Chapter 19.1
The day of the official recording of Super Idol.
Xiang Qingwei also arrived at the recording venue. According to the rules set by the production team, contestants were not allowed to contact anyone in the outside world during the three months of competition, including their managers. Thus, Xiang Qingwei did not come as Ning Yang's manager but rather as a friend of the producer, Miss K.
Rules were rules, but people could adapt. Xiang Qingwei had used her connections in the past, and she would continue to do so if necessary.
She worried that Ning Yang might feel anxious, so she didn't tell him she'd be visiting or even that she was at the venue. Instead, she stayed backstage in the control room with Miss K, watching live footage from the surveillance cameras.
In order to produce this show, TX had spared no expense. There were twice as many camera operators compared to other talent scouting shows, and fixed cameras were installed in every corner of the building to capture twenty-four-hour footage with no blind spots.
Recording began at 10 A.M.
Xiang Qingwei received an inside scoop from Miss K: Ning Yang had drawn the twenty-sixth spot.
Since many contestants came in groups, the largest being seven people, there were a total of forty-five groups.
The order of appearance wasn't too important, as everything would be edited later, but Xiang Qingwei felt that twenty-six was a rather auspicious number.
Miss K sat beside the surveillance monitors, holding a cup of iced coffee that her assistant had brought downstairs. She handed it to Xiang Qingwei, took a sip, and asked, "Are you nervous?"
Xiang Qingwei took a sip of the coffee, smiled, and confessed, "I am, actually."
Her nervousness wasn't rooted in any other reason but her worry for Ning Yang. Although he didn't show it, she could sense the pressure hiding beneath his quiet facade.
Miss K looked at Xiang Qingwei and smiled, asking, "Guess what rating Ning Yang will get on his first assessment?"
Holding the coffee cup, Xiang Qingwei responded confidently, "A."
Miss K clicked her tongue and said, "Don't blame me for not reminding you. The mentors are extremely strict with their ratings this time around."
Xiang Qingwei said, "If Ning Yang performs normally, then unless not a single one of these hundred contestants receive an 'A,' if anyone deserves it, it will undoubtedly be Ning Yang."
She paused, then lifted an eyebrow and said with a faint smile, "Otherwise, I'd have to suspect your program of having a hidden agenda."
Miss K laughed so hard she almost spilled her coffee, then draped an arm over Xiang Qingwei's shoulders. "You're that confident in Ning Yang? Then I'll have to sharpen my eyes and wait to see what he's made of."
Xiang Qingwei wasn't one to speak without reason.
Miss K, however, was now genuinely curious and anticipating Ning Yang's performance. Just how much was this quiet and reserved young man worth to Xiang Qingwei's trust?
In the waiting area, the contestants entered the stage one after another according to their assigned numbers.
The first group was a duo. When selecting their difficulty levels, both members hesitated before settling on C, which they affixed to the hem of their clothing.
Once inside the studio, they had the option of choosing any of the 100 seats.
The duo hesitated again, eventually picking numbers 54 and 55.
Contestants continued to enter the stage, one after another, and displayed a surprising amount of modesty when self-evaluating.
Ten groups had entered, yet not a single one had chosen the highest difficulty level, A.
Most chose B, C, or D, with one brave soul even daring to label themselves "F."
Aside from the trainees under the same management, all contestants were meeting each other for the first time.
Some more sociable contestants began greeting others and striking up conversations, attempting to garner attention from the camera.
From the moment they stepped on stage, the battle had begun; every single one was a competitor against all others.
By the twentieth group, no one had chosen A.
Miss K's expression darkened slightly.
When Ning Yang stepped onto the stage, everyone turned to look, momentarily halting any chatter. Soon after, a commotion arose.
At 184 centimeters tall, Ning Yang's figure was exceptionally well-proportioned: broad shoulders, narrow hips, and long legs. His outfit was simple: a white silk shirt, black trousers, and black hair framing his dark eyes.
With minimal makeup, his unique aura—one part icy aloofness, another part aristocratic elegance—was accentuated to its fullest extent.
The contestants whispered amongst themselves, gasping.
"My God, he's so tall and handsome..."
"Isn't he a celebrity?"
"It looks like the clothes he's wearing are super expensive."
"How come we look so insignificant compared to him?"
"Has he debuted already?"
"He looks so refined..."
The contestants shared their information, checking to see if anyone knew who he was, but in the end, no one did.
"Wow, the first person to pick A has finally appeared!" One of the contestants finally noticed the letter on the hem of his shirt.
A.
Out of the twenty-six groups, he was the first to pick A.
Xiang Qingwei sat before the surveillance camera, watching Ning Yang's grand entrance. Even she was momentarily stunned by his stately arrival.
As she saw the A label on the corner of his shirt and the ensuing commotion, the corners of her lips lifted slightly, and she joked with Miss K, "What do you think? Does it feel like the protagonist has made his entrance?"
Ning Yang's outfit seemed simple, but even the loose curls framing his face had been meticulously styled. Xiang Qingwei's goal was to establish Ning Yang's protagonist's glow from the very first episode.
The initial capital investment was not within Xiang Qingwei's purview of considerations.
Just the clothes Ning Yang wore cost over a hundred thousand yuan.
Budget?
What was that?
If they didn't spend money, how could they make stars?
At this time, the company's finance department was grimly reporting to Secretary Wen about how Xiang Qingwei's budget had overspent once again.
Secretary Wen took a calm sip of his coffee, informing the department that he would report this to Mr. Fu, then placed the coffee down and walked into Mr. Fu's office with the financial report in hand. "Xiao Xiang's finances overspent again this month."
Fu Yanbai rubbed his temples, not lifting his head as he said, "I thought I just increased her budget last month?"
Secretary Wen responded methodically, "Yes, Xiao Xiang's current budget is now the highest of all the managers in the company, being twice as much as Jiang Rong's."
Fu Yanbai frowned. "Where is she spending all this money?"
Secretary Wen flipped through the report in his hands. "The latest expenditure was for purchasing clothing for newly signed artists; the amount spent was one hundred and twenty thousand yuan."
Fu Yanbai's head throbbed.
"Xiao Xiang has also made another request, this time for five hundred thousand yuan, but accounting is holding up the funds." Secretary Wen paused slightly before adding a subtle reminder, "The other managers have already begun voicing their opinions on this matter."
Fu Yanbai lifted his head, a frown marring his handsome face. "What objections do they have? Last year, Xiang Qingwei brought in a profit that was the total sum of their yearly earnings for several years."
Secretary Wen kept his gaze lowered respectfully.
Whenever Xiang Qingwei was involved, the boss's standards were always double-sided. Secretary Wen had long since grown used to this. His boss could admonish Xiang Qingwei and find fault with her, but others could not.
Any objection others had toward Xiang Qingwei would earn only one result: the boss's staunch defense of her.
"This fifty thousand will come out of my personal account."
Secretary Wen wasn't surprised by this outcome. "Of course. I'll notify the accounting department."
Fu Yanbai furrowed his brows. "She's too high-profile in the company."
Secretary Wen smiled. "That's because she's outstanding enough to warrant everyone's attention to her every move." He chuckled lightly. "After all, Xiao Xiang was personally mentored by you."
Secretary Wen spoke with tact, helping Xiang Qingwei while also subtly flattering his boss.
Fu Yanbai scoffed. "Mentored the ingrate."
Secretary Wen smiled as he took the financial reports and left.
"Those clothes on Ning Yang must have cost quite a fortune, huh?" Miss K was an avid luxury fashion enthusiast, and she immediately recognized the shirt as the latest collection from a high-end brand. She casually tossed the coffee cup into the trash bin. "Hua Ying sure is rich and bold."
Xiang Qingwei smiled without a word.
Ning Yang stood on the stage, looking up at the pyramid-shaped seating chart.
By now, half of the seats in the audience were filled, but only two of the nine seats designated for the contestants were occupied—the eighth and ninth. The other seven remained empty.
Ning Yang waited three seconds before walking toward the pyramid-shaped seating chart under everyone's gaze.
Without hesitation, he strode forward, step by step, up the pyramid.
The other contestants stood up, watching him silently. As Ning Yang ascended the pyramid, every step he took elicited gasps from the crowd.
Outside the studio, Xiang Qingwei stared at Ning Yang on the monitor, holding her breath.
The rules she had been given were just an outline; details about specific aspects of the competition were kept secret from her as well.
Therefore, neither the self-evaluation nor seat selection could be run through with Ning Yang beforehand.
Everything depended on his performance in the moment.
Which seat would he choose?
Xiang Qingwei had a vague answer, but she didn't dare confirm it until she saw Ning Yang step onto the last stair.
The corners of her lips curled into a smile. He hadn't disappointed her.
Ning Yang sat down at the top of the pyramid.
The contestants looked up at him, astonished, and then began to applaud.
"Nice, that's gutsy." Miss K seemed a bit surprised, but quickly recovered and turned to Xiang Qingwei, giving her the look of someone who knows the mastermind behind the scheme. "Did you plan this?"
After all, Ning Yang had a cold and aloof demeanor, unapproachable to many.
Xiang Qingwei relaxed and smiled. "How could I have planned it when the contestants' identities are kept under such tight wraps?"
The average age of the contestants in Super Idol was twenty. The youngest was sixteen, and the oldest was twenty-eight, considered quite old for a contestant. Ning Yang was twenty-three, not particularly young, but he stood out amongst a crowd of eighteen- and nineteen-year-olds nonetheless.
The contestants dyed their hair in vibrant colors and dressed in flashy outfits, while Ning Yang sat quietly in his black hair, white shirt, and black pants. His poise was like a swan among a pond of ducks, effortlessly drawing the gaze of the camera.
The camera crew couldn't help but zoom in for multiple close-ups.
"Ning Yang is quite the camera magnet," Miss K commented as she watched Ning Yang's close-up.
Several contestants who were handsome in real life appeared strangely different on camera, as if their looks weren't as delicate as they seemed in person.
There were also a few internet celebrities who were supposed to be the focus of the show's advertising. Upon seeing them in person, Miss K was thoroughly impressed by their photo editing skills, which was, in itself, a form of reverse marketing.
Ning Yang's attractiveness rating was: photos < video < in person.
For many contestants, this ranking reversed, but there were still some who stood out amongst the rest.
The crowd was once again riled up.
This time, the commotion was even greater than Ning Yang's entrance; many contestants stood up in shock, gasps and exclamations filling the air.
"Good heavens! Yao Yuan!"
"Yao Yuan is here too?!"
"No way! Then what's the point in us competing? We might as well go home!"
Some of the contestants didn't recognize him and asked, "Who? Who is it?"
Even Xiang Qingwei's gaze, sitting before the surveillance screen, intensified slightly.
A total of seven new people had entered the building.
Xiang Qingwei had seen their files; they were all from the same company—Chuangxing Entertainment—and had partnerships with many Korean entertainment agencies.
Xiang Qingwei's gaze fell upon the young man standing in the center wearing a black shirt.
Black short hair, single-fold eyelids, a mole at the tail of his eye—his attractiveness was distinctive, and his aura was cold, though not the deep and serene chill of Ning Yang, but a frosty and bold coldness with a powerful presence.
That was Yao Yuan, a hot favorite among the contestants. He had already debuted in Korea with a group that had enjoyed a brief stint of popularity, but the entire group's career was derailed due to a scandal involving one of its members.
Unable to recover, the group dissolved less than two years after their debut.
Yao Yuan was the group's main dancer, with ten years of dance training under his belt. Xiang Qingwei had watched many of his practice and performance videos; the young man's abilities were on par with those of professional artists.
In the ruthlessness of the Korean entertainment industry, no trainee who made it past the audition process was a walk in the park.
If not for his teammate's scandal, Yao Yuan would have become a star two years earlier than he did.
This time, he was participating in Super Idol with six other trainees from his company, Cread Star Entertainment. Needless to say, any candidate selected by Cread Star Entertainment would be exceptional. The seven trainees wore matching black shirts and stood shoulder to shoulder, their long legs aligned in a striking manner.
Even more striking was that every single one of these trainees had an "A" taped over their chest.
"Hello, we are Cread Star Entertainment's trainees!"
Their synchronized chant and formation immediately set them apart from the other candidates hailing from small companies.
"That's what being a professional looks like," Miss K said, her voice full of admiration. She turned to Xiang Qingwei, grinning slightly. "How does Yao Yuan compare to Ning Yang?"
Xiang Qingwei smiled, unfazed. "They're both exceptional in their own ways, evenly matched. This makes the competition more exciting, isn't it?"
After the pleasantries, the contestants proceeded to the pyramid to select their seats.
Yao Yuan lifted his gaze and met Ning Yang's eyes, which were filled with an aggressive challenge.
"Yao Yuan wants to sit in the first place spot too," the contestants murmured.
Yao Yuan indeed wanted to sit in the topmost seat, but he never expected someone else would get there before him. The moment he stepped onto the stage, he saw his spot occupied.
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