The fact that Yang Chaoyue made her debut was something many never saw coming.
Backstage, The Fourth was utterly stunned.
Wait… it’s really this girl?
Was there vote manipulation?
The Fourth immediately instructed her assistant: "Check the authenticity of the voting data. See if there’s any cheating, and look into the fan feedback. Have the PR team guide the discussion around the show’s topics. I don’t want things spiraling out of control."
"Got it, Fourth Sister," the secretary replied, pulling out her phone and stepping out of the backstage room.
The Fourth was worried about vote manipulation.
Not that Cao Cheng would rig things to win a bet, but rather that Yang Chaoyue’s management company might have interfered.
The Fourth still didn’t know Yang Chaoyue was actually signed under their own company.
They also needed to keep an eye on the comments.
Of course,
some preparations had already been made in advance.
After all, this was a massive show, and with the final nine-member lineup debuting, the company had surely taken precautions to prevent any mishaps.
……
"Who? Who’s sixth place?"
"Yang Chaoyue? That crybaby?"
"No way, she made it?"
"Hey, are you serious? We joke around, but this girl—she’s got looks when it comes to singing, looks when it comes to dancing… As her fans, voting her into the debut lineup—are you helping her or setting her up for failure?"
"Good point, bro. These fans must be insane. Even if they love her, shouldn’t they consider whether she’s actually qualified?"
"Exactly. None of the final twenty-something contestants were weak, but this girl? She’s got nothing."
"Come on, she’s improved over the past six months!"
"I’ll admit the 'Eight Golden Flowers' dominate, but Yang Chaoyue? All she’s got is a pretty face. And even her crying isn’t that cute. Besides, everyone improved over six months!"
"Rigged."
"Definitely rigged. My Korean queen was way better…"
"Yeah yeah, your Korean queens are the best—total legends."
"HAHAHAHA…"
……
The comments were all over the place.
But surprisingly, accusations of rigging weren’t that common.
Maybe people knew Miracle Media well enough.
They knew Miracle Media wouldn’t stoop to something so cheap.
Besides,
if Miracle Media really wanted to rig things, why pick someone with no obvious talent?
Wouldn’t that just scream "rigged"?
So,
it didn’t seem like a setup.
Only a small fraction of fans—those whose favorites didn’t make it—were throwing tantrums, spewing insults everywhere.
Emotions were running high.
Of course,
the biggest factor was the presence of over thirty auditors from more than a dozen countries, all monitoring the data in real time.
If something shady had happened… there’s no way it wouldn’t have leaked.
If this were like some shady lottery with just two auditors, sure, you could suspect they were puppets, easily bribed.
But with so many countries involved,
so many auditors,
if even one had a shred of integrity, they’d have exposed any foul play—maybe even called it out on the spot.
That’s why most people didn’t believe it was rigged.
Miracle Media’s "Eight Golden Flowers" had all debuted—why risk everything for the ninth spot?
Was it worth it?
That was the logic.
No flaws there.
……
On stage,
Yang Chaoyue was in shock.
She never expected to debut.
At her peak, she had briefly overtaken the "Eight Golden Flowers," stealing the spotlight.
But as the show progressed, her ranking slipped—from second place to fourth, sixth, seventh, ninth, eleventh…
A slow but steady decline.
No dramatic drops, just a gradual fade.
Yet somehow, on the final night—the grand finale—she surged back to sixth place.
And made the lineup.
Suddenly, she was a top-tier idol.
It felt surreal.
The noise around her seemed to vanish.
As if the entire world had disappeared, leaving only her.
She stood there, dazed—
until another contestant hugged her. "Congrats on debuting!"
That snapped her back to reality.
The noise rushed in.
Memories flooded her mind.
Her head spun slightly…
One by one, the girls she’d trained with for half a year embraced her, offering congratulations. She thanked them through tears.
Those closer to her even wiped her cheeks.
Then, guided by the hosts, she walked down the center stage’s "Dragon Path."
Sixty thousand people in the venue—
plus countless viewers behind the cameras—
all eyes were on her.
She felt like she’d forgotten how to walk.
Step by awkward step, she made it to the other side, where the nine-member throne awaited.
The other eight came down to hug her.
Then they took her hands and led her to the sixth seat.
……
Once all nine were in place—
BOOM—BOOM—
Fireworks exploded overhead.
The sky blazed with color.
Awards were handed out.
The remaining contestants received prizes—big red envelopes and endorsement deals with small brands.
But the cameras barely lingered on them.
All attention was on the debut group…
Finally, the group’s name was announced.
They changed into dazzling new outfits.
And then came the big reveal: a full Asia tour, starting early next year! New songs, a new album, new choreography!
As the livestream wrapped up,
headlines everywhere were dominated by the nine.
They completely took over the news cycle.
A celebratory banquet followed.
Executives and investors all showed up.
……
But the show wasn’t over yet.
They still had to return to the training village.
Pack their things.
Film their final moments.
Capture the emotions of leaving.
Photos and group shots would be displayed on the village’s bulletin boards.
Only after the official finale would everyone return to their home countries.
……
"It feels so empty now…"
Fans were already deep in discussion post-livestream.
"The livestream ending means the show’s ending too."
"It was just a variety show, but half a year flew by."
"These six months felt like nothing."
"Right? Feels like they just entered the village yesterday. I remember how nervous some of them were at first. Now, half a year later…"
"I’m gonna miss this so much."
"Hey, about that Asia tour they mentioned—when do tickets go on sale?"
"There’s a tour?"
"Seriously? You missed that part?"
"I was watching, but I zoned out. Didn’t catch the tour announcement."
"How do you zone out during that? They said after New Year’s, the Asia tour kicks off. Probably hitting every country."
"I was gonna ask about the tour too. Isn’t it too rushed? They mentioned a whole new album and new dances."
"Yeah, seems kinda fast."
"I think it's fine. It's November now, and there's still two or three months until after the New Year. With these girls' skills, choreographing, singing, and collaborating shouldn't be a problem."
"The Eight Golden Flowers won't have an issue, but there's still Yang Chaoyue among them..."
"Pfft!! You’re right. Two or three months definitely won’t be enough—more like two or three years."
"Hahaha..."
"Stop talking nonsense! What’s wrong with our Yang Chaoyue? She’s literally the goddess of luck, a born koi fish. Pray to her now and then, pass on the good fortune, and your family will thrive, money will roll in, and peace will last a hundred years. (Image of Yang Chaoyue glowing!)"
"Damn~~~ that’s one hell of a pic."
"Passing it on."
"Passing it on..."
"Passing it on!"
"..."
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
