The next day
Tencent Building
Wan Kai sat in his office chair, reviewing the docunt brought by his secretary.
After thinking for a mont, he opened his computer and sent out a ssage.
"I agree with Yuwei’s contract in principle, but the clause about contract termination needs further consideration."
The reply ca quickly: "Mr. Wan, we’ve already negotiated this clause with Ye Yuwei multiple tis, but she stands firm on this point."
"Looks like she’s betting on the fact that we need her for the group formation!" Wan Kai sneered.
"Mr. Wan, it’s clear she’s aiming to go independent after the three-year contract expires."
"She sure dreams big. Go negotiate with her again; there’s still ti before the group forms."
The other party agreed briefly and went offline.
Just as Wan Kai was about to relax, his secretary called.
"Mr. Wan, Zhou Dan—Mr. Zhou wants to et you!"
"Please let her in."
Holding a stack of docunts, Zhou Dan entered the office.
"Mr. Zhou, please have a seat."
"Thank you, Mr. Wan. Regarding the candidates for the group formation, I want to make a change."
Wan Kai remained noncommittal upon hearing Zhou Dan’s request.
Although Zhou Dan’s company handles operations and has a say in the final selection of the girl group mbers, the decisive power rested with Tencent.
"I want to replace Gao Ziyi with Jiang ngqi."
Zhou Dan’s proposal surprised Wan Kai: "Mr. Zhou, Jiang ngqi lacks popularity."
"I’m aware, but Gao Ziyi is an unstable factor. We already have a ’sing-dance double liability’ case like Lv Fangxin, and if we add soone who’s just a codian like Gao Ziyi..."
"Mr. Zhou, I understand your concerns, but why not consider Li Shihan?"
"Her skills indeed surpass Jiang ngqi’s, but her image doesn’t et the requirents."
Zhou Dan imdiately rejected Li Shihan without hesitation.
"Mr. Zhou, Jiang ngqi’s style clashes with Lai Ruoxuan."
"I understand, but finding eleven girls with completely distinct personalities and appearances is simply impossible."
Wan Kai pondered for a mont before continuing, "Mr. Zhou, are you certain about Jiang ngqi?"
"Yes, I think she can attract male fans. Don’t forget about the mobile phone advertisent incident."
Zhou Dan’s remark made Wan Kai sit up straight.
In fact, Tencent had their own criteria for determining group mbers.
One key factor was the frequency with which advertisers would request a particular individual to shoot comrcials.
Jiang ngqi had been chosen by a mobile phone brand to shoot an exclusive advertisent.
This indicated that Jiang ngqi still had a market presence among investors.
A major revenue source for girl groups was advertisents and endorsents.
This inco often surpassed their earnings from appearing on variety shows.
Sotis, when a girl group wasn’t popular enough, they would even have to pay for appearances on pri variety shows.
Wang Na was completely excluded because no advertisers ever selected her to shoot comrcials.
Similarly, the two comrcials featuring Gao Ziyi had been forcibly arranged by Tencent.
Regarding that mobile phone advertisent, Tencent originally wanted Ye Yuwei and Wu Zixuan to shoot it, but the advertiser explicitly requested the forr.
Left with no choice, Tencent had to shoehorn Zhang Zijing into the ad.
"The matter of Jiang ngqi’s debut position, I’ll need to address it in the senior managent eting."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Dan chuckled, knowing it was rely a procedural formality.
Other departnts wouldn’t ddle with the issues of the entertainnt section; as long as the departnt head approved, the rest would simply make routine inquiries.
Jiang ngqi herself had no idea that her fate was quietly taking a turn.
She was still in the practice room, training as hard as she could. Even though she believed her chances of debuting were slim, she wanted to leave no regrets on the stage.
At 25 years old, she was already past the pri age for idols and nearing her retirent point.
"Rainbow, keep going! You’re the ray of hope in everyone’s heart."
As sweat soaked her body, she looked at her reflection in the dance mirror and flashed a dazzling smile.
Likewise, Lai Ruoxuan was training intensely. Unlike Jiang ngqi, she still held a glimr of hope for her debut due to her highly devoted fanbase.
"Qiqi, don’t give up. If you don’t give up on yourself, your fans won’t give up on you either."
Lai Ruoxuan kept encouraging herself as she pressed on with sheer determination.
anwhile, Lv Xiaoxue, Qi Ziyue, and Liu Feiyu were significantly more relaxed.
Their agencies were relatively strong, ensuring their transition into acting roles once they returned.
While they felt reluctant about leaving, they viewed acting as the more legitimate path.
Since they weren’t originally idol material, they didn’t push themselves as fiercely as Jiang ngqi and Lai Ruoxuan.
"Yue Ting, take a break." Fu Xiaoyu handed a bottle of water to her teammate.
"Thanks!" Qiang Yueting replied with a smile, sitting beside her.
She didn’t resent Fu Xiaoyu despite her rank being lower in previous evaluations.
Having participated in nurous talent shows, she had seen through many things.
A lot of tis, whether one beca popular simply ca down to fate.
"I’m so close to the end; my body is nearly at its limit."
"Yue Ting, it’s not over yet; we’re going to debut together."
Qiang Yueting smiled at her friend’s words: "My general fan base is collapsing, my voting stats are awful, I’m old, and my health isn’t great. I don’t stand a chance anymore."
Fu Xiaoyu felt her heart ache upon hearing this and began to cry.
Though she appeared strong to fans, she wasn’t nearly as tough inside.
She didn’t know how to console her friend.
"Xiaoyu, don’t cry. We chose this road, betting our youth for the faintest chance at tomorrow."
"I’ve joined Super Goddess and many other shows."
"Opportunities like this are almost impossible to co by."
"Don’t carry any emotional burdens. Just give your all and shine."
Qiang Yueting pulled Fu Xiaoyu into her arms. Beneath the window, the two seed like lost children in the forest, finding solace in each other’s presence.
On the plane, Ye Yuwei and her companions were fast asleep, utterly exhausted.
The previous night, they had been recording a show non-stop, with no ti to rest.
What frustrated them the most was a big-na guest arriving late.
They had to wait at the set for three hours.
Trying to stay awake when they desperately wanted to sleep, they eventually couldn’t endure it any longer.
Lv Fangxin and Zhang Zijing even showed symptoms of vomiting.
They had pushed their bodies far too hard, leaving them in severe suboptimal health.
The accompanying assistant sensed trouble.
If their health issues prevented them from performing at the finale, it would be disastrous for the company.
Even worse, if soone fainted on stage during the live broadcast, it would tarnish the company’s reputation imnsely.
Under these dire circumstances, the assistant called the company.
Tencent was furious.
These girls had been brought in specifically to save the struggling show.
To make matters worse, soone had been acting like a diva and refused to attend the recording.
Outraged, Tencent demanded imdiate recording.
They also instructed the collaborating Fruit Channel to terminate the contract with the diva and seek damages.
The diva was terrified. He had actually been in his trailer nearby.
His defiance stemd from his dissatisfaction with the program requiring him to collaborate with the girl group on a musical showcase.
He saw himself as a rock musician, an artist, and couldn’t accept performing alongside a girl group.
He questioned his status compared to theirs, dismissing them as re reality show contestants.
What he forgot was that he was nothing more than an outdated singer.
Despite being respected as a veteran in the industry, he was no longer relevant.
If he were truly proud, he wouldn’t have joined such a variety show.
He also overlooked one crucial fact.
Tencent was the industry leader, and if they blacklisted him, no platform would hire him.
Terrified, the singer abandoned his hotpot and rushed to the recording.
However, the program crew sent him away.
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