Perfect Superstar.

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July 10th, 6:10 pm, backstage at Capital City TV's broadcast hall. 

In just 1 hour and 20 minutes, Capital City TV's first reality talent show, "Singing China", would hold its Capital City Qualifier in a live-streamed event from the grand broadcast hall. 

As one of the first satellite television stations in the country, Capital City TV enjoyed a wide and positive influence both domestically and throughout Asia. With the significant advantage of being the local station in the nation's capital, it had consistently ranked among the top stations in terms of overall strength. 

Over the past five years, however, the growing popularity of variety entertainment shows had allowed stations such as Xiangnan TV, Donghai TV, and Jiangning TV to quickly rise to prominence. 

These competitors not only captured substantial market share, but also significantly squeezed Capital City TV's space in the industry. 

The sting was particularly sharp with Xiangnan TV, known for its expertise in creating variety shows. Since 2008, Xiangnan TV had launched a series of hit talent shows such as "Super Girl", "Super Boy" and "All New Idol". 

These programs achieved enormous success, creating a wave of popular idols and dominating the ratings of all satellite stations. 

What really embarrassed Capital City TV was that Xiangnan TV kept holding regional auditions for its talent shows in the Capital City. Each audition drew huge crowds, creating a spectacular scene and highlighting the station's dominance right on Capital City TV's home turf. 

For Capital City TV, it was like a slap in the face. 

To make matters worse, latecomers like Donghai TV and Jiangning TV began to copy Xiangnan TV's strategy, treating the capital city as a prime location and reaping substantial rewards. 

Unable to tolerate the steady decline in viewership, the proud Capital City TV finally decided to fight back. After six months of planning and preparation, they launched their own talent show: Singing China! 

Ambitious and determined, Capital City TV even challenged Xiangnan TV's 'The Strongest Singer'. 

To ensure the success of Singing China, Capital City TV invested heavily in it. The broadcast hall was extensively renovated, and the backstage area was expanded to be much more spacious and comfortable, capable of accommodating hundreds of contestants and staff. 

For today's first qualifying round in the Capital City region, there were only 35 contestants and their accompanying friends and family, a total of about one hundred people. 

Lu Chen was one of the 35 contestants, and more importantly, one of the very few who didn't bring a support group. 

It wasn't that Lu Chen didn't have any friends in the Capital City. Li Feiyu was busy live-streaming the event online for him, while Sister Na and Qin Hanyang were overwhelmed by the sudden popularity of the 'Wandering Band' and no longer performed at the Daylily Bar. Lu Chen didn't want to disturb them. 

As for others, like Ye Zitong, their relationship was still in the ambiguous stage of mutual attraction, but not yet established. He couldn't just drag her along to appear on national television, could he? 

So, Lu Chen simply brought his guitar and arrived alone. 

Among the 35 contestants, Lu Chen's state of mind was probably the calmest. As he leaned back on a bench, resting and waiting, he took his time to observe the others. 

To his right, a scruffy middle-aged man with messy hair, a personalized T-shirt, and worn-out jeans - the typical look of a street performer - sat. The man held a guitar and sat in silent contemplation. 

In front of him was a band of five, all young, vibrant, and full of energy. They joked and encouraged each other, visibly excited and full of anticipation for the competition. 

Further up, a television crew was interviewing another contestant. 

Each contestant had to pre-record a short video or VCR to introduce themselves. Edited clips of these videos would later be interspersed throughout the live broadcast. 

Although marketed as a live event, there was actually about an hour delay between the taping and the broadcast. 

This slight delay allowed the production team to control and edit the content of the program, reducing the risk of broadcast accidents. This was a significant improvement over earlier talent shows, which often taped episodes days or even weeks in advance and still claimed to be 'Live'. 

Audiences, not easily fooled, had grown tired of over-produced, formulaic content. They now demanded a more authentic and direct talent show experience, leading to a shift to near-real-time broadcasting. 

For the first qualifying rounds and semi-finals, the delay was about an hour. For the elimination rounds and finals, the delay was reduced to as little as 30 minutes. 

Some shows even dared to broadcast truly live events! 

However, live broadcasting was a daunting challenge for any TV station. Without exceptional production capabilities and a top-notch backstage team, it was almost impossible to pull off a live reality talent show. 

Lu Chen had already finished his VCR segment earlier. It had only taken a few minutes. 

A shy, bespectacled young man had just finished taping in front of him. Clearly nervous, he stumbled over his words and struggled to convey his thoughts, much to the dismay of his nearby support group. 

Still, he fared better than a young female contestant sitting about four or five meters to Lu Chen's left. Barely 18 or 19 years old, she was so worried that she had burst into tears. Afraid to cry out loud, she bowed her head and sobbed softly. 

She had two best friends by her side, but neither seemed to know how to offer proper comfort. They spent a long time trying to comfort and encourage her, but their efforts were largely ineffective, leaving them visibly at a loss. 

Nearby participants who noticed the scene mostly found it amusing, some even wearing mocking expressions. 

'If her mental state is so fragile, how does she dare to go on stage?' 

After overhearing parts of their conversation, Lu Chen pieced together the story. Obviously, the girl had a string of bad luck on that critical day. Her mood had been severely affected, and her earlier VCR recording hadn't gone well either. 

The accumulated stress had overwhelmed her, causing her to collapse before she even got on stage. 

The role of a support group is not only to add entertainment value to the show, but also to encourage and uplift the contestants on stage. 

Unfortunately, these two companions weren't fulfilling that role very well. 

After some thought, Lu Chen stood up and walked over to the girl. 

He pulled out a bottle of mint gum from his pocket and handed it to the crying contestant. "Don't be so nervous," he said. "Have a piece of gum. Chewing it might make you feel better." 

The girl and her companions looked up at him in surprise. 

Lu Chen smiled gently and opened the bottle cap. "Try it!" 

Scientific studies have shown that the sincere and friendly smile of a handsome man or a beautiful woman can often dissolve feelings of nervousness, fear, anxiety, and discomfort. It acts like a magical morale booster, stimulating the release of dopamine and other feel-good hormones. 

Even though this statement was complete nonsense, Lu Chen's warm, handsome smile undeniably helped the girl relax. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, her cheeks turning a shy pink. 

After hesitating for a moment, the girl raised her pale, rosy hand and said softly, "Thank you. 

Her voice was light and sweet, like a piece of freshly melted caramel, warm and soothing to the soul. 

Lu Chen placed a piece of chewing gum in her palm. 

This was the privilege of being a handsome guy. If Lu Chen had been an awkward, overweight man or a scrawny otaku, it's doubtful that the girl would have accepted candy from him. 

He then turned to her friends and asked, "What university are you from?" 

Given how young they looked and the absence of any family members, it seemed likely that they were students studying in the capital. 

One of her companions eagerly replied, "We are all from the Foreign Language College. We have come to support Xiaochu in her competition. Are you also a contestant? What school are you from?" 

Lu Chen smiled. "I am. I just graduated from Jianghai University this year." 

"Oh, so you're a senior!" 

The girl's eyes lit up. She nudged her shy friend Xiaochu and said, "Xiaochu, ask Senior for his contact information! Who knows, maybe you two will make it to the finals!" 

In truth, it was the friend who wanted Lu Chen's contact information but was too embarrassed to ask directly. 

Lu Chen chuckled and exchanged WeChat IDs with all three of them. 

Through this interaction, he learned the shy girl's name: ''Mu Xiaochu.'' 

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''Note'': For plot purposes, the talent show processes are entirely fictional. Please don't compare them to real-life scenarios. 

'(End of Chapter)'