Chapter 179
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The seventy–nine trainees in the room were visibly stunned and disbelieving. Their eyes darted back and forth between Steven and Quiana, the air thick with tension. The silence was deafening, broken only by the sound of shallow breaths.
Steven let out a soft sigh and coughed nervously. “Let’s congratulate Quiana for once again taking the top spot
The room remained eerily quiet. In seat number one, Quiana sat motionless, her perfectly arched eyebrows betraying no trace of surprise. Lucy, standing in front of Position One, lead gone completely stiff, her face pale and tense..
“Mr. Smith,” Viola inquired, her face clouded with displeasure. “Have you made a mistake with the name you’ve called out?”
Steven nodded firmly. The system rankings have been verified, there’s no mistake”
This meant that during her first public performance, Quiana had received 888 votes. Quiana was at the top. That made Lucy second. Quiana with no fan base had managed to secure over two hundred more votes than one with a solid fan base.
With 5,000 total votes from 100 people, she alone got 888 votes. Almost 227 more than Lucy! How is this possible? Everyone’s minds buzzed, their faces dazed.
Lucy felt like she had been hit by a thunderbolt. She had been standing in the coveted seat number one, but now she was the runner–up with only 661 votes.
“I don’t believe it! Viola shouted, her face flushing with anger as she approached the stage. “Mr. Smith, there has to be a
mistake.”
Steven had expected this reaction and replied with a calm, expressionless face, Do you think we didn’t double–check the results the moment we saw them?
Viola’s face turned beet red. Sofia’s mouth dropped open in shock, forming a perfect O. Megan, Wendy, and Sarah exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes wide with a mix of shock and disbelief.
Sandy’s jaw hit the floor. “How is it even possible for Quiana to…?
ut she never
She had watched Quiana’s performance backstage and was genuinely surprised by her unexpected talent. But imagined Quiana would take first place.
She suddenly recollected the day she had come to challenge Quiana, her solitary and fierce figure on the platform. She thought back to the stories other girls had shared with her, tales of how the other three challengers had fallen to Quiana. At the time, she had been skeptical. But now….
Wasn’t Quiana supposed to be a scandal–ridden pretty face?‘ Sandy wondered.
“Rankings have been updated, and dorm and treatment upgrades will be applied automatically,” Steven continued, following
prompts on his card, ignoring the commotion.
the
Lucy remained rooted to the spot, her feet feeling like lead, with her gaze locked on Quiana
Quiana sat with a relaxed, almost careless posture, her fair wrist resting on her knee. She looked up lazily, her eyes sharp “You’re blocking my view, she said, her tone casually arrogant and rebellious.
Lucy’s fists clenched tightly, her nails digging into her palms. She could feel dozens of eyes piercing her back. Her pride was shattered today!
Seeing the tension, Jocelyn stepped in. “Um, Lucy, your performance was excellent too. Sit down for now.” Jocelyn was giving Lucy a way out, and she did genuinely believe in Lucy’s potential. Ryan glanced at her, snorted sofily, and requined
silent.
Lucy’s face was ashen, and she shot Quiana another glare before turning to sit in Position Two, her mood dark and
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19:10 Wed, 16 Apr
Chapter 179
brooding.
The votes were cast
st live on–site. Quiana was known for her numerous scandals and poor online reputation. She had no fan base to speak of. If anything, her fans were mostly haters.
Nonetheless, amidst the turmoil, Quiana astonishingly garnered 888 votes. This feat only served to underscore the extraordinary caliber of her performance and the remarkable talent she possessed. Furthermore, it confirmed the integrity of the voting process, devoid of any hint of manipulation:
All the votes came from casual observers, even hier haters. How astonishing was that! Not just Lucy, but everyone in the room, including the mentors, could hardly believe that Quiana had received B88 votes.
With a 227–vote lead, Quiana surged ahead, like a resounding slap in the face. Mandy and Jessica, who had mocked Quan
and urged her to step aside for Lucy, were grinding their teeth in frustration.
Lucy felt like she had swallowed a fly. Before the competition, Winona had told her that Quiana was just a nobody from the slums, someone who had never seen the world.
She came here to piggyback on Winona’s first–season debut success, hoping to follow in Winona’s footsteps. Is this the dance of someone from the slums? Lucy thought.
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