Wearing in-ear monitors was like sinking to the bottom of the sea, muffling all outside sounds and leaving only oneself. The stage performance had ended, and Sang Mo should have emerged from the depths, but he remained sunken, unable to hear the calls from the outside world no matter how hard he tried to focus.
Chen Wu waved for the team members to gather around. His lips were moving, but Sang Mo couldn't make out a single word.
Outside, the VCR was about to end. Group C members were being ushered onto the rising platform by staff. On stage, a short film introducing the stage concept began playing, accompanied by cheers from the fans in the audience.
The moment the short film ended, the prelude melody began—
Like the entrance of a protagonist, the majestic orchestral music immediately captured the audience's attention.
Seven members ascended on the rising platform as posters of each of them appeared one by one on the screen behind them. The screams from the crowd threatened to bring down the entire venue.
The platform continued to rise.
Gao Xiayu, in the center position, stood with his hands in his pockets. As the spotlight fell on him, he opened his mouth and said, "Go ahead, show them—"
This was Group C's slogan, with each line beginning this way.
As soon as Gao Xiayu called out, the fans in the audience shouted Group C's team name in unison—
"Circle Center!"
Usually, Yao Shuo would sing the opening, but this time it was given to Gao Xiayu. Standing in the center position, he exuded the aura of a team leader, successfully commanding the atmosphere of the venue.
All three groups had attempted such grand and imposing stages before. During the first public performance, Group B had tried a hundred-person dance ensemble, but due to the small venue and stage, the visual effect wasn't impressive. In the second public performance, Group A had also attempted a song that could stir up the audience, and compared to Group B, Group A had come out on top.
But as soon as Group C appeared, even before they opened their mouths, the fans in the audience felt that Group C had already won.
That kingly aura could only be sustained by a group like C, composed entirely of popular members. With Gao Xiayu at the center, the sense of dominance was even stronger.
The solo fans who had just been busy arguing now couldn't help but admire how well-planned this stage was.
After Gao Xiayu called out the slogan, they transformed into group fans for three seconds, joining in to shout the team name.
"The winter is coming, darkness cannot hide my ambition, bow drawn and blade sharpened, step by step, I will become the world's Hero."
The lyrics, full of declarations of war, excited the audience. Blood boiled in their bodies, adrenaline surged, and Gao Xiayu's fans were nearly fainting from their screams.
The black and red stage design perfectly embodied the concept of "ambition."
As the rising platform descended, the seven members strode forward, led by the backup dancers. Even their all-black outfits couldn't dim their radiance.
Yao Shuo, holding his headset, effortlessly brought the song to its climax. Pei Luming, shedding his childish demeanor from offstage, switched positions with Yao Shuo, taking the center to lead the chorus.
The intense dance moves didn't affect his voice at all. The movements of all seven members seemed as if they were cut from the same mold.
Members of the other two groups watched the screen backstage, their expressions no longer relaxed but completely serious.
The online comments were also stunned by the power of this opening. Even those who had stumbled upon the livestream because of the pop-up store clips were pleasantly surprised, never imagining that Random Entertainment's trainees would be of this caliber.
"Have you fans been secretly enjoying something good?"
"No, why didn't you promote this? Why am I only seeing this now?"
"This opening is pretty impressive, completely different from my impression of the Chinese entertainment industry."
"Can someone tell me who that guy in the middle at the beginning is? It's important to me."
This was the first time Chen Wu was responsible for an entire part of a song. The bridge section was his solo production. He had channeled all the pressure into motivation to learn, working on his computer writing music whenever he couldn't sleep.
He had spent countless days and nights like this, brainwashing himself to forget about things that would cause him internal conflict.
After practicing over and over in the practice room, performing this song on the actual stage felt different.
The glow sticks waving below illuminated his world. Chen Wu was like a flame struggling to burn, desperately consuming hardships, swallowing both smoke and tears.
The intense dance and demanding chorus part exhausted everyone. Chen Wu suppressed the surging emotions, staring fiercely at the camera, his reddened eyes blending with the concept.
Everyone was swept up in the excitement of the high-pitched melody. The fans in the audience were nearly jumping out of their seats in a frenzy.
When they reached the bridge, the mood of the melody also settled. Chen Wu stood in the center position, closing his eyes to sing this melody he had rehearsed countless times in his mind.
"The eternal night approaches, torches are lit, we are about to rush towards dawn, becoming the world's Hero."
"Hold on a little longer, don't give up, even if limping, we must break through to dawn—"
The melody gradually climbed higher, igniting the atmosphere once again. The passionate chorus became the fuel for the raging fire, high temperatures sweeping through the entire venue, with screams threatening to break through the dome.
Surging adrenaline raced through their bodies, straight to their brains, telling them that love had been locked in tonight.
As the final melody ended, the seven of them stood on stage, their eyes unable to hide their ambition.
"Ahhhhhhhhh—"
Fans watching the livestream had already fallen head over heels, their desire to express themselves about to overflow. One by one, they grabbed their phones to quickly find fellow fans on Weibo and other platforms to vent their excitement.
"Everyone stand up—"
"Move over national anthem, from now on 'Protagonist' is our new national anthem!"
"Every second was so cool it made my face contort, and that opening slogan was so passionate!"
"I can't take it, just thinking about how this perfect group will lose two members makes me want to die!"
Even before the third public performance's livestream had ended, this stage performance had already taken over the internet. The heat and public attention were at unprecedented levels. On Douyin, the younger generation seemed to have all been included in the big data algorithm, with everyone coming across this stage performance and watching it several times in a row.
As soon as Chen Wu got off stage after finishing the performance, he collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down uncontrollably, his sobs coming in waves, heart-wrenching to hear.
The others came forward to embrace him, all crying together.
The pressure these seven had endured over the past two months was unprecedented. They had to overcome several more peaks than the others, thinking they might not make it. But the result today was there for all to see – not only had they made it, but they had done so beautifully.
With the heavy burden lifted, Chen Wu cried with relief. He hugged Gao Xiayu, wailing something incomprehensible, but Gao Xiayu understood, patting his back with reddened eyes.
Pei Luming also began to sob, while the others quietly wiped away their tears.
Without needing to say anything, everyone understood how immense the pressure had been during this time.
After the third public performance ended and the audience dispersed, the trainees were called back to the stage once the venue was empty. Producer Jiang had changed back into his usual attire, resuming his usual image.
When Sang Mo and the others went on stage, they saw Jiang Juyou sitting in the front row center. She was wearing glasses and holding an iPad. Even before she looked up to say anything, they felt tense.
Especially Sang Mo, who felt certain he was going to be scolded.
Jiang Juyou was reviewing the performances from earlier, quickly recalling the parts of the stage she wasn't quite satisfied with.
"Let's do a quick review and then we can all go home, okay?" She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and looked up, her first words being, "Today, there was one stage performance... that was the most satisfying I've seen from you all in over a year."
As soon as she said this, some couldn't help but look towards Group C.
Under this expectation, Jiang Juyou continued, "Group C's 'Protagonist' performed beyond my expectations."
"The song choice, lyrics, concept, choreography, as well as how well the seven members fit with this song were all just right. I even had a moment where I thought it wouldn't be bad if you debuted just like this."
As soon as she said this, all the trainees and staff in the venue turned their gaze towards her.
"But rules are rules, and I won't change them," she said, immediately dispelling any such notions.
Jiang Juyou pushed up her glasses and looked at the members of Group C. "I still want to tell you that today's stage performance was really good. I believe the audience could feel the emotions you conveyed."
"Remember this feeling," she said with a smile.
She knew how much pressure the trainees had been under lately, but this wasn't something she could solve by simply hiring a psychologist. When you fall into a vicious cycle of negative thoughts, you have to find your own way out. A psychologist can only serve as a listening ear.
She tapped her iPad with her pen and scanned Groups A and B without saying a word. Jiang Juyou glanced at her notes, where Sang Mo's name was written. After a moment's thought, she looked up at him and called out, "Sang Mo."
Sang Mo, whose name had been called, raised his hand and stepped to the front row. His tightly clenched fists revealed how nervous and anxious he was at that moment, like a small dog cowering in anticipation of its owner's raised hand.
"You did well today," she said, praising him instead of lecturing or criticizing.
Jiang Juyou looked down at her iPad and continued, "Apart from the part where your voice cracked, the rest of your singing was perfect. And your handling of the situation after the voice crack was very mature; it was hardly noticeable."
She looked directly into Sang Mo's eyes and saw him blink several times, trying to avert his gaze. So she spoke up, "Sang Mo, it was just one mistake. Be more confident."
He was like a cautious puppy, unsure of how to react, his tail hesitating between wagging and not wagging.
Jiang Juyou emphasized again, "Be more confident. You did very well."
Only then did Sang Mo dare to relax his tense posture. He bowed to Jiang Juyou and said, "Thank you."
She then shifted her gaze, preparing to evaluate the performances of the other two groups.
Sang Mo: How do you cure the fear-of-teacher syndrome?
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A long-awaited three thousand words, I'm happy~
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