Chapter 100: The Overall Popularity Rankings of Tomorrow’s Star Are Announced

On the Tide Sound Culture side, the decision had already been made to abandon the popularity chart.

After another round of audience voting, Fang Xing finally overtook Wu Junchen and rose to the top of the overall popularity ranking.

During the live broadcast, He Hao officially announced, "The popularity voting channel is now closed. Please wait a moment. Once the production team finishes tallying the votes, the final popularity rankings will be displayed on the big screen."

Very soon, the production team signaled that the count was complete.

He Hao turned toward the big screen and raised a hand to indicate it. "Please look at the screen for the final popularity rankings. Congratulations to Fang Xing for taking first place in the popularity chart for this season of Tomorrow's Star. And congratulations as well to Wu Junchen, Liu Yichen..."

The big screen popped up with the popularity chart, listing the final rankings of all twenty-two trainees.

Fang Xing's name stood unmistakably at the very top, surpassing Wu Junchen and claiming first place.

Second place went to Wu Junchen, third to Liu Yichen.

At the final stage, only Fang Xing and Wu Junchen were still locked in battle over the popularity chart. Liu Yichen had already resigned himself and given up competing for the top spot.

As a result, there was a clear gap between first, second, and third place Liu Yichen.

Beyond that, all five members of the Tide Sound team made it into the top ten of the popularity chart.

Lu Ming and Shao Yu ranked thirteenth and fifteenth, respectively.

After He Hao announced the final popularity rankings, related topics quickly surged onto the trending list.

On Weibo, Wu Junchen's fans were everywhere, howling in grief:

"Why?"

"What right does Fang Xing have to overtake Junchen?"

"Unfair. The popularity vote was unfair."

"Junchen should be first."

The fans were as if attending a funeral, while the mockingly delighted netizens celebrated as though it were a festival:

"You fans are something else. When the professional judges decided the winner, you said the judges were unprofessional and petitioned the show's official account to investigate them. Now that the show has switched to audience voting, you lose and suddenly say the audience vote is unfair."

"Don't you get it? When their idol wins, it's fair. When their idol loses, it's unfair. It has nothing to do with the voting rules."

"This summer, music beat capital."

"That felt good!"

"That felt good +1"

...

The live broadcast was not yet over.

After announcing the final popularity rankings, He Hao declared the final rules for forming the group.

He turned toward the two doors on either side of the stage and said loudly, "Behind me are two doors. The one on the left is the Glacier Gate.

"Passing through that door means becoming a member of the Glacier Boys Group of GLA and officially debuting as part of the team.

"The other door is the Flame Gate. Passing through it means losing the chance to join the Glacier Boys Group.

"Now, the trainees on stage will make their final choice in order of their final popularity rankings.

"Will you pass through the Glacier Gate, or the Flame Gate? First, please let Fang Xing, who ranks first overall in popularity, make your final choice."

After He Hao finished, he raised his hand and gestured toward the Glacier Gate.

The audience at the venue and on the livestream platform instantly grew tense.

Comments discussing the topic began flooding the screen:

"How is there still a choice? Does that mean Fang Xing could still choose not to debut with the group?"

"The production team is really milking this. He's already first in popularity, so of course he'll go through the Glacier Gate and debut center stage."

"Wait a second. I've watched the whole season, and from the very first episode Fang Xing and Wu Junchen had issues. Could it be..."

"Exactly. Fang Xing and Wu Junchen fought head-on four times, and Wu Junchen got dragged through the dirt by four killer songs. If they debut together, the internal conflict is going to be insane just thinking about it."

"No way, right? He couldn't actually choose not to debut, could he?"

"Here's a hint: Fang Xing signed with Pine Stone Records, and the earlier assault incident had the shadow of Tide Sound Culture behind it."

Under the bewildered gazes of countless viewers,

Fang Xing walked toward the door representing fire.

According to the rules announced by the host, only by passing through the Glacier Gate could one become a member of the Glacier Boys Group of GLA.

Passing through the Flame Gate meant giving up the chance to debut as a group.

Seeing Fang Xing head for the Flame Gate, the audience became even more confused.

Some viewers watching together in twos and threes had already started discussing it.

Inside Tianlan Literary Gardens, Ning Xiaoyun pinched a potato chip between her fingers and pointed at the television. "Impossible. Fang Xing is definitely trying to create variety-show drama. When he gets to the Flame Gate, he'll suddenly turn around and go through the Glacier Gate. I've seen this kind of trick too many times. Nothing new at all."

"He doesn't seem like that kind of person," Lu Xiang'er said, a chocolate bean in her mouth, cheeks puffed out, watching the screen with great interest.

She also wanted to know whether Fang Xing would suddenly change course and pass through the Glacier Gate.

Yet the outcome was beyond what many viewers had expected.

Fang Xing walked straight toward the Flame Gate, without the slightest hesitation, and stepped through it in one motion.

"Huh... he's choosing not to debut with the group? What's going on here?"

At the same time, the same question arose in the minds of countless viewers across the country.

Some even thought Fang Xing might walk back out through the Flame Gate, claim he had taken the wrong path, put on a bit of variety-show theatrics, and then go through the Glacier Gate instead.

But after passing through the Flame Gate, Fang Xing simply went straight backstage.

He Hao then asked the second-place finisher, Wu Junchen, to make his choice.

There was no suspense in Wu Junchen's decision. He strode directly through the Glacier Gate and officially became the captain of the Glacier Boys Group of GLA.

The five members of the Tide Sound team, along with several other popular contestants from Baichuan Entertainment and Yida Entertainment, also went through the Glacier Gate.

Only after eleven people had passed through the Glacier Gate did special effects appear above it, igniting blue ice flames that lit up half the stage, as if they were about to swallow half the studio whole.

He Hao officially announced, "The Glacier Boys Group of GLA has now been formed. Please welcome the eleven Glacier Boys to the stage to meet the audience."

Wu Junchen led the eleven members back onto the stage. They held hands and bowed together to thank the audience present.

After that, the host had them take turns delivering their debut speeches.

Starting with Wu Junchen, the eleven members spoke one after another. Without exception, they were all tearful, thanking the audience and expressing gratitude for the support of their fans.

They also promised that they would continue working hard in the future and bring even better performances to their fans.

The fans in the venue cheered loudly, shouted themselves hoarse, and wept with emotion.

At the same time, the live comments began to flood the screen with questions:

"???"

"Where's Fang Xing?"

"So the number one in popularity didn't debut? Are you messing with us?"

"This is hilarious. The number one in popularity didn't debut, and instead a bunch of no-name flops formed the group."

"Looks like the conflict between Pine Stone Records and Tide Sound Culture is real."

"Not debuting together is better. I support not debuting together. Otherwise, if I criticize Fang Xing in the future, that group of fans will accuse me of slandering their precious brother."

"Fair point. If I were Fang Xing, I wouldn't take that bunch of losers along either. Singing? They can't sing. Acting? They can act pretty well. At least their crying scenes are sincere."

"Forget that Fang Xing performed eight breakout songs on the show. If it were me, even if they handed me Night Tune or Red Costume, I still wouldn't carry those people along."

"Then how do we count this now? Fang Xing got first place, and then... nothing?"

"Have you noticed something? The ice flames ignited by the Glacier Gate only lit up half the stage. The other half is still dark."

"Now that you mention it, yes. I think I can sense what's coming."