Lin Chen nodded, adjusted the height of the standing microphone, and settled his guitar. As his fingers plucked the strings and the first note flowed out, all his tension and distracting thoughts vanished. He was back in his mountains, by his waters, in his world.
His voice echoed through the studio:
*"I ask the mountains, but they are silent, only the wind sighs through the pines...*
*I ask the waters, but they flow ever on, carrying time away, never to return...*
*The song in my heart, for whom do I sing? The path beneath my feet, where does it lead?...*
*The echo of the peaks is my answer, the shining Milky Way, the far shore of my dream..."*
He poured all his emotion into the performance. His high notes were clear and piercing, his softer passages tender and deep. The guitar accompaniment, though simple, complemented his voice perfectly, painting a vast and slightly melancholic picture of mountains and rivers.
As the last note faded, there was a brief moment of silence in the studio, followed by enthusiastic applause. Many audience members spontaneously stood up. Lin Chen, breathing slightly heavily, looked towards the judges' table.
Li Wei spoke first, appreciation in her eyes. "Your voice is very special, very distinctive. Pure, and powerful. The melody of this original is quite beautiful as well; you can tell it comes from the heart. I really liked it."
Zhou Mufan spoke next. "Good looks, very youthful. You have a unique, pure quality on stage. Your songwriting ability is a plus. I think you have potential."
Finally, all eyes turned to the head judge, Zhang Zhe.
Zhang Zhe was silent, tapping his fingers lightly on the table as if weighing his words. After a long moment, he spoke. "Lin Chen, your talent... does surprise me somewhat. It's rare to hear a voice so... untainted by the world on a commercial audition stage like this."
Lin Chen's heart leapt into his throat.
"But," Zhang Zhe's tone shifted, becoming serious, "your problem lies precisely there. Your music is too 'personal,' too 'artistic.' Have you considered the market? The acceptance of the audience? Is this song suitable for the charts? For commercial performances? For quick monetization?"
The series of questions felt like ice water being poured over Lin Chen's head. He opened his mouth, but didn't know how to answer. He wrote songs simply because he wanted to sing; he had never thought about these things.
"I understand young people have dreams," Zhang Zhe continued, his tone carrying a scrutinizing, almost superior air, "but the entertainment industry is realistic. What you need is professional packaging, systematic training, and... a deep understanding of market rules. This 'untamed' state of yours might attract a niche audience, but it will be difficult to go far."
He picked up the pass card in front of him but didn't immediately give his decision. "Your technique has flaws, and your musical style is too niche. However... I see potential in you." He paused, his gaze sharp on Lin Chen. "I'm giving you a 'Pending'."
Pending?
Not a direct pass, nor an elimination.
Lin Chen's mood plummeted from the clouds and hung suspended in mid-air. He saw a flicker of surprise, quickly masked, cross the faces of Li Wei and Zhou Mufan; they seemed somewhat taken aback by this outcome.
"Thank you... thank you, judges." He bowed mechanically and walked off the stage. The applause and cheers around him felt muffled, as if separated by a membrane.
Back in the waiting area, A-Jie came over. "How did it go?"
"Pending," Lin Chen said quietly.
"Pending?" A-Jie curled his lip. "See? I told you. That old fox Zhang Zhe is shrewd. He definitely sees your talent, but he's wary of your lack of background. Doesn't want to just give you the pass, wants to keep you on the hook. I bet some company will contact you soon. Then it'll depend on the terms."
Lin Chen silently packed his guitar, his mind in turmoil. The judge's "but" and A-Jie's talk of "insider dealings" were a far cry from the pure music competition he had imagined.
Just then, a middle-aged man in a suit, wearing a staff lanyard, approached him with a smile and handed him a business card.
"Lin Chen, right? That was a great performance. I'm from the Artist Development department at Starlight Entertainment, surname Wang. Would you be interested in having a chat?"
Starlight Entertainment?
Lin Chen had heard the name. It was one of the top entertainment companies in the industry. He took the card, looking at the embossed logo. His heart began to pound violently again. The blood that had just cooled seemed to be warming up once more.
At the crossroads of his dream, for the first time, its complex and true edges were revealed to him. One path was to cling to that "purity" that might not put food on the table. The other path was to embrace the rules and step towards an unknown "opportunity."
And the business card in his hand seemed like the first signpost pointing down that second path.
He looked up at Mr. Wang's professional smile, hesitated for a moment, and then, finally, gave a slight nod.