The live broadcast was four hours long, with a total of 42 contestants.

Jiang Qin also got her third trainee: a D-level female Beastman from an unclassified star within the Empire.

The other four mentors also chose their preferred trainees. The first PK battle was set for three days later.

The venue rented by the production team had dorms for the mentors and trainees. Each mentor was also assigned a classroom, which came equipped with a recording studio.

Even with three days to prepare, Jiang Qin worried it wouldn’t be enough. She told her three trainees to rest for the day and then meet her early at the classroom the next morning.

When she arrived at the classroom at seven the next morning, all three had already finished their vocal warm-ups.

Jiang Qin was pleased with this.

’It’s fine if they haven’t had the proper training; what I’m most worried about is a lack of drive.’

’The only reason I know a little about everything is because I work hard. On top of the classes my company arranged, I had to make time to study things I was interested in without letting my schoolwork suffer. I really used every single minute to its fullest.’

’That’s also why I hate being idle.’

’I always feel that once a person loses their goals, their life starts to fall apart.’

"What time did you all get here? Did you sleep well?"

Qi Huaixuan scratched his head and grinned sheepishly. "I wasn’t that early. I got here at six, but when I arrived, Sister Qing and Sister Yuanyuan were already here."

Although Tang Wanqing came from a low-level star, she carried herself with a natural poise, and her every movement was exceptionally graceful.

She smiled gently. "I went to bed very early, so when I woke up at five, I just came over to practice. Yuanyuan was here even earlier."

Jiang Qin looked at Xiong Yuanyuan. "Don’t tell me you got here last night?"

Xiong Yuanyuan got a little nervous, afraid she might have displeased Jiang Qin, and quickly explained, "I already got my sleep! After my vocal warm-ups, I’ve been practicing my dancing and some instruments. I didn’t strain my voice."

"Mm, it’s good that you have your own plan.

It’s not wrong to be diligent, but you need to be mindful of your practice intensity. Don’t overuse your voice.

Remember, a singer’s voice is their most important asset. You also have to take care of your health.

No matter what you’re doing, your health is the foundation for everything."

The three of them nodded in agreement.

"Since you’re all ready, let’s go over the plan for our first competition.

First off, the initial round is a group PK, so the three of you will need to perform this song as a trio.

After that is the one-on-one PK round. We don’t know who you’ll be up against, and we don’t need to worry about it. You just need to be in your best form.

I’ll send you the songs in a bit. First, let’s talk about some of the bad habits you have when you sing..."

Unlike the other mentors, none of the three trainees she chose were music students.

Qi Huaixuan studied dance, Tang Wanqing studied economics, and Xiong Yuanyuan was a nurse.

Therefore, all three had taught themselves how to sing using courses they found on the Star Network.

They had developed their own unique styles, but also quite a few flaws.

Jiang Qin spent the entire day correcting their bad habits.

It wasn’t until that evening, once she was sure they understood the problems and had corrected them, that she gave them the sheet music to practice.

.....

「Three days later.」 The highly anticipated show *Searching for Lost Sounds* began its live broadcast once again.

Fifteen contestants and five mentors performed the show’s opening theme song together before taking their places.

The host walked on stage, her tone cheerful as she greeted the audience. "Good evening, everyone! It’s been three days, and I’m sure you’re all eagerly anticipating our contestants’ performances tonight.

I’m anxious to get started too, but good things come to those who wait! First, let’s have our mentors come on stage to draw for the group PK performance order."

Jiang Qin’s luck was pretty good. She drew number three—a solid spot right in the middle.

Sili was the one who drew the first slot.

A confident smirk played on her red lips.

Soon, two fashionably dressed males and one female took the stage.

They performed an incredibly trendy song that included a rap section. The two males sang most of it; the pure human female had only three lines in total and occasionally provided some backup harmony.

She had less stage presence than a backup singer paid to just stand there.

’Actually, Jiang Qin had heard rumors over the past two days that Sili was very unhappy with the pure human trainee in her group.’

’Since the auditions were blind, with the mentors’ backs to the stage, no one could tell if the singer was a Beastman, a Half-beastman, or a pure human.’

’It was fair to the contestants, but incredibly annoying for any mentor who secretly disliked Half-beastmen and pure humans.’

’Sili hadn’t made a scene in front of the live cameras, though.’

’After all, anyone participating in this show knew beforehand that there would be pure humans and Half-beastmen among the contestants.’

’The fact that she still came meant she was supposed to be fine with it.’

’So if she had expressed regret on the spot and refused to take the trainee after turning her chair, she would have likely earned the audience’s animosity.’

’But after accepting the trainee, Sili was clearly unwilling to actually teach a pure human, even marginalizing her in the group performance.’

’When the rumors first started spreading, Jiang Qin had been skeptical.’

’But the arrangement of this song all but confirmed them.’

After the performance, it was time for the scoring from the 100-member jury and the 10,000-member live audience.

Out of a perfect score of 100, their final score was: 78.

The host turned the attention to the jury, randomly selecting a few members to interview.

"May I ask what you thought of the song performed by Mentor Sili’s team?"

The female juror being interviewed was expressionless. "Just like the score I gave: a failure."

"Could you tell us why?"

"First, the song’s arrangement. It was clearly a stage for three people, yet two stood at the front and one stood behind them. That kind of configuration is grossly unfair and shows a complete lack of big-picture thinking.

There were parts where I believe the female’s voice would have been more suitable, so I find the arrangement to be utterly illogical.

I don’t understand why Mentor Sili, who arranged the song, would make such a choice. It makes me question her skill as an arranger.

A composer who doesn’t understand how to properly pair voices can’t create a good song.

And just like this song, it was dissonant. Very dissonant!"

As the female juror delivered her critique, Sili’s expression grew darker and darker. All her earlier confidence vanished, replaced by a face so grim it looked like it could drip ink.

The host was inwardly cringing but kept a smile plastered on her face as she moved on to the next juror.

This time, she was a bit more savvy, picking a juror she knew to be a people-pleaser.

"Could you share your thoughts on that last performance?"

"I thought it was quite good. While there were certainly some flaws, the two male trainees’ performances were spectacular.

Their vocal runs and high notes were very stable. The only drawback was that they were a little nervous, which made their stage presence feel a bit constrained."

"Alright, thank you for your review."

The host returned to the center of the stage. "Next up, let’s welcome our second team: the three trainees from Josh’s group!"