CHAPTER 159: CHAPTER 155: TIT FOR TAT

Wu’s Film and Television Group

Wu Jingxiang stared coldly at the documents Wu Hao had delivered.

"Cousin, it seems Penguin’s internal team holds Ye Yuwei in high regard. Should we hire trolls to slander her? If she signs with Penguin, it’ll be harder for us to take action."

"No need to rush. The show’s only on its second episode. Yezi might not even gain traction, and even if she does, the Galaxy behind her wouldn’t support her, so she won’t be able to debut anyway." Wu Jingxiang set the documents down and chuckled.

"Cousin, what if Galaxy changes their mind halfway?"

"They won’t. Old Mu is short-sighted. Just look at how he only sent Ye Yuwei and that graduate-to-be Lu Bingbing this time. What benefit would Penguin’s girl group bring to him?"

Wu Jingxiang sneered and continued:

"If Yezi does get popular, I predict Old Mu would drag her back to milk the Galaxy group. When that happens, they’re bound to clash. Yezi wouldn’t want to be shelved, and she’ll obediently come to me instead."

Wu Hao considered for a moment, feeling his cousin’s analysis wasn’t far off.

"Cousin, what about Director Xiao Wu’s situation? The internet’s been blowing up since this morning."

"Has he figured out who’s behind it?"

"Still no leads."

Upon hearing Wu Hao’s response, Wu Jingxiang frowned and said, "That idiot. We have no choice but to help him this time."

"Cousin, should I consult Uncle Liu about this?"

"Forget it, it’s not worth it for something this trivial. Do this instead: make some moves to ensure the movie gets released on schedule, and that’ll suffice."

"Got it!"

Wu Hao agreed, then noticed there wasn’t anything else to discuss and stood up to leave.

Wu Jingxiang powered on his computer and opened a high-definition video, revealing recent footage of Ye Yuwei’s life in the camp.

"Yezi, you won’t escape my grasp," Wu Jingxiang murmured with a look of obsessive fervor in his eyes. He rose, fetched a bottle of red wine from the nearby cabinet, and started drinking while watching.

Broadcast Hall

"It’s alright; I already feel you’ve done very well. Today, you’ve conquered this stage, and that means more than anything else." Luo Junxiang, now calm, encouraged Wu Zixuan and her teammates.

Tian Jiaxuan also stood up and said, "Winning and losing are just temporary. Maybe there were aspects where you didn’t perform your best, or perhaps there was a bit of nervousness, but it doesn’t matter. You’ve already given your all on this stage."

Tian Jiaxuan paused for a moment and then said loudly, "Give yourselves a round of applause and cheer yourselves on!"

The "Sweetheart" group, feeling warmth in their hearts, raised their hands as applause erupted from the audience below.

The mentors’ words made all the spectators feel warm inside, realizing today’s competition was ultimately about surpassing oneself. Their beloved contestants had accomplished that.

Yang Xiaoyue observed the changes in audience expressions on the monitor and nodded in satisfaction.

Tian Jiaxuan and Luo Junxiang truly lived up to their reputations as seasoned pros, managing to turn a simple bit of encouragement for the trainees into such wonderful speeches.

At this moment, Wu Zixuan finally realized she had lost. Holding back tears, she bowed deeply to the audience, saying, "Thank you, everyone. Thank you."

In the waiting room, Meng Meixuan immediately shouted, "Keep going, Zixuan!" The camera operator quickly captured the moment.

On the other side, Guo Xia wasn’t about to be outdone either, yelling, "Go for it, Yang Ni!"

As Wu Zixuan stepped off the stage, she could no longer hold back her emotions. Tears streamed down her face, and her teammates were similarly tear-streaked.

However, they comforted one another, feeling this loss was humiliating, almost ridiculous.

Still, the outcome couldn’t change.

"Alright, now the ’Send You Home" team has two points, whereas ’Junwei’s Squad’ has zero and is on a two-game losing streak." Long Zitao playfully glanced at Luo Junxiang and Zhang Wei.

The former seemed extremely embarrassed; they hadn’t anticipated Wu Zixuan would lose.

"Do the two of you have anything you’d like to say now?" Long Zitao continued.

Before they could respond, Tian Jiaxuan quickly interjected, "Actually, today’s match wasn’t so much about the trainees; it was more about the rivalry between us mentors."

After speaking, Tian Jiaxuan turned to the other side, saying, "You two better step it up!"

Zhang Wei looked visibly awkward. The implication was that he hadn’t selected the right team or hadn’t guided the trainees well enough.

Even though Zhang Wei knew the show producers had prompted Tian Jiaxuan to say this, he couldn’t help but feel self-critical.

On the other hand, Luo Junxiang wasn’t so gracious, immediately donning a dark expression. "Really? What kind of team is that, anyway?" he said, glaring at Tian Jiaxuan.

"Actually, we have a habit of trying out what it feels like to lose first."

Before he could continue, Tian Jiaxuan retorted, "Then by all means, keep experiencing it!"

The fiery exchange thrilled the audience, their excitement reaching its peak.

The trainees in the waiting area were now thoroughly confused about whether this was scripted or a genuine flare-up.

Regardless of the nature, though, going face-to-face with an opponent meant fighting until the end.

At this point, Luo Junxiang finally remarked, "Later, we’ll savor the sweetness of victory."

"Haha, we’ve already enjoyed it twice now. Thank you," Tian Jiaxuan’s rebuttal left him completely speechless.

Then Long Zitao stepped in to mediate. "Okay, let’s send out the third group of contestants now."

As the losing team, Luo Junxiang directly selected Chen Afang’s group, whose track was "Just That Kind of Girl."

Zhang Wei nearly fainted, convinced this group didn’t stand a chance. Their popularity was too low—even though they sang well, there was no undoing Luo Junxiang’s impulsive choice.

The previously silent waiting room erupted into cheers for Chen Afang after hearing Luo Junxiang’s decision. Although many disliked Gao Hua, decorum needed to be maintained.

Onstage, Luo Junxiang added teasingly, "Well then, let me send you off with ’Farewell.’"

Tian Jiaxuan shot him a contemptuous glare while Hu Binbin smiled faintly, gazing at the selection screen in front of him as if contemplating which group to pick.

"I think choosing either this group or that group would both be fine. They both sing pretty well," Hu Binbin remarked.

Tian Jiaxuan nodded in agreement, eventually making an ideal choice. The two then exchanged a knowing high-five, prompting cheers from the audience.

Amid the awkward laughter from Luo Junxiang, he reflected on his rashness—not consulting Zhang Wei before hastily picking a team.

Zhang Wei, meanwhile, hung his head as he looked at the selection screen, seemingly detached from everything around him as a form of protest against his partner’s unilateral decision-making.

Meanwhile, the trainees in the waiting room were also debating whom Tian Jiaxuan and Hu Binbin had chosen.

Qiang Yueting and Li Zimeng were particularly nervous because, among the remaining groups, theirs were universally acknowledged as the best singers, making them the obvious picks.

"Our chosen team is ’Dark High Heels!’" Tian Jiaxuan announced loudly.

"Ah! It’s really us." Li Zimeng’s heart raced wildly.

At just 18 years old, this was Li Zimeng’s first time experiencing such a high-stakes scenario. Watching the previous two matches left her drenched in perspiration.

Her teammates jumped with excitement as their minds blanked while dashing toward the broadcast hall.

Qiang Yueting, on the other hand, felt a pang of disappointment, realizing her group didn’t rank as highly in the mentor’s estimation as Li Zimeng’s. Still, what could she do? Her own group was riddled with injuries anyway.