Chapter 112: A Spectacular Sight

The girls, who had been slightly surprised by Liao Yuan's arrival, lifted their heads the moment they heard Han Yu’s name, their faces registering pure shock. Soon, they were all overcome with ecstatic joy. The entire scene erupted into a cacophony of excited chatter.

Like Zhang Henge, Han Yu was one of the renowned "Seven Sons of the Empire." Each of them commanded hundreds of millions of fans. While the contestants knew "Produce 101" would be a hit, they never imagined it would be this massive—to the point of inviting top-tier celebrities like Zhang Henge and Han Yu! The contestants on set were so thrilled they were practically spinning around like little penguins.

Soon, the final recording from the celebrity mentors finished playing. Among the six guests, the three already known were Zhang Henge, Han Yu, and Liao Yuan. With Chen Xiuyuan’s reveal, the other three were quickly unmasked: "They are the rising singer and talented songwriter Su Han; the national campus heartthrob Cheng Yunyang, a warm guy with a healing smile and a height of 1.9 meters; and the sports enthusiast, street dance master, and multiple-time champion, Zhan Huo!"

"My god, it’s actually Zhan Huo! I’m such a fan!"
"My dance teacher is a student of Zhan Huo..."
"Su Han is actually here too? The top talented songwriter for online music—he usually never participates in variety shows!"
"I love Cheng Yunyang! The national campus heartthrob!"
"Cheng Yunyang is from the Donghai Film Academy! He’s my senior!"
"Wow, this is a show perk! A total treat!"
"If I could dance with Master Zhan Huo, I’d be content even if I got eliminated!"

The young women were babbling with excitement, their faces flushed and beaming. Beyond the superstars Zhang Henge and Han Yu, there were three more god-tier figures! It was a total jackpot!

Among these six celebrity mentors, Liao Yuan was likely the least known. Next was the online singer Su Han; although his songs had spread rapidly over the past two years, he remained a freelance artist without corporate resources or management, resisting offers from agencies. Thus, despite having been in the industry for two or three years, he remained only moderately popular. Even so, Su Han’s popularity was clearly far higher than Liao Yuan’s.

The girls discussed Zhang Henge, Han Yu, Cheng Yunyang, Zhan Huo, and Su Han, but they didn't even mention Liao Yuan, who had only gained some recognition in the last two months. Firstly, they didn't really know him. Secondly, the competition was a closed-off training camp, leaving the contestants with a significant delay in external news. They knew very little about Liao Yuan, only that he was Liao Meiqi’s brother, could write songs, and was a streamer. Nothing more. Therefore, compared to the other established stars, Liao Yuan was clearly not their first choice.

Liao Meiqi watched this scene, her small hands clenching, but she quickly relaxed them, her face still brimming with a smile.

"Your performance in the second public showcase will greatly influence your upcoming rankings," Chen Xiuyuan said shortly after. "With only one month left until the grand finale, 22 of you will step onto the stage on the final night, while 14 will leave the stage after the second showcase ends."

These words silenced the thirty-six girls. In the blink of an eye, the finale was approaching. Time flew by so quickly! The contestants reflected on this with mixed emotions. Many of those at the bottom of the rankings were panicked; whether they could appear in the finale and compete in the final round depended entirely on this choice.

Zhang Henge and Han Yu were their first choices; the popularity of the "Seven Sons of the Empire" was no joke—they could easily sweep votes at the showcase regardless of the performance. Similarly, their secondary choices were the street dance champion Zhan Huo, the national campus heartthrob Cheng Yunyang, and the talented songwriter Su Han. As for Liao Yuan, he was their last, desperate resort. Because they knew so little about him, the girls didn't dare to take the risk. After all, this was a watershed moment that would determine their fate; no one dared to gamble with their future.

"Here are the six tokens of the celebrity mentors. Take a good look," Chen Xiuyuan said, having the staff present the items. "Now, to respond to the call for national fitness and to promote the spirit of sports, I will place these six tokens on stools one hundred meters away. You will be divided into groups of six. You must wait for my whistle before you start running. Each person can only choose one token. First come, first served. No snatching allowed. Understood?"

The contestants were already itching to go, shouting in unison: "Understood!" They widened their eyes, carefully identifying the objects.

There were six tokens: a vinyl record, a book, a headband, a laptop, a painting, and a green apple.

"The record is Han Yu’s!"
"The headband is Zhan Huo’s; he wears it every time he competes!"
"Whose laptop is that?"
"Wow, there’s a comic! That must be Zhang Henge’s!"
"A green apple? That’s definitely Cheng Yunyang’s!"
"And a book... *Ghost Blows Out the Light*? Uh..."

By matching the items to the guests' traits, the owners were obvious. But when they saw *Ghost Blows Out the Light*, many girls fell silent, pretending not to see it as they moved to identify the other items. Zhu Xiyu, however, walked up and curiously flipped open the book: "Meiqi, is this what your brother wrote?"

Liao Meiqi nodded vigorously, leaning in with equal curiosity. The two girls stood there on the spot, flipping to the first page and beginning to read with great interest. On the other side, Fu Yuntao saw this and signaled a cameraman to focus on the scene, lingering for three or four seconds on the cover of the book. The assistant directors nearby exchanged knowing smiles.

Soon, the competition began. At the sound of the whistle, the first six girls bolted toward the objects one hundred meters away. The intensity of the scene caught the eyes of many staff members. Looking on, the girls jumping and running were incredibly cute!

"Breathtaking sights, truly spectacular..." a production assistant muttered while wiping away a nosebleed, only to be met with eye-rolls from his female colleagues.

The six girls sprinted, their pace neck-and-neck. Upon reaching the items, they scrambled, and soon, five girls had happily made their selections. The last girl wandered over as if in a trance, casting pitiful glances at her companions, but no one paid her any mind. Finally, with a gloomy face, she picked up *Ghost Blows Out the Light*. After flipping through it briefly, she said, frustrated, "What even is this? Is it scary?"

Soon, the staff recorded their choices.

"Very good. Group two, get ready—"

At Chen Xiuyuan’s command, the second group of girls stepped up. Among them were two popular contestants: Yu Xiaoxi and Zhu Xiyu. They were ranked third and fourth on the popularity charts, respectively.

At the signal, the six girls took off. In the blink of an eye, Zhu Xiyu took the lead. Her explosive speed left the onlookers gasping in awe. The girls behind her couldn't keep up at all!

Soon, Zhu Xiyu arrived at the finish line. Just as everyone expected her to pick up the record or the comic, she looked left and right, carefully verifying the items, and then quickly ran to the far edge and picked up *Ghost Blows Out the Light*.

The contestants: "???"