Chapter 24: Not Just a Pretty Face

The afternoon sun filtered through the lush, verdant forest, bringing a cool breeze without any trace of heat, only warmth!

Despite being a tiny territory where every inch of land is precious, Hong Kong boasts a forest coverage rate of 70%. Apart from a few areas like Central, Wan Chai, Yau Tsim Mong, and Sham Shui Po, where high-rises dominate, most other places are covered in woods and greenery, an admirable fact indeed.

As the seven people walked and chatted casually, they soon arrived at the entrance of TV City. The security, already informed, checked their advancement qualification certificates and led them to a building next to the production department. This was the professional training center where new stars were trained, company celebrations and dance rehearsals for big-name concerts took place.

Downstairs, a staff member led them in and sternly reminded them, "Your training center is on the third floor. The first and second floors are private spaces for professional dancers and other teachers. The fourth and fifth floors are frequently used by big names. Don't wander into these areas, or I can't guarantee you won't be disqualified from the competition."

The same old threat, although TVB might indeed do that, it still sounded tiresome.

The third floor, spanning over a thousand square meters, was divided into more than ten rooms, including two large dance studios over a hundred square meters each, dressing rooms, make-up rooms, instrument rooms, vocal training rooms, and more. Chen Jin was most excited to see a large piano room with five grand pianos and over ten upright pianos.

Chen Jin had some basic piano experience, though not as proficient as his guitar skills. He always found the piano more stylish and cooler than the guitar, but it was too costly to buy one just for show.

In Nan'ao Island, the Zhang family was well-off in Rongshu Village but didn't have such luxury items as a piano. Seeing them now, Chen Jin was as eager as if he'd seen a beautiful woman.

After hesitating, Chen Jin timidly asked the staff member, "Sister, can I try playing one?" Women usually couldn't resist his charm, but the twenty-something-year-old staff member shook her head, "Not today. Wait until tomorrow. There will be professionals to guide you, then you can freely choose your activities."

Seeing Chen Jin's disappointment, she relented a bit, frowning, "Have you learned piano before?"

Chen Jin brightened up, "I've learned a bit. Don't worry, Sister, I won't damage the piano."

She nodded, "Then go ahead and play." Hearing this, Li Guoxian behind him smacked his lips, about to make a snide remark about pretty boys being popular, but Xu Dong poked him, making him stop awkwardly.

Chen Jin excitedly opened a grand piano, sat down, and lovingly stroked the keys, starting to play from a faint memory.

However, he was too rusty and hadn't played in a long time. The result was quite ordinary, immediately revealing his novice level.

Expecting a spectacular performance, the others laughed at the underwhelming reality. Tang Baoru, hugging Lian Junying's shoulder and leaning on her, laughed breathlessly, "Junying, go, don't let him embarrass himself. Show him how to play the piano."

Knowing he messed up, Chen Jin stood up awkwardly, laughing and touching his nose, "Well, it's been a long time since I played..."

Lian Junying, blushing slightly, pushed him aside, excited to showcase her talent in front of this boy who made her heart flutter. She played smoothly and beautifully, a stark contrast to Chen Jin's level.

After this incident, everyone looked at Chen Jin strangely, apparently considering him just another pretty face.

More people came to the training center, but since they could only observe today, Chen Jin and his group didn't stay long, leaving after half an hour.

Leaving TV City, they instinctively headed back to the hotel together. As soon as they reached the floor, Tang Baoru proposed, "Since we have nothing this afternoon, let's all show off our best skills!"

She then manly patted Chen Jin's shoulder, "King, don't be disheartened. Forget the piano, you still have your guitar, right? Your guitar skills should be decent."

Though her words were meant to encourage, they carried a tone of doubt, even denial, leaving Chen Jin feeling down. He laughed it off, "Alright, then I'll perform a song for you all. Please excuse my limited skills."

Hearing his slightly defiant words, everyone laughed, while Lian Junying softly said, "It's okay, you can learn. I'll teach you piano."

This statement was like a confession, eliciting howls from the men and making Lian Junying blush and run into her room with Tang Baoru. Chen Jin chuckled bitterly and loudly proclaimed to break the awkwardness, "You guys underestimate me too much. My guitar skills are quite high, so don't be surprised."

Everyone was skeptical, and Li Guoxian even gave him a disdainful gesture before joyfully entering his room.

The hotel rooms in Hong Kong were small, especially in budget hotels, with just two beds, a table, a TV, a mirror, a small wardrobe, and two chairs.

After a while, Lian Junying, slightly less shy, and Tang Baoru gathered everyone in Chen Jin's cramped room.

They all sat casually on the beds, and Tang Baoru, with a teasing tone, said, "Let's applaud for our guitar master to present a heavenly melody." Leading the applause, the others joined in, with Li Guoxian even whistling.

Chen Jin played along, "Thank you, thank you, my friends, for your support. This is my first mini-concert, and its success is all thanks to my grandparents, parents, siblings... And again, thank you all, you're really adorable!"

Everyone laughed heartily, with Tang Baoru and Lian Junying leaning on Chen Jin, looking quite intimate, evoking envy and jealousy from the others.

After the laughter, Chen Jin got serious, "This is my best song, the one I used to advance. Please listen and offer your advice."

Even with his sincerity, everyone expected a joke until Chen Jin's guitar and his charismatic baritone voice began. Only then did they realize something big was happening.

As Chen Jin had claimed, his guitar skills were excellent, with a good tone and breath control. His singing skills, unmentioned, were also fantastic; even sitting, his breath and voice modulation were professional.

Singing "The Wind Continues to Blow," everyone was taken aback by the end. Lian Junying's gaze at Chen Jin became even more infatuated, and Tang Baoru slapped his shoulder hard, "You're really talented!"

Calm Xu Dong also remarked, "It really takes talent to earn a 'get out of jail free' card."

Everyone was shocked, but Li Guoxian hummed, "The guitar's not bad, but his singing is still lacking compared to me."

Tang Baoru didn't hold back, "Really? You can't compete in hardware, so let's see your software. Hope you're not bluffing, or it'll be more embarrassing than King's piano performance, as you won't have a chance to redeem yourself."

Tang Baoru, with her bright personality, was well-liked, and although Li Guoxian was irked, he didn't dare to clash with her, not wanting to lose more face.

He laughed heartily, cradling his guitar, and began to play. He chose Alan Tam's "Friends," a well-known and great song. Although his looks were average, he sang well, with nice tone and rhythm, sounding pleasant.

However, if that was the extent of his skills, he was at best on par with Chen Jin. Any suggestion of being better was laughable.

After his performance, Chen Jin applauded generously, and so did the others. But Tang Baoru wasn't as polite, "Very average, Xianzi. Where do you think you're better than King?"

Li Guoxian stubbornly replied, "I wasn't in top form. Wait till I'm better, and you'll be amazed."

Tang Baoru hummed dismissively, "Hope you're in good shape on the day of the competition..." She then secretly poked Chen Jin's waist and rolled her eyes at him, no longer engaging with Li Guoxian.