Chapter 30: First Performance (5)
As He Youna finished speaking, the members of the two teams straightened their backs, their ears standing up with tension.
“Zhuang Yi’s team: Jiang Minghai, 72nd place; Luo Yuan, 63rd place; Zhao Qin… congratulations to you!”
“Song Chengwang’s team: Shi Yun, 69th place…”
The trainees whose names were called visibly relaxed, their faces showing signs of relief as they quickly walked to their designated spots on the pyramid.
Although their rankings weren’t high, they had successfully made it to the second public performance stage.
When He Youna called out the names for Lu Fei’s team, the members of Shen Xiu’s team, upon realizing they were not mentioned, understood that they were among the 59th to 72nd place rankings.
In situations like this, there are usually two possibilities: the bad news is that they might be eliminated, but the lucky news is that their rankings could be higher than the 59th to 72nd spots.
Clearly, Lin Jiashi, who wasn’t called out by name in Zhuang Yi’s team, also thought of this possibility.
At this moment, Lin Jiashi had already recovered from the earlier blow.
‘It’s okay,’ Lin Jiashi told himself in his mind. ‘A mere reminder, those who truly like me won’t mind.’
Now, based on the draft programs he had watched in the past, Lin Jiashi leaned toward the second possibility.
After all, ever since he joined Youth Unstoppable as a trainee, he had been taking things step by step. Except for a few slip-ups, such as the theme song evaluation, the confrontation in the corridor, and the mistakes on the public performance stage, he had never messed up anything else, whether it was his hair color, makeup, personality, or his on-screen chemistry with Ke Zi’an.
Even his confrontation with Shen Xiu in the corridor made the audience think of him whenever they thought of Shen Xiu, making sure he made his presence felt.
‘I’ll definitely be in the front,’ Lin Jiashi kept telling himself, gradually regaining his confidence.
[What’s going on? Lin Jiashi isn’t in the 59-72 ranking, I don’t understand. Lin Jiashi should be up front, I can’t take it.]
[Heh, what can you do if you can’t take it? Not only did I vote for my poor little white-haired brother, I also got my family to vote for him too. If you don’t like it, there’s nothing you can do; white-haired brother just makes me feel sorry for him.]
[Don’t speak too soon. Don’t assume everyone is as blind as you. What if Lin Jiashi is after the 72nd place, right? Right~]
Amid the noisy bullet comments, the rankings from 59th to 72nd were announced.
He Youna: “Now, we will announce the rankings from 29th to 48th.”
“Shen Xiu’s team…”
When He Youna said this, she glanced at the members of Shen Xiu’s team, causing their hearts to jump into their throats.
[Ahhh, finally, Shen Xiu’s team…]
He Youna smiled: “Still not here.”
Shen Xiu’s team members: “…”
[Hahaha, didn’t expect you to be such a team leader, the kids are almost scared to death.]
[Shen Xiu’s team members: Well played, don’t be this cheeky next time!]
He Youna’s gaze turned to Zhuang Yi’s team: “Zhuang Yi’s team…”
“Also not here.”
Lin Jiashi: “…”
Great, not in the 29-48 range. This meant the situation was better than he had thought.
After all, the last trainee who followed this process ended up surprising everyone by debuting as the C-position.
With Shen Xiu around, it was impossible for him to debut as the C-position, but aiming for a spot after first place was still a possibility.
He Youna: “The rankings from 29th to 48th are now complete. We will now announce the rankings from 19th to 28th.”
“Shen Xiu’s team…” He Youna smiled as she looked at everyone’s nervous expressions: “Don’t be nervous, this time we have someone.”
“Shen Xiu’s team: Qin Hua, 26th place; Zhou Tong, 23rd place; Ying Zi’ang, 19th place.”
Upon hearing Ying Zi’ang’s ranking, the trainees present looked at him with eyes full of envy and surprise.
After all, Ying Zi’ang had started out in Class F, and now his ranking was even higher than Zhou Tong’s, who had started in a higher class.
But then, everyone recalled Ying Zi’ang’s performance on stage—the hidden werewolf lurking in the shadows, suddenly tearing off his shirt under the moonlight. Beneath the shredded clothing were firm abs, which were undeniably attractive. Combined with his hoarse voice and the realistically furry wolf ears on his head, his powerful roar had indeed been a shock to the system.
If Shen Xiu’s vampire count stunned people with the innate intensity of his aura—elegant yet chilling in every gesture, making it impossible to look away—
Then Ying Zi’ang had shaken the audience with that explosive moment of shirt-ripping and his unpretentious, yet gripping, performance.
19th place. Ying Zi’ang truly deserved it.
While the other trainees acknowledged Ying Zi’ang’s performance, they couldn’t help but be insanely jealous of his luck. Saying that Shen Xiu had been his talent scout wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
So lucky!
After coming down from the stage, Ying Zi’ang reverted back to his timid, mushroom-in-a-dark-corner self. When he heard he was ranked 19th, he just stood there dumbfounded, thinking he must have misheard.
It wasn’t until Jiang Yuheng nudged him and said, “Hey, 19th place! Go sit down and wait for us,” that he snapped out of it.
Ying Zi’ang instinctively looked toward Shen Xiu. His nose tingled with emotion. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but his mind was buzzing blank—he had no idea what he actually wanted to say.
Shen Xiu: “…”
Shen Xiu was confused. The rankings announced weren’t even his, so why were people—He Youna included—all looking at him?
Was he supposed to say something?
In order to get everyone to stop looking at him, Shen Xiu braced himself and cautiously said, “Go on.”
That… should be enough, right?
Upon hearing Shen Xiu’s cool-toned voice, the three members of his team who had just been ranked knew—though their team leader always looked cold and spoke with a detached tone, he definitely had a warm heart!
They all nodded. “Mm!”
With that, they turned and walked toward the pyramid in unison.
To live up to their leader’s guidance, they were determined to follow in his footsteps and work hard to grow stronger!
Shen Xiu: “…”
He felt like he might be hallucinating. Why did their retreating backs give off such a proud, valiant energy, as if they were off to accomplish something great?
The rankings from 19th to 28th were quickly announced. He Youna continued:
“Now announcing the rankings from 10th to 18th.”
“Shen Xiu’s team: Jiang Yuheng, 18th; Lu Qian, 16th; Ke Zi’an, 15th; Xia Wenhao, 11th.”
Shen Xiu’s team alone had four members ranked between 10th and 18th. After He Youna announced this, not only were the trainees at the venue stunned, but the livestream chat exploded.
[Boss Shen is built different. Don’t even need to guess—Xiang Yueting is definitely in the debut lineup. All in all, Boss Shen’s team has taken the most top spots in the first ranking round. I can only say… 666666.]
[Holy crap, I’d call this a full-team ascension.]
[This is what it’s like to cling to a true boss’s leg. One man carries the whole squad.]
[D-Did one man’s success elevate the whole flock?]
[LOL upstairs—sister, that’s not quite how that phrase works.]
[So annoying. Just watch if you want, but stop spouting nonsense. Why assume Shen Xiu carried everyone? Can’t his teammates have worked hard themselves? Stop dumping all the credit on Shen Xiu—have some shame.]
[Tsk tsk tsk, the ranking for the real big shot hasn’t even been announced yet. Lin Jiashi still hasn’t shown up. His fans must be so anxious, haha.]
He Youna: “The most exciting moment has arrived! Now announcing the top 1–9 rankings, which also represent the debut spots!”
“Shen Xiu’s team: Shen Xiu, 1st place; Xiang Yueting, 6th place. Zhuang Yi’s team: Zhuang Yi, 8th place.”
As He Youna finished announcing the debut lineup rankings for Group One from the group battle, the trainees instinctively turned to look at Shen Xiu.
Hearing that he was in 1st place, Shen Xiu was stunned. The fact that he had reached the top spot—this outcome was inseparable from the efforts of his teammates and the support of the audience who voted for him.
As his emotions churned inside, Shen Xiu dazedly began walking toward his spot on the pyramid. But he suddenly realized countless eyes were fixed on him.
A second later, the voice of the mentor echoed:
He Youna: “Shen Xiu, do you have anything you’d like to say about this result?”
Shen Xiu: “?”
W–What? I still have to talk?
Shen Xiu had to stop in his tracks. He stiffly turned around, facing a sea of varied gazes, his scalp tingling.
After a few seconds of silence, Shen Xiu forced out a dry, awkward line:
“Thank you, everyone, for your support and for liking me.”
Forgive him—he’d much rather express his gratitude through singing than try to organize his thoughts aloud. It wasn’t that he lacked vocabulary, but singing came with set lyrics and melodies that allowed him to express his feelings more clearly—like taking a test with clear right answers.
He wasn’t just bad at talking—when he got too nervous, he also stuttered. Speaking without preparation, without mentally drafting a script first, and just blurting something out… was way too hard! Shen Xiu sighed.
He Youna waited a few seconds. Shen Xiu clearly had no intention of saying anything more. She raised an eyebrow, thinking, ‘That’s it?’
Maybe Shen Xiu should go watch some other talent shows. The first-place trainee in the first group performance? Even the ones who said the least still managed to talk for ten full minutes.
And Shen Xiu? Not even ten seconds.
This kind of moment—one that would definitely be included in the aired highlight reel—was basically free screen time! He Youna felt a bit regretful on his behalf.
But she quickly remembered Shen Xiu’s strength and understood.
Maybe for someone like him—who had both exceptional ability and unwavering confidence—whether he had more or less screen time didn’t matter. People would naturally be drawn to a strong presence like his, no matter what.
The other trainees were surprised at first too. In their minds, even if they didn’t have much to say, they’d at least force something out for five minutes. Everyone knew the pyramid-first-place clip would never get edited out.
But soon enough, just like He Youna, the others reached the same conclusion. Some admired Shen Xiu for it; others thought he was just putting on a front.
[Tch… As expected of Boss Shen. Doesn’t even care about something as trivial as screen time.]
[Yeah, you probably have to be that strong to be able to not care about how much you’re on camera. Otherwise you end up like Lin Jiashi, trying to steal every frame he can.]
After Shen Xiu finished speaking, he still didn’t understand why everyone was giving him such strange looks again. Since no one said anything else, he assumed his “speaking duty” was complete, and turned around to walk toward the pyramid.
When Shen Xiu reached the base of the pyramid and saw the seat at the very top marked with a giant “1,” he braced himself and started climbing. He couldn’t quite understand why the show producers had to place the first-place seat… so ridiculously high and conspicuous!
Didn’t they feel even a little awkward about it?
It’s fine. I’ve already sat on a throne of thorns in front of a crowd. Worst case, I’ll just treat this as an encore performance for the Vampire Count role.
Yes. This is just… the sequel performance!
With a completely blank expression, Shen Xiu forced himself to climb the steps of the pyramid while mentally convincing himself over and over.
When he finally reached the small crown-shaped seat at the very top, Shen Xiu turned around and realized everyone was still looking at him.
…The top of the pyramid was already high. Already attention-grabbing. And standing there under the gaze of that many people? It was even more attention-grabbing!
Realizing this, Shen Xiu instantly felt just a bit mentally done. Still, he steeled himself and sat down under all those eyes.
Sitting on the tip of the pyramid, Shen Xiu became acutely aware that any small movement up there would be noticed. So he sat completely still, awkwardly staring straight ahead, afraid to make eye contact with anyone.
“…”
It was in that moment that Shen Xiu truly understood why people say a person’s sense of shame can slowly be worn down.
‘But… please let this end soon,’ he begged silently.
Xiang Yueting, sitting a few levels below, was super excited and wanted to talk to Shen Xiu. But when he turned his head and saw Shen Xiu sitting calmly at the top, not a hint of excitement on his face, he instinctively shut up.
‘Wow,’ he thought. ‘That’s some mindset. Rock steady!’
‘If I were sitting up there, my tail would be wagging to the sky,’ Xiang Yueting couldn’t help but think.
[This is first place! Why isn’t Boss Shen even smiling?!]
[All I know is, if I were in first place, I’d be grinning so hard my mouth would stretch to my ears. Maybe… that’s exactly why I’ll never be first? Too easy to get cocky?]
“Song Chengwang team, Song Chengwang—3rd place; Lu Fei team, Lu Fei—5th place.”
If Lin Jiashi had placed, his name would’ve been announced along with Zhuang Yi, since they were on the same team. But now He Youna was already announcing the rankings for the Song Chengwang team…
Then… what about him?
No. Impossible… absolutely impossible. Why isn’t my name there…?
No matter what, Lin Jiashi refused to believe that the show’s little “kind reminder” released before the voting actually had an effect—that it convinced many fans who were planning to vote for him without thinking to instead give their votes to other trainees.
In the live chat, the viewers who still liked Lin Jiashi began to realize what had happened—there was no doubt now: Lin Jiashi was 100% getting eliminated.
[N-No way… there were so many sisters in the group chat. I thought, “It won’t matter if I skip voting once. One less from me won’t change anything,” so I voted for An’an instead…]
[Me too… That day I was completely “killed” by Xia Wenhao and Xiang Yueting’s twin demon performance where they hugged and took each other out. I secretly voted for Xiang Yueting. So many people in the group said they were voting for white haired brother… where did they all go?]
[I voted for Ying Zi’ang that day and then left the group chat…]
The newly formed fan group didn’t have strong cohesion. Most joined because of the Lin Jiashi & Ke Zi’an “twin CP” pairing. But “Blood Romance,” the group performance for Round One, was way too impactful—plus, they went head-to-head with Zhuang Yi’s team.
The bond wasn’t deep. These weren’t diehard fans—just casual ones who were happy to support Lin Jiashi when things were going well. But once something truly stunning came along, naturally their votes went to the trainees who gave them that feeling.
And on top of it all, Lin Jiashi had a mishap on stage during Round One. For casual fans, turning from “like” to “meh” after that wasn’t out of the question.
After the impact of “Blood Romance,” Lin Jiashi’s fanbase went through massive dehydration. There weren’t many true diehard fans to begin with, so naturally, he couldn’t compare to the other trainees.
[Hahaha unfollowing in real-time after a live performance? What kind of comedy show is this?]
[Ahem, I’ve been silent all this time, but I can’t hold it in anymore. I admit I was originally drawn to Lin Jiashi among all the trainees because of his unique soft white hair. Plus, he was always with An’an—the two obedient little sweethearts were adorable. But after watching the first public stage, I have to say, who even cares about the Lin Jiashi x An’an twin CP? I’m fully shipping An’an and Tongtong’s clown duo now, hehe.]
[Have some shame. What about our precious White-Hair Brother?]
[This must be the legendary rage of the incompetent, hahaha.]
[LMAO, it’s not like Lin Jiashi is spending money on me. I can like whoever I want and jump ship however I please. As long as I’m happy, who are you to tell me otherwise? Don’t push me, or I’ll go from casual fan to full-on anti.]
The bullet comments were still going wild with arguments, but He Youna continued the announcements unfazed.
“Shang Yu team, Shang Yu—2nd place; Jiang Yanxi team, Jiang Yanxi—7th place.”
“Mu Zhenchu team, Mu Zhenchu—9th place.”
“Ning Sinian team, Ning Sinian—4th place.”
With that, rankings 1 through 72 had all been announced.
The trainees whose names had been called were now seated on the pyramid. The 28 trainees still standing were those about to be eliminated from the show.
He Youna said, “To the trainees whose names weren’t called, I’m sorry. I sincerely hope that everything you experienced here will one day be nothing more than a small setback in your brilliant and shining future. I wish you all the best in what’s to come.”
Among the eliminated trainees, some couldn’t hold back their emotions—eyes turning red, heads lowered as they wiped away tears. Some clung to others who were also eliminated, holding each other tightly. Others stood frozen, unable or unwilling to accept the outcome, their expressions blank, speechless.
Lin Jiashi was one of those who stood in silence.
Ever since the rankings were announced and his name wasn’t among them, he had looked as though his soul had been drained. He stood there, pale as a sheet, biting his lower lip with reddened eyes.
“I don’t want to leave yet…”
“If—if I had worked harder earlier, would the result have been different?”
“Don’t be sad, it’s okay. We’re still young. There will be more chances in the future.”
“Why me… why…”
“Maybe I’m just not cut out for the stage after all…”
Watching the scene unfold, the trainees who had secured a seat on the pyramid felt equally heavy-hearted.
They couldn’t help but imagine themselves in the same position. They had survived this round—but what about the next?
When it’s their turn to go, would they break down even harder?
It was terrifying…
The atmosphere at the venue grew increasingly somber. Some trainees who had made it onto the pyramid but were close with those eliminated couldn’t help but climb down and walk over, hugging their friends and offering comfort.
After about five minutes of oppressive silence, He Youna suddenly spoke.
“Do you all remember what He Ting said before the first performance began?”
Hearing her voice, the trainees instinctively turned their eyes toward her.
He Youna raised the card in her hand slightly and said, “In the six group battles, the trainee who received the highest number of votes in each battle will be granted a special privilege.”
“The six trainees who ranked first in their respective battles are Shen Xiu, Song Chengwang, Shang Yu, Mu Zhenchu, Wen Yinglang, and Ning Sinian.”
“Each of you will have one chance to bring back a trainee who was eliminated during the same round of group battles.”
[Whoa, they can do that?]
[LOL, for people who watch survival shows, this is actually pretty standard.]
[Shen Xiu, please, we’re begging you to revive our White-Haired Little Brother! For the sake of you both having rocked white-haired looks before—and besides, our little white-haired brother is even your fan, please don’t break his heart!]
[?? What nonsense, don’t try to cling to him now!]
[Now you know how to beg? You weren’t saying that before. Weren’t you all running your mouths before, claiming that our Demon King Shen was copying your white-haired idol’s look? Saying your little brother would definitely place higher? Lol, what a joke.]
[If someone from Shen Xiu’s team had been eliminated, obviously he’d revive his own teammate without hesitation. But the problem is—he’s too strong! He led his whole team to “ascend,” there’s literally no one to revive! Now he has to use his revival chance on someone from Zhuang Yi’s team. I’m curious—he’s not even that familiar with them. Who will he choose to save?]
“Shen Xiu, please come stand beside me,” He Youna said, her gaze settling on Shen Xiu.
“Since no one from Shen Xiu’s team was eliminated, you will now choose one trainee from Zhuang Yi’s team who was eliminated and use your revival privilege to bring them back to the stage.”
