“Host, lying is not allowed!” A mechanical voice devoid of emotion.
Director Lin, who had just sat down in front of the monitor, twitched the corner of his mouth imperceptibly, “…”
Was Su Yuqing just giving up completely?
In the practice room, both Gu Zhan and He Suyan couldn’t help but feel amused. Su Yuqing was truly a remarkable person.
In the entertainment industry, someone this straightforward was far too rare.
“Where did we leave off yesterday?” Su Yuqing asked with a straight face, having already cursed the System in her mind.
“Let’s work on the stage positions. The three-person choreography is simple; we can basically get it down in two runs. With me and He Shen here, as long as you’re careful, you won’t make mistakes,” Gu Zhan said.
He and He Shen could nail it in one go.
“Also, since you’ve never performed on stage before, you need to pay attention to your camera presence…”
He went on and on, and Su Yuqing listened attentively. Camera presence was crucial for an idol’s stage performance.
It could earn a lot of extra points.
Gu Zhan was truly putting in a lot of effort. Last night, after returning, his manager showed him the feedback from fans.
Many had reservations about him teaming up with Su Yuqing, worried that she might hold him back.
If that happened, netizens and fans would likely blame him too, especially since He Shen had already ascended to god-tier status.
He relied on his fans for his livelihood, so he had to consider their feelings.
Although He Suyan also started as a singer-dancer, there was a fundamental difference between them. He hadn’t debuted with that as his primary focus.
“Alright, that’s all for now. Try to absorb it on your own,” Gu Zhan sighed.
“Let’s run through the positions first.”
Director Lin was truly something else. He only gave them a song—nothing else—and left everything else for them to figure out.
Their group was still okay, but the other groups were probably struggling.
“Thud—”
Distracted, Gu Zhan slipped and fell flat on his back with a loud thud.
He was completely stunned.
“That pose… is quite unique.”
He Suyan suppressed a laugh. “Need help?”
Seeing his own reflection in the mirror, Gu Zhan’s expression cracked. “Yes, I can’t get up.”
He had twisted 180 degrees, with his left arm pinned underneath.
His legs were numb, and the pain in his tailbone made his face contort.
Su Yuqing and He Suyan exchanged a glance and quickly helped him up. “Are you okay?”
“Probably not,” Gu Zhan gasped, his arm throbbing with pain.
Su Yuqing frowned, had him sit on the floor, and examined his arm. “It’s likely a bone fracture.”
“…Could I really be that unlucky?” Gu Zhan felt a bit pitiful.
Tonight was the live performance.
Although this show took an unconventional approach, there was no denying its massive viewership and popularity. He didn’t want to miss a single shot.
This could be his chance to make a comeback.
“Maybe you really are that unlucky,” He Suyan also took a look.
Gu Zhan…
After a moment, he gritted his teeth. “Just a fracture? Not a full break?”
Su Yuqing raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that serious enough? Don’t tell me you want to push through.”
“It’s a rare opportunity,” Gu Zhan forced a bitter smile.
Alright, understood.
“Fine, it’s up to you. It’s not a full break, but you’ll definitely need a cast. If you insist on performing, try not to use this hand later.” It was a wrist fracture, so even holding a microphone would be difficult.
However, since the performance would use a wireless mic, as long as he was careful, it shouldn’t be a big issue.
Gu Zhan’s professional skills were undeniable.
He Suyan also nodded in agreement.
Gu Zhan breathed a sigh of relief. The chance to share the stage with He Shen was once in a lifetime.
The assistant director frowned. “Should we make him stop?”
If this clip gets edited out, the production team would definitely be besieged by Gu Zhan’s fans.
The losses would outweigh the gains.
“He insisted on continuing himself, what does it have to do with me?” Director Lin smirked mischievously. “Let him do as he pleases.”
They’re all adults; they should bear the consequences themselves.
Assistant Director: “…” I really hope to see the day when you can’t keep your composure.
“Ring the bell, have everyone gather in the first-floor lobby.” Director Lin checked the schedule and suddenly stood up.
…Some people hadn’t even made it to the practice rooms yet.
The assistant director lit a metaphorical candle for everyone in his heart.
A sharp, urgent bell suddenly rang out, startling everyone.
“What’s going on?”
“Is there a fire?!”
Everyone rushed out, and those already in the elevator were even more confused, their ears nearly blasted by the piercing sound.
In the hallway, the on-site PD met everyone’s murderous gazes, swallowed hard, and announced, “Everyone, assemble in the first-floor lobby.”
“What is Director Lin up to now?”
“We’re losing practice time; I was racing against the clock.”
“Speaking of which, our practice room… honestly, whether we practice or not makes no difference.” A veteran supporting actor in the entertainment industry twitched his forehead.
“What’s the disturbance inside yours?”
“Square-dancing aunties!”
“…”
“Two groups, taking turns nonstop blasting music and dancing.”
“…”
Sympathetic looks were cast their way from all sides.
[Hahaha, I can already picture that scene.]
[Help, I really want to see the practice room segments! Director, we demand a live stream!]
[Seconding the above!]
[Seconding 10086…]
[My idol He’s visuals are absolutely stunning, okay!]
[Idol He! Please give me a chance to wrap my legs around your shoulders!]
[Sis above, you’ve got some nerve!]
[To the one above, if you can’t handle your drink, go sit at the kids’ table.]
In the first-floor lobby, all thirty-one celebrities had gathered. Su Yuqing accurately caught the gloomy look Jiang Chenan shot her way. She calmly returned his gaze before indifferently looking away.
As for Su Chengxi, she ignored her.
The original thirty-one seats here had been spaced farther apart, with a small table added in front of each seat.
“Director, what now?” Xi Yanhong looked at Director Lin discontentedly.
“Today’s live broadcast segment,” Director Lin replied with a smile.
Yet everyone sensed something malicious. Sure enough, his next words struck them like a thunderbolt.
“For the next two hours, a written test. The scope includes literature, entertainment, general knowledge, law, mathematics, technology, etc. Rankings and test papers will be directly published online.”
Everyone: “??!!”
Isn’t this basically a civil service exam?
Su Yuqing couldn’t help but twitch her lips. This sudden move was absolutely wild!
With this test, over eighty percent of them were bound to fail miserably.
Gu Zhan looked as if he had just lost both parents, suddenly feeling the urge to withdraw due to injury.
“Aww! Director, this can’t be allowed!”
“Director, you didn’t mention this beforehand; we’re mentally unprepared.”
Xie Shiyun’s roguish face twisted for a moment. “It wasn’t in the contract.”
Director Lin waited until everyone had voiced their complaints before saying, “The contract states that I set all the rules for the show.”
“…”
With the matter settled, the venue erupted in wails.
[Holy crap, Director Lin is still the boss!]
[He can even come up with such a ruthless trick. I hereby crown Director Lin the God of Shenanigans, the deity of wild moves!]
[…]
[To be honest, this test might expose many people’s carefully maintained genius personas, haha.]
【There are plenty of undereducated people in the entertainment industry, so I’m suddenly a bit curious about the outcome.】
【Wouldn’t Su Yuqing be the first to come to mind? After all, her middle school exam results were faked, and she barely scraped through high school.】
【Bringing my little stool over.】