The Sacrificial Royal in a Boy Band Audition

A quick plug for my upcoming novel in the same series. It’s also a woman transmigrating into a man’s body and becoming an idol: "Woman in a Man’s Body: My Best Friend and I Transmigrate Together and Build a Career by Shipping Guys".

[The full text has been extensively revised, so many reader comments no longer match. Comments are temporarily disabled.]

[Content warnings: The central premise is a woman in a man’s body. This is not an ensemble story; everyone besides the protagonist is a supporting character, and the author has zero love for them. Their characterizations are flat. The protagonist is “quick to learn anything and shamelessly panders to fans.” The plot is an unrealistic, feel-good power fantasy, and the writing is average. It’s a wish-fulfillment novel that you can read as an idol-themed self-insert romance.]

When Yue Zhaolin woke up one morning, his sex had changed. A talent scout asked if he wanted to enter show business and compete on an idol survival show. He was sure to become famous.

Yue Zhaolin shook his head. “I can’t sing or dance.”

The scout made his case: “With a face like yours, becoming a celebrity is the fastest way to make money.”

Yue Zhaolin still couldn’t imagine living and eating with a hundred men. “Sorry.”

“As long as you stay on the show until the later rounds, you don’t have to debut. You can get the sacrificial-royal edit and be eliminated. Your appearance fee is 500,000 after tax.”

Yue Zhaolin: “...”

Then again, who can say no to money?

“Deal.”

At his first appearance, Yue Zhaolin went viral on social media.

At his first in-person event, Yue Zhaolin looked so good next to his teammates that they seemed to belong to a different world. The vicious comparisons online brought him a massive wave of attention.

Yue Zhaolin didn’t care. Seeing the girls holding up banners, his heart grew warm. He only wanted to return their passionate love.

The production team suddenly realized that it might be... pretty hard to give their sacrificial royal a proper send-off.

The looks of a born idol,

A stage presence that made his teammates seem to vanish during group performances,

An exceptional ability to pander to fans,

A scandal-prone shipping magnet,

A walking vortex of attention, driving antis, fans, and passersby wild over every word and gesture...

If they really eliminated him...

Wouldn’t the show be doomed?!

[Content warnings:

1. At first, the protagonist is in it for the money, not his dreams. The fans move him and inspire him to focus on his career. If that bothers you, read with caution. No CP, no romantic feelings for anyone, and no romance plot. The story focuses on the idol survival show.

2. The competition combines elements from overseas 101-style shows and Chinese idol survival shows, with some original details. Treat it as a fictional setting.

3. The novel contains lots of forum-style sections, essentially live discussion threads during the broadcast where viewers watch together. The main-show live threads are marked as bonus chapters for easier purchasing.

4. A brainless power fantasy needs somewhere to park your brain, so I’ve left one here,]

Theme: Shining stars light the way forward