Applause erupted throughout the venue, long and enthusiastic. Some contestants quietly dabbed at their tears. They had worked hard for their dream of performing on stage, without connections, and without money to grease the wheels—just their own efforts. Mr. Yang's words had struck a chord.
Chubby Guo Lele gave Lin Feng a thumbs-up: "Brother Lin, that was impressive. Other contestants suffer in silence and can only swallow their grievances, but Brother Lin dares to challenge them in front of the cameras. And Mr. Yang, too, commands respect."
Lin Feng was surprised; the old man he'd bumped into outside actually had such a background. Now that an authoritative master was stepping forward, he no longer wanted to steal the spotlight.
As things threatened to spiral out of control, Director Wei hurried onstage from the backstage, smiling as he approached Mr. Yang.
