Chapter 96: The Second Performance of the Final Group Night

Chapter Ninety-Six

The voting results for Wu Junchen’s team in the first round of the live performance were announced.

The internet exploded.

Although Wu Junchen still held the top spot in the overall popularity ranking, in tonight’s voting alone, his team had lost to Fang Xing’s team.

And by more than ten million votes.

The live comment feed was instantly transformed into a festival of gleeful ridicule from keyboard warriors:

[So each person got one vote and it still came to forty million? Who are you trying to fool? Who’s giving you one vote each?]

[You were saying the professional judges were unfair and trying to impeach them everywhere. Now that it’s only popularity, did you win?]

[You couldn’t beat them professionally, and you still can’t beat them in popularity.]

[The crowdfunding campaign for the rankings is almost at a hundred million, isn’t it? And this is all you got?]

Even though Wu Junchen’s team lost the vote for tonight’s performance stage, Wu Junchen still remained first in the overall popularity ranking.

So there were still many fans insisting on their version of the truth.

[Look carefully, Chenchen is still number one on the popularity chart, firmly debuting as center, and by a huge margin.]

[Exactly. No idea what these idiots are so happy about. There’s still the second stage.]

[With our support, Junchen’s second stage will definitely overtake Fang Xing and take tonight’s best.]

[Junchen, fly bravely; your family will always be with you!]

Amid the clamor of the comment feed, He Hao announced the start of the second stage.

“Next up will be an even more exciting second round. Three teams will compete for the final glory. Who will be tonight’s king?

“Before the second stage begins, there is still one power card to be issued.

“According to tonight’s rules, Penguin Video will grant the trainee ranked first on the popularity chart one chance to draw a power card.

“As of now, the trainee in first place on Penguin Video’s Tomorrow’s Star section popularity chart is... Wu Junchen.

“Please welcome Junchen to the stage, and also welcome Mr. Zhou Taiyue, Marketing Director of Penguin Video, to draw the power card for the contestant.”

Wu Junchen and Zhou Taiyue of Penguin Video went up on stage together.

A ceremonial assistant pushed out a trolley with a transparent glass urn on it, filled with many envelopes.

Every envelope was printed with the Tomorrow’s Star logo.

“Now please, Junchen, draw one power card,” He Hao guided the procedure.

Wu Junchen reached into the glass urn and took out a power card.

He Hao continued, “Please hand the power card to President Zhou, and then please have President Zhou open it and announce its contents.”

Zhou Taiyue opened the card, glanced at it, and said directly into the microphone, “This power card grants the holder the right to freely choose the performance order in the second round.”

He Hao followed up with, “Wow! What an incredibly powerful privilege. So now Junchen gets to decide: what number will your team perform as?

“There are three teams left, so you may choose to go first, go second, or take the final closing slot.”

Wu Junchen put on a thoughtful expression, then answered, “I choose to perform last.”

“Understood. The power card takes effect, and Wu Junchen’s team will serve as tonight’s closing performance, appearing last.”

After announcing Wu Junchen’s team’s order, He Hao turned to the other two teams in the waiting area and asked, “Next, there are two teams left: Fang Xing’s team and Wang Mengqi’s team.

“According to the rules, the team with the higher popularity vote from the first stage has priority in choosing the performance order.

“In other words, Fang Xing’s team has first choice.

“Of course, Wang Mengqi, you can also discuss it with Fang Xing and decide which of your two teams will perform first.

“Anyway, only your two teams are left. Maybe Fang Xing is willing to let you choose first.”

Wang Mengqi turned with a strange expression to look at Fang Xing on the other side, hesitating as if he had something to say.

Fang Xing sat calmly in his chair and glanced at him sideways.

Wang Mengqi asked first, “Captain Fang Xing, which number would you like to perform as?”

Fang Xing answered with complete indifference, “I don’t mind. You can choose first. But let me give you some advice: after my team finishes singing, whether the others sing or not won’t matter anymore.”

The moment he said that, the live comment feed detonated:

[That’s so you—still this arrogant.]

[Fine, your black card has been successfully renewed.]

[I just love how cocky you are.]

[I’m serious about hating you, with absolutely no psychological burden.]

[Wang Mengqi: How am I supposed to choose? If I go first, I get pummeled by the next two teams. If I go in the middle, I get sandwiched between two god-tier teams and pummeled all the same.]

[Wang Mengqi: This is too hard!]

[Sympathy for Wang Mengqi for one second! (laughing)]

[Sympathy for Wang Mengqi +1]

The program continued live, and Wang Mengqi’s expression was full of helplessness.

He understood his situation very well.

Of the remaining three teams, one was the direct lineage of Tidal Sound Entertainment, and the five core members of Tidal Sound were basically guaranteed to debut together.

Another was the dark horse of this season. Whoever went up against that dark horse would become cannon fodder.

Even Tidal Sound’s five core members had been brutally beaten down.

Wang Mengqi drew a deep breath and decided to take the advice in stride, saying, “Then I’ll choose to perform first.”

He thought it through clearly: go first, perform, and be done with it—leave the two bosses to fight it out afterward.

He Hao picked up the thread. “Wang Mengqi wants to perform first, but the right to choose lies with Fang Xing. So we need to ask Captain Fang Xing first: are you willing to let Wang Mengqi’s team perform ahead of you?”

Fang Xing nodded. “Sure.”

“Then all right, the stage is now handed over to Wang Mengqi’s team.”

After making the announcement, He Hao stepped off the stage.

Wang Mengqi led his team onstage and performed the second song, a historical-style number titled Beyond the Mortal World.

The result was solidly average—still above standard for a boy group survival show.

Even the lyrics, for a historical-style song, were fairly evocative, and the martial choreography was decent as well.

If no monsters had been in the competition, they might even have become Wu Junchen’s team’s rivals.

After Wang Mengqi’s team finished, it was Fang Xing’s team’s turn to appear.

He Hao began the pre-performance interaction. “Fang Xing, you’re going on second. Are you nervous? After all, there’s still a team ranked first in popularity waiting behind you.”

Fang Xing answered in a flat tone, “Not really.”

“So calm. It looks like Captain Fang Xing is as confident as ever. Then let’s ask Guo Keda—are you nervous?”

Guo Keda arched an eyebrow at the camera. “I was pretty nervous a few days ago. After hearing the captain’s demo, I wasn’t nervous anymore.”

He Hao raised an eyebrow as well. “So what you mean is, you’re very confident in the song you’re about to perform?”

Guo Keda laughed. “To use the captain’s words, after we’re done singing, whether the other teams sing or not won’t matter anymore.”

He Hao suppressed a smile and continued, “So confident, are you? Then all of you tell the audience here, and the viewers in front of their screens, what song you’re about to perform.”

Fang Xing’s entire team answered in unison: “The song is Fireworks Easily Cold.”