CHAPTER 153: CHAPTER 150: A PERFECT CURTAIN CALL

Li Tiange sang the opening three bars, which were originally Ju Lin’s part. Ju Lin gave them to her—not out of courtesy, but simply because Ju Lin herself couldn’t sing.

If she couldn’t sing, then it was better not to sing at all, lest she hold the team back.

In this regard, Ju Lin showed she was a ruthless person with a keen sense of the big picture and a selfless spirit toward the team.

This was also the reason why, even faced with a powerful "enemy" like Ye Yuwei, the team members could still burst forth with fierce determination despite not being favored themselves.

The main piano sound gradually dropped lower; the tone of the electronic mix grew increasingly deep.

Wang Yue of Duntou Entertainment stepped out from the group to perform a rap interaction with Li Tiange.

Growing up overseas, Wang Yue was a passionate hip-hop enthusiast.

Though not at the level of a professional vocalist, her rap section could still be considered a satisfactory performance.

Ju Lin and the others danced as a backdrop behind the duo. The four demonstrated rich, dynamic body language, perfectly amplifying the energy of their rap.

The formation shifted again; while the audience saw their smooth movement and seamless transitions, the effort behind it was anything but simple.

Because of the rapid connection between this section and the next, not only did they need to form an imposing triangular formation, but it also had to embody grace and avoid appearing chaotic to the audience.

During the positional swaps, timing had to be precise, ensuring no physical collisions and no disruptions in rhythm.

Achieving this flawless two-second positional shift required thousands of practice runs.

At the apex of the triangular formation, Wang Yue continued delivering with fiery passion, stirring the hearts of the audience and paving the way for the next segment.

The formation changed again, this time into a long snake-like lineup, with Wang Yue seamlessly retreating to the third position from the left while facing the audience.

The girls watching in the waiting area were visibly exhilarated, amazed by the level of proficiency required to "sheath the weapon with eyes closed."

Just when the audience thought they might take a break and perform static segments, the formation shifted yet again.

Six members divided into three pairs with front and back positions. Li Tiange returned to the center spot while the others squatted and stood like leaping musical notes, dancing to back her performance.

By this point, Li Tiange was entirely immersed in the act, her raspy-toned voice roared continuously through the microphone with no hint of quivering, showcasing her exceptional physical resilience.

On the adjacent stage, Ye Yuwei watched their performance, feeling a pang of admiration.

Though she hadn’t believed Long Zitao’s claim that they were chosen from tens of thousands of trainees across the nation upon entering the program, the sheer quality of this squad’s skills was undeniable.

The group led by Li Tiange would be top-tier elite in Hanoi, able to easily outshine 95% of other competitors. Among the remaining fourteen groups, there were even stronger contenders.

What kind of jaw-dropping impact will the final eleven-member lineup have onstage?

Wei Xin and Du Jiayu, whose performances had been underwhelming, were already showing expressions of despair.

Wei Xin, in particular, resented herself for faltering at such a critical moment.

She couldn’t help but glance toward Ye Yuwei, only to see the latter standing upright with a composed smile, seemingly unshaken.

"No wonder she can succeed... Even without cameras pointing her way, she still maintains her idol composure. This girl is terrifying—like a machine," Wei Xin thought, sinking further into dejection.

Wang Na, meanwhile, stared at Ye Yuwei with eyes full of envy, feeling an urge to tear off the "mask" of beauty gracing her face.

Why would the heavens bless this woman with such striking looks, along with extraordinary singing and dancing talent?

As their thoughts diverged, Ju Lin prepared for her first vocal segment, which she performed alongside Yin Ruixi, often humorously referred to as part of the "mom idol group." Their part consisted of just one line.

Yin Ruixi was the oldest participant in the program, with a birthdate even earlier than Guo Xia’s. She had previously competed in the Penguin World Cup Football Babe contest and made it to the finals.

Her physique was excellent, though still inferior to Ju Lin’s.

She couldn’t sing, and her dancing skills were average, but through grueling training and robust stamina, she still managed to keep up with the rhythm.

Their section resembled harmony more than anything, though Ju Lin remained strikingly prominent.

Their formation shifted back to a triangle, now with Gou Xueying, the top vocal talent in the team, positioned at the arrowhead.

Her voice had a crystal-clear texture with a high level of distinctiveness—absolutely professional-grade.

The song’s original pitch was exceptionally high, with intricate transitions at every section—a challenging piece.

The segment she performed was also the most technically demanding of the song, and she was the only one in the group tasked with singing it; the others focused on rap.

Despite her prowess, there was still a noticeable gap compared to the original vocal, as she was unable to reach such high notes. Thus, she adopted an alternative approach.

She altered her breathing frequency and utilized mixed head voice techniques to convey the song.

As soon as her "honey-like" voice began, the energy on stage surged significantly.

The quality of the performance shot to a higher level.

These six performers, like relentless war machines, maintained precision and intensity in their dancing despite exerting themselves for a minute and a half.

The formation changed once more, with Wang Yue taking the lead position again, while the other five interacted behind her like shimmering lights, raising their arms with fingers spread in blooming flower gestures.

Wang Yue maintained a steady performance, though Xiao Du and the others listening felt a slight drop in emotional resonance.

This was because Gou Xueying’s prior performance had been incredible; if another vocalist of her caliber—or even close—had followed up, the transition would have been flawless.

Unfortunately, Gou Xueying already represented the peak ability within this group.

This left Ye Yuwei curious about the team’s remaining tricks.

The song was already halfway through, and the performances thus far had been electrifying—it’d be difficult to achieve a perfect conclusion.

The six performers moved like dancing notes gliding across the stage.

Suddenly, four of them seemed to collapse under pressure, struggling to lift their right arms as if attempting to rise again.

Standing at the center of them, Gou Xueying’s voice became solemn and heroic, raising the song’s key by an entire degree. Ju Lin, at her side, visually expressed the resolve to fight back using her physical movements.

This solo singing-dancing section complemented each other flawlessly, elevating the performance’s level once more.

The audience erupted into thunderous applause, with others spontaneously cheering in encouragement.

Ju Lin and Gou Xueying demonstrated exceedingly high levels of professionalism.

Their timing was perfect, their emotions deeply resonant.

Ju Lin’s body seemed to ripple with waves, moving as though unbounded by skeletal constraints, syncing to Gou Xueying’s vocals like undulating water.

Strands of hair hung across her wild, alluring face, her eyes brimming with unyielding defiance. Meanwhile, the four collapsed performers used body language to support the duo’s expression.

Ye Yuwei’s eyes showed admiration—this group’s overall performance had already surpassed hers.

In the control room, Yang Xiaoyue was visibly thrilled, her happiness spilling over.

She hadn’t anticipated that the trainees she selected could produce such remarkable stage effects.

Ju Lin finally earned a center-stage position truly befitting her status.

The six performers moved to the stage’s edge, performing with unified voices, their extended arms projecting impassioned energy toward the audience.

Spectators closest to the stage instinctively stepped forward, stretching their arms to interact with the performers.

The security personnel by the stage grew increasingly anxious, fearing unforeseen incidents.

Fortunately, the six retreated to the stage’s center, their formation transforming like blossoming flowers and fluttering butterflies—this was an extraordinarily difficult group dance sequence, even surpassing Ye Yuwei’s team’s previous act in complexity.

The performers underwent three formation shifts while Gou Xueying, Wang Yue, and Li Tiange alternated vocal parts seamlessly.

As the drum and bass delivered their final notes, the stage lights reverted to a dusk-like ambiance. Five performers encircled Ju Lin before suddenly freezing in place, striking cool poses.