Chapter 29
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Chapter 29: A Game Testing Human Nature
Xie Qingxuan comes from a wealthy family.
Her mother is a renowned singer in the entertainment industry, her father is an award-winning director, and her five-year-old sister is the leader of a popular girl group, making her a star from a family of talent.
Unlike being spoiled and carefree by her parents since childhood, Xie Qingxuan faced high expectations with the support of abundant resources, debuting at the Carry Center and becoming a globally recognized figure.
Xie Qingxuan began learning piano at four, dancing at five, physical training at six, international etiquette at seven, and vocal music from a famous singer at eight and spent her Saturdays from the age of nine practicing acting and learning on set.
Since junior high, she had to balance her studies while being required to excel in all areas.
With no childhood, no holidays, no breaks, no one ever asked her if she enjoyed it.
Xie Qingxuan was like a machine programmed to work relentlessly toward predetermined goals.
Her family only served as a dark backdrop.
Her parents lived separately year-round, indulging in luxury around the world, while controlling her life remotely, setting goals for each stage as if crafting a masterpiece.
Xie Qingxuan has never felt the love from her parents in the way she should.
Or rather, this love was entirely bestowed upon her sister – Xie Qingyu.
“Yu” symbolizes beautiful jade.
“Xuan” symbolizes a beautiful stone like jade.
The destinies of the two seemed to be predetermined by their names from the very start.
But why? Why could her sister have a childhood, friends, freedom, the love she longed for, and the right to rebel, while Xie Qingxuan felt like she was merely fulfilling her parents’ expectations for the future?
Xie Qingxuan chose to rebel.
And for her parents, who wanted her to become an artist, joining “Dazzling Stage” was the ultimate act of defiance.
“Xie Qingxuan, your dance lacks emotion, it’s like an inanimate object.”
“That’s gross, don’t you have your own dreams?”
“Having such half-hearted awareness is extremely ugly.”
“You can’t beat me, with no passion for the stage and no desire to be an idol, you will never make it into ‘Heart Flow’. ‘Dazzling Stage’ aims to nurture someone far better than you.”
The familiar voice echoed in her dream.
This was her sister’s conclusion upon learning she had signed up for “Dazzling Stage.”
Xie Qingxuan’s consciousness gradually resurfaced, like a bubble rising in an ancient well. Her eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes opened.
The room was dim and quiet, the only sound was the cool breeze from the air conditioner brushing by.
Her expression was calm, her eyes paranoid and deep, sharp and cold like a sword, whispering in her heart:
“Sister, my dream is to destroy your dream.”
Xie Qingxuan sat up, the thin blanket sliding off her. She reflexively caught it, feeling the soft texture. With her eyes lowered and lips pressed together, she murmured:
“No wonder… it’s not cold at all.”
On the other side,
Chu Yuanqing had found another meal buddy and entered the incredibly spacious cafeteria at the base.
The cafeteria was luxuriously decorated, big enough to easily accommodate a hundred people.
Apart from the trainees, there were no other staff, only robots delivering meals.
Chu Yuanqing sat with her tray in a secluded corner.
Sitting across from her was one of her assigned roommates, Liang Xiaoxiao.
Unlike elite players like Tang Liuli and Xie Qingxuan, who had impressive records, Liang Xiaoxiao came from a small company background and had been training as a trainee for less than a year.
Liang Xiaoxiao was just average, and her looks were only considered pretty among ordinary people. She didn’t really stand out on the big screen, and her previous performance was disappointing, with a Grade D rating.
Hmm, the only thing Chu Yuanqing remembered about her was seeing her in the waiting room playing with a flying disc while dancing, showing some funny and abstract talent.
Maybe because of this, she didn’t invite Tang Liuli and didn’t want to disturb a certain sleeping Great Devil. Instead, she invited Chu Yuanqing, whose rating wasn’t much higher than her own.
Only dogs understand each other.
Liang Xiaoxiao used chopsticks to pick at the vegetable salad in her bowl and complained sadly:
“Why does this program group’s venue feel like an open world? Let’s explore more after we finish here.”
Chu Yuanqing glanced at the extra fruit on her plate. She didn’t understand the joke between the young people and just replied seriously:
“That’s what Dream Weaver Rabbit calls the difference in permissions.”
“Having a Grade A unlocks all the dishes in the cafeteria, with access to a much wider range. The virtual reality system in the practice room is also mainly limited to Grade A and Grade B users.”
Liang Xiaoxiao felt a bit down and said:
“Isn’t this rule just like the strong get stronger and the weak get weaker?”
“I feel like I’m going to fail this round. If there is already a gap in strength and facilities, no matter how hard I try, I can’t surpass them, right?”
“By the way, how do you know all this?”
Chu Yuanqing hesitated for a moment and softly said:
“Miyuki told me.”
Liang Xiaoxiao paused with her fork in hand, looking surprised, and asked:
“Miyuki? That Sakura girl with incredible stage presence?”
“No wonder, she’s a Grade A player.”
Chu Yuanqing nodded and stayed silent.
Kirimi Miyuki indeed told her a lot, including the most fascinating technology in virtual reality.
It creates a virtual shadow beside you, reproducing original dance moves, and correcting mistakes. By attaching wireless electrodes to your body, it can rapidly shape muscle memory with surreal technology.
Depending on individual physical qualities, this technology can be used for one to three hours.
Grade A players have a daily time limit of eight hours, exceeding by about five hours.
This information, combined with a secret revealed by the Sakura girl, creates a very delicate environment.
This means that Grade A privileges can be shared unconditionally with others.
Chu Yuanqing chose not to tell Liang Xiaoxiao this information, not out of selfishness.
It’s because once this news spreads, “Dazzling Stage” will soon become a test of humanity.
Kirimi Miyuki and her daughter both told her roommate’s ratings.
The former dormitory has Grade A, Grade B, Grade C, and Grade D.
The latter’s dormitory has Grade B, Grade C, Grade D, and Grade F.
Chu Yuanqing also asked some other contestants, surprised to find that all dormitories had obvious levels without exception.
In other words, when the program group allocated dormitories before the competition, they likely calculated the initial ratings based on the players’ abilities, creating a series of clear food chain-like mini-ecosystems, unit by dormitory unit.
While it may sound far-fetched, after listening to Dream Weaver Rabbit’s self-introduction, it became clear that achieving this was not difficult.
Combining this with the fact that only the first 101 players entering the scene could get the incredible camera work, the program group’s intentions became very obvious.