Chapter 150: The Night of Debut

The hype for the grand finale of Produce 101 had begun as early as two weeks prior.

The venue was set at the Donghai Stadium, which boasted a seating capacity of 56,000. Over ten days ago, the organizers had already started building momentum for the finale. Consequently, a week prior, when the online ticketing system was officially opened, fans from all over the world rushed in like a tidal wave, securing their tickets for the final night well in advance.

All fifty thousand-plus tickets sold out in less than two days.

While inflated scalper tickets subsequently appeared on the market, such instances were few and far between. After all, with tickets for over fifty thousand seats released simultaneously, the true fans who passionately loved and had the means to support the show in person had mostly managed to snap up their tickets during those initial two days.

Information gathered from various channels indicated that Produce 101, a girl group growth reality show, had achieved unexpected and massive popularity outside of China. It captured the hearts of numerous viewers abroad, prompting travel agencies to seize the opportunity and launch special Donghai City two-day tour packages that bundled dining, accommodation, and entertainment into a one-stop service, thereby opening a convenient gateway for many international tourists.

Although there were only a little over fifty thousand physical tickets available, the influx of foreign tourists who traveled to China specifically for Produce 101 was by no means small. This indirectly stimulated the economic development of the tourism industry, earning the show's production team official commendations from relevant government departments.

By the afternoon of the big day, crowds of spectators had already begun arriving successively at the Donghai Gymnasium to wait in advance.

The Donghai City police attached great importance to the debut night, mobilizing a large police force to maintain public order.

At five o'clock in the afternoon, armed with the unique QR codes obtained through their online ticket purchases, the audience members filed into the inner arena of the stadium one by one under the scanning of security personnel.

"Fifty-six thousand spectators! Oh, my god, I'm shaking all over from fear right now!"

Backstage, watching the concert broadcast on the television monitor, Zheng Min'er bounced around in excitement, her little face flushed red with surging emotion. "I heard from the floor managers that 101 has tons of giant television screens broadcasting it even in South Korea, and so many people are watching... I have to debut!"

Ju Nianzhi, Dou Jiajia, and the others were just as incoherently excited as Zheng Min'er.

Every single one of them wore an expression of intense agitation on their little faces.

Only Xie Yuxun's complexion remained gloomy. She cast sidelong glances at Liao Meiqi and the others from time to time, her gaze carrying an inscrutable meaning.

Ever since the third episode, Xie Yuxun had stubbornly lingered in second place.

For her, failing to secure the center position meant failing to secure the best resources.

She was unwilling to submit to anyone else, especially when that person was Liao Meiqi.

Consequently, over the past few days, she had desperately tried to contact her manager, Chu Xuanyi. Yet, due to the previous rigging scandal, the management team had been watching Xie Yuxun like a hawk, keeping even her manager—who previously enjoyed free access—strictly locked outside the doors.

This current reality filled Xie Yuxun not only with anger, but also with mounting anxiety.

Would the company truly throw its full weight behind her at the very last moment? Would they manipulate the final data?

Could she debut in the center position?

These questions drove Xie Yuxun to the brink of restlessness.

Aside from them, the previously eliminated 101 contestants also returned to the stage tonight.

Due to contractual restrictions, up until this very day, these eliminated contestants had remained completely isolated from the outside world.

During this period, they had mostly been accommodated in a collective villa area, where they continued to study and train.

Many of them had learned, to varying degrees, about the program's explosive popularity in the outside world through television and print media.

Therefore, upon returning to the stage, although their inner emotions were a tangled web, excitement was by far the dominant feeling.

Because after tonight, they would regain their freedom, return to their respective agencies, and usher in their own moments of brilliance after a long period of waiting—for countless fans were waiting for them out in the real world.

Leveraging the popularity and resources gained from Produce 101, they would walk down their respective paths to stardom.

Although they lacked the opportunity to debut as part of the group, these contestants knew that many other opportunities for fame awaited them out there.

Starting from the initial six-month screening process where they stood out from twenty thousand trainees, this short span of over three months had granted every single one of them varying degrees of personal growth and profound realizations about life.

And these realizations would determine just how far they could go in the future.

Soon, the clock struck six.

The three major video streaming platforms, Donghai Television, and even the broadcasting networks of sixteen Asian countries simultaneously switched to their live broadcast channels at this very moment.

Hundreds of millions of viewers gathered together in front of their screens.

Inside the Donghai Stadium, all 56,000 spectators held their breath, their eyes shining as they looked toward the three-dimensional lighted stage directly ahead.

Suspended in mid-air, holographic projections presented vivid imagery to everyone present.

Beginning with the announcement of the 22nd-ranked contestant's name and concluding with the reveal of Liao Meiqi in first place, the audience roared frantically, shouting their idols' names while waving the pink cheering lightsticks in their hands.

As each contestant's number and name were announced, their portraits materialized in mid-air.

The futuristic display of technology was pushed to its absolute limit!

Cries and cheers filled the entire venue!

Even though the contestants had yet to appear in the flesh, the holographic projections suspended in mid-air, offering visuals so close they felt within arm's reach, set the blood of everyone in attendance boiling!

In addition, the holographic projections displayed highlight reels capturing the most brilliant moments of numerous contestants over the past three months.

Those scenes, previously witnessed only through television screens, replayed one by one, bringing the live audience to collective tears.

Following the projection sequence, the stage lights abruptly flared to life.

Two hosts—a man and a woman dressed in formal attire—appeared before the audience.

"Hello everyone, I am your trainee, Huang Wensong!"

"I am your trainee, Chen Ke'er!"

"Welcome to the live broadcast of the Produce 101 Grand Finale Debut Night!"

"I am so moved to see so many familiar faces present with us tonight!"

"Along this journey, nearly twenty thousand contestants were filtered through the sieve of time, leaving 101 of the most outstanding girls to stand out from the crowd!"

"After enduring three months of elimination rounds, today, out of these final 22 girls, 11 will ultimately debut as a group!"

"Look behind us, everyone! Eleven seats are already glowing brilliantly! Today, we will have the privilege of witnessing the formation moment of these 11 girls!"

"虽然第一的位子只有一个，但我相信，第一个位子，是属于我们每一个人的！" (Literal translation integrated into literary flow: "Though there is only one first-place seat, I believe that the top spot belongs to every single one of us!")

"Accompanying everyone here at the venue today, besides our 56,000 founders, are 68 talent agencies from all over the world, 171 media colleagues from across the globe, and distinguished guests from the industry. Today, we will accompany the 101 girls together as they walk toward their ultimate debut moment!"

"That's right! And now, I announce that the Produce 101 Debut Night has officially begun!"

"Let us welcome our 101 girls!"

"Please welcome them!"

As Huang Wensong and Chen Ke'er finished their introductory banter, accompanied by wave after wave of piercing screams and cheers, the 101 contestants wearing uniform outfits appeared on stage. They took their respective positions in formation and prepared to perform their opening number.

Multiple overhead camera lenses flashed across the girls' faces.

The live performance band stood ready at attention.

In this instant, a myriad of emotions—perseverance, pride, relief, excitement, calmness, nostalgia, and glory—flickered across the girls' faces.

The next moment, they parted their lips, singing an ethereal harmony with firm and resonant voices:

"On this day, I began to look up at the starry sky and discovered—the stars are not far, dreams are not far, as long as you stand on your tiptoes—"