Star-Crossed Aspirations Chapter 4

The interview started at eight in the morning, and the four interviewers raced against time to select the final trainees who would participate in the program.

To be honest, there is nothing new in it, and the choices are dizzying and give me a headache.

Many of them were sent by entertainment companies. Nowadays, there are so many entertainment companies, big and small, and many trainees have received one to two years of singing and dancing training. Whether it is stage presence, dancing or singing, there is not much difference.

Those faces flashed by, leaving no impression on people. In the end, it seemed as if all the big boys had the same face.

Occasionally there are a few different faces, which can make the interviewer feel a little more energetic.

But almost everyone wore makeup, and some wore heavy makeup. When the interviewers were giving their scores, they all wondered in their hearts whether this was related to their temperament or their makeup.

Until, they waited for No. 165, Ryan Blake.

When seeing the information, several interviewers also saw the notes.

Oh, this is the person that Producer Qi sent for selection. Looking at the photo again, wow, this young man’s ID photo of a few inches looks quite energetic.

While no one was coming in yet, several interviewers took a break and chatted.

"Didn't producer Qi scream downstairs a few days ago that the show was about to end?"

"That was a few days ago. Didn't you see that his 'cockscomb' is all dyed red today?"

"Oh, it looks like there's something going on."

"What's the origin of this 165?"

"I don't know. I asked him this morning and he said it was recommended by a teacher from the art college. He is a pure amateur."

"It's 25."

"Well, debuting at 25 is a bit old."

"Hey, someone's coming."

The interview room is very large, and because it is a formal open selection, there are cameras, video recorders, and lights.

Several interviewers were sitting behind a long table behind the lighting equipment. The contestants' fixed positions were where the lights were focused.

Also, because of the location of the lighting equipment, several interviewing teachers could not see the door. They could only see the contestants clearly when they walked in front of the lights.

The same was true for Ryan Blake. When he entered the room, no one looked at him. It was only until he walked to the brightest spot in the entire room that everyone's attention was focused on him.

Ryan Blake was not used to the light for a moment, so he squinted his eyes without taking off his hat.

He took it off only after someone reminded him to do so.

Then---

From lighting to recording to photography to interviews, all the teachers were very energetic.

The sound of cameras clicking didn't stop. The cameraman came over with the equipment and shot a close-up of the interviewer. The interviewer lowered his head and scanned the resume again.

It was Ryan Blake’s first time to attend such an interview and he thought all contestants would receive the same treatment, so he didn’t think much about it.

He stood in front of the light for a few seconds, and seeing that no one spoke, he decided to briefly introduce himself first, and then sing the song he had prepared in advance. Suddenly he paused - no, there was no microphone.

He looked at the interviewing teachers who were sitting not far in front of him.

Just speak directly without a microphone?

But Kai Maxwell had taught him before that a microphone is needed in an interview, so he should take the microphone before speaking.

so...

Now...

Um?

Ryan Blake glanced in front of him without saying a word. He raised his eyebrows slightly with a puzzled expression. He looked at the interviewer and the camera in front of him.

I didn't know that this is a professional device. The recorded images can not only be seen by the person holding the device, but also by the monitor connected to the device.

In front of the interviewer, behind a lighting device, there was a monitor. On the monitor screen, Ryan Blake's micro-expressions from recent days were clearly recorded frame by frame.

Interviewer who saw the monitor: "!!!"

All cute!

Where did you dig this treasure!!!

Several interviewers were startled and looked at each other for several seconds before they looked back to where the lights were.

One of them picked up the microphone: "Ryan Blake?"

At this time, someone remembered to hand the contestant's microphone to Ryan Blake.

Ryan Blake took the microphone and raised it to his lips: "Yes." Then he said: "Would you like to introduce yourself first?"

Interviewer A: "No, no, we'll ask you some questions first."

Ryan Blake: "Okay."

He wasn't nervous, but there were too many lights shining on him and his eyes felt a little uncomfortable and hot.

Interviewer B: "You haven't signed with any company?"

Ryan Blake: "No."

"25? In Chinese?"

"No, a full year."

"Have you ever been involved in the entertainment industry or talent shows before?"

If p-picture counts.

Ryan Blake shook his head: "No."

Thinking of the photoshopped picture, the corners of his lips twitched slightly.

His smile shocked the whole audience again.

Ryan Blake's facial features can be simply described as good-looking, or to be more precise, he has a face that is suitable for the screen.

He has a narrow face, a pointed chin and an angular jaw, which makes him look not too feminine, but rather a bit sharp. His brow bones are full, his eyebrows are thick, and his nose is straight, highlighting the temperament of a young man. His eyes are very beautiful, with clear and clean gazes, and he looks very youthful. At the age of 25, he still looks very young.

Not only that, the head-to-body ratio is perfect, the face is small, the head is not big, and the head shape is enough to cover the face, the waist is short, the legs are long, and the shoulders are not broad.

The camera is a disaster that always vilifies humans, and celebrities are no exception. Therefore, it is recognized both inside and outside the circle that celebrities are always better looking in real life than in front of the camera.

Therefore, if you want to be a star, it is not enough to be just good-looking. It is better to have a body with golden ratio and impeccable and perfect appearance to be able to hold up in front of the camera.

And Ryan Blake, he held up the camera.

When he smiled just now, his eyes were bright and his temperament was fully revealed, just like the boy next door that all girls fantasized about when they were young.

It’s very clever. It’s so clever.

The scary thing is, he is still without makeup.

A 25-year-old outsider, with no makeup on and doing nothing, but just a smile and everyone can't take their eyes off her.

When he held the microphone and sang: "The wind by the river is blowing my hair, holding your hand, I feel inexplicably moved..."

Interviewer: I’m touched! We found a treasure! We are the ones who are really touched!

After the song was over, the interviewer did not comment much on the song, and all the topics revolved around Ryan Blake himself.

"You are 25 years old and have never been involved in this circle before. Can you tell me what you were doing before?"

Ryan Blake: "I was abroad, taking care of my family because they were sick, and I didn't have a proper job. I just returned to China recently."

"Just returned to China? Did you go to school abroad?"

Ryan Blake: "Domestic."

"Have you ever been to university? I see you didn't fill in your education background, did you graduate from college?"

Ryan Blake: "Yes."

"Which university?"

Ryan Blake: "A big one."

"???????"

"What?!"

Ryan Blake: "A big one."

"Undergraduate?"

Ryan Blake: "Yeah."

"Did you pass the college entrance examination?"

Ryan Blake: "Yes."

"How many points do you have?"

Ryan Blake thought for a moment and said, "I don't remember the details, but I remember that I was the top scorer in science that year."

Everyone: "??????!!!!"

Shocked to the point of being breathless!

can not breath!

Fearing that Ryan Blake would brag, one of the interviewers took out his phone to search on the spot.

Keywords: a province science jiangzhan.

Among the search terms, the first one is "In xxxx, the top scorer in comprehensive science in province a, Ryan Blake".

Everyone: "!!!"

Now everyone is more energetic.

"How come you can't find a job abroad?"

Ryan Blake had just mentioned it, and when the other party asked again, he repeated it again: "My family is seriously ill, and I have been taking care of them."

"I see, have you finished college?"

"I have finished reading it."

"What did you learn?"

"finance."

"Why did you think of participating in the election? Oh, yes, I was introduced."

"Do you think your background from a prestigious university is a big advantage for you in the talent show interview?"

This question made Ryan Blake laugh again.

He thought for a moment: "Diploma has nothing to do with the draft, right? My advantage is my face, right?"

Everyone: Not bad, it’s interesting.

"But you also have to know that talent shows require singing and dancing, and it seems like you don't know how to do either of these two things?"

Ryan Blake was not stumped by this question, but replied calmly: "If you don't know how to do it, you can learn."

"If others can learn it in one go, why can't you learn it?"

Ryan Blake calmly replied: "It is possible. I will try my best to live up to my diploma."

Everyone: It works! It works so well!

He is good-looking, has a good sense of the camera, is well educated, has no stage fright, has clear ideas, and can even make jokes in his conversations.

This is a treasure!

Where did Kai Maxwell come from?

The interviewers gave four 10 points on the spot and passed unanimously, which naturally included Lucas Quinn's acquaintance.

Forget about favors. No matter how great the favors are, can they be more important than the show?

Lucas Quinn doesn't have that kind of face.

Ryan Blake came out of the interview room and thought about it. He felt that this interview was quite simple. He just sang a song and chatted for a few minutes, and he passed it.

After thinking about it, I sighed in my heart: Actually, I am lucky. I am lucky to have such a handsome face.

Thank you, Mom and Dad.

Ryan Blake put his hat back on.

Kai Maxwell appeared again at this time. The "red crown" on his head showed signs of reaching the sky, his face was very rosy, and he seemed to be in a very good mood.

He praised Ryan Blake: "You performed well."

Ryan Blake still hadn't quite figured out that he had made it through, so he asked, "Does the talent show only look at your face?"

Kai Maxwell: "Of course it's not just that, the key is the feeling in front of the camera."

Ryan Blake blurted out: "Aren't the feelings in front of the camera all metaphysical?"

Kai Maxwell was stunned: "You know all this?"

Ryan Blake paused. Of course he didn’t know. It was Wang Paopao, a former fan, who told him that whether a star will become popular, when, how and in what way a star will become popular are all metaphysics.

Kai Maxwell didn't care and continued, "You performed really well today. You looked good and had a good temperament. You answered questions fluently and you even had jokes. I didn't even know you graduated from University A. I just remembered that Lao Wei had a relative whose child ranked first in the exam. It turned out to be you. I found a treasure, I found a treasure, I really found a treasure."

Ryan Blake's interview took a little longer, but the whole process went very smoothly.

Kai Maxwell personally sent him downstairs, and it was obvious that he took him very seriously.

He told Ryan Blake to keep his phone open and contact him at any time, as Tencent might make some arrangements in advance.

Any arrangement?

Ryan Blake guessed that it might be related to the signing company.

He originally wanted to go back and ask Ethan Grant first, but after thinking about it, he felt that some things should be clarified first.

Ryan Blake: "I just had an interview, and I'm just clueless right now, and I don't know a lot of things. If I were to sign a contract with a company, I might need to think carefully about it."

Then he asked directly: "Does it require a company to participate in a talent show?"

Kai Maxwell has been in the industry for so many years and has always been sober while doing his shows. He gets along with people in a loud and noisy manner, is fooled by others, and also fools others. When he meets newcomers, he can basically coax them all.

He was very optimistic about Ryan Blake, and since he was Ethan Grant's nephew, he had no intention of deceiving him. If it really came to discussing the artist contract, he would definitely do it in a serious manner.

He was just surprised that Ryan Blake saw things so clearly and was not fooled by the interview results at all. He had such a clear mind and was worthy of being a graduate of a prestigious university.

Kai Maxwell patted Ryan Blake's shoulder: "Don't worry, I won't fool you. You are the child of the old Wei family. Old Wei and I are so familiar with each other, how can I fool you? Go back today, have a good rest, sing and dance, etc., and ask your uncle to find someone to practice with you first. If there is anything, I will contact you as soon as possible. Don't worry about the draft. Signing with a company may not be a bad thing. Your uncle will also help you with references so that you won't suffer any losses."

As they were talking, the two of them reached the first floor.

Ryan Blake went to the front desk to return the temporary tag, and Kai Maxwell just happened to receive a call.

"Eliminated?" Kai Maxwell glanced in Ryan Blake's direction, lowered his voice, and walked aside: "Why? He has already passed the interview! He is a treasure, don't you all recognize him!"

The person on the other end of the phone was also anxious: "I don't know either. They said it was a direct notice from the top. Now the leaders are still trying to get some information from the top to find out what's going on."

Then he said, "I think you'd better ask Ryan Blake if he offended anyone. How could an amateur like him, who has never been in this circle before, alarm the higher-ups?"

Tianlan Culture passed two people in today's interview. Lucas Quinn was quite satisfied with the result. He had something else to do in the afternoon, so he didn't stay in the Tencent Building for long and drove away.

On the way, he called his company partner and asked, "Is it done?"

Partner: "Well, if the top executives of Tencent come forward, it should be OK."

Lucas Quinn sneered: "If it weren't for Evan Lee, there would be no need to use such a big relationship."

Speaking of Evan Lee, Lucas Quinn asked: "Did Evan Lee say anything?"

Partner: "What? He is on vacation today and didn't come to the company."

Evan Lee then remembered that he was a little worried and said, "Do you know why I want to kick that 165cm tall girl out? A few days ago, I saw Evan Lee staring at a photo of her ex-boyfriend in the dance studio. I don't know what he's thinking, but I'm afraid he's going to have a brain attack and rekindle his old relationship with me."

Partner: "No way."

Lucas Quinn raised his eyebrows and said indifferently: "Who knows?"

Lucas Quinn guessed wrong, Evan Lee never thought of rekindling their old love.

He just felt guilty and sorry for Ryan Blake.

Especially the message "It's okay" sent by Lucas Quinn.

If nothing happens on their side, it means something is wrong on Ryan Blake's side.

As for why Ryan Blake suddenly participated in the talent show after returning to China, Evan Lee didn't have time to think about it, let alone find out.

He just felt that he had to do something.

He understands the company and Lucas Quinn. If Lucas Quinn wants to do something, he will definitely be able to accomplish it.

Since Ryan Blake participated in the talent show, does it matter? What about his background? Backstage?

Evan Lee hoped so. Ethan Grant was a professor at the Academy of Arts and had a lot of connections, so he must have had connections. But thinking of the Jiang family's defeat and Ryan Blake's recent return to China...

Evan Lee hesitated for a while, then suddenly picked up the phone and held it tightly in his hand.

He clicked on the contact list and turned to a certain number, without moving for a long time.

He was a little afraid of this person and wasn't familiar with him. Judging from their previous relationship in high school, this person must be very displeased with him.

But a few years ago, it was this guy who helped him turn things around in the draft and gave him an important opportunity...

For all these years, Evan Lee still couldn't understand why that person helped him in the first place.

Maybe it’s because of the friendship between old classmates?

Evan Lee hadn't thought about his high school days for many years. At that moment when he was hesitating while holding the phone, many past events flashed through his mind.

Suddenly, a picture froze.

It’s the second-year high school classroom, the last row.

The classroom was noisy and full of fighting. Ryan Blake was dozing off on the table when a boy walked in from the back door, looking straight ahead with a school uniform in his hand.

Walking behind Ryan Blake, the boy, for some unknown reason, threw the school uniform directly at Ryan Blake's head.

Ryan Blake was sleeping soundly and didn't react at all. With his head covered with the school uniform, he slept more soundly.

The boy who lost his school uniform walked back to his seat and sat down. Another boy came over and said with a chuckle, "He's not awake yet. Why don't you throw another book at his head?"

The boy raised his eyelids, twirled the pen in his hand, and said nonchalantly: "You try it!?"

Evan Lee pondered over the words "You try it" for a long time.

Instigation? Let the boy wake up Ryan Blake.

Or, a warning?

A long time ago, Evan Lee had no doubts and thought it must be instigation, but now--- Evan Lee dialed the number and put the phone to his ear.

Beep...beep...beep...beep...

"What's up?"

When the low and careless voice sounded, Evan Lee's heart tightened.

After so many years, I’m still afraid.

But now is not the time to be afraid, Evan Lee gathered his thoughts: "Bai, Bai Tianheng..."

The other end of the phone was very quiet, and Bai Tianheng's voice was a little cold: "Go ahead."

Evan Lee: "Ryan Blake is back."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone. Bai Tianheng said, "The point."

Evan Lee felt that he had lost his mind. In the past, when Lucas Quinn said that he was a bad person, he didn't believe it. But now he believed it and couldn't even speak properly.

Evan Lee suppressed his confusion and tried to organize his words: "It's like this, I have a variety show..."

As soon as the conversation started, the person on the other end of the phone changed. Bai Tianheng's agent smiled politely and said, "What variety show? Tell me if you have anything."

Evan Lee: "...I'm not asking you for help." After a pause, "No, I want to help you, but not me, but Ryan Blake."

Evan Lee was really afraid of Bai Tianheng. He had been afraid of him since high school. Later, when they were in the same entertainment industry, Bai Tianheng had a naturally high status and a strong aura, while he was nothing, so he was even more afraid of him.

He really mustered up the courage to make this call, not for himself, but for Ryan Blake. But if Bai Tianheng ignored him, Evan Lee would risk it, no matter who was on the other end of the phone, and said directly: "Ryan Blake went to audition for the variety show I participated in today, and someone wanted to use their connections to eliminate him. I have no choice but to ask if you can help me out for the sake of our friendship as former classmates, so I made this call."

Evan Lee finished speaking in one breath and was at a loss for words.

There was no movement on the other end of the line.

Evan Lee asked cautiously: "Is there anyone else?"

Bai Tianheng's voice suddenly rang in my ears: "Which variety show?"

Evan Lee: "Extreme Idol", produced by Tencent."

Bai Tianheng: "I understand."

The phone was hung up.

In the nanny car, after Bai Tianheng hung up the phone, he looked out of the car silently.

The assistant was in the back seat and the agent was in the passenger seat. The car drove away smoothly and in the rearview mirror, the airport terminal was getting farther and farther away.

Bai Tianheng was distracted for a while, then he picked up the phone again and dialed a number.

The person on the other end of the phone was a little surprised: "Tianheng?"

Bai Tianheng: "I heard that your company recently launched a program called "Extreme Idol"?"

The agent in the front row suddenly looked back.

The person on the other end of the phone: "Ah, yes, what's wrong?" Then he said: "Didn't I cue you to be the mentor? You didn't come. Your agent said you were not available."

Bai Tianheng: "I was just about to tell you, now I'm free."

broker:"???"

The other end of the phone: "Huh?!"

Bai Tianheng spoke casually, his eyes still looking out the window, not joking at all: "Forget it, send the contract and the program schedule together."

The other party hesitated: "Mr. Bai, have you been drinking? Are you drunk?"

Bai Tianheng ignored this and said, "Also, send the trainee list here. I heard you guys have an interview today. Send the interview list here too. I'll take a look first."

broker:"???"

The other end of the phone: ...

Bai Tianheng: "How about this, I just got off the plane and I'm free now, I'll come over to your place and sit with you."

broker:"???"

The other end finally reacted, with a determined tone: "Uh, yeah, sure, okay... um, I'll make some tea and wait for you to come over."

After the call ended this time, the agent in the passenger seat finally couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Boss Bai," the agent would call Tianheng when he was calm, and usually only called him that before or after a breakdown, "Can I ask, are you doing this for Evan Lee? Or for that Ryan Blake?"

Bai Tianheng said calmly: "Am I the kind of person who would participate in a variety show just for the sake of friendship with my classmates?"

Agent: No.

Bai Tianheng lay back down: "Of course it's for career development, to get more experience in variety shows before the transition, and to lay the foundation for future behind-the-scenes work."

broker:...

canyou speak human language?