Because the filming of Tonight’s Big Star was nearing its end, Su Ximu chose to stay in the dorm that night for convenience.
That evening, after cleaning the dorm thoroughly with his second brother, Su Ximu watered his mushrooms while also calling home on the phone to soothe his third brother, who was waiting anxiously back home.
“The production team has the grand performance tomorrow. I’m staying in the dorm tonight, and once the grand performance is over tomorrow, I can head straight home.”
Su Jianglou on the other end of the line wanted to say there was no trouble if he came back that night—he could go pick him up directly.
But hearing that Xiao Xi had already cleaned the dorm, the words on the tip of his tongue turned into: “Alright then. Should Big Brother and I come help you move your stuff tomorrow?”
Apart from those two potted plants, all of Su Ximu’s other belongings barely filled a single suitcase.
Even so, he didn’t refuse his third brother and readily agreed: “Sure. Will you and Big Brother have time to watch the grand performance tomorrow? I have tickets~”
Last time during the grand performance, Su Jianglou had stayed outside the venue the whole time without any worries holding him back now, so he naturally agreed right away: “We have time.”
Conveniently, he also answered for his big brother: “Big Brother has time too.”
After settling tomorrow’s plans with his third brother and chatting for a good while longer, both sides finally hung up.
He set his phone aside and looked down at the little green mushroom in the flowerpot.
After drinking its fill of water, the little green mushroom seemed a bit taller than it had been during the day.
Once he finished watering the mushrooms, Su Ximu turned and sat at the desk. He took out the red stones from the two glass bottles in the drawer and slowly counted them.
Including the ones his second brother had given him this time, there were a total of 83 little stones.
After counting, he put all the little stones into one glass bottle, carefully stored it away again, then turned and sat back on his dorm bed. He lay down, closed his eyes, and prepared to sleep.
After several grand performances, not many trainees remained on the third floor. The nightly prank shows had also been called off by the director.
Night fell like water. In the trainee dorms just a few walls away from the Manager Dorm, Wang Xingxing lay alone in his now-empty dorm. Before sleep, he went over tomorrow’s plan one last time with Rao Fei.
Wang Xingxing heard Rao Fei comforting him in his mind: “It’s simple. Don’t feel any pressure. Tomorrow’s action will definitely go smoothly.”
Wang Xingxing smiled in the dim surroundings, thinking that Rao Fei was right. After all, striving for the top was hard, but throwing in the towel was easier than anything.
He bantered silently in his mind with Rao Fei: “Just so we’re clear, I’m super professional in the real world!”
Sigh. But now, circumstances forced him to make a decision that went against an idol trainee’s professional ethics.
Rao Fei’s voice came: “You’re professional right now too.”
After a moment, Rao Fei’s voice came again: “As a member of the Confidentiality Bureau’s action team, Wang Xingxing, I’m honored to have a colleague like you.”
Wang Xingxing gave a wry smile: “Same here.”
The next day.
The weather in Tanzhong City was exceptionally good that day.
Just like the previous grand performances, the director set off early with the production team and trainees from Bizarre Island to the performance venue.
It was a large stadium located at the border between Tanzhong and Tannan.
In terms of size, it was a bit smaller than the stadium used for the production team’s first grand performance.
But after the ticket incident, Director Blue 534 felt that stadium was cursed. He would rather take a longer detour than go anywhere near it.
When the production team departed, Su Ximu went along with the Props Team.
With his prior experience helping prepare for a grand performance, he knew exactly what he could assist with.
So once everyone arrived at the stadium, he quickly got into work mode, darting around busily like a little bee buzzing all over the venue.
For the final grand performance, there were no group stages left.
All twenty-one performances were individual stages by the trainees.
The order of performances was determined by drawing lots.
When the drawing began, Su Ximu watched from the side.
He saw Wang Xingxing draw a relatively late position. Coincidentally, several trainees he remembered as Wang Xingxing’s good friends also drew numbers close to his.
Rao Fei was scheduled right after Wang Xingxing.
After drawing lots, the trainees changed into their performance outfits and did makeup.
With twenty-one trainees and over a dozen makeup artists from the production team, they hardly had to wait in line.
This was a stark contrast to the first grand performance.
At the same time, Su Ximu could sense that the trainees’ tension was even higher than during the first grand performance.
He even vaguely picked up on the gunpowder tension between the trainees backstage.
Some glared coldly at those beside them, while others closed their eyes to rest, warding off all comers.
Su Ximu thought this change was probably because everyone had come so far—who wanted to fall at the very last moment?
Wang Xingxing had his eyes closed at that moment, letting the makeup artist apply eyeshadow.
Then he heard No. 96 Trainee, sitting next to him, speak up enviously: “No. 43, you’re definitely debuting.”
You’re definitely making it out of the dungeon alive.
Wang Xingxing didn’t respond.
At the final moment, not dragging these people down as his scapegoats was already the pinnacle of his noble character.
So he didn’t feel like talking.
No. 96 Trainee got no reply, pursed his lips, and fell silent.
His own ranking was still precarious, so before going on stage, he needed to review the dance moves again.
Two hours later, all the trainees were ready with their makeup and outfits.
Seeing no more tasks to help with backstage, Su Ximu prepared to head to the audience seats to meet up with his big brother and third brother.
Before leaving, Wang Xingxing called out to him.
Su Ximu stopped and waited for Wang Xingxing to walk up to him.
Wang Xingxing wore the production team’s performance top but his own pants.
He pulled a small shell craft from his pocket and handed it over: “Supervisor Su, this is for you. Consider it thanks for treating us to food before.”
Upon closer look, the shell craft in Wang Xingxing’s hand was a small music box.
This music box wasn’t cheap at the island supermarket; his four teammates in the group had pooled their popularity points to buy it.
Su Ximu took the shell music box and carefully cradled it in his hands for a look. He felt like he’d made another friend in this world.
He smiled at Wang Xingxing, eyes curving: “I didn’t bring anything today. After the grand performance, I’ll go home and grab a gift for you~”
Home?
Wang Xingxing was stunned for a moment, wondering if this gift meant Supervisor Su was slotting him as a backup player for his own dungeon.
He didn’t believe such a powerful weird wouldn’t have its own dungeon.
But even if he was pre-selected, he probably wouldn’t get the chance to join.
So Wang Xingxing grinned wide and agreed: “Alright, then I’ll be waiting for your gift, Supervisor Su.”
After parting with Wang Xingxing, Su Ximu headed to the audience seats and unsurprisingly ran into his second brother.
He showed his second brother the shell music box, saying in a childish bragging tone: “Second Brother, look! This is the gift Wang Xingxing gave me. He and his teammates bought it together.”
Su Wuzi took the music box and followed the boy’s lead: “Should we give them return gifts?”
“Yeah.” Su Ximu nodded and glanced at the music box again, deciding to seriously think of a good return gift once he got home that night.
As they spoke, they wove through the crowd to their seats.
Su Xuanxiao and Su Jianglou were already seated in adjacent spots.
Su Jianglou had even brought a bulky high-performance camera for his little brother.
After Su Ximu and Su Wuzi sat down, Su Jianglou began teaching the curious Xibao how to use the camera to record the trainees’ performances on stage.
If this were a proper idol selection grand performance, such blatant behavior wouldn’t fly.
But the director’s gaze swept over the audience seats, lingering on the big camera for an instant. Once he saw who was next to it, he immediately pretended not to notice.
Seeing his third brother bring the item in so smoothly—and with no staff organizing things—Su Ximu assumed cameras were allowed. So he earnestly learned from his third brother.
Night fell, and the audience seats gradually filled up.
After the mentors finished hosting, the first trainee took the stage.
The stadium was still somewhat noisy at that point, and the audience hadn’t fully immersed themselves in the grand performance yet.
After the first trainee’s performance ended, his total votes came out quickly—clearly not high.
Upon seeing his vote count, the trainee’s face turned pale instantly. But there was nothing he could do.
Sometimes, bad luck was fatal.
The second trainee finally drew the audience’s full attention to the stage.
At the last moment, some trainee had ignored Rao Fei’s prior warning and gone all out.
Beneath the second trainee’s feet was a field of sharp, cold-glinting metal spikes.
This was a prop he’d requested from the production team.
Amid the soaring music, he danced to the beat, dodging and weaving over the spikes. Blood gradually seeped from the soles of his feet.
As the dance progressed, more blood flowed—not just from his feet, but the spikes even sliced his calves.
The audience below watched, entranced.
When the dance ended and votes were cast, the second trainee earned three times the votes of the first.
The moment he saw the numbers, the trainee—still bleeding from his feet—broke into a smile.
Then came the third, fourth…
Up until the hosting mentor announced the fourteenth.
“Next, please welcome trainee number fourteen, Wang Xingxing, to the stage!”
Cheers erupted from the fans below.
Backstage, Wang Xingxing—now back in his regular competition clothes—sat in a chair, head down staring at the floor and his toes. He made no move.
A minute later, the mentor called again: “Please welcome trainee number fourteen, Wang Xingxing, to the stage!”
The director, who was also backstage, spotted him and immediately came over to urge: “Get on stage!”
Wang Xingxing looked up at the short, fat director standing before him, looming condescendingly. He suddenly raised a brow in provocation and mouthed: I, your father, forfeit.
Get lost, you bully of the weak and fearer of the strong, sleazy dead fatty. You’re ugly enough to kill your daddy.
