Chapter Eighty-Seven: The Performance

After the brutal elimination rounds, only six groups of girls remained in “Produce 101,” each with overwhelming popularity. Among them, the group “Jade Tree and Blossoming Flowers” led by Xie Yuxin, and the “Miracle Girls” led by Liao Meiqi, stood out as the highlights of this performance. The central members from both groups occupied the top two spots on the popularity leaderboard.

This time, the two most popular girls were leading their respective teams in a head-to-head showdown, igniting the passion of every fanboy in the audience. Especially after Han Yu publicly accused the “Produce 101” production team of hidden manipulation, the final battle for the center position between Liao Meiqi and Xie Yuxin drew intense media and public attention.

Thus, apart from the twelve thousand spectators present, over two hundred domestic and international media outlets gathered at the stage, focusing the world’s eyes on this moment.

“Hello, viewers, this is RB Fuji Television…”
“This is Korea’s TBS…”
“This is Thailand Channel 3…”
“This is CCTV Variety Channel…”
“This is Donghai Entertainment News Live…”
“This is the Philippines…”
“This is Malaysia…”

Over a hundred reporters in the venue introduced the scene loudly to their cameras.

Brilliant fireworks blossomed above the stage, capturing everyone’s attention.

The first group to perform delivered the girl group hit “Scream,” one of the viral songs from recent years. Nine girls, all dressed as maids in cat-like poses, constantly played cute, driving the fanboys in the audience into a frenzy of screams.

Those who made it to the performance stage all possessed the skills to become girl group idols; they were among the elite trainees cultivated by major agencies. They had talent and beauty in equal measure, and behind each contestant was a legion of tens of thousands of fans supporting them.

Every fan hoped their favorite would debut successfully.

But the world was harsh: out of nearly twenty thousand contestants, only 101 could make it onto camera, and among those, only 11 girls would successfully debut.

The path was narrow, and every contestant weighed their choices carefully.

After “Scream,” the second group took the stage. Their performance was “Pick-me,” the show’s theme song, but thoroughly reworked by Zheng Yongxu and Yu Lianzhou. The effect on stage was even more explosive than the original, earning enthusiastic cheers from the audience.

“Once again, the rules for liking are repeated: within one minute, all spectators may choose one contestant to support. The team with the highest approval rate advances with all members!”

After both groups performed, Chen Xiuyuan, holding the microphone, announced loudly, “Now, I will count down: three, two, one—voting channels open! Three, two, one, timer begins!”

Immediately, twelve thousand spectators picked up the voting devices distributed by the organizers and cast their votes.

Soon, a minute passed, and the results were displayed on the big screen.

In the first round, the first group was victorious!

The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.

“Congratulations to Zhang Yiran’s team for winning!”
Chen Xiuyuan smiled and said, “What a stunning start! Congratulations!”

The losing team, except for the central member, was visibly dispirited. Sweat drenched their cheeks, and as the final results appeared, they could only accept their fate and wait in the holding area.

After three rounds of competition, in a standard performance, the nineteen contestants with the lowest number of likes would be eliminated.

In other words, only five members could remain in the losing teams.

The fifty-five would be cut down to thirty-six.

Cruel and realistic.

Many fans of the defeated contestants couldn’t help but shed tears.

Soon, after encouraging the losing teams, Chen Xiuyuan initiated the second round.

One group performed a Chinese-style rap, while the other presented an electronic dance track in Western style. After the intense battle, the team with the Chinese-style song emerged victorious.

Now, the third round arrived.

“Don’t be nervous,”
Zhu Xiyu put an arm around Liao Meiqi’s shoulders, comforting her, “We’ll win.”

“Yes, we will!”
Ju Nianzhi lifted her head confidently, “Meiqi, ‘Nobody’ will be our witness to soaring success!”

The other contestants’ faces shone with excitement.

All week, they’d practiced “Nobody” relentlessly, memorizing every move so thoroughly they could dance it in their sleep. In just seven days, their nine-member team forged a powerful self-confidence through this song.

This confidence radiated from their faces, empowering the whole group.

Even Ju Nianzhi, who had been utterly despondent when chosen by Liao Meiqi, now felt a fierce fire burning inside. She may not have eaten pork, but she’d seen pigs run—“Nobody” was absolutely the type of song girl group contestants loved best.

Liao Meiqi glanced at the neighboring group, “Jade Tree and Blossoming Flowers.” Led by Xie Yuxin, they were equally confident.

This was the team with the most A-class contestants. In terms of fundamentals, vocal ability, and dance skills, they outmatched the “Miracle Girls.” Plus, with Xie Yuxin’s explosive popularity, the group’s strength was undeniable.

“If we could get this song, other teams could as well.”
Liao Meiqi cautioned, “Don’t get overconfident.”

“You’re right, I thought the same at first,”
Ju Nianzhi declared, “But after watching these recent performances, I keep thinking—what are these… cough, anyway, the more I watched, the more confident I became. At least in terms of our work, ours is definitely the top in this show!”

The other girls nodded in vigorous agreement.

Just then, the stage management team knocked and entered. The last two groups waiting backstage stood up, ready.

“The first group on stage is ‘Jade Tree and Blossoming Flowers.’”
The manager checked his tablet and said to Xie Yuxin and her teammates, “Follow me!”

All members of “Jade Tree and Blossoming Flowers” instinctively took deep breaths. Several girls affected a dramatic pose and exchanged pre-match hugs with the “Miracle Girls,” a gesture captured by the cameras and broadcast to the big screen, eliciting another round of excited screams from the fans.

Under the camera’s gaze, Xie Yuxin hugged several teammates, then walked leisurely over to Liao Meiqi, took her hand, and smiled, “Meiqi, good luck!”

Liao Meiqi, a little surprised, nodded, “Good luck to you too.”

With her back to the camera, Xie Yuxin looked at Liao Meiqi, her lips curling into a cold smile, mouthing silently, “But you will surely lose!”

Liao Meiqi paused, mouthing back, “Childish!”

Xie Yuxin’s eyebrows arched sharply.

“Hurry up, the audience is getting impatient!” the manager called out loudly.