Chapter 21 I have many talents
Zhang Yiyang and Yan Wei knew there were "Campus Talent Show" scouts in the small auditorium.
Since the scouts hadn't spoken up before, the two of them thought Lu Zhixing hadn't caught their eye.
Only now did they realize it was not a lack of interest, but that they were on the phone asking for instructions!
Scouts from "Campus Talent Show" didn't have a lot of authority. If they liked a student, they could at most guarantee them a spot to pass the first audition round; progressing to the rematch or the finals was generally not guaranteed, let alone likely.
But clearly, Lu Zhixing's case was special!
Among those present, probably only music students could discern certain professional subtleties, but they were still just sophomores after all. Even if their musical theory knowledge and perspective were slightly better than the average college student's, their expertise was limited.
They could tell the tune was good, the lyrics were well-crafted, and as for the singing, they could tell it was pleasant, on-key, and the breath control was very steady. But beyond that, it was hard to say more.
But the "Campus Talent Show" scouts did that for a living and obviously were more professional.
They recognized that Lu Zhixing's singing, it wasn't just "good," it was "nearly professional-grade" singing!
What is called singing skill is not just belting out high notes like Li Zihan.
Besides breath control and pitch, what matters most is whether a singer can infuse enough emotion into a song to evoke emotional resonance in the audience.
Lu Zhixing's song wasn't particularly difficult, with no complex variations, so many people subconsciously overlooked his vocal prowess.
However, even though Lu Zhixing was relaxed, his articulation was very clear and his intonation, breath control, and other elements were flawless. Most importantly, his voice had a distinctive quality and a special narrative feel.
It made the listener feel comfortable and reassured.
From this, it was evident that Lu Zhixing's vocal quality would make folk songs or common ballads sound very good as well.
Such singing skill was enough to outshine some of the poorly skilled heartthrobs in talent shows, and even compared to the so-called 'tool artists' in entertainment companies, he was second to none!
What surprised the scout the most was a section at the end of the song resembling yodeling.
This style is recognized worldwide as extremely difficult; it requires singers to start with their chest and head voices in the mid and low ranges, then suddenly switch to falsetto in the high register, alternating rapidly to create a unique joyful effect.
This means the singer must perfectly control their vocal technique for both true and false voice—being able to yodel implies mastering most singing techniques.
The song's final yodeling section, while meant to continue the song's cheerful mood, also showcased a technical feat, instantly captivating the scout.
That's why he made a call to ask for instructions the moment the competition arose, to secure convenient conditions for Lu Zhixing to participate in the show, showing the utmost sincerity.
In the scout's view, the outcome was certain.
What student could refuse an invitation from a talent show? Weighing a school welcome party against a proper variety show, even a grade schooler could tell which mattered more, right?
Zhang Yiyang was suddenly speechless for this very reason.
He didn't feel he had the leverage to compete with "Campus Talent Show" for a recruit.
No matter how successful the welcome party was, it was merely a school event—a chance to show one's face among peers, with a very limited reach.
And "Campus Talent Show"? That was a wildly popular variety show representing the real entertainment industry. With some luck, one could become famous nationwide and be discovered by an agency for stardom.
How could this happen?
The emergence of a good singing prospect from the Game Design Academy was supposed to be great news. Although the offers from other academies weren't bad, since Lu Zhixing was from the Game Design Academy, Zhang Yiyang thought he had an advantage and a great shot at securing him.
But unexpectedly, a talent show had come along and cut in line!
This rendered Zhang Yiyang's prepared persuasions unspeakable, deflated.
Other academies' representatives also showed resigning expressions, picturing no other possibility, as anyone with a normal brain would know what to choose.
Everyone was quietly anticipating Lu Zhixing's response.
However, Lu Zhixing on stage simply smiled and did not spare the scout another glance.
"Thank you all for your kindness, but I choose the Game Design Academy."
With that, everyone was stunned.
Their initial reaction was one of bewildered wonder—what just happened? Had they heard wrong?
After brief bewilderment, Yan Wei pinched Zhang Yiyang hard, overjoyed.
Zhang Yiyang also came to his senses in an instant, "Junior, are you serious?"
The "Campus Talent Show" scout was also stunned, having not anticipated this possibility at all.
I was rejected?
In my years of scouting for talent, it's rare for someone to turn me down!
And now, in a college, I was rejected by a student? And the student's reason for refusal is that he wants to join the college welcome party?
Too absurd!
The scout was utterly bewildered and even began to question life.
"Student, did I not make myself clear? Our program broke viewership records in the first two seasons, even if you don't score very well, just appearing on it would be enough…"
Lu Zhixing, smiling, said, "Thank you, I understand the show 'Campus Talent Show' very well.
"I just don't like signing a ten-year serfdom contract with an agency, nor do I fancy performing alongside contestants who pay their way through auditions or pay 250,000 for direct finals access."
As he spoke, the "Campus Talent Show" scout and Li Zihan, sitting in the audience, both froze, their faces turning red.
The other students leaned back, looking on with respect.
This classmate is so daring! Can such things even be said upfront?
In fact, regarding the twists and turns of "Campus Talent Show," many people are well aware of them and have discussed them in private.
Changteng Entertainment, which is behind "Campus Talent Show," and various capitals can clean up the more impactful negative opinions online, but they can't shut everyone up. These rumors, as long as there is someone around who has participated in the preliminaries, will more or less know some details.
As one of the key venues for the "Campus Talent Show" preliminaries, it's not surprising for Jinghai University students to be aware of this.
Although most people know it's unfair, there's not much they can do about it. After all, if "Campus Talent Show" has problems, are other variety shows any cleaner? It's all the same with showbiz, so let's not act like the pot calling the kettle black.
Yet, if the show were to really send an invitation, the vast majority would only exclaim, "Genuinely tempting," and still participate if they could.
But Lu Zhixing just blurted it out, showing no consideration for the "Campus Talent Show" scouts' feelings.
It showed that from the beginning, he had no interest in the show whatsoever.
The scout's face turned rather ugly, but Li Zihan's expression was even worse.
In the entire auditorium, "the contestant who paid for votes to pass the preliminaries" referred to none other than him, and nobody else.
The difference between the performances of the two on stage was like night and day. Li Zihan, who had a good opinion of himself, was completely crushed.
Moreover, Li Zihan was initially very proud of passing the "Campus Talent Show" preliminaries, boasting about it to anyone who'd listen, but Lu Zhixing didn't even give a second thought to turning down a direct pass to the main competition!
The difference in their status was immediately apparent.
On stage, Lu Zhixing winked at Liu Bo, who was sitting below.
He saw the progress bar for "school superstar loathing evil" jump up significantly in his field of vision.
At that moment, Zhang Yiyang was ecstatic, barely able to refrain from jumping up from his seat.
"Well done, junior! You truly are my dear junior brother! Worthy of our Game Design Academy. From now on, we're brothers. If you need anything, just tell me, and I'll satisfy all your needs!
"Later, I'll introduce you to a gentle and lovely senior sister...
"Or even a spunky and sexy one if you'd like, whatever type you want, I'll make the connection for you!"
The others looked at him with a mix of disdain and envy.
Damn it! Why do such good things happen to the Game Design Academy!
Liu Bo's guitar playing was very good; his singing wasn't bad either. Although he wasn't particularly talented in composing, it was still enough to incite competition for him among colleges, excluding the Music Academy.
But unexpectedly, an even more monstrous talent followed!
Many people from other academies could only sigh with regret.
However, upon second thought, since Lu Zhixing turned down even the talent show, everyone found a bit of comfort amid their disappointment.
What about the popular variety show "Campus Talent Show"? They couldn't snatch him, could they?
Undoubtedly, after today, this incident would quickly spread and become another campus legend.
It might even become more topical than the previous one. After all, the former was only eagerly sought after, but Lu Zhixing? Not only was he wanted, but he also turned down an invitation from a talent show.
Zhang Yiyang enthusiastically escorted Lu Zhixing off the stage and continued to accompany him and Liu Bo all the way to the auditorium entrance.
Along the way, he kept patting his chest in assurance and reiterated various rehearsal arrangements for the upcoming academy welcome party, adding both their contact information, and his joyful laughter never ceased.
Invincible! Our academy is invincible!
...
On the way back to the dormitory, Liu Bo's expression was somewhat complex.
"Lu, although you just slapped faces in front of the 'Campus Talent Show' scout and Li Zihan, and vindicated me, I am very happy, but... you never told me you could play the guitar and write songs! When I asked if you could sing, you said you just sing a couple of lines at karaoke occasionally. Is this what you call 'just a couple of lines'?"
Since the semester had just begun not long ago, the four guys in dorm 404 were tight but far from understanding each other thoroughly.
Today, Lu Zhixing's performance not only shocked all the students in the auditorium but also floored him.
"Just a couple of lines"?
He had crafted his own lyrics and music and even earned recognition from a professional scout!
Normally in the dorm, he really didn't show off at all!
Remembering how he often showed off playing guitar and singing in the dorm, Liu Bo felt embarrassingly awkward.
What made it worse was that every time he performed, Lu Zhixing would clap for him, looking so sincere. Looking back now, it was truly ultimate acting skills.
There's a saying that fits the situation well: one fears their brother suffering hardships, yet fears even more when their brother drives a Land Rover.
You truly want to help your brother when he's in a tough spot, but it's a total mind-blow when your brother accidentally ends up doing way better than you!
Lu Zhixing fell silent as well, pondering how to explain this...
Actually, I've only mastered these skills for a few days, and the song was something I redeemed from the game store right before going on stage?
Forget it, saying this might as well be declaring our brotherhood over on the spot.
He could only pat Liu Bo on the shoulder: "Don't worry, you'll soon find out I have many other talents and you'll gradually get used to it."
Liu Bo was irritated. "Damn, mentioning your weight and now you're getting all huffy! You must treat me to a meal! It has to be a 68-yuan buffet to make up for my emotional trauma!"