Chapter Sixteen: An Awkward Group Variety Show
Having a clear conscience was Meng Fanxi's first feeling after reviewing the entire performance.
He was unsure of his companions' reactions, but felt an instant sense of relief after the exam. He and his group returned from the back entrance of the auditorium, found an empty seat, and sat down casually, their steps light and effortless.
The C-level female trainees had already gone to the waiting room to prepare. While waiting, everyone except the other C-level trainees who were preparing for the exam were chatting quietly.
Looking towards the judges' panel, the judges were gathered in small groups, discussing something, seemingly giving specific feedback on their performances.
Meng Fanxi immediately looked away. With Du Rongtai's comments, he felt more confident. The results wouldn't be out until tomorrow, so he could take a breather before finding out.
Meng Fanxi carefully observed and learned from the following performances.
The female trainees cooperated better and had a more delicate grasp of the emotions in the songs, from which Meng Fanxi benefited greatly.
Jiang Yunfei, who impressed me in previous music class, sings well, but his dancing is just average and might be a bit dangerous.
Upon reaching Rank B, the trainees' skills improved to another level.
The assessment for Level B consists of only one item: singing and dancing. The songs drawn are all from already debuted groups, and there is fifteen minutes to prepare. Stage movements are not required, but basic formations must be performed.
The designated points posted on the stage were also torn down after the C-level exam was completed.
The difference between Class C and Class B was like a chasm, and Meng Fan's once calm heart began to pound again.
He could sense that each group had a stronger sense of teamwork on stage, with their chosen positions mostly staggered to avoid highlighting individuals and emphasize the overall group dance feel. The judges in the audience were also no longer as relaxed as they had been at the beginning; they were all watching the performances with great concentration.
One of Weir's proudest achievements was fully demonstrated in the monthly exam – a genuine full-on live performance.
Even though Meng Fanxi was sitting far away, he could still hear the singers' breaths, which were somewhat uncontrollable due to their intense dancing, coming from the speakers, but their pitch was all above average.
A sense of crisis surged in like a tide, and this was only B-level strength.
Qi Xiaohan and Xu Weiguang were grouped together again. Although they did not move around on the field, their solid basic skills were evident. In particular, at the end, their group choreographed a movement that moved from far to near, like a chain linking together. The two worked together seamlessly and were very eye-catching.
Meng Fanxi cheered for them from the bottom of his heart. He watched the two of them with confident and satisfied smiles as they finished their performance on stage. This was an expression he had never seen when they were in VIER in his previous life.
While waiting for the next group to take the stage, bold ideas popped into my head.
As I got to know Ren Yuchen, Xu You, and Gu Huailang better, I found that they had considerable strength and confidence, but they were by no means arrogant or conceited. On the contrary, they were consistent in word and deed and had a meticulous mind.
Needless to say, Qi Xiaohan and Xu Weiguang were the first people Meng Fanxi met. Qi Xiaohan was warm and optimistic, while Xu Weiguang was kind and reserved. However, they would show some inferiority when they encountered trainees of a higher level.
All five of them have excellent personalities, but when they are put together, they are completely at odds and seem to be incompatible.
Meng Fanxi had watched their group variety show, and her first impression was that they didn't know each other well. Even with a million-dollar post-production team adding many special effects and subtitles, most of the dialogue scenes couldn't be salvaged from the awkwardness.
Group variety shows are an important tool for attracting fans. Every debuting group has its own group variety show to unite and showcase the group spirit.
The variety show that VIER had previously hosted actually contributed significantly to the later battles between individual fans and anti-fans among the members.
Their variety shows often feature uninteresting yet controversial scenes, sometimes even for an entire episode.
For example, in one episode, the members were asked to go to the countryside to work and cook their own meals using ingredients picked from the fields.
The heartwarming scene of "everyone working together to enjoy delicious food and chatting about life's dreams" envisioned by the director and audience was completely shattered by the performance of the VIER members.
Gu Huailang said he could cook, took the ingredients and began to wash them. The other four walked over and stared at the chef.
He didn't say a word.
Just stand there.
I stood there for a full five minutes watching the progress bar.
Gu Huailang remained silent, seemingly completely absorbed in cooking.
The editor covered his eyes and captioned the video: "The older brothers are so touched, cheering on their younger brother."
Perhaps because VIER doesn't have an official leader, the five members always have to stay silent for a while before someone can start a conversation when they get together.
After a long while, Ren Yuchen spoke up, asking Gu Huailang, who was busy at work, "Do you need any help?"
"Need not."
"oh."
The four of them then found places to sit down.
"..." The fans watching were so embarrassed they dug their toes out of Mount Everest, and fled overnight.
This variety show even trended on social media because it was so awkward, and many bloggers used footage from it to create challenges like "how many segments you can watch until the end".
Fans of each member were naturally unwilling for their idol to gain popularity in this way, and the criticism escalated from blaming the company and production team to mutual insults about their teammates being boring and unable to support the group variety show.
It was quite a lively affair until VIER released a new album, after which things calmed down.
That group variety show became VIER's only group variety show in the three years since their debut.
Meng Fanxi used to wonder how a group with no sense of team spirit could become so popular. Now, he's worried for them. The lack of familiarity among the members is likely one of the reasons why the VIER group disbanded in his previous life.
Ren Yuchen, Xu You, and Gu Huailang are getting along well now. In the future, Qi Xiaohan and Xu Weiguang will form a group with the three of them. As someone who has connections with both sides, can I mediate their relationship and change their future team that has no team spirit?
Meng Fanxi silently made plans in his mind.
After the lunch break, the "battle of the gods" began, with A-level and S-level trainees taking the stage.
The A-level trainees' dance skills are beyond question, and their singing vocals are more stable than those of the B-level trainees. What's most outstanding is their ability to manage their facial expressions.
In Meng Fanxi's opinion, their group dance was at a level that would allow them to debut directly; Bai He's top trainees were roughly at that level.
He found it hard to imagine how he would perform during the S-level trainee assessment.
When Gu Huailang entered the arena, he drew all eyes to the audience. Meng Fanxi was also worried for him, as his injury seemed to be not fully healed.
As expected, although Gu Huailang's expression was on point, his movements were too different from those of the people around him, creating a stark contrast. Many people's expectant gazes turned into sympathy.
Gu Huailang remained expressionless and calmly left the stage.
Could Gu Huailang be demoted again? Meng Fanxi couldn't help but worry. She wondered if these scenarios had played out in her previous life. Hopefully, they wouldn't affect Gu Huailang's future career.
The S-level trainees made their final appearance, and even the simple act of being called upon to stand up from their seats gave Meng Fanxi a sense of pressure. Standing there, they seemed to exude the aura of stars.
Staring at Xu You and Ren Yuchen's backs, their heads held high, basking in the attention they received, seemed to be the most fitting image for them.
With only fifteen minutes to prepare, and only four groups of trainees (male and female), they were able to perform their movements perfectly in unison and even create their own moves, eliciting cheers from the audience. What incredible teamwork and coordination!
The S-class trainees took control of the stage, showcasing their individual charm and the powerful impact of their combined performance. The passionate young men brought the audience and the stage together with their energetic performance, and even the judges, who were exhausted after a long day, waved their hands in accompaniment.
This is the scene that Meng Fanxi longs for.
I was still in a daze long after the last performance ended.
Meng Fanxi met Gu Huailang, who was waiting for him at the exit, and the two went to have dinner together.
The shock he felt was indescribable. Looking at Gu Huailang, who had once been an S-level trainee, he couldn't help but feel sorry for him and asked, "Are you alright? Do you need to go to the hospital again?"
Gu Huailang had been taken to the hospital and given medicine by Wei Ye, and he was almost fully recovered. As for his performance on stage, it was all planned in advance. Seeing that his roommate was worried about him again, he felt a little guilty.
"...It's nothing." Gu Huailang hesitated before speaking.
Although the most intense assessment has ended, this is not the end of the monthly exams.
The stage assessment consists of eleven judges evaluating the trainees' levels, but there is also a bonus component – position evaluation.
Position assessment refers to evaluating a trainee's outstanding abilities in three areas: Vocal, Dance, and Rap.
All trainees must undergo position evaluations at one of the specially opened recording studios between 7 PM and 10 PM tonight and between 8 AM and 10 AM tomorrow morning. The judges have been replaced by their usual training coaches.
The results of this evaluation determine the rankings within each level. Only trainees at level B and above can receive a ranking, meaning that trainees at level C may have wasted their time.
Even without the rules, C-level trainees wouldn't miss such an opportunity to earn extra points.
While the trainees were busy with their ranking assessments, the eleven judges were still discussing and adjusting the trainees' rankings in a conference room.
"The changes weren't actually that significant; the gap between trainees at different levels has gradually widened," Zhou Xingzhi said, recalling the entire assessment.
“That’s right, these people have good potential, but they’re too one-sided. They’re better suited for individual development.” The deputy director of the artist management department said, pointing to several official photos of the trainees. If Meng Fanxi were there, he would have recognized Jiang Yunfei and Yang Liu among them.
"Meng Fanxi, who's at level C, performed quite well. I think he could be promoted to level A. Old Du even praised him a few times on stage." Yu Yuanli, the deputy director of the operations and marketing department, first pointed at Du Rong, then turned to the other side: "Xiao Wei, isn't this the person you recommended?"
Yu Yuanli was the most senior person present. When he spoke, the surroundings fell silent, and everyone's eyes darted back and forth between Du Rong and Wei Ye.
Du Rong did not show much bias: "It's up to you to decide, it will definitely be above the C level."
Wei Ye could naturally sense Yu Yuanli's probing. He paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "I happened to run into him. He did perform quite well today, but he's still a newcomer. It's better to take it one step at a time."
Yu Yuanli smiled and handed Meng Fanxi's photo to a planning team leader who was in charge of arranging the photos. The leader understood and placed the photo in the B-grade position.
After the few people who were promoted were adjusted, it was time to deal with those who were demoted. Coincidentally, these demoted trainees also had some connection with Wei.
A note from the author:
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