Esports world champion, debuted as the center of a talent show

Qi Sixian was stunned on the spot, frozen in his seat, not daring to move for several seconds, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He hadn't held out any hope from beginning to end, and had already packed his belongings in private, ready to pack up and leave on the spot.

The staff member gently reminded him, and he suddenly came to his senses, hurriedly standing up with slightly unsteady steps.

His eyes reddened very quickly, and his voice trembled slightly, but every word was sincere: "I really didn't think I could stay, I really thought I was leaving today. Thank you to everyone who voted for me. I will give it my all in every training session from now on."

Yu Lan nodded gently, her tone softening: "Seize the opportunity, live up to your own potential, and live up to your passion. Now, all eyes are on you, and we will reveal the trainees who ranked ninth through third."

The debut rankings have officially begun.

The rankings from ninth to third place will be announced in order:

Ninth place: Yu Wen

Eighth place: Yao Wei

Seventh place: Wang Yan

Sixth place: Kui Shuang

Fifth place: Lin Sen

Fourth place: Ahn Joon-young

Third place: Deng Sushui

Yu Wen, Yao Wei, and Wei Shuang are trainees who entered the debut positions for the first time, while the rest are popular contestants who already have a fan base.

But this list didn't surprise anyone, as the popularity of these three individuals has been steadily rising recently.

Yu Wen, who was making it into the debut lineup for the first time, took a nervous breath, exchanged a glance with Yao Wei, whose eyes were filled with excitement, before walking onto the stage.

At this point, every trainee in the audience and every viewer online knew exactly what was going on.

Of all the popular contestants, only two names were not called.

Currently, only the last two positions remain – the second-place and the center position.

All the trainees subconsciously turned their heads, their eyes falling on the two frontmost positions on the side of the stage.

On one side is Jiangzhiyu.

On one side is Milan.

The entire audience seemed to slow down their breathing in unison, and the camera precisely focused on the two people from the left and right, not missing a single second.

Jiang Zhiyu remained calm throughout, showing no sign of panic. His gaze was indifferent as he looked at the stage, his emotions remaining completely stable, composed and unperturbed.

Meanwhile, Mi Lan on the other side was completely stunned.

His pupils dilated slightly, and he subconsciously leaned forward halfway, his face filled with genuine disbelief.

Since the show started airing, he has been maliciously smeared from beginning to end. The internet is full of negative comments, baseless rumors are endless, and he has been labeled with a lot of negative tags by the public. His reputation has plummeted to rock bottom.

Mi Lan never imagined he could reach the top two. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and his fingertips tightened unconsciously.

Yu Lan took in everyone's reactions and deliberately paused for a full ten seconds, building up the suspense to its maximum.

She picked up her cue card, her gaze sweeping across the entire room, her voice clear and powerful, echoing in every corner: "Next, I will reveal the second place winner of this ranking. He received a total of 2185708 votes. He is—Mi Lan."

As soon as she finished speaking, the lights slowly focused on Mi Lan.

Mi Lan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock and excitement in her heart, stood up, and walked steadily towards the podium.

Standing in front of the microphone, he first bowed earnestly to the entire audience and to the camera. When he straightened up, there was still lingering emotion in his eyes.

"To be honest, my mind is still blank," Mi Lan said candidly. "I never thought I could be in second place. Since the show started, I've heard too many negative comments, felt anxious, confused, and even secretly doubted whether I was really not suited for this place."

He paused slightly, his tone softening, and continued:

"But I never gave up. I just wanted to do my best in every training session and perform well on every stage. I know that I got this ranking today because everyone saw my hard work, saw my stage, and was willing to put aside all prejudices and get to know me again. Thank you."

After expressing his gratitude, his gaze softened, and he turned to look in Jiang Zhiyu's direction, his tone exceptionally sincere:

"Here, I especially want to thank Jiang Zhiyu and Lin Sen for the bond we formed in dormitory 310. Jiang Zhiyu, in particular, was the first person to proactively help me after I came to this program."

"He's the kind of person who's incredibly kind and soft-hearted, but he's never aware of it. He never takes credit for himself or tries to please anyone; he just quietly and sincerely treats his friends well."

Finally, Mi Lan smiled and offered her blessings: "No matter what happens in the end, I sincerely wish him a smooth journey ahead, that he will never have any worries or pressures, and that he can live a relaxed and carefree life without troubles."

Jiang Zhiyu felt his ears burning slightly, and he couldn't help but smile, chuckling softly amidst the applause from the audience.

What a genuine friendship...

[Dormitory 310 is great, Jiang Zhiyu is great, Mi Lan is great, Lin Sen is great!]

[What a heartfelt acceptance speech! Before, Heimi Lan was supposed to be the super-strong one to speak up! How could he possibly be that kind of person?]

[He wasn't originally that person. His former fans have been clarifying this, but nobody paid attention. Now that his fan base has grown significantly, the clarifications are finally being made public.]

Why do I feel like I've watched an episode of a story about mutual redemption...?

The final suspense of the entire event is about to end, with only one question remaining.

Yu Lan raised her voice and said, word by word:

"Next, I officially announce that the person ranked first with 4963758 votes is—Jiang Zhiyu!"

Unsurprisingly, there was a significant gap.

[But I didn't expect it to drop by more than double; this really means Emperor Jiang is about to ascend the throne.]

The spotlight instantly focused on Jiang Zhiyu, and cheers and applause erupted from the audience.

Jiang Zhiyu's superior physique appeared exceptionally upright under the spotlight. He walked steadily, step by step, to the highest center podium.

He stopped, took the microphone, and before speaking, quietly bowed to the camera.

After straightening up, he had a faint smile in his eyes and spoke in a gentle tone.

"My time with Project Shining has been unlike anything I've ever experienced before."

"Before this, I was used to isolating myself and no longer engaging in unnecessary and tedious social interactions except for necessary work communication."

"But after arriving here, I truly felt the passionate soul of everyone. We came together, and despite our different personalities, we embraced, encouraged, and helped each other."

He looked down at the stage beneath his feet: "Performing under the spotlight, standing in the center of the stage, it feels like a dream."

"These days, where I can be myself without pretense and be embraced by cheers, feel so fulfilling that it feels almost unreal."

He chuckled softly at the end, looking directly into the live stream camera: "But I hope I can continue this dream, this dream of being loved by you all, a little longer. I don't want to wake up from this dream."