Chapter 9

Han Jin laughed even more happily, walked down from the stage, and returned to his seat.

"Ah Jin, you're so amazing! I didn't know you could sing so well," Liu Jialing said, surprised and delighted. "You've been hiding this from us for so long, making me worry for nothing."

"Actually, it's all thanks to Maggie's good teaching, not because I was hiding it on purpose," Han Jin explained with a smile. He turned to look at Zeng Hua, who was also smiling and gave him an OK sign.

"Xiao Xueli!" At this moment, the teacher called out loudly.

Han Jin turned his head and saw Xiao Xueli stand up, covering his mouth with his hand, his face turning red as he tried to suppress a cough. He knew the pepper water had taken effect.

Xiao Xueli had specially prepared a fancy outfit for today's test, even more flamboyant than the stars who perform at concerts. He was originally just a little handsome, but after careful dressing, he looked quite dashing and talented.

After he went on stage, he bowed to the judges, "Principal, cough, good afternoon, cough, I am Xiao Xueli. Cough, cough, today I will sing 'Wan Shui Qian Shan Zong Heng.'"

Xiao Xueli had drunk the pepper water, and his throat felt as if thousands of ants were crawling inside. He managed to hold back the cough by holding his breath, but as soon as he opened his mouth to speak, the air escaped, and he couldn't help but cough.

Seeing himself coughing uncontrollably, Xiao Xueli couldn't help but feel at a loss.

He had already coughed several times after just a few words, which made the judges frown.

For an artist, knowing that they were going to sing today but not protecting their voice is not a professional attitude.

At this moment, the music started, and Xiao Xueli hurriedly began to sing. In his haste, he rushed the beat, causing the students below to giggle.

"Ten Thousand Rivers and Mountains" is the theme song of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," performed by Guan Zhengjie. This song is a fast-paced one, and the chorus requires high notes. Since it is the theme song of a martial arts TV series, the singer needs to convey a sense of chivalry, making it quite challenging to perform.

Xiao Xueli had very good singing skills, a loud voice, and a tall figure, which naturally gave him a heroic feel when singing such martial arts songs. Therefore, he had high hopes for "Ten Thousand Rivers and Mountains."

Unfortunately, he rushed the beat due to nervousness at the start, making it difficult to get back on track. Moreover, the coughing from the pepper water couldn't be suppressed. After singing just a few lines, he started coughing uncontrollably, his face turning red.

Seeing his state, the three judges all shook their heads. Liu Fanggang, who didn't expect Xiao Xueli to perform so poorly, signaled the staff to stop the music.

Xiao Xueli, with a red face, slunk off the stage.

Seeing Xiao Xueli's embarrassed appearance, Liu Jialing's eyes and brows couldn't hide her joy.

Xiao Xueli often called her "Beigu," "country bumpkin," and "country girl," but now he was the one who was embarrassed.

Han Jin, seeing Xiao Xueli's unfortunate state, couldn't help but feel secretly pleased. He thought that if he hadn't been alert, he would have been the one to leave the stage in embarrassment.

...

Afterward, the other students went up one by one to take the test. Zeng Hua, Liu Qingyun, Wu Qi, and others performed well, while a few others did not.

After the test, Principal Liu Fanggang promptly announced the results. Han Jin, as expected, was the first place, and Liu Jialing, as expected, was second. The third place was awarded to Zeng Hua.

Wu Junru, Shang Tian'e, Lan Jie, Wu Qi, and Liu Qingyun, although not in the top ranks, still had satisfactory results. Only Xiao Xueli got a big zero, truly losing face.

After announcing the results, Principal Liu instructed the students to continue working hard and prepare for tomorrow's dance test. He then called Han Jin over.

"Ah Jin, your performance in this test was excellent. It's clear that you've made progress and put in a lot of effort," Liu Fanggang praised. "These teachers have a very good impression of you and think you have great potential."

Han Jin couldn't help but be overjoyed and quickly bowed to the three judges, "Thank you, teachers, for your kindness. I will continue to work hard and not let you down."

The three judges, impressed by this polite and talented young man, all smiled and encouraged him.

Liu Fanggang whispered to Han Jin, "These teachers have a good impression of you. I'll recommend you to them, and perhaps you can learn singing from them and pursue a career as a singer."

Han Jin couldn't help but smile even more widely, as this was exactly what he had been dreaming of, "Thank you, Principal Liu, I will continue to work hard."

Liu Fanggang nodded and then accompanied the judges away.

...

This test not only earned Han Jin the top score but also won him the praise of the judges, making all the classmates envious and congratulating him.

"Ah Jin, you're so amazing, you sang so well," Wu Junru said with a smile. "It seems that the bottle of vocal tea I gave you really did the trick. You should thank me for getting first place."

"How can it be the vocal tea's credit? Clearly, it's because of my excellent teacher," Zeng Hua pushed Wu Junru aside. "If Ah Jin is going to thank someone, he should thank me first."

"Of course, I'll thank both of you, thank you, thank you," Han Jin said with a smile.

"Ah Jin, just saying thank you isn't enough; you need to take action," Shang Tian'e chimed in.

"What kind of action?" Han Jin asked.

"Either treat us to a meal or take us to a movie," Shang Tian'e laughed.

Han Jin nodded, "Sure, sure."

"Alright, meals and movies are too old-fashioned. Ah Jin, I have a ticket to a disco. Just agree to go with us once," Wu Junru said with a smile.

The disco craze had just landed in Hong Kong, and for young people, it was still quite trendy. Wu Junru and Zeng Hua, coming from good families and being lively and playful, enjoyed following the latest trends.

The previous Han Jin, being more conservative, was unwilling to go to such noisy places and always found excuses to decline invitations.

But the current Han Jin didn't mind. Hearing Wu Junru's suggestion, he nodded and agreed.

Seeing Han Jin agree, Wu Junru, Zeng Hua, and Shang Tian'e all cheered happily.

...

Xiao Xueli, seeing the girls in the class surrounding Han Jin, was filled with jealousy. The first place in today's test should have been his, and the teachers should have been interested in him. He should have been the one to shine today. But now everything was upside down.

"Damn it! I won't let you off easy," Xiao Xueli couldn't help but grit his teeth.