My Legs Are Trembling

"I'm so nervous, so nervous..."

"Damn it, damn it, why are there so many people? Can you guys hear the noise?"

"..."

Standing backstage.

The scene here was chaotic.

Only two groups stood on opposite sides of the stage entrance.

They paid no attention to each other.

They couldn’t see their opponents.

But soon, they would each perform their own acts.

This was the final live round.

And the last chance to determine the winner.

This time, Cao Cheng had gone all out.

To be honest,

among these last twenty-plus contestants, there were no losers.

It was like a football tournament—qualifiers, group stages, knockout rounds, quarterfinals, semifinals… and finally, the championship match!

The two teams in the finals would either take gold or silver.

On the surface, silver might seem like a loss.

But in reality, there were no losers.

Even the runner-up prize money was substantial!

However, in competitive events, only the first place truly matters.

So tonight,

the two groups weren’t really competing against each other, because everything depended on votes from across Asia.

Maybe a few members from each team would make it into the final nine.

In other words, tonight’s stage was for them to shine—not to compete.

For many of them, this might be the brightest moment of their entire lives.

Besides,

by now, fans had already made up their minds about who to vote for.

No one would change their support just because of one last performance.

...

At this moment,

both groups watched the live broadcast from backstage.

Hosts Teacher He and Teacher Sa had arrived.

A slew of celebrities had also been invited—partly to encourage the girls, and partly to grab some screen time.

With such high popularity,

everyone was scrambling to be here.

Watching the live feed backstage, the girls were stunned.

Sure, they’d been told the final night would be held in a stadium, with possibly tens of thousands of spectators.

But…

Sixty thousand counted as "tens of thousands"?

Even rounding up, shouldn’t it be closer to a hundred thousand?

And backstage, the crew had multiplied several times over compared to their small-town rehearsals.

Cameras everywhere, assistant directors, production assistants, supervisors…

The noise was overwhelming.

It made the girls even more nervous.

Especially with the live audience.

Not only were there countless fans, but also so many A-list celebrities.

Any one of these stars could overshadow them—in their minds, these were legends.

The hosts alone, Teacher He and Teacher Sa, were top-tier.

And the guests? Jay Chou, Teacher Huanhuan… singers, dancers, entertainers—they’d all come.

After giving their speeches, they took their seats in the front row.

This made the girls even more jittery.

These legends were here to watch them perform?

Wasn’t that just brutal?

And this was being broadcast live across Asia.

The stadium crowd was probably just a fraction of the online viewers.

The CEOs of their agencies were also present.

...

"My—my legs are shaking…" A girl in a red dress clutched the person beside her, staring down at her trembling legs.

She couldn’t control it.

No matter what, they kept trembling.

Another girl patted her shoulder. "Don’t worry, mine are shaking too."

A glance confirmed she wasn’t doing much better.

"Pfft—" A third girl burst out laughing, but her smile quickly twisted into a whimper. "I’m kinda freaking out too…"

These moments were all captured on camera.

Not as flaws, but as endearing quirks.

However,

these scenes weren’t part of the live broadcast—they’d be edited in later.

Tonight was about professionalism and grandeur for the Asian audience.

While these candid reactions were funny and fans would love them, airing them live would feel out of place.

They’d fit better in the post-production cut—that’s what made it a variety show.

Soon,

some of the mentors arrived backstage.

The female coaches comforted the girls, hugging them one by one, urging them not to be afraid.

The longer they waited, the more anxious they became.

But once they stepped onstage, the fear would fade—it was a normal reaction.

...

The live broadcast began at 8 PM.

Hosts and guests took turns giving speeches.

This went on for over half an hour.

Occasionally, the camera panned to the VIP section, filled with CEOs—entertainment company bosses, sponsors, the works.

Front and center sat Cao Cheng.

Some things just don’t hold up under comparison.

Next to him, the other executives looked… less than impressive.

Cao Cheng seemed out of place—he belonged with the artists, given his youthful looks and charm.

The others? Well, let’s just say appearances weren’t their strong suit.

But despite their looks, no one dared underestimate them. Each was worth at least nine figures.

By 9 PM,

the performances began.

Fans chanted along with the countdown on the giant screen.

"Ten!"

"Nine!"

"Eight!"

...

"Girls."

"Go get 'em."

The mentor encouraged one group—they were up first, chosen by draw.

"Remember, don’t get distracted. Just focus on your performance during training, show your most beautiful and dazzling side."

"Tonight might be the biggest stage of your lives, so cherish it. Don’t leave any regrets for yourselves."

"Go—!"

With the mentor’s words, the countdown neared its end.

A group of girls stepped onto the lift platform.

The platform trembled slightly before slowly rising.

The venue suddenly plunged into darkness.

A burst of fireworks exploded in a dazzling display.

On the right side of the stage, the lift revealed over a dozen stunning girls.

The stage on the football field resembled a dumbbell shape, with a long walkway in the middle and two platforms on either side.

The two groups stood apart on opposite ends.

As the girls appeared, the screams from the audience soared to the skies.

Many people wonder why concertgoers often seem like they’re on drugs—it’s actually the atmosphere and emotions of the live experience, which override rational control.

In such an environment, people can’t help but move.

"Ah… Ye Lan—!"

"Xuan Yi, Xuan Yi!!"

"Zi Xuan, Zi Xuan…"

"Chao Yue, you can do it…"

Voices of all kinds came from every direction, making it impossible to distinguish anything clearly.

But under the influence of the electrifying atmosphere, some of the girls actually calmed down.

Their legs still trembled, but their eyes grew sharp with determination.

They had performed on stage before during the show.

Though the audience then wasn’t as large as tonight’s, it had still been close to a thousand people.

They had been nervous then too.

At least they had some experience under their belts.

Soon, an original dance track began. The stage production wasn’t as polished as before, but the live energy was infinitely better.

It was a live broadcast.

Semi-live vocals.

Honestly, live performances never feel as flawless as recorded ones—without post-production mixing and layered instrumentals, something always feels missing.

The flaws get amplified.

But so do the strengths.

It all comes down to individual skill.

...

The show aired in real time, with fans both in the venue and at home glued to the screen, watching the girls pour their youth into the performance.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, staff monitored the data.

They updated the numbers online in real time.

Everyone knew exactly how many votes had been cast.

The fans could see it too.

These votes weren’t just from domestic supporters—data poured in from overseas as well.

Combined, they formed the total tally.

Previously, one person could cast nine votes. With a membership subscription on certain platforms, they could cast another nine.

In total, a single fan could cast 36 votes.

Because there were three voting sites where memberships could be purchased.

But that was just domestically…

If fans had the means to go abroad, or if international fans registered accounts and bought memberships domestically, they could squeeze out another nine votes per platform.

Theoretically, one person could rack up 108 votes!

Vote manipulation?

Absolutely.

It was possible.

After all, who doesn’t have friends and family?

Using your parents’ accounts to vote—could that really be called cheating?

Besides,

This was exactly what Cao Cheng wanted. Without vote manipulation, how could he harvest emotional energy?

If he didn’t exhaust the fans, they’d never realize just how much effort and energy it took to support their idols.

And all that exhaustion, all that struggle—wasn’t it all feeding right back to Mr. Cao?

Honestly, Cao Cheng was being generous. He hadn’t resorted to tactics like "buy sponsored drinks or milk for extra votes"—that would’ve been too much.

But paying for memberships?

That was fine.

How much could a membership even cost?

A six-month subscription was practically pocket change.

Compared to buying endless crates of sponsored milk, this was just a "small token of appreciation."

It wasn’t like it could bankrupt anyone.

Right?

At least, Cao Cheng felt he was being pretty fair.

...

On the voting page, the numbers for every contestant were neck and neck.

Truthfully,

At this stage, none of the girls were weak. The competition was fierce, with margins razor-thin.

Between the 20th and 10th spots, votes hovered around 50 million, with everyone fighting tooth and nail.

By the 9th spot, it jumped to 70 million.

And the top contestant? Over 400 million.

"Cao."

"Hm?" Cao Cheng glanced at Old Wang beside him.

They used to argue constantly—especially over that "Little Cannon" incident—but now they could sit together and share a smoke.

Old Wang grinned. "Next season, you planning to make it just as explosive?"

"Of course." Cao Cheng nodded.

These people had no idea just how much emotional energy he’d harvested in the past six months.

Especially in the last two months—it had rivaled the likes of Honor of Kings and PUBG.

Right now, gaming was the biggest source.

After all, the battlegrounds of Honor of Kings, PUBG Mobile, and PUBG were daily bloodbaths.

PC gaming, especially, still held an edge over mobile.

The global daily active users were nothing to scoff at.

Plus, PC gaming generated richer emotional energy.

At first, Cao Cheng hadn’t understood why. Then he tried it himself and realized—

PC felt more immersive.

The adrenaline spikes were sharper.

The rage after getting killed hit harder.

Naturally, the emotional energy was more potent.

...

Cao Cheng smirked. "What, Old Wang? Planning to debut an even stronger girl group next season?"

Old Wang grinned and said, "That's the idea. If I train like crazy for a year, I can definitely produce some top-quality stuff. This first season was just a lack of preparation. If President Cao goes all out again next season, I won’t fall behind either."

Cao Cheng raised an eyebrow. "Not bad, President Wang. Want to invest in the next season?"

"Invest? Really?" Caught off guard by the sudden offer, Old Wang’s slouched posture instantly straightened, his back rigid with excitement.