If she really brought Xia Shiyu to the show, she could imagine the uproar that would ignite online after the show aired.
But she had already agreed, and if she went back on her word, she would probably offend Shen Huai. Thinking of this, Zhang Li wanted to hit herself, and stammered, "It's not that I'm unwilling, but this is a show where everyone votes, and with Xia's current reputation, I'm afraid she won't even make it through the first episode..."
Shen Huai said, "I understand that. It's okay. If she's eliminated, it's a matter of her ability, and it has nothing to do with Producer Zhang."
Zhang Li sighed inwardly, but still made a last-ditch effort: "That's what they say..."
Upon hearing this, Shen Huai roughly understood Zhang Li's concerns. This was a variety show that Zhang Li had always wanted to do, and she probably didn't want a tainted artist like Xia Shiyu to appear on the show.
Shen Huai thought for a moment and said, "Producer Zhang, why don't you think about it from a different perspective? Although Xia Shiyu's reputation is controversial, doesn't controversy mean there's a lot of discussion? With her on the show, there will never be a lack of topics, and even the publicity budget can be halved, don't you think?"
Zhang Li was stunned, but after thinking about it carefully, it actually made a lot of sense!
She's in the variety show business, and what's most important in variety shows? Popularity! While other production teams are desperately trying to ride the wave of popularity, she almost managed to squander such a huge amount of buzz. It's simply unacceptable.
Zhang Li immediately changed her attitude: "President Shen is right!"
Just imagine, if Xia Shiyu, who is ridiculed by the entire internet, were to participate in a show, everyone, whether they hate her, like her, or are simply curious onlookers, would be drawn in.
Whether they're criticizing or discussing, they're increasing the show's popularity and expanding its influence. Who knows, the first episode might even become a hit!
Zhang Li became more and more excited as she thought about it, her eyes even shining. Then she realized something: Xia Shiyu's skills were quite good, and Shen Huai was working so hard, probably to help her clear her name and repackage her for a fresh debut.
After thinking for a moment, Zhang Li decided to return the favor: "President Shen, how about this, there's nothing we can do for the first two episodes, but starting from the third episode, the production team can cooperate with you to gradually clear Xia Shiyu's name. As for the specifics of how to do it, we'll discuss it later."
Shen Huai did have such an idea, but he didn't expect Zhang Li to bring it up herself. He smiled and said, "Then I'll thank Producer Zhang in advance."
Zhang Li thought about it again and decided that since she was going to do someone a favor, she should do it all at once. So she said, "I can guarantee that Xia Shiyu won't be eliminated in the first two episodes, but after the third episode, our production team will treat everyone equally and eliminate people based entirely on the voting results."
However, Shen Huai directly refused: "Thank you, but it's not necessary. It's more appropriate for the production team to maintain fairness."
Shen Huai knew very well just how amazing Xia Shiyu's charm was on stage, and cheating was simply an insult to her.
Zhang Li was taken aback: "But... what if she gets eliminated? Mr. Shen, you may not understand, there are quite a few trainees participating in the show. At the beginning, it's just a basic showcase, and after two episodes, the elimination round begins..."
However, Shen Huai just smiled.
Two phases? That's enough.
Author's Note: I got back late today, so I'll update less. I'll add another chapter tomorrow~ Muah everyone~
Chapter 132
STAR is a trainee group under Morning Star Company, consisting of three girls. They put in a lot of effort for this "National Idol" talent show. Who knew that the next day they would find out that another person would be added to their group, and that person was Xia Shiyu.
Lina, who has the most fiery temper, immediately snorted, "It's so great to be parachuted in like this. You don't even have to go to an audition. No wonder the big boss personally manages your artists."
Team leader Yao Xuetong frowned: "Say less."
Tian Sisi is the youngest member of STAR, only 16 years old. She is usually well-behaved, but when faced with this kind of situation, she didn't know what to say and just sat quietly to the side.
Lina, like a fire-breathing dragon, exclaimed, "We've practiced for so long, we're already perfectly in sync. With her suddenly joining, it's like we have to start all over again. How are we supposed to compete with others on stage?!"
For these trainees, the older they get, the less of an advantage they have, and their debut seems so far away. They've finally gotten this opportunity, so of course they don't want to miss it.
Tian Sisi added softly, "Her reputation wasn't very good before, could it... drag us down with her?"
Yao Xuetong pursed her lips, but still said solemnly, "Alright, that's enough."
Just then, the door to the practice room opened, and their manager, with a fawning smile, led Shen Huai and Xia Shiyu in, introducing them to each other.
This was the first time Shen Huai had met the trainees under his company. The girls were a little reserved in front of him, so Shen Huai didn't say much. He greeted them, left Xia Shiyu behind, and then left.
The manager gestured to the three girls with her eyes: "This is Xia. She debuted earlier than you and is your senior."
The girls exchanged glances and reluctantly called out "senior".
The agent, exasperated, pointed at them but didn't have time to reprimand them before rushing out to chase after Shen Huai.
The atmosphere in the practice room suddenly became a little awkward. Yao Xuetong stepped forward and introduced herself to Xia Shiyu: "Hello, my name is Yao Xuetong, and I am the captain of STAR."
Xia Shiyu is very sensitive to people's emotions. As soon as she walked in, she sensed the hostility of the three girls here towards her. She had already thought of this possibility, so she didn't care.
She didn't try to get close to them, but instead pretended to be nonchalant and said with a smile, "I'll be looking forward to your guidance from now on. Sister Fang mentioned that you have a practice schedule, but she forgot to give it to me. Could you please make a copy for me?"
Yao Xuetong was surprised that she got into character so quickly, and paused for a moment before saying, "Okay, come with me."
Xia Shiyu: "Thank you."
Yao Xuetong avoided her gaze and walked out of the practice room.
As soon as they left, Lina stood up angrily: "I'm not practicing anymore! Let's go back!"
Tian Sisi wanted to say something, but she was no match for Lina's strength and was pulled away by her.
So when Yao Xuetong and Xia Shiyu returned, the practice room was empty. Yao Xuetong frowned slightly and could only explain to Xia Shiyu, "They were probably tired and went back to rest."
Xia Shiyu smiled and did not expose her lie.
Before she came, Shen Huai had actually talked to her about this issue. As they were from the same company, they naturally had to appear together. The other three had been training for a long time, and her sudden addition would definitely cause conflict.
But once they arrived, Xia Shiyu realized that although the girls hadn't treated her well, that was all they were going to do—walk away without a word. They didn't seem to intend to be sarcastic or openly mock her. For a competitor who had completely disrupted their plans, this was actually quite good.
While teaching her to dance, Yao Xuetong carefully observed her expression, afraid that if she got upset, she would turn around and complain to the big boss. However, Xia Shiyu did not seem angry. Instead, she learned to dance seriously and was much easier to get along with than Yao Xuetong had imagined.
Yao Xuetong breathed a sigh of relief and then taught even more diligently.
Then she discovered that Xia Shiyu was extremely quick to learn and had a high level of comprehension. She didn't seem to have much of a dance background, but as long as Yao Xuetong danced it once, she could remember about 70-80% of the moves, and she could also quickly grasp the key points that Yao Xuetong mentioned.
In just one afternoon, Xia Shiyu had already learned the entire dance. Although she was still quite clumsy when she danced it, her progress was truly astonishing.
Xia Shiyu didn't think it was anything special. Back when she was a backup dancer for her seniors, she would often have to learn a dance in two or three days. If she was slow to learn, she couldn't even think about going on stage.
Yao Xuetong returned home utterly shocked.
Xia Shiyu ate a meal in the cafeteria, glanced resentfully at the spicy and sour pork intestines on the menu, and then silently began to gnaw on a cucumber.
After finishing her meal, Xia Shiyu returned to the practice room, turned on the music, and began learning to dance.
-
The next morning, Yao Xuetong and the other two arrived at the practice room early. Tian Sisi yawned and asked Yao Xuetong sleepily, "Captain, did you leave the lights on after you finished practicing last night?"
Yao Xuetong frowned: "No, I never forget to turn off the lights..."
Suddenly, she remembered something, walked over quickly, pushed open the door, and heard familiar music. Sure enough, she saw Xia Shiyu practicing dance inside. The weather was gradually getting cooler, but there were sweat stains on Xia Shiyu's clothes, indicating that she had been practicing for quite a while.
Compared to her awkwardness yesterday, she has made significant progress today. Although her movements are still not quite standard, she has grasped the essence of the dance very well.
More importantly, her attitude was very proper; she didn't take advantage of her connections to be perfunctory. Originally, Yao Xuetong thought that Xia Shiyu couldn't dance at all, and the whole group would probably be dragged down by her. Although she didn't say it, she was still somewhat resistant. But now, seeing her practicing, Yao Xuetong's expression softened considerably.
The sound of several girls entering startled Xia Shiyu. She stopped what she was doing, turned around, and said with a smile, "You're here? I thought you hadn't had breakfast, so I specially prepared a few extra portions."
The girls followed her gaze and saw whole wheat bread, milk, and eggs on the table. Because the cafeteria opened late, they usually ate there after dance practice. They were surprised that Xia Shiyu had prepared food.
Tian Sisi swallowed hard: "Where...where did you buy it?"
Xia Shiyu smiled and said, "I ordered the bread and milk in advance, and they were delivered last night. I put them in the refrigerator, so you can just take them directly from the refrigerator next time. I boiled the eggs this morning. If you want to eat them, I can make them for you again tomorrow. It's not much trouble anyway."
Lina muttered under her breath, "Hypocritical..."
Yao Xuetong pinched her and said to Xia Shiyu, "Thank you."
After breakfast, Tian Sisi was completely won over by Xia Shiyu, following her around respectfully and even offering to help her with the details. Yao Xuetong and Lina didn't say anything either. If they had any complaints about Xia Shiyu before, her hard work and progress had eventually changed their opinion of her.
Xia Shiyu always had a smile on her face, and even Lina, who disliked her the most, couldn't bring herself to speak ill of her, so she simply practiced her own training and ignored her.
Xia Shiyu sighed inwardly. In her eyes, these girls were almost like her juniors. She hadn't originally intended to make a fuss about anything, and bringing breakfast was just something she did on a whim.
But she didn't expect them to be so simple-minded than she thought. She looked at Tian Sisi, who was doing her best to help her with the details, Yao Xuetong, who didn't talk much but was always watching them, and Lina, who had a bad temper but was actually not a bad person at heart.
A delicate peace was achieved among them.
However, during the afternoon vocal practice, the atmosphere once again became tense.
This song isn't particularly difficult; compared to dancing, singing is a piece of cake for Xia Shiyu. Her skills, combined with her natural talent, are enough to easily surpass most female singers on the market, not to mention trainees like Yao Xuetong who haven't even debuted yet.
The vocal coach was overjoyed and immediately suggested that Xia Shiyu be the lead singer.
Yao Xuetong and Tian Sisi exchanged a glance. Tian Sisi seemed to want to say something, but Yao Xuetong pulled her back, and she could only look at Lina with concern.
Lina's face was pale, and she bit her lip tightly.
She's always been the vocal lead in the group, which is why her reaction was the most intense when she learned Xia Shiyu had joined. After all, while she sings well, she's definitely not as good as a professional singer like Xia Shiyu who has released albums before.
In terms of dancing, she is not as good as the team leader; in terms of looks and personality, she is not as good as Tian Sisi; and if she doesn't even have her only strength, singing, she has no highlights at all on the show.
That's why she initially had the worst attitude towards Xia Shiyu. But now that she's heard him sing in person, even if she's unwilling, she has to admit that Xia Shiyu was born to sing. If it's for the good of the team, she should agree to the vocal coach's suggestion, but...
The vocal coach felt a pang of pity seeing her expression, but she had to consider the entire team. If the two were of similar skill levels, it would be fine, but everyone could tell that Xia Shiyu was a cut above Lina, so she had no choice but to make this difficult decision.
"Lina..."
However, before Lina could speak, Xia Shiyu stepped forward and said, "Teacher, let Lina be the lead singer. I can provide backing vocals for her."
When she said this, not only was the vocal coach stunned, but Lina and the other two members also looked at her in disbelief.
The vocal coach frowned and said, "Now is not the time for unnecessary modesty; this is for the sake of the whole team."
Lina's face paled, and she turned her head away: "I don't need your fake kindness. I admit that I'm not as strong as you."
Xia Shiyu said calmly, "I understand the teacher's concerns, but this song requires the lead singer and other members to have a good working relationship. After all, I just joined, and it is not easy to achieve such a good working relationship in a short period of time. Rather than adding such variables, it is better to be more cautious."
"Besides, I haven't mastered the dance yet. If I'm too greedy, I might end up missing out on the last one. It's better to focus on one thing at a time. That would be good for the team too, don't you think, teacher?"
The vocal coach stared intently at Xia Shiyu: "You need to understand that the eliminations will begin in the second episode. If you can't perform well in your first appearance, you might be eliminated in the first round. Even so, are you still going to give up your lead vocalist position?"
The other three watched Xia Shiyu nervously.
Xia Shiyu nodded: "Yes."
The vocal coach was somewhat disappointed: "You are very talented, but there are too many talented people in the entertainment industry, and the competition is too fierce. If you want to stand out, you have to seize every opportunity. You can have a bottom line, but giving away all the opportunities that are handed to you is not kindness, but rather foolishness."
Xia Shiyu smiled and did not refute her.
Because she used to think the same way, she tried her best to seize every opportunity to climb up, but in the end she found that even if she reached the top, it was meaningless.
Lina blushed deeply. She couldn't believe that Xia Shiyu, whom she had always treated poorly, would help her like this. She couldn't help but ask, "Why are you helping me?"
Xia Shiyu was taken aback. She remembered that she had once asked Pei Ran why he had helped her back then.
Pei Ran just smiled and said, "Because it's nothing to me, but it's a lifeline for you."