Big Shot Ch.76

Chapter 76: Final Preparations (1)

Upon hearing the words “finals,” the expressions of the nine people present instinctively turned serious. The atmosphere grew tense as they all simultaneously looked up at Xue Yi.

“Teacher Xue, go ahead.”

“I’m ready too!”

“I’m fully prepared to face the challenge!”

Although they had known all along that only nine people would make it to debut, and now out of the original 100 trainees, only they remained—

Still… the production team was known for their unpredictability. Until the very last moment, none of them dared to truly relax.

What if the production team decided to eliminate someone during the finals?

So everyone had already prepared for the worst-case scenario.

Seeing how focused and tense they were, Xue Yi paused for a few seconds, then couldn’t resist making a playful remark: “Tsk, the atmosphere’s awfully intense.”

The trainees, waiting seriously: “…”

Who’s the one not being serious now?

Of course, in other talent shows, once it was down to the final nine, it usually meant you’d secured your debut spot regardless of how poorly you performed. That alone would’ve been enough to ease the pressure.

But they were dealing with Youth Unstoppable’s production team—the kind that, if you let your guard down even a little, might just kick you out of the debut lineup altogether.

So how could anyone afford not to take it seriously?

“Ahem… Alright, enough jokes.”

“The final will be conducted in solo performance format.”

“What?” The trainees were stunned.

“Teacher Xue, aren’t we debuting as a group? Why are we suddenly going solo for the finals?”

“Yeah, this is way too unexpected.”

“All I can say is, classic move by the production team.”

“I guessed it… but not completely. I did expect the production team to pull some wild stunt—but I didn’t expect we’d all end up debuting solo in the finals.”

[Ah… this is unheard of, unseen.]

[When faced with unprecedented nonsense, don’t panic—after all, here we are witnessing it firsthand! (dog emoji)]

There were only nine trainees and Xue Yi left in the practice room—just ten people in total. Whatever anyone said could easily be heard by everyone else.

Xue Yi glanced at the wall clock and gave them three minutes to discuss, before speaking again.

“Alright, quiet down. I haven’t even finished explaining the rules yet—no need to panic.”

“Just stay calm.” His eyes fell on Shen Xiu. “Look at Shen Xiu—hasn’t said a single word this whole time. Learn from him: calm and composed, like Mount Tai collapsing before him and he doesn’t even blink. OK?”

Caught off guard by the sudden attention, Shen Xiu replied nervously, “Teacher Xue… I just don’t know what to say…”

Ever since the group dinner last time, he had secretly been trying to join in the group conversations whenever everyone talked.

But alas… with very little success.

Everyone talked so fast. In order to avoid stumbling over his words, he always drafted what he wanted to say in his head first.

The problem was, by the time he finished drafting his sentence and figured out how to follow up on someone’s comment, someone else had already jumped in.

That was why he hadn’t said a single word during those three minutes.

Was it that he didn’t want to speak?

Ha. It’s that he was too bad at it!

Especially that Xiang Yueting—why did he always manage to say enough for three people all by himself?

After answering Teacher Xue, Shen Xiu mentally reviewed the whole interaction and came to a conclusion:

Trying to follow a group conversation? Too hard for him.

He was way better at one-on-one chats!

Yes, in order to maintain harmony within the team—even when Shang Yu and Song Chengwang had conflicts, they were able to resolve things in one second just to keep him from telling the others—he naturally felt he, too, needed to work harder to fit in and get along with everyone.

Xue Yi nodded in satisfaction, letting out a sigh of admiration. “It really had to be you.”

This kind of dramatic twist from the production team might have come as a sudden “shock” to other trainees.

But to someone like Shen Xiu, who had already predicted it—or was simply so strong that no twist could rattle him—it truly wasn’t worth making a fuss over.

A solo competition for everyone? Big deal!

The eight people sitting to Shen Xiu’s left exchanged glances, all seeing the same look of awe in each other’s eyes: As expected of Shen Xiu!

Shen Xiu, on the other hand, didn’t know how to respond to Xue Yi’s words and just awkwardly fell silent.

Sure enough, Teacher Xue wasn’t just sharp-tongued—he was sharp-eyed too. He had clearly seen through Shen Xiu’s struggle to join in group discussions.

That short sentence, “It had to be you,” proved that Teacher Xue hadn’t just noticed it today—he’d probably seen through him a long time ago!

And yet he waited until now to bring it up—Teacher Xue really was a kind person. Shen Xiu was touched.

After the casual chat, Xue Yi finally continued, “Each of you will have your own solo stage. After each solo performance, there will be a collective vote.”

“Of course, this is only the first round of voting. The results of this round will account for 50% of the final rankings.”

Shang Yu quickly picked up on the key point: “Teacher Xue, so aside from the solo competition, there’s also going to be a group stage?”

Xue Yi nodded. “That’s right.”

“The final night will include two performances: the first is the solo stage competition, and the second will feature all nine of you on stage together.”

“After the second performance, there will be a second round of voting, and this round will also account for 50% of the final ranking.”

[Got it—two rounds of performances… Wait, that’s ten full stages we get to watch! Ahhh I’m already so hyped! When are tickets going on sale? I literally can’t wait!]

[This also means the rankings will be even more intense. Once the final rankings are out, whoever’s at the top will clearly be the best in both individual skill and group presence. Such a well-structured show!]

[Just realized—this show doesn’t have the classic “challenge match” segment! Honestly, that’s a relief. Some gossip blogger ran a poll recently, and somehow Lin Jiashi was voted as the top pick to crash the finals. Who even voted for that? So weird.]

[Isn’t it obvious? Lin Jiashi’s fans and all those bots they bought. He’s been getting insane resources lately. Seriously, people will like anything these days. Thank goodness the show didn’t include that segment—totally slapped him in the face. Wait… does this mean in both voting rounds, we can only vote for one person each time?!]

[Oh crap, you’re right! I’m doomed—I have choice paralysis! How am I supposed to choose between Xiu-baby, Brother Wang, and Brother Ha? This is too cruel!]

[Doesn’t matter—Brother Shen has always been my one and only bias (dog emoji holding rose).]

Xue Yi clapped his hands. “Come in.”

With two sharp claps, a staff member entered the practice room, pushing in a large black box.

The trainees immediately caught on.

“We’re drawing lots for our performance songs, right?”

“Eight or nine out of ten chance, yeah.”

“God knows what kind of songs the production team threw in there. Please let me draw something that’s not too hard… but also not too easy. Ideally, something cool—song or dance, just let it be cool.”

[LOL—this obsession with ‘cool’ really is in his bones.]

[With how fixated Xiang Yueting is, I bet even if you whispered ‘handsome guy’ next to his ear in the middle of the night, he’d snap his eyes open and answer on the spot.]

[Hahaha the immersion is too real—I’m already laughing. And no, don’t get me wrong. I’m not imagining myself as the handsome guy—I’m imagining myself as the one whispering next to Xiang Yueting’s ear~]

After the staff member entered, Xue Yi turned his gaze to the trainees below.

“There are 100 songs in the box, spanning a variety of styles. What you draw is entirely up to luck.”

“Come on up. Let’s begin.”

The trainees had originally assumed there would only be nine songs—one per person. That would mean good songs could get snatched up early, leaving the rest with subpar ones. After all… nine songs total didn’t offer much choice.

So when they heard there were a hundred songs, their eyes lit up.

The production team—truly worthy of their reputation—always managed to surprise them in unexpected ways.

If it all comes down to luck… then what are you standing around for? Start praying!

The trainees walked toward the stage with calm expressions, but were all silently praying to the heavens in unison for a bit of good fortune.

Now, if someone had asked any of the trainees (aside from Shen Xiu) whether Shen Xiu would pray just like them, the answer would have been unanimous:

Shen Xiu? Pray?

Ha. No way. Absolutely not!

And yet—the reality was…

From the moment Shen Xiu heard Xue Yi’s words, he immediately recalled his own notoriously cursed luck and instantly began praying. His prayers covered everything from Eastern to Western traditions.

A textbook case of: desperate times, desperate measures.

Since there were a hundred songs to draw from, and no repeats, there was no risk of overlapping choices—only luck mattered.

And since luck wasn’t influenced by the order of drawing, no one rushed or fought to go first.

In fact, Shen Xiu deliberately delayed his draw, hoping a longer prayer might improve his odds. He was the very last to reach into the sleek black box and pull out an envelope.

Xue Yi watched Shen Xiu’s calm and composed demeanor and felt even more certain—whatever result Shen Xiu drew, he probably didn’t care in the slightest.

Once all nine had their envelopes in hand, none of them returned to their seats. Instead, as if by unspoken agreement, they remained up front with Xue Yi, lining up naturally.

The staff member carrying the black box exited the room, and Xue Yi spoke up again.

“The song in your envelope will be the piece you perform in the first round of the finals.”

The moment he finished that sentence—and before he could say anything more—Xiang Yueting had already eagerly torn open his envelope, completely oblivious to any buildup.

Xue Yi quickly continued, “A friendly reminder: until the first round of the finals, please keep your song selections confidential.”

Xiang Yueting instantly shoved the envelope behind his back in a panic, narrowly dodging a premature reveal.

They say ‘know yourself and know your enemy, and you’ll win a hundred battles’—he almost gave away his whole strategy!

Besides, maintaining a sense of mystery before the finals meant that when they finally revealed their songs onstage, the audience would be in for a surprise!

Once he made that connection, Xiang Yueting looked at Xue Yi with a face full of admiration. “Teacher Xue, you’re actually really nice!”

[Ugh, this production team is the worst—they’re always making me die of curiosity!]

[So what now, mute the show? Happy cat faces?]

The corner of Xue Yi’s eye twitched. “…As long as you’re happy.”

Truly, Xiang Yueting lived up to his nickname given lovingly by chaotic netizens—the husky in human form. Who wouldn’t want to call him a silly pup after watching him?

Didn’t he notice that everyone else, after receiving their envelopes, hadn’t made a single move to peek or show their “hand”? Clearly, intelligence isn’t contagious.

Of course, calling Xiang Yueting a “silly dog” came with no malice at all—it was just too entertaining not to.

Xue Yi truly admired Xiang Yueting. Among a group of teammates who stood out for their good looks, Xiang Yueting had forged a completely different path—carving his way to popularity online through sheer goofiness. He had become the fourth most-voted trainee, right behind Shen Xiu, Shang Yu, and Song Chengwang.

Having successfully preserved the mystery around his performance, Xiang Yueting beamed. “I really am super happy right now.”

Xue Yi raised a hand to his forehead. Thanks for the invite—I’m currently live on a talent show set, and this goof has absolutely gotten to me!

Letting out a deep sigh, Xue Yi pulled out a card and, as he held it up for the trainees to see, announced: “This is the track for your second stage performance in the finals.”

Upon seeing the title, several gasps rippled through the group.

“Eternal Starlight!”

“As a finale song… yeah, this really fits.”

“Could this be the production team giving us their blessing or something…?”

Xue Yi lowered the card. “For the second stage of the finals, based on the rankings of the last three performances, the production team has chosen Shen Xiu as the center and captain. Anyone object?”

Among the nine of them, if the center had been assigned to anyone other than Shen Xiu, there might have been some competition. But if it was Shen Xiu?

There wasn’t even a flicker of interest in challenging that decision.

After all… they wouldn’t win anyway. Only a fool would ask to be humiliated.

“Nope.”

“No objections.”

“None from me either.”

…

Not one of the eight voiced any dissent.

Xue Yi continued, “You’ll have five days of training. The finals will begin promptly at 6:00 p.m. on the seventh day.”

“Wait, Teacher Xue—what happened to the sixth day?”

“The finals are on the seventh night, right? Shouldn’t that mean six days of training?”

Xue Yi explained, “Training will last five days. On the third day, the production team will give you your phones and assign drivers. You can choose to call your families, have the driver take you home to reunite with them, or stay here at the training camp to continue practicing—it’s up to you.”

According to what Shi Buwen said, before the finals, it’s very important for the trainees to receive encouragement and support from their families—to have a meal or chat with them.

“Of course, by midnight on the third day, you must finish editing the vlog footage from your outing yesterday and pin it to the top of your respective Weibo pages.”

[If you do the math, each person has to practice two songs before the finals, and they’re only given five days total for both. How is anyone supposed to manage that? As expected, the later it gets, the stricter the production team becomes.]

[A vlog!!! Ahhh I can finally find out where the babies went to have fun yesterday!]

[Wild guess: they went to Xiang Yueting’s place. Last time on stage, he said he wanted to invite everyone over to see his snakes.]

[Wuwuwu not gonna lie, I really want to visit Xiu-baby’s place.]

[As a fellow Xiuologist, same! I’m seriously curious what kind of bedroom someone like the Demon King Xiu would have. Something ascetic and minimalist? A room that oozes the same cold aura as him… huff huff…]

[Ahem, sister, this comment section isn’t the wild west. I’ve picked up your fallen shame for you this time, but don’t let it drop again—otherwise where am I supposed to throw my shame?]

[Wait… what on earth are you guys even talking about?]

Vlog?

Hearing that word, the nine of them collectively felt a guilty chill.

Because yesterday, they had just been having fun. Even though they recorded a lot of footage, well… it was mostly just cool selfies and vanity shots of themselves in various places.

Other people’s vlogs usually show off food, fun, and famous sights—they’re full-on travel diaries. If they upload these kinds of vlogs, won’t the fans think they’re being lazy and call them out? Wait, didn’t Shang Yu also hire a photographer to shoot photos and videos for them?

If they just upload a few more clips, maybe they can distract the fans enough to avoid getting completely roasted… right?

Xue Yi didn’t quite understand why the topic of the vlog came up, but aside from Shen Xiu, the expressions of the other trainees shifted several times.

“Let’s take a moment to enjoy the commercial short film of the third performance’s ‘Popularity King’—Song Chengwang.”

With that, Xue Yi inserted the USB drive into the multimedia console and played the ad that had already been released to the market…

Under the dazzling sunlight, Song Chengwang walked barefoot on the beach.

Wearing nothing but a pair of lemon-print shorts, he carried a surfboard and made his way toward a lemon-yellow umbrella on the sand. Droplets of seawater rolled off his tanned skin as he moved.

When he reached the table under the umbrella, a bottle of icy lemon juice sat there emitting a chilled mist, along with another bottle of equally cold kiwi juice.

On the bottles, his name “Song Chengwang” was printed on the lemon one, while “Shen Xiu” was printed on the kiwi one.

Song Chengwang’s gaze shifted between the two bottles for a few seconds, then he picked up the cold lemon juice and drank it all in one go, letting out a satisfied sigh of refreshment. Then he turned to the camera and flashed a brilliant smile in the sun.

“Crushed Icy Lemon pairs best with summer-fresh Kiwi~”

With the rising intonation of his final line, the commercial ended.

“You can do that? Icy Lemon and Kiwi as a CP? What a bizarre combo.”

“If I didn’t know Song Chengwang had definitely filmed that in a studio, I’d think he actually went surfing at the beach. That acting was solid—I’d totally break character and laugh.”

“Song Chengwang is really clever. Tying the two drinks together like that, they’re definitely going to sell out.”

After the ad finished, Song Chengwang immediately looked at Xiang Yueting with a pleased expression. “Jealous? Doesn’t it make you want to have a taste of that lemon~?”

Blinded by jealousy, Xiang Yueting could only mutter in frustration: “Damn it, damn it, damn it!”

Shang Yu’s gaze swept back and forth between Xiang Yueting and Song Chengwang. At this moment, he deeply suspected that Song Chengwang had deliberately chosen the lemon flavor—just to give Xiang Yueting a sharp jab of sourness.

After all… among the remaining trainees, no one could deny that Xiang Yueting was the one closest to Shen Xiu.

The strong naturally exude charm, and someone who stayed so close to that strength without even realizing it would, of course, attract attention—especially from someone like Song Chengwang, who never held back when he was unhappy.

“All right, that’s the end of the final round’s rules. Everyone, we’ll meet again in seven days. You can use the rest of today as you see fit.”

After saying this, Xue Yi quickly left the practice room.

The nine of them exchanged looks, silently agreeing not to bring up each other’s solo pieces, only mentioning the group performance, Eternal Starlight.

Though they were all already in debut positions… putting aside any potential shady tactics the production team might pull to reduce debut spots, they each wanted to rank higher in the final.

They’d fought this hard to get to the finals—how could they not push even harder now?

Shang Yu was the first to speak: “Let’s head to the cafeteria and eat first. After that, we’ll go back to the practice room and break down the choreography and lyrics for Sternal Starlight, then divide up the parts.”

Song Chengwang nodded. “Agreed. The training time they gave us is way too short. Best if we get it all done today.”

Ning Sinian spoke up weakly, “Then… when are we practicing our solo pieces, and when are we doing the group one?”

As soon as he said that, the room fell into a temporary silence.

Both the solo stage and group stage counted for 50%—equally important.

The silence gave Shen Xiu the perfect chance to try blending into the group, and the script he had mentally prepared finally came into use.

“Solo practice doesn’t require coordination and takes less time—two days of training. Group practice needs teamwork and takes longer—three days.”

“Starting tomorrow, we’ll count the days. On the third day, we’ll get our phones. Let’s set the third day as a boundary. Tomorrow and the day after, we’ll each practice our solo pieces. After the third day, we’ll focus on practicing Eternal Starlight together.”

Shen Xiu finished his prepared speech in one go without pausing, and silently gave himself a mental thumbs-up.

“Sounds reasonable. I think this proposal is good.”

“Even though the production team gave five days for two songs, according to Shen Xiu’s calculation, it somehow reached an oddly perfect balance.”

“Agreed.”

Shen Xiu’s suggestion took various factors into account, and the group agreed.

Shen Xiu: “!”

Not bad, today’s attempt to blend in with the group was a success!

[As expected of Master Xiu, trying to stay as fair as possible.]

[Strong yet selfless, considering the group… Following this boss, I have no regrets in this life!]

[LMAO. Boss? What a joke. Who has a boss who works until the dorm doors are locked and still comes back?]

[What’s going on?]

[Someone claiming to be Master Xiu’s roommate is purposely causing trouble before the finals to affect Master Xiu’s state. They’ve leaked some personal details, and they sound pretty certain about it.]

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