Chapter Forty-Five: First Stage

Fancy is a seven-member group from Beijing Forestry University's music department. After being called upon, they went to prepare.

Meng Fanxi felt she was overreacting. Why would she feel awkward because of an English word? Forget it, forget the memory of using it as her English name.

But the others weren't going to let him off the hook.

Gu Huailang raised his eyebrows slightly and revealed an unusually bright and teasing smile for the first time on the set of the show: "Same name?"

Meng Fanxi wanted to roll his eyes. How could he have been so stupid as to introduce his English name as Fancy to Wei Ye, that loudmouth? How embarrassing.

He remained silent, trying his best to suppress his expression.

Xu You: "Are you shy?"

Ren Yuchen stroked his chin thoughtfully: "It's quite impressive that a show has two Fancy shows."

"..."

Meng Fanxi's ears turned bright red, and he whispered to Lin Ruo for help: "Captain, do something about them."

Lin Ruohe comforted her, "Fancy, you'll get used to it if we call you that more often."

Zhang Yang smiled slightly and tilted his head: "It suits you very well."

"..." Meng Fanxi smiled.

This little incident didn't attract much attention, except for Jin Ziran.

Sitting high up, one could easily see the entire scene. Jin Ziran watched their interaction with an expressionless face, which was extremely irritating.

Fancy delivered a cool and energetic dance performance, but their rendition of the song was just average.

Aside from the eye-catching opening group dance, the performance had no other highlights.

The final score was average, and the rating was C, which is a bit risky.

Meng Fanxi noticed one of the boys. He seemed to have a solid foundation, and he was refreshing and sincere. He looked at the judges attentively and listened to their evaluations with focused eyes. There was a strange sense of warmth in him.

His name tag read: Zhong Zhu.

I don't think I had any impression of this name in the entertainment industry in my previous life.

The sight of him encouraging his teammates as they walked off the stage looking dejected inexplicably reminded him of himself in a past life.

Back then, when the W1 team made a mistake during practice and were scolded by the coach, everyone lay dejectedly on the practice room floor. He would try his best to adjust the atmosphere and soothe their emotions.

He thought they would always be teammates who supported each other.

After watching Zhong Chu and his teammates walk back to their seats in a daze, it was Ye Ni's turn to choose a team to perform. She didn't spend much time: "I'm curious to see how a song I really like will be performed here."

"Oh?" Yun Mengtao chimed in, "Which song is it?"

"Sunset Lover." Ye Ni's magnetic voice and poetic enunciation made these four words sound incredibly emotional, instantly piquing everyone's curiosity.

This is a classic song with a jazz style, and it's hard to imagine that it could be associated with a group competition.

Regardless of the group, their song selection was certainly tasteful, and they had already won over some judges before the performance even began.

"Please welcome the WONE group."

The seven people at the highest point stood up, creating quite an imposing sight.

Unlike many of the other trainees, Meng Fanxi didn't turn around to look up and follow WONE's movements. Instead, he stared intently at the green plant logo of Baihe on the screen, along with the four English letters.

WONE, also known as W1.

His former teammates from past and present lives.

The previously peaceful atmosphere suddenly became restless again.

"So fast! Bai He!"

"The expectations are different from the song selection alone."

"Bai He's group seems to have been training together for a long time and has already been designated as the debut group."

"Really? I heard there have been personnel changes."

"They only changed one or two people, but their overall strength is definitely better..."

The whispers and various discussions drifted lightly to Meng Fanxi's ears, and he silently hummed in response.

I don't know how Jin Ziran got involved with Baihe Company and W1 again. It's good that it brings everything to a close.

During the break, Jiang Xunzhen specifically added a few more cameras to film reactions from certain groups.

At this moment, from the footage of the dedicated camera filming Meng Fanxi and his group, it was immediately apparent that these individuals were not behaving properly after the Baihe Company group appeared.

The two people, who always had smiles on their faces, were expressionless.

The two people, who were already expressionless, now had a chill in their eyes.

The usually talkative and excited doll-like face now looked serious and piercing.

Gu Huailang, who had no direct contact with Jin Ziran, glanced at his teammates' expressions and also put on a stern face.

Baihe is seen by many as one of the companies that can rival Weier Company. Many media outlets like to compare them to arch-rivals, rivals, and those trying to stir up trouble and attract attention.

There have been jokes about conflicts between several companies online, but they have never been made public.

Now, the judges and trainees on site are observing the expressions of the trainees from Will Company, and they feel that the rumors seem to be true; they really don't get along.

The staff behind the scenes thought to themselves, "So it really is our rival?"

They were happy to see this silent tension, and had already planned how to add close-ups and embellishments later.

The seven members of WONE were dressed in matching suits and top hats, all in black. Unlike Meng Fanxi and his group's casual style, these seven were going for a gentlemanly look.

It does fit the atmosphere of the song.

At the beginning of the show, they performed a synchronized dance using top hats in a silent film format without any background sound. As the hats were tossed up, fell, and caught, the music slowly transitioned in.

Even Meng Fanxi had to admit that this was a good start, allowing the audience to gradually immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the song.

The seven people were positioned very clearly, with Jin Ziran at the center.

Jin Ziran must have bewitched Bai He, because even without the halo of being the champion of "Teen Idol" in her previous life, she still managed to occupy most of the center positions in the group.

After watching for a while, everyone understood. This stage performance was mainly presented in the form of a musical, with each member having their own storyline, all focused on Jin Ziran, the 'protagonist'.

As their emotions reached their peak, the seven people used their height and numbers to quickly gather together, attempting to block something.

Jin Ziran had a short solo segment at the beginning, which he handled fairly well, but his excellent facial expressions added a lot of flair to his performance.

With a high note from Jin Ziran, the group scattered, revealing Han Jia, who was playing the saxophone last.

The saxophone's rhythm and rich sound were definitely the highlights of this performance.

This is Han Jia's forte; he's practically glowing.

At the end of the performance, all seven men removed their hats and bowed in unison, completing the final gentlemanly gesture.

Applause erupted from the audience. It was a wonderful stage, and the six of them clapped along with everyone else.

86 points, the highest score so far, rated A, and the first A grade so far.

Ye Ni began her critique with a satisfied expression: "Your interpretation of this song and the storyline of the stage were very captivating. A very good performance, congratulations."

The other mentors also gave it excellent reviews without a doubt, and WONE's popularity was unparalleled for a time.

On their way back to their seats, Meng Fanxi noticed that besides Jin Ziran's gaze sweeping over them, the other people were also looking in their direction.

After being reborn, he went to Will Company and never contacted anyone from W1, nor did any of the W1 members reach out to him.

Perhaps no one knew that they would meet again on the same show later.

Several more groups have appeared one after another. Among them, the Seven Sons of Star Entertainment and the Paradox of Xiling Bird are both very strong and have been rated as A-level.

The following performances were rather ordinary.

After the Signal One Frame group at Mosa Films delivered a lackluster performance, as their name suggests, they only received a C rating.

The studio fell into a slump; the judges and trainees alike were experiencing visual fatigue and were not very excited.

Many people were yawning and rubbing their sore eyes.

Yun Mengtao naturally sensed the somber atmosphere. She looked at Zhu Lou and said, "Felix, it's your turn again. I look forward to your choice this time."

Zhu Lou smiled faintly and picked up the microphone with practiced ease. He looked at the list, pondered for a moment, and said, "Have we forgotten about this group for too long?"

The trainees looked around with puzzled expressions. Meng Fanxi and Gu Huailang exchanged a glance and became unusually nervous.

Zhu Lou's clear voice, with its distinctive tone, resonated throughout the room: "Meteor?"

"This group seems to really like 'stars'?" He asked himself, letting out two sexy chuckles before reciting the group's name.

"Eternal, Six, Stars".

He deliberately read very slowly, pausing between each word, and he read the five words with a unique meaning.

It's finally here.

Lin Ruohe rarely showed such a cold expression. He led his teammates to stand up, and everyone's eyes quickly focused on them. It seemed that no one expected them to have such a team name.

On the big screen, beneath the Villefranche crown logo, the words "Eternal Six Stars" seemed to possess some kind of magic, causing many people to stare at them in a daze.

"They're here!"

"The trainees from Weir Company are finally about to make their appearance!"

What kind of stage will it be?

Unlike the gossip and jokes that followed when other groups appeared, when it was Will's group's turn, the trainees were on high alert, their expressions filled with tension.

The six people walked calmly toward the stage amidst a silent, imposing aura.

They have absolute confidence in this stage.

"meteor"

The song Zhang Yang created for their first stage performance.

An unexpected performance.

The six people didn't form a specific formation; they stood casually. Ren Yuchen sat sideways, Gu Huailang propped his chin up on his hand and sat on the other side, and the others stood sideways in an irregular manner, but the overall composition of the scene was harmonious.

The cheerful rhythm of the piano and the distinct beat of the drums came from afar.

Is it an upbeat song? Yun Mengtao was a little surprised, and some of the trainees also showed expressions of surprise.

The six of them were dressed in a cool, edgy style, so you'd expect at least a cool, domineering, and flashy look, but it turned out to be a cheerful style? The group continued watching, puzzled.

"The stars in the night sky are nameless, just like my always empty and gray heart."

"There is no chance for the weather to clear up, and there are no clouds."

Ren Yuchen and Gu Huailang spoke first and second, as if whispering to someone. Ren Yuchen's deliberately lowered singing voice quickly pulled the audience from the joyful atmosphere into the atmosphere of a broken story.

Gu Huailang sighed, his words tinged with a touch of youthful melancholy.

They slowly got up.

Six standing people, as if lost and soulless, slumped their shoulders and danced loosely to the beat of the music.

The more a dance relies on individual rhythm, the more it tests one's skill level.

Fu Hanfei rested his hand on the table, shielding his chin, and was completely absorbed in their performance.

The music's rhythm became more cheerful at this point, with the addition of the flute's lively touch.

The six of them naturally shifted into a diagonal parallel formation. Meng Fanxi leaped out, surrounded by the other five, his expression relaxed yet tinged with a hint of distress: "The smile on your face beside me gradually fades away with the wind, just like the rain that keeps falling from the sky."

Lin Ruo sang gently, "Without the warmth of the sun, without you."

As the drumbeats changed, the group naturally shifted their dance steps, forming a V-shape. Their synchronized yet restrained knife dance was perfectly controlled in terms of strength.

Xu You's clear voice and the harmonious harmonies of the other five members brought the chorus to a small climax.

"I kissed your eyes in my dream, and then the sky began to clear."

"The rain keeps falling as if it will never stop, but I'm already hooked."

Zhang Yang's voice, heavy with restrained emotion and husky, pushed his feelings to their most poignant point: "Let me become a shooting star and leave ripples in your heart."

In the second part, the six people no longer looked relaxed; their eyes and expressions turned into confusion as their voices trembled.

With several members swapping parts, Zhang Yang's unique pronunciation and spontaneous key changes transformed the emotions in the chorus into everyone's heartfelt feelings of youthful excitement and nostalgia.

Xu You's heavenly, clear voice touched people's hearts with every word: "I wish I could turn into a shooting star and leave ripples in your heart." A silent sigh was more powerful than anything else.

The bridge section is an interlude meticulously crafted by Zhang Yang.

During the performance, Meng Fanxi was surrounded in the middle, his face filled with loneliness and sadness, his limbs struggling to move around him. The other five people were like tree branches that wrapped around and stopped him. Finally, in Meng Fanxi's struggle, he suddenly froze, then suddenly twisted and exploded.

The aesthetically pleasing and extremely difficult dance moves stunned everyone.

The six dancers increased their energy and quickened their pace, their youthful harmony and harmonious chorus, without deliberately highlighting any one individual, filled with shouts and bittersweet emotions, pushing the song's emotions to their highest point:

"I kissed your eyes in my dream, and then the sky began to clear."

"The rain keeps falling as if it will never stop, but I'm already hooked."

They stood there, gazing into the distance, at the passing of time, at cherished memories, at the bittersweet taste of youth.

As the song gradually came to an end, its upbeat rhythm left listeners with a bittersweet feeling.

Zhang Yang sang the final, poignant line, his voice like a whispered murmur.

"Let me become a shooting star, even if it's just a fleeting moment, it will become eternal."

...