Chapter 8: Initial Stage Evaluation (8)
The mic was suddenly shoved in his face.
Shen Xiu: “…”
Why was he being interviewed out of nowhere?! Would it help at all if he screamed, ‘Don’t come any closer!’ right now?
Yeah… obviously not.
The fun of watching an idol survival show isn’t just about seeing a bunch of guys chase their dreams with everything they’ve got—it’s also about the sparks that fly between them along the way.
To make it into the debut group, idols don’t just need to be the best of the best out of a hundred trainees. They also need to have serious confidence.
As soon as the initial evaluations wrapped up, the tension between the trainees was thick enough to cut with a knife. People were openly throwing shade at each other on the livestream—tons of drama, total goldmine for viewers.
[LOL I officially crown this the most savage production team ever.]
[Good thing it’s Shen Xiu dealing with this. No matter what’s going on, he’s always cool as a cucumber. If it were someone shy or socially awkward, they’d probably be dying inside right now, wishing they could vanish into a black hole.]
[Exactly. Shen Xiu’s been through it all—this kind of scene is nothing to him. Easy peasy. Look, he didn’t even blink.]
[Ahhh I can’t wait to hear his answer! Will it be a cocky ‘You?’ full of disdain? A single icy ‘Oh’ dripping with arrogance? Or maybe a pathetic ‘Please stop talking, I’m begging you’ meltdown? Based on his usual cold-as-ice vibe, my money’s on option two!]
[Same here, option two all the way! Come on Shen Xiu, spill it already—we need answers!]
Backstage during the livestream of Youth Unstoppable, the production team—clearly knowing how to play the game—spotted the three popular guesses and instantly launched a free corn kernel betting event to boost engagement.
Within five seconds, the “Oh” and “You?” options were flooded with kernels, while the “pathetic meltdown” option didn’t even get one. Just goes to show how firmly Shen Xiu’s image as the aloof cool guy has stuck in everyone’s minds.
With everyone watching, Shen Xiu lowered his eyes and stared at the mic. His face was completely blank—nobody could tell what was going on in his head.
He Ting called out, confused, “Shen Xiu?”
Inside, Shen Xiu was a total mess. He had no clue what he was supposed to say and was lowkey panicking.
The host’s prompt only made it worse—Shen Xiu thought they were getting impatient. And the thing he hated most was making people wait on him. Anxious and flustered, the words just blurted out of his mouth:
“If he’s happy, that’s all that matters.”
The second he got the words out, Shen Xiu let out a tiny sigh of relief. He’d nearly said “he” twice and almost stuttered his way straight into secondhand embarrassment hell.
Okay… they probably won’t ask him anything else now, right?
Seriously. As long as Shang Yu’s happy, that’s enough. Just—please don’t drag him back into the spotlight. One more time and he’s definitely going to stutter.
The second Shen Xiu said that, the whole room went dead silent.
He Ting: …yeah, that one’s on me.
He knew Shen Xiu had an attitude, but he hadn’t expected this level of cool arrogance. That breezy “If he’s happy, that’s all that matters” landed like a mic drop. Effortless. Drenched in swagger.
Whoever that was aimed at probably feels like coughing up blood right now.
Even silver-tongued He Ting froze for a moment, then forced an awkward smile: “Haha… who would’ve thought our Trainee No.66 had a sense of humor.”
…Humor? Him?
Shen Xiu glanced at the host, silently. That was actually the first time anyone had ever called him “funny.” It felt… weirdly new.
Now, when the other trainees looked at Shen Xiu, there was still admiration in their eyes—but now with a hint of fear mixed in.
One thought crossed all their minds at the same time: Never, ever try to battle Shen Xiu.
The dude was clearly on another level. He didn’t even take shade from fellow A-class trainees seriously. If scrubs like them tried to come at him, they’d get flattened in seconds.
The livestream chat? Flooded with “666”.
[#66 lives up to the name—whether it’s his skills or his ability to roast someone, it’s all 6666-level. Let’s give our dear Brother Shen a warm new nickname: Old Six!]
[Honestly though, that reply totally fits Brother Shen’s vibe. It’s like he’s saying, “Come at me. I don’t care how strong you are or what kind of mind games you’re playing. Do what you want. None of you can beat me anyway.” Just pure calm arrogance.]
[Calm arrogance? What kind of weird phrase is that? But weirdly enough, it suits Brother Shen so well.]
[Shouldn’t we just call him ‘Shura Field’ at this point? Because every time someone tries to challenge him, it turns into a total battlefield where they just self-destruct.]
The term ‘Shura Field’ instantly blew up in the livestream chat, getting top likes and pinned as the trending keyword of the moment.
Meanwhile, Shen Xiu, completely unaware, had already been unofficially renamed in the chat. No longer just “Trainee No.66, Shen Xiu”—he was now either Brother Shen the Calm Madman or straight-up The Walking Shura Field.
He Ting quickly cleared his throat, trying to move on from this whole chaotic segment that might’ve made Shang Yu feel awkward. “Ahem. Right, let’s move along with the rest of the interviews!”
But…
As the interviews continued, something unexpected happened: Out of the next ten trainees who got asked the same question, five of them ended up talking about Shen Xiu.
For example—
Trainee No.23, Zhao Qingxu: “I’m not saying he wasn’t trying hard—actually, it’s the opposite. He was giving it his all, but in such a smooth, effortless way. Super confident. Uh… how do I put this…”
He paused for a second, then suddenly lit up and grabbed the mic with energy: “I got it! Whether it was the singing or that surprise 30-second rap challenge at the end, Shen Xiu stayed totally calm because he had the skills to back it up. That’s why he left the strongest impression on me during the first evaluation.”
Trainee No.36, Sun He: “With someone like Shen Xiu, it’s basically impossible not to notice him.”
And then there was Trainee No.99—Jiang Yanxi—who’d had his turn bumped up in the schedule and was especially hyped…
Yu Xiangwan asked, “So, which trainee left the deepest impression on you?”
Jiang Yanxi let out a long, dramatic sigh as he recalled everything that had happened during his performance: “If I’m being honest, pretty much everyone—all 99 other trainees, the audience, even the four mentors—left a pretty strong impression on me.”
“Because…” Jiang Yanxi’s face dropped into a deadpan expression, “being stared at by literally everyone like that… how could it not leave a mark? The whole time I was on stage, I kept wondering if there was something on my face or if my outfit ripped or something.”
“Of course, as an idol, grabbing attention is part of the job. But being stared at by a room full of super serious, deadpan trainees? Yeah… that’s something I’ll never forget.”
His words instantly reminded everyone of the last performance during the initial evaluation—and the livestream chat absolutely lost it.
[LOL I get it now, Jiang Yanxi! Seriously, when I saw everyone staring at you, I started staring too. I thought there was something off with your outfit or something—but I watched the whole performance and found nothing.]
[I’m dying 😂 If I were on stage and had that many rivals staring me down, I’d panic too.]
Then Jiang Yanxi added with full-on dramatic flair: “But of everyone, the person who left the most most most most unforgettable impression on me was definitely Shen Xiu!”
Yup. He dropped four “mosts” in a row just to show how strongly he felt.
The host followed up, “Oh? Why’s that?”
Jiang Yanxi said, “Because after I got off stage, I asked the trainees sitting near me—those in front and beside me—and all of them said the same thing: ‘Shen Xiu was staring, so we couldn’t help but stare too.’”
He looked totally exasperated as he said, “So how could I not be most most most most impressed by Shen Xiu?”
“Of course.”
Jiang Yanxi suddenly switched gears, saying, “I want to thank Shen Xiu. If it wasn’t for the massive pressure he put on me, with my skills, there’s no way I’d have made it into A-class. It was his gaze that made me too scared to slack off for even a second. I had to give my absolute best to show the audience and mentors the most perfect performance I could, and that’s how I ended up with an A-class evaluation.”
“Thank you, Shen Xiu!”
The camera cut back to Shen Xiu.
…He was literally just watching the performance seriously. Why were so many trainees saying they only performed well because of him?
And what’s with this sudden outburst of gratitude?
Shen Xiu was completely confused.
Jiang Yanxi totally got that A-class because of his own hard work—wake up, buddy!
As the interview wrapped up, Shen Xiu and Xiang Yueting were both heading toward the interview room.
Both of them made it to Class A, so host Yu Xiangwan asked Xiang Yueting, “So, as an A-class trainee, is there anything you want to say to your future self?”
Xiang Yueting raised his hand: “Honestly, getting into Class A was such a huge pressure for me, because I knew there was no way I should’ve made it.”
“If it weren’t for Shen Xiu’s words of encouragement in the bathroom, I wouldn’t have gotten all hyped up. When I was dancing, I pushed myself way beyond my usual limits and somehow managed to get that A.”
As he said this, Xiang Yueting’s voice was trembling, showing just how nervous and uneasy he really was.
“In the whole A-class, I’m the oldest and the least skilled. I’m the only one who’s so different from the other A-class trainees.”
When Shen Xiu heard this, he glanced over at Xiang Yueting.
Xiang Yueting was being way too modest.
Even though Shen Xiu couldn’t dance himself, watching Xiang Yueting’s performances got him so pumped up. From the audience reactions to the mentors’ comments, it was clear that Xiang Yueting was absolutely killing it.
Shen Xiu didn’t get it. ‘Big shot… are they all this humble?’
Shen Xiu spoke up with a hint of sarcasm: “No… there’s also me.”
His entry into Class A was purely because he nailed that 30-second add-on performance that totally won over the mentors and the audience. He was the one who was truly out of his league. If someone had to be dropped from Class A during the upcoming theme song training evaluation, it would definitely be him, Shen Xiu.
When Xiang Yueting heard Shen Xiu’s words, his eyes lit up, and he looked at Shen Xiu, deeply moved: “Aww, Shen Xiu, you’re too sweet! You really know how to comfort people!”
He was so strong, yet here he was, putting himself on the same level as me just to cheer me up.
The audience seemed to be on the same wavelength as Xiang Yueting and flooded the livestream with praise for Shen Xiu’s kind gesture.
[Our ‘Shura Field’ guy has a warm-hearted side beneath that cold exterior.]
[This is what true strength looks like—powerful and gentle. When does the voting start? I want to pick Brother Shen!]
Xiang Yueting, feeling encouraged, shook off his previous slump and grabbed the mic with renewed energy, speaking with strength: “I was gonna say I’d just stick around in Class A as long as I could, but I’ve changed my mind. Only the strong can truly stand their ground in Class A, so I’m gonna work hard and learn from Shen Xiu!”
Shen Xiu: ?
Learn from me?
After hearing 68 trainees say they wanted to learn from him in their interviews, Shen Xiu—who thought of himself as just a noob—finally had a chance to step in and stop them from following his bad example: “Don’t learn from me.”
His low, cold voice came through the livestream and almost felt like it could pierce the screen. When the audience and the people in the interview room heard him say “don’t learn from me,” they were all kind of stunned.
Xiang Yueting realized what Shen Xiu meant and quickly tried to backtrack: “Sorry, Shen Xiu, I didn’t mean to be a copycat.”
When Shen Xiu heard this, he knew Xiang Yueting had misunderstood, and he nervously tightened his grip on the mic.
This was a disaster. Shen Xiu cursed himself inwardly for not knowing how to phrase things properly.
He quickly tried to explain: “What I meant is, I’m really nothing special. I’m not worth learning from. You should learn from someone better.”
Phew… that should’ve been okay, right?
Xiang Yueting sighed in relief. Oh, Shen Xiu was just being humble! He’d only seen Shen Xiu’s arrogant side before; he hadn’t expected him to have a humble side too.
Xiang Yueting nodded seriously: “Got it.”
Shen Xiu was so humble. Even though he was already incredibly strong, he still felt like he wasn’t good enough and kept pushing himself to get better. That’s the real foundation of his confidence, huh?
Shen Xiu finally relaxed: “Glad you understand.”
Now, he just hoped the other trainees would wake up like Xiang Yueting did!
As the most popular trainee, Shen Xiu got the toughest questions from the show’s team.
The host brought out a big poster showing the seating arrangement, with the highest spot in the pyramid prominently displayed in front of Shen Xiu.
“Shen Xiu, where do you think you’ll place in the upcoming intense competition?”
Shen Xiu’s gaze was automatically drawn to the top seat, where a golden crown sat on the back of the chair.
That seat was by far the most eye-catching, the most gorgeous.
Yu Xiangwan smiled and said, “Got it. You’re aiming for the top! Good luck!”
Shen Xiu thought about retorting, but then remembered the system’s words, and honestly, there wasn’t much to argue against.
If he didn’t want to be kicked out, he had to aim for the top spot. Shen Xiu could only say, “Thank you.”
To everyone watching, this looked like Shen Xiu’s ambition had turned into full-on arrogance, and he wasn’t hiding it anymore.
The audience in the livestream started chatting:
[When it comes to aiming for the top, Shen Xiu isn’t shy at all. He’s so bold!]
[Strong and ambitious? Love it. I’m totally picking Shen Xiu!]
[Cough cough Here’s a little twist—starting off so ambitiously and confidently, but what if in the end, Shen Xiu isn’t the one who takes the top spot? That would be so awkward! He’d probably never want to show his face again, haha.]
—
After Shen Xiu and Xiang Yueting finished their interviews and returned to their seats, host He Ting stepped back onto the stage.
He Ting: “Everyone, look here!”
Once all eyes were on him, He Ting raised his voice, “The initial evaluation and post-evaluation competitions have come to an end. After unanimous approval from both the trainees and the audience, let’s congratulate Shen Xiu for becoming our ‘Most Popular Trainee of the Initial Evaluation’!”
“By earning this honor, Shen Xiu will get priority in choosing his bed after the dormitory reassignments!”
The news that Shen Xiu became the ‘Most Popular Trainee’ was met with cheers from his fans, who affectionately called it “the people’s eyes are sharp—wherever our big shot is, he’s a natural spotlight!”
But—
“Wait, what’s this bed priority thing? The show is so strict that after the initial evaluation, they’re making trainees change dorms? And now, bed choices are based on ability and popularity? How intense is this competition?!”
“Sisters, ‘Youth Unstoppable’ is seriously a bit too strict for a boy group competition, huh?”
“I noticed this early on. They’re already factoring in personal image management in the initial evaluation score. And now, during the individual presentation stage, trainees aren’t even allowed to perform songs or dances that have already been done by others! I’m calling this the strictest boy group competition in history.”
“But seriously, a competition where even choosing your bed depends on your strength and popularity? I’ve never seen anything this weird and strict. I’m calling it the most bizarrely strict show ever.”
—
Upon hearing He Ting announce this news, Shen Xiu couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
Let’s not talk about how he became the most popular trainee, but when it comes to his actual abilities for choosing a bed, he doesn’t really fit the criteria.
What if, in the future, he gets dropped from Class A? Does that mean he’d have to sleep on the floor?
As Shen Xiu silently mourned his tragic future, the talent show came to a brief pause. The trainees, led by the staff, left their positions in an orderly manner.
Shen Xiu and Xiang Yueting walked off toward the backstage. As soon as they passed through the curtain, they saw a middle-aged man standing not far away. The man had a slightly plump build and was wearing an expensive-looking suit.
The key point was, though, that his suit and pants looked formal, but his head was wrapped in a black headband with letters on it, and his hair was styled in a wild topknot, flaring out in all directions.
Xu Shaoming’s outfit, with a “hip” vibe from the neck up and a “gentleman” look from the neck down, made it hard not to notice him.
Sure enough, as soon as Xiang Yueting spotted him, his eyes lit up. He excitedly patted Shen Xiu on the shoulder, almost like a little seal flapping its fins with joy: “Ahhhh, Teacher Xu! I never imagined in my lifetime I’d get to see the real, live Teacher Xu face-to-face!!!”
After his excitement, Xiang Yueting couldn’t resist pushing Shen Xiu toward Xu Shaoming: “Hurry up, hurry up, Teacher Xu must be waiting for you!”
**TN
Shura Field – a messy, dramatic showdown, or a battlefield
