Chapter 75, Part 2 is now online (with lots of comments)...
That evening, what was displayed on the television screens in each dormitory was still just two cold, impersonal lines of text.
The second performance competition consists of: individual battles – position evaluation.
Preview of the third performance competition: Leaving Mushroom Park.
Meng Fanxi stared at the text of the announcement for the third public performance for a long time.
He had been thinking about the fact that the second round was an individual battle, and based on the process of previous talent shows, he could roughly guess what it would be like, so he wasn't too surprised to see the position evaluation.
But what does "leaving Mushroom Park" mean?
He voiced his doubts directly: "Is it going to the mushroom park outside the studio for an outdoor performance, or should we just leave the recording camp altogether?"
After all, sometimes the production team uses "Mushroom Park" to refer to the entire filming camp.
"I don't know, I've given up thinking about it." Gu Huailang said expressionlessly as he walked to the open space between the living room and the dining room and began practicing stances, honing his basic martial arts skills.
This morning, Meng Fanxi's unexpected display of strength when facing the paparazzi amazed him, and he silently made improving his physical fitness his top priority, no longer just perfunctorily following Meng Fanxi around to train his waist and legs.
Lin Ruo and Youya poured everyone a glass of milk. As the team leader, he had no intention of analyzing the situation at the moment. "The production team always likes to make us guess, but I'm not going to guess."
Zhang Yang nestled in a corner of the sofa, quietly listening to everyone's discussion, like a lazy cat.
As for Xu You, he was exhausted after a long day, both physically and mentally, and had already returned to his warm dreamland.
Only Ren Yuchen sincerely analyzed with Meng Fanxi: "The production team is capable of anything. They could even take us to a completely unfamiliar place and start recording again."
“That’s true,” Meng Fanxi agreed with his idea, “but I wonder if the collaboration the mentors mentioned last time will be a three-way competition?”
Ren Yuchen's eyes widened slightly upon hearing this, clearly having just remembered the matter. "Very likely."
Just as he was getting into the mood and moved closer to Meng Fanxi for a heart-to-heart talk, Lin Ruohe gently patted their heads and gave a firm order: "Go to sleep!"
...
The first episode of "Team Up" left a small cliffhanger: the rating result of the eternal six stars.
Compared to the song's instant popularity across major music platforms, the performance video's hundreds of millions of views across all platforms, and even the rapid video updates on E-site, which garnered tens of millions of views, and the song's ability to evoke a nostalgic, bright, and melancholic feeling of youth in the streets and alleys, the initial stage rating in the show seems less important.
But it's still important to the fans.
As soon as the second episode was released, loyal viewers of the show flooded into the video, causing some buffering issues as usual.
First came the mentors' comments on their performance. The audience felt honored to hear the positive feedback and kept scrolling through the comments section with the names of the six performers.
There were also some newly formed support slogans floating by in the barrage comments.
[Six eternal stars, forever inseparable!]
What is forever? Six people are forever!
[Lin, Zhang, Ren, Xu, Gu, Meng, I only wish to follow my heart like the wind]
...
A highly-rated comment slowly floated across the screen.
[The fans' slogan-writing skills are in line with the idols' naming skills... corny, but reassuring.]
With a "bang," as the stage sprayed out glitter, and with the camera's skillful shooting and the enhancement of post-production special effects, the entire stage and the boys in the very center surrounded by the stage's light and scenery seemed to be draped in a sacred halo, dazzling and radiant.
The bullet comments went crazy too. As long as the system detected words or phrases related to blessings, a firework effect would be automatically added before the bullet comments.
Fans excitedly took screenshots and flooded the chat with messages like, "[Fireworks] Congratulations to Eternal for receiving six stars and becoming the show's first S-level contestant!"
The screen was filled with a dense barrage of comments, and many people even took photos with the comments section.
I cried while watching this; it was so touching.
[Vanciennes looks so happy, he's determined to win!]
[A well-deserved S-rank!]
[Take a group photo to commemorate the occasion (make a V sign)]
...
Of course, some sarcastic remarks also passed by, but they were all covered up by the overwhelming number of blessing comments.
[It feels like the finale... Our kid is at least an A-level student, why is the treatment so different?]
Big companies are different; they must have already decided everything beforehand.
...
The announcement of the rankings brought the show to its most tense moment, but the production team playfully aired some contrasting clips of the team members beforehand.
The scene where Meng Fanxi and Zhang Yang remind each other to watch their expressions is also included.
[I'm once again amazed by Vansie's thoughtfulness.]
Please zoom in a little closer.
[Zhang Yang and Meng Fanxi's interaction is so cute, they're always teasing each other, haha.]
[Meng Fanxi: Controlling it. Zhang Yang: Oh? Is that so?]
How can you two, with your handsome faces, criticize your facial expressions? Give your sister a smile!
When the results were announced, fans of each company were in a frenzy, while Will's fans remained on the sidelines, effortlessly joining in with their comments.
[Yongliu's expected level is S-rank! It has to be you guys!]
[Ah, WONE was filled in too high, what a pity]
[I'd only give them a second glance if WONE rated them S; they'd definitely come to the show aiming for the highest rank.]
This show truly reflects hierarchy in every aspect, even down to the seating lighting.
[Go Paradox! It's okay, keep trying!]
[We're second to Vientiane! Go Vientiane fans!]
Seeing Meng Fanxi and his six companions ascend to the highest point step by step, amidst the admiring gazes of the crowd, their supporters felt even more thrilled.
[I was so angry when it first appeared, because it was the last one to appear and only got a corner seat. Now I feel so good!]
This spot belongs to whoever it's meant to be; no one can take it away.
[This can be considered an indirect defeat of WONE. WONE fans who are jumping up and down in the comments should be careful, because the first performance was a direct defeat!]
...
WONE fans were indignant and lashed out at the Eternal Six-Star fans in the live chat, accusing them of being troublemakers. However, the latter directly countered by saying that when they first appeared, WONE fans mocked them for not daring to face WONE and could only sit in the corner, and that they deserved their current result.
The two sides went from hurling insults at each other in the live chat to exchanging them in the comments, and then started fighting on the forum. However, the fans of Eternal Six Stars were in a good mood and quickly withdrew, leaving the WONE fans sulking.
When the elimination and disbandment segment came on, everyone was on high alert, eagerly anticipating what would happen next.
Is it finally coming? Why did Fan Na and Meng Fanxi face off in that iconic scene?
It's coming!
[Tense, what exactly happened?]
[Sneak Peek: Fancy's Fanna faces off against the real Fancy]
...
The production team presented the footage truthfully.
Most teams observed the Fancy duo's hushed discussion, Jin Ziran's heartfelt remarks within the team, and the resolute refusal of most members of the Eternal Six Stars team to add anyone during the discussion.
Am I the only one who finds it uncomfortable that they look at the dismantled group as if they were examining objects?
I also feel a bit uncomfortable. Compared to them, Yongliu and the others seem quite refreshing, not even glancing at the screen.
[He didn't completely ignore what was in front of him; Meng Fanxi seemed to feel quite reluctant.]
[Vancie probably imagined herself starting all over again at the new company.]
So why did Fan Na do this? I think Meng Fanxi and the others did the right thing. In competitive shows, the priority is to protect oneself. Who knows what the rules will be later? Adding people too easily is not a good idea.
Are we just going to let them get eliminated?
Many people also sympathize with the Fancy group.
[The disbanded group is so pitiful; I feel a little sorry for Fan Na.]
Is Fan Na experiencing some kind of emotional problem? Why did she lash out at Zhong Chu?
[Zhong Chu is the poor thing in this group. Fan Xi was probably looking at Zhong Chu the whole time.]
Why is the leader of this group so short-tempered?
...
After the Eternal Six Stars group firmly refused to add any more members, and Jin Ziran from WONE said that they wanted to add more members, some people who had been secretly arranged in advance started to stir up trouble, but Wei was also prepared.
[This S-rank team is so cold-hearted. They've already reached S-rank; what's wrong with helping others?]
The rules of the show are uncertain; who knows how things will unfold?
The members of WONE, especially Jin Ziran, are truly good people—kind and sincere—they've won me over.
[I feel like WONE has a bigger vision than those six-star teams from Eternal. So what if they're strong? They have no compassion.]
This is a competition program, not a charity event. Please be aware of this.
...
The debate between the two sides in the barrage quickly spread to various platforms, but it did not become one-sided due to the trend. Instead, influential cross-industry bloggers also discussed the matter, which sparked a certain social discussion. The discussion level was also raised to another level, with various opinions emerging one after another. In the end, it actually had little to do with the matter itself. Wei also secretly breathed a sigh of relief, while the other side behind the scenes was furious.
Finally, it was time to choose a team. Everyone had finally read the whole story in detail, and after reading it, they all said: Eternal six stars is definitely right!
The comments section was overwhelmingly in favor of discussing the topic.
Lin Ruohe made it very clear when Qi Huaiyan recommended himself that the microphone had already been handed over, so how come that person has no sense of propriety at all?
I finally understand. This isn't questioning; it's clearly stirring up trouble!
[Meng Fanxi is probably the most harmless one here.]
Before Meng Fanxi could even speak, all his teammates stepped forward. It was so touching.
[Waaaaah, our group is the best!]
In terms of stage choreography, Fan Na is miles behind.
[Meng Fanxi: I'll watch your performance quietly.]
When will the two masters arrive? Will they face off then?
...
When the rankings were revealed at the Dream Chasing Hut, the production team lightly announced the rankings of most people. This segment featured creative twists in the judges' written comments and the contestants' personal reactions, sweeping away the previous tense and conflicting atmosphere and making it humorous and relaxed.
But when Meng Fanxi appeared at the very end, the viewers noticed something was wrong with the editing.
[What are you doing? Why has the music suddenly become so weird? Are you trying to cause trouble again, production team?]
I'm a little worried about Fanxi. His teammates have all ranked highly, but where does Fanxi stand? I think he's in the top three.
I'm so nervous!
...
When the 11th place ranking was announced, not only Meng Fanxi, but all the spectators seemed to pause for a moment.
Then, the comments section and social media platforms expressed their confusion.
【？？？】
【How many? ? 】
Is this fake?
#Meng Fanxi's ranking
#Meng Fanxi 11th
#Who voted?
These and other related terms topped the trending searches that night.
The comments section was filled with angry curses.
[It's been revealed that many of the so-called judges have connections to the management companies of certain teams!]
[11 people? Removing the 1 would be more accurate.]
Seeing Meng Fanxi's expression broke my heart...
Some people calmed down and posted an analysis: "Meng Fanxi didn't have the support of live streaming at the beginning, and he sacrificed a lot of his own parts in the stage performance, creating highlights for his teammates. The team as a whole was very good, but it was definitely at a slight disadvantage compared to other teams that only highlighted one or two members. It should get better later."
Many people in the post agreed, and this further increased their goodwill towards Meng Fanxi.
Many fans who felt sorry for Meng Fanxi watched his post-interview with bated breath, especially his die-hard fans like Yu Zhiruo. When they saw Meng Fanxi firmly say that his goal was to be number one, their eyes welled up with tears.
The fans were greatly encouraged and rallied. Since their goal was indeed to be number one, they would cheer them on and stand firmly by Meng Fanxi's side.
Seeing that Meng Fanxi and the others had moved into the villa, everyone's mood improved a little.
As the second episode drew to a close, the audience's hearts were filled with mixed emotions, and Wei was no exception. At the same time, they couldn't help but marvel at how well "Team Camp" knew how to do both variety shows and talent shows.
It strikes a perfect balance between talent show and variety show effects. He scrolls through the trending topics on various social media platforms on his phone, and almost the majority of them are occupied by "Group Camp".
A guess suddenly popped into my head: if the show's popularity reached a level never before seen in any talent show, and Meng Fanxi and his team received unprecedented attention, then Will Company might have no choice but to get involved.
While ordinary viewers may not know about the judges on these shows, he, as an industry insider, is aware that many of them are arranged to be judges by companies that have reached agreements with the production team, in order to protect their own teams from being eliminated too early.
In comparison, Will was far too indifferent.
In the behind-the-scenes footage that flashed at the end of the show, some fans spotted a scene where WONE members went to talk to Meng Fanxi, sparking a flurry of gossip on the forums. The atmosphere on set seemed quite subtle, and fans were scrutinizing each other's micro-expressions with magnifying glasses, concluding that there was some juicy gossip going on!
Unfortunately, there were very few clues, so netizens had to be patient and eagerly await the next episode, hoping to get some valuable gossip.
Meng Fanxi and his team had a good night's sleep and, following the program team's instructions, arrived at a newly built recording location near the Mushroom Park studio.
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A note from the author:
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