Chapter 132 The third release 4.0

And at this moment, the most shocking suspense of the whole game was finally revealed - who is the 9th ranked player?

The moment the name was read out, the air in the entire studio seemed to freeze, and then burst into continuous exclamations.

Even Xie Qingyu, who usually kept his expression on his face, could not hide his shock. His pupils suddenly contracted, and he subconsciously turned his head to look at... Leo, who was sitting next to him.

That’s right, the name just read out from the initiator Qu Qinghuan’s mouth was Leo.

Rio, who had been ranked 4th in the first round and 5th in the second round, plummeted when the third round was released, falling directly out of the debut position and barely staying in the 9th place.

Such a drastic drop is the most tragic ranking change in this game except for Li Luoqi.

But in stark contrast to Li's situation, Leo's fall is directly related to the competition for a crucial debut spot.

What is even more puzzling is that his previous ranking curve has remained very stable.

A contestant with a spare machine observed that in the rankings at the end of the show last weekend, Leo was firmly in the debut position. How come it was only two or three days later...

In short, everyone guessed that there would be changes in the ranking announcement, but no one expected it to be Leo.

On the stage, Qu Qinghuan was still reading out the votes according to the procedure, a process that not many people were paying attention to anymore.

"His total votes are 12,514,788. Congratulations!"

This string of numbers sounded particularly harsh in the silent studio.

No matter how impressive the number of votes is, it cannot change the cruel fact that she is only ranked 9th. There is still a gap of two places between her and the debut position that is within her reach.

The camera captured Leo's slightly trembling fingertips.

He pursed his bloodless lips, his chest heaving violently, as if he was trying his best to regulate his disordered breathing.

When his gaze met Xie Qingyu, who was always looking at him with concern, his red eyes blinked desperately, trying to force back the tears that were about to burst out.

He raised the corners of his mouth with difficulty and forced a smile that was uglier than crying, as if using this distorted expression to tell the other person: I'm fine, don't worry.

But how could Xie Qingyu not be worried?

Leo still has the mindset of a child. He probably can't understand why his ranking has dropped so sharply. Such a straightforward personality is prone to getting stuck in a dead end.

And the moment Leo's name was called out, Xie Qingyu's thoughts started to race.

What is the program team planning?

Leo's ranking dropped so strangely and without any warning. It was either to encourage fans to vote and stimulate them to vote hard, or... they decided to give up on Leo.

Changes in debut positions often involve deeper levels of conflict. Xie Qingyu has always been calm and rational, but at this moment he is unusually confused.

He repeatedly deduced various possibilities: given Leo's position and popularity, the program team should not have been so careless in sacrificing him.

But on second thought, he didn't fully understand the capital operation and corporate interest exchange behind the talent show.

What if there is an agency that is determined to take away a debut spot at all costs?

Xie Qingyu is not inflexible. He knows that this is an inevitable situation in the program "Star Dream Road" and even in the entire entertainment industry.

——But why Leo?

This thought lingered in his mind, even with a hint of selfishness that he himself was not aware of.

Looking at Leo again, he was forcing a smile, but his wet eyes were clearly filled with confusion and grievance, as if expressing his sadness.

Xie Qingyu's throat tightened and his chest felt like it was blocked by something.

This was the first time since he came into this world that he didn't know how to comfort someone.

Because he couldn't even be sure of the real intentions of the program team. If he gave hope now and it ended up being dashed, wouldn't that be even more cruel?

When the camera swept over, Xie Qingyu just leaned over slightly, gently pressed Leo's head on his shoulder, and soothingly stroked the boy's trembling back.

It's like comforting a poor puppy that's frightened and drenched by a rainstorm...

In a corner that was out of the camera's reach, he lowered his head and repeated in a whisper that only the two of them could hear: "It's okay, it's okay..."

The voice was very soft, but it sounded like some kind of stubborn promise, spoken both to Leo and to himself.

The camera was still silently recording every subtle expression. Xie Qingyu controlled his emotions and let go of his hand.

He lowered his head slightly, his voice very soft, yet with a gentleness that could not be ignored: "Go to the stage, don't keep Teacher Qu waiting too long."

Leo nodded obediently and stood up, bowing slightly to express his gratitude to the nearby contestants who were either comforting him or congratulating him on his advancement.

But that furry head could never really be lifted up.

He was surrounded by dark clouds, and even his footsteps were heavier than usual, as if he was fighting against an invisible weight with every step.

Walking to the podium, Leo took the microphone from Qu Qinghuan with both hands and whispered, "Thank you, Teacher Qu."

His voice was as hoarse as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper, but he still forced himself to complete this most basic etiquette.

Qu Qinghuan felt uncomfortable seeing him like this, but she was just a witness, not the decision maker.

So he just subconsciously raised his hand and patted Leo's arm. This small action that went beyond the normal procedure contained silent comfort.

Apart from that, nothing else was said. On this stage, any words of comfort seemed pale and powerless.

If a little encouragement could change the outcome, then this competition would have allowed all the young people with dreams to fulfill their wishes long ago.

Leo bowed deeply to Qu Qinghuan again, and when he turned and walked to the center of the podium, the spotlights in the entire studio followed his figure.

Countless cameras were focused on him like hungry beasts, with close-ups constantly switching, trying to capture any trace of vulnerability on his face that might become a topic of conversation.

His fingers unconsciously tightened and unclenched, his knuckles turning slightly white from the effort.

When he finally raised the microphone to his lips, everyone could see the slight trembling of his wrist: "Thank you very much... Thank you very much to the audience and fans who support me. I..."

Each word seemed to be forced out of the throat, with a noticeable choking feeling.

He kept his head down, as if that would hide him from the cameras waiting to capture his unraveling moment.

The intermittent speech was exceptionally clear in the unusually quiet studio.

At the end, his voice was so soft that it almost disappeared into the air: "I will work very hard, no, I will work even harder and redouble my efforts in training, so I ask everyone if you can..."

The microphone amplified his rapid breathing. After a brief pause, the tearful plea finally broke out: "Don't give up on me... Please!"

The last five words were so soft that they were almost drowned out by the sound of electricity, but there was no need to hear them clearly.

Because it was not until this moment that Leo finally raised his head, and everyone could see the tears that were about to fall in his red eyes and the fine beads of sweat on his forehead.

He stared stubbornly into the main camera, and with the most embarrassed yet sincere expression, he made a humble request to everyone who was watching him through the camera.

After a long silence, he lowered his eyes again and bowed deeply to the camera.

As he stood up, a crystal teardrop slid down his jawline, splashing invisible water on the stage.

When he turned and walked towards the pyramid, Ding Zai in the distance had already walked down the steps quickly and was waiting for him with open arms at the bottom.

Xie Qingyu slowly withdrew his gaze from the bottom of the pyramid, where Ding Zai was holding Leo's shoulders and whispering something. Leo's tense shoulders finally relaxed a little, and he even nodded slightly, looking much better.

In front of the podium, Qu Qinghuan had already stood in the center again.

She used her usual old tricks, first throwing out an open-ended topic about "stage performance", and then taking the opportunity to select three popular contestants for interactive comments.

When the atmosphere was just right, she slowly unfolded the card in her hand: "The eighth-place contestant is Wei Ran, with a total of 12,571,149 votes. Congratulations!"

As soon as Qu Qinghuan finished speaking, polite applause broke out at the scene, and Wei Ran maintained the same ranking as Er Shun.

It can be said that apart from the change in the total number of votes, everything else is exactly the same and surprisingly stable. This ranking should have been the least dramatic result and should not have been a hot topic.

But it still made many contestants sigh in their hearts.

Because the difference between this number of votes and Rio's number of votes is only 60,000 votes, and one place is as stable as Mount Tai, while the other place has dropped into the 'Great Rift Valley of East Africa'.

With this difference in the total number of votes, no one would believe that the production team has no intention of causing trouble!

Wei Ran understood everyone's thoughts, but what else could he do except smile bitterly?

The program team had already made up their minds to push him to the forefront, regardless of whether he could make his debut in the end.

He was destined to become a pawn at the mercy of others and bear the most criticism - and he had no say in all of this.

When the cold metal microphone fell into his palm, he felt as if he was holding a sharp blade, a weapon handed to him by the program team to personally cut through the vortex of public opinion.

"Thank you to all the fans who voted for me." His voice was surprisingly steady, even his previous timidity and hesitation had faded away.

The complex gazes from the contestants below the stage were like countless fine silver needles, but Wei Ran just silently counted his gradually accelerating heartbeats.

He knew clearly that the close-up camera aimed at him was eagerly waiting for him to say some "truths" - preferably shocking words that could spark a new topic.

But he was unwilling to accept the challenge, nor did he want to cooperate with the drama. He just wanted to be himself.

When turning and walking towards the pyramid seat, Wei Ran's eyes inadvertently met Leo's.

Perhaps it was because he had secretly looked at the private message box on the backup phone last night, but when he recalled those vicious words, his already numb nerves still pricked again.

Negative emotions surged into my heart like a tide, almost breaking through the barriers of reason.

Whether these people cry or laugh in front of the camera, whether their emotions are genuine or fake, they are ultimately just fodder for the editors to manipulate, fuel for the program crew to stir up heated topics. How ridiculous, and how pathetic!

Wei Ran sat in her own chair, looking up at the glaring lights on the auditorium's dome—too bright, so bright it made her eyes sore...