After Transmigrating Into An Idol Talent Show

The assessment process was quite straightforward. A small camera had been set up on a tripod in the middle of the classroom. Each trainee would take turns standing in front of the camera and perform their rendition of the theme song's choreography.

The recording was continuous. Once all the trainees had finished recording, the footage would be collected by the staff and handed over to the instructors. The results of the second evaluation would be provided on the same day.

"I feel like I'm back in middle school, having a surprise quiz from the class teacher," one trainee held his face and sighed sadly, "This feeling is unique. My current level is like not having reviewed the exam at all. I can only hope for a stroke of luck to barely pass. I just hope I don't drop down any further."

The people around him had been slacking off with him for the past few days. Upon hearing his words, they nodded in agreement, "Yeah, C-rank is fine too. At least we can perform the day after tomorrow. I'm not asking for much."

The surrounding individuals were either praying or hastily trying to review their moves, but it didn’t affect Qin Lu, who was in standing in the center of the classroom, doing some simple stretches in preparation.

Qin Lu’s expression remained unchanged, looking very relaxed. He was earnestly performing his simple warm-up exercises to loosen his body. When the staff signaled that he was ready and the recording began, Qin Lu nodded and walked over to the camera, pressing the record button.

When the red light turned on, the recording had already started. A light green outfit could be seen through the lens, followed by a black-haired boy who got quite close to the camera for a few seconds. He seemed to be checking the camera, and after confirming that it was rolling, he gave a faint smile.

Although Qin Lu had only intended to make sure the camera was working, when this part of the footage was eventually released, all of Qin Lu's fans were so excited that they wanted to run around the block. It could easily be considered one of the most heart-fluttering moments of the year.

Stepping back a couple of paces to the designated spot marked by the staff, Qin Lu lowered his gaze and struck the initial pose, waiting for the music to start.

After all, Qin Lu was the first contestant to record. Everyone in the classroom to halt whatever they were doing and shift their attention to him.

As the first beat resounded —

The students from Class C were a little dazed.

The young man who had been preparing with his head bowed lifted his gaze precisely in time as the prelude began. In the fleeting moment of his shallow smile, it was like a bright and warm light illuminating the ordinary and simple classroom.

Turning, leaping, the ends of his hair rose with each movement.

Once the performance started, the young man, still clad in his ordinary training shirt, seemed to be radiating light, appearing completely transformed.

Inexplicable stage charisma, refreshing and crisp movements, like a summer breeze brushing across one’s cheeks in summer and wafting over the gentle sea — it felt free, dazzling. Like the fireworks that burst forth in the night sky on a summer evening, it could linger in your memory for a long time. This was a tangible yet distant and exquisite sensation.

It made hearts race uncontrollably. The youth's clean voice echoed clearly in their ears. His amber eyes carried a hint of a smile, and it was as if he was really standing in front of you and looking at you through the lens.

It wasn’t until the music stopped and Qin Lu had politely bowed to the camera did the trainees in the room snap out of the mood he had immersed them in.

Qin Lu had transported them into the atmosphere he created, causing everyone else to almost forget that this was an assessment and not just Qin Lu's personal concert stage.

Upon reflection, Qin Lu's movements just now were not considered flawless, and there was still a big gap from the A-rank trainees who had practiced for years. However, his infectious energy was incredibly potent, causing the audience to unconsciously ignore the shortcomings in his performance and instead deeply remember the outstanding parts.

No matter how strong one was, singing and dancing expressionlessly would undermine the integrity of the stage. But Qin Lu showed no sign of nervousness or stiffness; his expression management was at a professional level.

The expressions of those around varied, and it was hard to pinpoint exactly what was going through their minds.

Qin Lu didn't start to catch his breath until after the performance. He steadied his breathing, adjusted himself, then slowly walked back. An excited Su Qinglan leaped up and slapped him on the shoulder.

The little curly-haired boy was more excited than the person himself, unable to resist patting Qin Lu's shoulder several times, happily incoherently exclaiming, "Good, really good, super good... too good!"

Qin Lu couldn't help but want to laugh, a smile in his eyes as he nodded solemnly, "You're absolutely right."

Su Qinglan scratched his head, even happier than if he had received an A ranking himself. He plopped down on the ground, swaying back and forth, "You're the best in Class C, for sure you'll move up!" He chattered himself silly. Qin Lu slapped his forehead, and Su Qinglan covered his head, looking baffled, "Why’d you hit me?"

"Of course, you can do it too," Qin Lu easily sat down beside him and said seriously, "I've been watching you improve every day. Liao Junchen has pointed out and corrected all the areas you need to work on. No problem."

He tilted his head and laughed, "We'll move up together."

Su Qinglan remained stunned for quite some time, his furry head nodding like he was pounding garlic, and he grinned foolishly, "Yeah!"

Three hours later.

All the trainees had finished recording their performances, and the assessment videos were immediately sent to the four mentors. The final assessment results would be provided on the same day.

In the backstage studio, the four mentors, who hadn't gathered together for several days sat around a table, ready to review the training results of the ninety-nine trainees.

"I'm actually looking forward to this," Mentor Yin Suli had drawn a smoky eye makeup that she liked very much today and was in a good mood. "I've been observing a few key trainees. Let's see if they can surprise me today."

Yao Chen couldn't help but chuckle, "I can probably guess who Mentor Yin has been focusing on. Well, I'm curious too."

"Should we start with Class A or Class F?"

Yin Suli decisively said, "Let's start with F. Otherwise, if we start with A first, I might get increasingly irritable as I watch, which could affect my impartial grading of the lower-ranked trainees."

"That makes sense. Sometimes it's best to suppress and then surprise. Who knows, maybe there's a child in Class F who will skyrocket to kill Class A?"

"That would be quite a spectacle," Mentor Lai Yuhan winked.

The mentors exchanged glances and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

An hour later, Mentor Yin Sulit's fierce temper got a little worse.

She couldn't help but forcefully tap her ballpoint pen on the table several times, looking skeptical about life, "Five whole days, what on earth have these people been practicing? Can they even go on stage like this?"

She was really reaching her limits.

The dance instructor for Class F, Yao Chen, had a look of distress on his face, "As I said, the assessment this time isn't just about rankings, but also about whether they can impress the audience. This show isn't charity, nor is it possible to always coddle them. If they don't practice seriously soon, they might really be eliminated."

"And there's not much time left until the first elimination." Lai Yuhang shook his head, "They have limited time left, and the trainees who did not show improvement and stand out might soon face the possibility of being sent home."

"Not crying until you see the coffin, what a waste of effort! Forgetting the lyrics in the first line, standing there like a fool for half a minute, and dancing without singing, are you mute?! Even humming a couple of lines with your mouth closed would be better than being as stiff as a log. And you expect the audience to watch you? They'd throw rotten eggs at you through the screen. Go back home and cry, what's the use?" Yin Suli's violent temper was really uncontrollable, saying one thing after another. She had been harshly criticized by netizens in other shows for speaking her mind, but she couldn't seem to control this candid and outspoken habit of hers.

After Yin Suli's outburst, the other three mentors exchanged glances, unsure of what to say.

Let's continue watching. Only a promising talent could lift Yin Suli's spirits, transforming cloudy to sunny.

After enduring another half hour of dreadful performances, a glimmer of anticipation finally returned to Yin Suli's eyes.

In the video footage, a tall and handsome trainee who seemed out of place among the rest stood with a calm demeanor, executing a precise and meticulous bow at exactly ninety degrees. "Hello, mentors. I am Han Suyan."

Oh, he was the one with the radio gymnastics. The mentors had a strong impression of him and were all a little curious.

It was unknown if he was just talking about practicing continuously if the dance wasn't good, or if it was just empty words.

After the first eight beats, a smile began to appear in Yin Suli's eyes.

Even a complete novice could easily tell that Han Suyan had definitely put in the effort and practiced seriously. Although his movements were not yet crisp and lacked fluidity, each motion was vey standard, and he tried his best to stay on rhythm and beats.

In his previous performance, Han Suyan had just counted “one-two-three-four-two-two-three-four”, but this time he managed to sing the theme song while executing high-intensity dance moves, which was quite commendable.

Han Suyan was a natural bass and the range before entering the chorus was very suitable for him. His magnetic and resonant voice was captivatingly deep, and he sang without trembling or gasping, maintaining remarkable vocal stability.

If one judged according to the slightly lenient standards of the initial stage, Han Suyan's rating could already reach a C.

Yin Suli's accumulated dissatisfaction was swept away in an instant.

There was never a shortage of those who desperately practice because of their lack of talent and those who harbor unrealistic dreams of soaring to the sky without any effort. However, even after witnessing countless instances of resourceful individuals in reality, Yin Suli, who regarded the stage as her original purpose, firmly believed that only by giving it your all can you create the most brilliant and dazzling stage.

External assistance may bestow a fleeting glory upon the ordinary, but it cannot force the audience to pay attention. The overwhelming and seemingly inexplicable love from fans may originate from various minor reasons such as good looks, an cute smile, a melodious voice. Yet, the continuous release of dopamine, which is usually quite stingy, ultimately stems from the purest dedication and passion.

Mentor Yin Suli became pleased, and could now hold back her temper for at least a couple of hours.

While no one from Class F managed a soaring leap to stage a big counterattack, at least Han Suyan had successfully secured an opportunity to perform in the upcoming performance in two days. Furthermore, he would obtain at least 0.5 seconds of individual screen time in the recording of the theme song's video. Other Class C trainees might not receive the same individual spotlight treatment, but with Han Suyan's striking appearance that was heaven-defying even among the trainees, the director might choose to capture him in a close-up shot for the sake of ratings. Once he got the chance to appear in public, Han Suyan would undoubtedly attract a large number of fans who admired his good looks in a short period of time.

During the preliminary voting phase, this was akin to a long health bar that could absolutely avert elimination for Han Suyan.

The future course of events depended on his subsequent performance. If he turned out to be a complete waste, even the most attractive face can become tiresome eventually.

Indeed, those who show progress were different. It was somewhat like the satisfaction of nurturing, and many fans were willing to overlook shortcomings in the beginning stages. If one could start transparently and become a superstar (1), it was like hitting the jackpot – a feeling that was hard to describe, akin to the indescribable pleasure and joy of opening a mystery box.

The process moved swiftly, and the mentors remained focused, rejecting the well-intentioned break time arranged by the staff, working overtime to continue to reach Class C in one breath.

"Hmm, I’m a bit disappointed," said Mentor Yao Chen as he chewed on the pen cap, flipping through the scores that had just been completed scoring. "The kids from Class D did well. Many of them have leveled up, and it's evident that they put in the effort. But those few from Class C just now, it's clear they haven't practiced properly."

"They're wearing their 'fluke' mindset (2) on their faces, thinking they've concealed it well," sighed Lai Yuhan, shaking his head helplessly. These kids were still too young; their little tricks could be seen through at a glance.

"Right, isn’t Qin Lu in this class?"

"Oh yes, that spirited kid."

What the mentors didn't know was that Qin Lu was originally the first one to perform. However, the production team, for the sake of the show's effect, moved him to a later slot before presenting them with the edited footage.

But this rough cut with hasty changes was easily discerned by the mentors as soon as Qin Lu appeared. The scenes weren't coherent, and when Qin Lu approached the camera, it was clear he was turning it on.

"This is interesting. The production team wouldn't do this for no reason," Yao Chen, having participated in many variety shows, understood the common tactics of production teams. There must be something significant about Qin Lu for them to pull off such a move.

Watching the close-up shot of Qin Lu on screen, Yin Suli subconsciously touched her own face and sighed, "Youth is a wonderful thing. I had such a beautiful face without makeup twenty years ago."

The young man in the video flashed a gentle smile, his fine black hair exuding a sense of freshness and cleanliness, fulfilling every girl's ideal fantasy.

When he stepped into his starting position, all the mentors couldn't help but hold their breath.

It was beginning.

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Translator's notes

(1) Like the feeling of following a unknown celebrity from the beginning of their career and slowly watching them become famous—like winning the gatcha (The transparently part is prob referring to doing it without tricks or cheating, etc.)

(2) Relying on a lucky break

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translator's corner

please like and drop a comment! I'll need the motivation now that uni's starting soon noooooo