If I Can’t Be a Fanboy, I Can Only Debut

"It's trending again, and it's on the hot search list!"

As soon as the staff of the program team woke up, they saw this good news and immediately notified the director. Zhuang Jian naturally couldn't stop smiling.

That's how it is with programs. Once they start trending and more people watch, the degree of discussion in the later stages naturally goes up. Then any little thing can cause widespread discussion, and it continues this virtuous cycle.

As long as they don't suddenly lose their minds and change the program, they will definitely have a hit program in the near future.

Just thinking about it, Zhuang Jian feels warm in his heart. His efforts have finally paid off.

But too much of a good thing is not always good, so he quickly paused the original marketing strategy, to avoid too much issues on the hot search. This way is already pretty good.

Without worrying about external marketing, the program team naturally focuses on the recording of the contestants and the program.

Although only the first two preliminary evaluation episodes have been aired, the popularity of the contestants has already shown a clear divide, and the recording of the elimination round for the first episode naturally needs to begin.

After all, without elimination, there is no way to proceed to the next round of the competition.

It's cruel, but what Zhuang Jian and his team are doing is already the best among all talent shows.

Even for the sake of the program's effect, they may do some focused editing, but at the very least, each contestant is given their own specific shots, and their performances are not cut, which is basically equivalent to giving all contestants the same starting line.

Things outside the competition are not his concern, he is only responsible for the program.

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Wearing the official uniforms provided to them, the contestants were gathered and taken to the studio, and everyone knew what they would face next.

Even if they haven’t experienced other competitions, in the midst of various talent shows, this competition format is already familiar to everyone, and what should come will eventually come.

Although the contestants who ranked high in the first round don’t have to worry about being eliminated, they still care about their ranking, since their goal is to secure a spot in the final group.

The rest of the contestants are more concerned about whether they will be eliminated. Since the program has just started airing and they’ve only been able to show a small part of their performance, the first round of ranking is almost like a blind audition and it doesn’t really represent anything.

Although they don't think their performance in the later rounds will be amazing, what if it is?

With a slight sense of luck, they quietly await the final judgment.

Among the crowd, the calmest person is none other than Luo Xin.

Although he has been busy these few days, sleeping almost as soon as he hits the bed, and spending any free time doing data work for Shao Xiangchen, he has not cared about his ranking at all. But given his financial ability, he is not worried about being eliminated in the early stages of the program.

His calmness is particularly evident among the contestants, and it was immediately noticed by sharp-eyed mentors who called him out, saying, "Luo Xin looks very calm, is it because he is confident about his ranking?"

The mentors are still the mischievous type, and Luo Xin believes that the program's popularity is largely due to their habit of playing mind games and enjoying watching the show.

He sneered in his heart, but Luo Xin did not take the bait. His facial muscles did not even move, and he looked like he had a poker face. "No, I was born with less facial expressions," he said, pretending to be humorous. "But if the mentors want to see it, I can also pretend to be very excited."

With that, he pulled up the corners of his mouth.

It was more like mockery than excitement on his face.

This performance made several mentors laugh, and it eased the atmosphere of the scene and diluted the depressing mood.

After exchanging pleasantries, it was time to say what needed to be said and for those who needed to leave to leave.

Luo Xin was tall and stood in the back row, looking at the backs of everyone in front of him, suddenly feeling like he was witnessing history.

He had only seen these scenes on TV before, but he didn't expect to see them live now.

He even wondered if someone would cry later. Oh, the program has just started airing, it's too much for them to leave so early, they probably didn't even get much camera time.

As the rankings began, watching one contestant after another being called up, each advancing contestant had an excited smile on their face, and Luo Xin was also infected and felt much better.

As if seeing his favorite character from childhood appear before his eyes, Xiu Fen couldn't help but feel a sense of "this trip was really worth it". It was exhilarating to see his dreams become a reality.

However, there were still unexpected surprises.

For example, Luo Xin's ranking.

"In 30th place...he is, number 77, personal trainee, Luo Xin!"

Surprised, Luo Xin's eyes widened by two millimeters. Thankfully, Shang Lin rushed over to give him a bear hug, which woke him up from thinking he misheard and quickly got him on stage to deliver his speech.

It wasn't until the microphone was handed to him that he found a hint of authenticity: "I'm...pretty surprised."

He didn't have time to observe others' expressions or reactions, and Luo Xin felt a little lost.

"If he remembers correctly, the 'package' he bought with his money was supposed to guarantee that he wouldn't be eliminated?

According to common sense, his ranking should be around 50th, not high enough to be eliminated, but not high either, at least not high enough to reach 30th place.

And the scariest part is that there is a huge gap between the number of votes for those who rank high and those who are in the middle, not a difference of one or two times, but a difference of tens or hundreds of times. Although Luo Xin is only ranked 30th, there is a big difference in the number of votes between him and the 50th place, which makes him start to suspect whether the studio he paid has invested all their money into this ranking?

Of course, besides this ridiculous idea, there can only be one possibility: he has fans?

This realization suddenly shook Luo Xin's whole body with a trembling feeling, making his scalp tingle. He picked up the microphone and started to speak incoherently, "The taste of those who voted for me is quite unique."

After a burst of laughter, he showed some genuine emotions, saying: "I had prepared a speech for making it to the next round, but that was for the 40-50th ranking, so jumping so far forward caught me off guard. So, I'll just say something random."

"Thank you for your votes, I will work hard to keep going."

After finishing his speech, he looked towards the front row of Class A.

Recently, he had been staying up late using his phone, causing his eyesight to decrease. He couldn't see who was who, so he just looked at the crowd and softly said, "Let's all work hard together."

Let's go, Shao Xiangchen.

After achieving unexpected results, Luo Xin couldn't help but feel excited. But this excitement was only temporary and lasted only a few minutes.

As everyone knows, because each elimination is usually done in half, the first elimination is also the largest one.

One by one, the successful contestants who will advance to the next round are called up to the stage, and the faces of those in the lower ranks become increasingly solemn.

The confidence of high-popularity and low-popularity contestants is different. Even if they are lucky, those at the bottom won't dare to imagine themselves being in the top few, not even the top twenty. So when the names aren't called even in the twenties, many already know the results.

They lower their heads and remain silent.

The contestants who have advanced on stage continue to give emotional speeches, thanking everyone they can, while some in the audience quietly tear up.

The extreme contrast of emotions, under the blazing stage lights, seems to create a masterpiece.

Is the joy of the advancing contestants on stage fake?

Of course not.

Is their joy unethical?

No, it is not.

"Of course, that's not natural.

Luo Xin hesitated for a moment, unsure how to describe his feelings at the moment. He was lucky enough to have advanced. The people around him who also advanced had genuine smiles of joy on their faces.

Being on stage was already higher than being below, so he could see the expressions of those below.

The feeling of being able to witness history was gone, and the excitement of advancing was also gone.

Suddenly, a feeling of shame surged in Luo Xin's heart.

His performance in the previous two rounds was still acceptable, but his popularity shouldn't have suddenly increased so much.

So the only possibility is that he did marketing for himself and gained fans.

There's nothing to be ashamed of, Luo Xin reassured himself."

At this moment, those who were eliminated won't be able to go far later, even if they have ulterior motives, standing here won't make them any shorter than the others. Besides, who in the entertainment industry doesn't use some methods and marketing?

But when Luo Xin saw the appearance of a lower-ranking contestant whom he had personally witnessed practicing until midnight without leaving, but still smiling even though he knew he had been eliminated, he felt a tightness in his chest.

In the end, he could only convince himself that the entertainment industry has always been a survival of the fittest.

He did nothing wrong.

Nothing.

The rankings are still continuing.

Fortunately, none of the people Luo Xin knows have been eliminated.

Whether it's his roommate Shao Xiangchen and the other two members of their group, or the teammates from "Qi Tian Da Sheng", or even the dangerous Hua Liang, they have all survived.

Among them, Hua Liang was the most surprised.

Initially, his votes were not high, but he had received a high number of votes on-site before and had won against another team in a group battle, which gave him a lot of extra votes.

When the votes were finally added up, although his ranking was very low, he still scraped through to advance. Hua Liang was already very happy to advance, perhaps too excited, which led him to be unable to hold back his tears when he stood in front of the stage: "Thank you, thank you all..."

Then, while crying and mumbling something, no one could make out what he was saying, but it actually made people find him very funny and made many people laugh.

Shang Lin got tenth place, rising quite a bit compared to his initial ranking.

Finally, it was Shao Xiangchen.

Living up to Luo Xin's efforts, he got first place.

When there were only himself and Wen Tongbai left in the top circle, Shao Xiangchen had to admit that he was so nervous that he could hardly breathe.

The last time he felt this way, he couldn't even remember when it was.

As time went by and he took on more and more low-level jobs, performing, which used to be enjoyable for him, gradually became something he had to do.

Dancing to the group's songs, but his heart felt as still as water.

Because there was no cheering, no shouting, and not even any attention paid to him on those stages.

Sometimes, when Shao Xiangchen performed, he didn't feel like a star, or even like a human being.

He and the flower baskets beside him, and the cakes backstage were no different, just things set up to look good on stage.

Not all stages were the same. After the last performance, Shao Xiangchen didn't sleep all night.

Because he had finally heard his own name, and his sweating and singing on stage had finally received a response. At that moment when all eyes were on him, Shao Xiangchen felt like he was addicted to it.

The old wounds in his body no longer hurt, and the rusty joints seemed to be lubricated, making him so excited that he forgot everything except dancing, singing, and expressing himself.

That feeling, he would never forget it after experiencing it once.

Clasping his fists, Shao Xiangchen closed his eyes.

"And the second place goes to... congratulations to Wen Tongbai!"

Opening his palms, his nails left deep marks on his palms, but he didn't feel anything.

First place!

He got first place!

Biting his lip to hold back his tears, Shao Xiangchen smiled and hugged Wen Tongbai, offering his congratulations.

A few minutes later, he walked towards his own throne.

"I can't guarantee that I will always be first in the future, but I promise that I will work ten times harder to face every game that comes after. I will never waste the effort of every voting fan, never!"

Goodbyes are always sad, even if people haven't spent much time together.

But since everyone was on the same starting line, most of the people who left did not make any obvious mistakes. It was just bad luck or lack of popularity.

Today they can leave, but tomorrow it might be their turn.

Based on various thoughts, everyone still embraced and said goodbye to each other.

Feeling that Luo Xin was in a bad mood, the considerate Shang Lin walked over and patted him on the shoulder as a comfort.

Luo Xin looked at him confusedly. Shao Xiangchen got first place, why wasn't he as happy as he imagined?

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In the world of adults, there is not much time left for sadness.

Just as the eliminated contestants left, the program team immediately started a new round of competition: the position evaluation.

Starting from this episode, rankings suddenly infiltrated every aspect of the program.

For example, starting from the first place, contestants choose their position and song, and then proceed down the rankings.

It's like the key classes in top schools, always attracting the best students. Many popular songs are almost filled with top contestants who can easily dominate the stage.

And the last contestants can't even choose their preferred position, they can only rely on luck, or unfortunately expose their weaknesses. Those with bad luck may have to face a whole team of main singers and dancers, or a hellish mode of off-key dance challenges with high-pitched notes.

With the new competition about to begin, Luo Xin quickly forced himself to perk up. His position was at thirty, not bad but not great, and he still had quite a few choices. Also, among the high-popularity contestants, eight out of ten were singers and rappers who could dance, and there weren't many positions available for vocalists.

So should he focus on breaking through himself and showing a different side, or should he continue to consolidate his image and do better in the parts he is good at?

Luo Xin wasn't worried about Shao Xiangchen. First, Shao Xiangchen's strength was already top-notch, and second, he didn't have any particular weaknesses.

Furthermore, fans are most averse to interfering with their idols' work. He could go all out and do whatever he wanted outside of the competition, but inside the competition, he was just an ordinary contestant.

After a while, it was finally Luo Xin's turn, and he confidently entered the vocal group to start singing.

After all, contrasts work better when there is a fixed character, and since his popularity wasn't very high, he should focus on things related to his own abilities first. With this in mind, he looked around and chose his song.

"A Bloody Love Story".