Chapter Fifteen: Monthly Exam in Progress
Meng Fanxi felt a little breathless, unable to imagine herself on stage as an idol trainee.
The tension he felt during his award ceremony nomination in his past life returned, as if from a dream. His body stiffened, his breathing became heavier and heavier, and he watched his own growing anxiety as if his soul had been ripped away.
"Here you go." A bottle of purified water appeared in front of him. Following his gaze up his arm, he saw Gu Huailang looking at him with concern.
Meng Fanxi took the water and drank it in big gulps. He heard Gu Huailang comforting him, "Everyone is nervous. Don't worry, look there."
Looking in the direction Gu Huailang was pointing, one could see the judges' seats.
A row of solid wood tables was placed in the best viewing spot on the stage, and staff were putting up name tags. One of the judges had already taken his seat on the far right—that was Wei Ye.
Unexpectedly, he was also a judge. Seeing a familiar face made him feel more at ease, but he also wanted to show Wei Ye the progress he had made during this period.
Unable to let tension control her mind, Meng Fanxi tried to adjust her attitude and turn her attention to her surroundings.
With ten minutes left before the 8 o'clock exam, all the trainees had arrived, dressed in uniform training clothes, and sat separately according to their level areas. Gu Huailang had also returned to his A area.
The judges arrived one after another, a total of eleven.
Meng Fanxi had learned in advance that the judges for the monthly evaluation were leaders from various departments related to the debuted artists in the company, namely the deputy director of the Operations and Marketing Department, the deputy director of the Artist Management Department, the deputy director of the Film and Television Production and Investment Department, the six planning team leaders in the Planning Department, and Zhou Xingzhi, the head of the trainees, for a total of ten people.
The trainees present, except for Meng Fanxi, all had experience with monthly exams, so they naturally noticed Wei Ye and huddled together to discuss the new judge in hushed tones.
What was Wei Ye's role as a judge? In Meng Fanxi's memory, Wei Ye seemed to be omnipotent, and didn't seem to have a fixed position in the company.
"Thump—"
The heavy drumbeats echoed throughout the auditorium, and all the trainees immediately fell silent. At eight o'clock sharp, the assessment officially began.
On stage, a familiar young man walked out from behind the scenes. He was Jiao Man, a well-known host from the company that Wei Er was affiliated with. Meng Fanxi had only seen him in his middle age, and he never expected to have the opportunity to see his youthful charm today.
Jiao Man didn't waste any time. After briefly introducing the judges in the audience, he began to explain the assessment rules.
Meng Fanxi had done her homework in advance, but she didn't dare to relax at all, worried that something might change.
Taking male trainees as an example, A-level and B-level trainees are divided into four groups each, and S-level and C-level trainees are divided into two groups each. Group members are randomly assigned by the judges on the spot. Trainees whose names are called go to the waiting room to draw the assessment song for their group, while the other trainees watch from the audience.
Male and female trainees took turns being assessed, one group of male trainees and one group of female trainees. Everyone's faces showed a seriousness in the face of the exam, and the slightly romantic atmosphere of the music class had vanished without a trace.
The proctors, dressed in distinctive uniforms, stood about two meters apart next to the trainees' area. They allowed open comments and discussions on the performances, but trainees waiting for their turn were not permitted to whisper to each other or contact their group members in advance.
The C-level trainees were assessed first, and the assessment progressed in order, with the S-level trainees being the last to be assessed. They could only go on stage near the end of the afternoon, which explained why Xu You and Ren Yuchen looked utterly hopeless when they left.
With the rules explained, the assessment officially began. Jiao Man asked one of the judges to divide the participants into groups.
The one who spoke was a female team leader from the planning group, whose voice was gentle: "There are 14 male trainees in the C-level category, 7 in each group. The first group to come on stage are Teng Nian, Pan Hong, Meng Fanxi, Qu Zhengwen, Dai Junqi, Xin Xing, and Mou Ruihan."
When the judges called out her name, Meng Fanxi, whose heart was pounding, surprisingly calmed down the moment she heard it. She adjusted her facial expression and tried to distract herself with her experiences from participating in various activities in her previous life.
All the trainees who were called stood up and walked towards the backstage waiting room. The remaining seven C-level trainees were asked to sit separately and were prohibited from talking to each other.
Meng Fanxi straightened up and walked towards the right aisle closest to the stage. As she passed the front row, she heard a soft "Go for it!"
Upon closer inspection, it turned out that the S-level trainee was sitting in the first row. Xu You and Ren Yuchen had specially chosen two seats near the aisle to cheer him on when he came over.
A warmth filled my heart, as if I were filled with endless strength.
The waiting room was only a few meters away from the backstage area. Seven trainees stood there, and the examiners randomly selected one person from two cylinders containing several wooden sticks.
C-level trainees are assessed on two aspects: singing and dancing.
The selected pieces were all from their usual training sessions, so they were only given five minutes to practice together.
Among the seven, Xin Xing was the oldest. He took the initiative to assign lyrics to each person. Apart from the chorus part, each person would only get two or three lines at most. The test for them was how to impress the judges with those two or three lines and advance.
In addition, the chorus parts must be harmonious; any abruptness will reduce the chances of being considered for the group.
The group practiced their own parts, went through the chorus twice, and reviewed the dance moves for a while before the time was up.
A row of fixed points was marked on the stage floor. They stood in a row at intervals between the points. Meng Fanxi was on the right side. He looked straight ahead, staring at the virtual points in the air.
No matter how turbulent your heart may be, you must not show any fear when you stand on the stage. Maintain a calm and composed attitude, regardless of the winds blowing from any direction.
There was no small talk or conversation; this was a rule in the assessment process to save time.
But everyone understood that the judges were harsh and dismissive of the C-level trainees.
The entire venue was silent. Jiao Man stood aside, overseeing the entire process: "First is the song assessment. The first group of C-level male trainees will sing 'Until the Day We Meet Again.' Please get ready."
As soon as he finished speaking, the lights dimmed, and as the intro began, a spotlight focused on the group of people. Meng Fanxi gradually became immersed in the mood of the song.
He was assigned the seventh line, meaning he didn't have a part in the section before the chorus. But this was a group performance, and as long as he was on stage, every expression and movement he made was part of the group performance.
He used his acting skills to immerse himself in the image of himself waiting affectionately for someone.
The first line after the chorus was his.
His inner emotions were also building up and being suppressed, but he spoke precisely: "Take your hand and keep walking, I just want to go back to that midsummer afternoon."
Her clear voice carried a continuous stream of emotions, and memories of midsummer flashed before her eyes. Unlike the trembling voices of some other trainees, Meng Fanxi's voice was firm and solid. Many judges took a second look and made notes on the roster.
Wei looked at Meng Fanxi with satisfaction. He had improved a lot since the last time he saw him. He shone brightly in the group, showing both his uniqueness and his ability to integrate into the team.
The dance portion consists of fast-paced steps and lasts only one and a half minutes. They don't need to move around; they just perform from their original positions.
As the music tempo quickened, the dancers' steps gradually became chaotic, and the minute and a half felt like an eternity to them on stage.
Sensing Dai Junqi's increasingly rapid breathing and distorted movements beside him, Meng Fanxi moved closer without making a sound, trying to keep his mouth open as he reminded him, "Smile, stay calm, keep up."
This is a slogan they often use during practice sessions in the practice room. Meng Fanxi wanted him to stay rational and find his own rhythm as soon as possible.
Just as Dai Junqi was at a loss and forgot his movements, he vaguely heard familiar voices. He quickly came back to his senses, sorted out his movements, and caught up with the rhythm again.
Du Rong, the judge closest to the two of them, noticed the interaction on stage and raised an eyebrow. He was one of the heads of the planning team and had been a professor at a performing arts school. After switching to Will, he successfully planned several popular groups for Will Company. Compared with other judges, he was more professional in stage performance. He observed Meng Fanxi without making a sound, his pen moving lightly.
Meng Fanxi would certainly not recklessly risk his own safety to help others. He simply believed that if a teammate in the group encountered a problem, resolving the issue perfectly and maintaining the integrity of the performance was of paramount importance.
This feeling of being able to rely on your teammates on stage was a first for him, and it didn't feel bad.
When the C-level group exam ended, applause erupted from the audience, exceeding Meng Fanxi's expectations. Among the applause were a few extremely forceful ones, as if they wanted to bang their hands raw, which made him chuckle.
Gu Huailang was one of the audience members who applauded wildly. In his eyes, Meng Fanxi seemed to be shining on the stage. For the first time, he understood what the coach meant by "fan's perspective".
If it weren't for the fact that he was "injured," he would have already stood up to cheer for Meng Fanxi. Since he couldn't stand up, he clapped his hands vigorously, and when he came to his senses, his palms were already red.
“Look at him.”
"He's being bullied at school, this is probably the only way he can vent his pain, how pitiful." The two people next to him whispered to him.
Gu Huailang: ...
Qi Xiaohan and Xu Weiguang sat together, discussing Meng Fanxi's performance.
"I'm so moved. The emotions he conveyed in the song were so rich." Qi Xiaohan felt an urge to cry the moment she heard Meng Fanxi start singing.
"Yes, he's amazing. I really want to hear him sing the whole song," Xu Weiguang exclaimed.
When Meng Fanxi's group finished their performance and were about to leave the stage, the host, Jiao Man, noticed that a judge had picked up a microphone, so he called them back and gestured for them to wait for the judges' comments.
Everyone was puzzled, especially Meng Fanxi. He had specifically looked into it and found that there was no critique session after the C-level trainees' performance. In order not to waste time, they were even reminded before going on stage to remember to jog off the stage after the performance. He glanced at the reactions of his teammates and found that everyone was confused, so he suppressed his doubts and looked at the judges' table.
The one who raised the microphone was not Wei Ye, but Du Rong, the head of the planning team of Group Two. He looked to be in his thirties or forties, with his hair neatly combed up. He elegantly pushed up his metal-rimmed glasses: "The level of your group's performance is much higher than that of previous C-level trainees' stages."
Hearing that it was a compliment, Meng Fanxi and the others felt a little excited and bowed in unison, saying, "Thank you, teacher."
Du Rong looked at Meng Fanxi, "This Meng..." He seemed to forget the name, then looked down at the notes, "...Meng Fanxi."
Meng Fanxi's heart leaped into his throat.
He said, "You sang with great emotion, and your teamwork was also good. Keep up the good work."
In an instant, he felt all eyes on him, his body temperature rose, and his heart pounded. Fortunately, he was no naive young man, and despite his excitement, he maintained his composure. "Thank you, teacher. I will continue to work hard."
Du Rong put down the microphone, and since the other judges had no intention of commenting, Jiao Man guided the process to continue as normal.
On the judges' panel, Wei looked down at the list in his hand, recalling Du Rong's actions just now. It seemed to be just a spur-of-the-moment thing, so he didn't think much of it and continued to focus on the stage scoring.
Meng Fanxi stepped off the stage in a daze, his fists clenched unconsciously, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably.
Xu You was genuinely happy for Meng Fanxi. He was sitting in the first row, just inches away from the judges. During Meng Fanxi's performance, he had specifically observed the judges' reactions. With Meng Fanxi receiving special praise, he was sure to advance.
He glanced at Ren Yuchen beside him, who wasn't as agitated as him, and immediately felt dissatisfied, nudging the other with his elbow: "What do you think?"
Ren Yuchen: "It's really good."
Ren Yuchen watched Meng Fanxi's departing figure, the scenes of extra practice over the past few days and his perfect performance on stage swirling in his mind.
He was somewhat puzzled. Meng Fanxi's eyes did not lie; they were filled with longing and love for the stage. In the harmony of the song, he deliberately weakened his voice, making it subdued by the voices of the crowd.
Is he so eager to join a group?
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