Chapter 98: Follow-Up Feedback, Rules Announcement, Number of Eliminations

In the show,

Luo Chan is still accusing Chu Yuanqing.

Influenced, guided, and exacerbated by the environment, the malice, fear, dissatisfaction, jealousy, and anxiety that finally erupted all at once under the mocking gaze of Dream Weaver Rabbit, presented a one-sided output mixed with moral coercion and weirdness.

When distilled down, the entire meaning of the whole passage is to shift the responsibility of not performing as well as the two side stages in rehearsal onto Chu Yuanqing, accusing her of not deserving to be the Carry Center.

Not to mention Chu Yuanqing’s fans, even regular viewers who have not skipped too much rehearsal training would be left confused and somewhat annoyed by this act.

You should know that the results of the performance are out now. Two thousand people saw it live, millions watched the live stream, and even a video was posted last night.

If Chu Yuanqing really messed up like she said, facing a big failure in the performance, falling from grace soon after making it to the top position, then the audience might be more forgiving and understanding towards Luo Chan because of the strict elimination system in “Dazzling Stage”.

After all, looking at the results, the contestant on the main stage did suffer negative consequences because of this.

Some people might even be influenced by the internet’s momentum, thinking that Luo Chan is making sense, not a big problem, at most a bit too extreme, and sarcastically commenting on how Chu Yuanqing is not good enough and doesn’t deserve the main role.

This is like the blind leading the blind.

The problem is, this wall hasn’t fallen. Not only that, the performance stage is still a visible success for the audience.

So to the audience now, these accusations seem like a circus with clowns coming out to dance, absurd and comical.

“I don’t understand, is she crazy?”

“This seems like a stunt for attention, knowing Chu Yuanqing is popular right now, deliberately going to make trouble and disgust others.”

“Why is Chu Yuanqing feeling ashamed? Her dancing skills may not be great, but her efforts during rehearsal are clear to see. She hardly made any mistakes, and she improved a lot every day. Why can’t she be the main dancer?”

“Who is this person? Stop trying to guilt trip others. There are a total of 56 people on the main stage, all of them highly rated performers. Isn’t it enough that the Carry Center is responsible for the backup dancers? What’s the point of having others there? Just let Chu Yuanqing dance alone then.”

“The consequences of getting eliminated from “Dazzling Stage” are indeed severe, but don’t all contestants face the same risks? Besides, there isn’t any shady business in this talent show. If Honey Qing can earn the Carry Center position, it’s because of her talent. Who are you to say whether she deserves it or not?”

Soon, someone moved the progress bar back to the front and noticed Luo Chan voting for Chu Yuanqing. Upon investigation, even fans of Great Devil and Little Sakura couldn’t resist joining the fray.

Certainly, Chu Yuanqing’s fans were the most furious.

Whether they are pure fans, toxic fans, or fans of certain pairings, almost everyone was outraged.

Are you kidding? The kids they support already have some insecurities!

In order to boost Chu Yuanqing’s confidence, during the Carry Center competition, her fans went all out to get likes from others, creating a legendary amount of likes. They just wanted to show that she is just as capable as anyone else and can bravely pursue her dreams.

Luo Chan’s words completely crushed Chu Yuanqing, like smashing a fragile vase that had just been glued together, shattering it into pieces.

Xu Ling was so angry that her eyes turned red. She counted her experiences of chasing stars, and heard about Little Sakura being forced to graduate by her teammates, facing obstacles repeatedly, dreams shattered, having to work hard to save money for a flight to Daxia to fight for her dreams. It made Xu Ling even angrier and sadder than she was before.

Xu Ling imagined how Chu Yuanqing felt when she heard these words back then, and she felt her heart ache.

Whether it’s achieving the main carry position or seeing countless supportive comments, for someone who truly feels inferior, it can only give her a little courage to begin to hope for a better future.

Chu Yuanqing did indeed do just that. She worked hard to perform her best in every rehearsal, maintaining high focus for a whole week. On the way back from the last rehearsal, she was so tired that she fell asleep in the car.

As long as she smoothly enters the official performance, through her performance on stage, she can truly confirm that she is qualified to chase her seemingly unattainable dream.

However, just as she was about to step into this opportunity, someone with a firm and self-assured tone denied all her efforts, bluntly telling her that she couldn’t do it because her skills were dragging down the main stage team, and she didn’t deserve to be at the Carry Center.

Imagine how she felt at that moment?

Xu Ling thought that if it were herself, she might not have time to get angry or think of a rebuttal, she would just feel like her world was falling apart, sinking into a deep pit of self-doubt that would be hard to climb out of.

The more she imagined, the more her heart ached.

The more sad you feel, the angrier you get.

In the show, Chu Yuanqing’s acquaintances around her also had similar reactions.

The green-eyed cat puffed up its fur, glared fiercely at Luo Chan, and slyly nudged her with its paw. Beside her, Little Moon was already filled with righteous anger, hesitating to send her into battle.

Xie Qingxuan reacted the fastest, grabbing Luo Chan’s arm. Her indifferent expression and the dark mist in her eyes intertwined into a terrifying oppression, shocking even the audience in front of the camera. They could only feel that the Great Devil truly lived up to its name, exuding a powerful aura.

Luo Chan lost her shine and fell to the ground in confusion.

When the atmosphere in the carriage froze, Chu Yuanqing made a surprising move by hugging Luo Chan, who had spoken rudely to her. She showed a pure, motherly smile to everyone, purifying the atmosphere in the eyes of onlookers, almost akin to a saintly figure.

The atmosphere in the carriage was cleansed.

The atmosphere of the show’s online comments was also cleansed.

When the video reached this point, almost all of the netizens who had been angry and using foul language seemed to hear divine hymns. For a moment, their innate goodness was awakened, and they no longer felt the urge to engage in online battles.

Chu Yuanqing looked very serious, she didn’t have innocence, but rather a pure wisdom and gentleness. Her eyes showed understanding and kindness.

This vast and nurturing motherly love can wash away the deepest malice in people’s hearts.

Even though Chu Yuanqing didn’t understand the current trend, the look in her eyes in the video made most of those who wanted to cyberbully Luo Chan feel ashamed and delete their hurtful comments.

Even the fans who are not very polite online, like to joke around, and play pranks, when they imagine how Honey Qing might feel seeing her own fans cyberbullying Luo Chan, they control themselves and stop silently.

The child Chu Yuanqing promotes is an idol who is very kind and gentle, maybe a bit too kind.

If hurting Luo Chan doesn’t make Chu Yuanqing feel better or even makes her sad, then it’s just not worth it.

This is the most loyal fan behavior towards their idol.

Most of the brainless fans in the entertainment industry are created by the celebrities themselves, aiming to deceive fans for money. Only brainless fans can be squeezed for money and are willing to fight for their idol.

Most celebrities are a product of the entertainment industry, and there is some connection with the chaos in the industry. But Chu Yuanqing, who stands independently without a company or interference, is like a breath of fresh air.

Xu Ling looked at the video still playing on the computer. Inside the carriage, the contestants started apologizing to Chu Yuanqing on their own, changing the gloomy atmosphere to a cheerful one, with everyone feeling different.

The young girl felt deeply moved and couldn’t help but sigh.

“Honey Qing is even more mature than I imagined, and she seems more like an adult than I do.”

“No one else could have done better in her position. Only someone with her personal charm could instantly unite everyone’s hearts, right?”

“I suddenly feel that Honey Qing unexpectedly suits being the leader of a girl group?”

The second episode of the show is nearing its end.

On the night of this event, some contestants were interviewed about their opinions on the matter.

Luo Chan privately apologized to Chu Yuanqing and was not surprisingly forgiven. The condition was for her to perform on stage happily.

Chu Yuanqing’s exact words were:

“Even if dreams may shatter, standing on stage with your favorite idol in every moment is truly precious, so… don’t let negative emotions consume you, and never make your future self regret, this is the lesson Miyuki taught me.”

This sentence immediately won the favor of Sakura fans, and even CP fans:

“I feel Chu Yuanqing is really strong, I thought she would feel upset by the comments, but her first reaction was always – I haven’t done well enough yet, but I will try harder – that kind of serious attitude without any negative emotions ❤️❤️❤️.”

After that, the show continued, skipping some daily routines and pre-competition makeup, 168 contestants officially took the stage, under the gaze of two thousand live audience, and started their performances.

The girls danced with youthful vigor, sweat their dreams, relaxed and joyful expressions, and as shown on screen, almost every one of them had a determined look in their eyes, presenting a perfect atmosphere, full of spirit and energy for the audience, in the theme song performance.

The second episode of the show, came to an end.

Xu Ling breathed a sigh of relief, she had to admit, without Luo Chan’s emotional outburst, the ups and downs and excitement of this episode would have been greatly reduced.

Actually, from the rehearsal stage, some of the main stage girls’ atmosphere and reactions showed that everyone more or less had some dissatisfaction with Honey Qing, it’s just that they refrained from expressing those emotions sensibly.

Essentially, it’s because of the various competition rules of “Dazzling Stage”, and the oppressive atmosphere of the underground base, which created a more easily anxious and irritable environment, coupled with the discrepancy between the main stage and the sub-stage, gradually accumulating negative consequences.

If Luo Chan didn’t burst out, Chu Yuanqing wouldn’t have realized the issue, and the main stage performers would have likely performed with dull energy, resulting in a stage show far less impressive than it is now.

Her outburst can be said to have sparked everything, giving the second episode a taste of a pure idol show, with standard emotional conflicts as the suppressed points, then lifted up by a burst on stage, celebrating key words like reality, youth, dreams, and original intentions.

If placed in another talent show, Chu Yuanqing would probably be suspected of holding a script for a leading lady, but in the always unique and passionate “Dazzling Stage,” the show’s highlights only need to select materials for trainee interactions, without unnecessary embellishments.

Xu Ling looked at the “Dazzling Stage” official website, which still hadn’t announced the live broadcast schedule, took out a warm little dinosaur pillow from the dryer, and tiredly flopped onto the bed to take a nap, deciding to wake up and continue editing later.

Elsewhere, public opinion regarding the second episode was starting to stir.

Time passed, and it was exactly noon.

In an area in the underground base resembling a room block, 168 trainees dressed in uniforms were gathered, discussing eagerly in this spacious and pure white space:

“Are they finally going to announce the competition format?”

“They’re being so secretive, could it be that they won’t have group battles?”

“This place feels strange, not like a competition, but more like a extreme challenge or escape room.”

Chu Yuanqing’s cute little face looked serious, appearing a bit nervous.

After being repeatedly attacked in the main carry position and performances, she had to admit that her popularity was not bad. If she continued to stay based on the voting results, she would most likely make it to the finals, with no chance of being eliminated in the first round.

In other words, her fate will be decided by the format of the competition from now on!

Dream Weaver Rabbit didn’t keep everyone waiting for too long. It materialized out of thin air in midair, looking down at the 168 contestants, showing a gentle smile and softly saying:

“Ladies and gentlemen, how was your rest during yesterday’s free time?”

“Of course, no matter how your rest was, I believe you have all been looking forward to this moment for a long time.”

“I will candidly announce that ‘Dazzling Stage’, as a talent show, has not made many innovations in its format, still following the format of group confrontations for eliminations.”

“However, the difference lies in the fact that we believe the strong should have the privilege to choose their own team. Therefore, the method of forming groups is different from regular talent shows, adopting a different format for competition.”

“Before I announce the specific rules of the competition, I want to let you know in advance the number of people to be eliminated in this round.”

The smile on Dream Weaver Rabbit’s face turned sinister as it casually sliced through the virtual cake in front of it, declaring:

“There are a total of 168 contestants in the base now, isn’t that a lot of people?”

“So, after studying by the program group, it has been decided that half of you will be eliminated in this round, which means – 84 contestants.”