Esports world champion, debuted as the center of a talent show

Individual rankings will be displayed in groups on the backstage broadcast screen, meaning that all 97 trainees present will be able to see each other's votes clearly.

Yu Lan had kept everyone in suspense in the studio until the production team gave her instructions over her earpiece, at which point she raised her voice: "Now, let's reveal the final vote count for tonight's stage performance!"

The stage lights suddenly went out, leaving only the glowing white light on the big screen.

The background music gradually quickened its pace, and the dense drumbeats resonated in everyone's hearts.

Yao clutched her agitated heart: "Why is it this background music again? Did the production team only buy the copyright to this song?"

Shen Fengyu, standing beside him, couldn't help but laugh out loud, covering her mouth and whispering, "Sometimes I really admire you. How can you have such a big heart?"

"Yeah, right." Yao Wei pouted in dissatisfaction. "My hands were shaking with nervousness."

Then, he pointed to Jiang Zhiyu, who was intently watching the broadcast screen: "This guy has a really big heart. Over the years, no matter how big the occasion, I have never seen him nervous."

Shen Fengyu nodded, deeply agreeing, but he quickly looked puzzled, counting on his fingers and asking, "It's only been a dozen days since we entered the camp, so where did this 'several years' come from?"

Yao Wei's legs, which had been swaying slightly due to anxiety, suddenly stopped, and he sat in the chair like a stiff piece of wood.

Never in a long time had he felt his brain churning like this.

Unfortunately, the storm came and went quickly, leaving my mind empty.

In the end, he just chuckled and said, "Slip of the tongue, I meant these past few days."

Shen Fengyu nodded suspiciously. At this moment, the first set of rankings on the broadcast screen had already been updated.

[Detonation Commands, Group A]

1 - Milan 111 votes

2 - Fu Xingyu 58 votes

3……]

[Detonation Commands - Group B]

1 - Wang Yan, 102 votes

2 - Chen Feng 57 votes

3……]

A short cheer came from the sofas in the front row, which was quickly replaced by hushed, excited chatter.

Jiang Zhiyu looked toward the corner where there was obvious commotion, and his eyes met those of Mi Lan, who was smiling happily.

Mi Lan's eyes were bright. She raised her arm and waved at him, mouthing: I won.

Jiang Zhiyu knew why Mi Lan valued the results of the first public performance so much, because it was not only a vindication of those who questioned his abilities, but also an explanation to himself.

Unlike his excitement, Wang Yan remained seated, his expression unchanged, staring intently at the "102 votes" next to his name on the broadcast screen without uttering a word.

The teammates beside him were muttering complaints. Trainees with low popularity didn't expect to get individual votes; they were all focused on winning the overall group score to gain extra points for the group.

Judging from the ticket type, this first place is destined to be out of their reach.

The voting results are displayed in order, and because of the spotlight effect of the center position, almost every team's center position is the top spot for their respective team.

The 500 audience members could choose to vote or abstain, and each pair of contestants only had one vote for an individual.

This is also why there can be a significant difference in scores between groups.

The rankings on the big screen continued to scroll, and as you quickly swipe down, the four large characters "Unopened Letter" appeared in the center of the screen.

[The Unopened Letter, Group A]

1 - Jiang Zhiyu 235 votes

2 - Yu Wen 46 votes

3……]

[The Unopened Letter, Group B]

1 - Kui Shuang 68 votes

2 - Yu Jin 32 votes

3……]

What did I just see? The votes were more than doubled! It's terrifying.

[This vote count was actually predictable; anyone who was there knows that there were huge rows of blue light-up signs, completely controlling the event.]

[Actually, the other people's scores shouldn't be so low. Do you feel anything that Jiang Zhiyu alone absorbed all the votes...?]

I'm so sorry, I've angered you!

[If Jiang Zhiyu can win by a landslide in the round of voting, does it mean he's just a naturally outstanding individual... regardless of his position?]

This vote count caused a huge uproar among the trainees, and a buzz of discussion broke out backstage.

Mi Lan, who was not far away, stood up again and looked excitedly at Jiang Zhiyu, but the other party was still focused on the broadcast screen and did not notice his actions.

He didn't care, and instead strode over to Jiang Zhiyu's side: "Amazing, Jiang Jiang, the votes are completely overwhelming."

Lin Sen suddenly appeared out of nowhere and gave him a big hug, cheering, "Awesome!"

The trainees who knew him well also gathered around him, chattering about how difficult it was for him to get more than 200 votes when 500 audience members were voting for two groups at the same time.

Wei Shuang stood on the periphery of the crowd, and only after the people around him gradually dispersed did she slowly approach and extend her right hand towards him.

Jiang Zhiyu grasped her hand without hesitation. He heard Wei Shuang's heartfelt praise: "This world is like a copy for you. You just need to try to conquer its different side quests, and the achievements of Earth Online will be presented to you."

Upon hearing the other person's words, Jiang Zhiyu was slightly taken aback, then tilted his head and answered very seriously: "I don't want to be a virtual player in this world. I like reality and immersion. I don't want to follow the path of fate. I will face all the pain until I achieve the goals I set for myself."

Kui Shuang lowered her head and chuckled softly, her sharp features softening: "Alright, Mr. World's Number One Player, I wish you a speedy completion of the game."

"What are you two talking about?" Mi Lan stood beside the two of them, looking completely bewildered, not understanding what kind of riddle they were using.

"It's alright," Jiang Zhiyu smiled, turned around and looked back at the broadcast screen, "Let's continue looking at the vote distribution of the other groups."

Once all the individual votes for the twelve groups and ninety-seven trainees have been announced, the next step will be to reveal who will win first place in the individual and group competitions for the first public performance.

In fact, after all the votes were announced, everyone roughly knew which group had won first place in the first round.

Who is it? It's so hard to guess.

[A lead of over 200 over the on-site ticket price—it's simply breathtaking.]

Is Emperor Jiang about to ascend the throne?

[Actually, the total votes can also be counted. I just calculated it, and he's almost certain to win first place in his group.]

Yu Lan held up the microphone, paused for a moment, and then spoke: "First of all, let's congratulate individual trainee Jiang Zhiyu for winning first place in the first performance!"

The audience erupted in cheers and applause.

The audience gradually found a pattern in their chaotic shouts until the entire stadium was chanting in unison: "Jiang Zhiyu—"

The cheers pierced through the thick black barrier and struck Jiang Zhiyu's heart. He felt his heart pounding, each beat like a rebirth.