After Spectating Gossip, the Entertainment Industry Thinks I’m a Big Shot – CH8

Chapter 8

It was finally time for Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin to take the stage.

The two had contrasting styles: one had delicate features, fair skin, and a slender frame with a cool demeanor; the other was rugged and bold, exuding a natural edginess even while just standing still.

Although their outfits were similar in style, the simple designs only emphasized their individual qualities even more.

Yin Hefeng’s eyes lit up instantly.

Ordinarily, agencies aim to create a unified style for their trainees, but LeShi went for a striking contrast, making the pair instantly memorable. While most trainees wore elaborate makeup and flashy clothes, these two had a minimalist look that made them stand out even more.

Such a choice showed a deep understanding of the dynamics of talent shows.

Instinctively, he glanced at Gu Xingshi, who seemed to be frowning slightly, as if dissatisfied.

Despite their impressive debut, he wasn’t satisfied?!

If they hadn’t just had a conversation, he might have assumed Gu Xingshi was just posturing.

Yin Hefeng followed Gu Xingshi’s gaze, realizing he was looking not at the stage but at the mentors’ panel.

Remembering the tension between Leshi and Jinyou, he couldn’t resist asking, “Mr. Gu, are you worried about the mentors?”

Gu Xingshi sighed, “Yes.”

That jerk dressed so extravagantly, while our guys look so plain—even their makeup is simple. It’s a total loss!

He sighed again. “Sigh, we’re just too poor…”

Yin Hefeng: ???

Poor?

He doubted any company that could muscle in and secure two trainee slots would actually be “poor.”

Recalling Gu Xingshi’s earlier concern, he suddenly had a chilling thought.

Could it be that kicking out two trainees wasn’t enough? Was he eyeing one of the mentors now, too?

Mr. Gu was terrifyingly ambitious!

The stage lights dimmed.

Meng Yuansheng and Cheng Xin took their positions.

As the powerful beat of First X Blood kicked in, Meng Yuansheng twisted his body, moving in a fluid, captivating way that immediately widened the dance mentor’s eyes.

Shen Yu, who had been sitting with a lazy posture, suddenly sat up straight.

Jiang Mo was also stunned.

He could hardly believe that the dazzling man on stage was actually Meng Yuansheng.

First X Blood was an intense and powerful song.

Cheng Xin’s performance matched the song’s energy perfectly, sharp and wild, with a charisma that drew everyone’s attention.

Yet even so, no one could look away from Meng Yuansheng.

His body was incredibly flexible, but his movements had a strength to them, like bamboo standing resilient against a strong wind.

Jiang Mo suddenly remembered that Meng Yuansheng had studied dance before. He had learned classical dance for seven years until he was kidnapped, leaving him with severe injuries that ended his dance career. After that, he switched to regular high school and prepared for college.

But judging by his performance, he clearly hadn’t given up on dance all these years.

The lack of awkwardness that usually comes from switching dance styles was absent; his explosiveness and rhythm matched Cheng Xin’s perfectly.

Jiang Mo had originally scoffed at Meng Yuansheng joining a talent show, thinking he had little talent and was likely to be eliminated early.

Yet now, for the first time, he felt a twinge of panic from watching this dance.

Jiang Mo had earned his status through skill, and he could see clearly that Meng Yuansheng had an innate stage presence—a monstrous talent. If given the chance to grow, his light would be impossible to overshadow.

Jiang Mo made up his mind on the spot.

He couldn’t let Meng Yuansheng keep going!

In contrast to Jiang Mo’s serious resolve, Shen Yu remained relaxed beside him.

He tapped his finger lightly in time with the beat, a sign of his interest in the music.

Shen Yu had broad musical tastes, and while he’d heard this song before, he didn’t care for its catchy but repetitive tune. Yet, watching Meng Yuansheng’s dance, he found himself seeing it in a new light.

He could sense the unique rhythm that radiated from Meng Yuansheng.

He was using his body to express the music.

Music was universal.

So even though Shen Yu wasn’t particularly interested in dance, he couldn’t help but be captivated.

The short performance soon ended, but Shen Yu felt it wasn’t enough—he even wanted them to perform it again.

By then, the two had returned to center stage to introduce themselves.

Once they finished, the dance coach couldn’t wait to comment, “Excellent body control and a deep understanding and expression of the music…”

Her analysis had Shen Yu and another coach nodding along.

Only Jiang Mo frowned and interrupted her, “While your dancing is good, the choreography is too simple and lacks impact… I think you should go to the B group. What do the other mentors think?”

The dance coach frowned slightly.

Her opinion was the opposite of Jiang Mo’s, and she wanted to object, but another coach subtly shook his head.

They both knew their positions weren’t as prominent as Jiang Mo’s and Shen Yu’s, so it wasn’t worth causing tension over this.

Besides, though it was a shame they wouldn’t go to the A group, B group wasn’t a bad outcome.

The dance coach sighed helplessly.

Onstage, Meng Yuansheng was puzzled.

He knew Jiang Mo well enough to expect him to be petty and vengeful.

He’d assumed Jiang Mo would send them to the F group, the easiest to be eliminated from. Yet here he was, giving them a fair evaluation. It was unexpected, even making Meng Yuansheng feel slightly guilty, as if he’d misjudged Jiang Mo.

Seeing things unfold as planned, Jiang Mo couldn’t help but smile.

He definitely wouldn’t send them to the F group.

He might not like admitting it, but their performance was indeed impressive. Sending them to the F group would likely draw objections from the other mentors, and the audience might suspect they were being unfairly targeted, which could even lead them to sympathize with them.

The best way was to make them fade into the background, unnoticed.

He wouldn’t let them go to F, but he wouldn’t let them go to A, either.

Instead, he’d place them in the B group, where they’d be lost in the crowd.

In a talent show, popularity determines who advances. There are always those who perform well but lack appeal and end up eliminated.

Audiences have short memories.

A two-and-a-half-minute performance might attract attention for a moment, but if they don’t reappear, people’s interest will quickly shift to something else, and they’ll soon be forgotten.

So he planned to limit their screen time as much as possible. No extra challenges, no chats.

Even if LeShi wanted to promote them, without footage, there’d be nothing to show.

He would cut off any path for them to be noticed and let them sink out of sight.

With this thought, Jiang Mo smiled and said, “Since we all agree, congratulations on making it to the B group.”

The dance coach was momentarily stunned and looked at another mentor, seeing the same confusion on his face.

Usually, after the trainees introduce themselves, the mentors would chat with them, and if a mentor was particularly interested, they’d ask for an additional performance.

This not only made the show more interesting but also left a deeper impression on the audience.

Although Jiang Mo was new to [Boy Group Training Camp], he had mentored other talent shows before and should know the process. Why was he skipping directly to grading?

The only one unfamiliar with the process was Shen Yu, and since dance wasn’t his area, he didn’t question it.

The trainees murmured among themselves.

“They were amazing! I couldn’t look away!”

“Are they really just trainees? I feel unworthy to compete alongside them…”

Someone muttered, “You’re exaggerating. Mentor Jiang Mo said the dance was simple—I think it was just okay…”

A faint snicker sounded nearby. “Simplicity shows true skill. If you can’t see that, don’t embarrass yourself by speaking up.”

The person who was rebuked looked over angrily, only to see that the speaker was Yuan Ye from Planet Century. Yuan Ye had previously won a street dance championship and was widely recognized as one of the strongest contenders in this season of [Boy Group Training Camp]—a definite A-ranker.

When it came to dancing, there was probably no one among the trainees more professional than Yuan Ye. Realizing this, the rebuked trainee had no choice but to swallow his anger and fall silent.

Yuan Ye didn’t pay him any further attention, instead focusing on Meng Yuansheng and his partner on stage with a sigh.

If there had been an additional performance, he could’ve suggested a dance battle with them.

All the others did the same old boy-band dance styles that he found uninspiring.

What a pity!

Unlike the straightforward trainees, Yin Hefeng saw Jiang Mo’s intentions at a glance.

He had to admit, it was a clever move.

The additional performance segment in the initial stage was designed to showcase a trainee’s unique personality and was often the easiest way for them to attract fans.

But Jiang Mo had subtly removed it.

However, this was a company-level decision—Jinyou’s competition with LeShi. It had nothing to do with those two trainees.

And as a mentor, Jiang Mo was supposed to guide the trainees, not use his power to suppress them. Such petty behavior was unbefitting of a veteran in the industry. He was showing none of the grace or broad-mindedness expected of someone with years of experience.

With an attitude like that, there was no way he would sincerely help the trainees improve.

Yin Hefeng considered this and decided to advise his trainees later to avoid choosing Jiang Mo when it came time for mentor groupings.

With this thought, he glanced over at Guo Xingshi.

But Guo Xingshi looked completely unbothered—not angry or anxious; he even had a relaxed smile on his face.

Yin Hefeng: ?!!

Could it be that Mr. Guo had anticipated this from the start?

That’s incredible!

Unbeknownst to him, Meng Yuansheng was equally surprised on stage.

After Meng Yuansheng had signed his contract, Guo Xingshi had told him that the company didn’t have the funds to purchase the rights to a second song, so they’d only have this one performance prepared and couldn’t plan for an additional segment.

At the time, Meng Yuansheng had been puzzled.

Although the company was in a more remote location, the equipment didn’t look cheap. How could they be lacking in funds?

But he was new to the company and didn’t want to pry, so he kept the question to himself.

It wasn’t until they began training that he understood Guo Xingshi’s intentions.

At first, he’d thought that with both him and Cheng Xin being dancers, they’d quickly master the routine.

But in actual training, while they did well individually, they constantly encountered issues during the partnered sections, and their synchronization fell short of their expectations.

He suddenly understood.

They hadn’t known each other for long, so their trust and understanding were limited. Trying to rush a dance routine would inevitably lead to flaws.

And since the initial stage was their most crucial introduction, it was better to focus all their energy on one dance and perfect it rather than spreading themselves too thin.

Ultimately, he realized that his time with the company had been too short.

Guo Xingshi must have foreseen this and had taken all the responsibility upon himself to protect Meng Yuansheng’s pride.

Meng Yuansheng had never been valued or protected like this before.

Mr. Guo treated him so well!

He had to make sure he didn’t let him down!

In the days that followed, Meng Yuansheng put in 200% of his effort to refine their dance to its peak.

Yet he couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious.

If the mentors asked for an additional performance, and they didn’t have one ready, it might give the audience the impression they lacked real skill.

First impressions were crucial; once an impression was formed, it could take a lot of effort to change.

But as he thought about Guo Xingshi’s calm and composed demeanor, a new idea popped into his head.

Was it possible that Mr. Guo, with his incredible foresight, had already planned a solution?

Just as he was feeling both nervous and hopeful, he saw Jiang Mo skip over the additional performance segment altogether.

Meng Yuansheng: !!!

Mr. Guo had even foreseen this!!!

Mr. Guo is amazing!

Meng Yuansheng could barely contain his excitement and joy. He pulled Cheng Xin with him and bowed deeply toward the mentors. “Thank you, mentors!!”

Jiang Mo: ???

Wait!

Did I make a mistake?!