Chapter Forty-Six: The Center of Diligence

East Sea Film Studio, at the filming site of "Produce 101."

After nearly a month of intensive training, a new round of competition was about to begin.

But before the competition, the mentor group would re-evaluate the contestants in the five classes based on their performance of the theme song during this period.

The entire process was akin to a preliminary exam.

During this stage, some rose from Class F to Class B.

Others, however, fell from Class B down to Class F.

Soon, the five mentors led all the contestants to their final destination—the Class A practice room—and announced the results of the ratings for the eleven Class A contestants present.

To enter Class A was to stand out from the initial twenty thousand in the open auditions, to survive the first round among the final 101, and to achieve the remarkable results they now possessed—a gathering of prodigies.

Yet, nearly a month of training had quickly stripped some of them back to their original selves.

In the end, only five contestants remained in Class A.

Each possessed exceptional qualities: some were protégées of the Empire's Seven Sons, others had debuted abroad as seeded competitors. Their strength was indisputable.

Aside from these five who successfully retained their status, the other six fell to Classes B, C, or even F.

Among them was Liao Meiqi.

Despite spending every waking hour in the practice room dancing for the past month, during the final rating performance, her movements were still constrained due to a foot injury, casting a shadow over her entire performance.

Today, the results were announced.

Liao Meiqi’s fears became reality.

But unlike others who dropped to Class C or F, Liao Meiqi remained in Class B.

It was well known that contestants in Class B were still strong contenders for the throne.

So, although Liao Meiqi had been downgraded to Class B, she remained one of the focal points of attention.

"From this moment, you will officially enter the second stage of 'Produce 101'—the public performance phase!"

"One hundred and one contestants will be divided into sixteen groups, facing off in pairs. The winners will earn special privileges relating to their fate."

After explaining the competition rules, Mentor Chen Xiuyuan continued, "Each of the sixteen performance teams will be led by a female contestant in the center position, guiding their team to victory. Now, I will announce the names of the center contestants for these sixteen teams. Bear in mind, it is not always the most talented who become center. Talent is important, but diligence cannot be overlooked. Only those who possess both can truly become strong. Therefore, aside from eight ability centers, we have also selected eight diligence centers!"

"From your first day in the 'Produce 101' training camp, many trainees have been practicing extra hours after class. We reviewed surveillance footage from each classroom, strictly counting and verifying every trainee’s training over the past month..."

All the girls held their breath, many pounding their chests in regret as they heard the new rules for the center position.

What did it mean to be center? It meant screen time, it meant being the focus of the entire stage!

Had they known this, they would have spent more time in the practice room.

Soon, seven diligence centers were announced one by one.

"Now, I will announce the final one," Chen Xiuyuan said, glancing at the restless crowd. "First place in diligence center—Liao Meiqi!"

All the girls turned in unison to look at the girl in the corner, her face stunned.

Liao Meiqi could hardly believe it.

She never thought herself particularly diligent—only that she did what she ought to do.

"Shan's total practice time exceeded the last place by a full twenty-seven hours. Twenty-seven hours! Do you know what that means?"

"It means almost no sleep, no rest, practicing nonstop!"

"In the director team's footage, she never stopped to rest. While others ate or slept, she practiced. While others slacked off or wandered, she practiced. It was precisely because of this intensity that she suffered muscle cramps and an unexpected ankle injury."

Chen Xiuyuan looked at Liao Meiqi with admiration.

"I saw in her the shadow of myself when I debuted. Tell me, if someone like her doesn't succeed, who will?"

"Does she really lack the strength for Class A?"

"No, not only does she possess Class A abilities, she is a strong contender for the final center of the 101!"

"Everyone, trust me. When I saw her practice record, I felt the same confidence in her future as Mentor Zheng Yongxu once did. A contestant with both talent and determination—God himself will smile upon her!"

"The reason we downgraded her to Class B is not because she isn't at Class A level, but because we expect even more from her! Believe me, after this public performance, she will be the brightest star among you!"

The room was silent.

Chen Xiuyuan’s excitement was clear; his emotional outburst was nearly identical to Mentor Zheng Yongxu’s reaction upon hearing "For the Rest of My Life."

Clearly, another mentor had been won over by Liao Meiqi.

Other mentors also praised her in succession.

For a moment, all the girls looked at Liao Meiqi with envy.

In the following sixteen performance groups, aside from the five dazzling Class A contestants, nearly every girl rushed to join Liao Meiqi’s group.

No one wanted to lose, and joining Liao Meiqi’s team clearly increased their chances of victory.

After each group was assigned their performance songs, the trainees plunged once more into intense training.

Just then, Director Fu Yuntao called out to Liao Meiqi, "Shan, stay for a moment!"

The mentors were surprised by this, but did not inquire further and left the practice room with the contestants.

Soon, only Liao Meiqi and the director’s team remained.

Fu Yuntao stepped forward and handed her a bottle of water, speaking gently, "I often see you secretly crying in the corner in the surveillance videos. What's wrong? Do you miss home? Or are you facing difficulties? If you need anything, you can tell me. As long as it's not an unreasonable request, I can agree. Don’t look at me like that. Though I'm the director, I'm also a fan of your brother's books. I think helping an idol’s sister with a little favor is no problem."

Liao Meiqi hesitated.

But in the end, she couldn’t resist the temptation and whispered, "I... I just want to call my brother."

"OK!"

Fu Yuntao waved his hand, and the assistant Liu Hai quickly ran over with a phone.

Liao Meiqi could hardly believe it, but had to accept it—the normally strict and rule-abiding director was actually allowing her to make a call to the outside world!

"Tonight, 'Produce 101' will be broadcast." Fu Yuntao smiled kindly. "The production team isn’t from the Bureau of Confidential Affairs. As the show gains popularity, leaks are inevitable. I know you signed a confidentiality agreement, but I drafted it myself. As the author, what I say goes. So feel free to call your brother. With me here, no one will say anything."

Liao Meiqi felt the director might have ulterior motives, but she was exhausted. After being downgraded from Class A, she’d begun to consider giving up.

In that moment, what she wanted most was to hear her brother’s voice.

Encouraged by Fu Yuntao, Liao Meiqi dialed the number.

"Hello, who is this?"

A familiar voice sounded through the phone.

Something tender in her heart was stirred.

Liao Meiqi’s eyes reddened instantly. She turned away, all her strength crumbling in that moment, her voice breaking with tears: "Brother... I’m so tired..."