Chapter Thirty-Eight: Taking Regiments as Battalions

Of everyone present, apart from Meng Tan himself, only Meng Fanxi frowned slightly and seemed to be deep in thought when he heard "Fighting in Battalions," but no one noticed that everyone else was stunned for a moment.

Meng Fanxi certainly knew about this program.

This is probably just the initial preparation stage.

In its previous life, this program was planned and produced by Star Channel, the largest television station in China. With the rise of talent shows in China, Star Channel eventually got involved, intending to get a share of the pie.

But Star Channel has greater ambitions and pride, and is unwilling to simply follow the trend. They are different from others in terms of recruitment targets. Other programs look for amateurs or individual trainees, but they look for groups.

Other programs announce rankings, with the bottom-ranked contestants being eliminated, ultimately forming a limited-time group.

"Team-Based Campaign" is a team-based game.

The Star Channel had grand ideas and created a lot of hype, even planning to broadcast online and on satellite simultaneously.

but.

Meng Fanxi was somewhat absent-minded. He remembered the program "Team-Based Camp" not because it was so popular.

On the contrary.

In my previous life, the most popular talent show of the time was the online variety show "Teen Idol" produced by Ye Chentai.

In contrast, "The Battalion" served as a stark contrast, suffering dismal ratings and even becoming a complete flop.

It caused Starlight TV to lose a lot of money, and it is said that they only recovered after filming several hit dramas.

After that, Star Channel dared not touch any talent shows or competition programs again.

This incident became a source of amusement and jokes within the industry for a long time.

At Meng Tan's request, Meng Fanxi and the others sat back down, with varying reactions from the six of them.

Some were looking forward to what Meng Tan would say, some were doubtful, some were expressionless, and some, like Meng Fanxi, were completely uninterested.

Meng Fanxi decided to listen to Meng Tan's side of the story again.

With a relaxed smile, she made it seem as if the argument between the two sides was nothing more than a trivial matter. With her few words of ease, the atmosphere at the scene became much more relaxed.

Ji Xin also suppressed his aggressive demeanor.

Seeing that everyone had calmed down, Meng Tan flipped through the documents, switched to business mode, and gave a concise summary: "The main problem now is that the previous round of judging panel, represented by Minister Ji, does not believe that this group can succeed, and putting too many excellent trainees into one group is likely to waste resources."

She continued, "The trainees are very confident that they can form a near-perfect group and will not accept any suggestions to break up the group."

Seeing the trainees nodding vigorously, she smiled and added, "That practice room video seems to show us their determination."

However, she wasn't in a hurry to explain her suggestion. Instead, she turned to Song Zhengchu and asked, "Director, what's your opinion? Should we seek some kind of solution, or should we let the judges present here make a decision and decide whether this plan succeeds or fails?"

Song Zhengchu was the most senior among them, and the judges all tacitly agreed to make him the group leader, turning their attention to him.

Song Zhengchu, unusually helpless, chuckled and joked, "Since we're all sitting here, we naturally need to come up with a solution. After all, we're in the same company, how can we afford to have such a big fight with each other?"

Song Zhengchu gestured to Meng Tan: "Tell me your thoughts."

Upon hearing this, Meng Tan said seriously, "It's like this, recently many TV stations and video platforms have expressed interest in launching talent competition programs, and I have received quite a few offers."

One of the business areas of Meng Tan's artist management department is negotiating film, television, and variety show invitations for artists.

She looked at Zhou Xingzhi: "In the past, based on the company's plans, the trainee department and we have communicated that we will not send trainees to participate in such programs. We can simply refuse directly."

Zhou Xingzhi nodded in agreement.

"So all these invitations are stuck with me." She said frankly, "I've just been busy lately, and I haven't turned down this batch of program invitations yet."

She then got to the point: "Coincidentally, I think the show 'Team Up' is perfect for solving the current predicament. It's a variety show where trainee groups compete, and only one team can stand out in the end and win prizes, such as prize money and the opportunity to perform at a star-studded gala."

"Putting aside the awards, if these boys can win first place in 'Team Up,' wouldn't that prove there's nothing wrong with their group? If they don't get first place, I believe they won't have the confidence to talk about the group anymore."

Regardless, this was a glimmer of hope. The boys' competitive spirit was ignited, and they watched the other judges' reactions with a hint of anticipation.

Meng Fanxi's previous doubts were dispelled. If winning first place in "Group Camp" would give him the opportunity to debut with Will Company, then the show's poor ratings were nothing.

He remembered that the teams participating in "Team-Based Campaign" in his previous life weren't that strong, so he didn't pay much attention to them.

Given their strength, they have a very high chance of winning first place.

Ji Xin immediately objected: "As a trainee group from Weir Company, they bring their own popularity to the competition. It's perfectly normal for them to win first place; it would be abnormal if they lost."

Zhou Xingzhi finally spoke up, refuting: "Weir's trainees naturally have certain advantages, but they also bear enormous pressure. Every move they make is under a magnifying glass. Today's audience has a very strong sense of judgment. If it really doesn't work out, the program and public opinion will provide real-time feedback."

Zhu Feiwen, head of the film and television production and investment department, did not agree with the proposal. He analyzed, "Our company rarely makes trainees public, partly to maintain an air of mystery and partly to protect them. Participating in competition programs means facing unimaginable pressure and public opinion, which is not conducive to the trainees' growth."

Ji Xin chimed in, "Yes. These trainees are the result of the company's investment of so much resources in their training. If they make a mistake or say something wrong while participating in the show, it's one thing to worry about their mental state, but what about the public opinion that might result? Without the company's support, any risks outside could cause the company to lose such excellent trainees."

His expression of great appreciation for talent left Zhou Xingzhi speechless.

During a break in their discussion, Lin Ruo and his companions exchanged glances and received the signal.

Lin Ruohe said, "Please allow us to participate."

His gaze was firm, and the other five people also looked intently at him.

His voice was firm and resolute: "Mental fortitude is also a required course for becoming an idol. If we cannot withstand the storms and cannot get first place in the show, then we will fully accept the company's decision."

Song Zhengchu's scrutinizing gaze swept over the other five people: "You all have the same idea?"

Without any prior rehearsal or eye contact, everyone stared at Song Zhengchu, their gazes unwavering, and answered in unison without hesitation, "Yes."

Meng Tan smiled silently, her eyes gentle, as did Zhou Xingzhi beside her.

Song Zhengchu said, "Then let the judges present vote first. Those who agree to let them participate in 'Group Camp' should raise their hands, and those who disagree should be considered as not agreeing."

Song Zhengchu did not raise his hand.

Meng Tan and Zhou Xingzhi raised their hands.

Ji Xin did not raise his hand.

Although Zhu Feiwen was moved by the boys' unity, he still disagreed with their actions and did not raise his hand.

Yu Hongyu, head of operations and marketing, raised her hand and said expectantly, "I'm very curious about the feedback from all sides after they participate."

The current score is 3:3.

Everyone looked toward the Ministry of Justice, Benin.

He didn't move. Seeing that everyone's eyes were still focused on him, he spread his hands and said, "From the perspective of the Ministry of Justice, too many S-level trainees in the same group will cause a lot of disputes."

He looked at Meng Fanxi and the others, "I'm sorry."

Benin voted against it.

The boys' hearts sank.

Ji Xin's face lit up with joy, and he was about to speak before Song Zhengchu could, "Then..."

“Wait a minute,” a magnetic voice interrupted him, “I’m here too.”

Xu Cangyan sat on the far side, slowly raising his hand, his posture as elegant as a painting.

Ji Xin frowned: "Didn't you say you wouldn't serve as a judge to avoid suspicion?"

Xu Cangyan remained expressionless and smiled, "On second thought, since the higher-ups have agreed to let me sit here, there's probably no need to avoid suspicion."

Ji Xin was speechless and looked at Song Zhengchu: "Can this be considered?"

After thinking for two seconds, Song Zhengchu felt that Xu Cangyan's words made sense and replied, "Yes."

The boys' hopes were rekindled.

Xu You was initially annoyed by Xu Cangyan's earlier reprimand, but he had long since forgotten about it. He kept winking and flirting at his uncle, but the latter was staring blankly at the ceiling and pretended not to see him.

Song Zhengchu hadn't expected things to come to this. Assessing the situation, he said, "Since the votes are tied, I plan to report the situation truthfully to the higher-ups and let the management make the decision. Does anyone have any opinions?"

Seeing that the discussion was indeed proving fruitless, and that the trainees were indeed both excellent and stubborn, everyone present shook their heads in agreement with Song Zhengchu's decision.

The meeting has now concluded.

Everyone returned to the waiting room, where Wei was still waiting, his face pale, clearly extremely nervous.

Seeing everyone come out of the meeting room with unreadable expressions, he became even more anxious.

They didn't dare to speak up easily, waiting for someone to take the initiative.

But no one paid attention to him.

Meng Fanxi remained silent, pondering his next move.

At this moment, everyone except Xu You gathered around him. Lin Ruohe thought he was still holding a grudge against Ji Xin's words, so she comforted him, "Don't take what Ji Xin said to heart. He was embarrassed by you, so he's been targeting you."

Although Wei Ye knew nothing about it, he immediately became furious upon hearing this: "That's just how Ji Xin is, he's very concerned about his image. What did he say to you? I'll teach him a lesson later!"

Since the planning went wrong, Wei Ye's image has been greatly damaged in everyone's eyes. When Ren Yuchen heard this, he said to Wei Ye earnestly, "You should think about how to gain a foothold in the company first."

Wei was speechless.

Before Meng Fanxi could speak, Gu Huailang said, "This video was your idea, and many of the highlights were your ideas. Don't underestimate yourself because of Ji Xin's words."

Meng Fanxi's brows relaxed, and feeling everyone's concern, a gentle smile appeared on his face: "Yes, I know. I will continue to work hard, and keep working hard."

Seeing that everyone was preoccupied, Wei didn't want to disturb them, so he turned and called Zhou Xingzhi to inquire about the meeting's content.

Xu You followed Xu Cangyan like a little tail for a long time before Xu Cangyan finally paid attention to him. He quickly said, "Thank you, Uncle."

Xu Cangyan patted him on the shoulder, "I voted not because of you, but because of the sweat and effort you showed in your practice videos and the unity you demonstrated when facing doubts."

He looked at Xu You with satisfaction and encouraged him, "Keep it up!"

Xu You, who had never received a kind word from his uncle, stood there blankly until Xu Cangyan was out of his sight.

A few days later, Wei also brought news.

The company agreed.

They will represent Will Company as a trainee group in "Team Up".