Chapter 159: This Show Might Just Become a Hit!

"Wow!!!"

Upon seeing the middle-aged man step out of the car, everyone on the scene gasped involuntarily, staring at him with a mix of surprise, delight, and disbelief. Even the members of the band wore expressions of pure astonishment.

Qin Mengxue?

Oh! My! God!

Chen Qi actually managed to book Qin Mengxue?! How did he pull that off?

He could arguably be called the foremost figure of the middle generation in pop music! With a great voice and consummate singing skills, the songs he had performed since his debut were the memories of an entire generation. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that even if people couldn't sing his songs, they would definitely find them familiar the moment they heard them.

He was participating in a competition? Who could possibly be qualified to be his opponent?

The entire crew was stunned. They watched in awe as Qin Mengxue stepped out of the car and greeted the cameras, momentarily unable to process what was happening. This surprise was truly immense. Without exaggeration, his appearance immediately elevated the production value of the show.

"Director Chen!" After greeting the cameras, Qin Mengxue hurried over to shake Chen Qi's hand, asking with a hint of nervousness, "Are we starting the filming now?"

"Don't be too nervous; this is just for record-keeping," Chen Qi explained briefly before leading him straight to the stage.

Each of them only had one hour for rehearsals, leaving no time to waste. Two cameramen quickly followed, taking up two perfect shooting angles.

"Whoa—"

As they entered the studio, a wave of enthusiastic cheering erupted. This was the crew's welcome for Qin Mengxue. He acknowledged them all with a polite nod.

"The stage is yours. Remember, you only have one hour," Chen Qi said, wasting no time and leaving the stage to him.

Knowing the time was tight, Qin Mengxue nodded. Without further delay, he stepped onto the stage and had a brief exchange with the band and musicians. Shortly after, the rehearsal officially began.

Qin Mengxue was singing his own song. Chen Qi had informed them of the general rules: they could only perform their own songs during the first episode, and they were required to do so.

"Band, I'm ready."

"Alright, let's go!"

"I know we have all already... Whoa!"

As soon as he started singing, Qin Mengxue was absolutely blown away by the top-tier sound quality of the venue! He looked at Chen Qi in the wings, his face a mixture of shock and admiration.

Chen Qi had told him that the show used top-of-the-line equipment, but he hadn't imagined it would be to this extent! This was several levels above the equipment they used for their own concerts.

Chen Qi smiled nonchalantly and gestured for him to continue. Qin Mengxue quickly gathered himself and resumed singing.

"Hold on a second!" After a few lines, he stopped the band and said in a consultative tone, "This key is a bit too high. Could we please do it again?"

Chen Qi sat in front of the monitors in the wings, directing the cameramen to adjust their angles while watching the real-time footage. Today's rehearsal wasn't just for the singers; it was for the production team as well. To foster teamwork, he had specifically requested that these rehearsals be filmed as if they were the official broadcast.

Under his direction, the rehearsal and filming proceeded methodically. Although various minor issues arose during the process, they were all resolved quickly.

An hour passed in the blink of an eye. Qin Mengxue was escorted off the premises by men in black. Shortly after he left the television station, the second singer arrived right on schedule.

The identity of the second singer also left the entire crew in shock. In that moment, the band members even felt a tingling sensation on their scalps. They thought Chen Qi was absolutely insane! This was truly an unprecedented music program.

"The stage is yours. You have one hour."

Again, without any superfluous pleasantries, the second singer's rehearsal began. She, too, performed one of her own songs. Since they could only perform their own tracks in the first episode, only a fool would pass up such an obvious advantage.

Chen Qi continued to sit behind the monitors, observing the real-time feeds. He paid particular attention to the communication between the singers and the band. The musical knowledge and common sense they shared during their discussions were incredibly enlightening to him.

So far, the seventh singer had yet to be found; he had already decided to fill that spot himself. However, he hadn't shared this idea with anyone, not even Su Xiaoxiao, who was the only one privy to the identities of the other six singers. He planned to give them this big "surprise" when the recording began.

The referee joining the competition himself—they should be very "delighted" by that, right? He looked forward to seeing the expressions on their faces when they saw him step onto the stage.

An hour later, the second singer's rehearsal concluded. The men in black coordinated to escort her away. By then, it was time for lunch.

When the crew went to the cafeteria, they once again became the focus of the entire station. Everyone was talking about "The Singer"! Some tried to probe the crew members for information, but the responses were unanimous. The director had given orders: whoever leaked information would be held accountable. They had all signed non-disclosure agreements.

"..." Those who received this response felt quite wounded.

Perhaps because of this, when Chen Qi appeared in the cafeteria, the looks directed at him by those who couldn't watch the rehearsals were filled with murderous intent! If looks could kill, Chen Qi would have been torn to shreds. But the thick-skinned Chen Qi didn't seem to notice at all. He ate his meal and left as he pleased, completely unfazed.

During this time, the production team of "The More Joy" remained very quiet. Both the crew members and the host, Du Bin, felt an indescribable pressure. This severe information asymmetry made them very anxious! All the information about their show was laid out for everyone to see, yet they knew absolutely nothing about the details of "The Singer."

Also feeling anxious were the well-known hosts at the station. Rehearsals were already underway, so why hadn't Chen Qi mentioned anything about the host? They were all waiting to ruthlessly reject him, get their revenge, and mock him for it!

...

In the afternoon, the rehearsals continued. When the third singer appeared, the entire crew was left with their mouths agape once again. Then came the fourth and the fifth.

By the time the sixth A-list singer appeared, the emotional fluctuations within the crew had dulled. They were becoming numb. At this point, even if an even bigger star had appeared, they wouldn't have been surprised; they might even have considered it "standard Chen Qi procedure."

Normal! It was all too normal!

However, after watching the full rehearsals, they reached a tacit consensus. This show... was going to be a massive hit!