He was in college, but his songs were at the Grammys.

Chen Ming's heart skipped a beat.

He looked at Li Jianping's profile.

His hair was gray, his eyes were focused on driving, and he had a nonchalant expression.

This old man is paving the way for him in his own way.

It's not condescending "care," nor is it charity-like "support."

Rather, it is an elder's most simple and sincere kindness towards a younger generation.

To be honest, aside from the few times we met at school...

Today was the first time the two of them had officially met and talked so much.

Therefore, he was not actually familiar with this old man.

The other party has gone to such lengths.

She was really good to him.

"Dean," Chen Ming said, his voice lower than usual, "I've got it."

Li Jianping nodded and said nothing more.

The car continued driving forward, passing through the dappled sunlight cast by the plane trees.

After a while, Li Jianping suddenly spoke again:

"By the way, did you write the lyrics for 'Ode to Young China' yourself?"

Chen Ming's expression remained unchanged.

He had anticipated this problem.

In this world without Mr. Liang Qichao, in this world where "A Young China's Manifesto" never existed.

Those words and phrases can only have one source.

"Yes," he said.

Li Jianping remained silent for a few seconds.

Then, he let out a soft breath, his tone filled with undisguised emotion:

"Beautiful words, truly beautiful."

A slight smile played at the corners of his lips, as if he were savoring something:

“Sentences like ‘When the youth are wise, the nation is wise; when the youth are wealthy, the nation is wealthy; when the youth are strong, the nation is strong’ are not something just anyone can write. It requires vision, breadth of mind, and deep affection for this land, for this country, and for the next generation.”

When he said the word "deep affection," his voice softened slightly.

It's as if they're talking about something very important, but rarely mentioned.

Chen Ming remained silent.

He simply looked out the window, watching the sunset gradually turn orange-red on the horizon.

Li Jianping continued:

"After you get back, give me the original lyrics for this song."

Chen Ming turned his head.

Li Jianping looked straight ahead and said calmly, "I will help you report it."

"Report it?" Chen Ming was slightly taken aback.

"Yes." Li Jianping nodded. "Make sure the people above remember your name."

The carriage was silent for a moment.

Chen Ming's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Make sure those in power remember his name...

He knew all too well what those words meant.

In this country, art and literature have never been just art and literature.

Those names that truly gain access to the top leadership's attention.

Their path will be several times smoother than that of ordinary people.

It wasn't through back channels or connections.

Rather, when your name is remembered and your talent is recognized, the opportunities that should belong to you will be more likely to fall into your lap.

The doors that you would normally have to knock on with great difficulty will open a crack for you.

What Li Jianping needs to do now is help him push open that door.

"Dean..." Chen Ming began, as if he wanted to say something.

Li Jianping waved his hand, interrupting him:

"Don't thank me, you deserve it."

A smile appeared on his lips: "With this song of yours, Jiangyi will be able to make us proud among all art schools from now on."

He turned his head and glanced at Chen Ming, his eyes filled with undisguised pride:

"Do you know what this means? It means that in the future, when people mention 'Ode to Young China,' they will not just think, 'Oh, that school is alright,' but, 'Oh, that school that produced 'Ode to Young China.' A school that can produce the author of this song must be pretty good."

He looked away and continued driving.

"Your song has been a huge help to the school. Shouldn't the school help you out?"

He spoke of it casually.

But Chen Ming knew this was no ordinary thing.

This is……

He turned his gaze to the window.

The sun had already sunk near the horizon, turning the sky a brilliant orange-red.

The shops on both sides of the street began to light up, people waited for the bus on the roadside, and children rode by on bicycles, their laughter ringing out.

The city is slowly transitioning from the hustle and bustle of the day to the gentleness of the night.

......

Friday, 2 PM.

Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

The live broadcast of the "Huaxia Singer" campus selection competition has officially begun.

The number of viewers in the Douyin live stream was 18.

The number of viewers in the Bilibili live stream room was 12.

The number of viewers in the Weibo live stream was 25.

The barrage of comments was so fast it was dazzling.

The first contestant was a girl with a high ponytail, a third-year vocal music major. She hit a high C in a song, and her breath control was so steady it was as if it were welded to the pitch line.

Holy crap!!! I was blown away by the opening scene!!!

"Is this really a student??? Are you sure it's not a professional singer trying to cause trouble???"

"Magic Art is awesome!!!!"

"I'm dumbfounded, are students these days all this competitive?"

The second contestant, a male majoring in pop singing, performed an R&B cover song with a smooth vocal transition as silky as Dove chocolate.

"I could never learn this transposition even after ten years of study."

"My mom asked me why I was kneeling while looking at my phone."

"What an amazing lineup of freshmen this year at Magic Art University!"

The third contestant, a singer-songwriter, played the guitar and sang his original works.

The lyrics are naive, but the melody is surprisingly catchy.

The barrage of comments exploded again:

"Original work??? How come students these days can write songs???"

"The melody is so catchy! When will the song be released?!"

"Another Chen Ming? No, I mean another original genius!"

"Don't compare him to Chen Ming; Chen Ming is a monster."

"That's true, Chen Ming is an exception."

……

The live stream lasted several hours, with more than twenty contestants taking turns to appear.

Bel canto, folk, pop, original songs...

Almost everyone who brings it out can leave the average viewer speechless.

The number of viewers in the live stream peaked at over one million.

On the trending search list, the hashtag "Magic Talent Selection Competition" climbed steadily, eventually settling at fifth place.

The comment section was in an uproar:

"Is this the power of top art schools...?"

"I understand now, I'm just here to make up the numbers."

"Please, stop interfering! Leave some room for ordinary people to survive!"

"If magic arts are this powerful, how terrifying must Peking Opera and Jiang Yi be?"

"Stop talking, I'm already looking forward to tomorrow's Peking Opera!"

"Jiang Yi is also coming out the day after tomorrow! Chen Ming is going to appear!!"

"Aaaaaaah, Chen Ming!!! I can't wait!!!"

Saturday, 2 PM.

Kyoto Academy of Performing Arts.

The live stream started on time.

If magic is a "battle of masters", then Peking Opera is a "battle of gods".

A girl with two braids looked quiet and gentle, but when she opened her mouth, she sang a coloratura soprano, unleashing a string of high notes as if they were free.

The comments section went completely crazy:

"Is that a sound that a human could make???"

"My dog ​​started practicing his vocalizations right after hearing that."

"Peking Opera is completely dominating this magical art form!"

The third, the fourth, the fifth...

Every contestant who took the stage possessed a solid foundation built from years of training.

That professionalism that emanates from their very being can be felt even through the screen.

What's even more surprising is that there are original performers in Peking Opera.

A boy who studies the jinghu (a two-stringed bowed instrument used in Peking Opera) wrote a pop song using elements of Peking Opera. The combination of jinghu and electronic music is surprisingly good.

"This fusion is amazing!!!"

"The Rise of Chinese Chic!!!"

"This is the music we've been waiting for!"

The live stream ended, and it became the number one trending topic.

The "Peking Opera Selection Competition" topped the list, surpassing a host of entertainment news.

Netizens flooded the comments section with messages:

"With such strong performances in magic and Peking Opera, I'm even more curious about Jiang Yi."

"Jiang Yi has Chen Ming, but what about the other players? Can they compete with these two teams?"

"Can Chen Ming single-handedly uphold the reputation of the entire school?"

Whether he can handle it or not is unknown, but Chen Ming is definitely a trump card.

"Looking forward to the day after tomorrow!! Chen Ming, go for it!!!"

Monday morning.

Jiangyi Campus.

As dawn broke, long queues had already formed at the school gate.

There were students from the school, holding their student IDs and waiting to enter; there were also many unfamiliar faces, including members of the public, fans, social media bloggers, and even a few carrying cameras.

Most of them were just there to watch the spectacle.

A small portion of them are just trying to ride the wave of popularity.