Chapter 57: 057

Chapter 57

The staff members backstage held walkie-talkies, while those leading the way used flashlights to illuminate the path. Sang Mo adjusted his in-ear monitor as he jogged behind the staff in front, with the other members of his group following behind.

In the tense backstage environment, they too were infected by the atmosphere, their hearts racing and breaths quickening.

Sang Mo crouched on the rising platform, repeatedly clenching his fists to alleviate his nervousness.

This unique competition format not only made fans anxious but also made the trainees uneasy.

The votes that fans paid for didn't even serve as a reference; they only gave the trainees they chose more opportunities to showcase themselves in front of the producers. In the end, who would be selected depended entirely on Jiang Juyou's preferences.

They had no idea about Jiang Juyou's inclinations. Her words had hinted at high requirements for skill and an acknowledgment of market-driven selection. However, the trainees currently ranking high were mostly those who had used their personal stories to develop the show's plot, gained a lot of screen time, and become familiar faces to the audience.

They weren't necessarily the most skilled or the best-looking, but they were the ones voted for by fans.

Watching the livestream was nerve-wracking, but being at the venue was even more so for the fans.

The big screen was playing a VCR, while the stage was being set up. After the rising platform descended, one could see heads moving about through the gaps.

Even though it wasn't them going on stage, these fans were so nervous they could barely breathe.

The content of the VCR showed their intensive practice after the tour ended.

All the trainees gathered together, undergoing pre-performance checks by the teachers. As the music ended, seven of them formed a circle with their backs to each other, kneeling straight on the ground. Even after the accompaniment stopped, their heavy panting could still be heard.

The surrounding trainees applauded, but the six seated teachers didn't look pleased. Gradually, the applause became sparse as others noticed the atmosphere and withdrew their hands.

"Is this how you're going to perform on stage in two weeks?" The teacher sitting in the middle snorted coldly, his brow furrowed with displeasure.

The post-performance interview, however, focused on Pei Luming, asking for his thoughts on the teachers' evaluation of Sang Mo's group's performance.

Pei Luming first shook his head and sighed, "I really thought Sang Mo's group's stage was super cool. The overall completion was very high. There's a move where they line up, and they were almost like copy-paste, even the angle of their raised hands was the same. So after watching, I was really fired up, thinking we should refine our movements more when we get back... But then the teachers said their stage wasn't fit for performance..."

He touched his chest, his expression becoming gloomy, "What about me then? What am I supposed to do? If they were criticized like that, what's going to happen to me later?"

The venue erupted in merciless laughter, and the danmu was flooded with "Hahaha".

After being scolded, Sang Mo's group returned to their practice room after the pre-performance check. Their expressions were not good, especially Sang Mo's. As the leader of this group, all the teacher's harsh words were directed at him, each one seemingly fatal.

He stood in the corner of the practice room, lost in thought. After a while, he said, "I'm going out to cool off for five minutes."

With that, he left his members and went out alone.

The cameraman followed him out, only to see him turn left and right before entering a solo vocal practice room.

Opening the door, they saw Sang Mo, who had just been a reliable leader, kneeling in the corner, holding back his sobs. It was as if he had lost all his strength; as soon as he entered, he collapsed, his emotions breaking down with him.

He refused to let the camera capture him crying, constantly dodging the lens, while repeatedly saying, "I'm sorry, cameraman... I don't want to be filmed right now."

The fans who had been smiling widely just moments ago immediately became teary-eyed. The danmu was filled with messages like:

"It's not your fault! It's mama's fault! I joined the fandom too late! If mommy had watched this damn show earlier, you wouldn't have fallen into the bottom ranks!"

"I really don't understand, why not vote for this handsome Sang Mo and instead vote for that ugly guy? He even has a solo stage, I'm really done, who exactly likes that ugly thing?"

"Wuwuwuwu baby! My baby! Even crying like this, he still remembers to be polite wuwuwuwu!"

"Tonight's final performance is like my death by a thousand cuts..."

"It's the first time I've wanted to vote so desperately! Deadlock Entertainment, can you open the voting channel for a bit longer?!"

"Look at the hangover cure! Look here! Good skills and handsome looks are right here!! Don't choose the ugly one!!"

The unfilmed continuation was Sang Mo being dragged to the post-interview room with red eyes. His eyelids were slightly swollen, his nose tip pink, and he was clutching a ball of paper in his hand, his face a mixture of stubbornness and grievance.

The staff asked him, "Do you think what the teachers said was right?"

"..."

He raised his hand to wipe his eyes, organizing his thoughts before speaking, "...I'm not crying because I feel wronged, it's just that suddenly... my stupidity flared up."

Staff: "...?"

Audience: "?"

Sang Mo continued, "What the teachers said wasn't criticism, it was to make us clearly aware of where we still fall short. At this point, there's no need to beat around the bush. The issues the teachers pointed out are parts we've practiced over and over again... but our current skill ceiling is just here. We probably won't be able to make up for these shortcomings in the next two weeks..."

As he spoke, his eyes reddened again, "If we can't present a good stage, we won't be remembered by Producer Jiang. If Producer Jiang doesn't remember... I can accept not making it into the group, but what about the younger ones..."

His fans in the audience were crying as they watched, not forgetting to have a one-sided conversation with him across the distance.

"Wuwuwuwu what bullshit are you talking about, you have to make it into the group!"

"Baby wuwuwu you're ranked in the fifties, I don't think you're in a position to worry about others wuwuwu!"

"Worry about yourself first!!! You're at the bottom wuwuwuwu!"

In the footage, he wiped away his tears and spoke with determination, "But we still have two weeks. Worst case, we'll sleep less... No, we can't sleep less. Producer Jiang said she won't consider anyone under 180cm, and the younger ones haven't reached 180cm yet."

Pei Luming, who was waiting nearby for his post-interview, suddenly entered the frame. He blinked at the camera that turned towards him: "..."

The venue once again erupted in laughter, everyone nearly dying from Pei Luming's two blinks.

"Hahahaha my head hurts, laughing one moment and crying the next!"

"These two are suitable for comedy skits, they're too perfect together!"

"Hahahaha help, Pei Luming, how are you everywhere!"

The next part showed Sang Mo's group practicing to correct their mistakes. The entire VCR segment was only a few minutes long. After it finished, a transition screen appeared, indicating that the stage performance was about to begin.

A few seconds later, the screen finally changed from the VCR to a panoramic view of the stage.

The camera slowly panned across the top of the stands. The fans in the venue were very supportive, waving their light sticks, with some holding up Pei Luming's banners, causing a wave of screams.

The music started, an a cappella intro leading directly into the chorus.

Sang Mo opened, standing sideways. As the music began, he turned and walked forward. A three-second close-up shot filled the danmu with "expletives".

"Holy shit! That face!"

"Such clear features! Clearer than my path to success!"

"I'm done, why didn't anyone choose this handsome guy before?"

"Damn damn damn! I've been hit!"

"Ahhhhh shit! How did I not notice before?!"

This group was basically all trainees from the bottom ranks. If they hadn't discovered Sang Mo, this hidden gem, before the broadcast, their VCR wouldn't have been so spectacular. It was precisely because Sang Mo suddenly became popular that the VCR was re-edited, even pulling in popular trainees to serve as their stepping stone.

Without that VCR, the brilliance of their stage performance today would have been halved.

In the early stages of the show, the editing was done by the system, but in the later stages, it was the variety show department that supported it. The screen full of praise in the danmu showed that their decision was undoubtedly correct.

This is how variety shows work. Whoever has the most appeal gets the most screen time. The reason Pei Luming is so popular is that his natural personality is likable and he has great variety show effect. In each episode, his screen time is always among the top, contributing many hot topics and discussions to the show.

Gao Xiayu's high popularity was not only due to the deep impression he made during his initial appearance, but also because he was often paired with Pei Luming. The two were closely linked, naturally increasing their screen time.

While Pei Luming was at the center of one topic of discussion, Ye Xing was at the center of another.

All new viewers of the show would initially assume that Ye Xing was just a pretty face with no talent, as this was often the case in the industry where the most attractive person didn't need any skills.

Unfortunately, this wasn't true for Ye Xing. The initial impression that he lacked ability was purely because of the presence of Gao Xiayu, Yao Shuo, Pei Luming, and Chi Qiao. These four were known as powerhouses among the trainees, either all-rounders or specialists who excelled in particular areas. In comparison, Ye Xing, who had just barely passed the qualifying line, seemed somewhat lacking.

However, many people were still impressed by Ye Xing's abilities. They hadn't expected him to be able to hit high notes or keep up with the dance routines. He was beautiful, yes, but not useless.

In the early stages, Pei Luming consistently ranked first. Ye Xing's eventual overtaking of him was due to an instance where he was assigned to a group with members of mediocre skill levels. He was forced to take the main vocal part and not only did he complete it, but he even improvised a few high notes. This left the fans at the venue unable to control their expressions of surprise, even his own fans were stunned.

During the final round of voting, Ye Xing's wealthy female fans all came out in force, organizing giveaways that directly propelled him to first place.

Ye Xing's group was the last to perform. The later the performance, the more nervous they became. Yao Shuo from the same group was restless, alternating between fidgeting with his hands and collapsing on the sofa with a sigh.

The groups before them were called out one by one, until only their group was left waiting backstage.

During the commercial break, the live stream was split into two halves, with muted advertisements on one side and backstage footage on the other.

"Why did we end up right after the commercials?" Ye Xing sighed. "What if the audience's expectations are too high?"

Yao Shuo wore an expression of utter despair. "Whose fault is that?"

Ye Xing: "..."

Despite having 'luck' in his name, he was actually quite unlucky. When drawing for the performance order, the host Jiang Tang had made it clear that the last group, performing right after the commercials, would be subject to extremely high expectations from the audience. If they didn't disappoint, their scores from Jiang's company would be good, and vice versa.

Yao Shuo had been in the bathroom at the time, and the others didn't know about Ye Xing's bad luck. Thinking that he had more screen time, they thought talking to him more would increase their exposure. The result was that their group drew the last spot.

When the seven of them returned to the practice room, their spirits were deflated. They had lost confidence even before the final performance.

"Hahahahaha only your name is lucky!"

"I can't take it anymore. Can you people in the bullet comments calm down a bit? What are you doing lusting after someone else's husband?"

"M-type personality explosion! Mommy!"

"Thank you to all the viewers who have watched this show over these past few months. From October until now, it's been five months, so I also want to thank the trainees who have persevered in training every day during these five months. They have to train every day, go to school, and find time to record the show. It's really very hard."

"During the show's broadcast period, I've seen all the feedback from the audience, and your votes are our primary reference condition."

As Jiang Juyou was speaking, at some point the trainees had changed into uniform outfits and stood behind her. The camera occasionally captured the trainees in the back, and every time one appeared, a scream would rise from the audience.

In her hand, besides the microphone, there was also an envelope. After picking up the envelope, Jiang Juyou said: "In this envelope are the twenty-one trainees we've selected over these five months through the show, through rankings, through evaluations, through stage performances."

"These twenty-one trainees will go abroad for training after the show ends-"

As she spoke, the big screen displayed the names of sixty-three trainees.

"The rest may stay with the company or return to school." Each of her sentences was slow, the rising intonation tightly gripping the hearts of the audience. Below the stage, there were already fans covering their hearts, anxiously waiting.

Suddenly, she opened her mouth and said: "First, let's announce to everyone the thirty trainees from '21 Heartbeats of Youth' who might make it into the circle."

Just when no one was prepared, thirty-three names slowly disappeared from the big screen.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh-"

Regardless of who they were rooting for, everyone let out screams at this moment.

"My heart is about to stop."

"...My bias isn't there..."

"Damn, didn't you say you'd consider the votes?!!!"

"Ahhhhhh Sang Mo!!!"

"This is very Random Entertainment, scared me to death."

The trainees on stage also saw the big screen. They hugged each other, their expressions showing slight sadness and reluctance.

"Next, I will announce in order, starting from the twentieth place," Jiang Juyou said, opening the envelope and taking out an iPad.

The fans below shouted: "Slow down! Slow down! My heart can't take it!"

Random Entertainment's sudden attack and straightforwardness probably came from Jiang Juyou. She glanced at the iPad.

There were still trainees behind trying to peek, but the iPad had an anti-peeping film, so they couldn't see anything.

Everyone was comparing with the big screen, trying to guess who was in twentieth place. The next second, they saw Jiang Juyou holding the iPad, raising the microphone and saying: "In twentieth place..."

The entire venue held its breath.

"Chen Wu."

"Huh?"

"What the hell?"

"What?"

"Ahhhh I can't live anymore!"

Chen Wu's face appeared on the screen. He was congratulated by those around him, but his expression was also somewhat bewildered, because he had always been a top 15 popular trainee.

The other two panels displayed the ranking and reasons.

"Name: Chen Wu"

"Score: 85.1"

"Deduction points: Unstable live performance, weak breath control, sometimes low volume, decent dance control but very slow in memorizing movements, easily affecting overall progress, high error rate during performances, major mistake in the third public performance, total of four mistakes."

All the viewers watching this finale were shocked by the deduction points written on the screen.

Talent shows and survival shows have been around for decades, but this was the first time they had seen a show so clearly lay out the problems in front of the public, throwing it in the audience's face during a live broadcast. They might as well have written "fair and square" on the screen.

Just as Jiang Juyou said, they would consider the vote rankings, but that was merely a reference. Each person who came out afterwards had a different ranking from what the netizens had predicted.

"In seventh place - Sang Mo."

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Oh my god! Mom, I've got royalty!"

"My baby suffered so much in the beginning, what's wrong with being first now?"

"How can someone with both looks and skill not be in the top seven?"

"Hahahahaha, who's feeling good? I'm feeling good!"

"Sixth place, Yao Shuo."

Each trainee whose name was called walked forward, entering the so-called circle.

The stage was lit up, with a large circle containing many smaller circles, each at a different level. The stage looked like a cake, continuously rotating.

Yao Shuo, who hadn't expected to be ranked sixth, took a deep breath to steady his emotions. As he walked, he looked at the deduction points on the screen.

"Deduction points: Dance skills in the lower tier, poor sense of rhythm."

In contrast, Chi Qiao, who outperformed others in a single category, was ranked eleventh, with deduction points opposite to Yao Shuo's, all related to vocal issues.

After announcing a few more positions, only the top two and twenty-first place remained unrevealed. Three high-popularity contestants were left: Ye Xing, Pei Luming, and Gao Xiayu.

These three had consistently been the top three on the rankings. It was unimaginable for any of them to be placed twenty-first.

People were almost too afraid to watch.

"Although the deduction points make sense, aren't you guys being a bit reckless?"

"I'm already grateful that none of the twenty-one are ugly."

"High start, chaotic ending!"

"Gao Xiayu must be twenty-first, it can't be Ye Xing or Pei Luming."

"My head hurts, my heart aches..."

At this moment, Jiang Juyou picked up the microphone again and announced: "Second place."

"Pei Luming."

The venue erupted. They felt that even when they grew old, they would remember this explosive scene from the final performance.

Unlike the others, Pei Luming happily ran over, greeting fans along the way. When expressing his thoughts, he even comforted the fans, saying he was very satisfied with his ranking.

Now that Pei Luming was locked in second place, the first place was obvious.

At least the last place couldn't be the founding father, Ye Xing.

But the next second.

"First place -- Gao Xiayu."

"Oh, for fuck's sake!"

"Ahhhhh, shit! First time following Chinese entertainment and it hurts like this!"

"Random Entertainment should go bankrupt!"

The only one left behind Jiang Juyou was Ye Xing.

Other shows might create suspense for the last position, but Random Entertainment didn't need to. If this position wasn't Ye Xing's, they would throw their support banners onto the stage right now.

Jiang Juyou wore an earpiece, but she could hear the audience's voices clearly. Her expression never changed, nor did she waver due to the fans' words.

At the very end, she announced:

"Twenty-first place."

"Ye Xing."

Xing's Mom: Tonight, we'll assassinate the hangover cure.

:)

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Please forgive me for being half an hour late, considering the word count.

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