Chapter 21.2: Preparation for the First Performance (1)
Most of the livestream audience’s attention, however, was focused on the unexpected stunt pulled by the production team—very few were paying attention to what was happening in Class F.
After all, on stage, the combination of virtual avatars projected in front and the trainees dancing in sync behind them made for a stunningly cool scene. The mix of virtual and real was way more exciting than anything going on in the Class F section.
[What is this? Reality meets fantasy? Real people with virtual ones? This production team is insane—I just wanna say… 6666666. Song Chengwang can’t even hide the murderous look he’s giving the crew.]
[Aww, guessed wrong again. Turns out it wasn’t to show the original MV—it was to bring out virtual avatars!]
[I finally get why there were two raised circular stages at the front and back. The clues were there all along—we just didn’t notice.]
[Damn, now that I think about it, did Demon King Xiu already guess the production team’s intention when he saw the stage? Was he mentally prepared all along, which is why he was so calm?]
[I swear, after surviving this hellish competition, the idols who make it to debut will be so unshakable that no stage mishap will ever faze them. They might even sneer a little inside: This? That’s it?]
[No matter what, Shen Xiu truly lives up to the title of “Boss.” Faced with a situation like that, it was like he didn’t even see it—his moves were seamless, not a tremble in his voice. That mental fortitude—isn’t that even more impressive than the production team’s flashy tricks?]
A few minutes later, Shen Xiu and Song Chengwang both stopped their movements.
The virtual figures in front of them instantly shattered into scattered starlight and faded away—a stunning, ethereal scene.
Finally… it was over!
Shen Xiu stared blankly ahead, still not fully recovered from being so startled that he’d gone cold from head to toe. It was like his soul had left his body and achieved liberation.
A kind of calm, like the numb peace of despair.
Song Chengwang, slightly out of breath, took off his earpiece and turned his head to glance at Shen Xiu. Shen Xiu was still wearing his earpiece, his sharply defined profile giving off a chilly vibe as he looked straight ahead.
No matter how he looked at it, Song Chengwang couldn’t find even the slightest trace of panic or displeasure in Shen Xiu’s expression.
Quietly withdrawing his gaze, Song Chengwang looked back at the other trainees on-site.
Compared to Shen Xiu, it wasn’t just his skills he needed to work on—he’d have to level up his mindset too.
The giant screen displaying the AI-generated scores was facing the trainees—meaning it was behind Shen Xiu and Song Chengwang on stage.
He Ting: “The first group of trainees has finished their evaluation. With no human involvement, everything is determined solely by the AI. Let’s take a look at the big screen and see what kind of scores our AI instructor will give to Shen Xiu and Song Chengwang.”
As the host finished speaking, two large question marks appeared under the names of the two contestants on the screen.
The moment they saw the question marks, the trainees below couldn’t help but start sarcastically mocking the production team while speculating about Shen Xiu and Song Chengwang’s scores.
“Even though there aren’t any scores yet, the fact that they both completed their stage performances under such dramatic circumstances is already amazing!”
“Shen Xiu had perfect pitch control and pushed Wind and Waves to its peak. Other than vocal tone, his version was almost indistinguishable from the original. And his dancing—honestly, it was so identical to the virtual AI in front of him, you’d think they were twins in a spot-the-difference game. But somehow, even though the moves were the same, Shen Xiu’s performance felt more powerful and alive. Even if they haven’t announced the scores yet, I’m convinced he’s locked in that center position!”
“Just as expected, the most advanced flexing comes from performing the most familiar song—works like a charm. Learned a new trick today! I’ve decided—I’m switching to ‘Wind and Waves’ too.”
“Damn it, AI scoring values steady and consistent performance. The song we’ve practiced the most and know best over these past few days is ‘Wind and Waves’. Why didn’t I think of that from the beginning? He pulled it off again!”
“Song Chengwang is such a pity. If he had the same calm mindset as Shen Xiu, he probably could’ve shown an even more perfect performance. It’s a shame he got spooked by that sudden virtual character.”
“Speaking of which, he only trembled for a split second. If the mentor hadn’t mentioned his voice shaking, I wouldn’t have noticed it at all. Do you think the AI can actually pick up on that kind of thing?”
Feeling more and more eyes gathering on him, Shen Xiu tensed up.
‘Why is everyone looking at me like that?’
‘Wait a minute… oh, right—the earpiece! I forgot to take off the earpiece!’
Only now realizing it, Shen Xiu quickly reached up and removed the earpiece, placing it on the screen of the virtual stage character in front of him.
There, now I probably look the same as Song Chengwang—nothing attention-grabbing anymore!
“All right, trainees who’ve finished their performances, please come this way for an interview. AI evaluation scores will be released collectively tomorrow.”
The host pointed toward the exit, where production crew members were already waiting for live interviews.
“!”
‘An interview, huh? That should be over pretty quickly… does that mean once it’s done, I can go back to the dorms and avoid the crowded practice room?’
Heart racing with excitement, Shen Xiu quietly left the stage, walking at lightning speed.
As if afraid the host might call him back if he were even a second slower.
Song Chengwang followed right behind. “Slow down! What, you in a hurry to reincarnate?”
Shen Xiu: “……”
Right. Forgot about Song Chengwang.
Shen Xiu’s plan to return to the dorm and emo alone was mercilessly nipped in the bud by Song Chengwang.
The audience truly didn’t expect that after the AI evaluation, the trainees wouldn’t even get to see their scores, let alone the viewers.
[This show, not only the trainees, but even I as an audience member, wake up in the middle of the night thinking, ‘Is the production team seriously sick in the head?’]
[Production team, tell me, what’s the point of this? I’m dying of curiosity about what you gain from it.]
[This production team is making me so mad that my back teeth itch. Even if I’m lying in my coffin one day, I’ll still be angry enough to climb into the director’s house in the middle of the night.]
After Shen Xiu and Song Chengwang left the practice room for interviews, the AI evaluation continued in the practice room.
With Shen Xiu and Song Chengwang as examples, the trainees who followed had some psychological preparation. Everyone wanted to secure the center position in their first public performance to have more priority in choosing, to be seen by more viewers. They all took out their best-secret weapon songs.
Some trainees who had been struggling over what song to pick analyzed why Shen Xiu chose ‘Wind and Waves’ and followed suit, choosing it as their AI evaluation song as well.
…
Interview Room.
Seeing Song Chengwang closely following behind Shen Xiu, the interviewer, Yu Xiangwan, asked, “Are you two going to do the interview together?”
The director’s plan was for them to be interviewed separately, with most of the questions being the same. However, if both parties were willing to be interviewed together, that was fine as well.
Thinking back to their performance on stage, Song Chengwang, with a sour expression on his face, was frustrated with himself. Not only was his skill lacking compared to Shen Xiu’s, but his mindset was too: “Let’s not. I don’t want to see him right now.”
‘Really? Is there such a good thing?’
Shen Xiu turned his head to look at Song Chengwang, sincerely and earnestly saying, “Then should I leave?”
Seeing Shen Xiu’s cold and distant gaze, Song Chengwang was at a loss for words, his back teeth almost grinding together. “Dream on. We’re doing the interview together!”
Yu Xiangwan: “…Okay.”
[Hahaha, Song Chengwang is really such a fickle man.]
[Interview girl: Hmm… as long as you’re happy.]
Life’s tough. Shen Xiu silently sighed inwardly, his escape plan failing.
He wasn’t sure if it was because of Song Chengwang’s earlier reminder to stay focused and not let his serious impression slip too deeply, but now every time Shen Xiu saw Song Chengwang, he couldn’t help but feel nervous. He couldn’t focus on anything, constantly worried about making a mistake.
…
The next morning, the hundred trainees sat early in the practice room, all waiting for the AI evaluation results for the C position.
As soon as the clock hit 9:00, He Ting spoke up right on time: “How did the AI evaluation for the C position turn out? All the trainees, please look at the big screen. The top twelve with their names marked in red will be our C position trainees in the group battle for the first public performance!”
As soon as He Ting finished speaking, a huge table appeared on the massive screen in front of the trainees.
“If you can’t see clearly from your seats, feel free to come up to the stage. The AI has captured many ‘details’ from your performances yesterday—it’s really worth taking a closer look.”
Hearing this, the trainees couldn’t hold back and rushed forward to crowd around the big screen. Although they could see clearly from their seats, being closer to the screen felt more immersive—and maybe they’d even get a few more camera shots.
The table displayed names at the front, scores in the middle, and the deductions from the AI, with every point clearly explained.
No matter where they were, the first place was always the most eye-catching.
Shen Xiu sat in the A-class area, looking for his name. He instinctively started from the first row. When he saw his name followed by a perfect score of two hundred, his nervous heart finally settled.
As expected, hard work doesn’t betray you. Practicing ‘Wind and Waves’ to perfection was the right choice!
He had secured his first C position, and now, the goal of debuting as the center of the group, without being eliminated, was only…
A tiny bit more.
Shen Xiu: “…”
Great. He still had more work to do!
The trainees’ eyes immediately fell to the first row, and when they saw the name ‘Shen Xiu,’ they couldn’t help but feel a little awe in their hearts.
[Ahhh, I knew it! It had to be Boss Xiu! He brought ‘Wind and Waves’ to life so perfectly, a double hundred, no deductions—because Boss Xiu is strong, calm, and indifferent, never arrogant. He’s truly the C position!]
[Big Brother Xiu just sat there in the A area, not moving at all, only glancing up at the ranking chart. His face showed no extra expression—clearly, he had already predicted this result!]
[Did you notice? When Boss Xiu was looking for his name, he didn’t even glance at the rankings below. His gaze went straight to the first row. Such confidence.]
[No wonder everyone rushed to look. Big Brother Xiu just stayed in his chair, not moving. He must’ve known the result already. Nothing really to see.]
Trainees who saw their names followed by poor scores with long lists of deductions silently thought to themselves: As expected, the AI is meticulous. Next time, can you not be so meticulous? This public shaming is embarrassing!
The majority of the trainees with low scores were in the F section, but the most eye-catching, besides the top-ranked Shen Xiu, was Lin Jiashi, who ranked last.
Behind Shen Xiu’s name was a large red-and-white area, while Lin Jiashi’s had dense green markings all over it—hard not to notice.
The trainees who finished early and left the stage hadn’t seen Lin Jiashi’s performance. When they saw the AI rankings being announced and noticed that Lin Jiashi was in last place, their surprised gazes turned toward him.
“Lin Jiashi actually came last?”
“I’m shocked. Isn’t he always trained with Ke Zi’an by Xia Wenhao? How is he worse than us, who practiced on our own?”
[Having watched yesterday’s live stream, I can confidently say that Lin Jiashi deserves to be last. Can you believe it? He chose the song himself, but in the end, he couldn’t even perform it properly, and he actually took off his headphones and threw them on the floor.]
[I remember, it made the scene so awkward that even Zhou Tong, who was still dancing nearby, couldn’t continue.]
Lin Jiashi sat in the front row of the F section. When he noticed everyone’s gaze on him, he wished he could just find a hole to hide in. His hands, resting on his knees, clenched into fists.
During the AI evaluation yesterday, it wasn’t that he didn’t want to dance; he was just so nervous that he couldn’t perform. He was just one beat off, while the virtual figure kept dancing in front of him, almost mocking him.
He couldn’t hold it in and broke down, but he never expected it to get this bad. The AI couldn’t detect his movements, and everything was written in the report behind his score.
This production team was so brutally honest that he couldn’t take it.
Lin Jiashi gritted his teeth, raised his eyes to look at the camera, his eyes red. He turned his gaze toward the A-section, where Shen Xiu had been sitting still the entire time.
[What is this? My idol who is so different from me?]
[I can feel Lin Jiashi’s longing for the A-section even through the screen.]
[But he needs to work hard. What’s the use of just longing for it? I’ve always thought that Ke Zi’an, the dumbest one in the whole program, managed to get into D-Class. When the teachers were teaching, Lin Jiashi was clearly smarter than Ke Zi’an.]
Out of the corner of his eye, Shen Xiu noticed Lin Jiashi looking at him: “……”
Why are you looking at me?
He Ting saw that ten minutes had passed and picked up the microphone on the table:
“Alright, everyone’s had a good look, right? The twelve C-positions whose names are marked in red, which also means they’re the team leaders for the group battle, please come forward. The rest of the trainees, return to your designated sections. We’re now starting the C-position team selection.”
“There are twelve C-positions in total. Each C-position will choose 7 trainees to form their own team, making a total of eight members per team.”
Shen Xiu: “?”
Being C-position also means picking your own teammates… and being the team leader?
What if… he shamelessly picks someone who doesn’t want to be on his team? Then what?
That would be awkward for both sides.
And also… would anyone even want to be on his team? What if no one does? Then wouldn’t he, the team leader, just end up super embarrassed?
This was too much pressure!
Shen Xiu was mentally spiraling—half panicking, half going full emo.
Zhuang Yi: “Then what happens to the four trainees who don’t get picked?”
He Ting: “Good question. That depends on whether four of the twelve teams are willing to take in the leftover trainees. If four teams are willing to accept them, they won’t be eliminated.”
Upon hearing that, the trainees’ faces turned pale—especially the eight remaining members of F-Class. They swallowed nervously, already imagining the soon-to-come moment when they’d be the ones left behind.
After all, they were considered the weakest among all the trainees. It was understandable that no one would want to pick them.
What they hadn’t expected was how quickly elimination could come.
“This is too brutal.”
“The thought of no one wanting you as a teammate… just thinking about it is terrifying.”
“Wasn’t the first elimination supposed to happen after the initial performance? Why are they already starting to eliminate people before it’s even begun?”
Wails of despair echoed from the F-Class section.
“No way… I don’t want to be eliminated without even getting to perform once.”
“I feel like I’m about to be super embarrassed.”
“Why is Lin Jiashi so calm? Isn’t he nervous?”
“We should probably be worrying about ourselves. Don’t forget—he’s close with Ke Zi’an, Xia Wenhao, and Shen Xiu. He’s always saying in the dorm that Shen Xiu is his idol. Plus, he’s really good-looking. As the visual of the group, there’s no way he won’t get picked. Didn’t you see? He’s already looking in Shen Xiu’s direction.”
The chatter among the trainees continued to swell.
He Ting: “Quiet. I said from the very beginning—this show is ruthless. If no team leader is willing to choose them, they don’t need to stay in the training camp any longer.”
If a team leader chooses one of the leftover trainees, that team will end up with nine members.
More people meant less time for each person during the performance—fewer parts to sing or dance, and fewer shots during the broadcast.
Would anyone really be willing to take that hit?
He Ting: “Alright, all C-position team leaders—please head toward the trainee area and bring your chosen teammates to stand behind you.”
A strong teammate could boost the team’s overall performance and make their debut stage even better. They’d also be easier to work with in rehearsals.
So as soon as He Ting finished speaking, Shang Yu, Jiang Yanxi, Song Chengwang, and the rest of the eleven C-positions all headed straight for their predetermined picks, dragging them over into their respective teams.
The remaining trainees looked toward Shen Xiu, who sat coolly with his piercing gaze and unreadable expression. They couldn’t help but wonder:
What kind of person would someone like Shen Xiu even consider as a teammate?
Whoever it is, it’s definitely not me…
The host looked at Shen Xiu, who stood motionless on stage, exuding an unmistakable “stay away” aura, and asked in confusion:
“Shen Xiu, aren’t you going to go pick your teammates?”
