How to become an ACE of a top boy group

The number of pre-orders for the premiere of "My Favorite Treasure 101" has reached 500 million, and related topics and trainees are being discussed extensively online.

But all this online buzz is completely irrelevant to the program crew in the suburbs.

Once inside the recording, the 101 isolated individuals were restricted from internet access and communication with the outside world. Even secretly making a phone call home would be considered a violation of the signed confidentiality agreement, and the amount of compensation required for disrupting the recording would be something they could never repay even after eight lifetimes of hard work.

The trainees, who spent their first night in the new dormitory, had the following schedule after waking up today: makeup, taking official photos, interviews, filming a group presentation of all 101 qualified contestants, and then changing clothes in the afternoon to film the theme song mission and performance venue introduction.

Luo Xi and her roommates, along with 101 other trainees, arrived at a large dressing room that could accommodate more than 100 people. After changing into the uniforms they would be wearing on camera, makeup artists came and went to fix their hair, contour their faces, and apply makeup.

Luo Xi discovered that the show's uniform hair color was the same as the original hair color. Some trainees from foreign countries or mixed-race trainees were allowed to keep their white or brown hair, which made them quite eye-catching in the crowd.

Whether it was because there was little room for her to improvise or not, Luo Xi's makeup and styling were completed quickly. The makeup artist rushed Luo Xi to take photos. On the way, she inadvertently passed by Lu Yun, who was applying concealer. His red hair had been dyed black, and he had changed out of his trendy clothes and into a uniform. At this moment, he was sitting quietly in a chair, controlled by the makeup artist, and he actually looked quite well-behaved, finally giving off a bit of a younger man vibe.

Lu Yun noticed the unfamiliar gaze and couldn't help but turn around to look. He immediately recognized Luo Xi, "Ah, you're that joke guy from the last battle! Hey, hey, Luo Xi, don't go, hahaha."

Lu Yun reached out and grabbed Luo Xi, but because she was moving around, the makeup artist held her face down and she couldn't move. She could only say, "How have you been these past few days? We're planning to hold a new competition. Do you want to participate? But you're too weak. Let me train you first. Or you could become my apprentice. It's rare to see a newbie who sings so badly yet is so confident these days."

"Forget about the rap, what I need to learn is your confidence. It's bordering on arrogance, hasn't it?" Rosie frowned and tried to pry his hands off, but couldn't. "You only won once? And you're already asking someone to be your apprentice? What are you going to do when I beat you next time? Rule the earth?"

"Oh~ then I'll wait, the clown's challenge~ will he lose again~" Lu Yun said, gesturing again, but was hit by the makeup artist and instantly stopped shaking his body as if a pause button had been pressed, returning to a quiet state.

This comical sight greatly eased Luo Xi's annoyance. Taking advantage of Lu Yun's inattention, he scratched Lu Yun's neck. Lu Yun yelled and shrank back, letting go of Luo Xi's sleeve. When he turned around, Luo Xi was already far away.

Luo Xi and 041, who had run off the field, searched through the crowd and found Ming Ning. As planned, they used the item "Know Yourself and Know Your Enemy" to check his attributes.

【Mingning】

Dance 26/100

Singing ability 30/100

rap ability 2/100

Charm 90 (+5)/100

【Pure and Immaculate】(First Impression Locked, Charm +5)

[Unbreakable] (Growth value is bound to the known storyline and can only be increased by plundering the attributes of others)

[Rebirth] (Reversing progress, 2/10)

His stats, excluding charm, were surprisingly comparable to hers.

"But what are the following three items?"

These are attribute entries, which will grant the host various attributes.

"Oh... then what is the known plot?"

[This refers to the storyline before his rebirth. His original life's attribute growth, even after rebirth, means his attributes can only grow according to his previous life's script; he can't increase them through his own efforts. To gain additional attributes, he can only plunder the attributes of others.]

"Is the only way to get him to use his attributes is to plunder others? No wonder he didn't practice before. But no matter how much he practiced, it was useless. That's just too... pathetic. Of course, the person whose attributes were plundered is also pathetic."

[It's not always like that. As long as he deviates from the original life storyline and changes key turning points in his life, he can break free from the constraints of the plot. This allows him to gain attribute points through practice. The rebirth stat has a reversal value, right? That should be related to his deviation from the plot's progression.]

"Oh..." Rosie felt she understood. "So, if our missions conflict, we'll become rivals?"

"If I lose, what will happen to me? My soul will be sent to the recycling center and I'll be gone immediately. If he loses, what will he lose? Will he be unable to escape the storyline? What was his original storyline?"

[041 doesn't know either, but it must have been a very tragic life, which is why he was matched with the rebirth system. He lost, which means he'll just repeat his original life again; there's no way to change it.]

"I remember, he lost before, and then he held my hand. Could it be that he lost and was going to do something like that, with physical contact? Could it be... some kind of unspoken rule? His past life... that's too scary."

"If I can help him and I can win, that would be great. Should I find some time to talk to him?"

[041 strongly advises against doing this. This rebirth system has nothing to do with us.]

[Do you remember what the main system said? 'Rosie, just keep pushing forward, and the system and the world will help you complete the mission.']

The subtext is that the world will be on your side; you don't need to worry about it. Just focus on doing your best, and you'll win.

"Wow..." Rosie put her hands on her hips and digested 041's words. "That sounds so dark."

"But what you said makes sense. We're barely able to take care of ourselves, so let's not take any unnecessary risks." Luo Xi pulled himself out of his sympathy and regained his rationality.

"Well, let's just take it one step at a time. There's no point in thinking about it too much anyway."

【Uh-huh! 】

After dealing with the problem, Luo Xi went into the photo studio where the official photos were taken. The photos were taken in less than a minute, and the photographer told Luo Xi to leave. Luo Xi wanted to see how the photos turned out, but was refused.

He could only proceed to the next interview room, where the waiting host had Rosie sit in the chair in the center and draw a question from a slip of paper.

"Excuse me," the host read out the question Luo Xi had drawn, "in the show 'My Favorite Treasures 101,' what is the treasure you're recommending, or the treasure you want to obtain?"

"A debut spot," Luo Xi said confidently.

Only after saying it did I realize my mistake. "Oh no, I forgot how to give a high-EQ response. I should have said 'the love of the fans,' or 'a stronger version of myself,' right?"

[Next question, I'll add more details in the next question!]

But the moment Luo Xi finished speaking, the host immediately asked her to leave, saying, "You can go now."

On the contrary, Luo Xi didn't react, "Huh? That's it? Wasn't there supposed to be three questions..."

No one paid any attention to her.

Luo Xi left alone, standing alone at the stage entrance waiting for the other trainees.

The next shoot was a group shoot, and since she couldn't start by herself, she had to wait for everyone to arrive. So she took out her notebook, leaned against the wall, and started writing down today's creative tasks.

Meanwhile, there's also 041, who's always flying around, sulking.

What?! What?! They're going too far! They're deliberately ignoring us, they're deliberately ignoring us!

"It's normal. We're not important roles right now, and we won't be used even if we film it, so they're just going to give us a perfunctory performance."

"But this is so casual! They're practically treating you like you don't exist!" 041, having received no support from Rosie's complaints, couldn't help but ask, "Rosie, aren't you angry?!"

"I'm angry, so I'm working hard to improve my attributes and points, hoping to slap them in the face one day."

【Too. 】

=

=

Finally, everyone arrived.

The staff checked everyone's makeup and made sure that everyone had the invitation card that had been asked to be brought the night before, before letting them walk through the passage one by one.

The 101 trainees returned to the judging stage where they had once stood, forming a rectangular line facing a huge dark red curtain. The long table used by the judges had been removed.

A huge, dark red curtain slowly rose, revealing the other half of this hidden space.

The same black and red backdrop, the irregularly cut crystal-like walls and the high ceiling, the tiered levels, all have white desks decorated with metal lace.

Each desk had a metal seat number stand, a red bouquet, and a lit white candlestick.

Looking up from below, dozens of candlesticks are evenly scattered throughout the field of vision, burning like stars in the blackness, giving people a sense of mystery and taboo.

"Welcome, trainees, to Azalea Manor," a mechanical voice rang out from above the stage.

The sudden sound startled many people. Realizing that the nearest camera was focused on them, Rosie patted her chest and made a startled expression.

"Please take your seats according to the seat number on your invitation, pick up the seat number tag, and stick it on your body."

The trainees then found their seats. The number of white desks decreased from the higher rank.

The first desk on the top floor is visibly prestigious and luxurious, occupying the central position in the top row. The desk is decorated with large floral and bird patterns, and even the wood texture of the desk looks heavier than the other desks.

The lowest row doesn't even have its own table, only a thin white bench.

There were no seat number signs like those on the tables. It took me a long time to find that their seat numbers were pasted on the side of the benches, from left to right, 90-101.

He stuck the A5-sized, light red, soft leather number tag, which was placed on the chair, to his left waist and squeezed onto the bench with the other E-group trainees.

Luo Xi was second to last, ranking 100th. Unexpectedly, the 101st place was none other than his roommate, Song Wenchen, who was in the lower bunk.

Luo Xi then began to seriously examine his roommate.

Her appearance is as ordinary and unremarkable as hers, and her abilities... she's ranked 101st, probably struggling on the edge like Luo Xi.

Wait a minute, wouldn't that mean we've got the same number? Two people with the same useless traits have entered the show.

Luo Xi couldn't help but ask 041, "Could he also be someone with some kind of comeback system?"

[Absolutely impossible. The main system thoroughly investigated all participants during the last review, and only Luo Xi and Ming Ning were found.]

"He looks more like the protagonist than I do. 101st place, that's a ranking that's usually for the protagonist in a shonen novel."

“What, Eun-hee,” Song Wenchen was equally amazed. “Are you number 100? Not only are our dorm rooms close to each other, but our seats are so close too.”

Luo Xi smiled and said, "What a coincidence!"

Sitting like this, Luo Xi was facing the stage. Only from a certain distance did she realize that the roses on the stage backdrop were actually pieced together to form a pattern, which could be vaguely discerned as a bird with its wings slightly spread.

"Hey, Wen Chen," Luo Xi whispered to her roommate, "look at the stage, those roses are arranged to form a bird."

"That's not a rose, that's an azalea."

"Azaleas? Aren't those red...? Are azaleas red?"

"They're azaleas, completely different in shape from roses. Look at the bouquets on their table, they're azalea bouquets too, and—"

"Hello, 101 hidden gem trainees who have once again stood out from 300 top trainees!"

Before Song Wenchen could finish speaking, the host who walked onto the stage spoke up, drowning out all the trainees' whispers. The male host, Yeon Bum-che, enthusiastically said, "This is actor Yeon Bum-che!"

The female host, Hakajuri, continued, "This is Hakajuri from Gleam Hitomi!"

The two said in unison, "Welcome to Azalea Manor!"

Lian Fancha reached out to the trainee seats, "Please, all 101 talented trainees, greet the camera and the public recommenders who are watching the show!"

The camera shifted from the host to the trainees' seats. Everyone stood up, bowed to the camera, and said in unison, "All the trainees of Treasure 101 greet the recommenders!"

"The filming of 'My Favorite Treasure 101' is about to begin at this famous Rhododendron Manor. I wonder if our trainees are ready?"

Shouts of "Ready!" came from the trainees' seats.

"I heard you all!" He Kajulian said with a sweet smile. "Really? Of course you're ready! Our 101 trainees are treasures selected from the best!"

“However, Ha Kaju Rian,” Yeon Beom-cheol said to his partner with a serious expression, “I heard the director say that this Azalea Manor really does hold a treasure, which will be shown to the debut members on the final night of the group’s formation.”

"Oh? Really?" He Kazhulian said in surprise, "Will that legendary collectible from Azalea Manor also be exhibited on the night of the group's formation?"

"Yes! Our trainees will also participate in four competitions, and after three rounds of brutal elimination, they will compete for a debut spot that is as precious as a treasure on the night of the group's formation!"

"Wow, that sounds intense, it must be really tough."

"Yes, it's not easy, but our talented trainees aren't fighting alone. They have the support of our talent recommenders!"

"My dear recommenders," Lian Fancha said, looking at the camera, "after today's program ends, you can vote by clicking the link at the bottom of the screen or by visiting the official website of Mo Ri Entertainment! The decision on who will debut and who will be the members of Mo Ri's new group is entirely in your hands!"

He Kaju said happily, "With the support of the treasure recommenders, I believe that every trainee will be able to unleash their potential and showcase their best performance!"

"Yes! All 101 treasure trainees, please give it your all and compete for the supreme treasure of this manor!"