Not only did Shen Xi’s decision leave the mentors with more question marks, but the production crew also had no idea what she was up to.
The producer, director, and scriptwriter who had a say, as well as those who had the inside scoop, exchanged a glance and inquired each other’s opinion whether to put a stop to the whole thing.
Cosmos Entertainment may be the program’s sponsor, but this was not some online sketch show. Since Cosmos Entertainment was in partnership with the TV station, the latter’s input mattered too.
When it came to the trainees, Cosmos Entertainment was kind and respectful enough to have a contract written in black and white with the network, promising not to get involved with the trainees’ advancement in the competition and the production crew’s shooting and editing.
The agency’s trainees would have to work their way up to the top. As for the gossip about fixing winners and pulling strings, these were all not true.
The only request by Cosmos Entertainment was the addition of a mystery mentor and for the said mentor to have free rein to the show.
The network was not about to back down, but a line had been drawn somewhere. Since Cosmos Entertainment gave ground by not interfering with the decision concerning winners, the TV station did the same and met the other party halfway.
They were also under the assumption that the mystery mentor was sent by Cosmos Entertainment to keep an eye on the mentors and production crew. However, they were left more bewildered than the other mentors when Shen Xi bluntly agreed to be Group F’s lead mentor.
Sure, the network was in the business to make sure the show was the talk of the town. Hence, they would allow Shen Xi to have free reins to a certain extent as it made the show more interesting just like when she yielded her veto.
The situation right now was a different story. They would be made the joke of the century if the audience could tell the supposed experienced mystery mentor was actually an amateur guiding the professionals.
Shen Xi would not only be embarrassing herself but also making clowns out of the production crew and network. It was not a good thing if the audience questioned their professionalism.
Swiftly working out the pros and cons, the chief director, Su Botao took the responsibility upon himself to pull Shen Xi aside. He cut the chase and went straight to the point. “Mr. Yun Xiao, are you able to handle the task of leading Group F?”
The show was a hit variety show the network was ready to release for the year, aiming to blow their competition out of the water.
As the chief director, he had a lot resting on his shoulders. Su Botao was not going to allow any slip-ups to mess up the shoot.
“Yes.” Shen Xi nodded as she gazed intently at the man.
Her voice may not be loud, but it carried weight to cast away all doubt.
For some reason, the young man’s icy yet sharp eyes gave Su Botao the confidence he needed.
Shen Xi knew where he was coming from. Su Botao was merely worried she was not up to the task and could end up the bane of the show. The director was known for his pursuit of perfection, having high standards for himself, his team, and the VIPs. Shen Xi added. “I’m pretty good.”
She spoke in an equally loud, assured, and composed voice but with more tenacity this time.
Although still apprehensive, Su Botao made up his mind to trust him for once. Perhaps the show would turn out more interesting than the script. He smiled and said, “I hope you won’t let me down.”
Su Botao had his moments on his quest for absolute consistency, but one thing was for sure, he was always looking to make more than just good TV.
He started his career in variety shows as an assistant, making his way to the chief director spot in the span of ten years. Su Botao was a brilliant judge of character as a result of that.
Shen Xi was eye-catching in the way she conducted herself before. She may appear to keep to herself the whole time, but every time she opened her mouth, it was a highlight scene without needing to edit. In other words, she cut to the chase.
“Thank you for your trust, Director.” Shen Xi knew that everyone here thought little of her. Su Botao’s doubts were not unfounded.
It was easy for people in the entertainment business for over a decade to look into Yun Xiao’s background. They had the connections after all. These people would find that Yun Xiao never existed. It was silly for anyone to believe Yun Xiao was a coach from a renowned managing company in Country H.
Chief Director Su Botao called Shen Xi to the side for a talk.
The remaining mentors exchanged looks before Su Muyan broke the silence. “I guess we’d have to decide who among us will take Group F.”
There was nothing out of the ordinary about Su Muyan’s voice and tone. In fact, he sounded as though he was joking.
Still, the others could detect the emotional turmoil within his words. Everyone was aware that National Idol was first sponsored by the Su family. However, the Su family withdrew funding due to their recent monetary issues, giving Cosmos Entertainment a chance to take over.
Livid by the outcome, Su Muyan must find Yun Xiao, the representative of Cosmos Entertainment, an eyesore. It would explain why he was finding fault and nitpicking at Yun Xiao.
Gu Yang was relieved. Things would be a lot easier if the chief director went to discourage Yun Xiao from taking on Group F as predicted by Su Muyan.
Yun Xiao could just sit there and be a doll since he was only here to make up for the numbers. As for guiding the trainees and whatnot, the production crew could give him a script to act like a professional mentor which should be enough to fool the viewers. This could easily be done.
Fang Yao and He Sumo glanced at Shen Xi and Chief Director Su Botao.
For the chief director to personally meet with Yun Xiao, he must be afraid one bad apple would spoil the whole bunch. If only Yun Xiao turned down Su Muyan. Why must he be so stubborn?
Everybody had their opinions about the whole matter. Nevertheless, to their surprise, the host came and told them that Yun Xiao remained in charge of Group F.
Unconcerned about what was happening around him, Su Muyan dwelled in the feeling of having everything within his grasp. That Yun Xiao prick was about to go down!
Even if the network withheld Yun Xiao’s footage to protect the show’s integrity, the mentors and trainees would bear witness to his incompetence. It was high time Yun Xiao paid the price and made a fool of himself.
Gu Yang kneaded his aching head while pondering his next steps. He had to figure out a way to help Yun Xiao so that the latter would not look too bad on camera.
Fang Yao and He Sumo were rendered speechless. There was nothing more to say other than feeling impressed by Yun Xiao’s courage. He sure had the guts to guide the worst group of them all.
The trainees in Group F were the worst and with the addition of the worst mentor, it was just a train wreck about to happen.
Xia Mi had a different opinion altogether. This person may seem easy to read, but Xiao Mi had a feeling that Yun Xiao was a dark horse with a card up his sleeve. Perhaps she should look forward to what Yun Xiao could bring to the table.
There were cries of joy and despair across the room of trainees following the announcement of assigned mentors. It was a cause for celebration for the groups who were under the care of the other five mentors.
The news came as a sign of hopelessness to Group F. Feeling down in the dumps, they cursed the mystery mentor under their breaths.
With the girls in the same sinking boat coming together, they spiritlessly discussed what to do next. Should they just quit ahead of the competition?
The production team was clearly underway to abandon and sacrifice them. Already at the bottom of the barrel among trainees, now they were assigned the worst mentor.
Having lived together for a week, the trainees had caught wind about the mystery mentor. The mystery mentor was an empty vessel without any authority or capability to show for.
Someone guessed that Yun Xiao was a figurehead sent by the investor to oversee the production. As for his professionalism and knowledge of dance and music, the trainees could bet their money he knew nothing of this sort.
Today’s evaluation round verified the rumors. During the trainees’ performance, the other mentors provided constructive criticism while Yun Xiao pretentiously ended on that note by telling them to keep up the good work.
F*ck!
What was there to keep up!?
They were so unlucky to get a mentor like him. It looked like they would not even survive the first round!
In a matter of a week, trainees had formed some cliques among themselves. For some, they had a clique with their own roommates while others chose to stay on with those who they hit off with. At present, the trainees joined their friends to discuss at length the allocation of mentors.
The trainees from Cosmos Entertainment were no exception to this situation. The girls furrowed their brows at Ye Weiyang, worried about the troubled road ahead of her.
Everyone was under the impression that the person assigned to Group F would be none other than Gu Yang, the most skilled mentor amongst all mentors.
Known to be a hothead, Song Wenye did not hide her bitterness. “What’s going on? Shouldn’t Mr. Gu Yang be entrusted with an important responsibility like F group? He has the most experience and is the most qualified!”
Tong Kejun nodded in agreement. Nevertheless, she was not too sure herself. “You never know, Mr. Yun Xiao might turn out rather good.”
Guan Rou would not bet on it. “We have trained in Country H but I’ve never heard of a person called Yun Xiao. Have you?”
Tong Kejun shook her head. “What can we do about it? In the worst-case scenario, it would be an amateur guiding the pros. In an even worst-case scenario, it’s the blind leading the blind…
She was out of words as it only got worse from there.
Liu Qianyu remarked, “Things are not at their worst yet. As the homeroom teacher, Mr. Yun Xiao has his priority with Group F, but that doesn’t mean the other mentors won’t keep an eye on Group F.”
Ji Jingyan was the most composed of the bunch. “I think there are two possible reasons why the production team went ahead with it. One is that Group F had been forsaken, or two, Mr. Yun Xiao is the trump card to turn the tables for Group F. I’m more inclined to believe the second. Reason number one would only make the show a bore and I don’t think the production team wants to be blasted by the viewers. It won’t make sense.”
An avid viewer of variety shows, Ji Jingyan knew the ins and outs of such shows. She also found her premises to be well-grounded and on point.
As a member of Group F, Ye Weiyang, who had been holding her tongue the whole time, spoke at last. Capturing steadfast resolution in her eyes, she softly but confidently uttered, “Mr. Yun Xiao’s nice.”
