At nine in the morning, Lin Wanwan pushed open the door. The VJ was already waiting outside, camera aimed at her.
She smiled at the lens. “No sleeping in today…”
She paused, then headed toward the stage area, saying, “Going to sing a song today.”
On the livestream screen, Lin Wanwan’s figure grew smaller as she walked away. Comments flooded the chat:
“She’s going! She’s going!”
“So nervous!”
“I bet she’ll get an S-rank!”
“Don’t joke, how is that possible?”
“No matter what, I support her!”
“Sisters, shield her with comments!”
The viewer count in the top right corner was skyrocketing at a visible rate: 3.12 million → 3.27 million → 3.41 million → 3.56 million…
Wang Hai stared at the number on the monitor, his hands trembling.
An assistant exclaimed, “Director Wang! The numbers have broken four million!”
Wang Hai took a deep breath, suddenly remembering what Lin Wanwan had said yesterday: “For tomorrow’s assessment, remember to bring earplugs.”
He looked at the figure on the screen, now at the edge of the stage.
“Four million…” he murmured.
“What kind of monster is this girl?”
At the recording site of Strive On! Artists, the studio was brightly lit.
Five hundred audience members were already seated, holding light-up signs for their favorite artists. Su Chen’s blue signs were the most numerous, followed by Xia Mo’s pink ones. A few scattered white signs with “Xu Mo” were tucked away in a corner. As for Lin Wanwan, there wasn’t a single one.
In the center of the stage, four high stools were arranged in a row. The mentor panel was occupied by four people: vocal coach Li Yue, dance coach Zhang Lei, producer Li Shenshen, and the special “Strive Ambassador,” veteran actor Liu Jianguo.
Backstage, the eight artists were touching up their makeup. Lin Wanwan sat in the farthest corner, ignored by everyone. The makeup artist casually dusted some powder on her face before rushing off to attend to Su Chen.
She didn’t mind, pulling out her phone to scroll through trending topics.
#Lin Wanwan Requests Individual Assessment# had already dropped from 15th to 29th place, replaced by:
#Su Chen Theme Song Live Recording# (8th place)
#Xia Mo Fairy Tears# (12th place)
#Chen Xuan Captain Responsibility# (17th place)
Lin Wanwan couldn’t help but laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Xu Mo leaned over, clutching a lyric sheet, his palms sweaty.
“These trending topics,” she said, handing him her phone. “How much do you think they spent buying these?”
Xu Mo glanced at it but didn’t reply, only asking, “Aren’t you… nervous?”
“Nervous about what?”
“The assessment later.” Xu Mo lowered his voice. “I heard from the staff that the production team has prepared a ‘special segment’ for tonight.”
Lin Wanwan raised an eyebrow. “What special segment?”
“I don’t know, but it’s definitely not something good.” Xu Mo hesitated. “Especially for you.”
Lin Wanwan looked at him and activated the Eye of Truth.
Xu Mo: [Worry 73%], [Sincerity 89%], [Empathy 61%]. Inner thoughts: “She helped me, I have to warn her.”
She smiled and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
Just then, a staff member came in and called out, “Time to go on stage! In order of ranking: Su Chen first, Xia Mo second… Lin Wanwan last!”
Lin Wanwan nodded and stood up.
As she passed by Su Chen, she overheard him whispering to Xia Mo, “Going last means she’ll only have five minutes left. She can just sing a couple of lines and be done with it.”
Xia Mo covered her mouth and laughed, “That’s not bad either, saves you from embarrassing yourself.”
Lin Wanwan kept walking, only the corners of her mouth slightly lifting.
“Embarrass myself? Who ends up embarrassed isn’t certain yet.”
At exactly 8 p.m., the live broadcast officially began. The number of viewers in the stream: 2.87 million.
Comments flooded the screen:
“Here we go!”
“Su Chen, mom loves you!”
“Xia Mo looks so beautiful today!”
“What about Wanwan? Where’s Wanwan?”
After the host’s opening remarks, the assessment officially started.
Su Chen was the first to take the stage, choosing a high-difficulty English song. His performance was decent, but his expression management was perfect. At the end, he deliberately squeezed out a drop of sweat, and the camera zoomed in on his face.
The mentors’ comments:
Li Yue: “Your technique still needs polishing, but your emotional delivery was very engaging.”
Zhang Lei: “Your stage presence is good.”
Score: A-
Su Chen bowed and left the stage, but his expression wasn’t great. A- was far from his goal of an S.
Xia Mo was the second to perform, choosing a sweet, upbeat song. Midway through, she suddenly forgot the lyrics, froze for two seconds before picking it up again, but she reacted quickly and made a cute, pouty expression.
The mentors’ comments:
Li Shenshen: “Forgetting the lyrics was a small mistake, but your on-the-spot reaction was good.”
Liu Jianguo: “This young lady is adorable and has audience appeal.”
Score: B+
Xia Mo’s eyes reddened, and she shed two tears as she bowed.
Comments flooded the screen:
“Xia Mo, don’t cry!”
“B+ is still great!”
“My heart aches for her!”
Lin Wanwan watched from backstage, clicking her tongue twice.
Her acting skills are much better than her singing.
At 9:30 p.m., it was finally Lin Wanwan’s turn to take the stage.
All seven artists before her had completed their assessments. The highest score was Su Chen’s A-, and the lowest was Xu Mo’s C+—his singing was average, and even his original composition bonus couldn’t save him.
The host glanced at the cue card, pausing with a subtle expression:
“Next up, the eighth trainee—Lin Wanwan.”
The entire venue fell silent for a second. Then, from the audience, someone started clapping, followed by scattered applause.
More people whispered among themselves:
“Is that the one who slept through it?”
“Is she for real?”
“I heard she applied for a single-item assessment, but the mentor panel hasn’t approved it yet…”
Lin Wanwan walked onto the stage.
The spotlight shone on her. Today, she wasn’t wearing the uniform training outfit provided by the program but a white shirt she brought herself, paired with jeans, her hair casually tied into a low ponytail.
Simple, clean, a stark contrast to the seven glamorous artists before her.
At the mentor table, Li Yue picked up the microphone: “Lin Wanwan, we, the mentor panel, have discussed your application for a single-item assessment.”
Lin Wanwan nodded: “Please go ahead, teacher.”
“In principle, we do not encourage trainees to avoid the full assessment.” Li Yue paused. “But the rules do allow it. So…”
She looked at the other three mentors.
Zhang Lei sneered: “I disagree. Singing and dancing are basic skills for an artist. Why should you be special?”
Li Shenshen shook her head: “I also disagree. It’s unfair to the other trainees.”
Liu Jianguo hesitated for a moment before saying, “I abstain.”
Two against one, with one abstention.
According to the rules, approval from three mentors was required for it to take effect.
Lin Wanwan’s single-item assessment application was rejected, causing an uproar in the venue. Backstage, Su Chen’s lips curled into a smile, while Xia Mo covered her mouth and snickered.
Comments:
“???”
“Isn’t this bullying?”
“The rules clearly state you can apply!”
“What’s the mentor panel thinking?”
“It’s over, Lin Wanwan is going to be socially humiliated.”
The host also felt a bit awkward and looked toward the director’s team.
In the earpiece, Wang Hai’s voice came through: “Follow the procedure.”
The host steeled himself and said, “Then… Trainee Lin Wanwan, please prepare for the full assessment. Theme song singing and dancing, music ready…”
“Wait a moment.” Lin Wanwan raised her hand and spoke.
The entire venue fell silent.
She looked at the mentor panel and smiled. “Four teachers, may I ask a question?”
Li Yue nodded. “Go ahead.”
“Rulebook, page 28, Appendix III, clause 3.2, the original text states: ‘Trainees may apply for a single-skill assessment, which requires approval from three or more mentors to take effect.'”
She paused.
“May I ask, what is the meaning of the phrase ‘or more’?”
Li Yue was taken aback.
Zhang Lei frowned. “What do you mean?”
“What I mean is…” Lin Wanwan’s voice was clear and steady, “Four mentors, three votes in favor means it takes effect. But if…”
She looked at Liu Jianguo.
“If one mentor originally intended to agree but didn’t have time to express their stance, or abstained for some reason…”
She turned to Zhang Lei.
“And another mentor’s ‘disagreement’ was based on a misunderstanding of the rules…”
Finally, she looked at Li Shenshen.
“Then, shouldn’t this voting result be reconsidered?”
Hearing Lin Wanwan’s calm explanation, Zhang Lei’s expression changed.
Lin Wanwan’s words were essentially saying—your mentor panel is unprofessional.
The live stream chat exploded instantly:
“Damn, she’s so bold!”
“Directly confronting the mentors!”
“She’s right though, ‘or more’ does include the scenario of all four votes in favor.”
“So Liu Jianguo abstaining doesn’t equal opposition?”
“Did she memorize the entire rulebook?”
Li Yue remained silent for a few seconds before speaking. “You’re right, ‘or more’ can indeed be interpreted as four votes.”
She looked at the other three mentors. “How about… we vote again?”
Zhang Lei gritted his teeth. “I still disagree!”
Li Shenshen hesitated. “I… I can reconsider.”
Liu Jianguo suddenly spoke. “I agree.”
He picked up the microphone and looked at Lin Wanwan. “Young lady, I’ve seen your profile. Twenty-four years old, shelved for three years, in debt for a million. Anyone else would have given up long ago. But you’re still studying the rules, still fighting for a chance.”
He smiled. “Just for that, I’ll give you my vote.”
Li Yue nodded. “I agree as well.”
Two to one, Li Shenshen’s vote became the deciding factor.
Everyone looked at Li Shenshen.
As a producer, he was known in the industry for being “strict,” never making exceptions for any trainee.
Li Shenshen remained silent for a long time before picking up the microphone. “Lin Wanwan, I have a question for you.”
“Teacher, please go ahead.”
“Why did you apply for a single-skill assessment? Is it because you can’t dance, or…”
He paused.
“You don’t want to dance?”
The question was tricky.
If she said “can’t dance,” it would mean she lacked the ability and wasn’t fit to be an artist.
If she said “don’t want to dance,” it would be an attitude problem, making her even less fit.
Backstage, Su Chen sneered. “Let’s see how you answer this.”
Lin Wanwan looked at Li Shenshen and suddenly smiled.
Her smile was light and faint, yet it made Li Shenshen inexplicably feel as if he had been seen through.
[Eye of Truth]
Li Shenshen: [Testing 82%], [Anticipation 67%], [Appreciation 41%], Inner thought: “She dares to challenge the rules. I want to know what confidence she truly has.”
Lin Wanwan spoke up, “Teacher, I can answer both of your questions.”
“First, can I dance?”
She paused.
“Yes. And I dance quite well.”
The entire audience erupted in murmurs.
“Then why didn’t you dance?” Li Shenshen pressed.
“Because…” Lin Wanwan looked into the camera, enunciating each word clearly, “I want the audience to know that I am first and foremost a singer, and only then an entertainer.”
“Singing is my life; dancing is just a bonus.”
“If I were to lose my life just to prove I’m ‘all-around’…”
She smiled faintly before continuing, “Then my previous life would have been a waste.”
Again, “previous life.”
The live stream chat exploded once more:
“Previous life again!”
“What has she been through?!”
“I’m getting goosebumps!”
“Why does everything she says make me want to cry?”
Li Shenshen fell silent.
Five minutes later, he picked up his voting card and flipped it over—Agree.
Three votes in agreement! Lin Wanwan’s request for a single-category assessment was approved.
Even so, how could the production team let her off easily?
The host announced, “According to the rules, before the single-category assessment, the trainee must complete an ‘impromptu singing’ segment. The song will be—randomly selected by the computer.”
The large screen began to scroll.
The scrolling song library included: pop songs, rock, folk ballads, and “The Qinghai-Tibet Grassland.”
Everyone held their breath.
“The Qinghai-Tibet Grassland”? The chorus of that song reaches a high note of B5! Many professional singers wouldn’t dare attempt it!
Su Chen couldn’t help but laugh out loud, “If she gets this, even a god couldn’t save her.”
Xia Mo whispered, “Isn’t this too harsh…”
The large screen slowly came to a stop, the cursor landing on “The Qinghai-Tibet Grassland.” The entire audience gasped in shock.
Lin Wanwan looked at the song title, her expression unchanged.
The host said awkwardly, “Well… Lin Wanwan, please prepare. The accompaniment track—”
“No need.”
Lin Wanwan picked up the microphone.
The host was taken aback, “What?”
“I said, no accompaniment track is needed.” She walked to the center of the stage and nodded to the band, “Please give me a key, starting in C.”
The band members froze.
C key? That meant the chorus would reach B5!
That’s the extreme range of a soprano!
Li Yue abruptly sat up straight, “Is she crazy?”
Zhang Lei sneered, “Putting on an act, keep it up.”
Lin Wanwan closed her eyes.
The entire venue fell silent; five hundred audience members held their breath.
Suddenly, the live stream chat stopped.
Four hundred thousand people were online, yet no one posted a single comment.
Everyone was waiting—waiting for a miracle or a joke.
Lin Wanwan took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
In that moment, she recalled the last time she took the stage in her previous life—the searing pain in her throat, her vision fading, yet she still struggled to sing the final note before collapsing.
She opened her eyes, thinking, “This time is different.”
[Heavenly Voice, Activated]
She began to sing “The Qinghai-Tibet Grassland.”
The first line, the verse, was low and gentle, like a breeze sweeping across the grassland.
Li Yue raised an eyebrow—this tone… no, it was completely different from what she had heard before!
The second line, the emotion began to rise.
Zhang Lei’s expression changed.
The third line, the fourth line…
And then, the chorus arrived.
“That is—the Qinghai-Tibet Grass—land—!!”
The final word soared upward, piercing straight through the clouds!
B5!
It wasn’t a scream, nor a roar—it was a full, rounded, metallic-penetrating sound, like a sword piercing through the entire studio!
Li Yue’s pen fell from her hand onto the floor.
Zhang Lei abruptly stood up.
Li Shengshen’s glasses slid down to the tip of his nose, and he didn’t even bother to adjust them.
Liu Jianguo’s mouth hung open, unable to close for a long time.
Backstage, Su Chen’s smile froze on his face, as if someone had hit the pause button.
Xia Mo’s water cup slipped from her hand and fell to the ground, water splashing all over her clothes, but she didn’t even notice.
Xu Mo stared blankly at the large screen, murmuring, “This… is this something a human can sing?”
The live stream chat paused for a full three seconds, then exploded:
“??????????????????”
“Holy shit holy shit holy shit holy shit!!”
“Is this ‘Qinghai Grassland’??”
“B5! She sang a B5!!”
“Fully live mic! Absolutely fully live mic!”
“Where’s the sound engineer! Come out and confirm!”
In the control room, the sound engineer stared at the monitor, his hands trembling: “Fully… fully live mic… no post-processing at all… even steadier than the CD…”
The chat went completely wild:
“I’m kneeling!”
“My mom asked me why I’m watching the stream on my knees!”
“Is she a hidden master?!”
“Who said she was just a pretty face! Come out and take the beating!”
“Trending! Get it trending!”
The real-time trending rankings updated:
45th: #Lin Wanwan: Qinghai Grassland#
27th: #Lin Wanwan B5#
9th: #Lin Wanwan Hidden Vocal#
3rd: #How Did She Do It#
In just three minutes, four topics surged into the top ten.
Live stream viewer count: 2.87 million → 4.03 million → 5.12 million → 6.47 million, and the numbers continued to climb.
On the variety show stage, as Lin Wanwan’s final note slowly faded away. The lingering sound echoed for a full three seconds, and the entire venue fell into dead silence. Then, someone started clapping.
At first, it was scattered, but it grew louder and louder, eventually merging into thunderous applause!
All five hundred audience members stood up!
Some had red eyes, some frantically took photos with their phones, and some shouted: “Lin Wanwan! Lin Wanwan! Lin Wanwan!”
On the judges’ panel, Li Yue stood up, the first to applaud.
She looked at Lin Wanwan, her eyes slightly red, and said, “Twenty years… I’ve been a vocal coach for twenty years, and I’ve never heard a voice like this.”
“That one note of yours shattered my heart.”
Li Shengshen took off his glasses and wiped the corner of his eye: “I take back what I said earlier. You’re not here to compete; you’re here to teach.”
Zhang Lei stood in place, his face pale, but in the end, he raised his hand and clapped stiffly.
Liu Jianguo directly gave a thumbs-up: “Girl, you’re amazing!”
Lin Wanwan stood at the center of the stage, the spotlight shining on her.
There was no excitement or ecstasy on her face—just a faint smile. Then, she raised the microphone, looked into the camera, and said, “This is nothing!”
The entire venue fell silent, and the chat froze!
She paused, enunciating each word clearly: “The truly good stuff—I haven’t even sung it yet.”
Another wave of dead silence, then the live stream exploded completely!
“What do you mean you haven’t sung it yet?!”
“There’s something even better?!”
“Sis, how much are you hiding?!”
“Help! My heart can’t take it!”
The real-time trending rankings updated again!
1st (explosive): #Lin Wanwan: The Truly Good Stuff I Haven’t Sung Yet#
2nd (explosive): #Lin Wanwan Qinghai Grassland#
4th (hot): #Lin Wanwan Hidden Vocal#
No. 7 (New): #How Many More Surprises Does She Have#
Live stream viewers: 8.23 million, breaking the program’s all-time record since its premiere.
Lin Wanwan had just stepped off the stage when she was surrounded by a crowd.
Staff, other artists, and even a few unfamiliar faces all tried to approach her to speak.
She ignored them all, heading straight for the restroom. Pushing the door open, she found only Xu Mo inside.
Seeing her enter, he stood up awkwardly, his face flushed red. “Um… you… I…”
Lin Wanwan smiled and asked, “What did you want to say?”
Xu Mo took a deep breath, then bowed solemnly. “I’m sorry.”
Lin Wanwan was taken aback.
“Before… I also thought you were just slacking off,” Xu Mo said, lowering his head. “I didn’t know you could sing so well. I… I apologize for my shallowness.”
Lin Wanwan looked at him.
Activate [Eye of Truth].
Xu Mo: [Shame 91%], [Admiration 87%], [Sincerity 94%]. Inner thoughts: “She is a true singer. I don’t deserve to be her friend.”
She walked over and patted his shoulder. “Stand up.”
“But…”
“I said stand up.”
Xu Mo straightened up, his eyes slightly red.
Lin Wanwan looked at him and suddenly smiled. “Do you know why I sat next to you during meals?”
Xu Mo shook his head.
“Because in this entire program, you’re the only one who looks at me without calculation in your eyes.” She paused. “For that alone, I’ve decided you’re a friend worth keeping.”
Xu Mo froze, and then, this grown man, tears began to fall.
At 11 p.m., the trending topics continued to explode:
#Lin Wanwan: The Truly Good Stuff I Haven’t Even Sung Yet# had firmly taken the top spot, followed by a deep red “Explosive” tag.
Topic views: 370 million.
Discussion count: 1.26 million.
Clicking into the trending topic revealed screen recordings, analyses, and effusive praise from every angle:
“I’ve looped it twenty times, and I get goosebumps every single time.”
“Professional singer here to weigh in: B5, pure mixed voice, perfect resonance, stable breath support. Is she even human?”
“So, was she really resting her voice when she was sleeping before?”
“Where are those who said she was slacking off? Care to step forward?”
“I believe it now. She probably really did work herself to death in her past life.”
At the same time, a mysterious account appeared again in her private messages: “Not bad singing.”
Lin Wanwan narrowed her eyes as she read the message.
It was that person again—the one who transferred 1 million last night and was now here to “comment.”
She replied, “Who are you, really?”
The other party responded instantly: “I’ll appear when you truly need me.”
Then, the profile picture turned gray, and the account was directly deactivated.
Lin Wanwan stared at the grayed-out profile picture, silent for a long time.
Now, lying in bed, Lin Wanwan gazed at the ceiling.
The System interface was glowing:
[Total Emotional Fluctuation Value: 12.76 million]
[Achievement Unlocked: Fame from a Single Battle]
[Reward: Skill “Emotional Resonance” (Can accurately convey one’s emotions to the audience while singing)]
She smiled. Emotional Resonance… that’s a good skill.
In her past life, what she longed for most was for the audience to understand her heart. Sadly, back then, her voice was ruined, and her heart was dead.
She closed her eyes, thinking to herself, “But this lifetime… this is just the beginning.”
Outside the window, the moonlight was just right.