After taking advice, I became a top male idol.

Chapter 44 The Group of Death! Who is the King of Love Songs?

Night had just fallen over Yanjing.

Outside Studio One of Yanjing Radio and Television Station, although there was still some time before the official recording of the semi-finals began, enthusiastic audiences had already formed a long queue.

Tonight is the semi-final night of The Voice of China.

murmurs rose and fell among the audience.

"Hey, have you guys seen the analysis posts online? They're all saying that this theme is too broad, making it harder to choose songs."

"Yes, the word 'emotion' can easily become cliché if sung too often, and can become obscure if sung too deeply. It really tests the contestants' ability to choose songs and empathize with the characters."

"Actually, I really want to see the group assignments! I heard it's a random draw this time, and it'll be so exciting if some strong teams end up together!"

"Just don't let Li Ziming and Lin Zhixing be in the same group. I want to see them have a showdown in the finals."

"That's not necessarily true. This is a free-for-all. If they're unlucky and these two run into each other early, then tonight will be the finals coming out early!"

Besides discussing the competition format, Lin Zhixing's recent "scandal" remains an unavoidable topic.

"Will Lin Zhixing really come today? There are tons of smear articles online saying he's morally corrupt and wants to withdraw from the competition."

"Tch, you believe those kinds of marketing accounts? Brother Lin is upright and has nothing to hide. If he really withdrew from the competition, then he'd be guilty."

"Exactly! I believe that the person who wrote 'The Red-Haired Girl' and 'The Lone Warrior' is definitely not that kind of despicable person. I'm here tonight to support Brother Lin!"

"Hehe, don't speak too soon. The entertainment industry is a deep and complicated place. I have high hopes for Zhang Xianyu. He's a true idol, handsome and well-connected."

"I came here specifically to see Lin Zhixing! Go Lin-ge!" A girl with a ponytail held up a support sign with "Lin Zhixing will win" written on it in highlighter.

"Chen Xi is the best, okay? Our Xi Xi will definitely advance today!"

"Gu Qingzhou is also very strong. She is heavily promoted by Huayin Entertainment and her strength should not be underestimated."

At 6:30, the main gate opened on time.

Five hundred audience members entered the venue in an orderly manner under the guidance of staff and found their seats.

The entire studio was brightly lit, and the huge stage looked particularly impressive under the lights.

On either side of the audience seating area were dedicated areas for fifty media judges.

These individuals come from major entertainment media outlets, music magazines, and film review websites, and each of them wields considerable influence within the industry.

......

Backstage, in the athletes' lounge.

All sixteen players who advanced to the semifinals are now in place.

Gone were the usual pleasantries and formalities; everyone was quietly adjusting their mindset.

Tonight, there are four groups of contestants, with four people in each group. Only the top team in each group can advance directly.

Lin Zhixing sat on the sofa in the corner, closing his eyes to rest.

"Zhixing, have some water."

Chen Xi leaned closer, her face tense, looking even more nervous than Lin Zhixing.

Li Bowen, standing nearby, chimed in, "Hey, Xixi, where's mine? Why is only Brother Lin's a winner?"

Chen Xi rolled her eyes at him. "Don't you have hands? The bottled water is over there, get it yourself."

Turning to face Lin Zhixing, she once again adopted that obedient demeanor.

"I'm not thirsty, you drink it." Lin Zhixing smiled. "Don't be nervous, the group assignments haven't been released yet. What if you're lucky and get assigned to the Welfare Bureau?"

"Thanks for your kind words." Chen Xi sighed and sat down next to Lin Zhixing. "As long as I don't run into that big devil Li Ziming, I'll be fine. The fear of being dominated by him in the last team competition hasn't faded yet."

Just then, the loudspeaker in the hall rang out, and the voice of the chief director, Xia Xue, came through.

"Attention all players, the semi-final group draw is about to begin."

"The lottery was randomly generated by computer, and the results will be announced directly on the big screen."

Everyone stared at the huge LED screen in front of them.

The image freezes.

【Group A】

1. Chen Xi (Ye Lan's Team)

2. Li Ziming (Han Xuening's team)

3. Wang Kai (Li Ge Team)

4. Zhao Lu (Han Xuening's team)

"what!"

Chen Xi slumped onto the sofa, completely exhausted. "It's over! What I feared most has come to pass! I'm paired with Li Ziming again! This is fate!"

Not far away, Li Ziming smiled confidently after seeing the group assignments.

For him, as long as he doesn't run into Lin Zhixing, the first place in Group A is basically his for the taking.

The team competition also cast a significant shadow on him.

Group B

1. Zhang Xianyu (Li Ge Team)

2. Li Bowen (Ye Lan's Team)

3. Liu Qiang (Shen Ming's team)

4. Sun Feifei (Han Xuening's team)

When Zhang Xianyu saw the list, his tightly furrowed brows instantly relaxed.

Steady!

There are no established veterans in this group, only popular figures. They compete based on popularity, resources, and the capital behind them. Who can compete with the heir of Xinghuang Entertainment?

Group C

1. Song Zixuan (Ye Lan's team)

2. Zhou Jie (Shen Ming's team)

3. Wu Hao (Li Ge Team)

4. Zheng Ting (Shen Ming's team)

Song Zixuan breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest.

Although this group also has strong players, there are no overwhelmingly dominant ones, making it the most lenient and rewarding group among the four.

Finally, everyone's attention turned to the remaining few people.

The names that haven't appeared yet are...

The large screen flashed, and the list of Group D appeared.

Group D

1. Jiang Mubai (Shen Ming's team)

2. Gu Qingzhou (Ye Lan's team)

3. Wang Xiaohu (Li Ge Team)

4. Lin Zhixing (Ye Lan's Team)

Holy crap!

"hiss--"

Group of Death!

This is definitely the most terrifying "group of death" in this semi-final!

"My God, this group is insane!"

"Lin Zhixing and Gu Qingzhou were already Ye Lan's team's aces, and now we have to add Jiang Mubai to the mix?"

"Wang Xiaohu is so pitiful, he's practically going in as cannon fodder."

"Jiang Mubai! It's actually Jiang Mubai!"

"This is going to be interesting! Jiang Mubai is the strongest member of Shen Ming's team, known as the 'Little Prince of Love Songs'!"

"Yes, he was also a four-turn contestant during the first blind auditions, but he didn't generate much buzz back then, so he didn't receive much attention. But he chose Shen Ming, the mentor with the best match, and his progress over the past few episodes has been phenomenal!"

"I remember during the team battle, his song 'Deep Sea' got the highest score of the whole event, right? The delicate emotional handling was absolutely amazing."

"The theme this time is love, isn't that just walking right into Jiang Mubai's line of fire? This is his absolute territory!"

"Although Lin Zhixing is strong, his strengths lie in traditional Chinese style and rock. As for singing love songs... can he outsing Jiang Mubai?"

"I think Lin Zhixing has a chance; his performance in the first two matches speaks for itself."

"And there's Gu Qingzhou! The rising star of Huayin Entertainment, his love songs are absolutely amazing. When these three get together, it's like gods fighting!"

"Oh no, I feel like Lin Zhixing is really in trouble this time. Jiang Mubai is too reliable, and that melancholic prince vibe is so appealing in this theme."

Gu Qingzhou looked at the screen, stood up, straightened her clothes, and walked up to Lin Zhixing.

"Brother Lin, it seems we can't avoid this battle."

"Although I admire your 'Red-Haired Girl' very much."

Gu Qingzhou said earnestly, "The theme this time is love, which is my forte. Moreover, the company has prepared a trump card for me. This time, I must win."

As a rising star heavily promoted by Huayin Entertainment, Gu Qingzhou's talent for love songs is undeniable. Coupled with the full support of the company's resources, he is definitely one of the strongest contenders tonight.

Lin Zhixing also stood up, extended his hand and shook hands with him, with his usual calm smile on his face.

"Same to you."

Give it your all, and leave no regrets.

Their hands clasped together, their fighting spirit surging in the air.

"However..." Gu Qingzhou lowered her voice, her gaze falling on the melancholy young man who had been silent and listening to music with headphones on not far away, "Jiang Mubai from Shen Ming's team is really strong. Teacher Shen said in private that among the current generation of newcomers, Jiang Mubai has no rivals when it comes to the subtlety of singing love songs."

Lin Zhixing followed his gaze.

Jiang Mubai.

The handsome young man sat there quietly.

Is this the legendary "Little Prince of Love Songs"?

interesting.

After the draw, the contestants dispersed to prepare for makeup and rehearsals.

Lin Zhixing took his performance costume and headed towards the dressing room.

Just as I turned the corner, I ran into someone.

Zhang Xianyu.

He was dressed in a sparkling, diamond-encrusted performance outfit, his hair was neatly combed, and he was still followed by a large group of assistants, exuding an air of grandeur.

Upon seeing Lin Zhixing, Zhang Xianyu paused, his eyes instantly turning sinister.

Half of the negative information circulating online these past two days was released at Zhang Jie's behest.

I thought I'd see Lin Zhixing in a terrible state, but to my surprise, he was acting like nothing was wrong, and even looked quite well.

"Hey, Brother Lin."

Zhang Xianyu gave a forced, insincere greeting.

"You're really lucky this time."

Zhang Xianyu said sarcastically, "I'm in Group D, paired with Jiang Mubai. Teacher Shen said that Jiang Mubai has no rivals when it comes to love songs."

"Have you prepared your elimination speech? Oh, right, you don't have a company, so you won't even get a press release after you're eliminated. How pathetic."

Seeing Zhang Xianyu's smug face, Lin Zhixing was not angry at all; instead, he smiled.

"Just lucky?"

"Indeed, I think I was lucky. After all..."

As he spoke, he took a step forward, as if to pat Zhang Xianyu on the shoulder like he had done last time.

"The past is the past. We're all here for our musical dreams, so the important thing is to compete well."

"what!"

Upon seeing Lin Zhixing extend his hand, Zhang Xianyu reacted as if he had been electrocuted, leaping back a large step and nearly crashing into the wall behind him, causing his assistant behind him to scramble in confusion.

After being slapped last time, I had such bad luck—my crotch got wet, I tripped and fell, and I got bumped—that psychological trauma still hasn't gone away!

"You...you stay away!"

Seeing his blustering yet cowardly demeanor, Lin Zhixing couldn't help but laugh.

"Is it really necessary? I just wanted to encourage you."

Lin Zhixing withdrew his hand and shrugged helplessly. "Since you don't appreciate it, then forget it."

"Neuropathy!"

Zhang Xianyu cursed and glared fiercely at Lin Zhixing.

He didn't want to be with this plague god for even a second, afraid of getting tainted by his bad luck.

He didn't even dare to utter any harsh words, and quickly fled with his assistant.

Watching Zhang Xianyu's departing figure, Lin Zhixing shook his head.

"You're already chickening out?"