In the blink of an eye, June stole in quietly. Qin Tian received a notification from the production team instructing him to head to Zhejiang Province to prepare for the upcoming recording.
The night before the recording, the moment he arrived in Zhejiang, Qin Tian tossed and turned with excitement, visions of becoming an overnight sensation flashing through his mind. Yet amidst this joy, he abruptly realized that he did not seem to have a clear plan for his future life. Apart from singing, he had no clue what life after singing would look like, and for a moment, he felt as though he had lived his life in vain.
In truth, it was no wonder Qin Tian felt so lost. After all, he had once been nobody special. Sometimes, while reading web novels, he always felt that those plots about being reborn and making a comeback were far too absurd. Could a loser who had accomplished nothing in his past life really chat and laugh with various big shots right after rebirth? Such an aura clearly required cultivation, exposure, and learning to acquire, rather than coming naturally.
His mind swirling with thoughts, Qin Tian finally succumbed to exhaustion and fell fast asleep.
With things weighing on his mind, Qin Tian woke up early the next day and went to the square near the hotel to practice his vocalizations. Ever since he decided to study music, he knew deep down that he could not let this opportunity pass him by. In his past life, he had neither the opportunity nor the drive. But in this life, he was going to seize every single chance to learn.
Upon arriving at the television studio and going through some discussions, the production team decided to let Qin Tian debut in the very first episode and serve as the closing guest. Therefore, his recording slot was scheduled for later.
Even though Qin Tian tried hard to adjust his mindset, nervousness clung to him like a shadow. Ever since last night, he had been restless, unable to focus on anything.
An hour before the recording, Qin Tian was called in for makeup. At first, the stylist from the production team wanted him to try an alternative look, seeing as how non-mainstream styles were all the rage on talent shows these days, perhaps adding an ear stud to create a cool vibe.
Qin Tian flatly refused! Are you kidding me? He was a time traveler from the future who had witnessed the aesthetic shifts of every era. People in the future had completely trashed the non-mainstream look, and public aesthetics had long since returned to normal. If he had really listened to the stylist, it would have definitely become a dark stain in his history once he became famous.
Now, after growing for over a year, Qin Tian's height had shot up to 182 centimeters. At twenty-five, he still had a few centimeters left to grow; reaching 185 centimeters was definitely not a problem.
He changed into a small white T-shirt, jeans, and white sneakers. Accented by his handsome features, his buzz cut and fresh, clean makeup made him look like a living, breathing teenage idol.
"Non-mainstream my foot!" Qin Tian muttered to himself.
After finishing his makeup, Qin Tian went backstage and saw many people nervously getting ready. Even though the cameras were pointed right at them, everyone still had to pretend to be unfazed.
Fortunately, Qin Tian was the last one to go on. By the time he came out, the number of people had halved compared to when he first arrived. Among those left, some had been chosen and some hadn't. Those who had been chosen were probably nobodies too—at least Qin Tian didn't recognize a single one.
"Qin Tian, get ready for standby. Since you are going on last, and you're singing an original song, the production team cleared the room to prevent the song from leaking in advance. We've also prepared the lyrics for the four mentors," a staff member explained to him.
At the same time, other staff members were explaining to the four mentors that after the audience left, there was still one singer left to perform an original song.
"What's this kid's background? They actually cleared the venue just for him?" Sister Na asked curiously.
Huan Ge replied, "To make the production team pay this much attention, the quality of the song must be pretty good."
"Then let's see what magic this kid has that makes the production team value him so much," the other mentors also expressed their curiosity.
"Now let's welcome our next contestant, performing the song *Wukong*. Please put your hands together!" Hua Shuo shouted into the empty, spacious studio hall.
"Applause? There's no audience, so where's the applause coming from? Do they have to rely on post-production editing for that? I'm dead! In the future, no matter who sings, editors can make the audience cry—will my singing make the audience cry too?" Qin Tian complained inwardly.
Strangely enough, after having his little rant, Qin Tian didn't feel quite as nervous anymore.
Just as he finished complaining, the staff finished adjusting the microphone. Dressed in his white T-shirt and carrying a guitar, Qin Tian walked to the center of the stage.
Looking at the four mentors sitting with their backs to him, he pondered to himself: I wonder how many mentors will turn around for me? I don't dare dream about all four turning, but at least one would be great! Then, with a bit of fame, I can release songs. If all four turn, I'll hit the jackpot! That would simply be a dream start!
Once he was ready, Qin Tian nodded to the band members. As the drumbeat kicked in, the guitar joined right along. Qin Tian began to sing: "The moon splashes across the stars, a long and weary road, the wind and smoke burn away, a lonely shadow lingers..."
With the very first note, his clear vocal timbre painted a scene of desolate and chilling solitude. The four mentors' eyes lit up as they looked at the lyrics. Unexpectedly, Sister Na turned around immediately!
Qin Tian secretly rejoiced inwardly: Awesome, awesome! But this is different from TV! There was no "pop" sound when she turned! It must have been added in post-production! Fearing he would lose focus, he quickly closed his eyes and continued singing.
Sister Na muttered to herself: The production team actually cleared the venue for this kid, so this song definitely has no major issues. Taking the first turn brings a bit of human touch, and it'll be easier to snatch him later. She turned around—well, well, this kid really is handsome!
"Who calls me extraordinarily skilled,
Who leaves me torn between love and hate?
Until the end,
My heart shatters into pieces.
The illusionary world hangs above,
Letting go of grudges and grievances.
Awakening from delusion to cast away obsession,
The six dusts remain unchanged."
These lyrics were practically tailor-made for Wukong's emotional predicament, depicting a fantasy world where cause and effect revolve endlessly and right from wrong is hard to tell apart.
"Both angry and sorrowful, wildly unbridled,
Are you human, ghost, or demon?
When all is said and done,
Aren't you just harboring inner demonic debts!"
Sister Na shook her head from side to side, immersed in the lyrics. Suddenly, Harlem shouted, "I want to hear the next line!" At the same time, backstage, Qin Tian's parents were shouting, "Turn, turn, turn!"
"What use do I have for this iron rod?"
As soon as Qin Tian sang those words, Harlem and Yang 32 hit their buttons and turned around simultaneously, instantly filling the backstage with jubilation.
"Even if I have it,
So what if this transformation happens?
Still restless,
Still dejected.
The golden hoop presses upon my head,
Words fail at the tip of my tongue."
Upon hearing this, Huan Ge couldn't help pressing his button to turn around as well. He was thoroughly satisfied with this song, and the original composition was particularly impressive.
"Young man, your voice sounds quite young, but to write a song with such depth and substance is truly remarkable! You must be well encouraged—you're a rising star in our show," Huan Ge said with a gratified expression.
Normally, a singer's performance would last only a minute or two, but because Qin Tian's original song was of such high quality, the production team specially allowed him to sing the entire piece.
As the song ended, Qin Tian slowly opened his eyes, having been immersed right back into that unyielding rhythm the moment he closed them. Opening his eyes again, he saw that all four had turned!
"Did the first season give a cash bonus for four turns?" Qin Tian's train of thought leaped randomly as this actually crossed his mind. Indeed, such a rule existed—a four-turn rewarded five thousand yuan.
"This song is truly wonderful. Even though there's no audience, the applause cannot be lacking!" Huan Ge pointed out the reality of the situation and cheered Qin Tian on. Fostering newcomers was his original intention for joining the show.
"Thank you, Teacher Liu Huan!" Qin Tian hurriedly bowed in gratitude. After a four-turn, they should have interacted to liven up the atmosphere, but with no audience present, everyone kept it a bit casual.
Harlem had to compose himself and push the process forward: "As everyone knows, our production team placed a lot of importance on this song. After listening to you sing it, I feel it truly lives up to its name and didn't let down the production team's expectations. It's fantastic!"
"He really sings well!" Yang 32 chimed in. Qin Tian continued to bow, acting like a polite, exemplary young man—nothing wrong with that!
"To be honest, I was quite surprised," Sister Na finally spoke up. "When I first saw you, I thought to myself, this kid is really handsome. But I never expected that not only are you so good-looking, your vocal skills are also this amazing. When I first heard you were doing an original song, I thought you were just some arrogant fellow. It turns out I was completely wrong. You sang brilliantly!"