Chapter 85: Are They Just Playing the Fool to Catch the Tiger Here?

Su Mu’s brief speech seemed to strike a chord with many dancers who quietly toil away in their homeland. Whether it’s street dance or any other trendy culture, the most progressive thing must be the spirit of thought, not just the shell that follows the crowd.

A few veteran OGs from the neighboring street dance circle nodded and commented:

“Let’s not talk about whether Su Mu can actually dance—at least his theory is spot on.”

“That’s right, Mark’s performance just now had many flaws, and everything he pointed out was accurate.”

“If he can see these things, he’s definitely not clueless about street dance.”

“Honestly, among these mentors, I think Su Mu actually has the most hip-hop mindset.”

At this moment, the applause around began to fade. Su Mu finally turned to Mark. “Any further questions?”

Mark shook his head quietly. “None.”

Su Mu replied, “Being on hold doesn’t mean you don’t have a chance. Go back and reflect. Next.”

Mark left, crestfallen.

The next contestant stepped forward.

“Ali, b-boy.”

Five minutes later.

Su Mu said, “On hold. You focus too much on tricks and neglect musicality, and your transitions are not smooth. The idea to switch from a one-handed 90 to freeTOP and then to Airfly was good, but you made serious mistakes. Your muscle distribution isn’t perfect yet. It’s best not to use techniques you can’t execute flawlessly in competitions. Instead, win with style and musicality. Next!”

…

“Hello mentor, I’m Xiao Zhu, a locking dancer.”

Five minutes later.

Su Mu said, “Locking is best with funky music. Your song selection is problematic. Next.”

…

“I’m Amei, jazz.”

Three minutes later.

Su Mu said, “You’re not as flashy as I am. On hold. Next.”

…

“Ah J, main style hip-hop.”

Five minutes later.

Su Mu said, “Excellent—your control is superb, your moves are ahead of the curve. You used to be a popper before switching to hip-hop, right? I’ve seen your competitions, very strong. Welcome to the team.”

“!!!”

“!!!”

As Su Mu delivered one sharp critique after another, the expressions of the surrounding dancers gradually turned to amazement.

What the—?

He truly understands!

And his theoretical grasp is unbeatable!

Everyone was dumbfounded. No one expected Su Mu to know so much about each dancer—not just in a general sense, but in a way that wasn’t random or rehearsed in advance.

After all, it’s impossible to know what each contestant will perform ahead of time, so Su Mu must genuinely understand to offer such precise judgments.

Whether it was the nuances of their dance or the competition results of some well-known dancers in the circle, he could speak knowledgeably about all of it. He knew more than most of the dancers present.

Since Su Mu’s mental computing power had increased, memorizing scripts was no longer an issue—let alone keeping track of people and events in the niche world of street dance.

Some people wandered between the four performance areas. After surveying the scene, they concluded:

“Su Mu might actually know more than the other mentors!”

“Yeah, he’s really professional. I didn’t notice the mistake that popper made, but Su Mu did.”

“So does he really not know how to dance?”

“Hard to say. I’ve heard actors need to learn a bit of everything to play different roles.”

“We’ll see. The mentors will get their chance to showcase soon enough.”

The atmosphere on Su Mu’s side was steadily improving. Many contestants no longer resisted. Occasionally, there were even cheers for Su Mu’s earnest evaluations.

To be honest, what most dancers really want is professionalism and fairness. Before, many worried that Su Mu didn’t understand street dance and feared he might make arbitrary choices.

But as each contestant performed, they realized Su Mu’s selections were well-reasoned and his judgments extremely accurate.

This won them over completely.

In the distance, director Xu Yang sat at his station, watching Su Mu’s performance in astonishment. His mind was full of questions.

The scene he had imagined—where the crowd would jeer—didn’t happen. Instead, the contestants were growing more enthusiastic.

Xu Yang pulled his assistant aside. “Did you hear what the contestants are saying?”

The assistant nodded. “They said Su Mu’s selection process is very professional. They’re convinced.”

“Professional!?” Xu Yang was taken aback. “Does he really understand?”

Assistant: “Maybe he really does.”

Hearing this, Xu Yang suddenly recalled what Su Mu had told him before:

“The only flaw in expensive things is their price—just their price, their price, their price…”

Good heavens!

This guy is playing the fox in sheep’s clothing!

…

Outside the venue, Qian Jida and Fan Xiaojue happily munched on KFC.

“Zhang Hua’an, it’s Thursday. Why are you eating McDonald’s?”

Zhang Hua’an’s face darkened. Actually, he’d wanted KFC too, but seeing Qian Jida eating it made him not want to copy him. Zhang Hua’an had always prided himself on being competitive—how could he eat the same lunch as Qian Jida?

So, if Qian Jida ate KFC, he had to go for McDonald’s.

If he drank Coke, Zhang would pick Pepsi.

If he chased women, Zhang would… chase men—cough.

Zhang Hua’an said, “What’s it to you? I’ll eat what I want!”

Qian Jida replied, “Hey, don’t be upset. Our Su Mu is just a bit more professional, that’s all.”

Zhang Hua’an, nearly choking on his burger, said, “It’s just the preliminary selection. The real challenge comes next, when the mentors have to battle to recruit team members. Can Su Mu even dance? Beg me, and maybe I’ll tell my four to go easy on him.”

Qian Jida laughed, “No need for begging. Maybe you can Venmo me fifty and I’ll have Su Mu go easy on you instead.”

Zhang Hua’an: “Hmph, stubborn.”

…

…

A few days passed quickly.

The preliminary selection was recorded smoothly, and after another round of eliminations, four teams were formed for the group competition.

Now, the mentors would start fighting for their team members.

At this moment, the atmosphere at the recording site was at an unprecedented peak.

Because the star mentors were finally about to dance.

This recording would most directly showcase the mentors’ expertise, and would determine the choices of some top-tier dancers.

All the contestants gathered around the stage.

Lighting, camera positions, and even the backstage DJ were all ready.

Outside, besides the crew, Zhao Zhouming had arrived, standing next to the team from the show’s sponsor.

So the most nervous person wasn’t the contestants or the guest mentors—it was director Xu Yang.

He never expected that both bosses would be inspecting today. He had no idea whose favor had brought them both. All he could do was silently pray that nothing would go wrong at a critical moment.

“The mentors are about to take the stage—wow! Su Mu looks so handsome today!”

“He was really professional during the preliminaries, but I wonder how his dancing is.”

“He’s no match for Zhang Junyu and Tang Jiahao though. Today, those two are probably going to dominate.”

“I agree. After all, these two made their names in the street dance scene, and a lot of top dancers respect them. It’s likely their teams will be the final champion and runner-up for this season.”

“Su Mu probably won’t make it. Theory is great, but if he can’t dance, he’s not even as good as NNQT.”

While the crowd discussed, the DJ’s music suddenly blasted!

The explosive beat ignited everyone’s energy on site!

Cheers and shouts erupted.

“Battle! Battle!”