Chapter 451
"Hey!" A voice interrupted. Chu Cheng put his arm around Ji Shao's shoulder, looked towards the camera with a smile, and said, "I want to report this. There's a teleprompter up ahead, and this little guy in the woods didn't memorize Captain Wu's lines at all!"
"Wow~" The fans in the audience cooperated very well and made shocked sounds, looking unbelievable but with poor acting skills.
"Oh my God, is there any justice here? You all gang up on me!" Zheng Shulin pretended to be angry, pouting and reaching out to the side, pulling out a young man who was trying to hold back a laugh. "Nan... Brother Xu, come and lend me a hand..."
On the stage, the director had adjusted the spotlights to their widest possible aperture. Even so, the light covering the five people still seemed a bit forced. But if you ask, did this affect everyone on and off stage? The answer is, of course, no.
Everyone knew that this beam of light was the responsibility of the team leader. Wu Yanyan's sweat and unspoken words, with the addition of her first, second, and even more teammates, transformed the stage into a group crosstalk.
Through the camera, Wu Yanyan was "forced" to act as a background board but laughed extremely happily in front of the audience who were amused by the crosstalk of the members and laughed very cooperatively.
For the first time, Zhou Xiao felt that the word "simple and honest" could truly apply to Wu Yanyan, based solely on that smile. Having the stage and the spotlight "stolen" meant he had a chance to recharge and recuperate, and... a "last meal" from his fans.
The audience, roaring with laughter, knew this might be the last time the group's spirit coalesced. There would likely never be another day like this, where members competed on stage to make room for their teammates.
…
The "group crosstalk" came and went quickly. At this point, all that was needed was for team leader Wu Yanyan to say a few words to the camera before the VCR began playing. However, the staff overlooked the fact that six consecutive, intense, and focused performances were taking a significant toll on the individual members.
Fortunately, he wasn't the only one on stage, and thankfully, the fans offstage were incredibly tolerant. A small crisis arose, and its resolution was so effortless and satisfying. Everyone knew it was all improvisation, yet they all watched this "group crosstalk" as if it were a proper performance.
The members' banter bought Wu Yanyan time to recover. Ji Shao, constantly monitoring the captain's condition, received a grateful look from Zheng Shulin. Then, silently, he casually put his arm around Chu Cheng's shoulders and disappeared into the darkness.
Finally, the spotlight on the stage shone on just one person again. Standing alone under the spotlight, Wu Yanyan, chatting away, looked a little lonely. However, the originally expanded aperture remained unchanged, letting everyone know that the "group crosstalk" just now was real.
"...Finally, I sincerely thank everyone for coming tonight. From now on, let's watch the big screen together--"
As soon as Wu Yanyan finished speaking, the spotlight that had been illuminating him also disappeared. The sports center was completely dark, with only the waving light signs and glow sticks in the audience proving their presence.
Suddenly, the sound of a cassette tape rewinding echoed through the empty space. The sound of keyboard tapping echoed, and a line of white handwritten words appeared in the center of the four-panel screen.
"What kind of idol do you want to be?"
The "rustling" scene starts from the Huashang Times Plaza. The summer sun hangs high in the sky, and a few white clouds occasionally float across the blue sky, which is so beautiful that it is beyond words.
The camera suddenly changed at this moment, and the audience's vision began to move with the camera. Tall buildings, the fountain in the square, the familiar trainee dormitory and——
"Well, this question..." A crisp voice echoed across the screen. A "C" logo, representing the center position, was affixed to the chest of a pink top that dominated the view. As the camera panned upwards, enticingly, Zhu Jian, beside Zhou Xiao, was already gripping her hand tightly, his excitement growing uncontrollably.
"The goals are different at each stage, right? Right now, I'm..." Ji Shao, still a bit unskilled with his action camera, leaned against the practice room doorway with a certain ease. Behind him, the sounds of other trainees practicing and talking could be heard faintly. "I still hope to become an idol recognized by everyone."
The youth's eyes were dark blue, and he looked like he hadn't gotten enough rest. But his vibrant energy and curious expression towards his opponent's camera had the Ji Shao fans in the audience exclaiming in delight.
"But I don't know if I can debut either." Ji Shao, caught on camera, looked a bit embarrassed, his hair barely covering his red, blood-red earlobes. Compared to his usual interviews, being alone seemed to have made him more relaxed. "If I really do become an idol, it's probably because I've kept my original aspirations intact."
When Ji Shao said, "I don't know if I can debut," the word "yes" resounded throughout the sports center amid the heartbreaking cries of fans. If Ji Shao couldn't speak, who else could?
Who would have thought that the young man who was still a little confused at the beginning would climb to the top and surpass others at an astonishing speed two years later, becoming a well-deserved top artist in the entertainment industry.
"That was the time when the theme song was being competed for the center position," Qi Sisi bit her handkerchief and looked at the big screen with tears in her eyes as it switched to the next member.
Zhou Xiao nodded silently. Hua Yao was really good at hiding videos. If this video had been released during the show, judging by everyone's reactions now, I wonder how many fans Ji Shao would have lost at that time.
The word "original intention" rolled in his thoughts. Compared with other Xiu Ren's jumping around, Ji Shao, who has become a figure admired by thousands of Xiu Ren, has really been maintaining his original intention from the very beginning.
Even with a Best Actor trophy already under his belt, Ji Shao's performance remained remarkably steady throughout the first six stages. His dancing abilities seemed innate, but while others were envious, who could have remembered that after filming wrapped for "The Unparalleled General," Ji Shao had been using his downtime to rehearse for his concert?
Zhou Xiao remembered, so when Ji Shao said, "Our original aspiration remains unchanged," she applauded with approval, joining the thousands of others in the audience. Tonight's tamarind is a reflection of a parent's deep pride in their child, the joy of seeing the trees they've diligently nurtured flourish.
The nine members' handheld self-interviews during their "trainee period" have ended. Just when everyone thought it was over, the big screen lit up again to tell everyone that things were far from simple.
Ding ding dong dong! When the piano version of "Star 101"'s prelude sounded, Zhou Xiao felt his brain go numb. The violin version from the finals still had a lingering effect; this piano version was a killer.
"I announce that the eighth place winner of 'Star Path 101' is——"
Mixed with the piano music was the voice of founder Zhou Quanli during the finals. The next moment, a dark screen began flashing back to the NINE STAR competition. The sweat in the practice room, the collapse under the stairs, the nervousness during the ranking announcement... and then the dazzling light on the stage!
The theme song from "Star 101" played once again, this time with the prelude restored to its normal version. The stage, long silent, was reawakened, countless lights shining on the nine members. The familiar pyramid-like formations made the audience clench their fists.
At the same time, Zhou Xiao had already deftly picked up the camera from its tripod. In the camera lens, Ji Shao was standing on the stage, dressed in a white uniform suit. The crisp silhouette and silver tassels on the shoulders made him look tall and dazzling.
"I want to ride the wind..." When the familiar voice came out from the mouths of the nine members on the stage, it undoubtedly brought back countless memories for the trainees below the stage and the mentors in the box.
As the theme song's climax played, the dozens of "trainees" sitting in the audience seemed to have their hands moved automatically, following the Nine Star members on stage. Even if they had forgotten a lot, they remembered everything when they heard the song.
Fans who haven't followed "Star 101" since its inception can't sing this theme song. Those who initially thought they were incredibly tolerant, and those with more emotional sensitivity, have already started singing along with a nasal cadence. This deep sense of reluctance and nostalgia is the greatest respect for this stage.
Zhou Xiao sang along, reminiscing about the passionate summer with everyone else. Although two years had passed, just like Ji Shao's original intention remained unchanged, the nostalgia brought by this song was unstoppable.
It's clearly a tune full of youth, but why does it make me feel more and more lost the more I listen to it? Perhaps it's because we are always remembering and forgetting things, and once the dusty memories are opened, they can no longer be stopped.
Through tears, Zhou Xiao seemed to notice that the name tag on Ji Shao's uniform jacket looked different than before. It was the same pink, representing an A-level rank, and the same pyramid logo, but the difference this time was the company the name belonged to.
This time, Ji Shao's name was on the label, and the company name was changed from "Xincheng" to "NINE STAR". This was the first and last time.
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