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

The mentor's quiz was held in a closed training room. Jiang Zhiyu walked in first and his gaze met Guan Liu, who was sitting in the center, as he pushed open the door.

The other person nodded slightly to him, their expression gentle, their eyes carrying a hint of unspoken encouragement.

The mentors had already heard that the original stage plan for Group A of "The Unopened Letter" was completely scrapped due to unforeseen circumstances, and that it was rearranged in just three days.

Guan Liu, who debuted through a talent show, understands the pressure of such a desperate situation the most, and also admires Jiang Zhiyu's willingness to give up the fixed center position and switch to rotating center for the sake of the team.

The camera, placed in the corner, was continuously working and set to recording mode.

Although the mentor's mini-test and rehearsal sessions will not be broadcast live, they will be recorded and edited into a special program, which will be broadcast after the official performance of the first stage.

Therefore, the program still needs to follow the required procedures.

The seven people stood before their mentors and bowed.

Jiang Zhiyu calmly began, "Hello mentors, we are Group A of 'The Unopened Letter'."

"When you learned that seven people were going to overhaul and rewrite a stage within three days, what was your first reaction?" Wu Xiangyang asked curiously.

"At first, we were indeed caught off guard, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Together, we figured out a way to present the song that was more suitable for it." Jiang Zhiyu's tone was calm, and he answered these formulaic questions and answers very naturally.

Shen Fengyu couldn't help but chime in: "Actually, it was mainly Brother Jiang who took on most of the adaptation work; he really helped us a lot."

Yu Wen glanced sideways and couldn't help but whisper to Yao Wei, who was tense beside him, "When did he start calling you Brother Jiang too?"

Yu Qizhen snapped her fingers lightly, interrupting the chatter, and signaled the staff to play the accompaniment: "Okay, then let's see the results of your three days of practice."

The group quickly exchanged glances and took their positions.

The mini-test for Group A mentors on "The Unopened Letter" has officially begun.

This is a song where the melody and emotions build up layer by layer, which is a great test of the performer's ability to express emotions.

As soon as the intro started, Jiang Zhiyu instantly got into character.

Three high stools were placed in the center of the venue. He sat in the middle one. Although he was just wearing ordinary training clothes, he seemed to have entered the main perspective of the song's narrative and was immersed in the emotions of regret and bitterness.

He opened the song with the first line of lyrics. This was originally his part that he assigned to Yu Wen, but in the end, everyone unanimously decided to give the most infectious part, Jiang Zhiyu, to be in charge of "immersing himself in the situation".

"An old envelope lies beneath, half a page of twilight."

The handwriting is still there, warm in your palm.

Upon hearing the first sentence, Tang Zhuo nodded in admiration and made a checkmark on the notebook in front of him.

Jiang Zhiyu's cool and clear voice gives this kind of sad song a unique flavor, perfectly blending the coldness of his tone with the subtle melancholy in the opening lyrics and melody.

After the first verse finished, Jiang Zhiyu stood up and turned around as the interlude played, neatly retreating to the back row, seamlessly connecting the formation, and it was Yu Wen's turn.

Yu Wen's voice was deep and his movements were small, but every step was perfectly timed. However, compared to Jiang Zhiyu's relaxed demeanor, he was clearly tense.

Fortunately, his singing ability remained excellent, his pitch was perfect, and he made no mistakes, smoothly transitioning the passage to the next part.

The seven short verses in the first half of the song are perfectly suited for the seven of them to take turns singing as the center, and the frequent adjustments of their positions are harmonious and smooth.

So far, this mini-test has gone unexpectedly smoothly, with even Yao Wei, who was most nervous before the competition, performing at his best since practicing the new choreography.

The vocal group didn't need to perform any difficult dance moves, but for the sake of stage effect, they still added some slight physical movements. There were no fancy designs, but they fit the bittersweet emotions of the song without being over-the-top or abrupt.

During the chorus, Jiang Zhiyu returns to the center position.

"The lamp at the alley entrance no longer waits for me."

The evening breeze, for you, gently knocks on the window.

His voice gained a slight burst of power in the chorus, with emotions even stronger than in the intro, yet he remained restrained, without excessive shouting. He relied solely on breath control and the handling of the ending notes to express the regret and timidity hidden deep in his heart.

Guan Liu listened intently, her fingers unconsciously tapping her knees in time with the melody.

During the interlude, the formation changed again, with the seven people spreading out in a semi-circle. There was no complicated dance, only simple gestures and turns, as if each of them was telling an unfinished story.

When the whole group harmonized, the sound was clear and distinct, with no one singing off-key or rushing the beat. The tacit understanding they had developed over three days was clearly visible.

"This unopened letter holds the warmth of half a lifetime."

Every word and phrase is waiting for someone.

Later, separated by mountains and seas, we no longer cared about the passing of spring and autumn.

Only longing remains, gently covered in dust.

As the melody slowed down in the final section, Jiang Zhiyu walked back to the high stool in the center and sat down, softly singing the last few lines, his emotions clean and crisp.

Time passes silently, yet it builds up longing.

As the last note faded, the entire venue fell silent for a moment.

The seven people stood back in their original positions in an orderly fashion, bowed again, and waited for the mentor's comments.

After a brief silence, applause rang out from the judges' panel.

Guan Liu's eyes were full of approval as she spoke first: "Let me give a round of applause to your whole team. To be able to complete this to this extent after scrapping and starting over in three days far exceeds my expectations."

His gaze swept over the seven boys in front of him, finally settling on Jiang Zhiyu. His tone was exceptionally sincere: "Especially the overall stage arrangement. There was no deliberate piling up of techniques. It perfectly matched the emotional core of the song 'Unopened Letter.' The design of the center position was ingenious. Everyone's part was just right. It's clear that a lot of thought was put into polishing it."

Tang Zhuo held the pen, tapped the score sheet with his fingertip, and continued, "The overall completion was extremely high, with no obvious mistakes. The pitch, positioning, and emotional transitions were all very smooth. Jiang Zhiyu, although you were the center in the round, your core role was too prominent. You set the tone at the beginning, captured the emotions in the chorus, and ended the song with just the right amount of regret. Your singing skills and stage presence are absolutely top-notch among these trainees."

At this point, he looked at Yu Wen, who seemed a little flustered, and softened his tone: "Yu Wen, your timbre is a good match for this song. Although you were a little reserved when you sang just now, your breath control and positioning were very stable. Let go of your nervousness and you will shine even brighter on the official stage."

Yu Wen immediately straightened his back and bowed slightly: "Thank you, Teacher Tang. I will continue to make adjustments."

The mentors were generous with their praise, pointing out the strengths of each student.

After everyone had finished their comments, Guan Liu twirled the pen in her hand: "However, there are still problems."

He pointed to the group of people in front of him with his pen: "Some of you lost control of your facial expressions while singing. This is a major taboo in idol stage performances. You must control your expressions even for the most difficult parts. The official performance is the day after tomorrow, so keep practicing. There's still time."

Liang Fang and Chen Tianyu nodded hurriedly in agreement. They knew that Guan Liu was referring to them when she said that their facial expressions were out of control. As "poor students" in facial expression management, even though they had spent a lot of time working hard on it over the past three days, their performance was still not ideal.

After everything was over, Jiang Zhiyu led the way by bowing again, his voice steady and powerful: "Thank you for your guidance, mentors. We will continue to improve and deliver an even better performance on the official stage."

He stood tall and spoke humbly, still with that calm and composed demeanor. Guan Liu looked at him, her admiration growing even stronger.

Regardless, the 72-hour race against time successfully passed the first stage of the assessment, and the completion rate was even better than they had expected.

As Shen Fengyu stood up, he could not hide his excitement, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up. The others secretly exchanged glances, and they all saw joy in each other's eyes.

Although no one in the group spoke, they exuded a strong sense of unity and cohesion. The three days of hasty preparation, countless revisions, and exhaustion from repeated adjustments all paid off at this moment.

"Alright, thank you for your hard work. Go back and rest well, continue to refine the details, and strive to give everyone an even bigger surprise on the first performance stage." Yu Qizhen waved her hand, indicating that they could leave the training room.

The seven bowed again to express their gratitude, and then turned and walked out of the training room one by one.

The door closed gently, shutting out the lights in the training room. The light in the corridor was soft, and Yao Wei finally couldn't help but cheer in a low voice, "Great! We did it! Brother Jiang, you're amazing!"

Jiang Zhiyu smiled and said, "Let's go back to the main classroom and wait for the results."