Chinese Entertainment King: Starting as a Fat Boy and Becoming a Singing King

Body function remodeling, body shape optimization, voice evolution...

Xu Yao was pondering where to add these idol points.

Little did he know that some things closely related to him were quietly unfolding.

Three days after the recording of the 16-to-8 round ended, Yang Kun received a call from the production team.

"Brother Kun, are you free tonight? Come sit in the conference room."

The call was from the director, Jin Lei, who sounded relaxed, as if it were a casual invitation.

But Yang Kun knew that such "casual invitations" were never truly casual.

He glanced at the date on his phone screen; there were still about ten days until the 8-to-4 elimination round.

"Okay, what time?"

"Eight o'clock."

At 8 p.m. sharp, Yang Kun opened the meeting room door.

There were three people sitting in the room: the general director Jin Lei, the music director Li Weimin, and a middle-aged woman he didn't recognize.

The woman was wearing a dark suit jacket, her hair was neatly tied up, and a notebook was open in front of her, filled with dense writing.

"Brother Kun, have a seat." Jin Lei pointed to the chair opposite him. "This is General Manager Liu from Canxing's operations department. He flew in all the way from Shanghai."

Yang Kun nodded and sat down.

His gaze swept across the three people's faces.

Jin Lei looked relaxed, while the music director kept his head down, flipping through the documents in his hand, as if he didn't really want to participate in the conversation.

Mr. Liu was quite direct; he had been sizing him up from the very beginning, his gaze carrying the subtle scrutiny characteristic of a professional manager.

"Brother Kun, let's get straight to the point," President Liu said, his voice crisp and without any pleasantries. "I've called you here today to discuss the results of the quarterfinals."

Yang Kun remained silent.

He had known this conversation would happen; it wasn't the first time.

Starting from the second season, Chan-heung provided "guidance" on the results of each group.

However, in the first two seasons, the trainees he mentored were not strong enough, and the production team only provided slight guidance.

This season is different. Chen Yongxin and Xu Jianqiu are both popular contestants, and Robynn & Kendy, as a duo, also generate buzz. The production team can't let him decide for himself.

"This is our list of recommendations." General Manager Liu pulled a piece of paper from his notebook and pushed it in front of Yang Kun.

Yang Kun glanced down at the paper, which contained four names: Chen Yongxin, Xu Jianqiu, Yu Feng, and Rong Qi.

"Yongxin is definitely the core player," President Liu pointed to the first name. "A Malaysian Chinese, sweet-looking, with a clear voice, she got four turns in the blind auditions, and her popularity has been consistently high. She must make it to the top four, and go far. You shouldn't have any objections to that, right?"

Yang Kun remained silent. Chen Yongxin was indeed strong; giving her a spot in the top four was no problem at all.

"Jianqiu," President Liu's finger moved to the second name, "The blind audition clip of 'I Miss You So Much' has already garnered millions of views, and he's ranked tenth on the popularity chart. Netizens call him the Prince of Love Songs. If he makes it into the top four, the audience won't have any objections."

"Yu Feng," President Liu continued, pointing to another, "is a returnee from overseas, good-looking, and has well-rounded singing skills, making him suitable for a dark horse persona. His explosive power comes in the latter half of his performance."

"Rong Qi," after calling out the last name, President Liu looked up at Yang Kun, "a husky voice, a rock vibe, and strong stage presence. She's ranked seventh on the popularity chart, and her image is distinctive, making her suitable for the role of a rock queen."

Four names.

The remaining four players in the top eight—Xu Yao, Mo Haijing, Robynn & Kendy, and Su Qifan—are not on the list.

Yang Kun was silent for a moment before speaking: "What about Robynn & Kendy? They performed very well in the blind auditions and the round of 16."

"Groups are naturally at a disadvantage in competitions, that's an objective fact," Jin Lei continued. "They've gone far enough; there was already controversy when they eliminated Apple Garden in the round of 16. If they go any further, the audience will feel that the show is biased."

Where is Mo Haijing?

"He's from an academic background, technically skilled, but not particularly popular with audiences. He's ranked thirteenth on the popularity chart, even lower than Xu Yao."

Yang Kun's fingers paused on the table. He felt a jolt when he heard the name "Xu Yao".

"And what about Xu Yao?" he finally asked.

The meeting room fell silent for a second.

Jin Lei and President Liu exchanged a glance, and in the end, it was President Liu who spoke.

"Xu Yao," she paused, as if choosing her words carefully, "Kun-ge, you yourself said it, his image..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear.

"You've all seen his talent," Yang Kun said firmly. "During the round of 16, you heard the reaction from the audience when he and Li Wenqi performed 'Vincent.' Doesn't that kind of performance deserve a spot in the top four?"

"It's worth it." Mr. Liu did not deny it, "but his value lies not in the top four."

Yang Kun looked at her.

"Brother Kun, you've been in the music industry for so many years, you should understand."

Mr. Liu continued his calm analysis: "A 250-pound man making it from the blind auditions to the top 8 is already a remarkable comeback story. If he were eliminated in the quarterfinals, the headlines would be 'Regrettable End,' 'Heroic Defeat,' and 'The Fattest Dream Chaser.' What a perfect ending!"

"What if he gets guaranteed a spot in the semifinals? What will the audience think? With that kind of physical ability, how can he make it to the semifinals? Is there some kind of rigged competition in the show?"

She paused, lowering her voice by half an octave.

"The show is promoting a frail, overweight guy—do you think this topic is a plus or a minus for the show?"

Yang Kun didn't say anything; he knew she was right.

"His elimination is more valuable than his advancement," Ms. Liu concluded. "Think about it, if a contestant weighing 250 pounds is eliminated because of insufficient strength, the audience will only feel sorry. But if he is eliminated for some other reason..." She paused meaningfully, "that's a different story."

"What story?" Yang Kun asked.

Mr. Liu opened his notebook and read aloud: "'Xu Yao, a fat man who binged after being dumped, sang the most moving voice on the stage of The Voice of China, but was eliminated in the top 8 due to health reasons.' — Just think how many trending topics this headline could generate?"

Yang Kun felt a surge of resentment.

"His physical condition is also a topic of discussion," Mr. Liu continued. "He was out of breath after singing just one song, and you can see that in the backstage footage. We can release it later with the caption, 'Xu Yao bids farewell to the stage in tears due to health reasons,' and the audience will feel sorry for him."

"It is the resonance brought about by regret that allows the show to truly go viral."

"So, you've already made all the arrangements?" Yang Kun's voice carried a hint of anger.

"It's not an arrangement," Mr. Liu corrected him, "it's a plan. Brother Kun, you're a mentor on this show, you should know that we're making a television program, not a concert. The core of the program is the story, not the singing ability. Xu Yao's story ends here, just right."

Yang Kun didn't speak. His gaze fell on the paper on the table, where four names were neatly arranged: Chen Yongxin, Xu Jianqiu, Yu Feng, and Rong Qi.

Every name has a good reason to be remembered.

Xu Yao's name wasn't on the list, making him a casualty of the show's viral success.

"Brother Kun," Jin Lei finally spoke, his voice much softer than President Liu's, "We know you're not feeling well. But there are some things you can't decide, and neither can we. Canxing has investors, a platform, and viewership ratings to consider. We're all people operating in the cracks."

Yang Kun looked up at him.

Jin Lei's expression was sincere, even a little apologetic.

"You can tell Xu Yao privately," Jin Lei lowered his voice, "that you did your best. This kid may be chubby, but he's actually quite smart. He understands."

Yang Kun remained silent for a long time.

Then he stood up, picked up the piece of paper on the table, folded it twice, and put it in his pocket.

"Is there anything else?" he asked.

Mr. Liu shook his head: "No, thank you for your hard work, Brother Kun."

Yang Kun did not answer, but pushed open the door and walked out.

The corridor was quiet.

Yang Kun walked alone in the empty corridor, feeling somewhat annoyed.