Chapter 90
"As for our Donghuang Federation's treasure, it is precisely because she is so outstanding and dazzling that we had to temporarily modify the venue. Otherwise, who knows if her next performance would cause the Calamity Species to crash again?"
"This is certainly a good thing, but it will make the operating environment of the Sea Capital division lag behind that of other divisions."
This argument was interrupted by a round of applause not long afterward.
The Dream Weaver Rabbit smiled, its scarlet eyes overlooking the Cube Prison, and said to the projections:
"Please don't worry. As the head instructor and person in charge of Flash Dance, I have the obligation and can guarantee the safety of all participants."
After speaking, it revealed a meaningful smile and continued:
"Next, let's look forward to seeing how many contestants from each region can advance from [Fuel] to rough stones worth polishing in the next stage."
8:30 AM.
Even before the second episode of Sea Capital's "Flash Dance" aired, it became a trending topic on social media that day.
Sea Capital <Flash Dance> A chaotic love triangle!#
#Chu Yuanqing's stunning beauty in direct camera shots.#
#CP fans are going wild, have they actually shipped them?#
#JiChenCP-- Ri Yi Yue Shu --About to Break Up?#
#Episode 2 is coming soon, guess who the ultimate winner will be?#
#Official lead in the trend, Sea Capital's <Flash Dance> may be renamed <The Qing God's Backyard>.#
#Chu Yuanqing hasn't posted on Weibo yet.#
At the same time,
Xu Ling opened her eyes sleepily, glanced groggily at the half-finished video on the computer screen, got up, yawned, tossed the drool-covered dinosaur pillow into the washing machine, made herself a cup of iced coffee, and then sat back down in her chair, feeling refreshed.
"Qing Bao's video is finished editing and will be released soon."
"All the editing materials for the Yayoi video are ready, and the background music has been selected. I can finish it in a few more hours of hard work!"
"Haha, I knew you couldn't kill me with those haircuts!"
"Xu Ling, believe in yourself! You are the best single-pusher!"
At the same time, the support group was also filled with reports from hardcore players who were both triumphant and exhausted.
In an atmosphere close to sudden death, everyone's faces were filled with happy and exhausted smiles, all looking forward to the second episode in half an hour, hoping it would breathe new life into their bodies!
Xu Ling typed out her praises with devotion:
"I believe it! I believe Sakura will bring us victory!"
A wife who produces food made statements indicating mental instability:
"Hehehe, if Little Sakura loses, I'd rather sacrifice countless bitter tea seeds??? I'll write an invincible, world- Qing Offense novel as revenge!!!"
This immediately sparked a fierce factional struggle between the attackers and defenders:
"Qing Bao is clearly an innocent and ignorant seducer; calling him the dominant one is wrong, blind, and shows a lack of discernment!"
"Qing Bao's attack is correct, commendable, and beyond question. I hope you won't care about outside opinions. I'm offering three bitter tea seeds as a sacrifice. Please immediately support Qing Offense's legitimacy and write this masterpiece now!"
"Ridiculous, you're all too superficial. Qing God is strictly self-disciplined; she won't take the initiative to attack or passively accept. But as a deity who saves all living beings, if you earnestly request something, she will definitely do something to you!"
"How naive! Qing Bao can be caught in a six-person love triangle now, and she'll be caught in a sixteen-person love triangle later. She's like an ancient emperor, able to choose whomever she wants and do whatever she wants. Isn't that being the dominant one???"
In the endless partisan struggle, the Qing Offense faction finally won an overwhelming victory. Everyone agreed that Little Sakura, who liked to wear manicures, was just a strong-willed submissive with no courage to take charge or domineering.
This undeniable fact, following Qing Defense's defeat, became the One Truth in the "Wu Zhong Jian Qing" support group!
Meanwhile, at 9 o'clock as scheduled, the second episode aired on major video websites.
As Qing Defense Party who had been defeated, Xu Ling had temporarily forgotten the melancholy of losing the party struggle and happily watched the second episode.
Unlike usual, this episode is a whopping 90 minutes long, 10 minutes longer than the previous one.
Conversely, the 57 contestants who were deprived of exposure in the first episode were able to return to the show normally.
In other words, the 90 minutes will be spread across a total of 168 contestants, which means each contestant will only have an average of 32 seconds of screen time. This is even more terrifying and exaggerated than the previous episode's average of 45 seconds. It's a tight schedule and extremely difficult to get the time.
It can only be said that the amount of screen time each contestant gets depends entirely on their overall performance in various aspects. If they cannot stand out in this episode, their screen time will only be further reduced in the future, making it difficult for them to emerge as dark horses and achieve a comeback.
Unfortunately, judging from the popularity of the first episode and the previous live broadcast results, the editing will likely favor the six A-Class contestants.
On the screen, the Dream Weaver Rabbit smiled and bowed, and the program officially began.
The stage for the Second Evaluation came into view, and I walked around it from an overhead perspective that I couldn't see in the original live broadcast.
Xu Ling skipped the usual platitudes from the mentors and began to enjoy the contestants' performances.
This is where you can change your fate.
A performance takes at least three minutes, and the show can't possibly broadcast all 168 contestants' performances. Most of the girls' fate is to appear in only one frame, and only those performances with explosive moments can stay in the show for a few more seconds.
Given the current popularity of Flash Dance, those few seconds are enough for a contestant to gain some attention, potentially delaying their elimination by one round.
Unfortunately, very few are lucky.
The stages featured in this video are either A-Class performances by artists like Xie Qingxuan, Chen Yining, and Ji Shuzhu, or performances where the characters are either facing a comeback or being overthrown, or other stages with dramatic contrasts and compelling storylines.
Liang Xiaoxiao's perseverance in finishing the dance after falling was quite inspiring. Coupled with the unsatisfactory final result, she was well-suited to be the foil, thus gaining a lot of stage attention. It could be considered a blessing in disguise.
Chu Yuanqing's performance was so spectacular that it was scheduled after Little Sakura's, and he didn't officially appear until the end of the Second Evaluation. This gave the viewers a small Savior shock, which immediately diluted the boredom and aroused the audience's anticipation.
All I can say is that the Program Group knows how to use a strategy of first suppressing and then elevating the audience's emotions.
Even though Xu Ling had watched the live broadcast and rewatched it repeatedly, she was still amazed and impressed when the Program Group showed her another version of the Qing God stage with different camera angles.
The comments section of the show also went wild:
"Maybe it's because I'm more sexy? After seeing Qing Bao's performance, I felt a bit comfortable there?"
"Furious! Tell me in detail where it is? Or I'll dunk on you?!"
"Qing Bao, you know, I've never had a wife since I was a child???"
"I raise the banner for Qing Bao? Who dares to oppose her? Enemies on all sides? I am the Iron-Blooded Chu Family Army? And she is her banner?!"
"A person who likes Chu Yuanqing can't be all that bad, no matter how bad they are. That's my view of good and evil! Qingmen on forever!"
After Xu Ling switched to the Yuan Fan personality and went on a rampage, she made a sacred break with the righteous Yuan Fan personality, and then began to fast forward frequently.
After all, we've already seen many of these things on live streams, so all we need to pay attention to is whether our own child gets a reasonable amount of screen time. There's no need to scan through everything.
The subsequent events included the contestants' reactions to their respective ratings the following day, the contestants voting for their preferred Center position, drawing lots to film short videos of dance performances, the announcement of the final Center position the following day, and finally, the rehearsal training for the Public Performance stage, and the actual performance on stage.
There were clearly many viewers watching the live stream in the chat, and the speed at which they went wild was something that ordinary people simply couldn't match:
"Hehehe, the Crimson King is activated! Let's see who has won Qing Bao's favor!"
"Damn it, family, Little Sakura has been defeated at Huarong Road! How can Ji Shuzhu's mouth be so venomous???"
"You know what, you really have to admit, it's all a bit toxic, but it actually makes a lot of sense. Isn't Kiriwake Yayoi's approach to Qing Bao at this time purely a form of forced association? I bet the CP fans are going crazy over this."
"Stop the baseless accusations. Little Sakura really wanted to be associated with him, would she have chosen to leave at this point? She has stage presence and idol pride. How can you twist her desire to help Qing Bao into such a way???"
"Uh, I'm obviously a CP fan, and a pure Qing Bao fan, so I think that's enough. If you don't want to leech off others, then be more careful in front of the camera. Anyone can back down strategically, right? Please don't get involved, okay?"
But before this great war could tear the heavens and earth apart...
Chu Yuanqing took the initiative to say goodbye to the two little ones, then stroked the Golden Haired Doggy's head before chasing after Little Sakura, interrupting the battle between the CP fans and Chu Yuanqing's solo fans in the live chat.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the live chat froze.
Those who had been indignant on behalf of Chu Yuanqing and suspected Little Sakura Little Yuan Xiao plotting something sinister, at this moment, all they felt was the cold wind blowing and the snowflakes falling. Their minds were filled with the thought, "We were ready to fight to the death, why did Your Majesty surrender first?" They had lost all will to fight and left the scene in despair.
Then, the program shifted to Chu Yuanqing and Kiriwake Yayoi in the same practice room, with the former beginning to learn "Little Deer Bumping".
Well, during this time, a precious video of Chu Yuanqing dancing and making heart shapes with a disdainful look and indifferent expression in front of the camera was successfully exposed to the public by the righteous Program Group, greatly satisfying a group of people with special interests and arousing their admiration and praise:
"Hehehe, can you make a little more disgusted face? I love seeing Qing Bao coldly making a heart shape with her hands at me???"
"The official editor of <Flashdance> is right and elegant. You put the audience's XP in mind, and the audience will lift you up high in return. Bliss!"
"Hahaha, the melon I forced down is so sweet!"
"So sexy! Qing Bao's figure is so hot! Is she really a minor? I'm already looking forward to her really hot dance later on!"
The program continued, then the scene shifted, interspersed with the daily interactions of the trainees and various anecdotes from their dormitories.
The funniest part for the audience was a rock-paper-scissors battle that the Great Demon King, Green Eyed Cat, and Liang Xiaoxiao seriously waged in a dormitory room in Building F so that Chu Yuanqing would read them the bedtime stories they wanted to hear!
This incident was quickly and sadly glossed over amidst the frenzied comments of "I also want to hear Qing Bao's bedtime stories," causing millions of netizens to miss out on the precious audio of Qing Bao lulling them to sleep.
Finally, skipping over some routine and rehearsal details, the biggest climax of the second episode exploded on the bus.
"Chu Yuanqing, don't you feel ashamed?"
This question stunned a large number of viewers, and soon a barrage of comments erupted.
Volume 1: 98. Follow-up Feedback, Rule Announcement, Number of Eliminated Players.
In the program,
Luo Chan is still filing accusations against Chu Yuanqing.
These emotions—malice, fear, dissatisfaction, jealousy, and anxiety—that were nurtured, guided, and intensified by the environment, and ultimately erupted all at once under the mocking gaze of the Dream Weaver Rabbit, presented as a one-sided outburst mixed with moral blackmail and sarcastic remarks.
The whole point of the statement is to place all the blame on Chu Yuanqing for the main stage's performance being inferior to the two secondary stages during rehearsals, and to accuse her of being unworthy of being the Center position.
Let alone Chu Yuanqing's fans, any normal viewer who hasn't watched much of the rehearsal or training would be confused and annoyed by this whole thing.
It's important to know that the Public Performance results are now in. Two thousand people watched the live show, and tens of millions watched the live stream. Even the individual video clips were released last night.
If Chu Yuanqing is indeed as incompetent as she claims, suffering a crushing defeat in the Public Performance and falling from her newly established pedestal, then the audience might be able to show more leniency and understanding towards Luo Chan because of the strict Elimination Mechanism of "Flash Dance".
Ultimately, judging from the results, the contestants on the main stage were indeed negatively affected.
Furthermore, following the established pattern of the internet, some people might be swayed by the narrative, thinking that Luo Chan's words made sense and were not problematic, at most just a bit too extreme, and then sarcastically commenting in the live chat that Chu Yuanqing was indeed not good enough and did not deserve to be the main Center position.
This is a classic case of everyone kicking someone when they're down.
The problem is, this wall hasn't fallen; in fact, the Public Performance stage remains a resounding success, as evidenced by the audience's observation.
Therefore, these accusations, viewed by today's audience, are like a circus banging drums and gongs, inviting a clown to dance—absurd and comical.
I was completely baffled. Is she crazy?
"This is purely for attention, isn't it? They know Chu Yuanqing is popular right now, so they're deliberately trying to cause trouble and annoy people."
"Why should Chu Yuanqing feel ashamed? Her dance foundation may not be good, but her hard work in rehearsals is obvious to everyone. She made almost no mistakes, and her progress every day was significant. Why can't she be the main Center position?"
"Who the hell is this? Enough with the moral blackmail! There are 56 people on the main stage, all highly rated contestants. If losing to the sub-stage is only the Center position's fault? What's the point of having the others? Just let Chu Yuanqing dance solo."
"The cost of elimination in <Flash Dance> is indeed high, but don't all contestants face the same risk? Besides, there's no shady dealing in this talent show. Qing Bao got the Center position because of her own ability. Do you need to tell her whether she deserves it or not?"
"Is she trying to mention Xie Bao's name?? Seriously, if it weren't for malicious vote-rigging, would Xie Bao even be unable to get a supporting center position?"
Soon, someone rewound the progress bar to the front and saw the scene of Luo Chan voting. They discovered that the person she voted for was Chu Yuanqing. After the identity was confirmed, fans of the Great Demon King and Little Sakura couldn't help but join the battle.
Of course, the most annoyed people were Chu Yuanqing's fans.
Now, whether they are die-hard fans, solo stans, Solo Fan stans, CP fans, or even Yuan Fan Yuan Xiao, almost everyone is furious.
Are you kidding me? The kids they pushed were already a bit insecure!
To help Chu Yuanqing build confidence, they went to great lengths to get likes during the competition for the Center position, creating a legend of millions of likes. They wanted to show her that she was no less capable than anyone else and that she could bravely pursue her dreams.
Luo Chan's words completely negated Chu Yuanqing's claims, as if a fragile piece of porcelain that had just been pieced together had been smashed to the ground.
Xu Ling's eyes reddened with anger. She recounted her history of idol worship, and she was only more angry and saddened when she heard about Little Sakura being forced to graduate by her teammates, repeatedly hitting walls, having her career shattered, her dreams dimmed, and even having to work to raise money to buy a plane ticket to Great Xia to risk her life.
Xu Ling put herself in Chu Yuanqing's shoes for a moment, she would feel a sharp pain in her heart when she heard those words.
Whether it's the achievement of being the main Center position or the countless blessings and encouragements displayed in the live chat, for someone who is truly insecure, it can only encourage her to muster a little courage and begin to look forward to a better future.
Chu Yuanqing did just that. She tried her best in every rehearsal, maintaining a high level of concentration for a whole week. On the way back from the last rehearsal, she was so tired that she almost fell asleep in the car.
If she can successfully enter the official Public Performance, she can truly confirm through her performance on stage that she is qualified to pursue her seemingly unattainable dream.
But at this crucial moment, someone, with such a firm and self-righteous tone, negated all her efforts and bluntly told her that she was no good, because her level was dragging down everyone on the main stage, and she didn't deserve to be in the Center position.
Imagine how she must have felt at that moment?
Xu Ling felt that if it were her, she probably wouldn't have time to be angry or even think of refuting it. She would only feel as if the sky had fallen and the earth had collapsed, plunging into a deep pit of self-doubt from which she would never be able to climb out.