Chapter 120: Singing a Nursery Rhyme at the Youth Singing Competition?

Chen Yun stepped out of the queue, walked up to the security guard, and whispered, "Brother, how about we strike a deal?"

The guard looked at him suspiciously and asked, "What kind of deal?"

"Sell me your security uniform. Ten silver coins," Chen Yun said, getting straight to the point.

"Deal!" The guard was a temporary hire paid eighty copper coins a day by the stadium. He had little sense of responsibility; as long as no riots broke out, he considered his job done. Seeing someone offer so much money for his uniform, he agreed without hesitation.

Ten silver coins was one thousand copper coins. Between eighty and one thousand, even a fool knew which to choose.

"Here's the uniform. I'm leaving." Fearing Chen Yun might change his mind, the temp quickly stripped off his jacket, tossed it to Chen Yun, and ran off.

Chen Yun chuckled, put on the uniform, and swaggered toward the registration desk, leaving behind a crowd of stunned contestants.

*Holy crap, you can actually do that?!*

"I'd like to register," Yuan Xin said, holding her daughter Tuan Tuan’s hand, her voice raspy as she spoke to the registrar.

Tuan Tuan had come down with a bad cold a few days ago. Yuan Xin had cared for her day and night, finally nursing her back to health, only to catch the virus herself. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't have mattered, but getting a severe cold at such a critical moment—the preliminary auditions for the Youth Singers Competition—was fatal. Even though she was a high-level singer, if she stepped on stage with a raspy voice, the judges would undoubtedly eliminate her in the first round.

"Miss, you're quite ill," the registrar said, looking at her with pity. "In your current state, you probably won't even pass the first round, let alone the second. Go home; don't waste the five-silver-coin registration fee."

"No, I have to try. This is my last chance. I can't give up. Please, register me. Here is my ID," Yuan Xin replied, shaking her head.

"...Sigh, alright." Seeing the determined look in her eyes, the registrar shook her head. This was a woman with a story.

"Take your number tag and head to the stage. Good luck," the registrar said after finishing the paperwork.

"Thank you," Yuan Xin said gratefully, leading Tuan Tuan toward the high stage.

Less than a minute after she left, Chen Yun arrived at the desk in his security uniform. He pulled out his ID and said, "Ma'am, I’d like to register."

The registrar looked up at Chen Yun, then at his security uniform, and questioned, "You're a security guard. Shouldn't you be maintaining order instead of joining the commotion here?"

"Hey, ma'am, how can you call it a commotion? Can't a security guard participate in the competition?" Chen Yun sounded annoyed.

The registrar thought about it. That made sense. The Youth Singers Competition was open to every citizen of the empire. As long as you felt you could sing, even a beggar could register, let alone a security guard.

"Here is your number tag. Take it and go up. Remember not to lose it; it’ll be very troublesome if you do."

"Thanks, ma'am." Chen Yun took the tag and headed to the stage.

Just as he stepped onto the platform, he saw a familiar figure, though her current state didn't look promising.

"Miss, even though you have a cold, I can tell your vocal quality is quite good. But unfortunately, in your current state, even if I let you pass this round, you won't make it through the second. So, I'm sorry—the other two judges and I have reached the same decision. You have been eliminated," the final judge said, holding up a red card.

Yuan Xin didn't speak. She accepted her fate. Why did everything go wrong just as the competition approached? In the end, it was just the heavens refusing to let her have an easy life.

Suppressing her tears, Yuan Xin bowed to the three judges and led Tuan Tuan off the stage.

Watching her retreating back, Chen Yun remembered. Wasn't this the high-level singer with a story who had given him the singing skill back in Turkey County? When did this competition become so intense that a high-level singer couldn't even pass the first round? As he pondered this, a system notification interrupted his thoughts.

[Player Chen Yun has triggered a random quest: Help the NPC high-level singer Yuan Xin, who performed poorly due to a severe cold, fulfill her dream. The quest completion reward will vary based on the degree of success.]

*Oh!* Chen Yun realized. So, it was just a poor performance. I knew a high-level singer couldn't fail the auditions!

"Sister Yuan, wait!" Chen Yun shouted.

Yuan Xin turned back and looked at him suspiciously. She felt like she had seen him somewhere before and asked, "Are you calling me?"

"Yes, Sister Yuan. Don't you recognize me? I'm the one who learned to sing from you back in Turkey County," Chen Yun said, walking over in a few strides.

"I remember now, it's you! Are you here to compete too?"

"Yes, I was just about to go on stage when I saw you. You are..."

"Oh, I caught a cold recently and performed poorly, so I was eliminated," Yuan Xin said dejectedly. "My only chance, gone. It's gone forever..."

"No, Sister Yuan, you still have a chance. Stay here, don't move. I'll be right back. By the way, you need to drink more water for a cold. Here, have a drink." Chen Yun grinned, pulled out a small red bottle, handed it to Yuan Xin, and hurried toward the judges' table.

Yuan Xin looked at Chen Yun, then at the 'drink' in her hand. A warmth rose in her heart. She opened the cap and downed it in one gulp. It was sweet and delicious, though a bit small—it was gone in a single swallow.

"Three judges, please give her another chance. I guarantee you won't regret this decision," Chen Yun said.

"Who are you? What is your relationship with her, and why should I believe you?" the judge asked, looking at Chen Yun with disdain.

"Because I am the runner-up of this competition, and she is the overall champion!" Chen Yun said confidently. The quest made it clear: the reward depended on the degree of success. Simply put, the higher Yuan Xin's final ranking, the higher the system reward. The best ranking was obviously first place—the champion!

"Pfft!" The three judges rolled their eyes in unison. They had seen arrogant people before, but never this arrogant. *You're the runner-up and she's the champion? Do you think you own this competition, and you can just pick your ranking?*

"Three judges, I know you don't believe me. How about this: I'll make a deal. If I can pass the audition, please give her another chance—just one song. If she's still in the same state, I won't say another word. How about it?"

The three judges looked at each other. Perhaps moved by Chen Yun's sincerity, they nodded in unison. "Fine, we'll give you this chance. If you can pass our audition, we'll give her another shot. Now, begin your performance."

[Player Chen Yun has triggered a chain quest. Please check the quest log for details.]

Chen Yun froze. *Triggered a quest? And a chain quest at that? The system is really generous today; it gave me two quests in a short time. Let me see.*

Chen Yun focused his mind and looked at the latest entry in his quest log. His face turned green instantly.

[Part One: Pass the audition using the same children's song to secure a spot in the primary competition. Reward: 5,000 EXP. Failure or abandonment will result in a -1 level penalty. Accept? Yes/No?]