Chapter 39 Second Performance (Part 1)
On the day of the performance, the venue was packed with people.
Looking at the crowded crowd in the distance, the contestants on the bus couldn't help but widen their eyes.
"Why does it feel like there are more people here than it was a while ago?"
"Can our performance venue accommodate so many audiences?"
What the contestants didn't know was that only a handful of people had won tickets to watch the show. Most people outside the venue were simply there to watch the action. Of course, they also came to check in on the fan page and show their support.
But they soon found out.
Unlike the hurried first round of performances, this time the contestants have much more time than last time because the number of performers has decreased.
Not only is the rehearsal completed a day in advance, but there is also no need to queue for too long for makeup.
In addition, everyone's stage styling is also more refined than before. Not only the tailoring and design of the costumes, but also the hair and makeup are more carefully designed than before.
After all, with fewer people, the stylist can devote more energy to each contestant.
Behind the blackout curtains, Mo Bei leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest.
To complement the repertoire they were performing, the stylists had specially arranged bright, warm-toned outfits for them, from orange to warm yellow, and even adorned their clothes with vibrant silk flowers in the same color.
Sunflowers, roses, frangipani, and pansies, all with different styles but surprisingly harmonious.
In addition to the colors and details of the clothes, the stylists also designed makeup and hair that suited each person according to their characteristics. Li Zhaokai even dyed his hair orange.
Of course, the official stage looks are being kept secret for now. For now, the contestants are all wearing casual clothes. Those with new hair colors are also wearing hats to maintain a sense of mystery.
As the bus slowly drove into the venue, the fans' screams became clearer and clearer.
To prevent a stampede, security personnel set up a cordon and worked hard to maintain order. Fortunately, most fans were decent people who, despite their excitement, also understood public order and good customs.
Although they cannot get close to the bus, they still hold up their support items and shout the names of their idols in an attempt to attract their attention.
"Lei Lie! Hubby, I love you!"
Lei Lie, who had just stepped out of the car, was startled by the heartbreaking confession. Then, his cheeks and ears heated up at an incredible speed.
In stark contrast to his unruly appearance, Lei Lie is actually very innocent. Seeing this, Lei Lie's fans at the scene shouted "husband" even more happily.
Lei Lie was even more bewildered by the fans' teasing. His face flushed and he lowered his voice, "Stop shouting! Mind your image!"
Seeing this scene, the contestants around couldn't help but cover their mouths and laugh.
Seeing Lei Lie making a fool of himself, Bai Li was even more delighted. However, the next second, an excited shout erupted from the crowd—
"Bai Li, my wife! Good luck on the performance!"
In an instant, the smile on Bai Li's face froze.
Upon hearing this, Lei Lie, who was originally at a loss, looked at Bai Li with a teasing expression.
The second time a fan called her "wife" close to her face, Bai Li couldn't stand it anymore and corrected her directly -
"I'm a man! A man!"
I thought this would make the fans change their name for him, but unexpectedly, the fans on the other side responded unyieldingly:
"A man's wife is also a wife!"
Bai Li: “…”
It’s okay, do whatever you want!
Mo Bei, who got off the car right after him, witnessed this scene and couldn't help but curl his lips.
It was rare for Bai Li to be so embarrassed. Bai Li's fans were truly extraordinary.
However, what surprised the contestants more than the fans’ enthusiastic cheers was the on-site support.
There were flower walls, signboards, food trucks, coffee trucks, and everything in between. The most eye-catching thing among them was Jiang Mo Nan's support.
A food truck and a flower wall alone took up a large area opposite the venue, not counting the signboards and other small items.
Mo Bei quickly noticed the fans' support after getting off the car.
Looking at the large flower wall in the distance with his photo and Jiang Mo Nan's name printed on it, he was slightly stunned.
Once upon a time, he had received such gifts countless times, but at that time he was still Mo Bei.
When did it all start?
...It seemed like it was right after his debut, when he received his first offline support from fans. I remember he was so excited that he couldn't sleep all night.
However, as we grow older, many things that seemed precious and dazzling in the past gradually become commonplace and can no longer move us as strongly as they did at the beginning.
Just like the Ultraman you liked as a child, you may no longer like him when you grow up. The change in your mood has caused him to lose the simplicity and innocence of his youth.
He once thought that he would continue to walk towards the end of his life in a daze like other adults, but an accident brought his life to an abrupt end.
When he revived again, he had transformed from the big star Mo Bei into another person... Oh no, a zombie.
People always learn to cherish things only after they lose them.
What seemed normal at the time is no longer so obvious now.
Be it fame, status, wealth or the love of fans.
It's just that he had been in the entertainment industry for too long and didn't think deeply about the truth behind it.
It was not until he suddenly fell from grace at the peak of his career and returned to the world 20 years later with a new, shady identity that he realized how hard it was to get what he had and how precious the love he received from his fans was.
He had once thought that these support activities were ordinary, but they had spent money, energy, and thought to prepare them. Once or twice might not be surprising, but if they prepared like this every time, how could they persist if they didn't have sincere love for him in their hearts?
He shouldn't take it for granted.
There are many things in this world that cannot be measured by material things. Just like when fans prepare these support activities, they don’t expect to receive material rewards from him.
They simply gave him their hearts.
Mo Bei quietly looked at the cheering flower wall and food truck opposite him, and suddenly, an indescribable feeling welled up in his heart.
It's sour and bloating, with a hint of sweetness.
Seeing their idol looking in their direction, the fans immediately became excited.
“It’s so rare to see support!”
"Ahhhh he looked at me! My heart!"
"Nannan is still so handsome today~"
"Damn it! Where's my camera?"
Just when the fans were extremely excited because their idol saw the support they prepared, they saw the other party suddenly walking towards them.
For a moment, all the girls were stunned. Then, a short and excited scream broke out from the crowd—
"Oh my god! It's getting hard! What should I do?!"
"Come and see if my makeup is smudged or my hair is messy?"
After being busy for so long, fans are worried that they will leave a bad impression in the minds of their idols, and they are becoming more and more nervous.
"It must be hard to prepare all this so early in the morning, right?"
The girls were stunned when they heard these words suddenly.
After being stunned for a moment, a sour feeling suddenly came to my nose.
Being a fan is a one-way process of giving. As fangirls, many of their behaviors are not understood by outsiders.
We spend money, time, and energy to support our idols. And all of this preparation doesn't last long. What we spend a day making might be torn down by security within a few hours.
Sometimes, their efforts may not even be responded to by the other party.
Now, hearing Jiang Mo Nan's concerned question, all the grievances and hardships suffered in the past seemed to have disappeared.
"It's not hard, we did this voluntarily!"
Looking at the girls with tears in their eyes, Mo Bei bowed deeply.
"Thank you."
The sudden action of the person in front of them made the fans stunned for a moment, and then their eyes turned red.
"No need to do that, we're fine..."
Even though I said it was okay, my tears kept flowing.
The girls wiped their tears and held back their tears to cheer Mo Bei up.
"Good luck on the performance! We will definitely help you debut as the center!"
Looking at the girls in front of him, Mo Bei suddenly realized that there was a familiar figure in the crowd. It was an old fan who had visited his grave before, and was also one of his fans 20 years ago.
It was just that he had just been resurrected as a zombie at that time, and because he was worried about being exposed, he didn't even dare to look closely at the other person's face. It was also because of this that he didn't recognize the other person at the first time.
Mo Bei said nothing, but bowed deeply in the other party's direction.
He will no longer be as numb as he was before.
He will treasure this feeling in his heart.
Although he cannot thank all those who support him one by one, he will repay them with the best stage.
Xu Zihan, who was far away, was stunned when he saw this and suddenly felt a little dazed.
They were obviously two completely different people, but for some reason, she saw a familiar, nostalgic expression on the other person's face.
Before she could react, the person in front of her had already entered the venue with the crowd.
…
As the performance approached, the audience outside the venue began to check in their tickets and enter.
Compared with the previous round of performances, the stage layout this time is more gorgeous.
Because they were not allowed to bring mobile phones or other video equipment into the venue, they could only hold cheering banners and chat with the sisters walking with them while waiting.
The contestants also made final preparations backstage.
As the lights came on, host Zeng Yu appeared on the stage.
"Welcome to the stage for the second round of performances of 'Youth Project'. I am your old friend Zeng Yu."
As soon as the host appeared, the audience erupted in excited screams.
Zeng Yu raised his hand and signaled the audience to calm down.
"I know you're looking forward to it, and I am looking forward to it too."
"This round of the stage will be divided into three different positions: rap, vocal, and dance, for group assessment."
"You need to choose your favorite contestant from each group and vote on the spot. In addition, you need to choose your favorite performance from three different positions."
"The contestant with the highest number of votes will receive a personal award of 100,000 votes. And the winning teams in the rap, vocal, and dance categories will each receive a group award of 100,000 votes."
As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar at the scene.
Compared with the first round of performances, the individual + group ticket rewards in the second round increased by 25 times!
Some fans of the contestants in the middle and lower circles were surprised, but also felt a glimmer of hope. If they could get all the rewards of 200,000 votes, then the pressure on them to vote would be correspondingly less.
I remember that in the last round, each person in the voting group they organized had dozens of accounts, and they were so tired of repeating the process of voting every day.
However, pinning all hopes on the 200,000 vote reward didn't seem realistic. After all, the most likely to receive the individual vote reward were usually the most popular contestants.
If that were the case, it would be fine. However, the real concern is that their opponents, who are competing for the promotion spot, will get the vote bonus, which will force them to spend more money and energy to buy accounts and vote. Otherwise, the person eliminated in this round may very well be the contestant they support.
Their fans are the ones who suffer, while the platform makes a lot of money. After all, if you want to vote for your brothers and sisters, you have to open an account and become a member. Annual memberships have greater privileges than monthly memberships, and you can cast more votes per day.
Although they know that all this is a trick of capital, there is nothing they can do. After all, the people they like to support are in the hands of the program crew.
If you don't want to see them crying and leaving the show with regret, you can only spend money and energy to increase the vote count.
From this point of view alone, these show fans are no different from those parents who spend money to send their children to various training classes in the hope that they will become successful.
Live voting is inherently biased. Fans of contestants will only vote for the contestants they support, rather than objectively choosing the best performers.
Especially since the contestants they support are not as popular as other contestants in high-ranking circles, even if these fans cast all their votes for their own team, they may not be able to defeat the other side.
There is no absolute fairness in this world.
Just like some people are born tall and some are born short, the popularity of contestants is also an objective phenomenon.
This is not necessarily due to the distribution of program shots.
Just like some people's fame isn't necessarily due to their good looks or handsomeness, it could be due to their personality or their popularity with the audience. These things are so mysterious that they can't be simply summarized and described in words.
But even if they know that their favorite players cannot beat those with higher popularity, they cannot accept their fate and change their support.
What they like is the other person's shining appearance on the stage and his humorous and witty performance on the show, rather than his objective popularity.
Liking is pure, because I like it, I will fall into it. There are not too many conditions attached.
If they stop being fans because the contestant they support is not popular enough, then how is that different from being fans of the celebrities they despise?
What's more, things have not yet reached a point where they cannot be reversed.
While many in the audience were fans of high-ranking contestants, some were also media personnel assigned by the production team. These people might have preferences, but it wouldn't be overwhelming. If someone's performance truly stood out, it's not impossible for them to vote.
After briefly introducing the rules, Zeng Yu began to tease everyone: "Who will be the first group to perform on stage?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the audience erupted in enthusiastic cheers. Listening carefully, one could hear many names being mentioned.
Zeng Yu smiled and said, "Next, let's welcome the first group of rap contestants to make their debut!"
Amid screams, Tao Xiaotie and his teammates walked onto the stage.
A departure from his usual cute, boyish attire, this time he sported a sporty, street-inspired look. Even so, his adorable and naive character remained undimmed. For a moment, the crowd erupted in laughter.
Aside from Chang Jun, Tao Xiaotie has the highest number of mother fans. The adorable, round-faced boy often touches the hearts of female fans.
Then the heart-wrenching cries of fans rang out from the audience——
"Tietie, Mommy loves you!"
"Baby, you look so handsome today!"
Unlike Lei Lie who was uncomfortable being called "husband" and Bai Li who was uncomfortable being called "wife", Tao Xiaotie was very calm about being called "son", "baby", and even the many "mom" that came out of nowhere.
Hearing the enthusiastic cheers from the mother fans at the scene, Tao Xiaotie opened his big round eyes and looked around, then raised his hand and waved to the audience.
Such human-machine movements with a touch of naturalness instantly struck a chord with fans.
Damn! So cute!
Why can’t we bring our phones to the event? I really want to take a picture of this scene!
Although I felt a little disappointed that I couldn’t take a cute photo of my baby, fortunately, my son’s performance was coming up next.
As the host announced the show, the lights on the stage dimmed instantly.
Then, five beams of blue spotlights appeared in the center of the stage.
Tao Xiaotie and his teammates were either squatting or standing, and each of them posed a very cool pose in front of the audience.
The base and synthesizer laid the foundation, and the rhythmic drum beats sounded, instantly igniting the atmosphere of the scene.
Tao Xiaotie raised his head, changing from his natural cute look in private, and his eyes became particularly sharp on the stage.
For a moment, the scene erupted in excited screams again.
Despite his youthful appearance, Tao Xiaotie's stage performance was remarkably mature. His rap was not only articulate but also had a unique flow. Add to that the smug smile he occasionally flashed to the camera, and he gave off a cocky, youthful vibe. This immediately caused the audience's fangirls to roar wildly.
"Son! So handsome!"
“Itteitieahhhhhhhh!”
Even if they were not fans of Tao Xiaotie, the audience at this moment could not help but be impressed by the cute boy on the stage.
This is what is called stage charm.
"Wow! Xiaotie is pretty good!"
"The children have grown up and have learned to provoke the camera."
In the backstage waiting room, the contestants who were watching the live performance on the TV screen couldn't help but let out shouts that seemed to be sighs and admiration.
Many were also excited and thought: No wonder Tao Xiaotie is so popular. Besides his attractive appearance and personality, his stage performance is also very impressive.
He's young but full of energy. If they were fans, they would probably like this kid too.
After capturing several stunning shots, the director smiled with satisfaction. Although the second round of performances would have to wait a while before airing, he could already imagine the scenes being hotly discussed online.
Despite the pressure of opening, the first group performed amazingly, not only avoiding any mistakes but also creating a heated atmosphere.
After the performance, Tao Xiaotie returned to his usual harmless and adorable self, a stark contrast to his arrogant and cocky appearance on stage. This cute contrast made fans even more moved.
Zeng Yu walked onto the stage and said, "Now, please press the voting device in your hand and cast your precious vote for your favorite contestant in this group."
"Voting time is thirty seconds. The countdown starts now!"
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