Chapter 8

"Damn, Ah Jin, I feel so nervous," Liu Jialing said, her eyes wide as she stared at the stage, her voice trembling.

"Don't be afraid. Your voice is so beautiful, and you are so charming. The judges will definitely like you," Han Jin said with a smile, trying to reassure her.

"But my Cantonese isn't very good, let alone singing," Liu Jialing said nervously. "What if I sing badly?" As she spoke, her eyes welled up, as if she might cry at any moment.

Han Jin knew that singers always got nervous before going on stage, and a moderate level of nervousness wasn't necessarily a bad thing. However, seeing Liu Jialing's current state, it was clear she was overly nervous.

"Jialing, don't worry, everything will be fine," Han Jin reached out and grabbed Liu Jialing's hands, holding them tightly so she could feel his strength. "Just be yourself. You're the best, and no one in the class can match you."

"Really?!" Liu Jialing felt the warmth from Han Jin's hands and her heart warmed as she looked at him.

"Absolutely true," Han Jin said with a wide smile, his smile also a way to convey confidence.

Liu Jialing nodded. "That makes me feel better."

At that moment, the teacher called out, "Liu Jialing!"

The students all turned to look at Liu Jialing. She stood up nervously, glancing at Han Jin hesitantly.

Han Jin gave her a brilliant smile. "Go for it~"

Liu Jialing nodded and walked onto the stage, bowing deeply to the judges. "Principal, judges, good day. I am Liu Jialing. Today, I will sing 'Ask Me.'"

The staff had already put the accompaniment tape into the cassette player, and a pleasant melody began to play.

Liu Jialing took a deep breath and started singing, keeping the rhythm.

"Ask me how many cheers there are,

Ask me how many tears there are,

How can I possibly

Count them all...

No matter how many rights I have,

Or how many wrongs,

I will bear the consequences wholeheartedly...

I wish that until the end of my life,

No matter how many storms I face,

I can still

Say, I am myself."

Liu Jialing's singing skills were just average, but her sense of pitch was good, and she could handle songs of moderate difficulty.

The song "Ask Me" wasn't very difficult, but the key was to put in emotion.

As Liu Jialing sang, she probably thought about the various hardships she had faced after moving from Suzhou to Hong Kong, so she sang with great emotion.

The song "Ask Me" was more like an inner monologue, and Han Jin couldn't help but secretly admire her.

Sure enough, after she finished the song, the judges all nodded in approval.

Liu Jialing was delighted and bowed deeply to the judges before running off the stage.

Back at her seat, she high-fived Han Jin happily. "Ah Jin, I did it."

"Congratulations," Han Jin said with a smile.

After Liu Jialing, a few more students went up to perform. Their performances varied, but overall, they were better than the average person.

However, Han Jin noticed that when they sang, they stood there like wooden stakes, with no dance moves and no interaction with the audience.

This was a common issue for Hong Kong singers in the 1980s, who focused more on their singing skills and rarely incorporated dance moves. If they could combine music and dance like Michael Jackson, the impact would be even more powerful.

"Han Jin!" At that moment, the teacher called out.

Although Han Jin was deep in thought, he was able to multitask. Hearing his name, he quickly stood up.

"Ah Jin, go for it~" Liu Jialing whispered.

Han Jin nodded and walked onto the stage with a smile.

The stage was small, but from up there, he could clearly see Wu Junru making faces at him and Zeng Hua and Shang Tian'e waving to him. This was Han Jin's first time performing on stage, and he couldn't help but feel a bit excited.

He calmed himself down and bowed to the judges. "Principal, judges, good day. I am Han Jin. Today, I will sing 'The Genius Idiot Dream.'"

Gu Jiahui, Li Xiaotian, and Dai Sichong looked up at Han Jin. Seeing this young man's good looks, they had a very positive first impression.

At that moment, the staff had already set up the accompaniment tape, and a melodious tune began to play.

"Everyone seeks dreams..." Han Jin adjusted his emotions and immersed himself in the song. Indeed, a professional's performance was different.

As soon as he opened his mouth, Dai Sichong, Gu Jiahui, and Li Xiaotian, who were sitting in the judges' seats, were immediately impressed, even Principal Liu Fanggang was surprised.

In Principal Liu's memory, Han Jin was originally a tone-deaf person. However, since he started singing, his performance was quite good, far exceeding his expectations.

Dai Sichong, Gu Jiahui, and Li Xiaotian were particularly impressed by Han Jin's emotional investment in the song. "The Genius Idiot Dream" was a very easy song to sing, and even ordinary people could hum along to the music.

However, it was precisely because of this that it was even more difficult to make the audience feel a sense of awe. Just like a chef, the simpler the dish, the more it tests their skills. To turn ordinary ingredients into a gourmet dish is a sign of true culinary expertise.

"The Genius Idiot Dream" had a gentle melody with no high notes, making it easy to sing without requiring much technique. To sing it perfectly, one had to truly immerse oneself in the song and put in genuine emotion.

This was especially difficult for young artists. When Liu Jialing sang "Ask Me," even a little bit of emotion was enough to surprise the judges.

Now, as Han Jin sang "The Genius Idiot Dream," his emotional investment was at least 70-80%, which was a miracle for a newcomer and a very promising musical talent.

For a moment, whether it was Gu Jiahui, Li Xiaotian, or Dai Sichong, they all had a good impression of this handsome young man.

Han Jin didn't realize that he had already won the favor of the teachers. He was completely immersed in the music, singing along with it.

Unlike the previous students who stood there like wooden stakes, Han Jin moved around the stage, frequently waving to the audience.

It looked more like a superstar performing at the Hong Kong Coliseum than a student taking an exam.

This surprised the judges even more.

Because of their presence, the students who went on stage were all nervous. Being able to sing in tune and remember the lyrics was already a sign of good psychological resilience.

Unexpectedly, this young man showed no signs of nervousness, instead handling the performance with ease, treating it like his own concert. His stage presence was very steady, and his interaction with the audience was excellent, far beyond the average student.

After finishing "The Genius Idiot Dream," Han Jin bowed to the judges.

Applause broke out from the students, and even the judges joined in. Han Jin couldn't help but smile, knowing he had passed the test.

At the same time, he noticed that Xiao Xueli in the corner wasn't clapping but was looking at him with jealousy, forcefully twisting the cap off a bottle and taking a big gulp of throat-opening tea.

PS: The new book is in the ranking period and desperately needs your support. I hope all the readers can help me achieve a good ranking.