The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 242 Is your only asset your innocence?
"..."

Amidst the screams of the girls on set, the VJ in charge of filming captured the trainees' expressions on camera. The VCR produced by the program team was extremely well-made and looked impressive. However, the VJ believed that with the artist's resume as it was, no matter how it was edited, it would still be admirable beyond words.

The VCR opens with a scene from Makoto Miyazaki's "Fake Love"—in a glass-enclosed room, online insults are replaced by chains of code interwoven with fireworks. A tall figure stands amidst the "hellish" flames, a fleeting glimpse of longing and sorrow in his pained eyes. A crisp "crack" of shattering glass rings out at the opportune moment, and shards of mirror shatter and dance in the air…

The screen plunges into darkness, then instantly displays the black-and-white Billboard Hot 100 website. The video footage is divided into five vertical black frames, each representing a different period in Gong Cheng's career throughout the past year. His five number-one singles—"Rockstar," "Shape of You," "...", and "Peaches"—jump unstoppably up the charts, the red rocket logo and Billboard's chart data cold, ruthless, and domineering… No. 1, No. 1, No. 1…

...As the progress bar of the VCR slid to the end, a blurry online video suddenly cut in...

The watermark in the upper right corner of the image reads "Paris Fashion Week 2017." Amidst the violent camera shake, golden plane tree leaves flutter down from the Champs-Élysées, as if shaken off by the sweltering heat of the crowd. As Gong Cheng's black figure approaches from the direction of the Arc de Triomphe, the entire street suddenly erupts in chaos. The dark figures in the frame resemble a sea of ​​people, a cacophony of camera shutters and screams in French blending into a deafening roar…

"Global Popularity TOP1, Global Search Trend TOP1..."

……

"Annyeonghaseyo, I am Tarot, the representative of the national producers."

Gong Cheng, dressed in a black shirt and crisp trousers, walked up to Jeon Somi and Kang Daniel, picked up the microphone, and greeted the 96 trainees standing in front of the chairs with a smile. They looked to be in good spirits, their excited eyes and youthful faces occasionally whispering among themselves.

"..." Kang Daniel smiled, but as an entertainer, he was acutely aware of the camera's presence and felt a little awkward, subtly taking a step back. The most taboo thing for celebrities in the industry is standing on the same stage as this guy, the so-called "being in the same frame." Putting aside the possibility of fans trying to put him down, the main reason is that standing next to him is very stressful. He had heard about this from his friends when he first debuted last year.

But today's recording was his first time meeting this senior, and the pressure immediately increased the moment he saw him backstage. WANNA ONE has been doing well since last year, and he is one of the most popular members. He finally has a chance to improve his career, and he doesn't want to lose fans because he's overshadowed by this guy.

"Oh my god, this face looks so authoritative!"

"Seriously, her body proportions are absolutely amazing..."

"..."

Jeon Somi smiled, glancing silently at her fellow MC, then at that oppa. Putting aside looks, Kang Daniel, at 180cm, looked almost ten centimeters shorter next to that oppa wearing flat shoes…

“Representative nim…”

Ninety-six trainees bowed in unison to greet the audience. After a brief introduction, MC Jeon Somi began the recording process, explaining, "Next will be performances organized by agency, with mentors providing evaluations and then offering corresponding lessons to help everyone achieve an A grade..."

The trainees immediately tensed up. Reminded by the staff, trainees from the companies with earlier performance schedules headed backstage to prepare, where they would also be interviewed briefly and the footage would be recorded during the broadcast. Besides its brutal selection and elimination system, "Produce 48" also documents the trainees' emotional journeys, providing entertainment and showcasing the multifaceted personalities of each trainee.

After the call was finished, Jeon Somi and Kang Daniel went backstage to rest. Somi glanced at his sweaty forehead, smiled but didn't say anything, and started chatting with Gong Cheng's manager, Kim Daewoo, "Daewoo oppa, is Tarot oppa's flight tomorrow night?"

“Somi.” Kim Daewoo had just finished dealing with some personal business. A few days ago, Gong Cheng had asked him to help purchase property. He had already found a listing for a detached villa. Upon seeing Jeon Somi, he smiled and replied, “Yes, it’s a flight to Macau tomorrow night.”

……

Why do you want Tarot to be the instructor?

Led by staff, Kang Hye-won from 8D Creative Agency entered the small interview room. Dressed in a simple dark dress, her long, black hair cascading down her back, she faced the camera with a gentle expression, answering the program's questions, "It's an honor to meet Tarot oppa on the show... senior..."

Do you like Tarot?

“Yeah, I feel like all the trainees’ goal is to become an artist like Tarot senior.” Kang Hye-won said seriously, with her cheerful personality. “Many of the new trainees in our company are very young, and they chose to become trainees because of Tarot senior.”

"..."

……

Gong Cheng and Cheetah, along with other mentors, sat in the front row, flipping through the files of trainees from various entertainment agencies on the table. He glanced at his watch and estimated that it would be three or four in the morning by the time the trainees finished performing.

"You said we could take a photo with Tarot after the show recording?"

"Please, we've already recorded a show with Tarot, we're already on screen together, okay?"

"What are you thinking? We might not even be on camera..."

"..."

Quiet whispers emanated from the 96 pink and white crystal chairs. After a brief respite, Gong Cheng took a sip of water, and the recording of the program resumed. He looked towards the aisle where the trainees about to appear were from Yuehua Entertainment.

"Hi Shihyun, ah yeah." Bae Yoonjung, who served as a mentor in the first season of Produce 101, smiled and picked up the microphone to greet Kim Shihyun, who had participated in the first season.

Gong Cheng stared at the three trainees from Yuehua Entertainment. The one talking to Pei Yunjing was Kim Shih-hyun. She was wearing a burgundy long-sleeved top and a black short skirt, looking very capable and playful. But the way she smiled as she spoke to him made him feel that she looked a bit like the company's "national first love," Bae Suzy.

The trainee standing in the middle wore a light purple short-sleeved shirt, black shorts, and a white name tag with black lettering that read "Wang Yiren" on her chest. The trainee on the right with a low ponytail, Cui Ruina, wore a white short-sleeved shirt, black shorts, and fishnet stockings on her thighs.

Just before the three were about to perform, Pei Yunjing suddenly turned her head to Gong Cheng, who was sitting in the middle of the mentors' seat, and asked, "Doesn't she look a bit like Tzuyu?" As an artist under the same company, she felt that Gong Cheng's impression should be more intuitive, so she asked.

"Yes." Gong Cheng sat down in the chair, his eyes, hidden beneath his tousled hair, fixed on Wang Yiren, the center of the Yuehua trainees, and nodded. She does indeed look a little like... Strange, how come one looks like Bae Suzy and the other like Tzuyu?
"Tzuyu-style beauty." Soyou, watching Wang Yiren's preparations on stage, remarked with a similar sentiment. Currently, JYP Entertainment is widely recognized for its three major groups: Tarot, Bombardment Meteor, and Twice. Tzuyu, as the visual center of TWICE, can be said to have debuted solely based on her looks, perfectly catering to the aesthetic preferences of the Korean Peninsula. With TWICE's rise to the top in the past two years, the term "Tzuyu-style beauty" has circulated among fans, referring to her doe-like eyes, short, wide face…

"Please start the music." After taking their positions, Wang Yiren, one of the three members of Yuehua Entertainment, greeted the staff and then began their performance. The song they chose was "Move" by the British girl group Little Mix.

"..."

"Choi Ye-na A..."

"Wang Yiren, Jin Shixuan, B."

After the performance, and following evaluations and scores from the mentors, the overall results were announced to the trainees. The dozens of trainees sitting behind them immediately began whispering among themselves, "This level isn't even good enough for an A?" "..."

Gong Cheng listened to the conversation briefly. Apart from a few trainees from the Korean Peninsula, most of the people making comments were trainees from Japan. He took a sip of water and stopped paying attention. Compared to the other mentors, such as Pei Yunjing and Li Hongji, he was somewhat slacking off.

After all, the mentors are professionals who know how to manage the emotions of the audience and the trainees. In his view, from a professional perspective, few of the trainees present could meet his standards and requirements. He figured he might as well wait until the rankings were completed, then focus on teaching and guiding them based on their individual weaknesses. As for whether they could debut in the end, that would depend on their hard work and talent.

"..."

Woollim Entertainment, 4 trainees. In Gong Cheng's eyes, the trainee who stood out the most was named Kwon Eunbi, who looked somewhat like Bae Joo-hyun, a woman from Daegu? He turned around in surprise and looked back at the rows of trainees sitting behind him. Could there be someone else he recognized?
"Kwon Eun-bi, A"

"Jin Caiyuan, B"

"..."

There was only one trainee representing 8D Creative Entertainment. The trainee who walked onto the stage was wearing a dark dress, with long, flowing hair and a fairly good-looking face, but she looked somewhat dull? Her eyes were lifeless, and she even seemed a little frightened?

Reminded by mentors Bae Yoon-jung and Cheetah, Gong Cheng had no choice but to pick up the trainees' files and carefully review them, preparing to offer some professional commentary after the trainee named Jiang Huiyuan's performance, lest he slack off for too long...

“Annyeonghaseyo, I’m Kang Hye-won, a trainee from 8D Creative Entertainment.”

"You seem quite cheerful?" May J Lee said to Gong Cheng beside her. Gong Cheng placed the documents in front of May J Lee, pointed to the content filled in one of the parentheses, and asked strangely, "Is 'pure' written in the position because you're cheerful?"

Position—an individual's place within a group, also known as their role or role. Just like in a girl group that debuts as a whole, there are various positions: main vocalist, main dancer, lead vocalist, rapper, ace, etc.

Bae Yoon-jung smiled and explained, "In our country, purity is really important, just like you, Tarot, haha~ so handsome that you could debut just by looking at your face."

Gong Cheng smiled, unbuttoned the sleeves of his black shirt, raised his eyelids, and smiled as he looked at Jiang Huiyuan, who was standing straight not far away. "What place do you hope to get with your purity?" he asked curiously. To be honest, she was indeed very pretty. Someone as beautiful as her must be very strong, right? People like Huang Lizhi, Shen Liuzhen, and even the very young Shen Youna in the company are all very capable!
"To put it simply, I hope to be number one." Jiang Huiyuan answered nervously, gripping the microphone tightly. She hadn't expected to be chatting with senior Tarot. After all, when the trainees performed in the previous groups, although this senior was watching the performance very attentively, he never had this kind of demeanor.
"Good luck! If you're pretty and you perform well, that'll be even better! I'm looking forward to you getting an A!" Gong Cheng, holding the microphone, sat at the mentor's table and offered a gentle word of encouragement. He could tell Jiang Huiyuan was a little nervous, so he wanted to comfort her. After all, she was the first trainee he had taken seriously; hopefully, she would give him a pleasant surprise.
Grade A? Come on! I believe in you!
Many trainees sitting in the back row looked at Jiang Huiyuan, who was wearing a dark dress and black high heels, with envy. Her appearance was considered one of the better ones among all the trainees, but Tarot oppa's encouragement and comfort were truly heartwarming...

Jiang Huiyuan took a deep breath and nodded. Her previously somewhat frightened and listless eyes calmed down considerably. In her line of sight, the oppa sat in the center of the mentor's seat, facing her directly. His eyes, hidden beneath his bangs, were earnest and expectant as he awaited her performance. He picked up the microphone and said, "Take a look."

Immediately afterwards, the staff played the intro to the song chosen by Kang Hye-won, IU's song "You and Me".

"Watching the clock~ whispering secrets~"

"Secret~"

In the VJ's shot, Gong Cheng sat on the mentor's seat, twirling a pen in his hand. When Jiang Huiyuan finished singing the first line of the lyrics, he stopped, and the expectant smile on his face froze...

You could tell whether someone was good or bad the moment Huiyuan opened his mouth...

"I feel a tightness in my chest... just bear with it a little longer, wait for me..."

Jiang Huiyuan held the microphone and sang the lyrics in place. Her smooth legs, pressed together in high heels, seemed welded to the ground beneath her dress. Her free hands made random, dance-like gestures as her waist swayed...

"..." The song was off-key, out of tune, and failed to reach any of the higher notes. Her movements were also stiff. Gong Cheng took a deep breath, still smiling, and seriously doubted whether this was really his friend Lee Ji-eun's song. IU's "You and Me" was her first big hit, before she transitioned to a more mature style. He thought the show should invite IU herself to give her feedback...

"Although I want to~~~~"

Gong Cheng and Li Hongji's eyelids twitched involuntarily. He could see that Jiang Huiyuan was still trying hard, her feet in black high heels tapping incessantly on the floor, but it looked very strange, coupled with her singing that was comparable to a car crash...

I feel like I have absolutely no musical talent or ability...

"Please call out my name~~" Jiang Huiyuan's stiff movements continued as she performed the last line of the song on stage. Seeing the expressionless faces of the mentors, she awkwardly smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear, pretending to be busy. But seeing Tarot's still-smiling face calmed her considerably. Compared to the other mentors' expressions, which were written all over their faces, Tarot's expression management was very successful, warming Jiang Huiyuan's heart.

The singing wasn't too bad, was it?

"Thanks……"

After the music ended, Jiang Huiyuan bowed and said something, then stood somewhat awkwardly on the stage, waiting for the mentors' ratings.

The mentors, including Pei Yunjing, all turned their gazes to Gong Cheng without hesitation, showing no intention of picking up the microphone to give their comments. Gong Cheng chuckled, picked up the microphone with a complicated expression, and thought to himself, "I thought I would produce an A-level student!"

He even encouraged Jiang Huiyuan before the performance... Watching her on stage, although her performance was terrible, her attitude was alright, but her singing gave off a feeling that she had a very hard life...

"Do you want to hear the truth?" Gong Cheng asked softly.

Jiang Huiyuan nodded, her eyes filled with anticipation. The other mentors, without even discussing it, quickly wrote down their ratings on paper and handed them to Gong Cheng. Gong Cheng looked at the remarkably consistent ratings from all the mentors; this was the first time today that the mentors had given ratings without any discussion or debate among themselves.

"Is that all you've got? Innocence?" Gong Cheng's face remained smiling warmly by the microphone. But to Jiang Huiyuan, it was like a devastating blow. Tarot, I'm your fan! How could this oppa say something so embarrassing with such a genuine smile?

Her eyes widened suddenly, her smiling face froze in the camera's view, and then Gong Cheng glanced down at the mentor's rating, which didn't even need to be considered, and said softly, "F!"

"Work hard in the days to come, stay strong."

Jiang Huiyuan nodded awkwardly and thanked him. Why again? Senior, you can be serious, F is fine, but why do you have to encourage people? Fortunately, she felt a little better and then left the stage.

Gong Cheng put down the microphone and pushed it away on the table. Sure enough, the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. He decided he wouldn't take on the rest of the performance. Frankly, the judges' ratings were quite fair; the trainees who performed earlier, let alone an A, didn't even have the ability to get a D.

He strongly suspects that he was just thrown in by the agency to make up the numbers and left to fend for himself.

Kim Min-ju, D

"...D"

The next trainee stage featured three consecutive Ds. Then, a large-scale performance by various AKB48 teams began, and the pace of the entire event quickened.

"Erina Oda, C"

"Ayana Shinozaki, F"

"..."

AKB48, NMB48, SKE48... Nearly twenty people performed on stage for various groups. Among them, the trainee who received the highest rating was actually the well-known Erina Oda, who received a C. The rest all received F ratings and a few D ratings.

Many of the Japanese trainees sitting in the back row looked pale and became anxious and nervous. Even though very few people from the Korean Peninsula received an A rating, some did. But the highest rating among the AKB48 trainees was C. The sound of Japanese conversation could be heard throughout the recording studio.

Gong Cheng glanced at the time on his wristwatch. Because of his good command of Japanese, he occasionally acted as a translator for the mentors and offered words of encouragement to the trainees who were disappointed and saddened by receiving an "F".

"..."

Under the relentless pressure from their mentors, many trainees from Japan left the stage with tears in their eyes. The different methods and directions in training artists between the two countries resulted in the near-total elimination of the AKB48 trainees present.

Even though they had been in the Japanese idol scene for several years, objectively speaking, Japanese idol groups focus more on the emotional value output of fans, which results in many trainees learning to sing and dance on their own after debut activities. They lack experience and their skills are average or even poor.

However, in the almost assembly-line K-pop industry on the peninsula, the threshold for trainees to debut is very high. Each agency has dedicated teachers who focus on cultivating singing and dancing abilities. As a saying circulating among fans in the K-pop fandom goes, "K-pop is a battlefield, and the most popular groups and artists are the best of the best who have fought their way out of that battlefield."

This statement is a bit melodramatic, but it directly highlights the intense competition in K-pop. The immense pressure and competitive environment are the best driving force for trainees from the Korean Peninsula. Coupled with the different training models, it's normal for Japanese trainees to feel a sense of disparity.

"Isn't she a debuted member who's already active in Japan?" Gong Cheng translated Pei Yunjing's words into Japanese. "Did she also debut through an audition in Japan?"

"Hi!" The seven HKT48 trainees on stage answered nervously. Gong Cheng, listening to Pei Yunjing's somewhat tactful question, still uttered a startling remark, "Why were you chosen?" The atmosphere instantly became tense, resembling a large-scale humiliation of the Japanese by the Koreans…

The trainees sitting behind them immediately stopped talking, since one was speaking Korean and the other was translating into Japanese, making it understandable to everyone. Bae Yoon-jung's wide-eyed expression startled many of the trainees.

The seven trainees standing on the stage kept their heads down and remained silent. Gong Cheng felt embarrassed for them. "Aren't K-pop singers and dancers famous for their synchronized dance moves? Isn't synchronized dance moves important in Japan?"

"Compared to dancing, cuteness is more important to Japanese idols," Mina Imada replied with a forced smile.

Pei Yunjing nodded and said to Gong Cheng, "Ah, this is due to cultural differences."

“The systems are different here. They value fan interaction more in terms of entertainment and emotional value,” Gong Cheng said with a smile. Afterwards, the mentors talked about the cultural differences between the two countries. Everyone had some understanding of the idol positioning in Japan.

However, doing this on-site was also to bring this issue to the forefront and present it to the audience. After all, many people are unaware of the differences between idol groups from the two countries, so they might wonder while watching the broadcast: Why did the trainees from the peninsula perform so well, while the Japanese ones were... well?
However, if they want to debut here, they still need to be based on the standards of the Korean Peninsula. Following this, Lee Hong-ki announced the rankings of the HKT48 members. Gong Cheng picked up the microphone and stood up, his tall figure appearing before the trainees. Many of the discussions stopped abruptly when he saw what he was about to say.

"To all the trainees who didn't perform, don't be nervous. Even if you're in Class F, it's okay. Before recording the show, I watched the first season. There were people who worked their way up from Class F and eventually debuted. Perform well. Mistakes are what give you room for improvement." Gong Cheng smiled and comforted the trainees behind him. Because of Pei Yunjing's strictness, the atmosphere on set was a bit tense, especially since many of the Japanese staff were nervously discussing their rankings. He heard everything clearly.

HKT48, who just performed, made several mistakes due to inexperience and nervousness...

……

"Stay strong, stay strong, stay strong..."

"We are trainees from STARSHIP Entertainment: Jang Won-young, Ahn Yu-jin, and Jo Ga-hyun..." The noisy trio walked onto the stage and introduced themselves.

After learning about the three people's basic information, Zhang Yuanying and the other two began their performance.

Gong Cheng didn't speak, but instead looked Zhang Yuanying up and down. He was certain that this little girl had indeed appeared at his fan meeting two years ago and last winter. He remembered that her seat seemed to be with Liu Zhimin and Xiao Xiban, so he had a deep impression of her.

The group performed Little Mix's "Wings." People on the peninsula really enjoy listening to Little Mix, the British girl group. Tonight alone, quite a few trainees sang and danced to their songs.

"..."

"It was alright." After the performance, Gong Cheng gave all three of them a B rating on the evaluation sheet. After the other mentors discussed it, Zhao You got up and came to Gong Cheng's side from the very edge. "You come here, Tarot."

Since Zhang Yuanying and the other two were trainees under their company, Zhaoyou wanted Gongcheng to announce the ratings to avoid any controversy online after the show aired. Gongcheng glanced at the ratings of the mentors, and after considering them, he took the microphone and announced, "Zhang Yuanying, Ahn Youzhen, Zhao Jiaxian - Grade B."

After speaking, he put down the microphone and looked down at the information of the next group of trainees. He had been sitting for several hours, and some of the trainees' performances were like a construction site, which made Gong Cheng a little tired. He wanted to see how many groups of trainees were left to perform and when they would finish.
Oh my god?!

"There's no A?"

The murmurs and whispers continued throughout the night, recorded without stopping.

Zhang Yuanying and An Youzhen, clutching their microphones, stared at the man opposite them. Beneath his tousled black hair, with his handsome face, shouldn't he have offered some words of encouragement? That's it? Then, Li Hongji said from the side, "Your singing level isn't A yet, keep trying..."

……

"..."

After a series of performances, the production director, holding a microphone, called out, "Take a break..."

Pei Yunjing immediately stood up, stretching her stiff body. Rap ​​mentor Cheetah, sitting next to Gong Cheng, picked up a pile of documents and organized them. "Wow, so tiring..."

Gong Cheng leaned back in his chair, took a sip of water, and chatted with Lee Hong-ki (May J Lee). He glanced at the trainees sitting in the back row, many of whom were yawning and looking exhausted. "Aigoo, it's already 1 a.m...."

"Are there any flights to Macau tonight?" May J Lee asked curiously. In her line of sight, Gong Cheng's tired eyes were constantly yawning. This young man's schedule could be described as being busy flying all over the world.

"My flight is at 10 p.m. I'll rest for a bit. Call me when you're ready to continue recording..." Gong Cheng said softly, his voice trailing off with a languid weariness. He rested his cheek against his crossed arms, his hair falling in a messy manner, obscuring the fatigue on his brow.

May J Lee nodded, and the camera on the mentor's desk turned around, focusing on Gong Cheng's profile as he rested his head on his arm. His eyes were closed, his eyelashes were thick and long, casting a fine shadow under his eyes, and his straight nose and slightly pursed lips made him look tired and serene.

Sitting on the stage, Jang Won-young, Miyawaki Sakura, and the other trainees looked at Gong Cheng on the mentors' panel below and couldn't help but whisper among themselves about their senior's schedule. "I heard he's flying to Macau tonight." "Bombardment Meteor is going on tour." "It makes me sad to talk about this. Last time, only you and your unnie managed to get tickets. I couldn't even go to the Seoul show..."

About ten minutes later, a familiar intro suddenly rang out on the stage, instantly waking Gong Cheng. A soft, ethereal, and slightly seductive breathing sound began to drift in…

Many trainees present perked up as they listened to the intro. For the trainees, the intro to this song, "Blood Sweat & Tears," has been a familiar tune for both trainees from the peninsula and those from Japan for the past two years.

"My blood, sweat, and tears, my final dance~"

"Take them all!"

With Gong Cheng's captivating vocals leading the way, the intensely rhythmic melody of tropical house music surged in like a tidal wave. The rhythmic beats, like the drumbeats of a racing heart, were powerful and energetic, causing the trainees' emotions to rise involuntarily…

Looking at Gong Cheng's bewildered expression, Zhao You smiled and explained, "In the first two seasons, trainees would go on stage to dance during breaks in the recording..." This was a recurring feature of the show, as idols needed to have a desire to perform and compete. When the show played the song "Blood Sweat and Tears," the camera was also focused on the stage, to see if any trainees would spontaneously go up to the stage to perform.

The benefit of doing this is straightforward: whoever goes on stage gets more screen time...

Gong Cheng nodded knowingly, smoothed the stray hairs from his forehead, and tried to cheer himself up. The song "Blood Sweat & Tears" performed by Bombardment Meteor was still playing in his ears, and many trainees in the back row stood up from their chairs and danced to "Blood Sweat & Tears" in front of the camera.

In the waiting area, many trainees who had already performed on stage rushed out again, as if their steps were driven by their inner desires, relentlessly heading towards the stage... The first to run onto the stage was Kwon Eunbi, who looked a lot like the woman from Daegu...

Following closely behind were the trainees in front of the 96 seats. Some of the bolder ones ran down the stairs and onto the stage. There were twenty or thirty trainees in total. They had not rehearsed, but the dance they performed was perfectly synchronized despite their scattered positions.

Gong Cheng chuckled and clapped. Pei Yunjing looked at the trainees on stage, many of whom were from Japan. She laughed from the judges' seat, "Aigoo, they should have chosen 'Blood Sweat and Tears' for their performance, otherwise they wouldn't have gotten an F grade. They actually danced quite well..."

Zhaoyou smiled and explained the current situation, "Right now, in all the entertainment agencies, 'Blood Sweat & Tears' is a must-learn dance for trainees, especially those aiming to debut in a large group. The best way to learn synchronized dance is to watch Bombardment Meteor's dance videos..."

"Mane Mane... Mane..."

The dance moves of dozens of trainees on stage suddenly tightened, and their limbs became more powerful.

Gong Cheng was also surprised by their mastery of the song's choreography; it was clear that such a performance wouldn't have been possible without extensive practice.

The trainees who weren't going to the stage were also humming along to the song...

"..."

After the dance performance of "Blood Sweat & Tears" ended, the program played another hit song by AKB48, with a strong Japanese anime idol vibe...

……

Recording continued, and the last performer was Miyawaki Sakura from HKT48, singing "Black Angel".

Gong Cheng remembered this girl; he had met her briefly at the Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Battle) at the end of last year, but it was only a one-time encounter. He turned to the mentors, including Bae Yoon-jung, and said, "Miyawaki Sakura seems to be quite popular in Japan." He glanced at the information in his hand; Miyawaki Sakura ranked very high in this year's AKB48 poll, being a candidate for third place, maintaining her position as one of the most popular members in the AKB48 general election for two consecutive years, and enjoying high recognition in Japan…

"I'm really looking forward to it, I think she'll do great?" Pei Yunjing said curiously. Then, Miyawaki Sakura stepped onto the stage. Her medium-length brown hair, with slightly inward curls at the ends, complemented her gentle demeanor and delicate makeup. Her bright eyes and natural lip color, along with her white collared schoolgirl-style top and black mesh sleeves, gave her a look that was both demure and subtly sexy. She paired it with black shorts, a simple yet energetic style. "Annyeonghase, I'm Miyawaki Sakura..."

The moment the accompaniment started, Miyawaki Sakura turned around, her back to the judges' panel, and began her performance...

"On a stopped highway at night~"

"Open the passenger door!"

"..."

Gong Cheng perked up as the recording was about to end, watching Miyawaki Sakura's stage. When the performance was over, he wrote "B" on the rating sheet. Pei Yunjing turned around and said, "I think it's pretty good, she has the aura of a star..." She wrote "A" on the rating sheet. Gong Cheng was speechless. She had been in the industry for seven years and still didn't have the aura of an artist.
As the saying goes, popularity is a virtue, and Miyawaki Sakura is very popular in Japan. Naturally, her aura stands out from the other trainees. Rap ​​mentor Cheetah also gave her a "B grade." Makoto Miyawaki picked up the microphone and said frankly, "She is considered one of the better trainees in Japan, but not good enough." Judging from her singing and dancing performance just now, she did not reach an A grade.

Moreover, Miyawaki Sakura's performance on stage just now didn't have any outstanding dance moves; it was almost a very simple hand gesture dance, practically no different from not dancing at all. After saying one sentence, Makoto stopped talking and handed over the decision-making power of discussion to the other mentors, who ultimately determined Miyawaki Sakura's level based on a comprehensive evaluation.

“…” Meanwhile, Miyawaki Sakura stood on the stage, staring at the chuckling Makoto Miyawaki as she pondered his words. She subconsciously bit her lip, her expression becoming somewhat unnatural…

She never imagined she would become yet another Jiang Huiyuan...

"I'm also a B..."

"The A I gave..."

Pei Yunjing: "Trust me, let's send her to A..."

The mentors briefly gathered together to discuss something. Gong Cheng sat to the side, not participating, but watching Miyawaki Sakura, who was holding the microphone in front of her. She was nervously picking at her nails, fidgeting with the bottom of the microphone. Her dark pupils were fixed on the mentors, and she seemed somewhat uneasy.

Meanwhile, the trainees behind her were whispering among themselves about the rating she might receive.

After considering the ratings from all the mentors, Zhaoyou picked up the microphone and glanced at Miyawaki Sakura on the stage. "Miyawaki Sakura, A."

Upon hearing the rankings, Miyawaki Sakura covered her mouth, looking somewhat incredulous, while the murmurs among the trainees at the scene grew even louder.

Miyako watched Miyawaki Sakura's excited expression with a light laugh. Before the rankings were announced, he had seen ambition and a determination to get an A in her eyes, but now that the rankings were actually announced, she covered her mouth and looked incredulous...

This kind of person will definitely debut...

"This level is not good enough to get an A?" A trainee sitting behind Gong Cheng and close to him whispered to his companion. Gong Cheng looked over and saw a girl named Cho Yuri, from the peninsula, whose performance just now was rated A.

Many other trainees from the Korean Peninsula also gaped in disbelief upon hearing Miyawaki Sakura's ranking... while the Japanese trainees became excited...

"How are you feeling right now?" Lee Hong-ki asked, picking up the microphone.

"I thought it would be F..." Miyawaki Sakura said, her voice trembling as she held the microphone, tears streaming down her face. "..." Talking about her inner thoughts, about being a member of the Japanese band F, about working hard and all that...

Gong Cheng wasn't interested in this. He tidied up the documents on his desk, preparing to go home and rest at his hotel.

"15 A-level trainees, 25 B-level trainees, 22 C-level trainees, 15 D-level trainees, 19 F-level trainees..." As all the trainees finished their performances and returned to their seats, Soyou announced the trainees' rankings for the evening. "From now on, the trainees will be divided into classes according to their rankings. Now, we will reveal each trainee's first task in front of the national producers..."

"It's about performing PRODUCE 48's title track..."

Gong Cheng rubbed his sore neck, and in the instant he looked up, he happened to see Jiang Huiyuan standing dumbfounded in front of his seat, speechless...

"Although F-class members can't perform PRODUCE 48's title track, they'll be playing a support role, but don't feel discouraged just because you're an F-class member..." Lee Hong-ki read from the script...

"..."

……

Half an hour later, at 3 a.m., the recording for the day was finally over. Gong Cheng greeted the staff, saying, "Thank you for your hard work." He then took the jacket Jin Dayu handed him, put it on, and left the recording venue with the other mentors, having arranged to go to a nearby restaurant for a late-night snack...

In the restaurant, Gong Cheng yawned and had no appetite. After drinking two glasses of soju, he glanced at the messages from his female relatives on his phone, all asking how the recording was going. He replied to each one, but he figured they were all probably resting by now.

Then he listened to the teaching plans of each mentor...

At four in the morning, driven by Kim Dae-woo, Gong Cheng arrived at the hotel he had booked near Gyeonggi Province. The recording would begin at 10 a.m. the next day, but compared to today's static recording, tomorrow would be more free and relaxed, allowing him to interact closely with the trainees and start teaching them about their weaknesses...

……

Meanwhile, at the Yonggyu Resort in Gyeonggi Province, the trainees returned to their respective dormitories. The dormitory assignments were straightforward: those in Class A stayed together, and those in Class F stayed together...

In a dormitory room of Class A, Miyawaki Sakura lay on her bunk bed after washing up, recalling the recording session two hours earlier. "I did well among the Japanese trainees, but it wasn't enough," she thought, along with the whispers among the trainees... She clenched her fists, which were nestled under the covers...

"..."

In Class B's dormitory, Jang Won-young and Ahn Yoo-jin shared a room. After washing up, they chatted. "Aigoo, this is the first time I've seen Tarot-senpai up close. He's incredibly handsome! But isn't he a bit too strict? I feel..."

"It's alright, wasn't he encouraging everyone on set? You're not upset just because he didn't encourage us, are you?" Zhang Yuanying said, turning to the side in the darkness, but then she remembered her unnie's instructions before she left home and sighed, "Unnie even told me to get an autograph, how can I? Actually, I also feel that Oppa's words are even stricter than Teacher Bae Yoon-jung's... You can tell just by looking at that Kang Hye-won..."

"They seem really hard to approach..."

"Yes, although I was smiling the whole time, but how should I put it..."

Meanwhile, in the F class dormitory, the other trainees were yearning, "If only Tarot could teach our F class tomorrow, what do you think, Hye-won unnie?"

Jiang Huiyuan quickly shook her head in the darkness, "They probably won't come, right? Our Class F isn't even playing, so they probably don't value it that much..." She hoped they wouldn't come; she didn't want to see that beautiful smiling face again, or hear those hurtful words again...

What does it mean to only be innocent? Now that Gong Cheng is teaching in Class F, it has become the last thing she wanted to talk about before she came here, and it has been classified as the number one most dangerous event.

(End of this chapter)