Chapter 52: The Third Performance, As the Wind Rises

Saturday is a day of rest for students and office workers alike. But for the production team of "Tomorrow’s Star," it is the busiest time of the week, as today marks the official start of the recording for the third public performance. Before the official shoot, there is still a dress rehearsal to get through.

Wu Junchen’s team monopolized the entire morning for their rehearsal, encroaching on the rehearsal slots of the other teams. Naturally, some teams voiced their discontent, but the program’s standard reply was that the Korean production crew held much higher standards for the stage, thus requiring more time. After all, ChaoYin Entertainment is a major company; even if the other teams were dissatisfied, they could only endure it in silence.

The remaining five teams squeezed their rehearsals into the afternoon, finally wrapping up in a hurried rush by six o’clock. After an hour’s rest, the chief director Tong Fei announced the official start of the recording. Guests, contestants, audience members, and professional judges all began to file in. With one hundred and fifty camera positions set, the host, He Hao, took to the stage, his voice brimming with excitement:

"Welcome, honored guests, professional judges, and our live audience, to the third performance of 'Tomorrow’s Star.'

"Tonight, the competition format gets another upgrade: six teams, six songs, dueling head to head.

"As the contest progresses, the rules will grow ever more intense, and more contestants will be leaving the stage of 'Tomorrow’s Star.'

"Tonight, the losing team will fall into the lower bracket.

"For those in the lower bracket, the three members with the lowest scores will have to depart.

"So, for the sake of your musical dreams this summer, give it your all—fight with everything you have!"

With the opening words finished, He Hao began introducing the teams:

"Tonight, the team catching everyone’s attention is undoubtedly the one led by Wu Junchen.

"The five stars of ChaoYin are all here, joined by three outstanding trainees from Class A—a truly stellar lineup.

"Now, please welcome the Wu Junchen team!"

Wu Junchen led his team onto the stage, greeting the audience. His roster included half of the top ten most popular contestants, making their lineup dauntingly impressive. As a result, the number of fans present was equally overwhelming. The moment all eight stepped onstage, the fans erupted, screaming their idols’ names.

Soon after, the other five teams also took to the stage to greet the audience. However, none of them could match the sheer number of fans supporting Wu Junchen’s team; the cheers were noticeably more subdued.

After all six teams had been introduced, He Hao began the Q&A:

"Tonight’s theme is 'The youth I was—living up to our brightest years.' Let’s first hear from Captain Junchen: what are your thoughts on this theme, and what song have you prepared?"

Wu Junchen, adjusting the earpiece on his face, replied, "Tonight’s performance is our soon-to-be-released single, called 'Reckless Youth.'

"We’ve all done foolish things in our recklessness, but we always face them bravely.

"We are youths now, and we’ll still be youths ten years from now, even twenty years from now.

"I believe the audience will support us, our fans will support us—for this summer’s musical dream, we’ll charge forward and never give up!"

The rousing words sent the fans into another frenzy, screaming their idols’ names with all their might.

He Hao announced the start of the performance: "Let’s welcome Wu Junchen’s team to open the show with 'Reckless Youth.'"

All the trainees returned backstage, leaving Wu Junchen’s eight-member team on stage. The lights dimmed, and the eight arranged themselves in a triangular formation. A lively K-pop dance track began to play. As the vibrant lights flared, the group shifted positions, moving to the beat, then opened up the center.

Dressed in leather pants and a sleeveless tee, Wu Junchen stepped forward, placing his right hand on his hip and striking a bold pose as he began to sing the opening verse:

"I, in my reckless youth, stubbornly refuse to tell you, it wasn’t our fault, yet we let it slip away…"

The group’s dance moves were perfectly synchronized, hitting every beat with precision. Each time the electrifying rhythm hit, the team executed sharp, coordinated choreography, right on the pulse of the music. The entire performance was polished—a textbook example of K-pop.

With explosive music and dynamic dancing, the energy quickly ignited the audience. The crowd swayed and waved glow sticks to the rhythm. Fans of Wu Junchen and Liu Yichen screamed themselves hoarse, some even moved to tears.

As the song and dance reached its climax, Wu Junchen seized both sides of his T-shirt and, with a dramatic tear, ripped it open to reveal his abs. The fans’ screams reached a fever pitch, verging on hysteria.

Even after the stage ended, the excitement in the audience lingered. He Hao returned, his tone still charged with adrenaline: "A huge thank you to Wu Junchen’s team for that phenomenal performance—it was truly fantastic.

"Fans and audience, tell me, was that amazing or what?"

The fans shouted back with all their strength, "Amazing!"

He Hao continued, "Thank you to Junchen and all his teammates for their performance. Now, Junchen, please take your team backstage to rest. Next up is Fang Xing’s team.

"Since Fang Xing’s group has also chosen an 'original' song, they will be facing off against Wu Junchen’s team.

"Junchen’s 'Reckless Youth' set the stage on fire—how will Fang Xing’s team respond?

"Before we begin, Captain Fang Xing, can you tell us the name of your performance?"

Fang Xing, far less agitated than Wu Junchen, replied calmly: "The Wind Rises."

"The wind rises?" He Hao pretended not to understand.

"The song is called 'The Wind Rises,'" Fang Xing repeated.

"Very well, let’s turn the stage over to Fang Xing and his four teammates. The performance of 'The Wind Rises' begins now!" With his cue delivered, He Hao exited the stage.

"The Wind Rises" is a song composed by Yuu Takahashi, with lyrics by Miguo, originally performed by the singer Mai Lajiao Ye Yongquan—a stage name; her real name is Feng Qinyuan. The song was first released as a single on February 22, 2017, but was later removed due to copyright issues. After obtaining proper authorization from the composer, it was re-released on December 3, 2018.

Many artists have covered this song. Wu Qingfeng’s rendition won the 2019 Asia New Songs Chart’s Gold Song Award for Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. Mai Lajiao Ye Yongquan’s version features an extended high-pitched chorus, making it best suited for female vocals; among male singers, only countertenors like Lu Ming could manage this arrangement.

JJ Lin also performed a C5 version, hitting the male High C. For this competition, Fang Xing’s team primarily adopted the JJ Lin version, which keeps most of the vocals within the fourth octave, making it suitable for male voices. However, to showcase Lu Ming’s fifth-octave high notes, Fang Xing incorporated elements of the original version into the second chorus, splitting the harmony into two parts, with Lu Ming singing the high register.