Chapter Forty-Four: Microphone Spraying

Seeing the trainees' puzzled expressions, Yun Mengtao then said, "Let's invite a panel of 100 specially invited judges from the music industry, social media, and other industry professionals."

With a "whoosh," another 100 serious-looking and aggressive judges walked out from behind the stage and sat on both sides of the T-stage.

It turns out that the empty seat was reserved for the invited judging panel.

A sense of tension filled the studio.

But this is not the end.

Yun Mengtao held the microphone, hesitant to speak. Looking at the many vibrant young people with such lively expressions, a hint of regret appeared in her eyes. Perhaps thinking of her own experience as an idol, she sighed and said, "You still have a bright future ahead of you. No matter what the outcome is here, please remember, no one can defeat you except yourselves."

Her remarks came as abrupt to the boys, who responded with applause, seemingly unaware of what was going on.

Meng Fanxi felt something was off. The initial stage performance hadn't even started yet, so why did Yun Mengtao look so regretful?

His doubts were answered in the next second.

"Attention, all teams." Yun Mengtao composed herself, her expression shifting from wistful to serious.

"Please cherish this opportunity to perform on the first stage. After the first stage performance," she said, as if making a huge decision, taking a deep breath and enunciating each word clearly, "the three teams with the lowest overall ranking will..."

"Outright elimination!"

The entire studio erupted in chaos. The trainees looked at each other in disbelief and confusion, their faces filled with panic.

"They've only performed their first stage! They haven't even finished the first performance and they're already being eliminated?"

"Oh no, oh no, what do we do?"

"That's ruthless? Sending three teams home immediately? I can't even imagine what the company will do to us if we're eliminated right now."

"I'm even more nervous now!"

“Not only that,” Yun Mengtao’s voice came again.

"ah?"

No!

"Stop talking!"

Many trainees tried to stop Yun Mengtao in exaggerated or frantic ways.

It had no effect. Yun Mengtao took in everyone's reactions. With a helpless smile, she waited for everyone to vent for a while.

She returned to the main topic, continuing what she hadn't finished saying: "The team ranked 15th will be placed in a pending state."

That is, of the final four teams, three will be eliminated and one will be put on hold.

"What does 'pending status' mean?" One trainee completely broke down.

Some trainees complained, "Could the production team please explain the rules clearly all at once?"

"Is 'pending' just close to elimination?"

"We're already ranked fifteenth, so what's the difference between us and being eliminated? It's just a matter of time."

"I'm so nervous I can't breathe..."

The studio was more restless than before. Unlike the peaceful atmosphere at the beginning, the personalities of each trainee were gradually being revealed.

Jiang Xunzhen watched with satisfaction as everything unfolded in the studio, constantly directing the camera to move and capture the most genuine expressions on the trainees' faces.

Amidst the astonishment and fear, there were also some extraordinary individuals.

Xu You: "It's so much fun, it's getting more and more fun."

His excitement became increasingly uncontrollable, his eyes bright and piercing, and the corners of his lips curving upwards without restraint.

Despite the noise in the studio, making it difficult for others to hear him clearly, his voice was captured clearly by the recording equipment, creating a stark contrast with the frustrated and astonished voices around him.

The camera slowly moved to focus on him, and then found that his entire team was frighteningly calm.

When Meng Fanxi first heard this, his pupils constricted slightly in surprise, but considering how much the production team had invested, it was normal for them to want to stir things up, so he quickly regained his composure.

But when he heard Xu You's words, his lips twitched slightly, and he almost had the urge to go over and cover his mouth.

Dude! The way you're looking and the things you're saying makes you look exactly like a villain, you know that?!

He glanced at his teammates again. Thankfully, they remained calm but didn't utter any arrogant remarks; otherwise, he couldn't imagine the impact of the show's broadcast.

After recording enough to achieve the desired effect, the program took a break.

After lunch and the post-interview, the recording of the first stage officially began.

After a break, the trainees from each team calmed down and focused on their first stage performance.

Before the first team took the stage, Ye Ni elegantly said, "Regarding the order of the stage performances, after discussions with the production team, we have decided to adopt a random format. It may not necessarily follow the order in which everyone appears, so please be prepared at any time."

The trainees have gradually adapted to these unknown rules, which have given some small company teams hope.

If the 18 teams perform in the same order they appear, the smaller companies' teams will all be at the beginning and easily forgotten by the audience. Moreover, the earlier teams are more unpredictable and are more likely to become cannon fodder.

Meng Fanxi and his team didn't care when they went on stage, and this decision was a relief for them. They would have found it unbearable to wait as long as they had in the waiting room.

Yun Mengtao sat in the center of the judges' panel, raised the microphone and began to call out the proceedings: "Now, please welcome the buoyancy boy from Fenghai Company to the stage."

The team that was called was somewhat surprised, and then stood up with a slightly restrained air, exchanging puzzled glances.

Because they were the first to appear on stage, it was thought that the performance order would change, but they were still the first to appear.

Yun Mengtao naturally noticed their confusion and kindly explained, "Your song 'Open the Door to Good Fortune' is perfect for being the first to perform."

"Pfft." Some trainees with a low threshold for laughter couldn't help but burst out laughing.

The captain of the buoyancy boys choked up silently.

The background screen immediately changed to Feng Hai Company's wave-shaped logo and the combined name below: Buoyancy Boy.

Although Fenghai Company didn't have much of a reputation, the team consisted of six people, and Meng Fanxi eagerly awaited their performance.

He had observed that there weren't many six-person teams on the show. In modern groups, odd-numbered teams have an advantage in terms of formation and overall performance. Even though there were many even-numbered teams on set, four-person teams were more common.

A cool song with a futuristic vibe, featuring the six members of Floating Youth standing in a three-in-the-front, three-in-the-back parallel formation.

Their makeup was heavy, with silver eyeshadow that shimmered on the stage with the light and shadow.

The opening went smoothly, with the six members moving nimbly and performing the verses fairly well.

Just as Meng Fanxi was marveling at how well they had done on the first song, their chorus went awry.

The chorus of this band is sung collectively, but it is far inferior to the individual singing styles of each member. The harmonies are very awkward, and you can see that the lead vocalist is trying his best to salvage it, but there is still a slight disharmony.

After the first chorus, as the dance moves became more and more intense, everyone's uncontrollable panting grew louder and louder, and there were even sounds of microphones popping out. Yun Mengtao hissed and looked to the side, and sure enough, Tan Yi, the vocal coach, was frowning.

After the performance, everyone still applauded.

After being scored by five mentors and 100 invited judges, the scores were calculated in real time.

The large screen displays not only scores, but also ratings.

The score determines the final ranking, but no one explains the purpose of the rating.

There are four gear levels: S, A, B, and C. The buoyancy boy is in gear C.

The disappointment in their eyes was undisguised. The mentors only began to comment and offer words of comfort after the scores were announced. Tan Yi suggested that they strengthen their breath control in future practice.

The first team to perform didn't get a good start and didn't receive a high rating.

The other teams looked even more nervous, knowing that they had indeed made mistakes in their performance, but also worried that they might make mistakes themselves due to being too nervous on stage.

Zhang Yang, who had been mostly silent, spoke up at this moment: "They're a bit biased. We should make sure to choose Teacher Yun from the middle as a reference."

"Okay." The other five nodded obediently.

When it came to the second team, perhaps Yun Mengtao wanted to ease the oppressive atmosphere, she looked at Zhu Lou, who was sitting on the far right of the mentor group: "Felix, you choose the next team."

Zhu Lou, being the quick-witted rapper, immediately understood Yun Mengtao's meaning. He raised an eyebrow, looked at the list in his hand, and exclaimed in surprise, "Weir Company actually has a group participating?"

As soon as these words were spoken, all eyes in the room turned to that unmissable corner in the fifth row.

Meng Fanxi's heart also tightened.

Xu You's eyes shone brightly as if he were trying to break free from his restraints.

Gu Huailang had already straightened his back and started moving his body, looking as if he was ready to go on stage at any moment.

A distant atmosphere surrounded Lin Ruohe and Zhang Yang. You Yu's face was expressionless, and every strand of hair showed his relaxation.

Ren Yuchen sat there calmly, his eyes as deep as a pool, as if he were in a daze.

Zhu Lou chuckled softly, "It seems everyone is quite excited?"

He gave a nonchalant smile: "Then..."

Changing the subject, "Please welcome the 'Abundant Harvest' duo."

Unlike the trainees in the audience who were stunned, the large screen at the scene quickly lit up: "Shensha Entertainment's Five Grains Abundant Harvest"

The five people from the "Five Grains Abundant Harvest" group stood up with expressions that screamed "No way!" as if they were constipated, which, combined with their names, created a uniquely comical effect.

Zhu Lou was very satisfied with the effect and said mischievously, "That's just how willful I am."

The mentors were amused, and the atmosphere was indeed much better than before.

Meng Fanxi laughed; this mentor was quite interesting.

Only Xu You was a little disappointed.

The Five Grains Abundant Harvest did not disappoint Zhu Lou's expectations, bringing a joyful singing and dancing performance to the stage.

With each person's quirky performance and cheesy actions, it was exceptionally eye-catching.

The five people on stage seemed completely at ease and were able to engage the audience, with many trainees getting up and dancing along with the joyful atmosphere.

Shensha Entertainment is a small to medium-sized entertainment company in China, with several highly popular comedians.

These trainees have clearly learned from their seniors; they are adept at being funny and silly.

Meng Fanxi and the others also stood up and swayed to the rhythm, but they all secretly remembered the group's performance.

"They should not be underestimated," Ren Yuchen concluded.

He can still maintain a certain level of breath control while running and jumping on stage, and his pitch is also quite good. What's more, he's also quite humorous.

This is, after all, a variety show; humor and talent will naturally win over the audience.

The results were later revealed, and the score was good, but it was in the B grade.

The trainees present generally felt that the rating was a bit low, and Meng Fanxi guessed it was because they had appeared too early in the competition.

The mentors and judges need to understand the general strength of the groups before giving them a high grade like S or A.

As expected, Zhu Lou commented: "You did not disappoint me. If you can show even more brilliance in the following segments, you will undoubtedly receive an A grade, I guarantee it."

The bountiful harvest was indeed very encouraging, and he bowed deeply in satisfaction.

When it was time for the next group, Yun Mengtao looked at Fu Hanfei and asked, "Teacher Fu, would you like to choose one?"

Fu Hanfei decisively picked one: "Fancy".

Meng Fanxi was taken aback.

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A note from the author:

The names currently displayed are the team names filled in before the performance. The list that each team sees in the waiting room is the name of its company, so the trainees don't know which team is which.