Zhao, Qian, Sun, Li, One, Two, Three, Four

The filming base had been specially built by the production team.

The dormitories and daily living areas were in the smaller building behind it, while all competition-related filming took place in the largest main building.

When Si Di walked in, quite a few people were already seated inside.

The 101 seats were arranged in a pyramid formation and divided into ranks A, B, C, D, and F by section.

There was a table by the entrance, with rank stickers laid out on top.

Since there was no host, the production team had sent the filming procedure to the contestants early that morning.

According to the current procedure, Si Di was supposed to choose a sticker representing the level he believed his abilities were at and place it somewhere conspicuous on his body.

Without hesitation, Si Di picked up a gray F and stuck it low on his chest.

Then he walked over.

And sat in seat number 101, at the very bottom and very edge!

"Damn? Is that Si Di?"

"I thought he wasn't coming. Qin Wei is the idol producer—what good could possibly come of meeting him?"

"Hey, what do you think it means that he sat in seat 101?"

"Who knows? He's probably just trying to grab attention."

Si Di heard them and turned, shooting them a sharp glare. "If you like it that much, come on. I'll give you the seat."

The guy was named Lu Chen. He had just turned twenty and had dyed his hair an absurdly pale yellow.

After being snapped at by Si Di, he immediately flushed and said, "Who wants it? You sat in the last seat because you wanted people to notice you, didn't you? What's wrong with me saying a couple things?"

"There's nothing wrong with saying a couple things. Why did you have to sound so sour about it?"

Si Di was the sort who responded to softness but not toughness. If Lu Chen had apologized, Si Di would honestly have found it hard not to accept it.

But since the other guy wanted to be tough, hehe.

The camera silently moved closer.

Si Di fearlessly pursed his lips into a smile, his tone exceptionally cutting. "So sitting in the last seat means I deserve to be slandered? There are 101 contestants. Someone had to sit here. Are you saying you have a problem with the show's planning?"

"...I-I don't..."

"Then you're deliberately targeting me? We've never even met. Where did all this hostility toward me come from?"

Lu Chen stiffened his neck, unwilling to lose face. "I... I've seen the news about you!"

"Oh." Si Di nodded. "So you're someone who likes to believe rumors. Does that mean everything online is true? Even ancient people understood that hearing is unreliable and seeing is believing. You're a person of the twenty-first century, and you don't understand? People online curse me out, and you follow them in doing it. Should I say you have no principles, or that you're a fence-sitter with no opinions of your own? Someone like you wants to become a national idol and set an example for the younger generation?"

"I... I..."

Lu Chen stammered, unable to say a word. His face went green, then white. In the end, he pursed his lips, lowered his head, and admitted defeat.

Si Di did not have an especially aggressive-looking face.

When he spoke, he was wild and unruly.

But his face itself was brimming with youthful vitality, full of boyishness.

When he spoke with a smile like this, his eyes flashed with sharp light like a wolf cub's—cunning and alert—making yellow-haired Lu Chen look dull and foolish by comparison.

[To be fair, I'm on Si Di's side this time. Even though he insulted my husband, he confronted him head-on. They're both men—what kind of nonsense is talking sourly about someone behind their back? [Puke][Puke]]

[Si Di, curse him out first. Once you're done, I'll go back to cursing you.]

[4D's little mouth is seriously too good at talking. As expected of the man who fought with Qin Wei!]

[Person above, my eyes skipped a character just now, and then... a whole new world suddenly opened up before me!]

[Damn, are you a demon? Your CP can be obscure, but it can't be cursed! You can be down-to-earth, but you can't be down in the underworld!]

A farce came to an end.

The contestants who entered afterward gradually filled every empty spot in the pyramid.

Once everyone had arrived, the huge screen above the stage at the front of the filming hall lit up.

Photos of the 101 trainees appeared, their gray-and-white tones oppressive and bleak.

As the sound of footsteps drew closer, a pre-recorded mechanical voice began to play.

"What is a trainee?"

"It sounds cool, but if you don't debut, you are nothing."

"It is endless practice, practice, practice."

"It is having a very lovely dream in the cruelest world."

"Every day, we ask ourselves: how far is the journey from trainee to idol? Unknown dreams, unceasing effort—now, this stage finally has a place for us!"

The image flashed, and the color palette abruptly brightened.

Every scene that appeared began to come alive.

"Limited Idol, setting sail for dreams!"

As the powerful words rang out, a gleaming golden number 7 appeared on the huge screen.

Seven was the number of people who would form the future group.

Seven was also everyone's greatest dream.

The lights throughout the venue went out. In the darkness, a beam of light suddenly lit the stage.

A tall, straight figure stood beneath it.

His cool and distant aura made him seem like an immortal banished from the heavens.

Holding a microphone, Qin Wei said in a clear voice, "Hello, everyone. I'm the idol producer, Qin Wei."

The venue froze for a few seconds before all the trainees began screaming.

...Except Si Di.

While everyone else stood, he sat there—not only sitting, but sitting with particular pride!

His arms were crossed over his chest, his back straight, his bearing imposing and swaggering.

Hmph! I'm the greatest! Dog Qin Wei, even if you're the PD and I'm a contestant, I won't bow my head to you!

...What a lunatic. What a fool.

Qin Wei sneered at him inwardly, but his expression did not change in the slightest.

The camera zoomed in. Facing the lens, his expression management was flawless. His presence was noble and composed as he calmly said, "From today onward, all of you watching from behind the screen will serve as idol producers and vote for these 101 boys."

"You will define the future top boy group!"

All the lights came on.

In the brightness, everyone's hearts raced with excitement.

Qin Wei walked to the center seat at the mentors' table and sat down. The huge screen flickered, displaying photos of the other four mentors.

Vocal mentor Zhao Yi.

Dance mentor Qian Er.

Rap mentor 1, Sun San.

Rap mentor 2, Li Si.

Next came the mentors' entrances. After each gave a performance in their own specialty, the trainees' initial stage performances officially began.

The huge screen randomly displayed the logos of the entertainment companies the trainees belonged to. Whoever was selected went on stage.

Si Di sat in the bottom row, the closest to the stage. Other than the mentors, he could see everything most clearly.

It had to be said that talent-show contestants really did have some skills.

Some shattered glass cups with high notes, some did two backflips after dancing and still landed steadily, and some rap masters could spit out four or five hundred characters in a minute without even pausing for breath.

Si Di watched with his mouth hanging open. Just as he was getting into it, his photo suddenly popped up on the huge screen.

Beside the tiny one-inch photo were the words: Plump and Sturdy Entertainment Company.

The entire venue fell deathly silent.

Everyone's eyes gathered on Si Di.

[What the hell?]

[Si Di's face is admittedly pretty decent, but surely not decent enough to be used as a company logo? And what the heck is Plump and Sturdy? Is this an entertainment company or a pig farm?]

[Then you don't know this. 4D's agency only has two people total. The boss, Wu Biao, also doubles as 4D's manager, assistant, driver, and feeder. Think about it—there's only one artist altogether, so of course he's their precious treasure~]

[Hahahaha, even 4D himself is stunned.]