After finishing the recording, Pan Yu sat back down and buried his face in his arms, looking disappointed that he hadn't danced well. Xu Zifan, as his good brother, naturally rushed over to comfort him.
"Pan Yu, you jumped very well. Don't be like that, you'll definitely get an A this time."
Pan Yu shook his head, "I don't dance as well as you."
"You must have practiced too much and gotten too tired. I noticed you looked a little weak just now. It's okay, your talent is there, the mentors can see that." Xu Zifan said a few words of concern and then quieted down so as not to disturb the other contestants' recording.
Of the seven students in Class A, all but three made mistakes: one danced very well but didn't sing; one sang very well but had some dance moves that weren't quite right; one sang and danced perfectly but spoke very softly and was so nervous that he had no expression; and one forgot the moves halfway through the dance and simply gave up.
In other classes (B, C, D, E, F), the majority of students didn't memorize the lyrics. Too many focused on memorizing the dance moves, thinking that since the theme song would be played anyway, singing wasn't the main point. Some didn't take it seriously enough, not putting in the effort, and didn't even memorize the full song and dance, resulting in poor performances. Of course, there were also contestants whose abilities simply weren't up to par; they tried hard but couldn't remember the lyrics, and were just not suited for this style.
The show's producers actually placed this in the second segment to test the trainees. Being an idol isn't about being passively pushed; you have to work hard to complete the tasks. They're all adults; are they supposed to be constantly supervised while they practice the theme song? Especially since the winner of this segment will be the center (C) in the theme song. If they're not even willing to fight for the C position this time, what right do they have to go further? Every C position is important; they can't be looked down upon just because it's for the theme song, right?
Of course, this was also a large-scale selection process, allowing mentors, contestants, and the audience to understand who was outstanding in all aspects and who would eventually be eliminated. The mentors watched the videos together in their meeting room, comparing them with records from the previous performances to re-evaluate them. When Xu Zifan was the first one, everyone nodded in satisfaction. Bai Xingchen pointed at the screen and said, "Look at his expression, don't you think he's particularly suited for acting? I think I can help him get a role in my next film; it's such a pity he doesn't act."
Bai Yuchen laughed and said, "Sis, your brother is the initiator of the No. 1 boy group, can you not be so blatant in trying to steal him from me? Also, if you admire him, be a little more discreet, or your boyfriend will get jealous."
"I just appreciate talent, what are you talking about?" Bai Xingchen rolled her eyes at him, but her smile faded.
Bai Yuchen's heart tightened upon seeing this. He glanced at Bai Xingchen twice before continuing to look at the screen. Cheng Man wrote an "a" after Xu Zifan's name and said with a smile, "I think Xu Zifan's dancing is perfectly fine. Yu Hai, what do you think?"
"I think that's okay too. I even want to wait until he loses weight so I can compete against him." Yu Hai also gave an A.
Zhou Peng shook his head and said helplessly, "How am I supposed to score them in the previous rounds? I can't see any creative talent at all. I can only say that Xu Zifan sang well, so I'll give him an A."
Xu Zifan was guaranteed an A again. Li Keyang then took the stage, and everyone felt his performance was better than before, so they gave him an A. Two excellent performances in a row put them in a good mood. However, when it came to the third contestant, Pan Yu, even Yu Hai from the same company shook his head, saying his dancing was too forceful and stiff. Bai Xingchen was also dissatisfied with his tired and lifeless expression, and Bai Yuchen, being the most demanding, felt his movements lacked power. Although the overall execution was quite good, Pan Yu's resume showed he was excellent in all aspects, and for such an outstanding person to perform like this inevitably made people feel his attitude wasn't serious enough.
Being tired or not getting enough rest are all excuses. Nobody cares about that on stage. As an idol, even with a high fever, you have to finish the concert; otherwise, you'll have to bear all the consequences and losses yourself. So, after watching Pan Yu's video, Bai Yuchen said, "I think giving him a B this time isn't because he's not good enough, but to put some pressure on him, to make him take the competition seriously and give it his all. This way, he'll experience a psychological letdown, and even if it's just for face, he'll work harder next time. What do you guys think?"
Yu Hai and Pan Yu are from the same company. Yu Hai was the first to say no problem. "Pan Yu is very capable. This will actually benefit him. I hope he will perform well next time."
Yu Hai had no objections, and naturally, the others had even fewer, so Pan Yu was rated B. Of the other four in Class A, two went to Class B, one remained in Class A with a very nervous and expressionless demeanor, and they encouraged him, hoping he would relax and perform better next time. The other, who forgot halfway through his dance and gave up, had a poor attitude and went directly to Class F. The mentors frowned and sighed the whole time while watching the video, almost bursting with anger. Attitude is an important criterion for selecting contestants. To join a boy group and collaborate with other members, if you don't even have the most basic serious attitude, aren't you harming yourself and others? This kind of person absolutely cannot debut in a boy group.
After watching everyone else's performances, one contestant from Class F named Liang Sijie stood out. He worked incredibly hard, his singing and dancing were flawless, and although his facial expressions were a little off, his attitude was a plus, earning him a place in Class A. Three other contestants who were originally from Class B, already possessing considerable talent, also made it into Class A with their excellent performances. Another important reason Liang Sijie was able to get into Class A was that the mentors wanted to use him to inspire everyone, to show that even contestants from Class F can rise to Class A through hard work. The starting point doesn't matter; only by striving upwards and never giving up can one reach their goal.
The center position for the theme song in this selection naturally went to Xu Zifan, since the evaluation was based on overall performance. Xu Zifan scored full marks in singing and dancing, and his expressions were also perfect; only his physique deducted points. However, compared to the others, his score was still the highest, and the mentors even felt...
He looked great standing in the center position. The theme song performance involved dozens of people arranged in a triangle, and Xu Zifan's physique made him look much more coordinated standing at the front than in other positions.
After the mentors finished assessing the participants, they called everyone to the recording hall. The hall was arranged in tiers, with Class A at the top and Class F at the bottom. Class A wore nice light blue outfits, followed by orange, red, yellow, and green, while Class F wore gray. Normally, wearing these outfits and running into contestants from other classes felt a little awkward, but now, standing together like this, with each color clearly defined and arranged in a tiered fashion, it felt especially humiliating. The Class F contestants wished they could disappear into a hole in the ground. If they couldn't leave Class F this time, they wouldn't be able to participate in the theme song music video recording, which would be an absolute disgrace. Meanwhile, the Class A contestants felt no pride, only anxiety, because falling from Class A would be even more embarrassing.
Several mentors lined up and stood opposite the contestants. Bai Yuchen called out the contestants whose levels needed to be changed and asked them to take their rating cards to the designated positions. The first one called was Pan Yu.
He was taking the first boy group selection competition very seriously. The selection process was just as rigorous when he was selected abroad. So, he chose Pan Yu as the first name to put more pressure on Pan Yu and motivate him to perform even better. His expression was quite serious. As soon as he called Pan Yu's name, Pan Yu closed his eyes, quickly lowered his head to hide his emotions, and jogged over to Bai Yuchen.
Bai Yuchen said with slight disappointment, "You did well the first time, but this time you fell short of your usual standard. I believe in your abilities, and I hope you will continue to work hard in the new class, show your strength, and strive to return to Class A next time, okay?"
Pan Yu nodded emphatically, "Okay, thank you, PD Bai!"
Yu Hai patted him on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Keep it up! I'll be waiting to give you an A next time. I'm rooting for you."
"Thank you, senior!" Pan Yu called out to his seniors, bowed to them, and walked upstairs with the card in his hand. Everyone was whispering among themselves, saying they didn't expect him to be dropped out of Class A, and that the professors were very strict. They watched him walk all the way to Class B and stand in his place.
Everyone felt uneasy. If even Pan Yu's performance couldn't satisfy the mentors, wouldn't they be even more finished? Most people said they hadn't expected this talent show to be so strict, which was true, given that it was the first show of its kind in China. Moreover, variety shows often give off a less formal vibe, and many people treated it like a company gig, probably focusing their energy on standing out and grabbing screen time. But unfortunately, this was indeed a very formal program; the production team wouldn't include useless footage to waste time. They had backfired.
Then, one student from Class A was demoted to Class F, causing an uproar among the crowd. They were so shocked and nervous that they couldn't maintain a smile, all holding their breath as they waited for their names to be called. Bai Yuchen looked at the list and said, "The remaining three students from Class A will remain in Class A. Keep up the good work!"
The contestant who was so nervous during the recording was named Xiao Cheng. Upon hearing that he had been chosen, his eyes widened in surprise and he was overjoyed! Xu Zifan put his arms around Xiao Cheng and Li Keyang's shoulders and said with a smile, "Good luck!"
Xiao Cheng nodded repeatedly and said, "I will definitely do my best!"
Pan Yu lowered his head, almost biting his teeth until they bled! Xiao Cheng was in the same company as him, and usually had no presence at all, yet he was kept in Class A, while he was demoted to Class B. This was absolutely humiliating! To say he performed poorly, was Xiao Cheng really better than him? And Bai Yuchen, who was clearly the worst in Class F, was called on first, drawing all the attention to him. The audience's disappointment in him would be amplified. Bai Yuchen was clearly harming him.
And Yu Hai too, what kind of senior colleague is he? The company clearly instructed Yu Hai to take care of him, and this is how he takes care of him? Not a single kind word was said in his defense? Isn't it just because he's been on a roll this year? He's a male idol in the same industry, handsome and talented, and not much older than them. If he becomes famous, he'll be taking their resources. They're clearly suppressing him!
He completely misinterpreted the mentors' efforts towards him. If this had happened to someone else, he might have been able to analyze their intentions based on his familiarity with the show from his previous life. But since it happened to him, he only felt a burning shame, embarrassment, and anger, naturally leading him to hate Bai Yuchen and Yu Hai. However, there was nothing he could do for the time being; he would just keep this score in mind. He had a lifetime of memories and knew a lot more; it wouldn't hurt to expose their secrets after the competition ended.
More than thirty contestants were reassigned to different levels, while those who were neither outstanding nor indiscriminate remained in their original groups. Finally, Bai Yuchen glanced at the list and announced with a smile, "Then our center position for this season's theme song is—Xu Zifan! Congratulations!"