If I Can’t Be a Fanboy, I Can Only Debut

Generally speaking, working with guest performers on stage is much easier than regular practice.

After all, when you encounter professional guests, they can handle the stage themselves. Contestants just need to focus on the accompaniment/dance/harmony. There's no need to worry about sharing parts or competing with each other. After all, everyone is the same.

If you come across non-professional guests, it's even simpler. In order to accommodate these guests, the songs won't be too difficult.

Therefore, at the beginning, contestants aren't too nervous.

In Lin Jiawen's group, although she often habitually adds some program effects, which may seem a bit dramatic, everything is casual since there are no scores. The same goes for Cheng Er. After becoming focused on vocals, he has lost many spectators to watch the excitement, so he has also become more well-behaved.

Rainbow Bei has already started to have impromptu fun with the contestants, turning the practice room into a lively dance floor, with everyone dancing and having a blast.

The new guests, on the other hand, are a bit more reserved.

Although Feng Hui wanted to liven up the atmosphere, everyone unconsciously distanced themselves from him to save themselves. This made the situation exceptionally awkward, but the awkwardness seemed to have a strange program effect, so...the atmosphere was still not bad?

Zhou Beibei truly lived up to her reputation as a "beautiful waste." She really couldn't do anything. However, as soon as she entered, she performed a wonderful vocal display and shocked the contestants. Then, she self-deprecatingly made fun of herself, quickly gaining the favor of her group of trainees. The members of the entire group became very harmonious all of a sudden.

Overall, everyone was quite friendly.

After all, this is a variety show, and unlike ordinary people, everyone knows what to show in front of the camera. Even if they have something on their minds, they won't show it.

Just like Wan Bei in the "Cicada" group, who appeared as a guest, the atmosphere was good from the start.

As a seasoned artist, when Wan Bei wanted to create an atmosphere and connect with others, it was effortlessly done. Plus, with the cameras rolling, everyone cooperated as if they had known each other for a long time, rather than meeting for the first time.

But before long, Wan Bei professionally suggested starting the rehearsal. His reasoning was also valid: "Cicada" is a more difficult song and dance, so it may require a lot of time to practice in order to present the best visual effects.

Some people wondered if things were moving too quickly, but being professional is not wrong, so they all agreed.

The progress of the dance rehearsals was not very fast. Firstly, the difficulty of choreography was high, and secondly, the new team needed to get used to each other.

During the stumbling initial period, Wan Bei appeared to be a very considerate senior artist. He often provided crucial guidance and shared stage experiences. Although everyone in the team, except Luo Xin, had experience, they appreciated his care and were deeply moved.

As practice time passed and the dance gradually fell into place, everyone became familiar with each other. Almost all the contestants respected and admired Wan Bei, after all, who wouldn't like a talented, kind-hearted, and helpful senior?

During breaks, they even joke around as if Wan Bei was their peer.

Only Luo Xin, he still had reservations about Wan Bei.

But so far, Wan Bei had yet to show any negative qualities, so Luo Xin started to doubt himself a little. Maybe he was just overthinking?

After all, even though Wan Bei was the slowest in terms of progress within the entire team, he still treated Luo Xin kindly and never showed any impatience. If that was all an act, then Wan Bei might be able to keep up the act until the end of the show.

Luo Xin consoled himself, thinking that maybe Wan Bei wanted to clear his name, so he deliberately suppressed his temper. If that was the case, then he didn't need to worry.

-----

However, just as Luo Xin gradually let his guard down, not long after, Wan Bei showed his true colors.

According to the original schedule, the team should have had a whole group rehearsal on the third day to cultivate their teamwork. All the organized dancing had more than hundreds of off-stage practice as a basis. They also aimed to showcase their talents as top players on the knife dance.

But after practicing a few times, Wan Bei suddenly stopped the music, then thought for a moment before saying, "I have an idea."

After several days of practice, everyone had a good impression of Wan Bei, so they all agreed when he suggested choosing someone from the contestants to take the center position and adding a more complicated killing part to a certain section to give the audience a surprise.

After everyone agreed, Wan Bei asked, “So, does anyone want to compete for this center position?”

Although times have changed, Chinese people still tend to show humility in front of the camera. When Wan Bei asked the question, everyone appeared to be thinking, even if they had thoughts in their minds.

Only Wei Mu raised his hand in a matter of seconds.

To be honest, Wei Mu is not outstanding in the team, nor among the competitors.

Although his ranking is higher than Luo Xin, when it comes to fame, Luo Xin surpasses him by far.

Wei Mu's situation is similar to that of Feng Hui in the past: not popular, with a small number of fans. However, each of his fans is a dedicated supporter who helped him reach a high position through crowdfunding.

In theory, by reaching a high position, many people would definitely notice him, and then the cycle of gaining fans—high position—gaining fans would continue, leading to a surge in popularity and a rush towards debut.

However, Wei Mu has a unique characteristic: he doesn't have any distinguishing traits.

When we mention someone, whether it's their persona, character, or works, there is usually a standout point. There are always moments of impressive performance on numerous occasions, serving as a highlight to attract fans.

But Wei Mu lacks all of these.

He can dance, but compared to the competitors who have won world championships, domestic championships and certificates are not that impressive. He also has experience in talent shows and performances, but they were all in unknown local stations and small programs. His performances in these shows weren't outstanding either, partly because the program segments were relatively simple and didn't provide much experience...

Maybe it's because of his shy personality or maybe he's not good at competing, but he has never been in the center position in any of the stages he participated in before.

In short, Wei Mu is someone with decent skills in all aspects, but that's about it.

If the similar type, Shang Lin, is someone who practices every skill at 4.5 out of 5, then Wei Mu is someone who practices them at 4 out of 5.

He's good, but not exceptionally outstanding.

Not good enough? But he does have some talent.

And the most crucial point is that Wei Mu is already quite old. For many struggling idols, 27 years old is an awkward age. In the competition, he is older than the youngest competitor by a decade.

One day during practice, he suddenly realized that he can no longer just go with the flow due to his age. Although his votes were increasing, his ranking was continuously dropping. At this rate, it's hard to say if he will be eliminated in the next round.

Therefore, when he heard that he could choose the center position and have the killing part, Wei Mu didn't hesitate to raise his hand.

He needed this opportunity.

This way, even if he leaves, he'll have something to remember.

I don't know if I should say that Wei Mu is finally lucky this time, with teammates who are just right for the occasion.

Although they have a high ranking, their ranking is so high that they do not put much emphasis on the center position anymore. At the very least, they didn't fight for it no matter what happened. Their personalities are good enough that they stepped back when they saw the desire in Wei Mu's eyes.

Of course, Luo Xin, who is at the bottom of the list in terms of popularity and skills, has no right to speak.

At this time, his gaze has been fixed on the hand that Wen Tongbo has placed on Shao Xiangchen's shoulder, trying to shoot down his rival with his eyes. He's too full of spirit to care about the center position.

In this way, Wei Mu suddenly got the center position that was newly added to the "Mayfly" group.

Everyone was delighted, and the atmosphere in the group became harmonious again.

Except for Wan Bei.

He didn't show it on the surface, but he had cursed everyone in his heart. His eyes were full of gloom.

What kind of brotherly love are you doing? He just wants to see these sissies fight for a position, like dogs fighting for a bone. He has endured it for so many days just to watch the play. Isn't this just mocking him now?

Yes, Wan Bei never thought of getting along with these players from beginning to end.

Of course, he joined the program to clear his reputation. As long as he showcases his exceptional talent on a  professional stage, he can easily quell the previous controversies. This approach has always been his trusty weapon.

That is why he initially pretended to be on good terms with them.

However, it does not mean that he is willing to help these effeminate men set the stage. Who is he? Even in the past, he refused to perform with them as his backup dancers. And now, they expect him to share the same stage with them?

After playing the gentle senior for several days, Wan Bei got tired of it, so he simply used a C position as a bait to see if the contestants will tear each other apart. 

However, all of this was destroyed by that Wei Mu.

Although he had a smile on his face, he already held a grudge against Wei Mu in his heart, and looked at him with dark eyes.

Want to take the C-position? Let's see if you have what it takes!

After securing the C-position, Wan Bei provided specific guidance since the routine for that spot had its unique moves. The others continued practicing the group choreography as planned.

While practicing the dance with his teammates, Luo Xin would occasionally glance over to see how Wei Mu was doing.

Wan Bei seemed to be quite generous, as he designed impressive and fierce moves for Wei Mu. His performance was undoubtedly a highlight. Especially the move where he did a side flip, dropped to his knees, and kicked, it was so cool that a few of the top performers couldn't help but drool in secret.

Of course, being impressive also meant it was highly challenging. So, Wei Mu spent almost the entire day practicing that move, starting from being unfamiliar with it and gradually getting used to it.

By midnight, when everyone was getting ready to rest, Wei Mu's execution of the move had a hint of finesse.

As everyone was leaving, they all praised him and, of course, paid attention to his well-being: "Wei Mu, we're heading out first, get some rest!"

Before Shao Xiangchen left, he gave a special reminder: "This move can strain your legs, remember to apply some ointment when you get back tonight."

Wan Bei also shared a few tips on knee care, his words sincere and passionate.

Shang Lin wasn't very good with words, but he quietly left the ointment he brought with him in Wei Mu's dormitory after they returned.

As for Luo Xin, he looked at Wan Bei, who appeared fatigued, and asked, "Teacher Wan, aren't you leaving for now?"

Wanbei still wore his signature smile, appearing gentle as he said, "Not yet, I'll stay with Wei Mu. You guys go back first."

Wei Mu was deeply moved by Wan Bei's attitude and said, "Thank you, Big Brother Bei. I'll practice hard."

Luo Xin initially wanted to say a few words of caution but gave up as Wan Bei kept his eyes on Wei Mu. He decided to go back and rest like his other teammates since he still had to handle some things for Shao Xiangchen's fan club.

Besides, Wan Bei had been acting normally these past few days, so there shouldn't be any issues without a warning.

Later on, Luo Xin regretted his decision countless times. He wondered if things could have turned out differently if he had alerted Wei Mu ahead of time.

-----

Early the next morning, Luo Xin entered the practice room according to his own biological clock to prepare for the day's practice, only to find that the lights were on. Faint music could be heard inside, and it was the chorus of "Mayfly": "Sing, sing, with your last breath; Jump, jump, with your flesh and blood as the enemy..."

The short three sentences of the chorus kept playing on repeat. The speaker seemed to have been in use for too long and was starting to distort, giving people a twisted feeling.

Luo Xin felt uneasy and immediately opened the door to the lounge.

Wan Bei was standing with his arms crossed and looking at Wei Mu with contemptuous eyes. He kept mocking him, "My god, how many times have we been over this? With the way you're dancing, what are we going to do on stage?"

"What if our stage is ruined because of you?"

"You're not good enough at dancing!"

"Let's do it again..."

When he said this, his mic had already been thrown aside, so it wasn't picked up. But because of the close distance, Wei Mu could hear it clearly.

It's just that Wei Mu at this moment can't listen to anything anymore.

He hasn't rested all night, his brain has become a mess, he has completely lost the ability to think. Right now, he is acting entirely subconsciously, jumping and kneeling over and over again... Luo Xin opened the door quietly, but was quickly disgusted by this scene.

Wan Bei saw him and pretended calmly: "Luo Xin, Wei Mu is alright. I advised him to rest..."

Unexpectedly, Luo Xin didn't buy it, and stared at him with bloodshot eyes: "Wan Bei, are you human?"

Then he yelled out: "Are the staff are all f*ck*ng dead? Didn’t you see something happened? Come here!”

Within a couple of minutes, he saw a figure running in in a hurry, shoes not properly put on: “Are you all right, are you all right?"

Luo Xin didn't want to be angry about these things anymore, so he just yelled: "Call an ambulance!"

The staff had no time to care about Luo Xin's attitude and tone. He took one glance at Wei Mu's bloody knee and unconscious state and scrambled out. There was no way to know whether he was really calling an ambulance or notifying the leader.

At five o'clock in the morning, most of the contestants are still asleep.

When they woke up, the program team had changed.