CHAPTER 154: CHAPTER 151: POPULARITY GAP

Wow!

Thunderous cheers filled the venue, and the audience still hadn’t recovered from the performance of this group.

Sitting in the waiting room, Lu Bingbing let out a small, relieved smile.

Although Yuwei had impressive individual abilities and brought out the full potential of her team, Ju Lin’s group had outdone themselves.

The entire dance was executed with remarkable precision, and the complexity of the formation changes was rare even on idol stages.

Coupled with Ju Lin’s dazzling beauty and wild charisma, if she were an audience member, she would definitely vote for this group.

Meanwhile, on stage, Ju Lin felt like she was still dreaming as the cameraman finished filming the last close-up of her teammate.

Had the performance already ended? It felt like it had just started—such frenzy and shouts contained a kind of intoxicating power. This was the real stage; this was what she truly yearned for.

The others felt the same. The passion from moments ago still lingered, but it was all over now, leaving a certain indescribable emptiness in their hearts.

They wished the music would play again, allowing their voices to conquer the stage once more.

Dressed in peach-colored athletic wear, Long Zitao walked up. The singing and dancing had clearly left him exhilarated, his face still carrying traces of joy.

"Both teams have finished their performances. Now, please introduce yourselves again to the founders," Zitao said with a smile, looking warmly at the trainees on each side.

This part of the process made the trainees especially grateful to the program team, especially the girls who hadn’t received much camera time before.

Introducing themselves before performing might leave little impression on the audience. Doing so afterward, however, had a distinctly different effect—especially for those who performed well.

Everyone presented their best selves, and Yuwei received the most overwhelming cheers.

But Ju Lin’s group was not intimidated, as they felt their performance on stage, whether in completion or audience reception, had surpassed the other team.

Next, the mentors for both teams began advocating for votes. At this moment, Li Ke finally understood the remarks the chubby man had said to him earlier.

"Founders, you’ve seen the performances just now. Vote for the team of the girl whose performance you loved the most," Zitao exclaimed loudly.

Li Ke’s heart stirred. On the surface, the words seemed fair enough, but beneath them lay strong implications.

In his hand was a remote control for voting, with only two options: A and B, representing each team.

If his favorite girl were in a team with a poorer overall performance, should he still vote for that team?

Li Ke found this unfair because group performances should be judged on overall quality, though he felt strongly for both Ju Lin and Yuwei.

Ju Lin’s towering, voluptuous figure had his blood still boiling.

But Yuwei was no slouch—her figure was top-notch, and her stunning looks had completely captivated him.

Had he not initially taken a liking to "the village beauty," he would certainly want to challenge this alluring girl.

After much deliberation, he finally pressed the button on the remote.

The trainees anxiously waiting backstage were tense as well. Some worried for their friends, others fretted over the upcoming results.

"Alright, we’ve tallied the votes. The winning team is..."

As Zitao’s voice rang out, a streak of fire-like light erupted between the two stages, and all twelve trainees were unbearably nervous.

Bang!

Simulated fireworks exploded as vibrant colors flashed across the screen behind Yuwei, accompanied by the theme song.

Yuwei’s group jumped up almost simultaneously, their excitement evident in every movement.

Ju Lin’s group was deeply saddened. Some bowed their heads, others covered their faces, and some burst into tears directly.

Captain Ju Lin suppressed her grief, gently patting her teammates before congratulating Yuwei’s team and bowing deeply to the audience.

Yuwei, too, led her teammates in reciprocating the gesture. She had anticipated this outcome all along; sometimes, the gap in popularity couldn’t be bridged by a phenomenal performance alone.

Zitao was also feeling a mix of emotions, torn between his hopes for Yuwei’s victory and his wish for Ju Lin’s team to succeed.

He could clearly see the disparity between the two stages. For performers like them, true respect belonged to the strongest on stage.

Lu Bingbing, however, looked pale. She hadn’t expected Yuwei to have such high popularity and was also angered by Zitao’s suggestive words.

If this was a competition between teams, it should be about who performed better—otherwise, why not just settle it with individual battles? What was the point of all this?

The other trainees shared similar mixed feelings. Today, they truly experienced why "beauty lies in the eye of the beholder." Ju Lin’s group had lost.

If professional judges were making the call, perhaps the results would have been reversed!

Lv Fangxin, however, was cheering enthusiastically for Yuwei, not bothered by the outcome. Although she felt Ju Lin’s group had delivered an electrifying performance, she couldn’t really discern the finer differences between the two.

Most of the audience felt the same way—they lacked expertise in dance and music, unable to notice subtle distinctions. They simply sensed that Ju Lin’s group was slightly better.

Coming off the stage, Ju Lin could no longer hold back, letting pained tears stream from her eyes.

"I’m sorry, we..."

"Captain, you did your best. We gave it our all."

"Captain, don’t cry. We haven’t lost; we’ve surpassed ourselves."

"Yeah, Captain. We shouldn’t cry. We’ll try again next time."

Half a month of bonding, sharing joys and hardships had unknowingly forged a force that even they hadn’t realized—a team spirit, a collective soul. Though they were unwilling to accept defeat, they couldn’t voice their discontent.

Not far away, Wang Na overheard their words and secretly rolled her eyes.

She then looked toward Yuwei, only to find that Yuwei’s gaze was calm, as if everything that had just happened was nothing out of the ordinary.

Others also turned their attention to Yuwei. They had expected her to say something to Ju Lin’s group, but instead saw the same indifferent look in her eyes.

For some reason, a chill crept into the depths of their hearts.

When they reached a spot outside the waiting room where there were no cameras, Yuwei stopped abruptly. "We don’t need to sympathize with anyone, because next time, you might be the one crying," she said.

Yuwei’s words left everyone silent. Their time together over the past few days had made them forget what they were here to do.

In the end, only 11 slots in the debut group were available. That meant everyone around them was a competitor—to avoid being the one shedding tears, they had to defeat the others.

"Yuwei, you’re absolutely right. We can’t afford to be soft," Wang Na suddenly said, supporting Yuwei’s stance, catching many off guard.

Noticing the puzzled looks, Wang Na smiled and said, "Once you truly step into society, you’ll understand the harshness of competition. If you don’t fight, if you don’t seize opportunities, you’ll only end up crushed under someone else’s feet. Life isn’t a drama; true purity doesn’t survive."

Yuwei laughed, recognizing Wang Na’s shared perspective but also understanding that given the chance, this woman wouldn’t hesitate to step over her to climb higher.

Indeed, this was the complexity of human nature.

Yuwei patted Wang Na on the shoulder. "Let’s go! After all, we won. Don’t forget the reward—we might all make it to the end."

Once again, everyone’s spirits lifted. Sometimes, these girls could be wonderfully simple.