour won't be very effective, so at least five or six songs are needed."

After he finished speaking, everyone looked at Chen Liang with even more seriousness.

So far, he has only written four songs in total!

This competition format clearly didn't take Chen Liang into account, but since even Chen Liang himself didn't voice any objections, it's naturally not appropriate for others to do so on his behalf.

The host continued, "Therefore, everyone must carefully consider the following steps in the selection process... Okay, first of all, let's invite the winner of this competition, Qin Yunshang, to choose her partner!"

Qin Yunshang took the microphone and stood there, but no sound came out.

She hesitated.

Having already won first place, she had already decided to choose Chen Liang as her partner.

When they collaborated on "I Remember" before, she felt that Chen Liang was very talented and had a lot more to offer than he had shown.

If he can produce another song of "I Remember" quality, his career will be secure, not just in this competition.

However, considering this ridiculous competition format, the situation is different.

This is a very unfavorable situation for Chen Liang!

Whether it's Meng Xing or Guo Xiaoran, the songs they've written, not to mention all of them, just their popular tracks alone, could fill a concert.

However, Chen Liang's foundation is still shallow, and so far he only has four songs.

Choosing him means giving up the recruitment process, which puts immense pressure on you.

Should we really choose him?

Qin Yunshang hesitated and looked at Chen Liang, only to find that he was still expressionless, and she could not read anything more from his face.

Looking at Guo Xiaoran and Meng Xing next to them, the two of them looked like dogs in a pet store, their expressions seeming to say, "Pick me, pick me."

Qin Yunshang's victory is a foregone conclusion, and she is also the strongest. Everyone would love to partner with her.

Apart from Chen Liang.

Chen Liang acted as if it were none of his business. Qin Yunshang bit her lip, feeling a surge of resentment.

She would have chosen him without hesitation if he had even given her a glance! This guy is really something, acting all indifferent even at a time like this.

Then, Qin Yunshang turned her gaze to Jin Lan.

The woman's expression was resolute; it was as if "I want to choose Chen Liang" was written all over her face.

That's true. For Jin Lan, giving her more songs wouldn't help; she can only sing Chen Liang's songs well.

Qin Yunshang came in first place this round, and Jin Lan came in second. If Qin Yunshang hadn't chosen Chen Liang, then Chen Liang would definitely have been chosen by Jin Lan.

The host asked from the side, "Qin Yunshang, have you decided who you want to choose as your partner?"

The production team backstage played a countdown sound effect, which immediately made the atmosphere even more tense.

Finally, Qin Yunshang made up her mind, looked up and said, "Chen Liang! I choose Chen Liang!"

"Alright! Our first pair is Qin Yunshang and Chen Liang!" the host announced.

Upon hearing this choice, Jin Lan, who was in the audience, reacted the most, so grief-stricken that she could barely utter a sound.

Meanwhile, Gu Yuqing, sitting in the back row, crossed her legs with satisfaction, kicked the back of Chen Ya's chair with her high heels, and looked smug.

She understood the competition rules and knew that if Qin Yunshang didn't choose Chen Ya, then Chen Ya would definitely be chosen by Jin Lan again!

As long as Chen Ya doesn't team up with Jin Lan, their opportunities to interact will be greatly reduced, which naturally makes Gu Yuqing happy.

The host then passed the question to Jin Lan: "Now, Jin Lan, please make your choice."

Jin Lan dejectedly took the microphone, while Meng Xing and Guo Xiaoran in the audience shrank back, even more nervous than when Qin Yunshang was selecting people.

Chapter 454 Caught in the Act of Cheating

If they were all hoping Qin Yunshang would choose them just now, they are now hoping Jin Lan won't choose them.

After these rounds of competition, everyone finally understood that Jin Lan really couldn't sing.

It's not that Jia Yi is bad, it's that Jin Lan is too unique. Ordinary people can hardly cooperate with her. The only one who can control her is probably a monster like Chen Liang!

Jin Lan looked rather listless, holding the microphone and glancing left and right between Meng Xing and Guo Xiaoran.

Without Chen Liang, the two men were no different to her, and she had no motivation to choose between them.

Meng Xing and Guo Xiaoran were extremely nervous; whoever Jin Lan looked at would tremble with fear.

“I choose…I choose Meng Xing,” Jin Lan said.

As soon as she finished speaking, Meng Xing collapsed.

Guo Xiaoran instantly became radiant.

Jin Lan's choice made Meng Xing feel that his game was over.

The host asked, "Are you sure?"

Jin Lan earnestly asked into the microphone, "If I choose Chen Liang, will I get to choose him?"

The host chuckled and said, "Of course not."

"Then why ask? Of course I'm sure."

"..."

The host, unusually, was unable to respond.

The audience burst into laughter.

The live stream was filled with laughter and joy.

"I had a strange feeling just now, that Jin Lan sounded like a divorced woman who regrets her decision."

"Be confident, it's not an illusion, this is love 2333333..."

"When I heard you guys talking about Jin Lan and Chen Liang being a couple before, I thought it was just acting. But now that I see it, wow, Jin Lan, are you serious?"

"It's such a pity that Chen Liang and Jin Lan couldn't continue in the same group. It always seemed like they were a lot of fun together."

"No, I'm more looking forward to Chen Liang and Qin Yunshang. Jin Lan can't bring out Chen Liang's full potential at all. I feel like he still has a lot to learn. I hope Yunshang can find out more about him."

"Sigh, I'm a pessimist. I still think Jin Lan is better. It's good enough that Chen Liang maintains this sense of mystery. If he only has 'I Remember' for a short while, it will only make people more disappointed."

……

Jinlan has figured it out now.

She feels that her mind is very sharp and clear now, more so than it has been in the past twenty-odd years.

Guo Xiaoran is handsome, popular, became famous early, and has many songs.

If it were the old her, she would definitely have chosen Guo Xiaoran, who seemed to have a better chance of winning in all aspects.

But after experiencing so much, Jinlan has now come to understand one thing:

He has a high chance of winning, what does that have to do with me?

I can't sing those songs.

Jinlan now selects people based on more than just their reputation.

Just kidding, even someone as famous as Jia Yi, who is known as "the second best", was completely outclassed by the unknown Chen Liang.

Musicians with real talent like Chen Liang are truly amazing. His lack of fame is a sin and punishment for the entire entertainment industry, and a sign of the decline in the aesthetic standards of his fan base.

Jinlan's current player selection strategy is based solely on suitability.

The reason for choosing Meng Xing is that Jin Lan felt Guo Xiaoran was too arrogant and prone to extremism.

If Guo Xiaoran is chosen, it might end up like Jia Yi – disliked, blamed, and ultimately making things ugly for everyone.

Meng Xing seems to have a much better personality; at least his emotions are very stable. Working with him might offer a chance to turn things around.

Of course, no matter how much you talk about it, it won't work if it's not Chen Liang.

She now only trusts Chen Liang; everyone else is just a compromise.

She looked at Chen Liang with a complicated expression for a full minute, but Chen Liang didn't notice her gaze.

Jin Lan suddenly felt like crying, but she didn't understand why she wanted to cry.

It's just about choosing a partner, why is it acting like you've just broken up with someone?

Jinlan, oh Jinlan, you're so useless!

The host picked up the microphone and said: