The director team's announcement of the new rules brought joy to some and despair to others.
The girls ranked below Lin Mucí were all smiles.
Fan counts were fixed, and the TV station would vet the sources of these fans.
This meant Lin Mucí's fans could never fill all five thousand slots.
However, other fan clubs could band together and vote against her team during their performance.
With this setup, Lin Mucí could be directly eliminated in the fourth round of public performances.
The thought of this made everyone even more excited.
As long as Lin Mucí could be eliminated, each of them would be rid of a formidable enemy!
After all, as long as she remained in "Tomorrow's Idol," her fans would undoubtedly push her to the center position. Their only chance was to use this opportunity to eliminate her in the fourth performance.
Everyone realized this.
Their gazes towards her now held a palpable killing intent.
Yang Weiyang bit her lip, completely at a loss.
The system was equally helpless.
"It seems you've become the target of everyone's arrows. Aside from a few simpletons, everyone wants you eliminated. Hmm, if I were a contestant, I'd want to eliminate you too. With your massive number of anti-fans, host, it seems you're truly in trouble this time."
Lin Mucí snorted.
"What good is idle talk? Come up with a practical solution instead."
The system spread its hands.
"I can't do anything about it. I can't possibly manipulate those five thousand people in the audience to not vote against you. You know it's an unrealistic request. Everyone will oppose you dominating the show, and you will be eliminated."
Lin Mucí truly detested these damn rules, but since her opponents had made their move, she had to respond.
She returned to the practice room. The other girls on her team were dejected, clearly foreseeing their grim fate.
Looking at her, they couldn't help but vent their frustration.
"Why did we have to be on your team? Lin Mucí, we're all going to be dragged down by you this time!"
Before the rules changed, they had been happy, believing they could be carried by Lin Mucí.
Now, they felt like they would be dragged down and ruined by her, eliminated directly in this performance, unable to even finish a complete song.
"What's the point of dancing or singing? We're finished!"
Yet, a stubborn resolve bloomed in Lin Mucí's heart.
"How can we be finished?
Failing to sing or dance well is true ruin. There are only five thousand people here, but the audience watching the show numbers at least five million. We can't let them down. I just want to be able to do so with a clear conscience."
But everyone else was dispirited and lacked enthusiasm.
She finished dancing a routine.
No one practiced with her; they were all listless. Only Yang Weiyang was clumsily trying to learn the moves nearby, making frequent mistakes. She looked at Lin Mucí with an apologetic smile, seeming on the verge of tears.
Once morale is lost,
one can never rise again.
Lin Mucí pursed her lips in silence. She grabbed a bottle of water and walked out.
In the corridor, she chugged the entire bottle of mineral water.
In the dim hallway, sweat beaded on her forehead, trickling down her cheeks onto her slender collarbones.
Every second of her practice was with full effort. Only when she stopped did she realize her limbs had sustained bruises without her knowing.
Footsteps sounded.
She didn't look up, but her voice was cool.
"Are you here to mock me too? After all, everyone thinks I'm finished in the fourth performance."
She had so many anti-fans.
So many people longed to see her fall from her throne in the clouds, shattered to pieces.
But the person opposite her said,
"You won't be finished."
Lin Mucí assumed it was Ling Qianhe, but she hadn't expected it to be someone else entirely – the dance instructor, Lu Anqi!
The senior woman looked at the young girl, dripping with sweat, her eyes filled with a touch of pity.
She squatted down and handed her a bottle of liniment.
"Qianhe opposed the introduction of the 'vote of opposition' mechanism for the fourth performance, but everyone else unanimously agreed it would make the show more engaging and exciting.
He went to see the TV station executives, and after some discussion, the rules you see now were finalized.
But it's not that he didn't try.
Lin Mucí lowered her head, her eyelashes trembling.
"Are you trying to explain him?"
Lu Anqi shook her head.
"I'm not explaining him. You're the most talented girl I've ever seen, and I naturally want girls with your genuine talent to shine in this industry.
But you should know, among the contestants, Lu Keke's uncle is a director, her father is a high-ranking executive at the TV station, and her mother invests in a video website. She herself has consistently ranked in the top five. Her debut is all but certain, satisfying all parties.
While Lin Mucí's family is wealthy, they lack the industry connections that Lu Keke has.
Lu Keke's singing and dancing are generally above average, and with effective marketing, her popularity is indeed considerable.
She, Lin Mucí, and Yang Weiyang are the 'big three' in terms of popularity on 'Tomorrow's Idol.'
Of course, in terms of active fans, Lin Mucí's lead is astronomical, but she has too many anti-fans, making her far less likable than Lu Keke.
Lin Mucí remained silent.
Lu Anqi looked at her.
"There's actually another way. You can switch teams. If you switch to Lu Keke's team, the TV station will definitely not let her be eliminated. This way, when selecting the audience, they'll bring in a large number of your and Lu Keke's fans to vote for you.
However, to create conflict and drama, the show will need a scapegoat.
Yang Weiyang is poor at both singing and dancing, and has no connections.
She only has a beautiful face. Her reaching this point is already quite an achievement. After her debut, she would be a liability to any team.
Being eliminated here would be considered an upset, providing the show with drama.
The female mentor looked at her with a mixture of pity and resolve.
"The industry is like this; only those with power and influence get the most dazzling opportunities."
But Lin Mucí looked at a dim desk lamp in the distance. She pushed away the bottle of liniment, her posture stubborn. She bit her lip and stood up.
"I refuse."
She didn't even hesitate for a moment.
The system cried out in alarm.
"Host, quickly accept! It doesn't matter if Yang Weiyang is eliminated. She can still act; she's destined for stardom with her looks anyway. You need to win first place on this show to gain recognition, and you need that recognition to exchange for points to save Ling Qianhe! Quickly accept!"
"According to the main storyline, Yang Weiyang is meant to be eliminated! You don't need to defy fate for her!"
But Lin Mucí completely ignored the system's clamor.
She knew how to maximize her benefits.
But she simply didn't want to.
She turned back to the practice room and looked at the girl huddled in the corner, still clumsily practicing her dance.
She asked,
"Do you want to debut? Do you want to act or debut as a group?"
Yang Weiyang looked at her with dazed eyes, a hint of self-pity surfacing.
"I...
She sniffled.
"I don't want to be eliminated. That would mean I've lost, and I don't want to lose. I've worked so hard, I don't want to admit defeat."
The cool-faced Xiao Ci smiled, hugged her, and whispered warmly in her ear.
"Okay.
You will get your wish. I will take you with me to debut and become the world's biggest star."
Who said there's no need to defy fate?
She was determined to do it!
The system was having a headache. Lin Mucí, however, said,
"What are you afraid of? I'll get points for myself by taking first place, and I'll also get points to change Yang Weiyang's fate. Double the points, that's even better! So, we just need to win, right?"
The system was like a drowned chicken, soaked in heavy rain.
"But, *sob sob sob*, how do we win?
Unless Ling Qianhe cheats for you! Otherwise, I really can't imagine how you'll win when the entire venue is filled with your anti-fans!"
An entire venue of anti-fans, how could she possibly win?