Chapter 29: A Game Testing Human Nature
Xie Qingxuan comes from a wealthy family.
Her mother is a famous singer in the entertainment industry, her father is an award-winning director, and her five-year-older sister is the leader of a popular girl group, making her a star from a talented family.
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 world-renowned sister.
Xie Qingxuan started learning piano at four, dancing at five, receiving physical training at six, studying international etiquette at seven, officially learning vocal music from a famous singer at eight, spending her Saturdays at nine to practice acting and learn on set.
Since junior high school, she had to balance her studies while being required to excel in all areas.
With no childhood, holidays, or rest, no one ever asked her if she enjoyed it.
Xie Qingxuan was like a machine programmed to continuously work towards predetermined goals.
Her family only symbolized a dark background.
Her parents lived apart year-round, indulging in luxury around the world, yet controlling her life remotely, setting goals for each stage as if crafting a masterpiece.
Xie Qingxuan has never experienced her parents’ love as she should.
Or rather, this love was all given to her sister - Xie Qingyu.
Yu symbolizes beautiful jade.
Xuan symbolizes a beautiful stone like jade.
The destinies of the two seemed to have been determined by their names from the very start.
But why? Why could her sister have a childhood, friends, freedom, the love she craved, and the right to rebel, while she felt like she was just following her parents’ expectations for the future?
Xie Qingxuan chose to rebel.
And for her parents who hoped she would become an artist, joining the "Dazzling Stage" was the ultimate act of rebellion.
"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 enter the ’Heart Flow’. ’Dazzling Stage’ aims to nurture someone far better than you."
The familiar voice echoed from her dream.
This was her sister’s conclusion upon learning that she had signed up for ’Dazzling Stage’.
Xie Qingxuan’s consciousness resurfaced slowly, like a bubble rising in an ancient well. Her eyelashes trembled, and her eyes opened.
The room was dim and silent, only the cold breeze from the air conditioner brushed by.
(Translated by Gravity Tales 馃榿)
Her expression was plain, 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 in the base.
The cafeteria was decorated luxuriously, big enough to easily accommodate a hundred people.
Apart from trainees, there were no other staff inside, 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 for less than a year as a trainee.
Liang Xiaoxiao was just average, and her looks were only considered pretty among regular people. She didn’t really stand out on the big screen, and her previous performance was disappointing, as she only received 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 she 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 limited mainly 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, correcting mistakes. By attaching wireless electrodes to your body, it can rapidly shape muscle memory with a 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 is 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’s dormitory has Grade A, Grade B, Grade C, Grade D.
The latter’s dormitory has Grade B, Grade C, Grade D, 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.