Who says meal replacements can’t be eaten as meals?

"After introducing today's contestants, let's take a look at today's judges." Miao Meng turned around and raised the camera above her head. "First, of course, it's the second most beautiful girl in the world, who is youthful and flawless, and the drummer of the band, Miao Meng herself."

A big doubt flashed through Sakuya's little head. The drummer of the band is a second-year senior from Yugaoka, which means that Meowme-chin... is a high school student!

Listening to Miao Meng's self-introduction, Togawa Akiie's face became a little stiff for a moment. She reached out to hold her eyes. Sure enough, the camera soon cut to her front.

"The next one is naturally the best in the world, the most beautiful high school student in Tokyo, and the keyboard player, Xiao Qiuhui!" There was a triumphant smile in Miao Meng's eyes.

Miss Sakuya, who felt as if she was being fed a mouthful of dog food for no reason, also turned her head and looked at Senior Akiie who was sitting upright.

"Hello everyone, my name is Togawa Akee." Her long career as a discipline committee member successfully helped Miss Akee to keep a straight face. She still looked serious, but her toes wrapped in her small leather shoes had long been completely curled up.

Miao Meng, who didn't want to embarrass Qiu Hui, quickly shifted his firepower, and the camera screen cut to the third table on the far right.

It was at this moment that Ms. Sakuya noticed that there was another person sitting in the room.

The medium-length golden hair is covered by a pure white baseball cap, and sunglasses are hung on the chest, revealing lively purple eyes and a precocious face that is different from Miao Meng, giving people a friendly feeling. The white casual clothes perfectly show the owner's positive attitude.

Sanjiao Chuhua took the initiative to show a business-like smile to the camera, chuckled and said:

"Hello everyone, I am Sanjiao Chuhua."

“That’s right, the final judge is this episode’s special guest, the hot star who will be the lead guitarist in [NyaAki] in the future, Sumimi’s White Wing - Triangle Chuhua!” Miao Meng continued to introduce with all her might, as if she had already seen the bright future of the video becoming a hit after it was edited.

Pa Chi Pa Chi——

Miss Sakuya, who was very cooperative, clapped twice and realized that she was the only one who was clapping foolishly. She withdrew her hands awkwardly, and even heard Hailing's laughter from the side.

"The introductions have been recorded, and next is the interview part." After installing the camera at a suitable angle, Miao Meng casually pulled out a chair and sat in front of the judges' table on the left.

"Let's start with Sakiko. Why do you want to be the bassist for us [NyaAki]?"

Subconsciously sitting up straight, Miss Sakuya thought for a while, then decided to give up thinking and spoke hesitantly:

"Because... you're looking for a bass player?"

Chapter 30 There are differences among bassists

GB-4 - Violet Andromeda Satin.

ESP just launched the new LTD series bass last year.

The 34-inch bolt-on, wetland ash body and thin U-shaped maple neck are equipped with Seymour Duncan SSB-4 passive pickups. Whether it is stacking high and low bass or maintaining midrange control, it can easily meet the needs. There is also a pull-push function on the volume knob to enable the Duncan STC-3M3 active EQ designed specifically for slap bass, which makes the GB-4's tone more rounded and thick in the bass end.

Of course, the above advantages are not the main reasons why Ms. Sakuya chose this bass, and the reason they appear at the beginning of this chapter is just because the unscrupulous author wants to add 100 words.

As a birthday gift from my father on my last birthday in junior high school, the biggest advantage of this fatherly bass is that it looks good.

It looks so beautiful!

The unique matte black pickguard allows the bass to show a beautiful gradient from starry blue to violet under different light conditions. During stage performances, it looks like different brilliant colors from any angle.

It can be said that one of the main reasons why Ms. Sakuya persisted in training hard was the GB-4's stunning appearance under the setting sun, which was enough to capture the hearts of any bassist.

After answering several inexplicable questions, mainly those raised by Meow Meng, Ms. Sakuya finally took out her father's bass that she had carried all the way from her hometown, fastened the shoulder strap, tested the sound, and prepared to start her performance.

"Well, our Sakiko seems very skilled. I wonder what kind of rock performance she will bring? Let's wait and see, meow meow~" Meow Meng half lay on the table and placed the camera at the most suitable point.

The warm yellow light of the recording studio fell, and the matte surface of the GB-4 revealed a magnificent purple galaxy. At this moment, Ms. Sakuya really looked like a bass master.

The brisk jumping sound came first, and it was a little stumbling at first, but it quickly adjusted.

The melody that blends funk and jazz styles comes out with the girl's skillful finger-picking and vibrato.

The thumb is pointing upward, forming an angle of about 60 degrees with the string. The index and middle fingers fly up and down flexibly on the bass line, making a combination of hits and hooks.

Hachiman Kailin recognized the song as soon as Sakuya played the first set of staccato notes - "Sir Duke".

This classic jazz piece from the last century is an exercise piece that almost every professional bassist has played. I have also used it to practice switching between bass lines and handling complex chords.

The continuous beat between jazz and funk filled her ears, and Hai Ling's mouth, which had never fluctuated, also showed a smile.

Sakuya's playing was just as she thought. Her slender fingers were almost born for the bass. Although it was not at the professional level, it was very close.

such a pity--

Sakuya, you made a very basic mistake.

None of the judges today can play the bass.

No matter how classic "Jazz Duke" is, it is a song from decades ago and has no rock elements at all. Even if the skills required are very high, it will be completely useless if the judges cannot recognize it, and it will be a big disadvantage during the selection process.

The five-minute solo ended quickly. Fine beads of sweat appeared on Sakuya's smooth forehead. She let out a light breath and puffed out her chest with satisfaction. She was still very confident about this bass piece that she had practiced the most.

Triangle Chuhua, who was wearing a baseball cap, was the first to applaud, Qiu Hui exclaimed in praise, and Miao Meng became even more excited, meowing a series of words of praise towards the camera.

"As expected of Sakiko, this level of bass is definitely the best among female high school students, and it sounds very retro." Miao Meng rested her chin on the table with both hands, preparing to proceed to the next step of pressing the lights.

Click——

The crisp sound of the buckle being released interrupted Miao Meng's next words.

Hailing held her black and gold bass and stood directly next to Sakuya.

Ms. Sakuya looked at the purple nanmu seven-string bass in Hailing's hand with some surprise. It was slightly longer than the GB-4 in her hand. As far as I can remember, AR-07 doesn't have this black and gold color scheme. It's probably a customized high-end version.

"Eh? Haizi, wait a minute, it's not your turn yet." Miao Meng spoke to comfort him in confusion.

"It doesn't matter. It's video material anyway." Hai Ling adjusted the position of the shoulder strap, and placed her slender index finger on the golden sliding switch, and the bass pickup was connected to the Shechter AR-06 in her hand.

After listening to Sakuya's performance, Hailing had already thought of the song to play, which was also a jazz piece.

After all, I don't have the habit of taking advantage of others.

The pick slid neatly from the top, and Hai Ling began her performance.

The rock sound with jazz as the background soon filled the entire space.

Schechter's original double-blade pickup faithfully expresses the nuances of Hailing's fingertips. The strings are captured by the pickup with minimal vibration, and the precise high notes rise with extremely fast momentum.

Multiple sections of continuous tremolo followed one after another, followed by mute sounds, vibrato, and then six sections of continuous tremolo that were exactly the same as the beginning, repeating over and over again.

The index, middle and ring fingers of her right hand slid in a three-finger technique that was so neat and mechanical that it could almost be described as mechanical. The movement of her left hand on the strings was not fast, not even as fast as Sakuya's previous playing speed, but it was extremely precise, and so far no wrong notes had been heard.

Sakuya, who had been standing next to Hailing, saw it most clearly. Hailing was playing the bass part of "Noble Dance". Without the cooperation of guitar and drums, the sound of the bass sounded a bit monotonous and dull, but the six consecutive notes without any difference and the tapping of the strings with the same interval time were something he could never do.

Hailing's cycle lasted for about three minutes. Although the seniors had not yet given their opinions, as a bassist, Ms. Sakuya knew that she had already lost.

"Hey... Haizi, you play the piano very well, but this will mess up my program plans." Miss Miao Meng held her forehead helplessly.

"Today we are just recruiting." Hai Ling unplugged the data cable connected to the loudspeaker. "Before I officially join, it seems that there is no need for me to cooperate with you in the filming. It would be better for everyone if we finish it early, right?"

"Well, that's what I said... Anyway, although it's a bit sudden, let's see what the judges choose." Miao Meng turned the camera around. "Both of you performed very well, but there is only one position for the bassist. What will our judges choose?"

"Is it Sakiko, who has a lively style and plays with a classical feel?"

"Or is it Haizi who conquered everyone with his impeccable bass skills?"

After a few seconds of silence for the fact that she did not exist yet but still lost one million views, Miss Miao Meng turned the camera to today's traffic star.

"Hatsuko, what do you think?"

Chapter 31 I will be the leading lady of the new band

Sanjiao Chuhua's mood at this moment was quite subtle.

There is a saying that when luck is bad, gold turns into iron, and when luck is good, iron turns into gold. If you plant flowers intentionally, they will not say a word, but if you plant willows unintentionally, they will grow into shade.

The ancients do not deceive me.

The beginning of the school year is the busiest time for work, especially for a small idol group like Sumimi that mainly targets high school girls. According to common sense, it is absolutely impossible for me to agree to such an outrageous commission to join another band, even if the creator said in advance that it was just a hobby band formed for video traffic.

The rest time has been squeezed by schedule and practice, and Sumimi's teammate Junda Mana who came to Tokyo with him is not mature enough and lacks independent thinking. If he abandons her, Mana will soon be swallowed up by Tokyo's ruthless capital, or even worse.

So, when the client, Ms. Miao Meng, whispered to me in a low voice that this commission was assigned by Togawa, I simply couldn't refuse.

Togawa, Toyokawa, is Shoko's surname.

Even after so many years, no one can replace Xiangzi's position in her heart.

The scene of the two of them lying on the green carpet and gazing at the stars is still recalled from time to time.

Whenever I feel tired of practicing or disappointed with the results of a performance, the blessing text message that Xiangzi sent me a year ago would give me strength like a warm current.

When I first came to Tokyo, my purpose was to become a big man worthy of the status and position of Shoko Toyokawa's family.

Although it’s a little early to meet now, I’m somewhat famous. If I could stand next to Xiangzi and play…

After the surprise, there is more calm thinking.

Yes, if it weren't for the large capital like the Toyokawa family, how could the production company agree to let the popular first-line star go to another band to be the guitarist and lead singer? This is a one-way transfusion. At least Chuhua doesn't think that Miss Miao Meng can provide the production company with a salary that matches her worth.

But if it is interpreted as tribute or exchange of interests, it is very reasonable.

The production company uses its own popular young actors to attract traffic to others, and the Toyokawa family will naturally provide a return of ten times or a hundred times. Not to mention the media resources controlled by the Toyokawa family, the annual profit from the endorsement fees of the Toyokawa Group's products alone is hundreds of millions.

In fact, the situation is similar to what I guessed. Miss Miao Meng is the drummer, so the girl with the surname Togawa can only be the keyboardist in the team.

To some extent, Chuhua's reasoning was not wrong.

The keyboard player is indeed a girl named Togawa. The Togawa Group is a new upstart that has emerged in Tokyo in the past decade and does have the power to make a deal with the firm.

When Chuhua met Togawa Akee for the first time, he felt a little devastated.

I practiced my facial expressions many times in advance, just to show the surprise of meeting again after a long separation. I also adjusted my hairstyle and eyes to be similar to the previous ones. I spent three hours putting on makeup in advance, and another hour to make myself look like I didn't wear much makeup. When Miao Meng opened the door of the practice room, I was filled with great happiness.

No, hold it in! I can't laugh yet, but... all the guys and offices that are in the way have disappeared. Next, Shoko will play in the same band as me no matter what. At this rate, it's only a matter of time before I gain Shoko's friendship. Only I can do it! Can anyone else do it? Yes, I'm the only one who can be the lead guitarist! I will be the heroine of Toyokawa Shoko!

The door opened, and the soft warm yellow light in the practice room heralded a bright future.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Togawa Akiie, who's in charge of keyboards. Thank you very much to Sankaku-san for participating in this commission. On behalf of Meowme, I'd like to thank you for your assistance." Togawa Akiie spoke softly in her signature, polite and rational voice.

But Chu Hua was filled with doubts, his smile was frozen on his face, and his acting skills, which he had practiced for so long, were almost impossible to maintain. In the end, he reluctantly responded under the cover of sunglasses.

Looking at Miao Meng and Qiu Hui who had been clinging to each other since they came in, Sanjiao Chuhua just thought they were noisy. Nodding to greet Hai Ling who came in, Sanjiao Chuhua was already calculating in his mind how much the penalty for breach of contract would be.

Quietly huddled in a corner, watching Miao Meng directing the staff to install colored lights, Chu Hua saw an unexpectedly familiar figure appear in front of him.

"Ahahaha... I'm Ichinose Sakuya, the bassist who's here to take the test today."

======

"Hatsuko, what do you think?"

Miss Miao Meng's exaggerated voice also sounded more pleasing to the ear.

Looking at the flaxen-haired girl in the distance who was holding her bass tightly and falling into silence, Sanjiao Chuhua gradually overlapped her figure with the image of the girl he often saw on SNS.

The same long flaxen hair, gray-blue eyes, and face are exactly the same, and the instrument she plays is also bass. There is no doubt that she is Crychic's former bassist!

It couldn't be possible that she had a twin sister who had been separated from her in elementary school, and only came back to Tokyo to attend high school a month ago, and who happened to have long hair like her and played the bass?

Ichinose Sakuya, right? Although I don't know why she moved from Tsuki no Mori to Hanegaoka, I will definitely be able to find information related to Xiaoxiang through her.

That band hasn't released any updates since a year ago, and my only channel to learn about Xiaoxiang has disappeared.

This is the compensation God has given me. I must not let it go. I must establish a relationship with Ichinose Sakuya today!

So, I'm sorry, Hailing-san, although I recommended you to come to [NyaAki] as a supporting bassist, and your performance is indeed impeccable, but...

Using the unique expression management ability of an idol trainee to control her signature business smile, Cho Hwa, with a sunny attitude, pressed the green button on the left side of the table that represents OO.

"As for me, I really prefer Ms. Ichinose's performance. It matches my usual style very well. I feel like we will work well together in the future."

"Eh? Thank you..." Miss Sakuya, who was still immersed in the afterglow of Hailing's performance, heard her name and looked up at Chuhua in surprise. The gap between her and Hailing in bass was actually very obvious. Miss Sanjiao said this to comfort me... What a gentle person.

"Eh? Hatsuko actually chose Sakiko! That's really surprising. The audience likes to watch unpredictable things like this. Not bad." Miss Meow Meng was still thinking about her audition program, so she was naturally happy to see the results of the program that was delivered to her. "So, Akie-chan, whose performance do you like better?"

"As for me, I actually like Sakuya-san's performance as well." Akie looked at Sakuya with an apologetic look in her eyes. "But if it comes to selecting a bassist, I would still choose Kailing-san."

Chapter 32: It's not a good idea to go out for a drink at this time

I don’t know if you have ever had this experience.

I didn't have much hope at first, and I participated in the lucky draw with the intention of participating. As a result, the turntable with a very low probability of winning unexpectedly hovered in a small fan-shaped area painted in festive red, just a little bit away, and then just missed it by a hair and landed on the "Thank you for participating" on the side. I kept thinking that it must be a despicable conspiracy of the merchant, but I still felt a little disappointed.

Just like when you are drawing alone, you clearly know that there is almost no chance of you hitting the target in one shot, but if there is a small guaranteed probability of 50%, you will still unconsciously look forward to it in your heart.

Ichinose Sakuya felt similarly at this moment. Her bass playing skills were definitely not as good as Hailing's, but she unexpectedly gained the favor of Sankaku.

The important task of deciding on the bassist finally fell into the hands of Miao Meng. However, Miss Miao Meng’s eccentric personality was totally unpredictable. Would he... still have a chance?

To recover from the slight disappointment of not being as skilled as her opponent, Ms. Sakuya held the handle of the bass and looked at Meow Mengqin nervously.