The rankings of the lower-ranked trainees might not be particularly memorable, but there was no doubt that everyone knew the genuine competitors for the seven debut spots.
So when the videos played in order up to Cui Yan, almost every trainee realized that the order in which the protagonists of this “movie” appeared seemed to be the reverse order of a certain vote ranking.
They might not remember the rankings of others from the previous announcements, but they always had an impression of their own relative ranking. Soon, someone noticed that the editing order of the videos differed from the previous vote rankings.
So… had the director quietly placed the rankings of this elimination within the movie? Or was it just a prank?
Under the watchful cameras from all directions, the trainees suppressed the chaotic thoughts in their minds and racked their brains to recall whether their own videos had played earlier or later, and whether they had made it into the top 18.
Their anxiety affected their reactions to the videos. Fortunately, the director didn’t notice their perfunctory responses, only assuming that the movie had been playing for too long and the usually energetic young men had become tired.
No one noticed that Lu Kui, sitting in the back row, had changed from his previous lively and active demeanor. As the last few videos played, his expression grew increasingly strange.
“How many people haven’t appeared yet?”
Lu Kui’s gaze lingered among the backs of the few people in the front row, thinking: ‘Quentin, Wen Xinyi, Yan Qiao, Xue Mingzhu, Cheng Shaozi…’
‘Oh, Cheng Shaozi could be ruled out. The young boy on screen now in silk dance practice clothes was him.’
In the video, the child with slender, long limbs was at a critical stage of development. His small head and thin, narrow body made him look like a thin stick figure.
But it was undeniable that his dance movements were beautiful and full of power. No matter how small and thin he was, it didn’t hinder the development of his muscles through years of accumulated training.
Unlike the other trainees, Cheng Shaozi’s video actually came with voiceover narration!
The woman’s voice was gentle, her Mandarin standard. Though not a professional broadcasting voice, it sounded warm and gentle, as if a pair of loving eyes were tenderly watching the young boy dancing gracefully in the video.
The trainee sitting next to Cheng Shaozi cautiously nudged him and asked, “Cheng Shaozi, is that your mother?”
Cheng Shao’s back was straight, and he nodded reservedly: “Yeah.”
The camera not far away captured his relaxed eyebrows and slightly upturned lips. No one would doubt that this young man had grown up in a very happy family.
After all, aside from Cheng Shaozi, who else among those shown so far had their video come with pre-recorded narration, subtitles, and editing before being sent to the director?
This either meant that Cheng Shaozi’s family had a habit of recording and producing their child’s growth videos since he was little, or that after receiving the production team’s notification, his family actively cooperated and collected the videos themselves.
His video even included the process of four generations together taking a family portrait!
The post-production editing subtly added captions on how the mother is a professor at Yanhai Dance Academy, the father is an orchestra conductor, the maternal grandparents are retired professors, the paternal grandfather is a soldier, and the paternal grandmother was a war correspondent…
The trainees fell silent. What was this feeling of being suddenly blinded by brilliance!
Had the production team considered their feelings with this kind of editing? Fortunately, they weren’t scheduled before or after Cheng Shaozi. Comparatively, Cui Yan, sandwiched between Cheng Shaozi and Fang Xu’s videos, was the most pitiful.
Cui Yan, who was suddenly enveloped in sympathetic looks from around him: “…”
The smile remained on Cui Yan’s face, but inwardly he sighed helplessly.
It was unnecessary, truly unnecessary. Although his parents always dreamed of raising a big star, at least they hadn’t thrown him into being a child star without any connections or background.
It was a bit hard for him as a child, but his parents, earning the wages of ordinary workers while trying their best to maintain their “big star training plan,” had it even harder. At least he only started working as an adult, which was much luckier than those children exploited by parents and companies, forced to become money-making machines.
The resentment Cui Yan had towards his parents was long gone. When both parents’ mindsets are abstract and immature, their child learns to be tolerant of his parents and strives to become a stable and reliable adult.
The next video finally switched back to the “ordinary people channel”, and the naughty child rolling in the sand returned!
A dirty little face with a runny nose, a colorful outfit of long johns layered under thermal pants, one shoe missing and the foot wrapped in a woolen sock that had slipped off partially, covered in sand so the original color couldn’t be seen.
Who was this dirty child? Whose parents had transported high-definition embarrassing history to the production team again?
The child playing in the sand on screen heard his father’s call: “Miao miao, look at the camera, say hello to everyone.”
The trainees watching outside the screen looked at the child and then glanced around in confusion.
“Miaomiao? Which miao?”
“Pfft, that smile is so silly.”
“Whose name has the word ‘miao’ in it?”
“This kid looks kind of familiar. Wait, I think I know who it is…”
Before they could reach a definite conclusion, the video quickly skipped to 2012. The dirty child had changed into a clean school uniform, a red scarf fluttering at his chest, standing in front of a dilapidated green iron gate with peeling paint.
His lips were pouted high, his eyes red as he glared at the camera. Both hands tightly gripped the door frame, his backpack discarded carelessly on the ground. He looked like a classic naughty kid refusing to go to school.
The trainees watched this scene, their expressions gradually growing subtle.
After a few seconds of silence, someone tentatively spoke up: “Hey, isn’t this elementary school student Brother Xue? Calculating the age, it seems to match, right?”
Others: …No need to calculate the age. Whose sour face could it be other than our Brother Xue!
Aside from the few trainees in Class A and Class B, most people still held an unspoken awe towards Xue Mingzhu.
On one hand, this young man had a naturally sour face and a tone that carried an inherent impatience, recklessness and arrogance. On the other hand, there was the rumor that he had once fallen out with a production team over a relationship, then disappeared for two years without a trace, making even fans think he was quitting the industry.
Of course, the latter had never been clarified. Clearly, it was the director who had acted first, unilaterally forcing him to withdraw. But somehow, as it spread, it became a story of him sacrificing everything for his beauty.
Fans believed it was the director’s fault, but passersby, remembering Xue Mingzhu’s public persona, thought anything was possible.
In short, due to lingering historical issues and one-sided impressions from daily interactions, many trainees forgot that Xue Mingzhu was younger than them. They naturally called him “Brother Xue”, and Xue Mingzhu responded even more naturally. No one saw a problem.
At this moment, the arrogant young man was quiet as a mouse, inwardly mortified and angry.
The cool rapper image had been stabbed in the back by his own parents. What cool rapper was a little brat who would climb the roof if not disciplined every three days, disliked by chickens and despised by dogs, completely lawless!
Damn it! They even showed the video of him throwing a tantrum and getting spanked for not going to school… wait, who the hell filmed this? How come he didn’t remember this happening when he was little?!
Although everyone knew Xue Mingzhu cared about his face, with such eye-catching material right in front of them, it would be a waste not to say something. They would be letting down the production team and the Xue Mingzhu’s parents’ thoughtful intentions.
The team members around were itching to act. Who would be the first to “touch the tiger’s butt”?
The blonde young man sitting right next to Xue Mingzhu casually turned his head: “Miaomiao?”
Xue Mingzhu: “…”
Yan Qiao: “…”
Fang Xu: “…”
Cui Yan: “…”
Wen Xinyi: “…”
What a coincidence, everyone sitting around him heard it. Xue Mingzhu’s ears were originally red from embarrassment, but now his whole face flushed. He immediately retorted in a fierce whisper: “It’s one miao! The miao for flame!”
Quentin understood: “Oh, Miaomiao.”
Xue Mingzhu’s expression flickered. He opened his mouth to say something, but in the end didn’t object, and responded sullenly: “Yeah.”
Cui Yan stroked his chin and exclaimed: “So it’s Miaomiao. That nickname does sound cuter than Xiao Xue. Miaomiao, you didn’t like going to school as a kid, so how come your grades are still so good now?”
“…Don’t call me that, it’s creepy.” Xue Mingzhu rubbed his arms, feeling goosebumps rise. He complained with a sour face, “As if anyone likes going to school.”
The naughty kid’s embarrassing daily life didn’t last too long. Whether the production team intentionally edited it or the Xue parents had been selective about the content when providing the video materials, the next few minutes of video could simply be titled “The Road to Kingship of a Young Rapper.”
In summary:
At 15, the young man relied on his sharp tongue to barrel through competitions, a dark horse counterattack, dissing everyone and winning the national youth group championship.
Paired with a dramatic BGM, it instantly ignited the whole room, making everyone’s blood boil.
But then, the BGM stopped abruptly. The blank age of 16 showed no images.
Ages 17 and 18 showed him studying hard, and the final ending shot featured two acceptance letters, one from Yanhai University of Technology, and one from the “Next stage” production team.
A woman’s voice with a slight accent rang out, her tone warm and rational: “Miao miao, the road ahead is full of unknowns, but hardworking people are always on the path. Don’t be afraid. No matter what you choose, mom will support you.”
A man’s serious voice also rang out: “Son, come on, win another championship!”
It came off as funny because it was too serious. Combined with the clues left in earlier videos, he seemed to be a funny man.
The video officially ended here. Everyone could imagine that the Xue household must have a very good family atmosphere. But rather than admiration or envy, they found it unbelievable.
—Are you kidding! That fierce, sour-faced guy actually grew up in such a happy and open-minded family?
Xue Mingzhu scanned the room with sharp eyes. Sensing the eager emotions in everyone’s gazes, he guessed that these guys were definitely not about to say anything good.
He pulled the corner of his mouth into a somewhat ferocious smile, and under the flickering light, the fear factor was maxed out.
Everyone: ?! Σ(っ°Д °;)っ
This silent standoff was quietly recorded by the cameras and brought up by staff during the post-interview the next day.
Q: “What were you thinking when you made eye contact with Xue Mingzhu? Why did you make that kind of expression? Were you secretly roasting him in your mind and got caught red-handed (laughs)?”
A: “When we made eye contact… my mind went completely blank. It was like watching a horror movie and the ghost suddenly appeared right in my face. After I came back to my senses, I thought… is this how Brother Xue collects protection fees at school too? Being in the same school as Brother Xue is really too hard, hahaha.”
The progress of the movie screening was not affected by the minor interruptions in the audience. When the next video started, Lu Kui, who had been sitting in the back row lethargically, immediately sat up straight. His hands, hanging by his sides, clenched into fists.
How many more was this? The fourth from the last video, right? If it was according to the rankings from this ranking announcement… his votes had actually broken into the top four?!
Lu Kui stared intently at the child on screen. How could he not recognize himself? But, this couldn’t be right. Was his ranking really this high?
Some people looked at him with some surprise and confusion, but his good friends around him just laughed and ruffled his hair, saying his hair wasn’t naturally curly and he looked quite cute with straight hair as a kid.
Lu Kui reluctantly responded to his friends’ teasing. He was quite sensitive to others’ emotions and could tell that some trainees were puzzled by his ranking.
Good heavens, he was very puzzled too! Since the second public performance, he had been hovering around the tenth rank. Even that ranking made him uneasy, let his current fourth place!
Lu Kui used to be very confident in his previous social circles. He was handsome, dressed well, and always had good luck with the opposite sex. So when a scout from BKL Entertainment proactively sought him out for a contract, he didn’t find it strange.
At the time, he thought the scout had good taste. With a face like his, everyone loved him. But after a month of training at BKL, his previously confident thoughts evaporated.
Struggling to survive among countless talented and handsome trainees, if it weren’t for his resilient and optimistic nature, he would have been crushed beyond self-esteem long ago and packed his bags to go home.
Two months ago, with newly established self-awareness, Lu Kui arrived at NS. Unlike other trainees, he had never thought he could debut in the group. He didn’t have the slightest expectations!
However, adhering to the principle of lasting one more day whenever possible, Lu Kui watched his ranking soar all the way, and even became a team leader for a public performance by accident.
At first, he was just happy. But then it felt more and more wrong. His looks didn’t put him in the top ten among so many people, and his skills were even less competitive. So was he underestimating himself, or had the audience’s taste changed?
Either way, being fourth… it was too fake… Did his company do something shady?
Lu Kui silently shed tears in his heart. He desperately hoped that the playback order of these videos had nothing to do with the rankings.
If others could notice the relationship between the order and the rankings, of course Quentin could too. His method of verification was simple and direct… just ask the system.
The result was expected. Voting was suspended this morning and the rankings on the official account matched the reverse order of the videos. Qi Yang’s video aired first presumably because he was about to withdraw.
Lu Kui’s meteoric rise in rankings also caught Quentin’s attention. He didn’t know much about the online discussion during the show’s broadcast. He didn’t have that much free time to balance training and surfing the web, so he had the system handle the task of monitoring public opinion.
The system dutifully performed the duties of a studio. Unless a major incident suspected to be related to the protagonist group or storyline occurred, it wouldn’t randomly disturb its host.
Unfortunately, Lu Kui was not within Quentin and the system’s scope of concern, so neither of them knew the reason for his sudden rise to fourth place.
The system searched online but still couldn’t figure out why Lu Kui had so many votes. The data from official program videos and fan-edited videos related to him didn’t support it.
Lu Kui reaching fourth place before the finals was, frankly, quite shocking. The possibility of him debuting was very high. But Quentin had never considered the possibility that Lu Kui was one of the main characters.
The reason was simple. The original novel’s idol group already had two members from BKL Entertainment, Yan Qiao and Zhong Qu. Given the conflict between Youth TV and BKL Entertainment, and the direct competitive relationship between the idol group and BKL’s seventh-generation boy group, a 2/7 share was already high enough.
If there was another BKL artist, then what was the point of competing? They might as well just be brother groups with BKL’s seventh-generation boy group.
Apart from the few clips added at the end from the company practice room, Lu Kui’s growth video had nothing to do with singing and dancing.
Quentin watched the final image of the curly-haired boy standing in the middle of the practice room doing an ending pose and inexplicably felt that this person was like a gopher that suddenly popped up.
He already had six hammers set up. For this strange gopher, he didn’t know whether to hit it or not.
The protagonist of the next video was Wen Xinyi. His family background was actually even poorer than Xue Mingzhu’s, but during elementary school, Chen Shiyu spotted his talent and took him as a student, signing him with Xinda Media. His ability to make money was solid.
Unfortunately, every family has its own troubles. He had lazy parents who just wanted their eldest son, still in elementary school, to support the family, a younger brother just starting kindergarten, and a younger sister just a year old, still crawling around like a turtle.
Even with a well-connected and talented teacher, his survival difficulty was still hellish.
Chen Shiyu taking him as a student was not mentioned in the video, and shots of family members were also fleeting. The trainees weren’t sensitive to these things. Instead, they noticed that most of the shots were from a low angle, with off-screen voices that were young and cute… obviously his sister was holding the phone to film her brother.
The boy with a gentle temperament handled chores skillfully. When he looked down at the camera, his eyes were gentle and held a smile. His handsome features already showed the charm of a modest gentlemanly youth.
The audience sitting on the floor exclaimed in admiration.
No wonder they say the camera has emotions. The sister, with awe and affection for her brother, captured the doting expression the brother gave the sister as he looked at her.
The warm interactions between siblings barely managed to mask the terrible family environment. Thus, the young brother and sister grew up stumbling along under the guidance of their equally young older brother.
Quentin remembered that the movement of Wen Xinyi’s progress bar was related to a phone call with his sister. A BE plot regarding family members… sounded ominous.
The system, which had been carefully checking the official vote rankings, sensed the thoughts surging in its host’s mind and once again gave its host a thumbs-up for his dedication.
Its host was working so hard. Sigh, it needed to work hard too!
