Chapter 100 The Three Dukes (Part 1)
The performance by the Xijingu Dance Troupe has generated a small buzz online, attracting many fans who are also fans of the "Eternal Six Stars" (a term used to describe fans of the troupe). They praised the troupe for their creativity, saying that they did not simply copy the original stage but created their own unique style.
The video was even posted on forums, which surprised everyone and sparked discussions about who the hidden masters behind the choreography and music arrangement were.
Unbeknownst to them, the central figure in the conversation was the very person they had been frantically searching for on the forum.
Fans were exceptionally welcoming and tolerant of elementary school students who might share the same interests.
While Meng Fanxi and his teammates were immersed in training, the second public performance of the sixth episode was released.
The program did not organize a reaction activity this time. After school, the elementary school students rushed home to watch TV, while the boarding students crowded into the teacher's room to watch with the teacher.
So today, the dance studio is unusually quiet, with only the main characters of the show present.
The most eye-catching part of the sixth episode was the fight in the "Passionate Forgetting" group. The audience was shocked that the trainees could actually fight.
The program's visuals were not so direct; it subtly presented the fight through long shots and background noise of other people's discussions.
The background noise includes the conversation between Meng Fanxi and Lin Ruohe.
Lin Ruohe asked him if he thought they were fighting. Meng Fanxi paused for a moment and said he was worried they would get beaten up.
The comments section was filled with loud laughter.
Meng Fanxi: Your feeling is correct, but I can't say that.
[Haha, Lin Ruohe is alright, but Zhang Yang really looks like he has a bad temper.]
[They're both tall and strong; who could possibly beat these two?]
...
The sixth episode was of very high quality; although it was long, viewers felt that not a single minute of it was filler.
The video clips shown in front of each stage focused on how each team worked together, allowing the audience to see another side of each member after they left their original teams.
Some felt that everything had completely changed.
Lin Ruohe seems quite serious and has a strong presence in this group, even though she seems to have a very good temper in Yongliu.
[Zhang Yang and Lin Ruohe's leadership in this group is truly top-notch; originally, everyone in Yongliu was very capable, so their abilities weren't as prominent.]
[After all, if we don't use some tricks soon, the group will be dismantled.]
Zhang Yang's eyes can be quite frightening sometimes.
Give me back the Zhang Yang who smiled so sweetly in the Eternal Six Stars!!
Some people felt a sudden sense of distance from them.
[Oh my god, what's wrong with Ren Yuchen? He's totally acting like a leader, I rarely see him smile anymore.]
The way they looked when they returned to their dorms on those six nights was when they were most relaxed.
Ren Yuchen smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.
Some felt they were out of control.
[Xu You, that brat, becomes a complete tyrant without his teammates around]
[I can't believe what I'm seeing. These guys are all the bosses in their respective groups, how come they listen to Xu You so much?]
[Who's going to control Xu You? He's getting out of control!]
[Calling Meng Fanxi! Calling Meng Fanxi!]
In Meng Fanxi's group, the style was completely different. Meng Fanxi had a great effect on bringing everyone together. Although Fan Na was a bit of a loner, Meng Fanxi used special techniques to resolve the issue.
Beyond the show, many viewers wrote lengthy reviews on various platforms praising Meng Fanxi's efforts in uniting the team.
The comments section was filled with positive reviews.
Meng Fanxi has his own ideas, which is evident from his ability to directly reject those ranked highly when selecting candidates.
For Vansi, rankings are not important; what matters is whether the people are a good fit.
[Vanciennes' abilities are too strong]
[This reminds me of the post-interviews with Lin Ruohe and Zhang Yang; Meng Fanxi really knows how to find teammates for himself.]
This is the only harmonious group.
Because they possess a more refined observational ability than others, they are able to discover the strengths of others. These weaknesses are obvious when taken individually, but they are somehow made to seem flawless by Meng Fanxi's guidance.
[Even though Meng Fanxi is very young in the film, he acts like the eldest brother.]
...
If each of the previous performances generated considerable discussion and immediately trended on Weibo and Douyin, then the data went crazy and the audience went crazy after the performance of "Wings".
Even if the pre-competition video was harmonious, in the audience's perception, most of the team members were ranked lower. Their strength was fully demonstrated in the initial stage and the first public performance.
Aside from having expectations for Meng Fanxi, Gu Huailang, and Han Jia's performances, most people expect the other four to not drag the team down.
But when the stage actually appeared, everyone was stunned. What a stage it was!
The high-difficulty moves, the perfectly synchronized group dance, and the incredible energy and passion each member displayed in their part—it was as if they had transformed into completely different people, with every member shining brightly.
The least favored team among the 12 suddenly turned the tables and stood out.
Shuiyun Tianguang, a well-known film and television blogger who usually cherishes his reputation and only creates high-quality content, directly commented on his personal posts, unable to hide his excitement.
@水云天光: It's hard to imagine that a talent show on Huayu could produce such a classic stage that intertwines darkness, pain, complex emotions, and passion. It was chilling to watch, and when I came to my senses, I was drenched in a cold sweat! The performance on this stage progressed layer by layer, yet the next scene was unpredictable... I especially want to praise the key figure here—Meng Fanxi. Not only did he manage to mold this hastily assembled team into a cohesive unit, but his stage presence and his control over each individual's performance were also incredibly mature. He was one of the key factors in the success of this stage.
Finally, Shuiyuntianguang commented: I remember Meng Fanxi said in a post-interview that he wanted to get first place. At the time, I thought he might be a little far off. Now I just want to say, WHY NOT?
Shuiyuntianguang's comments greatly encouraged the already excited fans, who became even more enthusiastic in mobilizing votes. Since their idol was working so hard, they wanted to follow in his footsteps.
The next day, in the dance studio after school as usual, Eternal Six Stars sensed a somewhat 'unusual' atmosphere.
The windows and doors of the dance studio were crowded with elementary school students, who kept peering inside with the help of external forces. When Meng Fanxi looked up, the group of students were greatly encouraged and cheered.
Even the small dance troupe that had been practicing with them in the dance studio for some time were now looking at them with intense eyes.
"What's going on?" Meng Fanxi approached his teammates, who were all puzzled.
The little guy has such sharp ears! He immediately answered loudly, "Brothers, you guys are so cool! When can I perform on a stage like that?"
Meng Fanxi was both amused and exasperated. So that's why. He had thought something had happened to them.
He bent down to be level with Xiao Shuai and said, "You can definitely do it too, even better than us."
The chaos outside was brought under control with the help of the production team and the school, and the elementary school students reluctantly left the dance studio.
The effects of the latest episode only had a brief impact on the six of them. They all knew that the current competition and the upcoming finals were more important.
On the day of the third public performance, the production team, true to form, suddenly announced a new rule.
The production team's question, "Today is the competition day! How's everyone's preparation going?" was just a routine greeting; they didn't actually want to hear anyone's answer.
The production team continued, "The performance venues of all five mentors will be broadcast live at 6:30 pm tonight, and the popularity of the live broadcast will also be included in the final scores of the five mentors' teams."
Before everyone could even begin to express their surprise, Ren Yuchen immediately noticed a problem: "Wouldn't having two teams under a mentor's command give them a significant advantage?"
Having two teams means that once one team appears, it is likely to attract a large number of fans and viewers, giving the second team a unique advantage in terms of popularity.
For teams like theirs that only have one member, fans might only arrive after the performance, and the resulting buzz might not be counted in the final results.
The production team was aware of this bug, but they didn't intend to fix it: "Your mentors only have one team under their command, which may put them at a disadvantage during the live broadcast, but throughout the process you enjoy the mentors' dedicated guidance. There is no such thing as absolute fairness."
Eternal Six Stars: ...
Ren Yuchen was about to argue again, but Meng Fanxi and Lin Ruohe pulled him back. Since he had already said that, there was no need for him to talk to the production team anymore.
The live stream data is indeed important, but they also believe that their fans will come looking for them immediately.
Tonight's performance is special; it's not only their stage for competition, but also a night for elementary school students to bid farewell to six years of schooling and embark on a new journey.
They all hoped not to steal the spotlight from the 'real protagonists' during the entire graduation ceremony.
They all huddled together in a small room backstage at a school auditorium, watching the entire performance on a makeshift television set up by the production team.
The school's small auditorium has limited space, but with the addition of the production team, the stage setup is more modern and looks more spacious. In the last row of the audience, a mobile phone is mounted on a stand and broadcasting live from the stage.
The live stream account belonged to Xijingu Primary School. When the live stream was first launched, only a few staff members clicked in to take a look, and it didn't get any attention at all.
After the video had been playing for a while, several people who had watched the small dance troupe's performance video found their way here and clicked to watch.
But the level of interest remains pitifully low.
No one could find any connection between this and the three public events in "The Three Kingdoms".
Because it was the last row of the audience, the lights in the audience area dimmed after the performance started. The phone used for live streaming also had poor resolution, so the picture on stage was not clear. A few onlookers left after noticing that the picture was blurry.
This was expected by the program. After all, if the live broadcast was very clear, the popularity of the full episode might decrease. A slightly blurry picture would actually increase everyone's desire to watch the full episode in ultra-high definition.
Later, more viewers joined the live stream, almost all of them parents of the students. They had received a notification from the teacher that there would be a live stream of the evening party, so they rushed to join.
The live stream proceeded with low engagement, but the students were fully immersed in their performances. Meng Fanxi and the others watched attentively, feeling an unprecedented sense of peace—a feeling they hadn't experienced in any of the previous performances.
Time flies, and as the atmosphere grows increasingly intense and poignant, the final stage performance is about to begin.
The production team promptly hung the "Team-Based Campaign" logo and sponsor logos in a prominent position on the stage.
Seeing the familiar logo, which they had only ever seen on TV, appear so close to them, and knowing that the most powerful and famous team was about to take the stage, the excited elementary school students in the audience stood up and screamed excitedly from all directions.
The viewers in the live stream seemed to sense something as well.
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Author's Note: Chapter 100!
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