You were supposed to have a fake marriage with the diva, so how did you become her father?

Chapter 188 The Potential Stars of "Super Girl"

Upon hearing what was said on the other end of the phone, Zhou Zhixiong's face instantly changed color, and his grip on the phone tightened involuntarily.

"I understand," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "Thank you for letting me know."

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Zhixiong walked to the window.

He suddenly remembered that the day of the premiere of "Reign of Assassins" was also the same weather and the same afternoon.

At that time, he thought he had won.

What now?

Now he has to wait another month to get a promotion.

"Mr. Zhou..." the assistant asked softly, "Are you alright?"

Zhou Zhixiong waved his hand without turning around.

"Go outside, I want to be alone for a while."

The assistant gently closed the door.

The office quieted down, with only the hum of the air conditioner running.

Zhou Zhixiong took out his phone, opened TUTU, and clicked into the "Martial Arts World: Discussing Swords Over Wine" circle.

The pinned post is still the same one titled "I think it's underrated," and it has already surpassed 500,000 likes.

The latest comment below reads:

"After watching it a second time, I finally understood Nameless's choice. He wasn't doing it for revenge, but for peace. This kind of vision is worth watching two or three times."

Zhou Zhixiong stared at the comment and suddenly remembered how he felt when he first watched "Hero".

He went there with a critical mindset, frowning the whole time, thinking, "What is this? The action scenes aren't as exciting as 'Reign of Assassins,' the special effects aren't as expensive, and the plot is confusing."

But now, when he looks at those comments again, he suddenly understands what those viewers were saying.

Not all movies need to be exciting.

Some movies are meant to be seen and appreciated.

He shook his head and put his phone in his pocket.

"Time?" he muttered to himself. "Then let time tell."

He didn't believe that "Hero" could surpass him in a month, after all, there was a huge gap between them.

...

The preliminary rounds of "Super Girl" officially kicked off at the Shanghai Gymnasium.

Unlike the chaos of the preliminary rounds, the preliminary rounds were much more formal.

The stadium was divided into four independent competition zones—Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Chengdu—each with its own judging panel and studio.

Lu Ran and Shen Yuege were assigned to the Shanghai division.

Xu Manxue and Liu Siqi were also present.

"Hello, Teacher Lu! Hello, Teacher Shen! Hello, Teacher Xu! Hello, Teacher Liu!" Several young people bowed in unison, their voices loud and clear.

This wasn't Lu Ran's first time being a judge, but he was still caught off guard by the sudden voices: "Um... hello."

Shen Yuege chuckled to herself and whispered, "You're a teacher now, you'll get used to it."

"Who said I'm not used to it?" Lu Ran retorted stubbornly.

Liu Siqi seemed quite comfortable in the role, and as soon as she sat down on the judges' panel, she exuded confidence: "Is the first contestant ready?"

After the first singer nodded, the staff immediately signaled, "Ready."

"Let's begin then."

The first one to come on stage was a girl in her early twenties with a ponytail, wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans.

She stood in the center of the stage, took a deep breath, and then spoke—

"If pride hadn't been coldly slapped down by the sea of ​​reality, how would we know how hard we have to work to reach our destination? If dreams hadn't teetered on the brink of collapse, how would we know that those who persevere possess invisible wings..."

Lu Ran was stunned for a moment.

The girl was singing the first song he wrote for Shen Yuege. It seemed she came prepared, knowing that Shen Yuege and he were among the judges, and that she specifically chose this song.

Shen Yuege was also taken aback for a moment, then looked at Lu Ran meaningfully: "You were prepared!"

"Hmm." Lu Ran nodded. "However, singing the judges' songs in the competition is a double-edged sword. If you sing well, it's easy to advance, but if you make a mistake, the original singer can easily hear it."

"She is indeed quite brave."

Shen Yuege took out her phone and scrolled through it, then nodded: "It's her. Her real name is Lin Xiaoxi, a freshman at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, the one who passed the audition with a unanimous vote."

"The voice is good; it's worth keeping a close eye on."

On stage, Lin Xiaoxi was still singing.

Her voice was clean, without much technique, but with an indescribable clarity.

Even her style is somewhat similar to Shen Yuege's, and choosing to sing this song did have a certain effect.

As she sang the chorus, her eyes reddened slightly, but her voice remained steady.

"Holding my initial dream tightly in my hands, how could I turn back halfway to the place I most wanted to go? I will definitely reach my initial dream; only by fulfilling my true desire can I say I've arrived in paradise."

When the song ended, thunderous applause erupted.

Shen Yuege was the first to applaud, and it was clear that she was quite satisfied with Lin Xiaoxi.

Liu Siqi clapped along, turning to Lu Ran as she said, "This girl has talent."

Shen Yuege nodded: "Your voice is good, and more importantly, your emotional delivery is very natural and not cheesy."

Lu Ran didn't say anything, but wrote a few words in the notebook.

Lin Xiaoxi stood on the stage, looking at the four judges with some nervousness.

"Um..." she asked softly, "Will I be able to pass?"

Shen Yuege smiled: "Don't rush, let's discuss it."

The four of them got together.

Xu Manxue said first: "I think it's good. The voice is clean and the emotions are sincere. Although the technique is still lacking, there is great potential."

Liu Siqi added, "She also has a good image and is popular with audiences. If she is properly nurtured, she can go very far."

Shen Yuege looked at Lu Ran: "What do you think?"

Lu Ran thought for a moment: "In terms of singing skills, I still need to work on my breath control, my high notes are a bit weak, and there are a few pitch problems in the chorus. But..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "These can all be practiced. Her greatest strength is that she sings not with technique, but with emotion."

"Then let's move on?" Shen Yuege asked.

"She definitely passed," Lu Ran nodded. "But give her a fair evaluation so she knows where she needs to improve."

Shen Yuege turned around and said to Lin Xiaoxi on the stage, "Congratulations, you passed."

Lin Xiaoxi was stunned for a moment, and then her eyes instantly reddened.

"Really?" She covered her mouth, her voice trembling.

"Really." Shen Yuege smiled and handed her a note. "These are the judges' suggestions for you. Go back and practice hard. We look forward to your performance later."

Lin Xiaoxi took the note, bowed deeply, and then ran off the stage.

As soon as she stepped off the stage, she screamed backstage, "I passed! Mom! I passed!"

The whole audience laughed.

Lu Ran smiled and added a few more words to the notebook: Lin Xiaoxi, a promising stock, worth signing.

...