In mid-air, there were even ships, hoverboards, and more floating around. Subtitles surrounded the main stage, constantly drifting and rolling. Upon closer inspection, they were the barrage comments from the viewers of the livestream, with white fonts and occasional electric flashes. Sometimes, colorful fonts also floated by, larger and more eye-catching than the white ones, indicating the presence of distinguished VIP users.
\[Ah ah ah, take your time, “Battlefire” is truly exceptional! I watched it three times last night! So amazing, sob sob sob!\]
\[Who gets it? Last night, General Spirit was injected with spiritual power, bathed in blood and fought fiercely. I almost died on the battlefield, sob sob sob.\]
\[Hahaha, haven’t I said it so many times already? Don’t inject spiritual power into the protagonist. It’s very likely to get hurt. Why are there still people eager to try it?\]
\[Doesn’t anyone praise Xiaoyu? Xiaoyu’s strategic layout for this battle is quite impressive. She has improved a lot from the last round!\]
\[Is the friend in the front talking about the part where the final commander turned the tide by his own efforts? Ah ah ah, finally someone is on the same page as me!! I also think that part was so exciting! It gave me goosebumps and I was so excited that I spent the whole night editing fan videos!\]
\[Have you all seen Fang Ji’s “The Last Zerg”? I cried so much! Fang Ji tricked me into tears, sob sob sob\]
\[Me too, my eyes are still swollen. Fang Ji is so good at evoking emotions, every time his endings manage to make me cry.\]
Most of the barrage comments were discussing the plot of last night’s competition movies. However, soon the tone of the barrage changed:
\[I just checked the rankings. Qin Ge and Shui Shui are in danger. Could it be that only one of them will make it? No way, I want to see both of their stories!\]
\[??? Is the person in front of me a high-level commentator for Yan Yue? Hahaha\]
\[Haha, did everyone forget that there’s still another participant??\]
\[Speechless, isn’t it time for Yan Yue to go?!\]
\[Huh? I’ve been offline for half a month, finally managed to get on the star network, and Yan Yue is still there?\]
\[Could it be that the show’s production team is on Yan Yue’s side? Otherwise, with her trashy writing, she shouldn’t have made it this far. It’s hard for me to believe there’s no one behind her in the production team:)\]
\[Fans of Little You Teacher are going to be so infuriated! Let’s ask Yan Yue, how are you going to compensate for stealing Little You Teacher’s spot and life??\]
\[Yan Yue has seriously affected the creative environment and mindset of other contestants. The show initially promised to give all participants the perfect stage, is this your idea of perfection? @StrongestScriptwriter Trashy production team, explain yourselves! How many more excellent participants have to be pushed out by Yan Yue???\]
\[@StrongestScriptwriter Exactly!! Trashy production team, come out and speak!\]
The direction of the barrage gradually became unusual. From initially praising the contestants, the focus shifted to criticizing Yan Yue, then escalated to attacking the production team.
As real-time updates scrolled around the main stage, even the well-composed host’s face grew less pleasant in response to the onslaught of vitriol.
But even the contestants on stage, awaiting the announcement of the competition results, found themselves in an awkward position.
System 666 couldn’t help but comment: \[The original host truly played the role of a worthy contrast…\] The hatred toward Yan Yue was palpable.
Yan Yue casually sat at her spot, seemingly unaffected by the barrage comments drifting by. Next to her, Qin Zhenyun’s consoling words were cut off as Yan Yue glanced his way, her disinterested demeanor shutting down his attempt to offer water.
Watching from three seats away, An Xiaoyu rolled her eyes and leaned closer to Su Manman, whispering, “Qin Zhenyun is really good at currying favor. He was criticizing Yan Yue for taking Little You Teacher’s spot earlier, and now he’s complimenting her. He probably thinks there’s someone backing her within the production team.”
An Xiaoyu couldn’t stand people who were two-faced like Qin Zhenyun, and she didn’t hold back her disdain for his attempts at flattery.
The barrage comments attacking Yan Yue allowed An Xiaoyu to revel in a sense of satisfaction. In the previous competition, Yan Yue had nearly caused her to miss the deadline. Any pretense of “pretending not to be glad about it” was false. An Xiaoyu relished seeing a barrage comment suggesting Yan Yue’s elimination, suppressing a laugh and whispering to Su Manman, “She deserves it!”
Su Manman cast her an exasperated look, a hint of disagreement in her eyes. An Xiaoyu, not receiving validation, pouted but was used to Su Manman’s straightforward and non-gossipy character.
Turning her gaze back to Yan Yue, An Xiaoyu observed Yan Yue’s nonchalant posture while her right hand trembled imperceptibly.
Given the current situation, wouldn’t Yan Yue have to leave? Even the production team would find it hard to justify keeping her, right? With the situation having escalated to this point, they would probably have to control public opinion, and Yan Yue was the prime target.
An Xiaoyu took delight in this thought—Yan Yue leaving would be a good riddance.
Among the contestants present, many shared An Xiaoyu’s thoughts. With the “six out of five” format this time, nobody wanted to be eliminated, and seeing Yan Yue—a contestant with less substance—go would be perfect!
But would Yan Yue really leave? Even the contestant hailed as the champion favorite, Little You Teacher, had been eliminated by Yan Yue…
Would she truly be eliminated??
The atmosphere in the arena suddenly became tense. The host wiped sweat from his forehead, his smile wavering slightly as he continued, “After a night of voting, I now hold the final results in my hands.”
The barrage comments fell silent for a few seconds as the host’s words hung in the air. During these moments, the final voting results were displayed for everyone to see.
The voting channel was closed a minute before the results were announced. This meant that the voting was still open while Yan Yue was called onto the main stage.
Just seeing that the works of the six contestants had columns that were gradually rising above them.
Qin Zhenyun, who had been trying to comfort Yan Yue, watched as her votes stopped increasing. He was surprised and pretended to look regretful, patting Yan Yue’s shoulder and saying gently, “It’s okay, you’ve performed really well.”
The other contestants, seeing Yan Yue’s seemingly impending elimination, breathed a sigh of relief. At least for this round, they had secured their spots.
As for System 666, it was starting to panic: \[Boss, aren’t you even a bit anxious? We’re about to be eliminated!! Wake up!! Start working!!\]
Yan Yue, still nonchalant, replied, “No rush at all.”
System 666 couldn’t take it anymore: \[Not anxious! We’re already last, and you’re not anxious! If we fail, we’ll have to do ten more rounds to retire! Wake up!! Get to work!!\]
Yan Yue remained unfazed, replying casually, “Not anxious! Isn’t there a saying? The contrast group won’t give up easily.”
System 666 was bewildered: \[??? What do you mean? Is the author trying to expose the contrast group?\]
Yan Yue’s lips curled into a smirk, “Isn’t it more enjoyable to expose and humiliate them openly?”
Seeing the barrage comments from the fans of the female lead filling the screen, in no way different from the screams at the scene, Yan Yue’s expression was unperturbed.
Qin Zhenyun, noticing that Yan Yue’s vote count had stopped increasing, was astonished. However, after a brief moment of surprise, he regained his composure, wearing a gentle elder brother smile and comforting Yan Yue in a soft voice, “It’s okay, you’ve done great.”
The other contestants shared complex expressions, and even Su Manman, despite her initial surprise, began to understand the reasoning. This new revival round was fair in a way.
Meanwhile, for Qin Zhenyun, his emotions were a mix of confusion. Like riding a roller coaster, he now firmly believed that Yan Yue was the female protagonist of the show. He, Qin Zhenyun, was determined to win her heart.
Still, his emotions were complex. At that moment, he turned his gaze towards Yan Yue again, observing her trembling right hand—evidence of nervousness about the competition results.
So, was it just his imagination earlier? Why did he find Yan Yue’s smile attractive? In that smile, he detected a condescending scrutiny that unsettled him.
Originally, he intended to use this opportunity to get closer to Yan Yue. After observing her survival skills throughout the competition, he realized her background was formidable. If he could win her over, that would be perfect.
Qin Zhenyun had confidence in his appearance. By now, his fan base exceeded his work’s fan base by several times. But just moments ago, he felt like Yan Yue saw through him…
Shifting his gaze to Yan Yue’s trembling right hand, Qin Zhenyun concluded that his earlier thoughts were just illusions.
Meanwhile, Yan Yue maintained her act of nervousness while awaiting the final judgment. 666, panicking, finally commented, \[Wow, that was amazing!\]
The atmosphere grew tense as the host’s announcement didn’t match the results everyone was expecting.
The host quickly announced the revival round’s rules and closed the live stream. Back in their respective creative chambers, contestants’ moods varied.
An Xiaoyu, Shui Shui, and Fang Ji found the sudden introduction of the revival round odd, but they couldn’t do much about it. After all, Yan Yue wasn’t the only one who could participate in the revival round; the six previously eliminated contestants could too.
Su Manman, no longer surprised, quickly realized the fairness of the situation. It was a reasonable development.
As for Qin Zhenyun, his feelings were the most complex. His emotions had been like a roller coaster ride. By now, he was certain that Yan Yue was the female protagonist of the show. He, Qin Zhenyun, would find a way to win her heart.
…
In the meantime, in the special screenwriter office on the 99th floor of the Imperial Entertainment Culture X Building.
The man put down his water glass and asked his assistant, “How’s the situation with the production team?”
The assistant replied, “It’s been handled. The production team has opened up the revival round channel.”
The man nodded in satisfaction. “Good. This should add an unexpected twist to the competition.”
His assistant hesitated for a moment before speaking cautiously, “Sir, may I ask why you decided to introduce the revival round at this stage? It’s quite unprecedented.”
The man leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. “You see, my dear assistant, sometimes you have to stir the pot to keep things interesting. The audience’s engagement is vital for the success of the show. By introducing this unexpected twist, we’re giving them something to talk about, speculate on, and ultimately keep them hooked.”
The assistant nodded in understanding. “It makes sense. But won’t this affect the original storyline and contestants’ efforts?”
The man chuckled softly. “Of course, it will have an impact. But isn’t that what storytelling is about? Facing challenges and adapting to unexpected turns. The contestants’ real abilities will shine through even more in this revived round.”
The assistant smiled, starting to see the bigger picture. “You’re right. This will bring out their true capabilities and make the competition even more exciting.”
“Exactly,” the man replied with a satisfied grin. “And besides, a little bit of pressure and unpredictability never hurt anyone. It’ll make their journey more memorable, both for them and the viewers.”
As they conversed, the assistant’s phone buzzed with a message. Glancing at the notification, the assistant’s eyes widened. “Sir, there’s something you should know. The online discussions about the show’s revival round are escalating quickly. Some fans are even suspecting that the show has manipulated the results.”
The man’s eyes gleamed with interest. “Oh? Let me see.”
The assistant quickly opened a social media platform, showing the man a trending hashtag related to the show’s revival round. Many viewers were expressing skepticism about the sudden introduction of the round and speculating about possible behind-the-scenes manipulations.
The man leaned in to read some of the posts. “Hmmm, seems like we’ve hit a nerve. People love a good conspiracy theory, don’t they?”
The assistant nodded. “It’s generating buzz and discussion, which is what we wanted. But some fans are genuinely upset.”
The man’s expression turned serious. “We’ll need to address this carefully. We can release a statement explaining the decision and emphasizing the fairness of the revival round. Transparency is key.”
The assistant agreed. “Yes, that’s a good idea. It will help ease some of the concerns and prevent the situation from escalating further.”
The man leaned back in his chair again. “Well, it seems we have our work cut out for us. Let’s handle this situation swiftly and efficiently.”
The assistant nodded, already typing out a draft of the statement. “I’ll draft the statement and run it by you for approval.”
“Perfect,” the man said with a satisfied nod. “And as for the contestants, let them face this new challenge head-on. It will reveal their true character and make for compelling content.”
The assistant smiled. “Understood. We’ll manage the situation and ensure that the show continues to capture the audience’s attention.”
With a final nod of agreement, the man and his assistant focused on addressing the challenges posed by the unexpected revival round, determined to maintain the intrigue and excitement of the competition.