Chapter 76 - Team Activity Interview
translator: xiin
editors: apricot & juurensha
Crosson Show director’s studio.
The venue was shaped like an inverted bowl, with a stage as big as a football field at the bottom. On the audience stands to the side, the scattered ‘a.s.sorted Scarf’ signs came together like a waterfall of light, and the audience held their breath as the curtains in front of them opened––
Following that was a round of heaven shattering cheers!
Two players stepped out from the curtains.
The close up lens quickly locked on to Wu Jin’s side.
Wu Jin seemed to be born with an extremely intuitive grasp of the lens and sense of the stage, raising his chin the moment he stepped out into the light. His presence grew distinct, his arms and shoulders relaxing. His back was straight, and he even took the initiative to approach the cameras––
Even before the audience could calm their hearts down, Wu Jin looked to the side.
The camera slid over the golden A-level medal on the youth’s combat uniform, across the slightly higher and broader shoulders beside him, as well as the sharp, blade-like cut of his jaw.
Wei Shi entered the lens.
A person who the program producer could consider as ‘using beauty to make money’ would definitely have an appearance that made a strong impact. Wei Shi’s expression was indifferent, his lips pressed so tightly together that they generated real deterrence. There was no ripple in his eyes when they met the camera.
If Wu Jin was like a warm source of light, then he was a sharp blade illuminated by the light.
The two of them stood very close. The gold and silver ta.s.sels that represented their A and B ranks unconsciously twined together, and they wore the same trainee combat uniforms printed with the Crosson Show logo at the collar and cuffs.
Wu Jin smiled and lifted his head, saying something in a low voice. The man’s head shifted, and the lines of his face loosened slightly.
Their gazes met.
The a.s.sistant director controlled the positioning of the camera just right, and the two auxiliary cameras also zoomed in––
The interior of the arena first fell silent, then the screams pushed the noise level up to the peak.
“Scarf is sending out candy ahhhhhh!!! So so so sweet I’m dying wuwuwu! I don’t exist anymore! I’m the little ta.s.sels on those brothers’ shoulders!”
“What a match! Wait a minute, are these two really not married? This is them showing their love right? They’re showing their love, right?! Contestant Wei’s aura is clearly––this––strong! How could it get covered up by Little Witch’s in seconds?”
“Shocked! This old mother is watching the live broadcast with tears in my eyes. After 19 years of single life, my son has finally taken a partner to the red carpet. This is all because of Crosson’s conscientious dating show…”
The audience’s excitement was deafening. The two contestants followed the cameras to the prearranged point and met Ying Xiangxiang’s gentle gaze.
The first few teams had already settled down on one side of the stage. Amongst them, only the Jingyi double c were calm and self-contained. Wei Yan sat on his own at the far end, his back stiff like an abandoned sculpture while his partner Red inched closer to Caesar every two or three minutes. Thin Fire drew a very clear line between himself and Caesar, and dark waves seemed to surge behind the scenes.
Blood Pigeon gestured for the two to sit down. The virtual screen was playing a wonderful clip from The Lovers card instance.
“300012, Contestant Wu Jin.” Blood Pigeon looked towards Wu Jin, “Three months ago, I gave you a C grade for your combat skills.”
Wu Jin nodded solemnly.
Blood Pigeon glanced at the screen, “Looking back at the last match, it was very spectacular. The tactical planning and camera performance now matches with your current level. As for your combat skills––”
“I can give you a B.” Blood Pigeon smiled, “However, based on the speed of Contestant Wu’s progress, I predict that I will probably give you an A before the show is over.”
Wu Jin stilled.
Even before he reacted, the audience offstage had already exploded.
Countless spectators lit up their support signs, with messages ranging from ‘Pick Little Witch’ to ‘Little Witch, charge––”. The entire scene flashed with lights, along with CP fans who held up ‘Scarf’ signs, battle team fans with White Moonlight signs, the Zuolin fans who cheered enthusiastically, as well as the Caesar fans and friendly pa.s.serby fans who all stood up like a gigantic and large-scale flash mob.
Ying Xiangxiang smiled lightly and said warmly, “Little Witch, you see, these are the fruits of your efforts.”
The premiere of the Crosson Show three months ago coincided with the defeat of the White Moonlight Battle Team in the Star League. As a White Moonlight trainee, Wu Jin had also been questioned and flamed by the haters, and his popularity had all been based on his appearance and mama fans.
Three months later––
He wasn’t necessarily the best survival show trainee, but he’d done enough to prove that he had what it took to remain on the stage.
Ying Xiangxiang handed over the microphone.
The youth accepted it, then looked up at the gathered lights, “Thank you, everyone.”
Just when Ying Xiangxiang thought that he would turn sentimental, Wu Jin shot the camera a smile. His features were stunning, his pupils reflecting the lights from the entire stadium, and he was extremely dazzling due to his self-confidence.
A fresh, fiery, and vigorous youth.
“Thank you, everyone.” Wu Jin said again, slowly and sincerely, “I will continue to stand on this stage.”
The youth took half a step back, placed his right hand over the left side of his chest, and bowed to the audience to express his thanks.
There was a stir from beneath the stage, and the scrolling comments for the live broadcast that was streaming on the Star Net simultaneously suddenly exploded.
“Little Witch ahhhhhh––”
“d.a.m.n it, what a tease! Mama likes you ahhhh! The bow lasted for so long, I’m suuuper moved! Mama doesn’t need your thanks, I just hope that you’ll live a good life!”
“I started off as a pure face con and jumped into this pit, learning about survival shows from a zero point foundation. I just thought of it now that it was mentioned––so it’s already been three! whole! months! (I want to quietly add that in fact, I’m too embarra.s.sed to consider myself a survival show spectator because I understand too little about the compet.i.tion and the battle team players.) However, our Little Witch will definitely make his debut and will definitely play in the survival show circuit. Mama will always, always be with you! Later, I’ll say, ‘Look, that League MVP, I’ve been his fan since when he was a trainee!”
On the stage, Ying Xiangxiang smiled and took back the microphone, pausing slightly just as she was about to hand it to Wei Shi.
This man had remained half a step behind Wu Jin, his gaze locked solidly on the youth’s straight back from beginning to end.
Ying Xiangxiang had made films for so many years and had done very thorough research on gazes, but for a moment, even she thought that she’d made a mistake. When the camera focused on Wei Shi, she locked on him again and confirmed that it had been her delusion.
Blood Pigeon held a stack of evaluation forms in his hands. He originally had his speech well-prepared, but his words became stuck when he was faced with Wei Shi.
Not only the audience and the program producer, even he couldn’t remember the existence of this contestant. It seemed that the only thing that could be a.n.a.lyzed were the limited scenes from the recent elimination match.
He couldn’t help but glance at Wei Shi again––he’d risen steadily in the rankings over the past three elimination matches and was unexpectedly strong. His vote ranking had soared close to the top ten overnight.
He couldn’t even figure out what the man was here for.
Thin Fire, who was to the side, felt his eyelids twitch. The grudge he felt in his heart was so strong it almost condensed into something material.
Blood Pigeon could only give a standard statement, “Contestant Wei is diligent and hard working, showing great strength and steady progress… Rising from D to B+ is the result of countless days of sweat and hard work. I hope that everyone can learn from Contestant Wei…”
The students sitting off-stage were all confused. Learn what? Learn how to skip cla.s.s?
Fortunately, Ying Xiangxiang soon picked up the thread of the conversation. This female instructor had a deep understanding of the audience’s mood, “The relationship between Contestant Wei and Contestant Wu seems to be pretty good?”
Backstage, the director was very calm as they cleaned up the scrolling comments. He didn’t even need to look to see that it was filled with a wave of suggestive “Yoooo~~” and “66666”!
Wu Jin’s heart beat faster. He repeatedly warned himself that he couldn’t show too much familiarity with the big boss––the big boss had already condescended to lower himself and form a CP with him! As a little follower, he needed to protect big boss’s reputation! He couldn’t let the audience misunderstand!
While Wu Jin was hesitating, Wei Shi had already nodded easily, “Yes.”
There was another series of clamoring cries from offstage.
Ying Xiangxiang teased, “As everyone knows, you two only met each other in a certain tarot card instance. Now, you’re sharing screen time. I wonder if you’re interested in developing further…”
The program producer who was watching the show backstage almost inhaled his cigarette b.u.t.t. It had to be noted that CPs had to remain in an ambiguous state. Once it was stated clearly, the contestants would either stop talking or reject it outright––
However, the audience’s enthusiasm had already been provoked by Ying Xiangxiang’s sentence!
On the stage. Wei Shi tiled his head slightly and looked towards Wu Jin.
The man’s expression never changed, but his eyes seemed to hold a question.
In the live-broadcast room, the chaotic scrolling comments paused––
“Wait! Why look at Little Witch? I $* … Is this ‘I want to develop further, but it depends on what Little Witch wants’??”
“My G.o.d! I thought so too! Really, really!!”
“Previous commenter, hahaha! It should be ‘I can’t answer this question, you should pick up the microphone yourself and deal with that bored female instructor’. Contestant Wei, oh, Brother Wei is a proper cool boy! His aura as a superior is very good…”
“How can you guys read so many words from a single look?!”
“My brain waves are naughty! Don’t forget that during the game, the two of them also communicated with brain waves. Like, not saying a single word and picking up their guns to clear the field––look, Little Witch really went to take the microphone!”
Before Wu Jin could open his mouth to speak, Ying Xiangxiang finally finished the second half of her sentence, “I wonder if you’re interested in developing further… for example, as future teammates.”
Wu Jin, who’d originally been uneasy, finally breathed out a sigh of relief. For better or worse, he’d been trained as a professional idol and was able to skillfully deal with the question after accepting the microphone.
The scrolling comments were confused for a few seconds but eventually lamented after a moment––
“d.a.m.n it, it turned out to be as I expected!”
“This really is the Crosson Show, not speed dating yingyingying! So, Contestant Wei was really just indicating that Little Witch should accept the microphone. Wait… but why is my heart suddenly beating so hard even though he only picked up the microphone?! Have I gone crazy? These two people are just standing together and doing nothing, but I could watch it all day.”
“It’s just! Very! Sweet! One look from Contestant Wei, and Little Witch ran up to pick up the microphone. And that micro facial expression, hey, ‘I’m uninterested in the entire world and only came for the team activity to stand by your side and look at you’ … Covering my heart, I’m pushing Scarf for life!”
“What a match!”
“What a match +1!!”
On stage, the interview for the two of them was over, and the two players from Jingyi came up onto the stage.
The sounds in the venue didn’t stop even during the interval when advertis.e.m.e.nts were being played. Countless members of the audience were shouting for their idols or their CP, and even Blood Pigeon who had turned off the microphone sighed emotionally.
“Play well in the compet.i.tions so that you can live up to your fans’ expectations, you know? The little fans are really enthusiastic now. Thinking back to when it was us…”
Thin Fire finally couldn’t help himself and glanced at Wei Shi.
Enthusiastic!
Ha, what is enthusiasm?!
The fans beneath the stage had come such a long way and purchased tickets to support them, yet they were completely ignorant about the fact that––the craziest d.a.m.ned stalker fan was right on stage! He followed him to win, followed him to events, followed him to activities, and seized every opportunity to hold his idol’s small hands. He even f*cking went up on stage to form a CP with his idol in person?!
This wasn’t an enthusiastic little fan. How could fans be so violent––oh, this was a malignant tumor in the fan circle!
Thin Fire’s thoughts were sputtering in his belly, and he was taken by surprise when the director switched their positions so that either Wei Shi or Wu Jin would be beside Thin Fire…
Thin Fire swooshed over and headed over to squeeze in by Wu Jin. He really didn’t dare to get more than three meters within that malignant tumor of the fan circle. After all, he himself was an upright and honest trainee and reserve player of Silver Thread Roll, yet he couldn’t even beat a stalker fan. How aggravating!
The advertis.e.m.e.nts ended. The lights came up again, and the remaining contestants took their seats one after another.
The interviews and advertis.e.m.e.nts accounted for less than half of the team activity. The real play would begin afterwards––
Mechanisms rotated, and the stage retreated, revealing a huge 0.6 hectare platform that slowly rose up, revealing the arena for the so-called ‘team minigames’.
The audience was instantly excited.
The gold-sucking Crosson Show always dared to toss money into the arenas, and the team activity arena was no exception. All kinds of tactical obstacles like artificial rocks, trees, and rivers were interspersed with piles of barbed wire, anti-landing areas, trenches, demarcated mine zones, triangular cones, and so on.
Colorful flags of various colors were inserted everywhere on the map, and the paths between them were curved and twisted.
Obstacle race.
Wu Jin was a little relieved. This map was a miniature obstacle race course that could only hold 20 players. It was just that instead of being an individual training map, it had become a two person team compet.i.tion, causing the level of complexity to increase.
The rules shouldn’t have changed much. Each team would fight to obtain the most flags from the map, and the team with the highest number of colored flags by a specified time would win.
It was just… judging from the cheers and laughter of the audience, matters definitely wouldn’t be so simple.
Beside him, Caesar turned around and took a look, then asked loudly, “What kind of thing is this? How does it work?”
Wu Jin turned back when he heard him. The virtual screen behind them where gags had originally been playing on repeat was now showed a large chunk of narrative.
“––Crosson Show team activity short program.”
“A pa.s.sionate gunfight! Teams of two! Obstacle course! You draw, I guess! Fruit balancing! Wooden man! Cross the line of fire! Decisive finger pressure! …”
Wu Jin: “……”
Next to him, the little editor held an armful of water guns and handed them out to each team, “Follow the rules. If you’re shot by water, you can’t move for ten seconds! If you count too fast, your flags will be taken as punishment! Alright, you can choose the color for your water guns!”
Thin Fire unhesitatingly tried to disgust Caesar, “Pink! Our team wants pink!”
Caesar was furious, “F*ck me––”
Zoe warned him from afar, “Caesar!”
Wu Jin quickly picked out two water guns, and handed big boss the black one. The rules for the variety show were quite casual, and the twenty contestants stood at random places and prepared to set out. The virtual screen displayed the number of flags that each team had, which was all 0 at this time.
Three minutes later, the two of them stood at the same starting point.
The sounds of excitement from the audience was like a distant roar, and nearby, Caesar and Thin Fire who’d both taken off their mics were mutually cursing each other out. There were twenty seconds left until the start of the compet.i.tion.
The lights were off, and their remaining senses were magnified to the extreme.
Wu Jin could clearly sense Wei Shi standing by his side, their breaths mingling in the narrow s.p.a.ce. Wu Jin constantly warned himself in his mind that he couldn’t show any familiarity in front of the camera, and that he couldn’t make any trouble for the big boss! His small, round face lifted up in all earnestness, and he b.u.mped against the big boss’s elbow in the moment that he lifted up his water gun.
The man’s face was expressionless as his elbow rubbed back almost imperceptibly.
15 seconds.
Wu Jin felt that he could probably look at the big boss now! No, he’d glanced over just now…
10 seconds.
‘Just now’ had already pa.s.sed! Forget it, he’d wait another 5 seconds…
5 seconds.
Wu Jin looked up quickly.
Wei Shi looked down at the youth holding a water gun, ice and snow seeming to melt in his eyes.
The lights flipped on one after another––game on.
Juurensha: Go dominate the field, Scarf power couple.
apricot: Is it wrong that I love how much Thin Fire and Caesar hate each other hahaha