Volume One: A Meteoric Rise Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Inside Story

The recording of the fourth round of “The Voice of Huaxia” began today. Of the four groups that advanced, Xie Weiyu and Gu Tao were the first to take the stage.

At the filming site, every crew member was busily preparing for the recording.

“Boss Jing, are you really set on competing this way?” Li Qingwei looked at Chen Jing with concern.

Chen Jing smiled at him. “What? Are you afraid I’ll outdo you?”

Li Qingwei shook his head. “Maybe I’m overthinking it.” Then, fixing Chen Jing with a resolute gaze, he added, “Since you’ve made up your mind, I’ll give it my all, too.”

Chen Jing patted Li Qingwei on the shoulder, saying no more.

It was nearly time to begin. Chen Jing found a moment to slip away to the restroom.

Just as he reached the door, he bumped into Gu Tao, who was coming out.

Gu Tao was dabbing her still-damp face with a tissue, her eyes puffy and red—she’d clearly just been crying. Her makeup was smudged. Chen Jing was surprised; wasn’t her performance about to start? Why was she here? What had happened?

Gu Tao saw Chen Jing, quickly ducked her head, and hurried to leave.

Chen Jing frowned and reached out to catch her hand. “What’s wrong? Is there something I can help with?”

Gu Tao trembled as he took her left hand. She looked up at Chen Jing, her expression both aggrieved and stubborn.

They regarded each other in silence for a moment. Gu Tao bit her lip and shook her head, saying nothing after all.

Chen Jing sighed—if she wouldn’t speak, there was nothing he could do. He let go of her hand. “Do your best. Between you and Xie Weiyu, I believe you’ll be the one to move on.” He gave her a brilliant smile. “I’ll be waiting for you in the finals.”

That dazzling smile made Gu Tao a little dazed, but soon determination returned to her eyes. She nodded firmly. “You too—good luck.”

Backstage, Chen Jing found Lin Xi and asked, “Do you know what happened with Gu Tao?”

Lin Xi considered for a moment before replying, “I’m not sure, but I heard the producers asked her to change her song at the last minute.”

Li Qingwei was shocked. “What? They’re asking her to switch songs now? How is that fair?”

“Hmph, it’s just Xie Weiyu pulling strings. She’s worried she won’t advance, so she got Huafu, her backer, to make things difficult for Gu Tao,” Lin Zitan scoffed.

Li Qingwei shook his head. “These big companies are so overbearing.”

Lin Zitan rolled her eyes. “Did you think otherwise? You’re lucky you got paired with Chen Jing—most people aren’t as lucky.”

“Heh, I really am grateful to have Boss Jing.”

Ignoring their banter, Chen Jing fell into silent thought.

Watching him, Lin Xi asked, “What are you thinking?”

Chen Jing turned to her with a smile. “What do you think of Gu Tao?”

“You mean signing her?” Lin Xi was surprised.

Chen Jing nodded. “Don’t you think she’s got great potential? Her voice is unique—I see a lot of promise in her.”

Lin Xi fell silent, weighing the idea.

“At first, seeing her paired with Xie Weiyu, I thought she’d sign with Huafu. But after what happened, I doubt she’ll go with them now.”

Truth be told, Chen Jing had high hopes for Gu Tao. Among all the contestants, aside from himself, he believed she had the most potential—even more than Li Qingwei or Xie Weiyu. Perhaps others hadn’t noticed, but from the first round to the fourth, Gu Tao’s performances had improved each time. That was because she kept pushing her limits. Even when people thought her previous performance was already perfect, Chen Jing knew she hadn’t yet reached her peak.

“All right, I’ll bring it up with the company,” Lin Xi agreed.

“Welcome to ‘The Voice of Huaxia.’ Next up is the fourth round—an intra-group showdown.”

“That’s right. In the previous rounds, teammates worked together to achieve victory. They barely had time to celebrate before being pitted against each other in this round. While we’re saddened by this, we also look forward to the dazzling performances the remaining four groups will deliver.”

The hosts, Cai Lun and Wen Wan, took the stage, marking the official start of the fourth round.

“Please welcome Xie Weiyu and Gu Tao!”

Both stepped onto the stage. Xie Weiyu wore a bright smile; Gu Tao was expressionless, silent.

Xie Weiyu greeted the judges and audience cheerfully. “Hello, everyone!”

Host Su Tingting smiled. “Weiyu, you’re about to face off against the teammate you’ve fought alongside for two rounds. How do you feel?”

Xie Weiyu, gracious as ever, replied, “I’m grateful to have had Gu Tao as a partner. We worked well together in the earlier rounds. Though it’s a shame to now be opponents, I won’t hold back in the competition.”

Backstage, Lin Zitan scoffed. “What a shameless thing to say. She’s not sad to compete against Gu Tao—she probably wishes Gu Tao would just quit.”

Chen Jing smiled, unfazed. “That’s showbiz for you.”

On stage, Gu Tao remained silent, not bothering with pleasantries.

Judge Huang Wenhao, seeing her so quiet, sighed inwardly and asked, “Gu Tao, your performances have always surprised me. I have high hopes for you. Is there anything you’d like to say about the upcoming round?”

Gu Tao paused, then said firmly, “I won’t give up.”

Everyone wondered at her words but didn’t think much of it, assuming she was simply nervous.

“And now, the fourth round begins. First, let’s welcome Xie Weiyu to perform ‘Endless Love.’”

Xie Weiyu was up first, singing the song that had made Su Tingting famous—the very one Su Tingting had performed earlier. It was clear why Huafu had signed her; she was indeed talented. With a new arrangement, her performance was poignant and moving, capturing the heartache of a woman tormented by love.

The audience erupted in applause. Su Tingting praised her, saying Xie Weiyu’s rendition was almost on par with her own.

In the end, Xie Weiyu scored 754 points, with Su Tingting awarding a particularly high 95.

Next came Gu Tao. She didn’t waste words, simply stepped forward and began.

The music started, and Gu Tao’s uniquely recognizable voice filled the hall.

Because she’d been forced to change her song at the last minute, she chose a motivational piece she knew well, “Never Give Up,” which also matched her current mood.

The prelude was somber, but Gu Tao controlled the rhythm perfectly, creating a sense of an impending storm.

When the chorus hit, she unleashed her power—her voice soared, resonating through the entire venue.

“When adversity crashes over me like a tidal wave,
I am knocked down again and again,
But I will never give up.
The dream in my heart
Is the source of my strength.
Crush it,
Press on,
Where there is a dream in the heart,
Nothing can stop me.”

Her high notes ignited the audience. Cheers rang out for the stubborn, unyielding figure on stage.

The song ended, but the applause continued.

Huang Wenhao, visibly moved, said, “Gu Tao, I knew I was right about you. You always surprise me.”

Wei Guoqiang agreed. “Excellent. An inspirational song should move the listeners, and you did that perfectly.”

Gu Tao, cheeks still flushed from singing, bowed to the judges. “Thank you for your kind words.”

Finally, Su Tingting spoke. “Gu Tao, you sang beautifully, but I don’t think winning is all about hitting the highest notes. It’s more about expressing emotion. So, if I have to choose, I’d still back Xie Weiyu.”

The audience was astir. Su Tingting’s words couldn’t have been more blatant in their favoritism. With so many of her fans present, there was no doubt Gu Tao’s votes would suffer.

Backstage, Chen Jing shook his head in regret. “That’s it.”

Lin Zitan fumed. “I knew Su Tingting was shameless, but to say something like that—”

Lin Xi said coolly, “We knew this would happen, didn’t we?”

Li Qingwei scratched his head, saying nothing. For the first time, he glimpsed the darker side of the industry. He felt both uneasy and secretly relieved that he had Chen Jing—if his partner had been someone else, Gu Tao’s fate might have been his own.

As expected, Gu Tao ended up with a total of 742 points, losing by a margin of twelve. Su Tingting had given her only 88, a stark contrast to Xie Weiyu’s 95.

When Gu Tao saw her score, her face turned a little pale, but she said nothing, simply leaving the stage in disappointment.

The next two group matches featured dazzling performances from all four contestants, with results that were far less contentious than the first group. The winners’ scores were well-deserved.

At last, only Chen Jing and Li Qingwei’s group remained.

A minute or two before going on, Li Qingwei took a deep breath and turned to Chen Jing. “Boss, remember—don’t go easy on me.”

Chen Jing smiled. “Don’t worry. Give it all you’ve got.”