Don't get married if you're reborn.

Chapter 412 Successfully Eliminated (5K)

"My new snack shop will be opening in a few days. If you're interested, teacher, you can come and support me. I'll give you a snack gift pack."

Zeng Wenjie said with a grin.

Old Xie glanced at him and said, "Sure, you arrange the time, I'll come over."

As a brand ambassador, one needs to cooperate with the brand to attend certain events, and Lao Xie is a person who follows the rules quite well.

Zeng Wenjie said, "I have launched a series of 'Chef Nic' snacks."

"Chef Nic? That's a good name." Old Xie paused for a moment, then said dismissively, clearly unaware that his work had been copied.

It's basically just a collaboration among snack brands, specifically designed to attract fans. The only difference is the packaging and a slightly modified flavor; there's nothing particularly special about it.

With the popularity of "The Voice of China", Zeng Wenjie has a series of moves to make. With the influence and popularity of "The Voice of China", he can beat those plagiarists to a pulp in no time!
Zeng Wenjie is a plagiarist, so he hates plagiarists; after all, like repels like.

Those snack shops that followed his example and opened their own stores also made some money, since there were no technological barriers to entry.

Zeng Wenjie said, "See you tomorrow!"

Old Xie laughed and said, "I look forward to your performance. Don't make any more mistakes in the main competition."

Zeng Wenjie said, "Don't worry, teacher, I know what I'm doing."

On the second day of the main competition, Mu Qingyang bribed Ouyang Yun to help her get a leave of absence; the bribe amount was several bags of snacks.

Ouyang Yun readily agreed. She often wore Mu Qingyang's old designer clothes to indulge herself, and there were also free snacks to eat. How could she not take good care of him?
Moreover, Mu Qingyang was a good student, and all her teachers liked her. When she occasionally asked for leave, it wouldn't cause any problems.

However, if Zeng Wenjie takes too many leave of absences, he will likely be the one to suffer, as the teachers might think that he has led the little girl astray.

"Go, go, go!"

As soon as Mu Qingyang got into the car, he said excitedly.

Even though Xiao Mu isn't as socially awkward anymore, she's still quite adorable. Zeng Wenjie smiled and patted her head before driving to the film set.

Not long after, we arrived at the film set, which was quite lively with people coming and going.

He Jianguo happened to be talking to several program directors at the entrance. The scene was filled with smoke, and everyone was acting as a chimney.

"Hey, Zeng's here!"

Upon seeing Zeng Wenjie, He Jianguo immediately smiled and waved for him to come over, then offered him a cigarette.

Zeng Wenjie said, "I won't smoke now. There's a competition coming up soon. I can smoke after the competition to avoid affecting the condition of my throat."

He Jianguo laughed and said, "You're putting on an act, aren't you? You're going to be eliminated in the semi-finals anyway!"

Zeng Wenjie said, "President He, I'm just being responsible for my own show! After all, I was the one who planned 'The Voice of China,' I can't let it go to waste, can I?"

He Jianguo nodded and said, "Alright, then I wish you a perfect performance and a perfect farewell!"

Zeng Wenjie cupped his hands in greeting, chatted with them for a few minutes, and then pulled Mu Qingyang to swipe their IDs and enter the venue.

Security at the entrance was quite strict. Although people these days aren't as fanatical about chasing stars, the four mentors are all established celebrities with huge fan bases, so there are still some die-hard fans.

When the photographer saw Zeng Wenjie arrive, he immediately raised his camera and aimed it at him and Mu Qingyang.

Zeng Wenjie naturally waved and greeted the photographer who always used his money to help him with personal matters.

Mu Qingyang was still a little shy in front of the camera, so she shrank back slightly and tried to let Zeng Wenjie block her from passing in front of the camera.

Zeng Wenjie couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Little Mu, weren't you very excited when you got on the bus, all excited about going for it? Aren't you excited now?"

Mu Qingyang gave an awkward smile and said, "What I mean is, go for it! I'll cheer you on!"

After entering the film set, Zeng Wenjie had a staff member lead Mu Qingyang to the audience seats and assigned her a prime viewing spot.

Such a pretty girl, what's wrong with having a few privileges?
All the working groups started operating. Zeng Wenjie went to the athletes' lounge and waited for the makeup artist to do his makeup and change his clothes.

After that, the mentors went to the contestants' lounge to encourage and cheer them on.

"Friendship first, competition second. I hope everyone will do their best to showcase their singing voices and musical talents, and not leave any regrets on stage." Lao Xie, playing the role of a cool but warm-hearted mentor, spoke earnestly to his fourteen students.

This round of the semi-finals is a 14-to-7 elimination round. The subsequent rounds will continue to eliminate teams to determine the group champions, and then the final competition will be held.

The competition format was brutal, but Zeng Wenjie was relaxed.

His goal was achieved in the first round. He established his persona and generated advertising effect. What more could he ask for?

If it weren't for the importance of the show and the fact that he won first place in the SMS voting, he might not even want to participate in the second round of the competition.

Mu Qingyang, who was sitting in the audience waiting, was very eye-catching, and many boys couldn't help but come up to ask for her QQ number.

This left her somewhat confused.

When she was at Fengyuan, no one asked her for her QQ number...

Out of politeness, Mu Qingyang gave his QQ number, thinking he could just ignore them one by one when he got back.

The backstage process was finally over, and the host came on stage. Then, Yang Mi, dressed in a gorgeous outfit, also came on stage and acted as a co-host, standing next to the Marleneia logo and reading a short announcement.

Mu Qingyang watched as the four mentors entered amidst a deafening roar. Everyone around her was shouting and yelling, but she remained quiet, resting her chin on her hand.

Before long, the fourteen students of the four mentors entered the venue.

The first group to perform is Zeng Wenjie and Yi Jiacheng, which was his request, since the sooner they finish recording, the better.

The host, a beautiful woman, wore black stockings with lettering and studded heels, looking radiant in her gown. With a sweet smile, she introduced the contestants: "The first pair to compete are Zeng Wenjie and Yi Jiacheng. Interestingly, they've chosen a song called 'Drifting North.' This song was written and composed by Zeng Wenjie! Let's give them a round of applause!"

Mu Qingyang then raised his hands, clapped, and cheered, his emotions stirred.

Holding the microphone, Yi Jiacheng was extremely annoyed. "I didn't want to choose this lousy song at all. I'm just playing second fiddle to Zeng Wenjie!"

Long stretches of the verses are rap, which he can't do, so he can only watch Zeng Wenjie show off.

They even said this song was bound to be a hit, and that he'd benefit from it too? What utter nonsense!

Zeng Wenjie and Yi Jiacheng walked onto the stage, waved to signal that the band was ready, and then the music started.

Yi Jiacheng raised the microphone and began to hum along to a light intro.

The intro suddenly changes, with rousing drumbeats and explosive rhythms, instantly energizing the atmosphere.

Zeng Wenjie immediately got into the zone and began singing.

The audience, upon hearing this, felt it was no surprise; it really was rap! However, wasn't it a bit unfair to have Yi Jiacheng cooperate with him?

But after listening to a few lines of the lyrics, they were drawn in by the rhythm of the song, and the lyrics were quite evocative, seemingly telling the story of a person who had left their hometown to pursue their dreams in Beijing.

Old Xie sat with his legs crossed, his fingers resting on his chin, nodding in rhythm with the music.

Harlem was even more excited, standing up and swaying his waist while drumming on the chair with both hands.

Sister Na also raised her right hand, swinging it back and forth in rhythm.

With a broad smile, Da Liu patted the chair repeatedly with his palms, swaying his head and bobbing along with the music.

The audience's reaction was also very enthusiastic. As Zeng Wenjie sang the lyrics, he raised his right hand and waved it back and forth in the air in rhythm. As a result, the audience also raised their glow sticks and other things and waved them in rhythm with him, creating a very lively atmosphere!

The photographer frantically rotated the lens, searching for people in the audience who had actually worked as migrant workers in Beijing, capturing moments when they were moved by the song.

Several audience members who had experienced life as migrant workers in Beijing couldn't help but tear up and choke up when they heard the lyrics, "I picked up the phone and said, 'Mom, I'm fine.' I've returned to reality and am continuing to make ends meet."

Mu Qingyang watched her boyfriend singing on stage with a smile, waving his arms as well. The atmosphere made her feel even more excited than watching a concert.

Finally, the song ended, and Zeng Wenjie finished singing with a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, there weren't any major mistakes. The performance was stable throughout, and the pronunciation was clear. It was just so damn tiring.

After finishing his song, he was exhausted, covered in sweat, and breathing rapidly, while Yi Jiacheng remained calm.

"Thank you both for your hard work. Now, let's have Teacher Liu give us his professional feedback." The host immediately took the stage to move the session forward.

Da Liu said, "I don't know much about rap, but the most important thing about music is that it sounds good and is infectious! I think it sounds great, it's infectious enough, and the lyrics are very well written and profound..."

The mentors commented on the songs and the contestants' performances in turn, and finally, Lao Xie, the mentor of the two contestants, gave his comments and determined the winner.

At this point, Yi Jiacheng was somewhat desperate; he was about to be hacked!
When he heard Lao Xie announce that he was the one who advanced, he was instantly stunned!

"Congratulations, you've advanced." Zeng Wenjie turned to Yi Jiacheng with a smile and extended his hand. "Oh... thank you!" Yi Jiacheng shook his hand, bewildered, and then returned to his seat at the host's signal.

The host walked over to Zeng Wenjie and said a few polite words, then encouraged Zeng Wenjie to say a few words as well.

Zeng Wenjie directly thanked his mentor and the audience, but then realized that if he thanked Mu Qingyang, the camera might focus on him, so he stopped himself from saying that.

"Everyone has regrets in life, but I don't feel regret about this result. Because I enjoyed this stage, and my beloved girl came to cheer me on. I am already very satisfied. Thank you all for your support!"

Zeng Wenjie didn't do anything sentimental. After expressing his gratitude and summarizing his experience, he ended his journey on the "The Voice of China" stage.

The audience was puzzled by Lao Xie's choice. Zeng Wenjie's song was clearly more passionate and catchy, so why did he choose Yi Jiacheng to advance?

Zeng Wenjie was glad that he had at least finished recording. Damn it, if there were another episode, he would definitely be exposed.

After officially ending his journey on "The Voice of China", Zeng Wenjie felt relieved and sat down next to Mu Qingyang after stepping off the stage.

The host encouraged viewers to vote for their favorite contestants via text message; those with the most votes would get a chance to be revived in the revival round.

Even if Zeng Wenjie gets a lot of votes, he definitely won't go on again. Both recordings made him feel like he was being tortured to death!

Being unbalanced in one subject is indeed a serious matter. You can imagine how painful it must be for Senior Sister Yuan, who is unbalanced in one subject. I really want to help her.

"You sang beautifully, I really liked it!"

Mu Qingyang smiled and said to Zeng Wenjie, taking his hand as if to comfort him for being eliminated.

"If you like it, that's good. I'll download it and listen to it a few more times."

Zeng Wenjie's lips curled up in a smug smile, showing no sign of the frustration that followed his defeat and elimination.

Mu Qingyang nodded and said, "You must be very sad to have lost, so I'm giving you a small gift to comfort you."

Zeng Wenjie asked, "What little gift? Let me see it!"

Mu Qingyang reached into his pocket and pulled out a gleaming gold banknote with words printed on it in Russian.

It was a phrase that read "Я-люблю-тебя"!

When Zeng Wenjie confessed his feelings to her, he dug a hole in the mud, poured oil into it, and then lit it to make the words appear.

Looking at the rather thick gold note, Zeng Wenjie weighed it in his hand and estimated it to be about twenty grams.

"I melted down some of the gold notes my uncle gave me and then had them engraved on them," Mu Qingyang said, blushing slightly.

"Haha, thank you, I love it! I'll frame it and keep it safe; it'll definitely bring me good luck," Zeng Wenjie laughed.

On the back of the gold banknote are the initials of the two people's names, with one person occupying one side.

Mu Qingyang nodded slightly and said, "I hope so!"

Mu Qingyang, who enjoys receiving gifts, gave a gift and also felt the joy of giving roses and having fragrance linger on your hands.

Then, Mu Qingyang said somewhat angrily, "I was hoping to see you win the championship!"

Zeng Wenjie said, "The championship is too far away for me. I am already very satisfied with my performance today! This song will most likely become a hit."

Although rap is too niche and a bit ahead of its time, good music can touch the soul. The lyrics of "Drifting to the North" are very touching, and the rhythm is also quite good.

Zeng Wenjie doesn't think this song will disappear in this era.

"I hope I can request this song at karaoke someday!" Mu Qingyang said.

"What, you're going to sing?"

"You sing, and I'll just hum a couple of lines of the chorus at most."

"..."

Zeng Wenjie seemed a little regretful, as if he had been hit by a boomerang again? Singing this kind of song is the most damn tiring thing ever.

However, you can definitely find songs from "The Voice of China" in karaoke bars, since the copyrights are bound to be sold.

The revenue from music copyrights is very substantial; however, Zeng Wenjie's share is very low.

Since he has already secured naming rights worth hundreds of millions, he can't possibly take all the benefits. Otherwise, people would dislike him, and he would appear too greedy.

"You sang well, it sounded great."

Zeng Wenjie's phone vibrated; he received a text message from Ye Yixuan.

"Sister Xuan, you're here? I haven't seen you around."

Zeng Wenjie immediately typed a reply on the keyboard.

Mu Qingyang only glanced at Zeng Wenjie, who was using his phone, and did not come over to look.

But Zeng Wenjie smiled at her and said, "Sister Xuan sent me a message. I'll reply to it. You watch the show first!"

Mu Qingyang nodded.

"I wasn't in the audience. I didn't know you were so talented, you actually wrote your own songs!"

"Sigh, life is tough, so I'm just performing for fun! I hope you, Sister Xuan, will forgive my little talent."

Ye Yixuan didn't send him any more messages.

Zeng Wenjie was pleased to receive the praise, after all, Ye Yixuan rarely praised people. She was a genuine aloof beauty, and when she wore glasses, she always gave people a cold and elegant feeling.

Zeng Wenjie was introducing the students who would be taking the stage next to Mu Qingyang, but the latter said, "I know them, you don't need to give me a detailed introduction!"

"what?"

“I watch every episode, and I even watch the replays online when I’m bored.”

"I see."

Mu Qingyang was probably willing to watch the show repeatedly because he thought it was a program planned by Zeng Wenjie.

The two sat in the audience together, and when they heard a nice song, they couldn't help but hum along and clap, immersing themselves in the atmosphere.

Once the last group of trainees finished their performance and the mentors provided feedback, the recording session was considered complete.

"Watching it live and watching it on TV are completely different experiences!" Mu Qingyang said with a smile.

“It’s more atmospheric to see it live, but it takes more time,” Zeng Wenjie said.

Mu Qingyang nodded. That was indeed the case. The recorded and edited program looked tight and full of surprises, while on set, there would be long periods of blank time.

However, the atmosphere at the scene seemed even better.

"You must be tired from recording today. Let me treat you to dinner. What would you like to eat?" Mu Qingyang asked.

"You can make the arrangements!" Zeng Wenjie said.

"Let's have hot pot then. It's been so long since I've had Chongqing hot pot. I miss tripe!" Mu Qingyang said.

I was trying to lose weight by controlling my diet a while ago, so hot pot was definitely out of the question.

She happens to really enjoy hot pot, and she's been holding back her craving ever since.

Zeng Wenjie nodded and said, "Then let's go eat hot pot. Let's order eight or ten plates of tripe and have a good time!"

Mu Qingyang, who wasn't used to being able to handle spicy food, has gradually gotten used to the spiciness after Zeng Wenjie fed him some chili peppers from his hometown.

She even got so arrogant that she dared to order "mildly spicy" instead of "very spicy" for hot pot.

After leaving the film set, Zeng Wenjie was about to drive her to eat hot pot when her phone rang at an inopportune moment.

Mu Qingyang was pleasantly surprised when he answered the phone; his eyes lit up...

"Grandpa and Grandma have come to see us!"

After hanging up the phone, Mu Qingyang cheered for Zeng Wenjie, jumping and skipping with joy.

Zeng Wenjie was taken aback. Didn't the old man and his grandmother dislike traveling by car? They almost never left the town unless absolutely necessary.

(End of this chapter)