CHAPTER 197: CHAPTER 191 STANDING HIGH ENOUGH_2

"Why don’t you want to be first or second place?"

"That position is too high. I’m not prepared for it yet."

Long Zitao nodded and turned his gaze to everyone.

"Actually, what I really want to hear right now is the thing you’ve most wanted to say after coming to this show, but didn’t dare to say."

At this moment, Guo Xia raised her hand. She decided to step in for Lv Fangxin. "I’ll say something."

"Actually, every girl who’s still sitting below has the strength to stand on this pyramid."

Guo Xia’s words immediately drew cheers from the contestants who had already entered the next round.

"Each of us has a throne in our hearts. We can all sit there. No matter where we are, we must have our own confidence," Guo Xia continued.

Among the group, she ranked in the top three in terms of age, had strong abilities, and frequently helped others, so her words carried significant weight among the girls.

Everyone applauded her.

Then, Lv Fangxin, still somewhat unsure of the situation, stepped forward. "What if... what if you held a raffle among the eliminated contestants and gave away something like a phone?"

As soon as she said this, everyone was left speechless and amused. Even Ye Yuwei couldn’t stop laughing.

If you offered a thousand phones for the spot you have now, the ones below would gladly take the deal.

Lv Fangxin was dumbfounded. Did people really find her suggestion funny?

"Alright, now for the announcement of third place."

"Congratulations to you, Lv Fangxin, you are third place."

Long Zitao’s booming voice startled everyone. He was actually venting his frustration.

Lv Fangxin happily walked toward the pyramid, and as she passed Chen Yinghan’s row, she deliberately stopped to give her a tight hug.

"Ye Yuwei, do you have anything you’d like to say to everyone?"

Ye Yuwei stepped forward, flashing a beautiful smile.

Long Zitao instantly lowered his head, afraid to look at her, fearing he wouldn’t be able to look away.

Off to the side, Wu Zixuan’s expression darkened slightly; she had already noticed.

"Many of us here walked into this industry hoping to become stars, but more often than not, we’re just ’puppets’ passively chosen," Ye Yuwei said.

"Although we struggle desperately, holding on to hope year after year, sacrificing our youth and sweat, all we accumulate is disappointment."

Everyone froze, unable to understand why Ye Yuwei would say such "terrifying" things.

This is a talent show, not a forum for social commentary.

Was she making an accusation?

"The program group has now given me hope of becoming a top idol, and that makes me willing to put forth my utmost effort."

"Today, I stand in this position, which means my efforts have been recognized, and I’m someone who has popularity. But what I don’t understand is, why am I not given the chance to film the central advertisement? Is it because I’m not standing high enough?"

Her words caused an uproar in the audience.

This Ye Yuwei was openly questioning the show’s fairness.

It’s widely understood that only contestants with popularity get the central advertisement.

A central advertisement also symbolizes the contestant’s "status" in the program.

Lu Bingbing was stunned. This Ye Yuwei didn’t seem to want the camera on her anymore.

Usually, she’s very calculated in her actions. What happened today? Did her "resentment boil over"?

The other trainees admired Ye Yuwei’s boldness—she actually challenged the show’s producers directly.

Especially the eliminated contestants, who felt a sense of catharsis.

Many of them believed the program group had been unfair to them, denying them screen time, and Ye Yuwei’s words were like venting their collective frustration.

Galaxy trainees are something else, huh? Is this how their entire group fights for resources?

Long Zitao broke out in a cold sweat.

Because his earpiece no longer had Yang Xiaoyue’s voice guiding him on how to proceed.

Although he outwardly displayed passionate bravado, he was no fool.

When dealing with issues like this, he was extremely cautious as it could affect his own future.

"I think what you said is great—this is how it should be. There’s no need to hide or hold back. Speak your mind and clearly express what you want. We’re an open competitive platform," Long Zitao decided to back Ye Yuwei.

Ye Yuwei gave him a deeply grateful look; she knew Long Zitao didn’t need to take such a risk for her.

Wu Zixuan, however, felt rage welling up inside her. She wanted to shout, "Don’t drag Zitao down with you!"

Long Zitao’s words were met with unanimous applause from the ’95s and ’00s present.