Chapter 133: Please Choose Me

"Is that so?" Jiang Yihan raised an eyebrow and posed the question. "How about this? Since all the trainees are here, why don't you perform a piece—dance or song, it doesn't matter—and let everyone vote for you? If they say 'pass,' you move on to the next round. Deal?"

Xu Dongxu’s ability was indeed among the best of the trainees. Jiang Yihan’s approach was pragmatic; he let these rivals decide. If Xu Dongxu could convince those who had been eliminated, earning their respect enough to grant him a chance, then he truly deserved it. After all, gaining the admiration of one's competitors is no easy feat, especially when those competitors had just been cut and denied their own opportunities. Whether they would vote to let him through was anyone's guess.

Xu Dongxu looked at the companions he spent his days and nights with. He knew that since they had just been eliminated without a second chance, the likelihood of them agreeing to let him proceed was slim. Yet, he decided to give it his best shot.

"Rainbow" was the track Xu Dongxu chose. The song contained a wealth of emotions, and neither understanding nor delivering them was easy.

But this time, Xu Dongxu chose well. His slightly melancholic voice and rhythmic movement, while perhaps not overly expressive, possessed a unique charm distinct from Jiang Yihan’s powerful charisma. What Xu Dongxu displayed was an introverted emotion, one that required time to unfold. Jiang Yihan suddenly realized that his stage presence was actually quite good.

Jiang Yihan’s appreciation, however, did not decide the outcome; the power remained with the competitors.

"You have all been eliminated, and Xu Dongxu was also eliminated, but he has been granted a fourth chance—one you did not receive. However, the decision now lies with you. If you feel it is unfair, stand to the right of the practice room to express your opposition. If you believe Xu Dongxu’s talent is genuinely impressive, worth your respect, and that he truly surpasses you, then use your actions to grant him this fourth chance by moving to the left." Jiang Yihan’s words were clear; the final decision rested entirely with these sixty people.

Everyone looked at one another. On one hand, there was the lingering resentment of their own elimination and the envy and jealousy of seeing someone else get a chance. On the other, there was the bond formed through long months of practice and the recognition of Xu Dongxu’s skill. They were caught in an internal struggle.

Despite the difficulty, a choice had to be made. The crowd began to shift slowly. Xu Dongxu felt his heart jump into his throat; his legs trembled faintly. *If I get this chance, I must study stage presence properly, I must.* He prayed silently, over and over.

What was the result? Did a miracle happen?

The miracle was on the left side of the room. Out of sixty people, forty-five chose to stand on the left. Though they felt bitter, envious, and jealous, they had practiced together for so long that they knew Xu Dongxu’s ability, and they had just witnessed his performance. Truth be told, it was fair to him, and fair to themselves.

"Xu Dongxu, you’ve grasped your fourth chance. Congratulations." Jiang Yihan was happy for him, and even more so for these trainees; healthy competition was the foundation of the company’s growth.

Having already checked two batches, Jiang Yihan had not yet found time to view the recordings of the final group in the second practice room. His schedule was too packed, and the daily fixed practice sessions left him exhausted. Had it not been for Li Ran managing his schedule, Jiang Yihan might have been unable to care for himself.

Three days later, Jiang Yihan finally found the time to finish watching the recordings of the remaining ten or so candidates and read their self-assessments.

Jiang Yihan realized there were many clever people, but they were only "smart" in small ways. Clearly, some had grasped his intent, knowing that this specific exercise was meant to test self-awareness—a form of self-affirmation. However, these small tricks did not escape Jiang Yihan’s eyes. They only listed minor, inconsequential flaws in their self-evaluations, refusing to face their true shortcomings.

Of course, setting aside those few, there were indeed some whose skills were not yet up to par, and they were aware of it. They were simply giving themselves a chance to try. For these individuals, the record left a positive mark, which would aid their future training. Ultimately, out of those ten, Jiang Yihan selected only three.

Cheng Yu was one of them. He understood his own flaws clearly: while he could hit high notes, they were unstable and the transitions felt unnatural, and his stage presence needed improvement. But these were minor issues that could be refined through training. It seemed the company’s decision to sign him early in the year was wise; he would be ready to debut within the year. More importantly, his humility and eagerness to learn meant his potential for growth was vast. His selection was beyond doubt.

The other two were girls: Yin Yun’er and Xu Zhengya. The names might sound familiar—Yin Yun’er was the girl who had pursued Li Ran so persistently. She had been training at ABC for over six months, and thanks to her solid skills and diligence, she ranked among the best of the current female trainees. Xu Zhengya was the cute girl who had met Lee Hyori and Jiang Yihan at the Castle KTV, and Jiang Ziyi and Kwon Jiyong at the Zi-Yi boutique. She had been training longer, for ten months.

One should not suspect Jiang Yihan of favoritism, as he didn't even know these people, except for a slight familiarity with Yin Yun’er. The selection was absolutely impartial.

Thus, excluding the yet-to-be-selected Yin Guangxuan, the final ten were chosen at a ratio of ten to one. The results demonstrated the fairness of the process. Among the four who had trained for five years with solid foundations, three were selected. The others, though some had shorter training periods, had archives showing they were the top performers among the trainees: Cheng Yu, Xu Dongxu, Xu Zhengya, Yin Yun’er, Lin Xiaoguang, Han Yunzhe, Lee Leidi, Jiguo Sanchiyodai, Lee Jae-hwan, and Song Baolan.

Tonight was the night the ten were gathered, and the night Yin Guangxuan would make his decision.

Jiang Yihan received Yin Guangxuan in his office first. Seeing how nervous the boy was, Jiang Yihan remained silent, offering only a smile as he waited for him to speak.

"Senior, I’ve thought a lot about what you said since I got back," Yin Guangxuan said, clutching his thumbs tightly, clearly anxious. "I always felt my skills weren't enough. Even when the teachers praised me, I felt I needed to keep working harder because I was always striving to reach your level, and I felt I was still so far behind. Seeing the seniors who have practiced for six or seven years still feeling they have deficiencies, and having only practiced for a year myself, my confidence was always low. What you said to me last time had a huge impact. It’s true—I came here to train to debut, to become someone like you, to stand on that stage."

"So, Senior, could you give me a fourth chance?" After finally getting it out, Yin Guangxuan looked at Jiang Yihan with anticipation.

"Actually, once you had given up, there should have been no chance left. But I specifically singled you out because your skills are strong, and all the teachers and trainees speak highly of you. It was your lack of confidence that made you miss a great opportunity," Jiang Yihan said unhurriedly. "However, I still hope you can have another chance. But this time, the opportunity doesn't come from me—it comes from your competitors."

Jiang Yihan did not want his own subjectivity to dictate the selection. He always provided his opinion while synthesizing the views of others, including the trainees themselves. But Yin Guangxuan was an exception; Jiang Yihan had granted him this privilege on his own. Yet, this was the limit of his influence; whether or not Yin Guangxuan moved to the next round would depend on the consensus.

"You will soon meet the ten people already selected for the second round. They will decide your fate," Jiang Yihan said with a smile. "It was your courage and your skill that gave you the power to grasp this opportunity, so make sure you hold onto it. If you choose to give up today, there’s nothing I can do. But since you are willing to work for it, go out there and tell those ten people that you want to compete with them; tell them to give you a chance to prove yourself; tell them to choose you! That is your fourth chance!"

*Please choose me?*

The phrase sounded simple, but it was incredibly difficult. It required immense courage, immense confidence, and an unwavering belief in one's own ability.

Yin Guangxuan hesitated again.

When he appeared in the first practice room, which had been full just days ago but now held only the ten, Jiang Yihan walked in, and everyone stood to greet him.

"This is my first time acting as a producer, and I didn't know how to make the selection, so I gave you the chance to choose yourselves," Jiang Yihan shared his thoughts. "You have all been training for some time, and the people who know you best are, of course, yourselves. You chose yourselves and gave yourselves the chance to stand here. As for me and the other so-called judges, we are merely an audience cheering for you. The ten people standing here have won the hearts of the majority of the audience, so you are one step closer to your debut."

"Confidence, skill, and luck. These are the three things I believe are essential for a debut," Jiang Yihan said, feeling a bit like a lecturer, which he found amusing. "They are also the things I need when I stand on stage. You have them now; the rest is up to you."

"Before entering the second round, there is one decision you must make yourselves." Jiang Yihan finally got to the point. "Remember how Xu Dongxu won everyone's support with his skill and earned his chance? Today, there is one more person who must win your support to earn his own opportunity."

Yin Guangxuan had been standing outside for a long time, hearing everything Jiang Yihan said. *Confidence, confidence, confidence.* He thought back to Jiang Yihan’s stage presence—the smiles, the movements, every gesture exuding the trademark qualities of Jiang Yihan, and what made those things so charming was Jiang Yihan’s confidence. Yin Guangxuan seemed to make up his mind. Regardless of the outcome, he would be confident for once, and fight for himself.

Standing before the ten, Yin Guangxuan felt as nervous as if he were facing tens of thousands. "Hello everyone, I’m Yin Guangxuan." Even though they all knew each other well, he introduced himself anyway. "I’ve been training here for nearly a year, and I’ve always just focused on training, never thinking about what might happen later. But this time, the Senior gave me this chance. To be honest, I had originally given up, but the Senior specifically sought me out and gave me a chance to earn my opportunity. I already missed the previous chance, and I don’t want to miss this one."

In truth, everyone knew Yin Guangxuan well. After training together for nearly a year, his skill was the most recognized by all the teachers. When everyone was wondering why he hadn't been selected, they finally had their answer.

"Please choose me!" Yin Guangxuan summoned all his courage to say those words. Once he said them, it was as if a spell had been broken; his whole body relaxed, and then a sense of what looked like confidence began to flow through him. He straightened his back, and the determination in his eyes grew. Once that mental barrier was breached, a person could truly change, and Yin Guangxuan had found his confidence.

After Yin Guangxuan finished, everyone looked at each other. These teammates, who had spent so many years together, each had their own internal measure. How they weighed their own future against this choice—beyond others' opinions—was ultimately up to them.

Learning to appreciate others' strengths, learning to applaud for a rival, and learning to lift one's head to meet the challenge of the strongest opponent—that was the posture of a winner. The ten people standing there had already experienced one round of elimination; they wouldn't be there if they didn't have confidence in themselves. So, what was one more person like Yin Guangxuan? After a moment of hesitation, they looked at one another and made their choice.

Including Yin Guangxuan and challenging together was the group’s decision. Thus, an eleventh person was added to the team.

Cheng Yu, Xu Dongxu, Xu Zhengya, Yin Yun’er, Lin Xiaoguang, Han Yunzhe, Lee Leidi, Jiguo Sanchiyodai, Lee Jae-hwan, Song Baolan, and Yin Guangxuan. Among these eleven names, were there future stars or even superstars? No one knew.

At this moment, the smile on Yin Guangxuan’s face convinced everyone that their decision was absolutely correct.

"My work is done for now. The second round of testing will be conducted by teachers from various departments. They will observe your training to see where your skills are lacking and where you need improvement, and then help you fill those gaps," Jiang Yihan concluded. "Then, in half a month or a month, there will be a live performance with thousands of audience members. You will be divided into three groups to perform, and finally, the staff will score you, eliminating some and keeping others. Those who remain will have a dedicated producer to help them create their new album."

*A new album? A debut?* This news excited the eleven children. And Jiang Yihan’s next words caused even more of a stir.

"I might be one of the producers; that’s why I participated in this selection, you know," Jiang Yihan said mischievously. "So, I'll see you at my next concert. Don't disappoint me."

Given Jiang Yihan’s current ability, status, reputation, and popularity, if he were indeed to be in charge as a producer, this first step toward their debut would be a massive one! How could they not be excited?

Watching these happy children, Jiang Yihan remembered his own beginnings—how others had chosen him, thus granting him the life he had now. But they, standing before him, had bravely said, "Please choose me." Jiang Yihan believed their future was worth anticipating.