Chapter 74
On stage, the Dream Weaver Rabbit clapped and smiled, turned off the bullet comments and the Live Broadcast Room, and then continued:
"Ladies and gentlemen, the official Public Performance will be held in a week at the Sea Capital Expo Center. The stage for the theme song has been temporarily set up and is ready for rehearsals at any time."
"Now, all contestants, please return to your dormitories to change into your Public Performance costumes. Then, use your access cards to proceed to the main building lobby. We will be transported to the stage by special vehicle to begin our first dress rehearsal."
As soon as he finished speaking, all the contestants' eyes lit up, and almost instantly they all cheered "Yay!"
These hundred-plus pretty girls were like prisoners who had just been released from jail, their hearts filled with the thought of getting closer to freedom. They didn't think about how hard the rehearsals would actually be, and they all couldn't wait to head to their dormitories.
And so, in this atmosphere, rehearsals for the Public Performance stage unfolded in full swing.
Time flies.
The contestants went from initial excitement and anticipation to complaining bitterly after experiencing the hardships of rehearsals, all in just two days.
Although the choreography for <candy> is simple, solo performances and group dances are completely different things. The most direct difference is that, in addition to considering one's own singing and dancing, there is also the crucial element of positioning.
Even with simple choreography that doesn't require complex position changes, the mere fact that the dancers are less than half a meter apart is enough to cause a minor mistake to trigger a terrifying chain reaction, like dominoes, on a large stage, or even lead to an accident.
This is also why the Program Group deliberately created three Center position and three stages.
The current configuration of 56 people per stage has actually greatly reduced the difficulty of group dances. The week allotted for rehearsals can only be described as the Program Group's attempt to minimize the probability of stage accidents.
Chu Yuanqing herself felt fine. She had witnessed all sorts of grand scenes, such as the collapse of the continent, the shattering of the main city, the swallowing of the sun's corona, and the drying up of the sea. Even if the new stage was more magnificent and grand, she couldn't feel any psychological pressure.
From this perspective, the main Center position actually suits her quite well.
Well, the nightmare is that, as a B-Class Little Cotton-padded Jacket, I was assigned to the third row of the main stage based on the number of likes on the video, which meant that during rehearsals, I was only about a meter and a half away from her.
The way Chu Yuanqing's skirt fluttered in the wind was all easily observed by the other party.
Even though the threshold for shame gradually increased with the various forms of torture, this rehearsal was still a hellish ordeal for her, leaving her physically and mentally exhausted after two days.
In the eyes of the other contestants,
Chu Yuanqing's performance as the main DPS was decent, not amazing, but very reliable, with almost no mistakes.
Unfortunately, behind her, in the second row of the main stage, were Tang Liuli, Xie Qingxuan, and Ji Shuzhu, three A-Class contestants who failed to secure the Center position.
All three performed well. Apart from Tang Liuli making occasional mistakes, the others were much more solid in terms of dance than the Center position, and they made just as few mistakes. In comparison, she paled in comparison.
On the other side, the two secondary Center position on the two secondary stages stood out even more due to their positioning.
Chen Yining has a strong presence. She's the kind of contestant who thrives under the spotlight, especially when she's in the center Center position. Her adaptability to the stage increases accordingly, and with her raspberry-red idol-style hair, she looks absolutely stunning in the direct camera shots.
Kiriwake Yayoi went a step further. As soon as she imagined herself stepping onto a stage in front of two thousand people, she couldn't help but use her Perfect Performance Method to simulate the scene in advance, experiencing the happiness of the stage in every rehearsal and giving her all each time.
The result was that the entire group of contestants who were in the sub-center position were completely overwhelmed by Little Sakura's stage presence and had to give their all every time, ultimately leaving them exhausted.
Of course, this also meant that the training progress of these low-rated contestants was no slower than that of the high-rated contestants on the main stage, which was quite like overtaking them on a curve. This also indirectly affected the other secondary stage and the main stage, making the rehearsal atmosphere strange.
In an instant, rumors spread throughout the entire contestant circle that Chu Yuanqing's performance in the Second Evaluation was merely an accident and highly unlikely to be replicated.
Some contestants began to whisper among themselves:
"This isn't something that can be edited into the show and just shown as a close-up shot of the Center position. We'll be facing two thousand viewers in person, and every shot will be uploaded online and scrutinized under a magnifying glass."
"That's exactly what I mean. If the main Center position can't hold the stage and can't compete with the sub-center's performance, I can imagine what the outside world will say. It doesn't matter if Chu Yuanqing has popularity and buzz, but what about us who are assigned to the main stage?"
"With so many Chu Yuanqing, won't they try to shift the blame onto us later?"
"I regret voting for her. If the main character had been another A-Class, things wouldn't have turned out this badly, would they?"
"For amateurs, without a dance background, even if they happen to have a breakout performance on stage, they're not suitable to be the center."
"Don't say that in front of the camera, or her fans will tear you apart."
Although they all had their own agendas during the voting process and made their choices freely, theoretically they couldn't be blamed on Chu Yuanqing at all, but that's just human nature.
These high-rated players assigned to the main stage couldn't help but feel dark emotions when they thought about how their hard work and sweat had been overtaken by lower-rated players because of the main DPS's incompetence.
Chu Yuanqing had a vague idea about this, but she didn't know the specific reason. However, even if she knew, she wouldn't be angry, but would feel ashamed as a matter of course.
For many of the 168 contestants, this Public Performance stage may be the last time they ever step onto such a massive stage in their lives.
Because it is so precious, the pressure also intensifies, comparable to another college entrance examination in life.
Human nature cannot withstand the test. Under such high pressure, it is only natural that Chu Yuanqing, who did not perform to his full potential as the main character, would be subject to criticism and speculation.
Time continued to pass in this environment, and another three days went by.
The rehearsals progressed smoothly, and after a total of five days of training, the 168 dancers' synchronized dance was already highly accomplished. The remaining two days were dedicated to refining and polishing the performance.
Meanwhile, the official website of Flashdance finally announced the list of randomly selected audience members at noon that day.
To protect personal information, the list is hidden. You need to enter your Douyin account to search and confirm whether you have won.
Although the winners will receive a text message the following day, the website received over 100 million hits within an hour due to the overwhelming number of people eager to know the results in advance, nearly crashing the site.
Xu Ling silently recited the names of all the gods and Buddhas in the sky, and piled the cross, prayer beads, Daoist talisman, Fatima's Hand, and a bunch of fancy little objects in front of her computer desk.
Finally, she piously clasped her hands together and murmured:
"Qing God grant me this chance, let me be a European dog just this once???"
After making all the necessary preparations, Xu Ling, with a do-or-die mentality, entered dozens of Douyin accounts from her relatives, friends, aunts, uncles, and other relatives, until finally, almost without any hope, she entered her own account.
Subsequently,
The page slowly rotated, then burst into a fireworks display, revealing a notification that the user had won a prize.
Xu Ling was so happy she held back her screams, punched the dinosaur pillow next to her eight times, jumped onto the bed, rolled around and giggled like an idiot.
The girl calmed down for a while before taking a screenshot and posting it to the group chat and Weibo. Enjoying the simple joy of Versailles, she secretly looked forward to the Public Performance stage two days later, and a happy smile appeared on her face.
--Qing Bao, what kind of stage will you present this time?
Volume 1: Chapter 85. Your brilliance, I stole it. (5K votes requested)
Same day.
For example, lucky ones like Xu Ling started showing off in supertopics, group chats, Douyin, and WeChat Moments, arousing envy and jealousy from a group of fans who wished they could stab her to death with spears.
The price of Public Performance tickets also skyrocketed from 5,000 to a staggering 200,000 in a short period of time.
Unfortunately, it was soon revealed that the Public Performance tickets were linked to personal ID cards, and facial recognition was required for entry, making resale impossible.
This game between the rich ended abruptly; otherwise, it could have easily multiplied several times over.
However, since most fans and showgoers have been disgusted by scalpers, and most are not rich, they have little to complain about and instead strongly suggest that Flash Dance continue to implement this rule.
As is customary for Talent Show, the producers will hire people early on to create a batch of original songs and dances for the debut girl group, in preparation for holding concerts and making money for the show.
In other words, once the girl group formed in Chu Yuanqing's "Flash Dance" competition debuts, given the current popularity trend, it's highly likely that they will be able to hold a large-scale concert with tens of thousands of attendees in no time.
--It might even be a touring tour!
If this rule is still in place by then, it can completely prevent scalpers from monopolizing ticket supply, prevent all sorts of disgusting practices, and save the fans who have suffered as a result.
On that day, the Yuan Xiao Group was filled with complaints:
"Waaaaah! I mobilized all my connections in this life, getting a total of 86 people to like Qingqing's posts, but even after entering all their accounts, I still didn't get a ticket to the Public Performance. I literally burst into tears right there and then!"
"Who didn't cry? Although it's hard for Qing Bao to recreate that kind of stage performance, what if! What if she has another burst of inspiration, surpassing the average [Flow State] level idol and returning to her terrifying world-class dominance? Missing such a stage live would be a lifelong regret."
"That's why the tickets for this Public Performance were being resold so frantically. If that news hadn't come out, they probably would have been selling for millions."
"Tickets to world-class idol stages are always hard to get, and putting aside popularity, there are only a handful of active idols in the world who can match that level of stage presence. Qing Bao's amazing performance had such a huge impact; who wouldn't want to see her live?"
"Suddenly, I feel a mix of emotions, like watching my daughter grow up so quickly. Qing Bao's growth rate is unbelievable. I'm starting to feel fortunate that I was able to discover this treasure so early."
"So after all that, have you finally finished counting how many people in the Yuan Xiao Group won tickets to the Public Performance? Surely not so few that it'll make Qing Bao sad???"
The same topic had already appeared in the fan support groups of all the players.
The first thing these fans who want to support their idols do is calculate how many lucky fans in their own camp have won tickets before they can unify their support colors, light sticks, banners, and even send experienced veterans to teach newbies how to properly support their idols.
There are indeed rules to supporting someone, and this is especially true in Island Nation with the richest culture in this regard.
The standard structure of a song is basically divided into intro → A melo → B melo → chorus → interlude → A melo → B melo → chorus / C melo → chorus → ending.
Island Nation have a series of cheering actions such as hitting, jumping, waving quickly, waving forward, raising, wiping the windshield, singing along, clapping, etc., which basically correspond to the standard structure of a song, with different cheering actions used in the intro, interlude, chorus, and even other parts.
The fan support culture in Great Xia isn't as strong as it is over there.
Yes, the fans here are better at spending money. For example, before their idols have any big events, they spontaneously raise funds, plan and produce their own content, and contact relevant people to complete ridiculously large-scale publicity campaigns such as subway station posters, banners, and bus advertisements.
However, if you want to provide better support and encouragement to your idol at a concert without causing trouble, it's still necessary to learn some tips and tricks about cheering beforehand.
In this atmosphere, time passed, and only one day remained until the Public Performance.
Because daily rehearsals require commuting by several buses, and the Public Performance venue is no longer a secret.
In the past few days, media outlets and paparazzi have been staking out and filming in Zhelong Town and even the Sea Capital Expo Center.
Among them were many fans who gathered around the roadblocks at the entrance, hoping to catch a glimpse of their idol and take some photos to post on the supertopic.
This is quite normal. As a Talent Show, it's essential to provide fans with something to watch and something to photograph in order to maintain the show's popularity even when there are no new episodes.
Even an oddball like Flash Dance used live streaming to overcome the disadvantage of being in an underground base with no interaction with the outside world.
Therefore, the organizers did not refuse, but instead chose to allow filming activities at a relatively long distance, prioritizing the safety of the participants.
This has led to a lot of leaked photos of the players recently, with the A-Class players, who are being prioritized, making up the largest proportion.
The image that became the "sacred image" in Chu Yuanqing's fan group changed from a photo of her working in a maid outfit to a photo of a girl with a tired Little Cotton-padded Jacket on her shoulder, her eyes lowered in compassion and love, and a gentle smile on her lips.
Yes, it was a scene of an elderly father taking care of his daughter who was exhausted after rehearsals, which was captured by a fan.
At this time,
After admiring the photo, Xu Ling seemed to draw courage from it. Looking at the three types of support items piled up in front of her, her fingertips trembled as she gripped her phone and opened it.
In an instant, there was a tinkling sound.
The message notification sound continued incessantly.
Because she brazenly boasted on her WeChat Moments, social media, Weibo about winning tickets, people in three groups— the Chun Ni Group, the Yuan Xiao Group, and the Sheng Qing Tong Yin CP Group—are now tagging her, asking if she wants to participate in the group support activities.
At the same time, the sisters in the group who were chatting well also sent private messages to ask.
Xu Ling felt a chill run down her spine and was filled with remorse, as if she had been caught in some strange, chaotic battlefield.
At this moment, she couldn't help but begin to recount her own background.
First of all, as a die-hard fan of Little Sakura, she was one of the first in China to promote her. Before the first episode aired, she translated various gossip about her that few people in Island Nation knew about and shared it on Weibo, Bilibili, and Douyin.
At the same time, she also painstakingly compiled a seven-year growth story of Little Sakura, who set off from Hokkaido carrying her dreams, and gradually saw her dreams shatter after arriving in Tokyo. This allows later fans to complete a comprehensive archaeological journey, demonstrating the considerable effort she has put into this Little Idol.
In addition, with approximately one million followers on Weibo, which continues to grow recently, she was initially considered a top-tier fan in various fan support groups. She even gave the fan name "Chun Ni" to her, so her status can only be described as very high.
However, this status crumbled the moment she posted the "divine picture in the rain," which instantly created the pairing of Little Sakura and Qing Bao, and she took the initiative to establish a super topic for the pairing.
It's a very simple principle: if even the most prominent fan leaders switch allegiances and start creating on-screen couples with celebrities, who will protect the rights of the celebrity if this fan becomes obsessed?
This is like a Catholic pope who secretly worships not only Jesus but also Buddha and the Three Pure Ones. How can someone with such a lack of integrity command respect and lead other, more devout believers?
So, just like when Xu Ling first established Chu Yuanqing's support group and then voluntarily transferred the group owner status to a lurker, after establishing the CP super topic site, she also voluntarily transferred the group owner status to another veteran fan of Little Sakura, which is equivalent to shattering her divine authority and only retaining a little bit of her status in the community.
Xu Ling is self-aware; she used to be just a casual fan, only truly invested in idol worship when following Little Sakura. She has no idea how to manage fans, nor is she interested in it, so delegating authority is only a matter of time.
So, back to the present, she is a die-hard fan of Little Sakura, a die-hard fan of Qing Bao (meaning she pushed him away before he even entered the scene), and a leader among the fans of the two of them as a couple.
After Xu Ling deliberation, Xu Ling looked at Qing Bao's loving photos again and again. She felt as if she had been comforted by her mother for a long time, rekindling her courage. She solemnly replied to the message on her phone, and then...
I grabbed the light stick on the very edge!
The girl pressed the button.
It overflows with golden light, with a sacred yet gentle texture, exuding an aura of expensive money. The most exquisite part is that there are scattered pink cherry blossoms inside, which sway like flowing hemp in the golden light as you sway your hand, making it look like they are slowly blooming, forming a wonderful visual combination.
Gold is the support color chosen by the Yuan Xiao Group.
This color, when worn by many idols, gives off a worldly, materialistic vibe, but when worn by Chu Yuanqing, who contributed to that stage performance, it seems to enhance her ethereal divinity, making it quite fitting.
Chun Ni chose pink as her support color, corresponding to the cherry blossoms that bloom in March.
Judging from the ingredients of the light stick in Xu Ling's hand, it's obvious at a glance that it was a carefully prepared product by a wealthy fan of the two's CP (couple) pairing.
I received this via local courier yesterday. Inside, besides a light stick in their respective support colors, there was also an exquisite banner with photos of Chu Yuanqing and Kiriwake Yayoi printed on it, and a fan light stick.
Well, holding up a banner is a hassle, so it's basically never used at concerts; it's more of a simple gift.
Because it's basic moral common sense for CP fans not to show off in front of the actual celebrities, and fans use a lot of light sticks, the design on it was very subtle, with only the three characters "Chu Yuanqing" and cherry blossoms intertwined in the gaps, as if quietly clarifying the top-bottom relationship.
Xu Ling's face was pressed against the light stick, her pupils reflecting the golden cherry blossoms. She seemed to instantly realize something, her expression gradually becoming dazed. Then she suddenly snapped out of it, coughed a few times, barely managing to suppress the upward curve of her lips, and said righteously:
"I'm sorry, Qing Bao."