Dad, Please Let Me Be Your Solo Stan! Chapter 8

Some condemned the Program Group's Elimination Mechanism as excessively bizarre, even questioning whether it was illegal.

Some believed the Program Group had stated its rules openly and honestly. If people could not accept them, they simply did not have to participate. There was nothing worth questioning.

Others said every contestant's decision should be respected. Everyone was the protagonist of their own life and responsible for their own choices. There was nothing wrong with that.

Yet amid the overwhelming tide of Public Opinion, the question people cared about most was still one thing.

That was: who would be the first trainee to decide to compete?

At present, the Waiting Room under everyone's watchful gaze could be said to display all the Various states of life.

Those contestants with buzz and popularity would have chances to debut later even if they did not join this show. But once they missed Shining Stage, they would likely never encounter another global-scale idol Talent Show project for the rest of their lives.

This was undoubtedly an opportunity to soar to greatness and change their fate.

But the consequences of failure were too cruel, making it truly difficult to make a quick decision.

Chu Yuanqing remained seated where she was, her expression calm and her heart steady.

She had no interest in becoming an idol, and she did not have long to live. Naturally, she did not care about the cost of elimination. The only reason she had not immediately chosen to enter was because her daughter was still beside her.

Chu Yuanqing did not know what decision Xiao Shu would ultimately make.

Still, at this crucial moment that could determine the course of her life, she wanted to stay by her side in her own way.

At that thought, a nearly motherly tenderness and pity appeared on Chu Yuanqing's serious little face.

But What a Pity. The gentleness that had surged forth in an instant was quickly restrained under her self-control, vanishing without a trace like a Dandelion in the wind.

Chu Wangshu did not notice the change in those around her. She had already been spacing out for a very, very long time.

For nearly frozen ten minutes, not a single number had been entered into the dial screen of the Virtual Screen.

—Dad.

Even though she did not understand him, had rebelled against him, and had been disappointed in him, when she stood at a turning point in her life, the first person she thought of was still her only family.

Yet it was as though she felt timid when close to home, or perhaps it was the unique stubbornness of youth.

The girl pressed her lips together. After hesitating for a long time, she moved the Virtual Screen aside and stopped looking at it. She did not dial Chu Yuanqing's number.

Chu Yuanqing sighed inwardly, both disappointed and relieved.

She suppressed her emotions and asked,

"Have you decided whether you want to participate?"

Chu Wangshu froze for a moment before answering hesitantly in a soft voice,

"I guess so? I didn't actually come here to become an idol. It's more like a summer job?"

"So getting eliminated does not seem like a big deal. Besides, I might regret failing, but it would also be a shame to miss this chance."

"Since I'd feel regret either way, there's no harm in giving it a try."

"I think that even if I can't stand on a stage later, I can still act. There are lots of paths in life, and besides, I might not necessarily fail."

She spoke sincerely and seriously, without hiding her worries or inner conflict. It was as though the person before her was not a stranger she had only recently met, but a close friend she could confide in. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she paused and asked,

"Speaking of which, I haven't told you my name yet, have I?"

Chu Wangshu blinked and introduced herself earnestly.

"My name is Chu Wangshu. Chu as in The Songs of Chu, and Wangshu as in Wangshu from The Songs of Chu."

Chu Yuanqing's heart wavered, and she struggled to contain her emotions.

The name she used now differed from her original name by only one character. It was even a homophone. No matter how she thought about it, saying it aloud would very easy make people overthink.

But she could not lie, hesitate, or refuse to say it.

Because her name would sooner or later be exposed on the show. Deliberately concealing it would only make her seem suspicious.

At that thought, Chu Yuanqing forced herself to stay calm, feigned surprise, and replied as though nothing was wrong,

"What a coincidence. My surname is Chu too. My name is Chu Yuanqing."

"Yuanqing, as in the Yuanqing from Past Farewell to Yuanqing at Jianghai."

Chu Wangshu was stunned.

That name sounded so much like Dad's. It was too coincidental to be a coincidence.

"Maybe it's fate."

Chu Wangshu murmured to herself. She looked at the other girl with slightly dazed Eyes and asked,

"Do you think I should compete?"

Chu Yuanqing fell silent and did not answer right away. She seemed to be weighing her words. After a while, she slowly said,

"I'm glad you chose to ask me that question.

"But precisely because of that, I can't answer it for you."

"The decision of whether to compete may seem important right now, but when you look at your whole life, you'll definitely encounter similar situations in the future and have to make many decisions that are just as important."

"You can't ask others every single time, can you?"

"So from now on, you need to learn how to make your own decisions."

Chu Wangshu was somewhat dazed.

How strange. They had only met today.

Yet Chu Yuanqing's words seemed to be guiding her on how to walk toward her own life. Her attitude was gentle yet stern, like that of a close elder.

Chu Yuanqing said nothing more. Once she finished speaking, she stood up. Under the surprised and curious gazes of the Remaining trainees, and under the attention of the Live Broadcast Room as its viewer count climbed to its peak, she walked alone to the entrance and placed her palm on the central console. She murmured softly,

"Dream Weaver Rabbit, I agree to participate."

Her words fell.

Endless streams of dazzling data flowed down like light from the heavens, forming Dream Weaver Rabbit's phantom image.

The mascot extended a hand and, as though sealing a contract, pressed it against her slender hand on the central console.

The next moment, Dream Weaver Rabbit shattered with a rumble, turning into countless brilliant, weightless ribbons that spun overhead like flower petals before drifting slowly down with a rustle.

All channels in the Live Broadcast Room switched to a close-up At the same time.

Chu Yuanqing looked up. Her clear Eyes were like a tranquil, rippleless lake, reflecting the falling ribbons. On her delicate, youthful face, her expression slowly unfolded beneath the camera. Her lips curved slightly upward, a smile washing through her features like ripples before vanishing in an instant.

Yet that breathtaking Scenes was ultimately frozen within a single frame, waiting to be discovered.

The light strips at the entrance Lit up. A name tag printed itself from the groove in the central console.

Chu Yuanqing attached it to her waist and walked forward.

"Wait, I want to compete too!"

As Chu Wangshu spoke, her fingers flew across the Virtual Screen. After several minutes of hesitation, she finished editing her message, silently cursed herself, gritted her teeth, and tapped send. Then she ran over decisively and slapped her hand onto the central console. Her palm print was entered into the intelligent system, automatically signing the relevant agreement.

Only this time, the special effects from before did not appear again.

The ribbons had already finished falling, breaking into tiny specks of light.

The little girl did not care about that. She hurriedly grabbed her printed name tag and caught up with Chu Yuanqing, who seemed to have deliberately waited for her. Together, they entered the Competition Venue.

Volume One: Choosing Seats.

Waiting Room.

As the two figures disappeared from sight, the more than two hundred remaining trainees displayed a dazzling variety of psychological reactions.

Chu Yuanqing was definitely not the most decisive among the trainees, but she was the one carrying the least baggage.

Among the trainees present, quite a few already had works and popularity. They had practically secured spots in the show's upper ranks from the start, so deciding to compete was not that difficult for them.

But this group had received heavy investment from their Entertainment Company. Such an important decision had to be discussed with their agents and company executives before they could jointly decide whether to participate. They simply could not act decisively.

As for the other trainees with little ability, those at an average level, and ordinary people carrying dreams, Not to mention them. They were all still caught in the stage of hesitation and deliberation.

Chen Yining saw this clearly and felt somewhat annoyed.

Although the phone call had only happened recently, she already knew the scene was being livestreamed.

Under such circumstances, Chu Yuanqing, who had chosen to compete first, would definitely receive more camera attention, attract the notice of By a large amount of viewers, and even get more screen time later on. It was an investment with guaranteed returns.

Not to mention that, as a Talent Show, the later episodes would be edited into finished broadcasts and aired throughout the country.

Chu Yuanqing was the first contestant. It was certain that she would be included in the edit. Setting aside how much popularity she would gain, her disadvantage as an ordinary person would definitely be erased. It might even turn that label into a weapon for Harvesting the favor of casual viewers.

And as the Young Lady of Yunlan Entertainment Company, Chen Yining had originally had every right to be willful, ignore Dad's nagging, rush to become the first contestant, and seize this opportunity to soar to greatness.

This was the difference of a single thought.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Yining stopped dwelling on it. She lifted her beautiful face, as radiant as a peony, pride and wildness written across her brows.

This time, she had lost in terms of awareness.

Since she had lost, she had to accept it. It was not worth agonizing over.

She would win it back fair and square next time.

The trainees all had different thoughts, but one thing was the same: Chu Yuanqing's early decision to compete was like a catfish thrown into a pond, pushing them to make their choices sooner.

The viewers in the Live Broadcast Room did not need to think so much. Bullet Comments were flooding the screen wildly.

"Ahhh, the first younger sister is unbelievably gorgeous. I want to stan her!"

"I have a feeling that will be where the dream begins."

"She's so brave! It's only been ten minutes, right? And she already decided to compete?"

"Did she not understand how serious this is, or is she just too confident in her abilities?"

"I just checked the official site for contestant profiles. These two younger sisters are both complete newcomers! Neither has an Entertainment Company behind her. No wonder they decided so quickly."

"That's even more insane. How can they compete with the other contestants in terms of raw ability? All I can say is that their courage is admirable."

"I just want to know whether they've opened social media accounts yet. I want to follow them like crazy."

The online response was just as Chen Yining had expected.

Although opinions varied, everyone had become curious about Chu Yuanqing and Chu Wangshu, who followed right after her.

For a time, the viewers were like secretaries to domineering CEOs, searching the entire internet for the two girls' social media accounts.

Chu Yuanqing's identity was a product of Causal Law Correction. After searching everywhere, people only found a Weibo account with faint traces of daily life and almost no posts.

Even so, her followers jumped from a single-digit number of dead accounts to tens of thousands in no time. The official account even gave her a Shining Stage contestant verification badge on its own.

Chu Wangshu's situation was similar.

The difference was that she had many social media accounts, and the traces of her past life were much more substantial. She was perfect for interested viewers to dig through. Though she gained fewer Fans than Chu Yuanqing, her activity and discussion levels were several times higher.

Meanwhile, the two people at the center of Public Opinion knew nothing about All of this.

The passage leading from the entrance was around a hundred meters long. The flowing light and shadows on all sides gave it a strong technological feel, occasionally weaving into sponsor logos. Once they walked out, the space opened wide as though clouds had parted to reveal the sky. Above them was a lifelike dome formed by Virtual Projection, making it feel like a massive stadium.

The stage In front and the mentors' seats were empty. Behind them were numerous seats arranged in a pyramid from high to low. The higher the seats, the better their decoration. The seats at the very top were especially magnificent, like lofty thrones.

Chu Wangshu blinked, somewhat hesitant.

Generally speaking, the higher the seat, the lower its number and the stronger the contestant.

According to the rules, trainees could freely choose their seats. As the first group to enter, they could completely occupy the high seats.

That said, choosing the upper ranks or even the Center position would naturally earn them more camera time.

But if their ability could not convince others, they risked looking like they were merely seeking attention. And if they chose seats that were too low, they would easily seem unambitious and lacking in presence, receiving no camera time either.

It can be said that this segment tested one's ability to adapt on the fly.

How to display the greatest personal charm within the appropriate range and secure more camera time was a profound discipline.

The factors that needed weighing went far beyond ability and fame. There were also acting skills, wording, body language, order of entry, information about opponents, and even the intangible favor of viewers.

Talent Shows had their own unique cruelty. The trainees who passed the auditions all had good looks, but when a hundred pretty girls were placed together, none of them seemed particularly special. There was simply not enough camera time to go around.

In other words, competition and internal rivalry were inevitable.

If they casually muddled through this segment, they might receive very little screen time afterward and immediately find themselves on the verge of elimination.

Thus, the choices trainees made in this segment were one of the major highlights of the early stages of a Talent Show.

Chu Yuanqing's little face turned serious. She looked around, blinked, and asked: