Lin Zhengran smiled and nodded.
"I did notice sothing off. But before I explain, I have a few questions for you first, Jiang Jie. You said you already asked your people about it—did you ask casually, or did you consult actual music professionals? Since you're running a music business, you must have experts you trust, right?"
Jiang Jingshi was pleasantly surprised by his insight. She paused in wiping off the lipstick stain on his shirt.
"You really caught on? As expected, Zhengran, there are things you're even sharper at than I am."
She resud her task, speaking as she worked.
"I did ask around. And no, I wasn’t just asking anyone—I consulted an expert nad Jiang Cheng. He’s been working with for two years now. In fact, the celebrity judge, Steady? It was Jiang Cheng who arranged for him to co."
Lin Zhengran raised an eyebrow.
"So Steady was actually brought in by your team?"
"That’s right."
Lin Zhengran thought for a mont before asking, "What about that music studio, New Star?"
Jiang Jingshi chuckled.
"Zhengran, you still haven’t answered my question, and now you're asking even more?"
"I’m just trying to organize my thoughts. Once I do, I’ll have a clearer picture of what’s going on."
Jiang Jingshi humd in thought, then continued wiping at his shirt until the lipstick stain was completely gone.
"That studio—I hadn’t heard of it before, but after looking into it, I found out it’s a grassroots music team, ford independently. They seem fairly skilled. Why? Do you think sothing’s off about them?"
Lin Zhengran nodded without hesitation.
*"Yes. Here’s the problem: while they are talented, they aren’t that talented.
There are 15 contestants from New Star who made it into the final top 50. But in my opinion, at most five of them actually deserved it. The rest? Their skills don’t even match so of the contestants who got eliminated."*
Jiang Jingshi frowned.
"That’s… interesting. I’m no music expert myself, but even I noticed the skill gaps among the final 50 contestants."
Lin Zhengran hesitated before speaking.
"There’s sothing else I need to say. I hope you won’t be offended, but… I need to be honest."
Jiang Jingshi’s expression softened.
"Zhengran, I’d never get mad at you for speaking your mind. Say whatever you need to."
Lin Zhengran took a deep breath.
*"Your team is strong, but I don’t think all 20 of your contestants deserved to make it into the final rankings. Realistically, maybe 10 should have.
But since Steady was brought in by your connections, I have to ask—was he giving your team a bit of an advantage in scoring?"*
Jiang Jingshi smiled, locking eyes with him.
*"No wonder you were worried about offending . If anyone else had said this, I really would be upset.
I never told Steady to favor my contestants, but… you’re right. Sotis, personal relationships play a role, even if it’s not openly discussed."*
She let out a sigh.
"Steady probably did go easy on my team."
A Deeper Problem
Lin Zhengran glanced at his plate of beef.
*"So the issue today isn’t huge.
The final rankings will be determined by public voting, so even if the elimination rounds were biased, it shouldn’t impact the results too much.
However… while coming here, I had a thought.
Jiang Jie—what if New Star ends up rging into your company?"*
Jiang Jingshi blinked. Then, she laughed.
*"That’s not happening. Why would you think that? If a rger was happening, I’d be the first to know.
I’m busy managing multiple businesses, and my music division is usually handled by Jiang Cheng. But sothing that big—he would definitely tell ."*
Lin Zhengran’s gaze sharpened.
"Then let ask you this—what would happen if Jiang Cheng betrayed you?"
Jiang Jingshi froze for a mont.
Connecting the Dots
Lin Zhengran continued,
*"I’m just thinking hypothetically.
This competition unexpectedly beca massive—celebrity judges, public voting, major investnts. Even for you, Jiang Jie, this went beyond your initial plans, didn’t it?
Now, if New Star secretly rged into your company, it would an that out of the 50 finalists, 35 of them would technically belong to you.
Essentially, your contestants wouldn’t have faced elimination at all."*
Jiang Jingshi’s frown deepened.
"That… does sound problematic."
Lin Zhengran nodded.
*"Exactly.
Think about it—30 music studios participated in this competition. But in the end, almost all the independent singers got eliminated, leaving only your team and New Star.
If soone were to leak this information to the public, doesn’t it scream corruption?"*
Jiang Jingshi’s face darkened as she thought it through.
*"If that’s the case… even without a full rger, just having so many of my contestants in the final round already looks suspicious.
And if we add New Star’s 15 contestants on top of that? The entire competition would be labeled rigged.
Worse still—if Jiang Cheng was bribed, he could have given Steady money, too.
If Steady later claims that I paid him to manipulate the competition, it wouldn’t just ruin my reputation—it could damage my other businesses, even hurt the Jiang Group itself."*
Lin Zhengran folded his arms.
*"Exactly. If soone wanted to take you down, even a small incident like this could be blown out of proportion.
It could trigger a chain reaction."*
Jiang Jingshi picked up a piece of beef with her chopsticks, deep in thought.
*"I knew sothing felt off today… and now I realize what it was.
My team’s success rate was too high. Even I found it unnatural."*
She lifted the piece of beef and fed it to Lin Zhengran.
Without thinking, he took a bite.
She smiled as she gently wiped his mouth with a napkin.
Lin Zhengran chuckled. "Jiang Jie, you really don’t need to feed so carefully."
Jiang Jingshi blinked, realizing what she’d done.
Her cheeks turned slightly pink, but she still finished wiping his mouth.
*"Thank you for telling all this, Zhengran.
Even if this is just a theory, I have a really bad feeling—like this is sothing that’s already happening.
And the worst part? No one else would have noticed.
Because who would dare question celebrity judges?
Even if contestants suspected sothing, they wouldn’t voice it.
The problem will only explode once the rankings go public."*
Lin Zhengran added, "I don’t think my own judgnt is perfect, either."
Jiang Jingshi let out a soft laugh.
*"Please, Zhengran. Don’t be so humble.
I finally understand why my little sister kept losing to you.
It’s because you really can do anything—and you’re damn good at it."*
She sighed, voice soft.
*"Honestly… running a business is exhausting.
Everyone always assus I have it easy because I make a lot of money.
But in reality, I’ve failed plenty of tis, too.
My father’s getting older. Our family only has and Qianqian left to manage things.
She’s supposed to run the internal business, while I focus on expanding our influence."*
She t Lin Zhengran’s gaze.
*"Zhengran, if you ever wanted to work with … you could na your price.
I’d pay whatever you wanted."*
Lin Zhengran shook his head, smiling.
"Sorry, Jiang Jie. But I’ve never planned on working under anyone."
Jiang Jingshi sighed.
*"I figured you’d say that. But if I could, I’d much rather follow you.
Because, Zhengran… I know you’ll achieve greatness.
And when you do—I hope we’ll be allies, not enemies."*
She smiled.
"Because, Zhengran… I really like you. I truly admire you."
Lin Zhengran smiled back.
"Then I doubt we’ll ever be enemies, Jiang Jie."
Reviews
All reviews (0)