CHAPTER 210: CHAPTER 203 ASTUTE CHOICE

But apart from saying, "It’s so hard! Can’t decide! I really don’t know what to do," none of the girls behind her gave her any advice on whom to choose.

The strangest one was Fan Lei. She actually wanted Meng and Wu to explain why they opted for Jiang Mei’er.

Standing at the front right corner of the lineup, Zhu Riri looked like a clueless little girl, widening her eyes and gazing around nonchalantly.

On the other side, Chen Yinghan turned her gaze toward Lv Fangxin, and of course, Ye Yuwei.

The latter, who initially intended to choose the dance class, unexpectedly switched to the creative class.

This surprised many of the girls.

Ye Yuwei glanced at the scene, a smile creeping onto her face.

At this moment, those with capability and hope were no longer hiding their ambitions.

For them, including herself, debuting as a group was the sole objective.

Jiang Mei’er was feeling extremely distressed inside.

Both of them were her former teammates and highly popular contestants.

No matter whom she chose, the other would surely be upset.

Meng Meixuan waved her hands exaggeratedly, saying, "It’s fine! No worries!"

It was as if she was telling Jiang Mei’er that either choice was okay. If she truly didn’t care, she shouldn’t have raised her hand earlier.

Wu Zixuan desperately wanted to fight back, but she forced herself to hold her tongue.

She couldn’t ruin her "kind and gentle sweetheart" persona.

Feeling like her heart was boiling, Jiang Mei’er couldn’t help but say, utterly exasperated, "I really don’t want to do this."

Long Zitao spoke expressionlessly, "You have 20 seconds left to decide."

Jiang Mei’er immediately straightened up, repeatedly assessing what decision would be most appropriate.

"Can you two do rock-paper-scissors?" Jiang Mei’er suddenly suggested.

Meng Meixuan and Wu Zixuan froze almost simultaneously, as did the girls behind them.

Soon after, everyone looked at Jiang Mei’er with newfound admiration. She had resolved this seemingly impossible dilemma in such a simple way.

Ye Yuwei sighed inwardly. Sure enough, every girl who made it to this point was not easy to deal with.

With this move, Jiang Mei’er instantly neutralized Meng Meixuan’s provocation toward Wu Zixuan.

Yang Xiaoyue felt a bit disappointed, but without conflict, she couldn’t deliberately stir things up.

Meng Meixuan, unwilling to be laughed at by others, suggested, "Let’s turn around and let Mei’er choose for herself."

Wu Zixuan also had no choice but to turn away. Though she hated Meng Meixuan intensely in her heart, she didn’t want to lose face publicly.

Jiang Mei’er felt slightly triumphant, strolling casually toward Wu Zixuan’s team.

Since Wu Zixuan had been the first to choose her, joining her team wouldn’t invite criticism.

Moreover, by turning Meng Meixuan’s rivalry with Wu Zixuan into a seemingly playful contest, she ensured Meng Meixuan wouldn’t lose face either. It was a decision that pleased everyone.

The crowd erupted in applause for Jiang Mei’er.

Wu Zixuan, now with Jiang Mei’er in her ranks, graciously extended her hand to Meng Meixuan. This gesture conveyed goodwill and also implied an apology.

Meng Meixuan forced a generous smile, saying, "What’s there to fuss about with you, my little princess?"

Wu Zixuan was truly speechless at this moment. She felt her persona was utterly suffocating.

It was as if a big brother and a little sister had both adored the same item, but in the end, the big brother pitied the little sister and gave it up.

Of course, the scene still appeared harmonious and joyful.

Some girls who admired Meng Meixuan tried to comfort her, even shouting, "Meixuan, choose me."

"Meng Meixuan, please choose your team members," said Long Zitao.

"I choose Du Jiayu," Meng Meixuan replied, shocking Du Jiayu entirely.

In truth, Du Jiayu wasn’t particularly eager to work with Meng Meixuan.

Judging by the performance stage from the previous round, Meng Meixuan was undoubtedly the lead star. Joining her team would leave Du Jiayu with little chance to shine.

But given the rules, she had no choice but to comply.

"Does any other captain wish to choose Du Jiayu?" Long Zitao asked.

At this moment, Du Jiayu glanced toward Li Shihan, whom she favored for her inherently kind nature, but Li Shihan didn’t return her look.

Though kind and introverted, Li Shihan possessed high emotional and social intelligence. She would never offend the highly influential Meng Meixuan over Du Jiayu.

Meng Meixuan noticed Du Jiayu’s intent, her expression darkening. Still, she trusted that Li Shihan wouldn’t be foolish enough to play against her.

Sure enough, despite her aversion, Du Jiayu obediently walked over to stand behind Meng Meixuan.

"Li Zixuan, please choose," Long Zitao said.

"I choose Wu Meiying," Li Shihan replied without hesitation.

The two were around the same age, got along well, and Wu Meiying excelled in dance.

Zhao Juke then selected her roommate, Wang Tingting.

"Meng Meixuan and Zhao Juke, since in the previous round you each chose Jiang Meixing and Yang Han, they will automatically join your respective teams," Long Zitao announced.

This came as no surprise to anyone, as they had been informed earlier. However, Long Zitao’s next statement heightened tension among the captains: "Due to the addition of auditing contestants, each captain can only select two more people."

Zhao Juke was taken aback since Yang Han’s dancing skills were average, though she was decent at singing.

Before she could deliberate, the process continued.

"Wang Miaomiao, please choose," Long Zitao said.

"I choose Lv Xiaoxue," Wang Miaomiao replied.

Lv Xiaoxue wasn’t great at singing or dancing, but her background in acrobatics allowed her to perform single challenging moves.

Wang Miaomiao didn’t pick her for her skills but for her popularity.

Having secured a strong ranking, Wang Miaomiao felt increasingly threatened, noticing her on-screen time diminishing.

Choosing someone popular could boost their mutual visibility and camera presence.

Lv Xiaoxue herself didn’t mind, as any team was fine by her.

Next up was Jiang Mengqi, who immediately picked her close friend Luo Tiantian, a master of two moves: contortion and one-arm flips.

"Ju Lin," Wu Zixuan made her second pick without hesitation.

"Simona," Meng Meixuan called out.

"Yu Xiaohong," Li Shihan announced.

"Liu Danmeng," Zhao Juke said.

The girls standing onstage grew increasingly nervous, fearing they wouldn’t be chosen.

Not being selected had severe consequences.

Going unchosen could mean not appearing in future recordings, leading to assumptions of poor skills and popularity. Why compete further?

The earlier selections made clear the captains’ standards: Those closest to them were prioritized. As for skills? Anyone still here had some talent.

"I choose Gao Yingxi," Wang Miaomiao said, opting this time for a contestant with genuine skills.

"Su Ruiqi," Jiang Mengqi said with a grin.

"Zhang Xiaohan," Wu Zixuan followed.

Zhang Xiaohan lacked popularity but possessed commendable skills, making her thrilled to join. She had her sights set on Wu Zixuan and Li Shihan’s teams.

"Yang Han," Meng Meixuan called out loudly.

"Zhang Xi," Li Shihan decided.

Jiang Mengqi expressed regret. She had wanted Zhang Xi, too.

"Luo Jiangyi," Zhao Juke said.

Immediately, Jiang Mengqi felt discouraged. Luo Jiangyi was also someone she had wanted, as was Fan Lei, who Wang Miaomiao had already taken.

Jiang Mengqi began to resent her position as the last of the six captains.

"Wu Qian," Jiang Mengqi said resignedly, choosing the only option left.

Wu Qian, trembling with nerves, pouted as she ran to the group. She had been terrified she’d be left out.