Chapter Seventeen: The Miracle Boy
“Wei Ye, you’re in charge of Gu Huailang’s case. Has his injury not healed yet?” Ni Lin, a planning team leader who was about the same age as Wei Ye, said.
He looked at Wei Ye, feeling somewhat resentful upon learning that Wei Ye had become a judge as the seventh planning team leader. Wei Ye was involved in everything from 4ward's special assistant and group planner to monthly exam judge and investigator of Gu Huailang's experiences.
He flaunts his background everywhere, but he's nothing more than a spoiled brat who acts on a whim.
Wei sensed the hostility in the other party's heart and knew that his recent high profile had attracted a lot of attention, so he patiently replied: "Gu Huailang's injuries are all internal injuries and he needs to recover for a while, but he can't stay idle and always has to train secretly, so he hasn't fully recovered yet."
This statement not only explained why Gu Huailang performed poorly, but also gave those present a better impression of him.
"Given that there are indeed objective reasons for Gu Huailang's poor performance, let's leave his rank unchanged." Zhou Xingzhi knew Gu Huailang's strength better than anyone else present, but he was unsure of his mental fortitude and worried that this demotion would be a blow to this young and outstanding trainee.
Wei also spoke up to refute: "Since he chose to go on stage, he had to abide by the rules. His performance was indeed not good, and I think he knows that in his heart." As he spoke, he adjusted the photo to grade B.
Zhou Xingzhi didn't speak again, glancing at Wei Ye. Seeing his shrewd demeanor, he quickly understood the deeper meaning. He didn't insist further and turned to discuss the other trainees who should be demoted.
Wei smiled and patted Zhou Xingzhi on the shoulder.
The rankings were officially announced on the afternoon of the weekend, with the grades and rankings being announced in the auditorium as usual.
The judges took their seats in turn, and the trainees, regardless of their rank, sat on either side of the audience seats. The empty seats in the middle were divided into sections A, B, and C.
Section S is located in the center of the stage, with three rows of luxurious leather chairs, totaling 24 seats.
Meng Fanxi was sitting in the same row as her roommates and neighbors. To her left were Xu You and Ren Yuchen, and to her right was Gu Huailang. Unlike their composure, Meng Fanxi's clenched hands betrayed her nervousness.
The good feeling I had when I stepped off the stage vanished after seeing so many outstanding trainees, leaving only a deep sense of uncertainty. Fortunately, the results will be announced soon, so I don't have to suffer for many more days.
He looked around at the ceremonial setup, with several cameras starting to work, giving him the illusion of participating in a talent show.
The video will not be released to the public; it will only be kept as internal material. In the future, some superstars may revisit this youthful memory during a segment of a program, revealing a few images.
On stage, Jiao Man, dressed in a formal suit, slowly walked to the hosting platform on the side of the stage. After saying a few opening remarks, he went straight to the point: "The number of trainees for each level in this monthly exam is as follows: the number of male and female S-level trainees remains unchanged at 12 each. The remaining trainees are being evaluated. There are 14 male trainees in C-level, 20 in B-level, and 17 in A-level. The number of female trainees in C-level is..."
Meng Fanxi didn't have a clear idea of the number of people in each level. He just hoped that he wouldn't be among the 14 people in level C. After silently praying, he listened more attentively to the next reading.
Jiao Man's usual hosting style involves joking around to lighten the mood, but here he was straightforward and efficient, directly announcing the names of the C-level trainees who hadn't yet been ranked. After reading through the list of names, he didn't hear his own, and his racing heart didn't immediately calm down. This result meant that he had advanced.
Hearing Gu Huailang and Xu You's quiet congratulations beside him, Meng Fanxi couldn't contain his joy and was looking forward to seeing if he would be B-level or A-level.
The answer was quickly revealed: "Thirty-sixth place, Meng Fanxi. Please move to the location of your ranking."
Not bad! Although he was really envious of A-level, he was already quite satisfied to be ranked in the middle to upper range among B-level trainees without having shown his singing and dancing skills. He greeted Gu Huailang and the others and then went to sit down in the B-level area.
When Gu Huailang heard Meng Fanxi's name, he immediately looked cautiously to his side. He felt that the ranking was a bit low, and thinking that Wei Ye must have had a reason for making such an arrangement, he prepared to comfort his roommate.
To his surprise, his roommate wasn't disappointed or frustrated; instead, he looked satisfied, which left him somewhat puzzled.
"Thirty-fifth place, Gu Huailang. Please proceed to your ranking." The confusion lasted only a few seconds before Gu Huailang's name was called. The lingering gloom on his face naturally drew attention from all sides, instantly being interpreted in multiple ways as a sign of his disappointment.
After all, Gu Huailang's ranking was twentieth last time, a drop of fifteen places, which is very eye-catching.
The process gradually sped up, and Qi Xiaohan and Xu Weiguang performed brilliantly, entering Grade A and ranking twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth respectively. Although they were at the bottom of Grade A, it meant they had reached a new level.
Xu You and Ren Yuchen remained in S-level, with the former ranking sixth and the latter fourth. The top three were all senior high school trainees with extensive experience, and they had achieved such results after only one year in the company. Most of the trainees in the audience looked on with envy.
After such a large-scale monthly exam, the thought of having to go to school tomorrow is giving me a headache.
Unlike the other trainees who took advantage of the weekend to go shopping together, Meng Fanxi and Gu Huailang went straight back to their dormitory. As for the S-level trainees, they still had to go to collect their bonuses and prizes.
After the monthly exams, everyone resumed their routine of going back and forth between school and the company.
Meng Fanxi is highly adaptable and manages to balance his studies and training with great ease. When he relaxes, he inevitably thinks of the two things that have been weighing on his mind.
What Meng Fanxi couldn't let go of the most was the mysterious relationship between Zhang Yang and Jin Ziran. He always felt that something must have happened between them, which ultimately directly or indirectly prevented him from debuting in his previous life.
As for his efforts to facilitate communication between Qi Xiaohan and the others and Ren Yuchen and his two companions, this is already underway, and in his view, it is working well.
No matter who he's chatting with, he'll deliberately mention the other people who aren't present, indirectly deepening their understanding of each other.
When he ate, he would bring Gu Huailang, Qi Xiaohan, and Xu Weiguang to the same table. Sometimes Xu You and Ren Yuchen would join them. Qi and Xu no longer feared Xu You like a monster as before. Meng Fanxi watched their interactions with a smile.
That evening, while he and Gu Huailang were focused on doing their homework in the dormitory, Xu You knocked on the door and came in with his computer.
Since becoming acquainted with Xu You and Ren Yuchen, they often came over to visit. Meng Fanxi was used to it, but this was the first time he had seen them carrying a laptop, as if they had something to discuss.
Meng Fanxi asked in confusion, "Why are you carrying a computer?"
Xu You put the computer on the table and said, "Zhang Yang's reaction last time clearly showed that he guessed who it was, but he didn't trust us. I can't let this go, I absolutely have to find out."
Xu You kept Zhang Yang's expression in mind, which made him feel very uncomfortable. He believed that Meng Fanxi would not lie and had no need to slander anyone, but Zhang Yang's obvious distrust still made him unhappy.
After the monthly exam, he specifically asked Meng Fanxi if he had found the person who damaged the CD among the trainees who appeared. Meng Fanxi denied it, but he did not give up and thought of other ways.
“Based on my analysis, since that person is from our school and is someone Zhang Yang knows, he’s most likely a trainee. If he didn’t appear in the monthly exam, he either left the company or became a trainee for acting, singing, or some other field.” Meng Fanxi rarely saw Xu You so serious, and his analysis was so logical that he nodded in agreement. If he were just a little more precise, he could logically say Jin Ziran’s name.
Xu You didn't disappoint him. He raised a confident smile and said, "I got a group photo from when the trainees of my old company had a team building event. I heard that everyone is in it, including Zhang Yang. Check if he's in it."
Very good.
Meng Fanxi cheered inwardly and immediately moved closer to the computer. Gu Huailang didn't understand what they were talking about and looked puzzled. Seeing that Meng Fanxi had started to identify the information, Xu You turned around and explained the whole incident to Gu Huailang.
In the group photo, Meng Fanxi looked at each person carefully and saw many familiar faces. He quickly spotted Zhang Yang, next to Jin Ziran.
Jin Ziran smiled at the camera, while Zhang Yang turned his head away, seemingly looking at someone else.
“It’s him,” Meng Fanxi said, pointing at Jin Ziran.
"Isn't he Zhang Yang's good friend? It's actually him?" Xu You could hardly hide his shock.
Meng Fanxi had previously heard about Zhang Yang and Jin Ziran's past from Xu You, and he was also preoccupied with his own worries.
Xu You didn't stay long, saying he needed to go back and check on Zhang Yang and Jin Ziran's current situation, and then left.
Meng Fanxi and Gu Huailang looked at each other in silence.
Currently, I am powerless and have no way to uncover the secrets surrounding Jin Ziran. I can only hope that Xu You can find some clues.
＊
In the B-level practice room, after the coach finished his one-on-one instruction, he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he called Meng Fanxi outside, put his arm around his shoulder, and said, "Let's go. Teacher Du Rong needs to see you. I'll take you there."
Meng Fanxi was stunned and didn't realize who Du Rong was for a moment. He was pulled forward by the coach and took a few steps before he remembered that Du Rong was the judge who had praised him in the monthly exam.
He asked in confusion, "What does Teacher Du want to see me about?"
The coach shook his head: "I don't know." Then he said something ambiguous: "Teacher Du has a very strange temper." This made Meng Fanxi uneasy.
The coach led him to the door of an office and left without going in to greet Du Rong, leaving Meng Fanxi standing outside, bewildered and uneasy. Meng Fanxi knocked on the door, and a faint voice came from inside: "Come in."
The Du Rong before him was not as serious as during the monthly exam. He was dressed in casual clothes, and his hair hung down smoothly, making him look much younger. When he saw him come in, he immediately put out the cigarette in his hand and gestured for him to sit on the sofa.
Meng Fanxi sat down obediently. Du Rong got up from his desk, looked at the coffee table, and, seemingly not finding what he wanted, walked to a corner of the office, bent down, picked up two bottles of water, and handed them to Meng Fanxi. "If you've finished your tea, have some mineral water." Then he sat down opposite Meng Fanxi.
Meng Fanxi waved her hand awkwardly, "No, no." But she still took the water.
Du Rong adjusted his glasses, glanced at his watch, and said, "It's so late, I won't waste any more words, I'll get straight to the point."
Meng Fanxi sat up straight, adopting a posture of attentive listening. The other person seemed quite satisfied and said with a smile, "Meng Fanxi, you are very lucky."
He was completely bewildered, only to hear the latter say, "Do you want to debut as soon as possible?"
Meng Fanxi certainly wanted to, but the strange atmosphere made him cautiously remain silent. However, Du Rong seemed determined to hear his answer, staring at him silently. After a few seconds of stalemate, Meng Fanxi finally spoke: "...I want to."
Du Rong smiled with satisfaction before getting to the point: "You know the Miracle Boys, right? They even appeared on the Spring Festival Gala at the beginning of the year. They're doing incredibly well right now, and the company wants to take their careers to the next level by injecting new energy into them." As he finished speaking, he looked intently at Meng Fanxi.
No way, Meng Fanxi didn't know what expression to make.
Du Rong interpreted this as a pleasant surprise, and continued, "After careful consideration by the planning team, the coach, the miracle boy's agent, and other parties, they all unanimously agreed to make you a miracle boy..."
He paused, then added, "Prospective member."
With a "thud," the water bottle in Meng Fanxi's hand fell to the ground.
"Don't be too surprised." Du Rong was very satisfied with his "surprised" reaction. "For the next year, Miracle Boys will be holding a national tour. You will travel with them as a reserve member for this year, starting as a backup dancer. Once you've worked out well, you will be announced as a full member at the last stop."
"It's confirmed to be me?" Meng Fanxi looked at Du Rong, not picking up the water bottle, her arms tense and slightly crossed. "I..."
Meng Fanxi's hesitant expression made Du Rong realize that he was a little unhappy.
“Of course you have the right to choose,” Du Rong smiled. “It’s just that the company has to invest a lot of manpower and resources to make a decision. Good opportunities don’t come often. If you miss this one, it’s hard to say when you’ll have such good luck again.”
"The decision to designate you as a prospective member of the Miracle Youth program has basically been tacitly approved by the review committee." Du Rong didn't intend to say more, got up, took out his phone to browse through it, and walked back to his desk.
He seemed to be saying goodbye, implying, "Don't make a decision you'll regret."
Meng Fanxi sensed the threat in the words; it implied that he had no say in the matter.
A note from the author:
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