Perfect Superstar.

Tan Hong straightened his back, his expression becoming focused and serious.

Chen Fei'er widened her eyes, a faint look of surprise shining in her eyes.

Zhen Zhen gently nodded, the corner of her mouth curling into a knowing smile, her expression reflecting joy as if she had discovered a hidden gem.

Lin Zhijie remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.

The 1,500 audience members in the hall all listened to Lu Chen's performance in silence, with no one making a sound.

The style of "Walking While Singing" was completely different from Gao Feng's "In Spring", which was performed earlier. Although the lyrics were melancholic and nostalgic, the mood of the song wasn't dark or despondent. Instead, it exuded a gentle, loving warmth.

Lu Chen's performance of the song was free of any dramatic intensity or heavy sadness. His voice was relaxed, almost languid, evoking the feeling of a Buddha statue on an autumn afternoon. 

Sitting alone on a park bench lined with frosty red leaves, he strums his guitar and sings, telling his personal love story to passersby in a soft, soothing way.

"... 

Love, walking while singing, 

Can't sing a melody that lasts forever. 

On the empty street, 

Covered in confusion. 

Willing to fight, 

Yearning with mixed emotions, 

But in the end, still, 

You can't get the result you wanted, 

Isn't that right?" 

It was not until the chorus that the emotion began to shift. It became both a question and an answer, with the emotional power greatly intensified!

To be fair, "Walking While Sing" doesn't quite reach the emotional depth of "In Spring. It lacks the passion and intensity that could send shivers down your spine, and therefore doesn't touch the listener's heart as deeply. 

Were it not for the fact that the song perfectly matches the theme of Singing China, Lu Chen might not have chosen it as his performance piece for the first round of the qualification.

Still, it was a good song, at least, it was pleasant to listen to, and it showed off his talent! 

The audience seemed to enjoy it as it helped to ease the emotional turmoil caused by "In Spring" earlier.

"... 

Why not let it all be, 

You and me, let's just forget it! 

Everybody is afraid of complications, 

Let's live a simpler life alone!"

After four full minutes, Lu Chen finished the performance of "Walking While Singing. 

The studio erupted into enthusiastic applause, although it wasn't as intense as before. Only a few audience members stood up.

The four judges also clapped, but none of them stood.

The applause quickly died down, and Chen Fei'er was the first to speak, saying, "Lu Chen, I really like this song. You're a very talented singer, so I'm very happy to give you a full score and let you advance to the next round!"

The applause broke out again.

Lu Chen bowed and said, "Thank you, Teacher Chen!

The Sweet Queen of Ballads was not only beautiful and talented, but she also genuinely liked the song. It was not fake or pretentious, which made her praise for Lu Chen sincere, and she gave him a full score.

However, Lu Chen felt that his response seemed a bit strange.

Zhen Zhen spoke up, "In today's domestic pop music scene, there are not many who can truly dedicate themselves to creating original works, especially among young people. But you have shown me the future of original power, and I hope you will continue to work hard to create even better and more outstanding works!"

"I, like Fei'er, give you full marks!" 

"Thank you, Teacher Zhen Zhen!"

At this moment, Tan Hong cleared his throat twice and asked, "Do you have any other works?"

Lu Chen nodded, "Yes."

Tan Hong's eyes lit up and he asked, "Then could you sing another one?"

In the same qualifying round of the talent show, some contestants were barely halfway through their songs when the four red lights went on and they were immediately sent off stage, while others managed to finish their entire performance and were able to stay on stage and interact with the Superstar judges.

It was all a matter of strength!

Tan Hong himself was an excellent singer, and he took original works very seriously. Unlike Chen Fei'er, who might give Lu Chen full marks just because he was handsome and had a good voice, Tan Hong focused more on the talent behind the performance.

In the industry, Tan Hong was known for his reputation as a mentor to younger artists.

He gave Lu Chen an opportunity to showcase his skills.

Lu Chen hesitated for a moment.

Seeing this, Chen Fei'er quickly said, "Big Brother, why not let him save his other works for the second round?"

Chen Fei'er misunderstood Lu Chen's hesitation, thinking that he couldn't come up with anything better than "Walking While Sing" and was worried that Tan Hong might be disappointed, which might affect his popularity.

Although it seemed like a small problem, the qualification round was being broadcast live to a nationwide audience. Lu Chen's previous performance had already earned him a high score, but if his other works were far inferior and didn't perform as well, it could result in losing points.

Chen Fei'er, who had a sensitive mind and liked Lu Chen, subtly reminded him.

Tan Hong realized and said, "Hmm, it's better to save it for the second round.

He was so impressed by Lu Chen's talent that he forgot for a moment that this was a live talent show.

If Lu Chen performed another original song now, it would be a violation of the rules.

Unexpectedly, Lu Chen replied, "Teacher Tan, Teacher Chen, I actually have another song, but it was performed earlier by contestant 0029.

Contestant 0029?

The four judging panel members and the over a thousand audience members were stunned— what song was that?

Zhen Zhen was the quickest to react, asking in disbelief, "You mean 'In Spring' is your song?"

As the editor-in-chief of Pop Music magazine, Zhen Zhen's question was a bit out of place, but everyone understood her shock. It was really unbelievable!

In Spring', the main song of 'Wandering Band's' debut album, which had become a huge hit outside the showbiz community, had just been covered by Gao Feng and received countless cheers. It was hard to believe that such a deep and nostalgic song came from young Lu Chen.

Many people couldn't accept it, and the studio was buzzing with amazement!

Tan Hong and Chen Fei'er exchanged glances.

Neither of them thought that Lu Chen was lying. Since Singing China was a reality talent show that was not only broadcast domestically, but also in most of Asia, its influence was huge. If he was lying, it would be easy for the falsehood to be exposed, and his future in the industry would be ruined. 

Lu Chen didn't seem like someone who would destroy himself, so they believed what he said.

Although it was unbelievable, it was the truth.

Lin Zhijie suddenly said, "I remember now! Wandering Band's 'In Spring' was written by Lu Chen, and their other two songs, 'I Want A Family' and 'The Reason to Be Strong', were also your works!"

As the music director of Flying Stone Records, Lin Zhijie was very attentive to new trends and works in the industry, so he quickly remembered them.

Lu Chen smiled and said, "I used to perform with 'Wandering Band' at the Daylily Bar.

He gave a small plug for the Daylily Bar, a subtle way of paying back Chen Jianhao for introducing him.

Chen Fei'er murmured, "This is really impressive.

She had listened to all three songs of Wandering Band and especially liked 'I Want A Family'.

She never imagined that they were all written by Lu Chen.

The opening round of Singing China had truly unearthed a gem!

Tan Hong nodded vigorously.

Lin Zhijie shook his head with a wry smile and continued, "Lu Chen, I owe you an apology!"

"Earlier, I thought you were the kind of singer who craved attention with flashy stunts. Now I see that I was wrong. To make up for my mistake, I have decided..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly raised his right hand and slapped the golden button in the middle of the judges' table!

"Beep~

A deafening alarm echoed throughout the studio, accompanied by the sound of "bang, bang, bang" as colorful confetti rained down from the high ceiling, filling the room with a festive and joyful atmosphere.

On the big screen in the background, the words "Congratulations, you've advanced to the Top 32!

Direct advancement!

Lu Chen didn't need to participate in the second round, he was directly into the Top 32!

'(End of Chapter)'

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