Chapter 50: Second Performance (5)
The next day.
At 9 a.m., when Xue Yi entered the 10th floor practice room holding a stack of cards, all 78 trainees were already seated neatly.
However, they were all a little puzzled — why were there tissues placed on the armrests of their seats?
Walking to the front, Xue Yi casually teased, “Looks like everyone is very concerned about the second round of rankings.”
Hearing this, the trainees below thought silently: ‘Well, duh!’
This ranking decided whether they could stay on this stage or if their journey in the show would end.
Of course they cared!
But, mindful that the man standing in front of them was the famously sharp-tongued Instructor Xue, none of them dared to speak their minds aloud. They could only grumble internally, not daring to make a sound for fear of getting called out.
“Ahem…” Xue Yi adjusted the mic clipped near his mouth, cleared his throat, and spoke with a serious and formal tone: “At 9:10, the second round of rankings will begin. I ask all trainees to prepare themselves mentally.”
Every second that ticked by felt like an eternity.
The trainees craned their necks, staring at the clock on the wall, their nerves stretched tight.
The atmosphere in the practice room was suffocatingly tense, so heavy it felt hard to even breathe.
Watching the trainees’ anxious and uneasy faces, Xue Yi let out a slight sigh in his heart.
He had warned them countless times before.
Hopefully, when the rankings were announced later, everyone would be able to handle it.
Xue Yi scanned the room with his eyes, almost immediately spotting the figure of Shen Xiu in the far left corner of the last row.
Xue Yi noticed that since he had announced that the second round of rankings would start in ten minutes, Shen Xiu hadn’t once looked up at the clock in front of him. His gaze remained slightly lowered, his expression indifferent, as though he couldn’t care less about the ranking results.
Thinking about the rankings on the cards, Xue Yi silently smiled.
Shen Xiu’s calm and collected demeanor—despite the second round of rankings not even having started yet—seemed to suggest that he already had everything under control.
After the devilish training from Xue Yi, Shen Xiu had come to associate Xue Yi with fear.
Shen Xiu knew that Xue Yi was standing at the front, and that looking up would make their gazes meet. Remembering the terror of being controlled by Xue Yi in the past, Shen Xiu stubbornly refused to raise his eyes. He kept staring at the back of the chair in front of him, not daring to let his gaze wander.
Soon, Shen Xiu realized that Xue Yi’s gaze was fixed on him. To avoid making eye contact, which would inevitably lead to forced social interaction, or even worse—being randomly called up to the stage?
No matter which result it was, for Shen Xiu, both were like a thunderclap on a clear day.
Pretending not to notice, Shen Xiu continued to glare at the chairback, gritting his teeth as he endured the deathly stare coming from his instructor.
Although Shen Xiu didn’t quite understand why Xue Yi always had his eyes on him, couldn’t he just pretend he didn’t exist?
After what felt like an eternity, ten full minutes passed, and at exactly 9:10, Xue Yi spoke up: “We will now begin the second round of rankings.”
“The second round of rankings will differ from the first. We will start from the debut positions, and as you all have seen, the rankings will be announced here in the 10th-floor practice room, so there won’t be the pyramid throne for the trainees ranked for debut to sit in this time.”
“We will now announce the rankings for positions 1 through 9. When your name is called, please stand up and come to the back of the room.”
The trainees: “…”
For some reason, thinking about the program team’s usual behavior, the trainees had an ominous feeling.
[I feel like something’s a little off.]
[I think I get it now. Without the pyramid, we can’t count the number of trainees in the rankings, so we have no idea how many trainees are going to be ranked this time?!]
[I remember Teacher Xue’s countless reminders, and all the words he used like bad news, disasters… there’s definitely something shady going on!]
While the audience was nervously sweating for the trainees, Shen Xiu was also wiping a cold sweat for himself.
Shen Xiu had carefully watched every group’s performance, and after analyzing them, he believed he would make it into the top three.
However, based on what Teacher Xue just said, Shen Xiu quickly realized a terrifying fact.
He was about to have to stand behind Teacher Xue!
Xue Yi was holding the ranking list, which would attract the attention of all the trainees, meaning that by standing behind Xue Yi, Shen Xiu would almost certainly be under the scrutiny of everyone in the room, their eyes on him until the ranking announcement ended.
Shen Xiu: “…”
This was doubly horrifying. It was worse than sitting on the pyramid!
“First place…” Xue Yi’s gaze landed on Shen Xiu in the last row. “Shen Xiu, congratulations.”
Shen Xiu stood up, his voice stiff as he said, “…Thank you.”
Under the scorching stares of everyone, Shen Xiu walked up to the stage.
“Second place, Shang Yu, congratulations!”
“Third place, Song Chengwang, congratulations!”
On stage, Shen Xiu thought for a few seconds, then decisively stood behind Xue Yi.
Xue Yi was shorter than Shen Xiu, and with Shen Xiu being so tall, he easily towered over Xue Yi. Xue Yi couldn’t block Shen Xiu’s presence.
Realizing this unfortunate truth, Shen Xiu wanted to move, but it was already too late. Shang Yu and Song Chengwang had already stood to his left and right.
Song Chengwang: “Hehe, the spot next to you is mine now. Xiang Yueting’s going to puke when he sees this.”
Shang Yu was speechless. Could these two stop being so childish all the time?
Shen ‘stuck in the middle’ Xiu: “…”
Great, now he was stuck between them and couldn’t move. The trainees ahead could see his head over Xue Yi’s shoulder… this was getting weird the more he thought about it!
“Xiang Yueting, Mu Zhenchu, Ning Sinian, Zhuang Yi, Xia Wenhao, Jiang Yanxi.”
Hearing his name, Xiang Yueting was the first to rush onto the stage. He was separated from Shen Xiu by Song Chengwang, and on stage, they exchanged angry glares.
“What are you looking at?” Song Chengwang grinned, adding fuel to the fire. “Who told you you’re worse than me? If you’re bad, at least know your place, understand?”
Xiang Yueting shot back without hesitation: “Understand your foot!”
[You can practically feel Xiang Yueting’s dislike for Song Chengwang through the screen, haha.]
[Visualizing a Husky and a Golden Retriever.]
After the rankings for positions 1-9 were announced, Xue Yi continued: “Now we’ll announce the rankings for positions 10-18.”
“Rong Cheng, Lu Fei, Ke Zi’an…”
“Now we’ll announce the rankings for positions 19-27.”
“Zhou Tong, Lu Qian, Ye Cheng…”
The trainees whose names were called let out a sigh of relief, their nervous expressions vanishing. They strode up to the stage, and only once they were standing there did their hearts finally settle.
As the rankings moved further down, the number of people still seated below grew smaller, and the remaining trainees sitting in the lower rows became even more tense.
The trainees closest to each other could even hear the frantic beating of each other’s hearts in the silence, their nerves palpable.
“Now we’ll announce the rankings for positions 28-36.”
“Gao Yongshi, Jiang Yuheng…”
After reading the last name in the 28-36 ranking, Xue Yi paused, watching the trainees who were called step up to the stage with expressions of relief. Meanwhile, the trainees still sitting below looked even more nervous.
Xue Yi let out a deep sigh in his heart. Although it was harsh, he still had to say it.
Xue Yi lowered the card he was holding and looked at the trainees still seated below.
The trainees below had been staring at the card in Xue Yi’s hand. When they saw him put it down, an ominous feeling immediately rose in their hearts.
Someone couldn’t help but ask softly, “Why aren’t you reading anymore?”
Xue Yi took the opportunity to speak: “The second ranking announcement ends here.”
Upon hearing this, the trainees still seated below turned pale, their faces drained of color.
Someone muttered in disbelief, “No… this can’t be…”
Someone else forced a smile, unwilling to believe it: “How can there be so few in the second ranking? Teacher Xue, you must be joking with us, right?”
“Yeah, Teacher Xue, this can’t be true.”
“In the other talent shows I’ve watched, they never eliminate this many at once…”
The voices of those who were emotionally unstable cracked, their eyes reddening with tears.
The trainees who had been ranked in the second batch behind Xue Yi were also unwilling to believe it.
“This is too sudden…”
“This can’t be real, right?”
“This is so cruel, the program team must be joking…”
Shen Xiu remembered the earlier warnings from Xue Yi and the host of the program. He thought this must be the bad news they had been talking about.
Shen Xiu’s teammates, whether in the front or the back rows, instinctively looked around for their teammates upon hearing the news.
When their eyes met, they saw the same shock reflected in each other’s eyes.
At this moment, they all had one thought in their minds:
No wonder Captain Xiu said this was their last stage. Captain Xiu had already predicted today’s situation, foreseen the ruthless cruelty of the program team, and had warned them in advance. “Last stage” had a deeper meaning, and they were too naïve to realize it!
If they had been lazy after that day, not putting in effort during training, they would now be among those eliminated and sitting below.
The members of Shen Xiu’s team were emotionally stirred, all looking toward Shen Xiu, who stood at the center of the front row.
Their Captain Xiu—was truly incredible!
Noticing the gaze from behind, Shen Xiu felt his scalp tingle.
Again… he was being watched for no reason.
Shen · Nervous · Xiu.jpg.
No matter what the others said, Xue Yi didn’t respond, giving the trainees behind and below time to vent their emotions.
After five minutes, when the trainees had calmed down slightly, Xue Yi spoke: “This is not a joke. The 36 trainees in the second ranking have all stood behind me. For those whose names weren’t called, sorry, you have been eliminated.”
The trainees below looked at Xue Yi’s serious expression. Although they didn’t want to believe it, they had to admit that Xue Yi was truly not joking.
“Why… so sudden…?”
Xue Yi: “It’s not sudden. Do you remember what I said before the second round of training started and before the second stage performance? I mentioned it then, subtly warning everyone to work harder, to give it their all.”
The trainees recalled it, biting their lower lips, their faces pale.
That vague reminder—how could they have understood it at the time!
[I’m dumbfounded, didn’t see this coming at all! Me, in front of the screen, am just as shocked as the eliminated trainees.]
[I have to say, this is really cruel. There was no news beforehand, only subtle reminders, and now they’ve pulled out the dragon-slaying sword and chopped it all down with one blow. Who could have expected this?]
[Has anyone noticed? Shen Xiu’s entire team made it into the ranking list?!]
[Once again, we’ve witnessed the program team’s tricky moves.]
The trainees who weren’t on the second ranking list asked desperately: “Teacher Xue, when will the winners’ group trainees be allowed to use their revival rights?”
“Yeah, Teacher Xue.”
This was their only chance to revive.
Last time there were six winners’ groups, which could revive six trainees. This time, there are four winners’ groups. Does that mean four debut spots will be used to revive four eliminated contestants?
Seeing the hopeful expressions on everyone’s faces, Xue Yi ruthlessly spoke: “No way, no way. You really thought there would be revival rights this time? What are you thinking? No, there’s none. Not a single one.”
“Remember the bad news I mentioned before the second public performance? This is it. The second ranking release of Youth Unstoppable will not have any eliminated trainees reviving.”
Looking at the pale-faced eliminated trainees, Xue Yi continued: “Sorry, you’ve really experienced how cruel society can be.”
“But… there’s nothing we can do.”
Xue Yi shrugged: “Reality is that cruel. Sometimes, good luck might come your way, and that’s the favor of fate. But you can’t keep relying on fate. How many times can fate favor you? So, it’s best to have your destiny firmly in your hands. Don’t blame the program team for being cruel.”
As soon as these words were said, it was as if all the eliminated trainees’ paths to survival were severed.
Their journey on the talent show was officially over, with no chance of resurrection. The trainees in the audience began crying for real, hugging their fellow eliminated friends and sobbing, occasionally pulling tissues from the chairs to wipe their tears.
The trainees on stage, seeing the heartbreaking and disheveled appearance of the trainees below, felt both distressed and deeply shaken.
At least on this talent show, they realized there could be no hope for luck; the only thing they could do was work themselves to the bone.
That way, even if they were eliminated, they would have no regrets.
The atmosphere on-site and in the live broadcast room was heavy.
[…The production team really went too far this time. It’s not just that those who slack off will be eliminated; it’s that if you try but don’t try hard enough, if you lack talent—these situations will all lead to being ruthlessly driven off the stage.]
[The atmosphere is so tense; even the trainees who made it through the rankings must have been scared.]
[No wonder there are tissues on the armrests… I can only say the production team is a little considerate, but not much.]
The eliminated trainees, like Xue Yi, comforted each other, and after about ten minutes, everyone calmed down a little. Xue Yi then continued speaking.
“The production team will give each of you the dress you wore at the last banquet as a parting gift.”
Upon hearing Xue Yi’s words, the trainees, whose eyes were red just moments ago, turned to look at him in disbelief, their eyes wide open. “Really?”
Xue Yi nodded. “Of course, it’s true. And I’ll tell you, those dresses were all brand new, and only you guys have worn them from start to finish.”
Hearing Xue Yi’s answer, the eliminated trainees looked at each other for a moment before they suddenly cheered in happiness.
“Awesome!”
“Ahhh, luckily the one I picked looks really expensive!”
“The one I picked can also be worn casually, perfect!”
It wasn’t that everyone was greedy for money, but since elimination was a done deal, receiving such expensive dresses as gifts seemed… not bad at all.
After all, those dresses were really quite expensive. Even if they didn’t wear them again, just hanging them in the closet would be romantic in its own way.
Xue Yi: “…”
Wait a minute, was it really that easy to appease them?
After the ranking announcement for the second public performance, due to the production team’s ruthless actions, even before the rankings announcement had ended, topics related to the show Youth Unstoppable and its trainees were already trending hot on forums.
Fans of the show engaged in heated debates about the actions of the production team.
[Baba Forum]
Thread Topic: Although many people are saying the production team is heartless, I think the production team was right. I hope future talent shows can follow this example—no lazy boy bands in the auditions!
1F: Although the OP didn’t say which show, I decoded it in a second. I’ll be honest, I don’t think they were too harsh. XY (Xue Yi) is right; one chance is lucky, but why should we keep relying on that kind of lucky fate every time?
2F: Plus, XY had warned everyone many times, telling them to work harder. I vaguely remember XY even mentioned that the number of eliminations might increase.
3F: After watching the second public performance ranking, fans of the show say the eliminated trainees all had some issues on stage, so it’s normal that their votes were low.
4F: Eliminated trainees can still take home the dresses they wore at the last farewell banquet. I think that’s already pretty good. After all, they’re really expensive. I checked the price online, and it seems like the production team basically gave them a valuable farewell gift.
5F: I totally agree. Even if they don’t wear them again, selling them online would still be a lot of money.
6F: I suspect the people complaining about the production team have probably been spoiled by talent shows with a lot of editing space where things were easier.
7F: If that’s the case, I suggest you stop watching this show. From the production team to the demon king X, it’s all devilish—this is truly a wolf-like boy group audition.
8F: Now that I think about it, the production team didn’t seem that intense at the start, but later they were definitely pushed by the king of intensity, X. Also… seeing how calm X looks, is it possible he already guessed this kind of bold move from the production team? That’s why he didn’t seem surprised?
9F: By the way, did anyone notice that ZMW (Zhao Mingwei) got taller? Did he take some hormones to suddenly grow several centimeters?
10F: Getting taller is nothing. The real unsolved mystery is why SX (Shen Xiu) was able to successfully remove cringe in just a few days?
11F: I feel like the truth will come out in the behind-the-scenes training videos, but… based on that trending topic about helping with cringe removal, it looks like they didn’t manage to get rid of the cringe in private…
12F: But… the production team is so annoying. The ranking has been released, but they still haven’t shown us the behind-the-scenes footage!
13F: +111111 So annoying!
14F: They’re really guilty of a terrible crime!
15F: Strongly condemn!
16F: Wait? Why did this thread go off-topic? Weren’t we discussing whether the production team is ruthless or not?
—
10th Floor Practice Room.
Although Xue Yi didn’t quite understand why today’s youth could let things go so easily, seeing that everyone had been appeased, his sense of guilt about the production team’s secrecy toward the trainees was significantly eased.
He continued, “Now, I’ll announce the good news I mentioned before the second public ranking.”
Xue Yi turned to face the 36 trainees who had just gone through the second ranking release: “The top 9 trainees, please gather at the entrance of Training Camp gate 2 in three days. You’ll be leaving the ‘Youth Unstoppable’ base to participate in a live variety show.”
