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

"Manager Lin, it's like this." Hong Liu hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words: "Is Xiao Jiang taking any medication? The fans have noticed and have even sent private messages asking about it."

Lin Shi's expression instantly turned serious on the other end of the phone. He lowered his voice and said with a hint of seriousness, "He was sick a few years ago and has been taking regular medication. What the fans saw should be this. Please ask the production team to help suppress the news and prevent netizens from speculating and spreading rumors."

Hong Liu sighed: "Don't worry about that, I already gave the instructions immediately."

"Thank you." Lin Shi paused, his tone softening slightly. "How's he been doing on the show lately?"

"Xiao Jiang? He seems to be doing alright. All those things that happened before didn't affect him. Let me see—" Hong Liu pondered, while clicking on the live stream's split screen, "He's still in the training room working on the original stage with his teammates."

Inside the practice room, several people sat in a circle around a table, on which lay the lyrics manuscript and a tentative arrangement score.

Zhuang Sheng rubbed his temples, looked around at everyone in a daze, and asked, "Time has flown by so fast, do you guys even remember how many days we have left for practice?"

Upon hearing this, everyone subconsciously stopped what they were doing and looked up at each other.

For this second public performance, due to the unique nature of the entire original process, the production team "mercifully" gave all trainees half a month to write lyrics, compose music, choreograph, and practice.

Jiang Zhiyu looked up at the clock on the wall; it showed three in the afternoon.

He pondered the general follow-up process and the approximate time required before replying, "There are still eleven days left. We need to refine the entire song and choreography. We expect to have less than a week for training. The preliminary test and rehearsal before the second performance will also take up two days."

"After going through the process, it seems like we're still quite pressed for time. We need to speed things up." Lin Sen ran a hand through his hair and frowned. "Do you guys have any stage ideas? Let's summarize them so it'll be easier for me to choreograph."

"I have it." Jiang Zhiyu raised his arm halfway, answering a question like a well-behaved student, his face full of seriousness.

Lin Sen looked at him with a smile, as kind as an old man: "Go on."

"I think we can use props, like pure black and pure white masks, to integrate the props into the stage, and then use two stages of emotional progression to clearly explain the core theme of our song."

"I get it, prop dance, right? Anything else?"

"I just had Si-xian lengthen the interlude. My idea is to insert a group dance to connect the struggle between day and night."

"Understood." Lin Sen scribbled down the keywords on the draft paper. "Then I'll follow this approach and use the current demo to choreograph the overall framework and the group dance."

Sitting to the side, unable to get a word in edgewise, Fang Shi glanced at Lin Sen, who had stood up, then at Jiang Zhiyu, and couldn't help but ask, "Zhiyu, have you ever studied stage choreography?"

Jiang Zhiyu's expression remained unchanged: "No."

Fang Shi exclaimed with admiration, "It really sounds like a professional. The lyrics and stage style are very similar to a friend I used to know."

Jiang Zhiyu, who was being praised, lowered his gaze and said in a low voice, "It also reminds me of a friend I used to know."

His voice was very soft, and Fang Shi couldn't hear him clearly. He tilted his head in confusion and asked, "Huh? What did you say?"

"It's nothing." Jiang Zhiyu smiled slightly.

Lin Sen had already stood up and walked to the empty center of the practice room: "Come on, you guys play the complete demo first, and I'll listen to the rhythm and go through the general movement framework."

Qi Sixian immediately connected the speakers and played the demo of the song, the melody slowly flowing into the practice room.

Lin Sen turned around with his eyes closed, quickly planning the transitions and formations in his mind. Every now and then, he would raise his hand to demonstrate, muttering the beat to himself: "Four beats here... eight beats in the interlude..."

I'm already looking forward to Jiang Zhiyu's group's performance; it feels like they've already won big just from the concept itself.

Sometimes I really want to crack open Jiang Jiang's brain and explore where all these ingenious ideas come from!

I think Jiang Zhiyu has been in control of the situation the whole time. Does anyone else feel the same way...?

I get it... It feels like I'm completely playing the role of the chess player.

[They're the kind of people who, after taking on too much responsibility, unconsciously start to feel burdened with more responsibility.]

I'm incredibly curious about Jiang Zhiyu's upbringing and really want to know how he developed his personality. I hope he'll have the chance to talk to his fans about it someday.

In the days that followed, the group went into a state of intense preparation, working around the clock.

Arrive at the practice room early in the morning to practice the rhythm and beat with the demo. Lin Sen meticulously refines the choreography, teaching and perfecting each movement from the overall formation to the details of each person's hands and footwork.

Where the movements were uncoordinated, where the timing was off, or where the formation transitions appeared chaotic, everyone stopped on the spot to repeatedly practice and refine their movements. No one slacked off, and no one complained.

Qi Sixian was also extremely efficient, completing the interlude adjustment on the same day. He precisely modified the arrangement to match the rhythm of the group dance, and even added a gentle transition melody to perfectly fit the mood of the day-night transition.

After he revised the interlude, he immediately gathered all the members of the group and played it for everyone to listen to, which made it easier for choreography and joint practice.

Jiang Zhiyu has an exceptional memory and comprehension ability. He can learn a complete lesson after Lin Sen teaches him only once, and he can also accurately identify flaws in the formation and offer timely suggestions for adjustment.

"The layout here doesn't need to be too orderly; a slightly staggered arrangement will create a more diffused sense of darkness."

"The final shot is a still frame, with everyone slightly lowering their weight and lowering their gaze, matching the quiet atmosphere of the night."

Every suggestion he made hit the nail on the head, and Lin Sen would immediately adjust his approach after hearing it, resulting in a significant improvement in effectiveness.

Although Zhuang Sheng and his friends were slightly weaker in dance, they were exceptionally hardworking. While others rested, they would repeatedly practice their movements and memorize their positions in front of the mirror, afraid of holding the whole team back.

The schedule was very tight these past few days. When they got tired, they would lean against the wall to drink some water, catch their breath, and then immediately get up and continue practicing, not daring to slack off at all.

The lights in the practice room stayed on from day to night, the melody played on repeat, and the sounds of footsteps, beats, and discussions mingled together.

No one was distracted by the outside public opinion storms anymore, and no one was bothered by unnecessary interpersonal entanglements. Everyone had only one goal in mind, which was to do a good job on the second public original stage and to present their best performance and works in the limited time.

Four days after the practice session began, the production crew knocked on the door of their training room.

knock --

The sudden sound interrupted their rhythm. They stopped, panting, and looked towards the door.