Esports world champion, debuted as the center of a talent show

As soon as Yu Lan finished speaking, the large screen behind her suddenly lit up.

"The first to be announced are the trainees whose rankings in each class have changed."

The list was announced starting with Class F and proceeding sequentially to Class A. As Jiang Zhiyu listened to each name coming from the broadcast, he unsurprisingly recognized several familiar names.

Several trainees who were originally in Class A were called out, and their faces immediately darkened. Everyone present knew that the only possible change in Class A was demotion.

The production team seemed to have deliberately whetted everyone's appetite. Once the atmosphere was right, they stopped dragging their feet and directly displayed the final rating results of the theme song on the screen in reverse order by level.

F, D, C, B... The names scrolled rapidly line by line, and gradually, suppressed gasps and hushed whispers rose in the quiet, multi-purpose classroom.

Jiang Zhiyu's gaze swept across the list. Among the crowd around him, some breathed a sigh of relief, some clenched their fingers, and some lowered their eyes to hide their disappointment.

Mi Lan nudged Jiang Zhiyu with her elbow and whispered, "We both passed."

Jiang Zhiyu did not respond, his gaze calmly fixed on the top of the screen, on the still dark area where the name had not yet been lit up.

Almost immediately, the area lit up, and nine names appeared clearly before everyone's eyes.

Jiang Zhiyu, Mi Lan, Lin Sen, Wang Yan, An Junying, Deng Sushui, Chen Yue, Wei Shuang, Lu Renjia.

Two contestants from Class A fell off the field, and were replaced by Lu Renjia and Wei Shuang from Classes B and C, respectively.

Yu Lan stood in the open space in the center of the large classroom, taking in the expressions of all the trainees. They were all young children, and few of them could completely control their expressions.

Her gaze swept over Jiang Zhiyu's face in the crowd, and she paused slightly.

From the very first stage performance, she seemed to have never seen this seventeen-year-old boy show any outward emotion on the show.

On the contrary, he always carried a sense of suppressed repression, making people want to explore his inner world for no reason.

However, she quickly withdrew her gaze and continued the process, speaking in a clear voice: "The rise and fall in rank is merely a temporary reflection of your mastery of the theme song. The real test begins on the next stage. Now, we move on to—the initial center voting!"

The initial center position is chosen by all 99 trainees from among the nine candidates in Class A. Everyone votes online using mobile phones provided by the program team. This candidate for the center position of the theme song will remain until the end of the first performance.

Every trainee has the right to vote, including the Class A members who are candidates.

However, it was clear that not everyone was within the pool of other trainees. Almost the instant Yu Lan announced the start of the voting, countless eyes were focused on Jiang Zhiyu.

Jiang Zhiyu felt the subtle, inquisitive, and envious gazes from everyone present, but he remained calm, as if he wasn't the one being watched.

At that moment, he looked down at the voting options displayed on his phone screen and cast his vote for himself almost without hesitation.

At the same time, the projection screen began to play the theme song assessment videos of the nine Class A trainees on a loop.

Those who manage to get into Class A are already quite formidable, but when everyone's performances are put side by side for a direct comparison, it becomes immediately clear who shines the brightest.

Although Jiang Zhiyu's theme song assessment video was not played in the center of the screen, his superior facial features and physique, perfect stage performance, and just-right facial expression management naturally captured the attention of almost everyone.

The trainees watched the assessment video and whispered among themselves.

"Jiang Zhiyu is really amazing, he's got the makings of an all-around ace."

"I'm so envious. How can someone be both good-looking and strong?"

"Hey, did you guys hear? He's number one in the first ranking!"

"He deserves it... I always see him still in the training room after get off work."

"What do you call that? Someone more talented than you is also working harder than you."

"It's one thing to be blessed with natural talent, but he also has to be his own chef. If he doesn't succeed, who will?"

"Alright, alright, stop talking and hurry up and vote! Time's almost up."

Unlike the other trainees who were more relaxed during this stage, the nine trainees in Class A were quieter.

However, most of them were not nervous about the selection results, but rather felt the absolute pressure from the top after seeing the direct comparison of the theme song assessment videos.

After casting his vote, Jiang Zhiyu calmly watched Wei Shuang's performance video on the screen.

During the audition and recording, Wei Shuang stood beside him. He hadn't paid attention to her full performance at the time, but now that he had seen it, he was right.

Wei Shuang's stage presence and performance were completely different from his rushed and ordinary performance on his first stage. In this assessment, he was confident and flamboyant, his dance moves were precise and on point, and his vocal pitch was flawless.

"Five seconds left to vote—"

As the mechanical background music played, most of the trainees had already chosen their initial center and were quietly waiting for the results to be announced after casting their votes.

As the announcement signaling the end of voting faded, the entire venue fell silent, and everyone held their breath.

Standing in front of the trainees, Yu Lan raised her hand and tapped her earpiece, receiving the final result.

Her gaze swept across the entire room, her tone carrying just the right amount of suspense:

"The trainee who secured the center position for this theme song—the initial center—with absolute talent is—"

The lights on the large screen suddenly focused.

A line of clean and crisp characters rests steadily in the very center.

[Center Location: Jiangzhiyu (A)]

Ticket type:

Class A 9/9

Class B 13/15

Class C 18/21

Class D 20/24

Class F, 26/30

For a moment, the entire classroom was silent for half a second, then erupted in chaos.

The result was as expected, but the voting pattern caused a huge uproar.

"Holy crap! What kind of vote distribution is this?!"

"Well deserved."

Lin Sen slapped his thigh, almost jumping up from his seat: "Awesome! Jiang Jiang, you're amazing!"

Mi Lan turned her head to the side, raised an eyebrow at him, and smiled smugly: "What did I say again? Without a doubt, you're a first virgin."

Jiang Zhiyu's face remained largely expressionless; he simply nodded slightly, acknowledging the gazes directed at him from all around.

Not far away, Chen Yue sat in a corner, his face even more unpleasant than when he was at the door. His knuckles were clenched so tightly that they turned white, and he swallowed back a curse word.

Kui Shuang leaned back in her chair, her gaze sweeping lightly over Jiang Zhiyu. She didn't speak, but the casual emotion that had been in her eyes disappeared, replaced by a smile.

[What an outrageous vote ratio! Is Jiang Zhiyu a heartthrob?!]

This is the first time I've seen such a crushing victory in the initial center vote. It's only been five days, and the reputation among the trainees has already fallen so far?

Being a fan of Jiang Zhiyu is so wonderful... I'm being carried along by my idol!

[Stop talking, the person in question is amazing, I've been crying the whole time.]

[Could Chen Yue please control his expressions a little? It's disgusting when the camera pans across him when he's overjoyed.]

[The voting stage will be the next step to get rid of him.]

Wait, but Class A's vote count is 9/9...

[Really? Is he mentally disturbed? Throwing the ball while simultaneously harboring hatred?]

Yu Lan smiled and continued hosting: "Congratulations to Jiang Zhiyu for becoming the center of this year's theme song for 'Shining Project'. This afternoon, we will head to the beach to complete the recording of the theme song."

Applause erupted again.

Jiang Zhiyu slowly stood up.

The camera seemed to have a pre-arranged plan, precisely focusing on him.

He showed no sign of being flattered, nor did he try to show off; he simply stood up straight and bowed slightly.

Simple and neat, yet her aura is undeniable.

Someone sighed silently in their heart—

This is hardly an amateur entering a talent show.

He's clearly a king; he warmed the throne the moment he entered.