It was 8 PM in Cuba.
The live broadcast began on schedule.
Given the immense attention this program garnered, the production team had specifically set up dozens of lines to manage traffic for each country, otherwise, the servers would not have been able to handle the load.
In China, the broadcast had already reached 150 million viewers as soon as it started.
Keep in mind, this was merely the pre-competition reception and the official matches had not even commenced.
The viewership for a competition of this global scale was indeed immense!
“Here they come! I heard there will be talent showcases later!”
“I’m so nervous. Why does watching a reception broadcast feel like watching the finale of a singing competition show…”
“Hahaha, me too. I hope Tingyu doesn’t get shortchanged in front of these top producers.”
“Although I am worried, judging by his personality, he probably won’t.”
On the tenth floor of the hotel, in a vast banquet hall, a grand reception was already underway.
The venue was impressively decorated, with a stage at the far end. A piano was placed on the stage, and a musician was already providing accompaniment for the reception.
In addition to the contestants from eight countries, the reception also hosted numerous celebrities invited by the production team from various nations.
Of course, among the contestants, the most attention was naturally drawn to the American producer, Sean.
As soon as he walked in from the entrance, he attracted countless gazes. Sean was accompanied by a stunning blonde, the renowned singer Karin. She wasn't a participating singer but an industry star invited by the program.
Karin was currently holding Sean’s arm, her face adorned with a professional smile, but everyone could see the smugness in her eyes.
After all, being Sean’s companion at the reception was something countless peers on the scene envied.
As they reached the center of the reception, many people swarmed around them.
Sean was surrounded like a star, completely stealing the spotlight.
Producers from other countries looked at him with envy, feeling a pang of bitterness in their hearts.
However, considering he was a formidable figure who had long dominated the Times Music charts, they could only feel envious in their hearts and couldn't express it.
“Heh, what’s there to be so arrogant about? Once I win the championship, you’ll all be begging for my favor!”
The Korean producer, Kim Sung-hyun, snorted coldly.
He was also surrounded by a girl group.
While he didn’t have the same grandeur as Sean, the dazzling long legs of the girls still drew attention to him at the reception.
Moreover, knowing that Kim Sung-hyun was a top tycoon from Korea, quite a few girls from other countries went up to hand him their business cards.
When the camera panned to Kim Sung-hyun in the live broadcast, he blew a heart gesture to the camera and then stylishly flipped his hair.
“Damn, I’m always envious of Korean chaebols!”
“Looking around, although Sean is the most glamorous on stage, Kim Sung-hyun is the one everyone envies the most!”
“Bringing a girl group to compete, is this the daily life of a chaebol?”
At that moment, many men watching the live broadcast envied Kim Sung-hyun.
…
Japan, on the other hand, was a bit subdued.
Producer Miyamoto Sawa was holding a wine glass, chatting with the girl beside him.
Just then, under everyone’s gaze, Sean walked towards Miyamoto Sawa.
“Mr. Miyamoto, it’s been a long time,” he greeted Miyamoto first.
“Mr. Sean.” Miyamoto Sawa was surprised that the other party would approach him directly. While surprised, he was also quite pleased.
Sean, who was being fawned over by so many people, actually initiated a greeting with him, which greatly boosted his prestige.
Just as he was about to find a topic to discuss, Sean bypassed him and offered a gentlemanly smile to Morita Yumi beside him: “Ms. Morita, as the chairman of Nivei Entertainment, you’ve personally come to Cuba.”
“I’m on vacation,” Morita Yumi nodded politely.
She clearly had no interest in Sean, whom everyone wanted to get close to, and kept her eyes fixed on the entrance, as if looking for someone.
Seeing her distracted, Sean, though puzzled, didn’t pry further. However, he was quite interested in Morita Yumi. After all, she was the chairman of Japan’s largest entertainment company, and she was very beautiful, possessing a blend of petite cuteness and sexiness.
Many Americans liked to drive big cars, but Sean was different; he had a particular fondness for exquisite, small cars.
Receptions were places for casual chats and making friends.
Naturally, there were also observers.
Under the lens, it was clear who the most attention-grabbing people were.
“Sean is the undisputed protagonist tonight. Wherever he goes, he becomes the focal point!”
“Of course, Sean is talented and handsome, so many girls like him.”
“Kim Sung-hyun is also good. Bringing a girl group to compete, he is definitely the producer everyone envies the most.”
“Miss Mina from the UK is too beautiful! I declare her the most beautiful tonight!”
“What’s the use of being beautiful? Who dares to approach that block of ice? Didn’t you see Sean didn’t even dare to?”
“Mina isn’t an ordinary artist. Her father is a master of fairy tales, and she holds a very high status in British cultural circles.”
This reception included both producers and singers.
But some people were born to be the center of attention, drawing the most notice.
“The reception has been going on for a while, why haven’t we seen the producer from China?”
Since Su Yu had the lowest fame among these producers, and considering that no Chinese had participated in the previous few sessions, everyone had automatically overlooked him.
Meanwhile, Chinese fans had been waiting patiently and hadn’t spammed the chat.
When someone in the chat reminded them, others also gradually realized.
“Maybe something delayed him?”
“Hahaha, could it be that he’s afraid to come because he knows there will be talent showcases later?”
“Ah, yes, yes, Tingyu is afraid to come.”
“I really hope Shen Yin Zhe establishes branches overseas, so the Times Music King competition would be more interesting to watch…”
“Heh, Tingyu afraid to come? These foreigners still underestimate the kingly demeanor of Su Yu.”
“How could this occasion possibly be without our Su Shen? I can guarantee that tonight’s reception will be very interesting!”
Seeing some people mocking Tingyu, some fans couldn’t sit still.
The purpose of holding the pre-competition reception was for the contestants to showcase themselves.
Following past practices, there would be talent performances.
This was also the highlight of the night, as it served as a pre-competition warm-up.
These foreigners didn’t know Tingyu’s strength, but Chinese people did. In terms of talent performances, this was Tingyu’s time to harvest shock.
Just as everyone was discussing,
Someone at the scene suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
“Wow! Who is this person? So handsome!”
“Hiss… What a beautiful girl!”
Everyone turned to look at the source of the sound.
They saw a man and a woman walking in through the entrance. The man was wearing a dark gray suit, with the features of an Eastern man. His chiseled face carried a faint smile, and his eyes were as deep as the night sky, mysterious, and tinged with a hint of languidness.
The girl beside him was youthful and vibrant, yet possessed an innate noble aura.
The arrival of the two, solely based on their appearances, drew the attention of many.
“They’re here!” After a message appeared in the chat.
“Tingyu’s Chinese fans congratulate Su Shen on his debut on the world stage!”
“Congratulations to Su Shen on his debut on the world stage!!”
“Congratulations to Su Shen on his debut on the world stage!!!”