After becoming rich overnight, I handed over the system.

Chapter 440 Trainees

After witnessing the wonders of the cultivation world with Long Mingyue, Lin Liuyi returned to writing his novel and accumulating energy.

When she accidentally saw a clip of a content creator commenting on a talent show, she decided to write an article about talent shows.

At this moment, at the audition site for the third season of "Super Idol", Cheng Yu'an stood in the waiting area, his fingers unconsciously stroking the faded number plate on his chest - number 187.

This is his seventh draft pick in three years, and it may be his last.

"Number 187! Prepare to enter!" The staff member's voice was like a death knell.

Cheng Yu'an took a deep breath and looked up at the huge poster on the wall that read "Pursue your dreams, shine in the future".

The trainees on the poster had bright smiles and sparkling eyes, a stark contrast to his current exhausted state.

At twenty-two, that's considered "old" in the idol industry. If I fail again this time, sigh!

"Dad, give me one last chance." The conversation from last night's phone call echoed in my ears again. "If this doesn't work, I'll go back to my hometown and take the civil service exam."

"You're twenty-two, not a child anymore!" The father's voice was full of disappointment. "Old Zhang's son next door, the same age as you, has already bought a house in the county town!"

Cheng Yu'an shook his head, banishing these distracting thoughts from his mind.

The moment he pushed open the studio door, the blinding spotlight made him squint.

The judging panel consisted of three people: producer Xu PD, dance instructor Zhou Yi, and vocal instructor Su Rui—all prominent figures in the industry.

"Hello, teachers. I am trainee number 187, Cheng Yu'an, from Xingcheng." He bowed, his voice trembling slightly.

PD Xu flipped through the information: "The information shows you've participated in six auditions? Why have you persisted until now?"

Cheng Yu'an gripped the microphone tightly: "Because I really want to stand on this stage."

"So cliché," dance instructor Zhou Yi muttered under his breath, his words clearly caught by the microphone.

Cheng Yu'an's face flushed instantly, but he didn't back down: "I know I'm older and my acting skills aren't great. But I believe that a sincere performance can move people."

“Then let’s see your ‘sincere performance’.” PD Xu gestured for him to proceed.

As the music started, Cheng Yu'an chose "The Light Chaser"—a song that wasn't particularly original but was rich in emotion.

After the intro, he closed his eyes and began to sing.

"If you are the fireworks on the sea, then I am the foam on the waves..."

His voice wasn't perfect, and he even had a few pitch problems, but his immersive performance made the judges exchange glances.

When singing the chorus, Cheng Yu'an completely forgot that this was an assessment, as if she were just pouring out her heart in an empty room.

"...I can follow behind you, like a shadow chasing the light in a dream..."

As the last note faded, the studio fell silent for a few seconds.

Cheng Yu'an opened his eyes and saw Xu PD's thoughtful expression. His heart sank—had he failed again?

“Your technique does… need improvement,” vocal coach Su Rui began. “But your timbre is very distinctive, and…” she paused, “when you sing, I can feel your story.”

Cheng Yu'an couldn't believe his ears.

"What about the dance part?" Zhou Yi asked.

“I…I’m ready,” Cheng Yu’an said nervously.

As the music started, his movements were clean and crisp but lacked flair, and he almost lost his balance during the final ending pose.

Zhou Yi shook his head: "Your basic skills are too poor."

Just when Cheng Yu'an thought it was all over, PD Xu suddenly asked, "What makes you think you deserve to be an idol?"

Cheng Yu'an was silent for a moment, then looked up: "I'm not perfect, but maybe... the audience will want to see how an ordinary person gradually gets closer to their dream."

This statement seemed to have touched upon PD Xu.

He looked down and wrote something on the score sheet, then looked up and announced, "Congratulations, number 187. You have qualified for the training camp."

Cheng Yu'an stood there, stunned, until the staff urged him to come out of his daze.

As he walked out of the studio, he saw a tall figure leaning against the wall—the person was wearing a stylish black training uniform, and the number on his chest showed that he was number 001.

"So you're the one who got through by 'playing the victim'?" Number 001 straightened up, a head taller than Cheng Yu'an. "My name is Lin Xiu, a trainee in JP's China division." He looked Cheng Yu'an up and down. "I hope I won't hold you back in training camp."

Cheng Yu'an gripped the pass tightly, offering no response.

He knew that Lin Xiu, a trainee at a big company, was from a completely different world than him.

Three days later, the 100 selected trainees moved into the training base.

Cheng Yu'an dragged his suitcase to his dormitory—a four-person room, better than he had imagined.

He pushed open the door and froze on the spot: Lin Xiuzheng was leaning against the lower bunk playing on his phone.

"What a small world," Lin Xiu said without looking up.

The other two roommates hadn't arrived yet, so Cheng Yu'an quietly chose the bed furthest from Lin Xiu.

He had just put down his luggage when Lin Xiu tossed him a bottle of water: "Don't be nervous, I'm not going to eat you."

Cheng Yu'an caught the water, somewhat surprised.

"I'm just curious," Lin Xiu finally raised his head, "how did someone with your level pass? By crying about your dreams?"

“I’m alright at singing,” Cheng Yu’an couldn’t help but retort.

Lin Xiu scoffed: "An idol isn't someone who busks on the street; they need to be all-rounders."

He stood up, made a cool wave, and said, "Singing, dancing, and rapping—all three are indispensable."

Cheng Yu'an didn't reply and started packing her luggage.

At this moment, the other two roommates pushed open the door and entered—one was Li Zixuan, a cute boy with a baby face, and the other was Zhang Shuo, a tall man who looked honest and simple.

After a brief self-introduction, the atmosphere among the four eased considerably.

"I heard the theme song evaluation is on the very first day!" Li Zixuan said worriedly. "We have 24 hours to learn the theme song's singing and dancing, and then we'll be ranked."

Zhang Shuo wailed, "I dance with my arms and legs moving in unison!"

Lin Xiu smiled easily: "A piece of cake."

Cheng Yu'an silently noted down the information, her heart already pounding.

Dancing has always been his weakest area.

The next morning, all the trainees were summoned to the training hall.

The music video for this season's theme song, "Shining Star," was playing on a giant screen—a fast-paced song with complex choreography.

"The evaluation will take place here in 24 hours," PD Xu announced. "The ratings will range from A to F, with Class A qualifying for the center position in the theme song."

After training began, Cheng Yu'an discovered that the situation was worse than he had imagined.

In the dance studio, my movements in front of the mirror are as stiff as a robot; during vocal practice, I always fall short of a breath when hitting the high notes.

Worse still, Lin Xiu seemed to have mastered everything effortlessly and even began instructing other trainees.