Chapter 35 Game and Second Round Performance Song Selection
Looking at the surprised faces of the contestants below the stage, Zeng Yu smiled slightly.
In reality, the gap in votes between the two hadn't been that big to begin with, and it had been lingering ever since voting began until the past two days. Even Jiang Mo Nan was constantly being outnumbered by Sheng Yanyu.
If it weren't for Sheng Yanyu's fans making that slice-up video to accuse Jiang Mo Nan of having a head transplant, the voting results wouldn't be what they are now.
These people originally wanted to portray Jiang Monan as someone who had plastic surgery to change his head and was trying to curry favor with his seniors, but unexpectedly they were slapped in the face and attracted the sympathy of passers-by.
As for the "black material" that he revealed on the show, it also became a magic weapon for countless passers-by to fall into the trap.
For most netizens, they don't really care whether their idols have had plastic surgery. After all, in this industry, it is no longer uncommon.
Even in the eyes of some people, idols having plastic surgery is a kind of virtue, at least it is worthy of the audience and fans who watch them.
As long as they are talented enough, don't make mistakes based on principle, and know how to be grateful to their fans, they are good idols.
Thinking of this, Zeng Yu couldn't help but sigh in his heart: I have to say, Jiang Mo Nan really has a bloody physique.
You have to know that it was less than 12 hours from the time the botulism toxin incident broke out to the time the voting pool was closed. The other party was able to overtake in an instant and widen the vote gap to 250,000 votes. This is really amazing.
Thinking about it, Zeng Yu said directly: "Congratulations to Jiang Mo Nan for winning first place in this round of voting!"
Upon hearing that Mo Bei had won first place, Zhao Xi jumped up excitedly. Lei Lie and Tao Xiaotie clapped their hands frantically. Although Bai Li still had that irritating expression, the beautiful fox eyes couldn't hide the joy in them.
Sheng Yanyu didn't seem to care much about winning or losing. He smiled warmly and nodded at Mo Bei, "Congratulations."
Mo Bei was a little surprised by this result. After a moment of shock, the corners of his mouth unconsciously raised slightly: "Thank you."
After the customary speeches, the two took their seats in turn.
The top 59 players have been announced, and the final player who barely made it to the next round has also been determined amidst the eager anticipation of the crowd.
The contestants whose names were called burst into tears of joy, while the others who were not called could only hold back their bitterness and applaud in congratulations.
After the first round of ranking recording ended, the eliminated contestants packed their luggage and left the training base where they had lived for more than half a month.
Restraining their reluctance, the contestants hugged each other and said goodbye.
Looking at the dormitory building that was suddenly nearly half empty, a feeling of loneliness began to spread in everyone's heart.
However, the program team did not give them too much time to grieve, because the next round of tests would soon come.
[Congratulations to the host, the number of fans on the super topic has exceeded 1 million, and the number of votes has exceeded 5 million. ]
After recording the elimination rankings, Mo Bei was about to go to the cafeteria with Lei Lie and the others to eat, but he suddenly heard the system's broadcast.
"So I can repair organs again?"
[That’s right.]
Mo Bei remembered that the voting rewards for the draft were 1 million, 5 million and 10 million.
The reward levels for the number of super topic fans are 100,000, 200,000, 500,000, and 1 million.
There seems to be a higher gear after that, but the system has not announced them one by one.
Last time, he used 100,000 and 200,000 super topic rewards and 1 million draft voting rewards to repair his gastrointestinal function.
Counting the rewards he received this time, he can still repair the functions of three more organs.
I want to repair my tongue, skin, and kidneys.
Although his gastrointestinal function had been restored, he had lost his sense of taste, so everything he ate tasted bland. Therefore, he decided that the first thing he would do after receiving the reward for repairing his organs was to restore his sense of taste.
As for the skin and kidneys, they were the two parts of the body he decided to restore first after careful consideration. The former was because zombie skin was never as vivid as that of a living person, and it was not realistic to always rely on makeup.
As for the kidneys… He even ate now, so he couldn’t not drink water, right? In order to excrete water from the body, the kidneys are necessary.
[Okay, now let’s repair the tongue, skin, and kidneys.]
【Repair time: 15 minutes.】
[Host, please stop moving within one minute and find a quiet place with no one around. Stay still and do not move at will.]
Without bothering to explain too much, Mo Bei hurriedly said "I'm going to the bathroom" and disappeared from everyone's sight.
What he didn't know was that this scene was recorded by the program crew. When the program crew released the behind-the-scenes footage in the future, he would have gained another nickname, "Toilet Prince", from his fans.
Of course, this is all in the past.
Taking into account the physical and mental health of the contestants and the entertainment value of the program, the program team arranged a day for the contestants to adjust their status before the new task arrives.
In addition to not having to get up as early as usual, we also prepared some casual puzzle games to help the players relax.
Honestly, the players didn't really care whether they were playing games or not. After days of intense mental stress, they just wanted to get some sleep.
After sleeping for most of the day and having lunch, everyone went to the auditorium as arranged by the program team.
Unexpectedly, the person responsible for hosting the segment this time was not Zeng Yu, but four mentors.
Aside from the initial stage ratings, classes, and performances, this was the first time they had seen the four of them in this kind of relaxed gaming session.
After all, the four mentors are all very busy people, and due to various personal schedules, they rarely get together often. Unlike the usual elaborate and gorgeous hair styles, all four of them were dressed more casually today.
Unlike her previous more ladylike outfit, Ai Yao did not wear a skirt but a dashing overalls.
Lu Ye looked youthful and energetic in a blue and yellow plaid shirt and a smiling baby face, and there was no sense of incongruity among a group of young contestants.
An Jun changed his usual neat and simple black, white and gray color scheme and put on a mint blue T-shirt and white trousers. His unwaxed hair hung obediently in front of his eyebrows, making him look much gentler.
As for the coolest rapper Li Zhaokai, he did not wear his floral shirt and thick metal chain this time, but instead wore a white sweatshirt, which was unusual for him.
The instructors' down-to-earth attire made the contestants, who were often trained in class, feel a long-lost sense of relaxation.
Seeing the boys yawning in front of him, Lu Ye smiled and asked, "How was your rest?"
Hearing this, the originally lazy contestants stood up straight instantly.
"very good!!!"
Seeing the contestants looking ready for battle, Lu couldn't help but laugh.
"Everyone, don't be nervous. The games arranged by the production team don't involve the subsequent competition system. They are just for entertainment and relaxation. Those who are interested can come up and try it later. If you are not interested, don't worry. We can still be spectators from below."
"The production team doesn't force you to participate in the game."
He looked at the process card and said, "Our first game today is 'Touch the Box'."
As soon as he finished speaking, the production crew brought up seven 30cm x 30cm boxes. Each box was wrapped in opaque black velvet, and the contents were completely invisible until the cloth was removed.
I saw the staff move the boxes onto a long table and line them up in a row, and then remove the blackout cloth on the side facing the camera that was facing away from the contestants.
After the production team arranged the props, Lu Ye looked at the contestants behind him, each with a different look on their faces. "The rules of the game are simple. Put your hand in the box and guess what's inside. Does anyone want to come up and give it a try?"
Some smart people quickly realized the importance of this step in increasing their own shots, and raised their hands.
However, before he could even call on anyone, he heard Instructor An Junze suddenly speak—
"It sounds interesting. I want to try it too."
Upon hearing this, the contestants in the audience instantly became excited. They didn't care about their own performances and started shouting the name of mentor An Junze.
"An Junze! An Junze!"
Hearing the enthusiastic cheers from the contestants, Lu Ye smiled and said, "Then you go first."
An Junze was not polite and walked straight to the table.
Without any preparation or emotional fluctuation, he reached into the first box. Such a neat performance made the contestants praise the mentor's bravery.
Unlike the contestants and mentors, the camera crew on the opposite side could see the contents of the box clearly.
The first box contained a furry little hamster. While hamsters are adorable, they can be a bit creepy for someone with a fear of rodents. Especially when you can't see it, touching it can amplify your senses and heighten your fear.
However, An Jun obviously does not belong to this category.
After feeling around in the box, he thought for a moment and asked, "Is it a mouse or a rabbit?"
Lu Ye walked around to the table and looked at the box, then shook his head regretfully: "Neither."
"What is that?"
An Jun wanted to keep trying but was stopped by his opponent, "If you don't guess it, you've failed. Let's give the chance to other contestants!"
Hearing this, An Jun had no choice but to give up. Compared to him, this part was more important to the contestants.
After all, this is their only chance to appear on the show, aside from performances, classes, and practice. With so many contestants and varying popularity, screen time is inherently uneven. Therefore, they must earn their own share of screen time.
"Okay. Anyone want to try it?"
Teacher An Junze's answer had already allowed the contestants to roughly deduce the answer to the first box. Suddenly, many people raised their hands.
The contestant who shouted the most enthusiastically was called. He eagerly reached into the first box and within two seconds, he gave the answer -
"It's a hamster!"
"Correct answer! Score one point!"
The other party was overjoyed and quickly reached into the second box. However, the next second, he was startled by the slippery touch of his fingertips.
"snake!"
"No points for wrong answers."
Lu Ye shook his head regretfully, "Challenge failed! Next one!"
The contestant who failed to score any more points left the stage dejectedly, and soon the next challenger came to the stage.
Zhao Chen reached into the box and stirred it, then pondered for a moment: "Is it an eel?"
"Answer correctly and you get one point!"
Zhao Chen then walked to the third box.
After groping for a moment, he decisively answered: "Cactus."
"Answer correctly and you get one point!"
Seeing that his brother guessed two correctly in a row, Zhao Xi in the audience cheered excitedly.
Zhao Xi remained calm and composed as he came to the fourth box, but this time his response was not as quick as the previous two times.
He was seen groping in the box for quite a while, with a big question mark written all over his face, as if to say, "What the hell is this?"
Only the cameraman and program crew on the opposite side were trying hard to hold back their laughter.
The fourth box contained a pet pig. Startled by a hand that fell from the sky, the pig quickly dodged to the side, its rear end facing him.
When he touched the pig's butt, the confusion on Zhao Chen's face deepened.
"What on earth is this soft, furry thing? A puppy? It's way too fat."
After hearing Zhao Chen's complaints, the mentors and production crew who knew the truth either covered their faces or turned their heads away, not daring to look at him any more, because they were afraid they would burst out laughing.
Seeing that Zhao Chen had been groping for a long time but still couldn't come up with the correct answer, Lu stopped his challenge: "Wrong answer, next one."
Seeing that the people on the stage were having a lot of fun, more and more contestants below the stage became eager to try.
Lei Lie sat next to Mo Bei and nudged him subtly with his elbow, "Brother Mo Nan, do you want to go up and give it a try?"
Mo Bei shook his head and said, "I don't need it."
His tactile perception ability has not recovered, and he would not be able to guess it even if it had been restored.
Seeing Lei Lie's curious face, he said, "If you are interested, you can go and try it."
Lei Lie thought about it and finally stood up.
As the third-ranked high-ranking player in the first round, Lei Lie received cheers from the audience as soon as he appeared on the stage.
Starting from the fourth box where the previous person had failed, Lei Lie felt a soft, wet, round cylindrical object as soon as he reached into the box. The thing inside the box was clearly a living creature.
Without any hesitation, his blood instinct told him the answer: "It's a pig!"
"Correct answer! Score one point!"
The next three boxes were not too difficult and were purely a test of the players' mental strength. The fifth box contained a gecko, the sixth box contained fish, and the seventh box contained bananas.
Lei Lie guessed all the remaining boxes correctly in succession with an unstoppable momentum, got 4 points, and won the first place in this box-touching game.
The program team also arranged a reward for the first place winner of the game. Although it was just a box of yogurt provided by the sponsor, it made others envious for a long time.
After the box-touching game, there were several rounds of various mini-games, from "Draw, I Guess" to arm wrestling. While these games might seem childish, when a group of people get together, even the most boring ones become interesting.
Inspired by this group of young and energetic contestants, the mentors also began to join in. For a while, the scene was filled with joy.
However, the happy rest time is always short. Although playing games is fun, competition and competition are the main themes of this show.
Early the next morning, Zeng Yu appeared in front of the contestants again wearing his signature sequined suit.
"Next, you will have your second round of performances. The performance will be this Saturday. Including today, you only have five days to prepare."
"Next, let me introduce the rules of this round of performances."
"Unlike the last round, this one is an individual competition. In this performance, we will divide the group into three categories based on their different positioning, and compete within the group."
As he spoke, Zeng Yu unveiled the board prepared by the staff. There were three words written on it:
vocal, dance, rap.
This is the basic division of labor in an idol group's performance. In addition, a group will also have positions such as ACE, face, captain, and variety show star.
Although some groups may have an ACE who can sing and dance all the way, the positions of lead dancer and lead vocalist are usually unshakable. Generally, the people who hold these positions are the ones who can sing or dance well, and they are the ones who can stand out from the crowd.
This time, the contestants have to use their own abilities to prove to the audience that they are capable of being the lead singer/lead dancer/lead rapper.
After listening to the host's introduction, Lei Lie quietly asked Mo Bei: "Which one are you going to choose? Vocal?"
Mo Bei nodded.
There are many good dancers in this show. Not to mention others, Sheng Yanyu alone is strong enough.
Not to mention his current condition, even in his prime, he was not sure that he could beat the other party 100% in the dance event.
However, in this round of performance assessment, contestants can freely choose the position they want to go to. It is not impossible that the opponent does not choose the dance position they are best at but chooses the other two positions.
But even so, he has no intention of changing his option.
Using one's own weaknesses to attack the opponent's strengths is not a wise choice. In this kind of competition program, he should show more of his strengths rather than his weaknesses.
The host, Zeng Yu, continued, "This round of performances is a single assessment, so there will be no positioning within the teams. The vocal group only needs to complete the vocal performance and does not need to demonstrate additional dance or rap. The same goes for the other two groups."
"As for the competition format, as I said, this round is an individual competition. So it will also be an internal competition within the team."
"This means that those who choose the same song are both your teammates and your competitors. This is because only the contestant who ranks first in the popularity vote within the group will receive the extra vote bonus for the second round of elimination ranking."
Upon hearing about the individual vote bonus, the top-ranked contestants weren't particularly impressed. After all, even if they'd secured first place in both their group and individual rankings in the previous round, they'd only received 8,000 votes. Such a small number wouldn't make a difference compared to their potential vote deficits of hundreds of thousands, or even millions.
The top circles looked down on it, the middle circles thought it was useless, but the players in the lower circles, especially those at the bottom who barely advanced, became agitated when they heard about it.
After all, some of them did benefit from the vote bonus. Now that the host mentioned this, they became even more concerned.
Looking at the contestants' different expressions, Zeng Yu smiled and said:
"By the way, the individual ticket reward for this round of performances is 100,000 votes."
“…………”
As soon as these words were spoken, the scene fell into silence.
"……How many?"
"One hundred thousand votes?!"
The eyes of the middle-level players who had originally shown a lack of interest suddenly lit up.
They might remain indifferent if it was 10,000 votes, but this is 100,000 votes!
The further ahead they go, the greater the difference in votes between the rankings becomes, which also means they must receive more rewards to advance.
With these 100,000 votes, this will mean that they can greatly increase their chances of survival!
Seeing the contestants eager to compete, the director team smiled with satisfaction.
In the early stages of the show, due to the large number of participants, votes are bound to be split. Contestants in the upper circles can create a siphoning effect, with their votes always being the highest. Contestants in the lower circles will have lower votes. Therefore, it's okay to have lower vote rewards at this time.
However, after a round of elimination, the number of players decreased, and if the players in the middle and lower rankings wanted to move up, they needed more votes. Therefore, the original vote rewards were naturally not enough.
At this time, if you offer high vote rewards, they will definitely flock to it.
Especially for those contestants who are strong but have received relatively few screen time on the show, this round of performances is definitely an opportunity to turn things around. If they perform well, it is not impossible for them to overtake others and leap into the middle or even upper ranks.
Strike while the iron is hot, Zeng Yu immediately announced the performance repertoire for this round of performances.
There are four songs in each of the three categories: vocal, dance, and rap. From ballads to hit singles, there's a wide variety of tracks to choose from.
Looking at the four completely unfamiliar song titles of the vocal group, Mo Bei fell into confusion.
He hasn't heard any of these songs, how should he choose?
Fortunately, the program team quickly released the audition segment. After listening to all four songs, Mo Bei had a vague conclusion in his mind.
Zeng Yu continued on stage, "The upper limit for each song is 7 people, and the lower limit is no less than 3 people. This also means that if the position you want is full, you will be transferred to the other two groups."
Upon hearing this, there were wails of grief. Those ranked at the bottom of the rankings, in particular, looked as if they had lost their parents. It was easy to guess that if this situation really happened, they would definitely be the ones to be transferred.
As expected, the host said, "The order of song selection will be based on the overall rankings from the first round. It will be a blind audition."
Upon hearing this, some people were confused and immediately asked, "What does blind selection mean?"
"It means that no one except you can see what you choose."
As he spoke, Zeng Yu took out a stack of sticky notes.
"I'll give you five minutes to think on your own. Whichever song you choose, write down the song's title, your name, and your ranking in the first round on a piece of paper."
"The program staff will collect and count the votes. If any group exceeds the number of votes, the contestants with the lower ranking will be automatically eliminated from the team and proceed to the second round of song selection."
"Of course, the order of song selection for the second round will still be determined by the contestants' rankings."
Upon hearing this rule, the contestants in the lower circle turned pale.
The rules of the competition are too cruel. The higher the ranking, the more advantages you have. Otherwise, you will fall into an endless vicious cycle.
Just as the animal world is ruled by the survival of the fittest, so too is this show.
Although the program team gave out a personal reward of 100,000 votes in this round of performances, it is not easy for contestants in the lower circle to get these 100,000 votes.
Even if they were lucky enough not to be transferred to another group, they would not be able to get the highest popularity votes if they were in the same group as the contestants in the higher ranking circle. If they were transferred, it would still be useless if they chose a bad song.
It can be said that this is almost a dead end with no way out.
However, there was no time for them to hesitate. After explaining the rules, Zeng Yu distributed sticky notes and pens for the contestants to make their choices.
Mo Bei didn't hesitate and wrote down his favorite song on the paper and left his name and ranking.
Seeing him make a decision so quickly, Lei Lie couldn't help but look over curiously. The host saw this and immediately reminded him -
"No talking during the voting process."
Upon hearing this, Lei Lie quickly sat up straight and carefully wrote down his choice on the paper.
Five minutes passed in a flash. A short while later, the staff came up to collect the tickets.
The next step is to vote according to the contestants' rankings -
"1st place, Jiang Mo Nan, Vocal Group, 'Life is as Splendid as Summer Flowers'."
As soon as the words fell, there was an uproar at the scene.
No one expected that the most popular contestant would choose vocals, and it was a song that was neither popular nor explosive enough, nor showy enough.
Hearing Mo Bei's choice, not only Lei Lie and Sheng Yanyu, who were in the same dormitory and class, but also the staff in charge of counting the votes, cast surprised glances at him.
In fact, Mo Bei himself struggled for a long time with the song selection.
He had originally had another song in mind because it seemed more popular based on the reactions of the others at the concert. However, after much deliberation, he finally chose "Life is as Splendid as Summer Flowers" because he preferred its melody and lyrics.
Although the technical difficulty of this song is not high, it tests the singer's ability to express emotions.
He wanted to give it a try, to use this half-rotten zombie body to convey his emotions to the audience and the fans who supported him.
Just as Mo Bei had expected, Sheng Yanyu joined the dance group after that.
Lei Lie chose rap and Bai Li chose dance.
By the time the 50th place vote was called, all four dance songs were filled. The 51st place contestant hesitated for a while and finally chose to go to the rap group.
After that, the vocal and rap groups were filled up one after another, and 60 contestants formed a new team.
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