Without Cao Yan in the villa, Zhan Zhiqing finally relaxed. His illness improved significantly, and after a refreshing workout, he went to sleep feeling invigorated.
Meanwhile, in a meeting room of a building owned by the MA Group, He Yu’s attitude was even more serious than Zhan Zhiqing had imagined.
“I have disqualified Cao Yan. As for Meng Ping, I will find a new judge to replace him. It was my oversight not to have noticed this earlier.”
Through the past few evaluations, He Yu realized that Meng Ping’s criteria for judging male models were skewed. He gave high scores to anyone with large muscles and a burly physique, while consistently giving low scores to those with leaner frames. He even used his own experience to tell the male models that muscle and manliness were the only things that mattered.
He Yu wanted top supermodels, not replicas of Meng Ping.
Ying Yuan sat in his chair with a calm expression. “How do you plan to handle it?”
“Do you have any suggestions, President Ying?”
“We have found evidence of Cao Yan’s side attempting to interfere with the program’s voting. This might be helpful to you.”
He Yu arched an eyebrow. “This is my first time producing such a show. Perhaps I should put more effort into screening contestants in the future.”
“Success always invites jealousy. The media outlets under the MA Group will cooperate with the program for promotion.”
“Promotion? Are you being that kind, President Ying, or are you just seizing market share? Ying Cheng’s brand and one of the Cao Group’s menswear lines are direct competitors. This is the perfect leverage.”
Ying Yuan smiled. “Yes. Thanks to Zhan Zhiqing.”
He had never seen Zhan Zhiqing so firm before, and it only made him like the boy more. He was like a little kitten showing its claws.
He Yu let out a dry laugh. “I think we should thank Cao Yan and his stupid brain instead.”
Ying Yuan was a shark in the business world. As soon as he caught the scent of blood, he would tear into his prey. Normally, this would just be a small news story for the Cao Group, but for Ying Yuan, there was great potential here. Whether it was the collusion between a model and a judge or the malicious destruction of high-end fashion, both could deal a heavy blow to the Cao Group’s menswear brand. In the luxury world, competition was about more than just style and fabric; it was about reputation and client trust.
After settling on the course of action, He Yu left. Ying Yuan returned home to once again admire Zhan Zhiqing’s new hairstyle in the videos.
That evening, the official China’s Next Top Model social media account posted a video and announced the cancellation of Cao Yan’s eligibility. The news caused an immediate sensation. The show was already a hot topic, and now they were disqualifying a frontrunner.
Viewers clicked on the video immediately. To prevent overzealous fans from harassing Zhan Zhiqing, He Yu had the editors blur the faces and voices of all other models.
After watching the second episode, many viewers were already dissatisfied with Cao Yan’s lead in isolating Zhan Zhiqing, but they lacked evidence. This video placed him squarely on the pillar of shame. His arrogant remarks made the fans who had defended him feel instant regret.
A subsequent statement from the production team pushed the matter to a climax: a certain contestant had attempted to cheat by using water armies to manipulate the audience vote.
This was the final straw. Not only was Cao Yan arrogant and a bully, but he was also a cheater. The audience was outraged. News that Cao Yan was the heir to the group owning various menswear brands spread like wildfire. A Cao Group employee even leaked that the company had planned to add Cao Yan’s name as a designer to one of their brands to market him as a dual talent in modeling and design.
The next morning, the Cao Group’s stock hit the downward limit, and the brand’s reputation was severely damaged. Meanwhile, Ying Cheng’s brand, which had already gained some fame, stood out even more in media comparisons.
Ying Cheng, watching the public opinion ferment from his studio, was shocked by the profit he was making from the sidelines. He was stunned by the silent cooperation between Zhan Zhiqing and Ying Yuan.
“Brother, as expected of our Zhan Zhiqing. He is simply incredible!”
Ying Yuan replied, “Do not get ahead of yourself.” Zhan Zhiqing did not belong to their family yet.
“I know, I know,” Ying Cheng replied. “Not now, but he will be.”
By the next morning, Cao Yan had still not returned to the house, and the contestants knew things had escalated. As expected, Wei Ming arrived on time to lead them to the third editorial shoot and officially announced Cao Yan’s disqualification.
No one was shocked, except for Le Xin. Every time a model was eliminated, Le Xin made sure to cry. This time was no different; as soon as the news was announced, she burst into tears.
However, after several episodes, almost all the contestants saw through her act. She pretended to be sad for others but remained aloof when they actually needed help. All her actions were designed to win audience favor and build an image of a deeply emotional person.
She cried particularly hard for Cao Yan. She knew the extent of his family’s influence and intended to use him in the future without letting her own facade slip. Throughout the explosion of this scandal, she had successfully remained invisible. Only a few netizens questioned her role, and they were quickly intimidated by her growing fan base.
After Cao Yan’s exit, some of their couple fans transferred their support to Le Xin. Her goal had been to get both Cao Yan and Zhan Zhiqing out of the game. She never liked Cao Yan; she was smart and proud, believing no female contestant was her match, and only Zhan Zhiqing and Cao Yan had the strength to challenge her. She had seen Cao Yan’s dissatisfaction with Zhan Zhiqing and deliberately drew close to him while manipulating him until he disqualified himself. Her methods were not brilliant, but people in love often become fools. She had used her body to make Cao Yan obsessed with her. She believed that with her schemes and his lack of wit, he would never suspect her.
However, overconfidence eventually brings its own backlash.
The venue for this shoot was a luxury brand hotel. It was one of only two BN hotels globally, a jewelry brand under the MA Group. All the hotel’s amenities came from the brand itself. Located in a bustling city, it was decorated in a Central European style that was elegant and extravagant, while even featuring an artificial beach.
Today’s theme was Emergence.
The two words did not provide much information. “The makeup artists will create a wet look for you. Your hair will be soaked, and there may be water droplets on your faces. You will emerge from the water while showing only your shoulders and face. This is a headshot; the focus is on your head. With no poses to help you, the requirement for your fashion expression is much higher!”
Zhan Zhiqing quickly processed the information. Choosing this method was a test of whether a model’s face could withstand the camera and whether their gaze was sufficiently confident and unique. While a model’s face might not be the most important factor on a runway, their daily work involved ad campaigns and magazine covers. The face being tested here was not just about beauty, but whether one’s expressions and bone structure were expressive enough in front of the lens.
Zhan Zhiqing changed his clothes, removed his shirt, and draped a towel over his shoulders as he sat down at the dressing table.