Chapter 098 First Sequence Release 2.0
With Kim Na-yeon's advancement, the rest of the Miracle Girl team felt less anxious. It seemed the black-and-red route was feasible, but without the continued public outcry, there would be no shortcuts in the next elimination round.
Unless they find a contestant like Lu Wei, who brings his own buzz and is willing to stir things up, they can only rely on their own strength, once again pin their hopes on the public, and pray that they will be seen and discovered.
However, the most important thing right now is to survive this stage of ranking release. Without a successful advancement, everything else will be in vain.
As the rankings were announced one after another, the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive. There were two completely different feelings in front of and behind the screen.
Lu Wei wasn't even daydreaming; she was practically rapt, her eyes radiating a hundred-thousand-volt electric wave. This segment inexplicably reminded her of receiving her final exam report cards, with names called one by one and students walking up to the podium.
The fear that I might be next, yet also the fear that I might not be next, would recur over and over again as time went by. Most people were anxious and panicked before their transcripts arrived.
"No. 51—Xu Shiling."
"50 people—Sun Mingming."
"49th - Park Yoon Ji."
Another teammate was called, and Lu Wei once again drew stares. She admired the group of contestants around her, their relentless pursuit of new melon seedlings in the melon field. Wasn't there anyone who, beneath her outward appearance of love for life, saw her rational and calm side?
She was very curious about how deep an impression the funny and spooky videos had left on the outside world.
Park Yunzhi pursed her lips slightly, imitating Kim Nayeon's "no-care" mentality, adhering to the concept of watching from the sidelines. Her eyes did not linger on Lu Weiduo, nor did she ignore her on purpose. She simply high-fived the teammates around her and ended it.
Unlike other contestants who showed deep affection for their teammates and hugged each other in tears, this group, from the inside out, exuded an aura of "unfamiliarity".
In the eyes of outsiders, there is a strange tacit understanding.
An Zhuxuan thought for a moment, then silently averted his gaze. Among the currently highly-watched contestants, only Lu Wei completely disregarded his persona, his teammates, and his reputation.
People who keep their minds clear from beginning to end and have a stable core will never have a tense expression, nor will people read anything into it.
So, there is no need to look at her specifically, just a quick glance will be enough.
The rankings in the range of [54-45] were announced very quickly. When the faces of 45 contestants appeared on the screen, the eyes of many of those who were in this range last week looked dim.
Rather than congratulating or cheering for others, everyone wished they were the ones standing in the waiting area right now. No one wanted to go back to the past, that endless darkness, that inescapable confusion, it couldn't be summed up in just one word: "uncomfortable."
Lu Wei sighed inwardly. The word "talent show" had two distinct sides. It was like a scale: one side tilted up, the other side fell. The line between embracing dreams and burying them was crystal clear.
Those who climb the pyramid have a bright future. How can those who stay where they are let go?
Amidst the mixed gazes, Lee Jae-hyun raised the microphone and said, "Contestants 54-45, please share your thoughts in order."
The staff handed the microphone to the contestants standing in a row on the stage.
54th-place Kim Na-yeon took the lead. With tears in her eyes, she recited the speech she had rehearsed countless times in her mind, choking back tears as she spoke: "First of all, I would like to thank all the star promoters who voted for me. It is because of your support that I can enter the next round... I am so grateful... Secondly, I would like to thank my teammates... Thank you for your time and energy in creating the best performance in my heart."
Kim Na-yeon paused several times, her voice visibly trembling. No one knew how much luck played a role in her being able to give a speech here.
But... among so many contestants here, who wouldn't want to stay, even if it means being at the bottom, even if it means riding on the popularity?
Lu Wei pursed her lips slightly, and after she finished speaking, she clapped sincerely with the other contestants. She didn't want to say anything that was easy to do, because for Hu Tuanhu Dou, finding a job again was really difficult.
There is no competitor who doesn't work hard, and no competitor who doesn't work hard enough. Therefore, when hard work becomes a fundamental requirement, the external standards of judgment will also change accordingly.
The microphone was passed one by one, tears kept falling from the contestants on the stage, but the contestants below the stage always had polite and courteous smiles on their faces.
The one who cries is the winner, and the one who laughs is the loser.
Lu Wei lowered his eyes, his chest feeling heavy.
It seemed she couldn't remain indifferent, couldn't calmly observe all this. This recording location, this pyramid, this place, was a vast utopia, repeatedly pulling her into that beautiful land, then mercilessly pushing her away when she woke up.
Everyone's sincerity has been magnified several times.
Park Yun-ji took the microphone, her eyes first swept in the direction of her former teammates, and then she looked firmly at the camera in front of her. She didn't like to put her hopes in the hands of others. She would go forward step by step in her own way.
The contestants on the stage finished their speeches one by one. There were no accidents on Blue Star, time did not stand still, and the rankings continued to be announced.
"39 people—Ishuwen."
"38 people—Ji In-young."
For the first time, contestants from the adolescent group appeared in the rankings. Yi Shuwen was ranked in the middle of Group A, and Ji Inyoung was ranked in the lower half of Group B. The special bonus of the stage was clearly demonstrated.
After hugging her former teammates, Ji In-young glanced around and saw that An Joo-hyun and the others were far away, so she quickly dismissed her unrealistic thoughts. She wouldn't approach them unless Lu Wei, Kim Yoo-ri, and Lee Eun-byul took the initiative to greet her.
Having been able to climb a dozen spots higher in the rankings thanks to these influencers, Ji In-young was already quite content and couldn't afford to be so tactless again. She didn't want to go the black-and-red route. If she could just boost her favorability a bit and work harder, she might be able to make it to the second round of rankings.
Lu Wei clapped along with the crowd. Seeing her teammates from Group B successfully advance was something worth celebrating. However, perhaps influenced by the atmosphere, her rationality and emotions were constantly tug at each other, making it difficult to control her emotions.
What she thinks in her heart may be different from what she expresses. In order to avoid misunderstandings, she tries not to make big expressions in front of the camera.
Kim Yoo-ri and Lee Eun-seong were calm from the inside out, and it was not yet time for them to get anxious. There were only around 30 people, and they would only start to have emotional fluctuations when they reached around 20th place.
As for hugging her teammates from Group B, I'm sorry, Kim Yoo-ri hadn't thought about that; it wasn't part of her script. They weren't sitting together, so there was no need to act out in front of the camera.
Li Enxing didn't care, but she hoped this kind of drama wouldn't happen. Cutting ties with her original teammates was already frustrating enough, and adding a teammate from Group B would drive her crazy.
"32 people—Bai Chengyuan."
The members of Group B were called again, and no one paid any attention to the popular players. Instead, they were mentally planning how to team up with Lu Wei and the others in the next stage.
After all, the cost-effectiveness is too high. When you stand under a bright light source, you will also glow.
"No. 23—Shen Yiqiong."
"22—all Sharon."
The rankings were gradually approaching the top 20. Although Lu Wei didn't know these two contestants, he had seen them in the main film and read about them in gossip posts. They were known as the gods who never sleep.
During the second public performance, as long as there was camera shooting, these two people were always awake.
Anyway...it's hard to evaluate.
Lu Wei couldn't do it, and it was impossible for her to do it. Sixteen hours was her limit, not theirs. If a day wasn't limited to 24 hours, it's hard to say how long they would have practiced.
Even in the main film, the production team specially put a label "Don't Study" next to Jeon Sharon and Shin Yi-kyung. According to insiders, the two were even advised by the staff many times.
This ranking is truly what they deserve, earned through overexertion. Lu Wei doesn't advocate for it, doesn't understand it, but she respects it. Furthermore, she urges all netizens not to follow their lead.
She is her own life fan and will always cheer for her own life!
"No. 21—Cao Yumi."
The third member of Adolescence Group B was called to the stage. The surprise on Cho Yumi's face was about to overflow. Even though she would be shorter than her arch-rival An Joo-hyun, she was already very satisfied to be able to settle the score and get the 21st place.
"Thank you to the fans who voted for me, and thank you to my teammates in Group B of Adolescence." Cao Youmei knows what the outsiders like to hear, and she directly and forcefully names them, without any attempt at concealment. If you want it all, you'll probably get nothing.
As soon as these words were spoken, the camera teacher immediately put the device in front of Lu Wei's face, and the faces of the contestants in Group B of Adolescence, whose rankings had not yet been announced, appeared on the large screen above his head.
Lu Wei blinked his eyes and clapped his hands. A straight shot can defeat all magic. Isn’t that the effect of the show?
Kim Yoo-ri fell silent. Having teammates who were too smart wasn't a good thing; it made her look stupid. Adolescent Group B had become a well-known voting code.
An Ju-hyun didn't want to talk, because Cho Yu-mi had already interrupted her. Being forced to join Group B wouldn't hurt her much. At most, she'd lose some friendship votes from her original team, but that was nothing compared to the bonus of a god-level stage.
The other contestants' eyes sparkled with learning. They had no idea how to handle a thank you speech. They could even choose the side with the highest benefit without trying to compromise.
After the reaction shot, Lee Jae-hyun continued to look at the cue card and announced: "19th place - Qiao Zhizhi."
This is a Chinese compatriot. Although Lu Wei didn't have much contact with Qiao Zhizhi, it's not surprising that she was able to advance. She won both of her second public performances.
Don’t be fooled by his energetic appearance, his strength is truly MAX.
Qiao Zhizhi hugged her teammates for a moment. To be honest, the relationship between them wasn't that good either. But everyone was trying to control themselves for the stage, working towards the same goal.
People like Lu Wei, who were so miserable that they were ignored by their teammates in front of the camera, are ultimately a minority among the minority.
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