Chapter 33 That Name Sounds Familiar

After Han Jiangxue finished her stinky tofu, rice noodles, sweet oil cakes, and a whole three pounds of crayfish, she finally decided to leave. Han Jiangxue's stomach was so full it looked like she was pregnant, making her walk clumsily. "If it weren't for my stubborn belly, I could definitely eat another three pounds of crayfish!" she mumbled, cradling her stomach in disappointment as she sat back in the car. Su Chen looked at her slender arms and legs, puzzled. How could someone eat so much and still be so thin? Where did the meat go?

Su Chen's gaze wandered over Han Jiangxue until he noticed her ample curves. Suddenly, he understood!

Not long after they got in the car, Xiao Jia delivered them to the hotel where the contestants of the "Star of Tomorrow" program were staying. It was unclear whether the production team was generous or just trying to make a good impression, but the hotel they had booked for the contestants was surprisingly nice—a five-star chain hotel.

After politely declining Xiao Jia's offer to help with their luggage, Su Chen and Han Jiangxue got out of the car, carrying their bags. As they approached the revolving door of the hotel, a staff member wearing a "Star of Tomorrow" badge approached them and asked, "Hello, are you two here to participate in 'Star of Tomorrow'?"

"I am," Su Chen replied.

"And this is...?" The staff member looked at him with a puzzled and cautious expression.

Seeing this, Su Chen quickly said, "This is my assistant. Can I get a room for her too? We can pay for it ourselves."

"Well... in principle, assistants are not allowed to accompany contestants for this competition..." The staff member appeared a bit troubled.

Just then, Xiao Jia, who had been sitting in the front passenger seat of the business van, slowly parked the car beside them. He got out and bowed slightly, saying, "Miss, Director Chen has a presidential suite reserved at this hotel, located on the top floor and not open to the public. You can just go to the front desk and mention Director Chen's name."

"Miss, Mr. Su, I will take my leave now. Please feel free to call if you have any questions."

"Thank you, Mr. Jia," Su Chen responded.

He watched the van's taillights grow distant, feeling somewhat emotional. This assistant really was skilled at handling things; her monthly salary must be quite impressive! Originally, Su Chen planned to strike up a conversation with the staff member, but now he had saved himself from having to smoke a cigarette, feeling quite pleased.

The staff member, witnessing this exchange, was utterly astonished! An assistant of an unknown little singer having a presidential suite reserved at a five-star hotel... what kind of assistant was this!? Which wealthy heir was coming to experience life?

"Can we go in now?" Han Jiangxue asked the staff member with a bright smile.

"Ah... yes, yes, please follow me."

It took the staff member a moment to regain composure before leading the way. The two followed him into the hotel, which was plastered with logos of Mango Video and various entertainment agencies, as well as the "Star of Tomorrow" emblem. Even the elevators and restrooms were not spared; it looked like the production team had booked the entire hotel.

"Mr. Su, this is your room. Our program will begin recording on the 10th, which is the night after tomorrow at 8 PM, and the recording studio is less than ten minutes from this hotel at the Hunan Province Television Station building.

"During these two days, all contestants can go to the recording venue to familiarize themselves with the stage and the process. There will be shuttles running between the hotel and the television station building every morning and evening, and you just need your pass to board."

As the staff member spoke, he handed Su Chen the room key and the pass.

"This is your room key and pass, please keep them safe."

"Thank you." After a brief exchange, the staff member left.

Beside him, Han Jiangxue yawned and said to Su Chen, "You just enjoy your standard room. I’m feeling a bit tired, so I’m going to the presidential suite to rest!"

"Bye now~" Before Su Chen could respond, Han Jiangxue bounced away, leaving him shaking his head in disbelief.

"This girl is getting bolder by the day!" Su Chen sighed helplessly as he swiped the room key and entered, intending to organize his luggage first.

After a while, Su Chen finally settled in. He glanced at the time and noted that it was only four in the afternoon, still early for dinner. Considering the time, he thought it would be a good idea to visit the Hunan Province Television Station building to check out the venue, especially since many contestants probably hadn’t arrived yet. It would be easier to do things while fewer people were around.

Soon, Su Chen made up his mind, left a message for Han Jiangxue, and headed to the hotel parking lot, where three or four shuttles were already parked with a few scattered passengers, both male and female.

He chose a shuttle that was about to depart, found an empty two-seater by the window, and settled down.

Not long after, the shuttle bus started. The unique smell inside the bus in this closed environment was overwhelming, making Su Chen feel nauseous as well. So he quickly closed his eyes, preparing to rest for a while.

Just then, a young man sat down next to Su Chen and casually struck up a conversation, "Hey! Brother, are you here for 'Star of Tomorrow' too?"

Su Chen opened his eyes, turned to look at him, and smiled, "Are there any non-participants on this bus?"

"Ah, haha! You're right! What was I thinking?" the young man scratched his head and laughed.

Su Chen had no aversion to this kind of friendly approach, so he abandoned his intention to rest and listened as the young man continued, "So, which entertainment company are you with?"

"Me? I'm not signed yet."

"...Not signed?" The young man clearly looked surprised.

Most of the contestants attending "Star of Tomorrow" were trainees and internet celebrities from all over the country. After all, the production team wouldn’t just throw a net and catch anyone; they invited those with a certain level of fame or simply sent in by entertainment companies to gain exposure, with the latter making up a significant proportion.

So when the young man heard Su Chen say he wasn’t with a company, he assumed Su Chen was a well-known internet celebrity. He immediately extended his hand and introduced himself, "Hello, Tomato Entertainment, Wang Yilong."

"Hello, Su Chen." Su Chen shook hands with Wang Yilong.

"Su Chen... that name sounds familiar..." Wang Yilong frowned.

He was a new trainee from Tomato Entertainment who had just spent three months in intensive training in South Korea and had only returned yesterday, rushing back to participate in "Star of Tomorrow." During that time, he had hardly received any news from home, so he was not very aware of Su Chen's sudden rise to fame.

Seeing Wang Yilong deep in thought, Su Chen decided to take advantage of the moment and closed his eyes again.

Wang Yilong couldn’t shake the feeling that he had heard Su Chen's name recently, but no matter how hard he tried to recall, he couldn’t remember. However, he had a good attitude and decided not to dwell on it. Noticing Su Chen had closed his eyes, he put on his headphones, intending to catch up on the latest songs from home during this time.

He opened the Penguin Music app and began listening to the new song chart from the first song.

"I finally found an excuse, intoxicated with emotions, to express all my feelings."

"The silence grows heavier, lingering in the corners of the dance floor."

"You said too little or too much, making people even more anxious..."

"......"

"…Hey? This new song is really good!"

Wang Yilong's eyes, which had just closed, flew open again. He lit up his screen and looked at the song information.

Song title: "Queen"
Performed by: Su Chen
Lyrics by: Su Chen
Composed by: Su Chen

"...Su Chen?"

Wang Yilong froze for a moment, then widened his eyes in astonishment!