Chapter 32: 《032》

Chapter 32

In the crowded practice room, the trainees looked at Jiang Tang standing at the front, their eyes filled with confusion and blankness. This expression perfectly matched the current situation, and the camera crew around them were recording every moment, not wanting to miss a single one.

Jiang Tang wore a luxury brand ready-to-wear outfit, her hair tied up in a bun, holding a cue card in her hand. The card contained nothing but the rules and regulations for this survival competition.

Her mature appearance formed a stark contrast with the young and inexperienced trainees.

Standing at the front, Jiang Tang scanned the room and then introduced, "Welcome aboard the Youth Train. Today, in thirty minutes, sixty-nine trainees present here will embark on their journey!" She paused, then continued, "But there are only sixty-three seats on the train, which means that after today's performance, some trainees will have to say goodbye to this place."

The trainees had known about the elimination system a month ago, but some quick-thinking ones in the audience, knowing that dramatic reactions would add to the show's content, still put on surprised expressions.

Standing there, Jiang Tang glanced at her cue card, "Please take this performance seriously. As for the remaining information... only those who stay will get to hear it."

She smiled, "So, see you after the performance!"

Just as suddenly as she had arrived, she left abruptly. The trainees' gazes fixed on her back as if looking at some strange creature, only returning to reality after she had left the practice room.

The show also filmed a segment with Jiang Juyou's group.

The backstage was too busy for anyone to dare stand in the hallway blocking the way, so most of the filming was done with fixed cameras. The camera position assigned to Jiang Juyou's group was in the second-floor VIP room.

During post-production editing, the trainees' own words were used to introduce this group of people.

"Are the scoring teachers the same as last week's pre-check?" A trainee participating in the performance for the first time turned and asked Ye Xing.

Ye Xing thought for a moment, "...No, only department heads and team leaders attend the performance."

He counted on his fingers while helping those around him remember, "During the pre-check last time, teachers with purple badges were from the A&R department, yellow lanyards were team leaders, white lanyards were department heads. Green badges were from the marketing department, blue badges from the administrative department, and orange badges from the new talent department."

The show team cut out each attending personnel according to Ye Xing's introduction.

"Ah! Also, the chief producer's badge is white, and the lanyard is white too!" Ye Xing added.

The trainee who had been listening was speechless for a moment, "Do you think I wouldn't recognize the chief producer's aura?"

"When the chief producer appears, I feel like we don't need air conditioning anymore."

"I feel like the air becomes thin."

"You guys still have feelings? I've lost all sensation!"

The newbie trainees, recording for the first time, discussed freely without restraint, and their comments were used to introduce the chief producer.

The chief producer, now labeled with various tags, immediately piqued everyone's interest, yet the show team persistently refused to reveal the producer's appearance.

As preparations continued backstage, department heads and teachers arrived and took their seats on the second floor VIP area, waiting for the performance to begin.

There were four VIP boxes on the second floor, two on each side of the stage. Jiang Juyou and her group were in the second box on the right side of the stage. With only five minutes left, a group of people carrying iPads arrived outside the box. There was an additional layer of glass separating them from other seats, and the chairs here were more comfortable and softer than the others. Jiang Juyou raised an eyebrow as she sat down.

Their appearance immediately caught the attention of other fans, who all looked in that direction. But because the lights were off and their position was higher up, and they were all sitting, it was difficult to see clearly.

The show's fixed cameras were all at the back, able to capture the backs of all the judges and the stage.

As it was about to start, the screen showed all the judges lighting up their iPads, revealing the program list page.

The person sitting in the middle of the seats leaned towards the side and asked, "How was the order arranged? Did they draw lots themselves?"

The person next to them answered, "No, Director Liu arranged it."

"I thought so," the person in the middle straightened back up.

Those quick on the uptake could already guess the identity of the person in the middle.

At the same time, the card interface on the screen disappeared, replaced by the logo of this show. The audience below erupted into questions and discussions.

"21 Heartbeats of Youth?"

"What's this?"

"A group variety show?"

"Don't tell me this performance is called that?"

Regardless of what was being said below, the performance had already begun.

Jiang Tang, wearing that ready-to-wear outfit, came on stage. Her tightly clenched fingers turned white, showing her nervousness. She walked to the center of the stage, raised the microphone, and said, "Welcome everyone to the preliminary round of the survival competition '21 Heartbeats of Youth'. Hello everyone, I am the host of this survival competition. My name is Jiang Tang."

"Eh?"

"It really is a survival competition, see!"

"Wow, I guessed right!"

"But why 21 times?"

"Preliminary round?"

Just as she had said inside earlier, the remaining rules would only be heard by those who stayed, so Jiang Tang didn't introduce the rules of this survival competition. Instead, she emphasized the performance guidelines once more, with the main purpose being to prohibit filming, as all stage performances would be released after the show aired.

After she finished speaking, the performance officially began.

"Now, please look at the big screen--"

The cards appeared on the screen again. This time, a total of nine cards were lit up in sequence, starting with Pei Luming and ending with Gao Xiayu. This highly praised group of nine was the first to perform.

Pei Luming had some popularity among the audience, and when his face appeared, there was a burst of cheers from below.

The people in the viewing stands looked at their iPads again and sighed, "It's really cruel for the group performing after them."

"It's cruel no matter which group goes last. Better to suffer early and get it over with."

"That's true."

The screen darkened, and the venue became pitch black.

The nine trainees looked at the marks on the stage and quickly took their positions, waiting to begin.

While there were many expectant people in the audience, most were unfamiliar with these trainees, looking at the stage without showing much interest.

When the lights in the venue came on, everyone was startled, and discussions broke out below.

"They're all dressed the same and wearing masks... how are we supposed to tell them apart?"

"Has the stylist gone mad?"

"Where's my baby? I can't see!"

As the music "Purple Lamborghini" started playing, the nine masked individuals immediately began moving to the rhythm. It even seemed to have a scenario, looking like a heist scene based on their attire.

This piece of music is actually an all-rap song, with hip-hop vibes and a gangster feel. The power of the voice, the force of the dance, the impact of the costumes, and the energy of the stage: none could be lacking.

As soon as the intro began, several of them ripped off their clown masks and stretched out their bodies. The leader even arrogantly threw the box in his hand to the ground, stepped on it with one foot, and began his performance.

The first few lines were all Gao Xiayu's part. His rap, dragging out the beats, showcased his ease, and his deep voice matched perfectly with the atmosphere of this song.

"Wait, was your heart not beating earlier?"

"Tch, you're so annoying."

"I'm so nervous..."

When everyone arrived at the practice room, there was no one inside except for the show's staff. Having just finished performing, everyone was quite tired and wanted to sit down. However, just as they were about to do so, the door to the practice room opened.

All the teachers who had been absent until now entered, with the chief producer leading the way, scanning the trainees as she entered.

The chief producer, who had been kept hidden by the show's production team, finally made her appearance.

Jiang Juyou's dark brown hair was loosely tied back. She wore a slightly fitted dark gray knit long-sleeve top. It was evident that she was very thin; even though the top was fitted, it still hung loosely on her frame. The knit top had a zipper at the collar, which was quite high. She had zipped it all the way up, tucking her chin into it.

Her dark blue jeans also suited her personality perfectly. Though they were straight-leg jeans, on her they looked like wide-leg pants. The pants were long enough to drag on the ground, covering part of her shoes. Her khaki suede shoes were mostly hidden, along with a few centimeters of the heels.

This was her usual style of dress - always in black, white, or gray. Because of her slim figure, everything she wore had its own unique look.

Jiang Juyou had a plain face. While her head shape and facial structure were attractive, her features lacked a certain spark. There was nothing wrong with them, but nothing particularly beautiful either. In fact, her downturned mouth corners gave her a somewhat fierce appearance.

At least Jiang Juyou didn't think she was particularly good-looking, though her older and younger sisters often said she had an actress's face. During high school, they frequently urged her to study acting and enter the entertainment industry, but Jiang Juyou had no interest in that world, so she ignored their suggestions.

Today, unlike usual, Jiang Juyou wore glasses. The frameless spectacles perched on her nose bridge, further cooling her already chilly aura.

Seeing Jiang Juyou enter first, the trainees quickly stood up and greeted her, "Hello, Producer Jiang."

Only after addressing her did they dare greet the others.

Jiang Juyou nodded and walked over to sit on the sofa. After sitting down, she glanced around without letting her gaze linger on the trainees.

In just those few seconds, everyone felt the presence the trainees had spoken of.

They didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

Once the other department heads and teachers were seated, Jiang Juyou looked at the trainees standing before her. "...Sit down."

After speaking, Jiang Juyou let out a long sigh, then took out her iPad. While looking down at it, she said, "The elimination list is out. There's not much to say. I think you all should know in your hearts."

Every time this stage came, Jiang Juyou herself felt troubled. She didn't want to always criticize people, but there truly wasn't much worth praising.

After confirming the list, she looked up and searched the crowd. "...Chi Qiao, who do you think it is?"

Chi Qiao, whose name was called, lowered his head.

Jiang Juyou hadn't expected him to answer, so she looked at the others and said, "Each group has about the same composition - two experienced trainees plus a few new ones. The setup is the same, and the teachers giving you lessons are the same. So what do you think causes the differences between you?"

"It's because you don't work hard enough." She raised her voice, her gaze falling on Chi Qiao's group.

Just mentioning Chi Qiao's group made Jiang Juyou's anger rise. She let out a long sigh, then opened her iPad. "As usual, if I don't comment on you, it means you didn't leave an impression."

"Gao Xiayu's group performed very well. You surprised me a bit during the pre-check, and I didn't expect you to pleasantly surprise me again on stage. However, the disappointing part is that the parts were divided too finely, making it hard to hear anything clearly. You should be grateful you still have solo stages. If you didn't, you'd all be getting low scores."

"Of course, there are still many areas for improvement, but compared to these others, it's enough. You surely know where today's stage falls short, Gao Xiayu. Go back and analyze it clearly with them."

Gao Xiayu looked at Jiang Juyou, nodding at each of her sentences. Finally, he responded, "Understood."

Jiang Juyou specifically pointed out Pei Luming, "Pei Luming, the teachers speak very highly of you. They say your vocals are catching up to Yao Shuo, and your dance is almost surpassing Chi Qiao." She finished with a light laugh, the implication of putting others down very obvious.

The teachers, forced into the spotlight, rubbed their noses, looking slightly flustered.

Pei Luming was also startled by this statement. "No, no..."

"Your solo stage today was quite good, but this song is still a bit hard on your voice. You've just gone through voice change, so you still need to protect your voice carefully."

After Jiang Juyou finished, Pei Luming shrank his neck, feeling honored yet nervous. He quietly replied, "Thank you for the praise, teacher..."

This rare compliment made the trainees' hearts clench with tension. After commenting on this group, it was Ye Xing's group's turn.

"Tsk... Chen Wu, you should be grateful your group performed after Gao Xiayu's. Otherwise, I might not have any impression of you at all." After saying this, Jiang Juyou glanced at her notes. "I can see you've been working hard on the details of the dance moves, but it's not enough. Who said 'that's good enough' during dance practice? Someone must have said it. All 'good enough' stages end up being very poor, and it's more obvious with your group. The first part clearly had refined movements, so why did it become sloppy towards the end?"

Jiang Juyou criticizing people was more familiar to them, and hearing it actually gave them a sense of relief.

"Next group, Wang Silu. Quickly thank Chi Qiao's group for being at the bottom, otherwise it would be people from your group leaving. Go back and analyze what exactly you were lacking yourselves."

After Jiang Juyou said this, the others understood that the eliminated trainees would likely be from Chi Qiao's group.

After commenting on this group, she skipped directly to Chi Qiao's group.

"You two have earned the title of the trainees who disappointed me the most, tied for first place. Come on, everyone, give them a round of applause." After saying this, Jiang Juyou led the clapping, but no one else dared to move. They just watched quietly.

This statement was like a giant rock smashing to the ground. No one dared to move, and even their breathing slowed.

She put the iPad aside, crossed her legs, and leaned back. "You two were in the first batch to enter the company. You've been training from the end of June until now, four months already. In these four months, I haven't seen even a tiny bit of improvement from either of you. You're both just resting on your laurels, feeling smug."

"In the past, when people asked who had good vocals, I could only think of Yao Shuo. Now if they ask again, I have several names in mind. It's the same for dance..."

"While others are working hard to catch up to you as their goals, what are you doing?"

"Why did you only have one strong point before entering the company, and after four months of training, you still only have one strong point... Don't you attend the other classes?"

"Pei Luming and Ye Xing, who entered the company at the same time as you, knew nothing when they came in. Now one is called an all-rounder by the teachers, and the other has reached a mid-tier level. What have you two been doing during this time?"

The practice room fell silent for a while. Even the department heads sitting on either side didn't dare to look up, afraid to make eye contact with the trainees or catch Jiang Juyou's reflection in the mirror.

Jiang Juyou turned her head, her gaze targeting Chi Qiao. "Chi Qiao, your problem is even bigger."

"Don't you have any aspirations for your stage performances? You bring out something like this to fool the audience?"

"You're the leader of your group. Knowing that their fate is tied to yours, you selfishly only cared about your own stage. In the end, you lost both the watermelon and the sesame seeds."

She brushed aside a stray hair near her ear, trying hard to suppress her anger, but still failed. "Before coming in, I was still trying to persuade myself not to say these things to you. You're still young, only fourteen or fifteen... But tell me yourselves, are you really that young? Do you not understand what I'm saying? Don't you understand how important this month's performance is? Don't you understand that the final presentation on stage is related to everyone? Don't you understand that their fates are in the hands of the team leader?"

Sitting there, Chi Qiao kept his head down, tears starting to fall to the ground. His body shook, and he didn't dare look up.

Jiang Juyou took a deep breath, controlling her emotions, and picked up the iPad again. She brought today's performance to a close, "Zhao Yanxu from Chen Wu's group, He Jia from Sang Mo's group, and Zhang Minggu, Chen Xiang, Yang Chenyu, and Bai Ruyan from Chi Qiao's group will not be able to join the next performance."

"Although I just severely scolded your team leader, this isn't entirely because your group dance stage wasn't good. We made this decision based on feedback from your teachers during classes and expectations from your parents."

"If you really love this path, then I hope everyone will work harder in the future, so we can meet again soon."

As she spoke, she also stood up. "Chat a bit more with the friends you've been living and eating with. Today's performance ends here. Training will continue as usual tomorrow, and the specific rules for the survival competition will also be announced tomorrow."

As soon as Jiang Juyou stood up, everyone in the room stood up with her.

Standing in the crowd, Chi Qiao and Yao Shuo were silently wiping away tears. Seeing this, Jiang Juyou called their names again, "Chi Qiao, Yao Shuo, come with me to the office. The rest of you can disperse."

As Jiang Juyou turned to leave, she heard the staff members sigh.

"It's really cruel..."

Yes, it is cruel. But being scolded by her here is better than being criticized by the public for lack of skill after debuting.

Jiang Juyou: I knew I was meant to bear the burden for others and forge ahead!