After taking advice, I became a top male idol.

Chapter 40 Ye Lan's Team Assembles!

The day after the competition format was announced.

The five members of Ye Lan's team—Lin Zhixing, Gu Qingzhou, Song Zixuan, Chen Xi, and Li Bowen—reunited once again.

Compared to the tension and anxiety before the last round of the competition, everyone's condition was obviously much better this time. After all, all members advanced and their morale was high.

"Hey, did you hear? It seems the competition format has changed again." Chen Xi whispered to Song Zixuan.

"Yeah, the production team really does whatever they want. I wonder what kind of trouble they'll cause this time." Song Zixuan also looked worried.

Gu Qingzhou remained calm, fiddling with her sunglasses, and laughed, "What's there to be afraid of? We'll meet force with force. Our team is a top contender for the championship right now, we can't afford to lose momentum."

Li Bowen remained silent. If it weren't for Lin Zhixing's heroic efforts in the last round, he might have been eliminated. This time, he was determined to prove himself.

Lin Zhixing sat in the corner, holding a bottle of water in his hand, his expression calm.

"Have they all arrived?"

The familiar sound of high heels rang out as Ye Lan pushed open the door and entered, followed by Zhao Yu.

"Hello, Sister Lan! Hello, Teacher Zhao!"

Everyone immediately stood up to greet them.

Ye Lan wore a dark blue suit jacket today, with a white silk camisole underneath and matching suit pants, making her look capable and powerful.

She walked to the head of the table and sat down, getting straight to the point without any preamble.

"I'm sure you've all heard the rumors; the format for this semi-final is indeed very exciting."

"Battle Royale, Round of 16 to Round of 4"

"That means the remaining 16 contestants will be randomly divided into four groups of four, competing in a round-robin format. In the end, only the first-place finisher from each group will advance directly to the finals."

"What?!"

Although they were mentally prepared, everyone still felt a bit disheartened when they heard the ratio of "four to one".

A free-for-all? Random grouping?

Heh, isn't this just making it easier for capital to draw lots in the dark? Lin Zhixing knew this perfectly well.

"This elimination rate is way too high!" Chen Xi couldn't help but say.

"That's not all." Zhao Yu pushed up his glasses and added, "The specific rules are that each contestant's final score consists of two parts: 60% from the 500 audience judges and 40% from the 50 media judges."

"What does this mean?"

Zhao Yu looked around at everyone, "This means that this competition will not only consider singing skills, but also popularity! Audience appeal! Media preferences!"

"There's one more thing," Ye Lan said calmly, "The group assignments and order of appearance will be determined by drawing lots on the day of the competition. In other words, you might encounter anyone, even—your own people."

This is the cruelest part.

If you're drawn into a PK matchup with someone in the same group, then it's a true "self-destruction."

The atmosphere in the preparation room instantly became tense.

"What? Are you all scared stiff?"

Ye Lan chuckled as she observed everyone's reactions. "In this industry, it's all about natural selection. A more brutal competition format might not be a bad thing."

"No matter how the competition format changes, no matter who your opponent is, or even how the judges vote, remember one thing."

"Singing well is the most important thing."

"As long as your voice is powerful enough, as long as your work is excellent enough, no one can ignore you. Just like 'The Red-Clad Lamenter' in the last show, just like 'The Lone Warrior'."

Ye Lan's gaze fell on Lin Zhixing. "In the face of absolute strength, all rules are just decorations."

"Yes, Sister Lan!"

"Alright, everyone go back and prepare. The theme this time is 'love,' which is a broad topic but also easy to fall into clichés. Be careful when choosing songs." Ye Lan waved her hand. "Zhao Yu, you take them to choose songs."

"Okay." Zhao Yu stood up.

Ye Lan called out to Lin Zhixing.

"Lin Zhixing, you stay."

Lin Zhixing stopped in his tracks. "Sister Lan."

Ye Lan pulled a document from the files on the table and handed it to him: "This is a supplementary explanation just sent by the production team, regarding the composition of the media review panel. Take a look."

Lin Zhixing took a look and raised an eyebrow slightly.

Among these 50 media judges, many are executives from major record labels and management companies, and there are even a few well-known music critics.

"Many of these are your old friends," Ye Lan said meaningfully. "People from Xinghuang Entertainment are also here."

Lin Zhixing smiled and said, "It seems that this time we not only have to guard against the opponent, but also against hidden attacks."

"Scared?" Ye Lan looked at him.

"Scared?" Lin Zhixing casually placed the documents on the table. "If I were scared, I wouldn't have come."

"Very good." Ye Lan nodded in satisfaction, leaning back in her chair with her long legs crossed. A languid, commanding presence, unique to mature women, emanated from her. "The theme this time is 'love.' What are you planning to sing?"

"Original," Lin Zhixing answered crisply.

"Oh? Another original work?"

Ye Lan looked at him with great interest, her slender fingers supporting her chin. "What style is it this time? Traditional Chinese style? Or rock?"

"Neither."

Lin Zhixing thought for a moment, and the enduringly popular song came to mind.

"You'll find out when the time comes," Lin Zhixing said, keeping everyone in suspense.

Ye Lan couldn't help but laugh at his confident demeanor.

"Since you've made up your mind, I'll wait and see. I hope you can surprise me again this time."

"But let me make this clear first, if you mess up the performance, I won't let you off the hook."

……

When Chen Xi left the lounge, he was dawdling and waiting at the corner of the corridor.

Upon seeing Lin Zhixing emerge, her cheeks instantly flushed, and she stood with her long, straight legs crossed somewhat awkwardly.

"Um... Brother Zhixing." She pulled an unopened bottle of drink from her pocket and shoved it into Lin Zhixing's hand without saying a word. "Good luck in the semi-finals, you can definitely do it!"

Lin Zhixing looked at the still-warm drink in his hand, reached out and ruffled Chen Xi's hair. "Thanks, little long legs."

"Who...who is the long-legged one!" Chen Xi's heart raced as he casually patted her head.

Chen Xi looked up at Lin Zhixing's calm profile and couldn't help but ask, "Brother Zhixing, aren't you afraid of such a cruel competition format this time?"

Lin Zhixing smiled and said, "What's the use of being afraid? In this industry, you either win or you get out."

......

Yanjing, a high-end luxury apartment.

As night falls, the city's neon lights begin to flicker.

This is a top-floor duplex apartment in the city center, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of Beijing's most vibrant nightscape.

This is the home of Zhou Xuan, the "Crown Princess" of Tianyue Entertainment.

In the living room, Zhou Xuan and Chen Xi were wearing silk pajamas and luxurious face masks, sprawled on the sofa without any regard for their image.

The TV was replaying a clip of Lin Zhixing singing "Red-Clad" from the previous episode of "The Voice of China".

Zhou Xuan was holding a tablet and scrolling through a collection of Lin Zhixing's short videos.

"Why is this person so stubborn?"

While scrolling through videos, Zhou Xuan couldn't help but complain, "I told him exactly that: give him an A-level contract, give him the best resources, and even give him a certain degree of freedom. And what did he do? He insisted on starting his own studio! And he wants to be affiliated with someone else! Who does he think he is?"

Chen Xi cupped her face in her hands, watching Lin Zhixing on TV with stars in her eyes.

"Perhaps... this is the arrogance of a talented person."

Chen Xi sighed, "Think about it, Sister Xuan. If he were like everyone else, timid and submissive, or willing to do anything for money, could he still write songs like 'The Lone Warrior' and 'The Red-Haired Girl'? Could they still have that kind of heart-stirring power?"

She turned her head and looked at Zhou Xuan seriously. "And Sister Xuan, don't you think he looks...handsome?"

"handsome?"

Zhou Xuan rolled her eyes, almost slapping her face mask off. "Handsome my foot! He's just a stubborn mule! Stubborn to the end!"

She threw the tablet aside and said angrily, "What's the use of talent in this industry? Without capital to support you, without a platform to promote you, you'll fade into obscurity sooner or later!"

"Who does he think he is? A superstar? He's not even famous yet and he's already putting on airs!"

Although she was cursing fiercely, her eyes never left the television screen.

When she heard that opera-style singing, she couldn't help but hum along a couple of times.

"but......"

Zhou Xuan's tone softened, and she said somewhat awkwardly, "His songs are really good. This one, 'Red-Clad Lament,' and that one, 'The Lone Warrior,' are really good."

She sighed, a hint of regret in her eyes.

"If only he could write a sweet song... I'd... reluctantly give him another chance. If I could get him to tailor-make a single just for me, my new album would definitely be a hit!"

Chen Xi chuckled to herself.

My daughter is a typical example of someone with a sharp tongue but a soft heart; she clearly admires something immensely, but she insists on pretending not to care.

"Sister Xuan, I actually think Brother Lin is quite easy to talk to," Chen Xi said softly. "How about I ask him out again next time, and you two can have a proper chat?"

"What's there to talk about! I personally went to deal with him, and he still wouldn't give me any face!"

Zhou Xuan snorted, but then seemed to remember something and lowered her voice to say, "However... I heard from my dad that the company's higher-ups are watching and waiting."

"Wait and see?"

"Yes." Zhou Xuan's expression became slightly more serious. "This semi-final is a hurdle. The competition format is very brutal, and I heard that many of the media judges are from other companies. If Lin Zhixing loses this time, or performs poorly, and the hype dies down, then..."

She paused, her eyes flickering, "The company might take the opportunity to lower his price and sign him. When he's desperate, he definitely won't be so tough anymore."

Chen Xi was startled. "Oh? Isn't Brother Lin in great danger?"

"Danger what? This is reality."

Zhou Xuan peeled off her face mask, revealing a delicate face. "But... if he can win this time..."

She watched the figure in red on the TV.

"Then I'll do whatever it takes to get my hands on him!"