21: Chapter 21 Immersive Sound

Na Ying, with her signature short hair, smiled and waved at the camera.

[Sister Na!!!]

[She must have rushed over right after finishing recording for The Voice.]

[Is Mango TV serious with this judging lineup?]

[Sister Na is dressed so festively today.]

Teacher Wang Han waited for the applause to subside before speaking again.

"For clean clothes, use Liby... This program is brought to you by Liby Laundry Detergent."

"Thanks to the Douyin short video platform—watch exclusive behind-the-scenes content on Douyin, don't miss out on the excitement."

His gaze swept across the camera, as if he were looking at every person watching the live broadcast.

"Next, let's enter today's first competition segment—"

He paused.

"The Sound."

The stage lights slowly shifted, transitioning from deep blue to a solemn amber.

"The Sound—this tests an actor's mastery of dialogue and their ability to shape their voice. The seven contestants will take the stage one by one to dub classic film and television clips."

Teacher Wang Han's voice was steady and unhurried.

"The score for this round accounts for thirty percent of the final total. At the same time, it will determine the performance order for the next round, 'Crossover Singer.' Those who rank lower will perform first, while those who rank higher will make their appearance as the finale."

The preparation area fell silent for a moment.

Yu Liang leaned back on the sofa, mulling over those words.

A weight of thirty percent wasn't exactly high, but it wasn't low either. If he ended up at the bottom this round, he'd have to be the first to sing in the next.

Singing first meant the judges would be more cautious with their scoring, and the audience's memory would be diluted by those who followed. But if he got a high score this round and performed last next time, that would be treatment on the level of a grand finale.

This tournament format—every link was locked into the next.

"Now, will the seven contestants please draw lots to determine the performance order for this round."

A staff member entered the preparation area carrying a black tray.

Seven gold envelopes lay face down on the tray, their seals embossed with the show's logo—a silhouette of a microphone and a mouth overlapping to form the shape of a sound wave.

The seven people gathered around.

Teacher Zhou Xiaoou reached out and took one, tore it open, and unfolded the card inside. He glanced at it, then turned the card around to face everyone.

"Number 1."

Dr. Zhai Tianlin let out a whistle.

Jia Jialiang patted Teacher Zhou Xiaoou on the shoulder. "Teacher Xiaoou, starting off with a bang!"

Teacher Zhou Xiaoou smiled and tucked the card into his pocket, his expression showing no ripples. The composure of a veteran actor was written in moments like this.

Bai Baihe took the second one. Her movements in opening the envelope were very brisk, and her eyebrows twitched as she unfolded the card.

"Number 5."

Neither early nor late. She nodded, as if she had received an acceptable answer.

Dilraba took the third one. She opened the envelope with a slight, careful sense of ritual; her eyes closed for a second before she unfolded the card and opened them.

"Number 3."

She let out a breath—right in the middle. Hua Chenyu said "That's quite good" from the side, and she gave a polite smile.

Jia Jialiang drew Number 4, and Dr. Zhai Tianlin drew Number 2.

It was Yu Liang's turn. There were two envelopes left in the tray. He picked one up at random and tore it open.

Number 6.

Second to last.

"Teacher Yu Liang, what number are you?" Dilraba leaned over.

Yu Liang signaled a six.

"Not bad, Teacher Yu." Her tone held a hint of envy. "Being second to last, you get to hear everyone else's performance before you."

"Just luck," Yu Liang said.

Hua Chenyu was the last to take one. Only one envelope remained in the tray.

There was no need to open it; the answer was already revealed.

His brow relaxed almost imperceptibly, then he turned the card over and said in a flat tone, "Seventh."

Performing last, the finale.

Yu Liang noticed that when Hua Chenyu put the card back into the envelope, his fingers tightened slightly. It wasn't because of nervousness; it was because of relief.

He recalled the homework he'd done before the competition: Hua Chenyu came from a professional singing background and had only made cameos in two TV dramas; dialogue dubbing was not his forte.

Going last meant he had the most time to prepare, but it also meant the judges' expectations for the finale would be at their highest.

It was a double-edged sword.

Hua Chenyu's gaze passed over the crowd and landed on Dilraba.

"Dilraba, what number are you?"

"Three," she glanced back at him and replied politely.

"I'm seventh."

"Mm."

A single word. Her tone was no different from when she had said "Three" just now.

Teacher Zhou Xiaoou stood up and straightened his collar.

"Good luck, Teacher Xiaoou," Yu Liang said.

Teacher Zhou Xiaoou was stunned for a moment.

He glanced at Yu Liang, then gave a smile and a nod.

"Thanks."

He walked toward the elevator leading to the stage. The doors opened, he stepped inside, and turned around.

Before the elevator doors closed, he saw on the giant screen in the preparation area that Teacher Wang Han was announcing his introduction.

"Let us welcome our first competing guest—"

The elevator began to descend.

—Teacher Zhou Xiaoou."

---

On the giant screen in the preparation area, Teacher Zhou Xiaoou stepped out from the stage wings.

The lights followed him. A beam of warm white light shot down from the ceiling, enveloping his entire person. The stage stretched out beneath his feet, the dark gray floor illuminated by a circular pool of light.

He walked to the microphone in the center of the stage and stood still.

Then all the stage lights flared up, only to be extinguished in an instant.

Only one lamp remained on the ceiling, hanging straight down from directly above, illuminating only Teacher Zhou Xiaoou and the microphone in front of him.

Everything else—the stage, the audience, the judges' seats—sank into the shadows.

This immersive performance consisted of:

One person,

One beam of light,

One microphone.

Yu Liang sat up straight.

This stage design forced all attention onto the performer. There was no set to hide behind, no props to take cover with.

The audience couldn't see anything else; they could only see you, only hear you.

A line of text appeared on the giant screen:

[Competition Clip: "conquer" — Liu Huaqiang]

The preparation area fell silent. Everyone stopped what they were doing.

Jia Jialiang placed his phone screen-down on his leg, Bai Baihe put down her small mirror, and Dr. Zhai Tianlin leaned against the back of the sofa, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest.

Teacher Zhou Xiaoou lowered his head,

And adjusted the microphone.

Three seconds, five seconds.

Suddenly, he looked up.

"Is this melon of yours... guaranteed to be ripe?"

His voice wasn't loud. It could even be called calm. But it was precisely this calmness that made every word feel like the back of a knife striking bone.

A dull thud.

"I'm asking you, is this melon guaranteed to be ripe?"

With that tone, he wasn't asking about a melon;

He was clearly questioning the courage of the person in front of him.

No one spoke in the preparation area.

...

The clip wasn't long. One minute and forty seconds.

After the last word fell, the beam of light slowly narrowed. The pillar of light hanging from the ceiling thinned inch by inch, finally shrinking into a single point of light before extinguishing above Teacher Zhou Xiaoou's head.

The stage lights came back on.

Teacher Zhou Xiaoou stood in the light, having returned to being that gentle middle-aged man. He bowed toward the audience and walked toward the wings.

Applause followed him, chasing him until he disappeared behind the curtain.

At the judges' table, Na Ying was the first to start clapping. Mentor Wu Yifan was a beat late, but followed suit. Judge Yang Mi didn't clap; she kept her head down, writing something on the scoring board in front of her.

Then, the three of them revealed their scores one by one.

Na Ying: 95,

Mentor Wu Yifan: 91,

Judge Yang Mi: 93.

In the preparation area, Dr. Zhai Tianlin let out a long breath.

"Teacher Xiaoou is rock-solid."

Jia Jialiang picked up his phone and put it down again, as if he didn't know what to do with himself. Bai Baihe stared at the giant screen, her lips pressed into a thin line.

Yu Liang leaned against the sofa, feeling a bit nervous.

One minute and forty seconds. No background music, no opposing actors, no camera cuts. Just one person, one microphone, and one beam of light. Teacher Zhou Xiaoou had used one minute and forty seconds to set the standard for all of them.

A true actor needed no assistance. Give him a beam of light and a microphone, and he could become anyone.

On the giant screen, Teacher Wang Han walked back to the center of the stage.

"Thanks to Teacher Zhou Xiaoou for the wonderful performance. Next—"

He looked down at his cue card.

"Let us welcome our second competing guest—Dr. Zhai Tianlin."

In the preparation area, Dr. Zhai Tianlin stood up. He straightened his cuffs, his expression a few degrees more serious than usual.

Yu Liang watched his back as he entered the elevator.

The doors closed.

On the giant screen, new lights were coming on.