Perfect Superstar.

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A faint, nearly imperceptible flicker of anger crossed Lu Ya's beautiful eyes. 

Having been in the music industry for over a decade, Lu Ya wasn't among the absolute top-tier celebrities, but she had once been a first-line singer. Even though her popularity had waned somewhat in recent years, when had she ever been rudely interrupted mid-sentence like this? 

The one who cut her off was Zhuang Hao, an editor and music critic for the fashion magazine 'Show Beauty'. 

In terms of fame in the entertainment industry, Lu Ya's name left Zhuang Hao trailing by miles! 

Yet Lu Ya chose not to express her anger directly. When Chen Zhenni had lit the red light earlier, Lu Ya had sensed something was off— it felt like Lu Chen was being deliberately targeted. 

Having spent so many years navigating the entertainment world, Lu Ya had always maintained her integrity while understanding how murky the waters of the industry could be. She had witnessed countless dark and sordid realities hidden beneath its glamorous facade. 

Her instinctive response was to remain silent. 

In this industry, those who voiced their dissent too openly rarely lasted long. 

Zhuang Hao, ignoring Lu Ya, fixed his gaze on Lu Chen and said, "I agree with Zhang Xiaoan. Your song's style is outdated, and the melody feels overly familiar. It lacks originality and comes across as amateurish. Therefore, it doesn't qualify." 

His tone was calm, dry, and robotic, as though he was delivering a dull report. Yet his words carried an unmistakable air of disdain and ridicule, making them particularly jarring. 

What surprised the panel, including Lu Ya, was Lu Chen's reaction. He showed neither embarrassment nor anger, nor did he attempt to argue or protest. Unlike other young, eliminated contestants who often begged for a second chance, Lu Chen simply nodded and politely said, "Thank you, judges, for your feedback." 

'What a pity!' 

Lu Ya felt a pang of sympathy. In her eyes, Lu Chen was exceptionally talented and didn't deserve such blatant suppression. 

Indeed, Zhuang Hao might as well have written the word "suppress" on his forehead! 

She couldn't fathom who Lu Chen might have offended. 

Then, Lu Chen straightened his back, lifted his head, and looked directly at Zhuang Hao. 

"However," Lu Chen said with a confident smile, "I disagree with your assessment, Judge Zhuang. This song was registered in the Greater China Music Library long ago, so there's no question of plagiarism or imitation. Moreover, someone once offered me 100,000 Yuan to purchase it." 

His smile deepened. "But I didn't sell." 

This was the very definition of a slap in the face— a direct, unapologetic one! 

Zhuang Hao had criticized 'My Old Classmate' for lacking originality, but Lu Chen countered by pointing out its registration with the highly authoritative Greater China Music Library. 

'Are you more authoritative than the Music Library?' 

The offer of 100,000 Yuan was also true. Lu Chen had declined it, reserving the classic for himself. 

'Too old-fashioned? Too amateurish? Were the people offering money fools, then?' 

Zhuang Hao's face turned crimson on the spot. 

Having served as a judge on 'The Strongest Singer' multiple times, Zhuang Hao was used to being in a position of power, casually critiquing contestants from above. While he'd encountered rebellious participants before, this was his first time being publicly humiliated. 

Even with the thickest skin, such a sharp blow was hard to endure! 

Beside him, Zhang Xiaoan and Chen Zhenni also felt the sting of Lu Chen's words, as though their own dignity had been bruised. 

Without giving them a chance to respond, Lu Chen nodded toward Lu Ya and walked offstage with composure. 

Among the four judges, Lu Ya was the only one he held any respect for. 

'Bang!' 

Zhuang Hao slammed his pen onto the table and spat furiously, "These young people today have no manners at all! No humility! No wonder the pop music scene is in such decline. What nonsense!" 

Zhang Xiaoan added coldly, "Exactly. That's why we need to be even stricter. Anyone with poor character should be eliminated. Otherwise, it'll tarnish Xiangnan TV's reputation before the entire nation." 

Fanning herself with a notebook, Chen Zhenni smirked and remarked, "With that kind of attitude, it's no wonder someone wanted to teach him a lesson. He's too arrogant. He'll regret it someday." 

Both Zhuang Hao and Zhang Xiaoan turned to look at her with peculiar expressions. 'Did she really just say that out loud?' 

Lu Ya suddenly understood everything but wasn't particularly surprised. 

Chen Zhenni didn't care about their reactions. Even with four cameras recording, so what? This part would undoubtedly be edited out, and nobody would bother about a mere rookie singer. 

The auditions for 'The Strongest Singer' continued. 

Outside the Capital Gymnasium, Lu Chen stood in the sweltering afternoon sun. 

Taking a deep breath, he exhaled not just air but also the anger simmering in his chest. 

Despite expecting this outcome, Lu Chen couldn't help but harbor a sliver of hope. 

What if Chen Jianhao's bias against Jin Hongwei clouded his judgment? 

The brutal reality, however, taught him a hard lesson. 

'No matter how amazing you think you are, to some people, you're just a pawn to be manipulated at will.' 

Lu Chen clenched his fists tightly. 

This only strengthened his resolve— to walk the path he had chosen. 

Just then, his phone rang. 

Lu Chen answered. 

"Lu Chen, I just heard some disappointing news. You didn't pass the auditions for 'The Strongest Singer'?" 

On the other end of the line, Jin Hongwei's voice carried an air of regret. 

"Yes," Lu Chen replied, "thank you, Chief Jin, for your concern." 

His tone was polite, but his face bore a mocking smile— it was just as he had expected. 

Unable to see Lu Chen's expression, Jin Hongwei continued, "It's not a problem. Failure at a young age isn't scary. Our Juxing Company always has its doors open for you. We can offer you a direct pass to the elimination round!" 

"And tonight, I've arranged a dinner with two of the judges. You could apologize to them, and I'm sure…" 

'Beep. Beep.' 

Before he could finish, the call was disconnected. 

Jin Hongwei froze in shock before quickly redialing Lu Chen's number. 

Instead of connecting, an automated voice responded: "The number you've dialed is not in service." 

"'Fu'k!'" 

It dawned on Jin Hongwei— Lu Chen had blocked his number, clearly unwilling to speak to him again. 

All the scheming and maneuvering Jin Hongwei had done to corner Lu Chen had been for nothing. 

'Lu Chen didn't buy into his tactics at all!' 

Such a stubborn and unyielding rookie was a type Jin Hongwei had never encountered before. 

His fury boiled over, and in his rage, he hurled his phone across the room. 

Meanwhile, Lu Chen couldn't care less about Jin Hongwei's reaction. As the saying goes, "Without desires, one can stand firm." Lu Chen had no need for Jin Hongwei. To endure humiliation and bow down to someone who had schemed against him? He'd rather smash his head into a wall and end it all. 

'Get lost!' 

After blacklisting Jin Hongwei's number, Lu Chen felt a refreshing clarity, as if a weight had been lifted from his mind. 

Barely three seconds passed before his phone rang again. 

This time, it was Chen Jianhao calling. For a moment, Lu Chen wondered if the two of them had planned this together. 

Of course, that was just a joke in his mind. He immediately answered, "Brother Jianhao?" 

Chen Jianhao chuckled. "Was that Jin Hongwei calling you just now?" 

Lu Chen was surprised. "How did you know?" 

Chen Jianhao snorted. "Knowing his style, I can pretty much guess what he said. Let me guess: he offered you a contract with Juxing Company, promised to secure your advancement on 'The Strongest Singer,' and asked you to apologize to a few judges over dinner?" 

Lu Chen was speechless— Chen Jianhao had nailed it. 

Chen Jianhao laughed heartily. "You're something else. You haven't even entered the entertainment industry properly, and you've already managed to offend a few big shots. I heard you gave Zhuang Hao such a slap in the face that he's been cursing you non-stop!" 

Lu Chen smiled wryly. "I was too impulsive." 

"Impulsive? Not at all!" 

Chen Jianhao chuckled. "You did great. That guy deserved a slap. Don't worry about it anymore. Just focus on preparing for the 'Singing China' live-stream auditions on July 3rd and the qualifiers on the 10th!" 

Chen Jianhao had secured a direct pass for Lu Chen to the 'Singing China' auditions hosted by Capital City TV, allowing him to skip the preliminary trials at the Workers' Gymnasium and go straight to the official audition stage. 

Chen Jianhao was confident that Lu Chen would breeze through the auditions and advance to the qualifiers. 

"But remember what happened today," Chen Jianhao added. "This is your first lesson in the entertainment industry." 

"I'm sure you've learned a lot." 

"Keep working hard, kid!" 

'(End of chapter)' 

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