Chapter 34 Exclusive Revelation [VIP]

Chapter Summary: Feeling worried about the idol's future.

"Sister Zhizhi, you have 10 minutes of screen time!"

For Mu Zhi, getting 10 minutes of screen time in a 1 hour and 22 minute program was a pleasant surprise.

She was prepared that she would have very few scenes.

Minmin said happily, "Senior Sister Lin Xuan chose to make sauerkraut fish. The scenes of preparing the fish are crucial, and the process of making sauerkraut fish is the focus. She got a splatter of oil on the back of her hand and then dumped the fish stall on you, Sister Zhizhi. These scenes can't be cut..."

Mu Zhi's main scenes in the program are in these two places.

A stunningly beautiful young woman, seemingly untouched by the world of cooking, demonstrated impressive skill in cleaning, preparing, and cooking fish, showcasing her quick, steady, and precise movements in a captivating and entertaining manner. Her impressive culinary abilities earned her praise from many viewers of the show.

There were many comments praising Mu Zhi in the live chat:

"They were very efficient and skillful in catching and killing fish."

"Skilled with a knife"

"Mu Zhi's cooking movements are quite skilled."

"It looks delicious; I can almost smell it through the screen!"

"The pickled fish won!"

......

As a variety show that's perfect for watching while eating, the main attraction of "Celebrity Kitchen" is the genuine performances of the celebrities while cooking.

The most frequently discussed topic among viewers of each episode is the cooking skills of the celebrity guests.

Therefore, Mu Zhi did an excellent job in the cooking process, from knife skills and each step to the finished dish, demonstrating her culinary prowess and ultimately winning.

It shattered the preconceived notion among many viewers that young celebrities couldn't cook, and received affirmation and love from many fans of the show.

In addition, this is Mu Zhi's first variety show.

The number of Mu Zhi's fans flooding the screen was about the same as that of Xia Xinyan's fans.

As an entertainment gossip enthusiast, Minmin exclaimed, "Fans of talent shows are still the most enthusiastic."

She can understand why fans are so "enthusiastic" in supporting their idols' variety shows.

Because Mu Zhi did not debut as part of a group, she did not launch any exploitative activities after the "Chasing the Light Girl" talent show ended. Under pressure from her manager's grudges, Mu Zhi accepted a lipstick endorsement, which has not yet been officially announced.

The idol hasn't made any moves in the business arena.

Therefore, fans attach great importance to Mu Zhi's first variety show, and their efforts to support and generate buzz are in the hope that Mu Zhi can be recognized by some partners and have more opportunities for cooperation.

For Mu Zhi, the fans she has now are indeed quite different from those she had before.

In the original world, before a work was released that was recognized by most viewers, she only had some fans who admired her looks. Later, when the work was released, she gradually gained fans who appreciated the work itself.

In this world, her performances on stage in the second and third rounds were the result of her relentless practice day and night in the environment of the talent show, and her strong competitive spirit that made her determined to win. It can be said that she earned them with all her might.

However, she is well aware that she has no foundation in singing and dancing and no ability to continue on the path of an idol. Her strength lies in acting, and she will not develop as an idol. It is highly unlikely that she will have the stage that fans want to see.

I'm very touched by the support of these fans. Most of them are career-oriented fans, thinking about how to help her establish herself in the industry...

Mu Zhi will not let her fans down, but everything must be done step by step.

This episode of "Celebrity Kitchen" has achieved record-breaking popularity and viewership since its premiere.

Mu Zhi and Xia Xinyan's cooking skills received positive reviews. Qin Luefeng, under the guidance of the singer, also cooked quite well. Furthermore, Xia Xinyan and Qin Luefeng's second collaboration on the show, their interactions and eye contact, made #LueXin# CP fans exclaim that they were shipping them...

Lin Xuan was the only one who let Mu Zhi catch and process the fish all by herself on the show. After Mu Zhi got splashed with oil, Lin Xuan became a hands-off manager, ostensibly "instructing" Mu Zhi on how to make sauerkraut fish, but in reality, the steps she explained were half a beat slower than Mu Zhi's actions.

Being ridiculed by netizens:

The spatula fell to the ground.

"You can tell at a glance that someone rarely goes into the kitchen."

"I'm completely unfamiliar with this dish."

"He probably just memorized the cooking steps."

Lin Xuan's fans felt that Mu Zhi's fans were implying something. They were quite upset because Lin Xuan didn't have many cooking scenes on the show, but they didn't want to confront the production team directly.

This is a perfect opportunity to vent our anger on Mu Zhi's fans.

Mu Zhi felt somewhat helpless seeing the two fan groups arguing on Weibo.

Minmin sighed and said worriedly, "I reckon there will be a lot of fighting between the two fan groups in the future."

Mu Zhi and Lin Xuan both debuted as idols and are now both developing in the film and television industry. Their overlapping development paths mean competition for resources.

As a newcomer who hasn't officially debuted yet, Mu Zhi's company naturally prioritizes giving her the best resources, so the only way for her to get good resources is to take on outside roles.

Staying at Xinghe Culture and being suppressed by Lin Xuan makes it difficult for them to have a chance to rise in the future.

Mu Zhi was well aware of her situation and had no hope for the company, Xinghe Culture. She and Lin Xuan only had contact at this stage.

But Lin Xuan clearly didn't think that way.

On the night "Celebrity Kitchen" aired, an "insider" posted a thread on an entertainment gossip forum revealing:

[A certain S-level fantasy web drama on the Owl platform, a script with two female leads, features a rookie idol from a certain company competing for the lead role against the company's top female star, who suffers a crushing defeat. The other female lead role is taken by a two-name female star who debuted in a girl group. The losing junior sister must be regretting withdrawing from the competition to the death.]

Netizens quickly deciphered the identities of the three individuals:

The defeated junior sister had practically revealed her identity as Mu Zhi.

Lin Xuan is in Group 1 of a certain company.

The two-character female star who debuted as part of a group is Lü E.

"Mu Zhi is so brave? She actually dares to compete with the top actress for a role?"

"Why is Lin Xuan acting too? Is acting the ultimate goal for all idols?"

"2333, is this S-level historical romance drama also known as: Idol Meeting?"

"I was deeply impressed by Mu Zhi's instant tears in 'Chasing the Light,' but does she not yet have the ability to act?"

Many netizens ridiculed Mu Zhi for overestimating herself by trying to compete with the top star for resources.

The news that her idol failed the audition for "The Legend of the Flying Immortal" has somewhat impacted Mu Zhi's fan base.

Most of them became fans after Mu Zhi's second public performance, hoping that Mu Zhi could turn the tide and debut as the center, but she withdrew from the competition. However, they did not give up their support for Mu Zhi because of this. They liked Mu Zhi's stage performance and believed that the idol had the strength and could also have a good development if she debuted as a solo artist.

However, some fans, after seeing the news, did not understand why Mu Zhi was in such a hurry to act.

How can you compete with others if you've never acted or have any works to your name?

The most important thing is to find a way to gain a foothold in the entertainment industry, right?

Does this sudden transformation indicate a lack of self-positioning?

Especially compared to other debuting members, their schedules are packed with fan meetings, variety show appearances, magazine shoots, commercials, and events after their debut, resulting in high exposure, which is truly enviable.

And Mu Zhi? She appeared on a variety show.

She was even worse off than Lü E, whom they looked down upon.

Some fans were disappointed with Mu Zhi and stopped supporting her.

Most fans weren't too affected by the #AuditionLeaks# and still support Mu Zhi. Her performance on the variety show that just aired today was great. It's not wrong to actively pursue acting opportunities if you have aspirations.

At only 21 years old, she has endless possibilities.

They don't necessarily have to follow the same development path as previous contestants.

But everyone is worried about their idol's future.

Fans flocked to agent Shang Jian's Weibo to leave messages, urging him to pay more attention to Mu Zhi's career and plan it well.

The feud between Lin Xuan's and Lin Xuan's fans stemmed from leaked audition information. Many of Lin Xuan's fans joined in, implying that "newcomers should look in the mirror and know their own limitations; do they even deserve to compete for resources with the top star?" This intensified the conflict between the two fan groups...

Galaxy Culture, Director of Brokerage Office.

Shang Jian called Lin Xuan over.

"Did you release the audition materials for 'The Legend of the Flying Immortal'?"

Lin Xuan took off her sunglasses, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and denied it, saying, "Don't make me take the blame. This movie is going to start filming next month, so it's not unusual for it to be leaked."

Shang Jian glared at Lin Xuan.

It just so happened that it was revealed on the very day the variety show premiered and was being ridiculed?

The post still claimed there were "two female leads," setting the stage for the later dispute over billing order.

It's obvious who benefits.

Shang Jian has been taking care of Lin Xuan for 3 years, so how could he not know what Lin Xuan was thinking?

However, he did not pursue the matter of the leak.

Have you watched this episode of "Celebrity Kitchen"?

Mentioning the show made Lin Xuan angry, and she snorted unhappily through her nose, "Hmm."

"I told you in advance to prepare well, but you used this show to mess with Muzhi, and you became a background figure in the most important cooking segment. You still have the nerve to incite fans to fight and solidify your fanbase? Do you know how many shows you've worked with have stopped contacting you? Huh?"

Lin Xuan knew that her manager was really angry.

Knowing that the agent is angry, arguing back will only make the agent yell more, so it's better to just lie down and let them yell without arguing back.

She wants to transition into acting, but she still needs her agent to provide her with resources.

After criticizing Lin Xuan's performance on the show, Shang Jian warned, "From now on, put all your energy into 'The Legend of the Flying Immortal,' take good acting classes, and perform well in this drama."

Stop focusing on Mu Zhi. Even if Mu Zhi is gone, someone else will take her place, understand?

Lin Xuan froze upon hearing the last sentence.

Even if Mu Zhi is eliminated, there will be a second Mu Zhi; the sense of crisis will always remain.

A sense of sadness welled up in my heart: in the eyes of the company/agent, artists are nothing more than tools for making money.

If she cannot maintain her earning value, she could be replaced by someone else at any time.

This industry is really cruel.

The next day.

Shang Jian also called Mu Zhi to the company.

Mu Zhi speculated that the leaks about "The Legend of the Flying Immortal" yesterday were actually Lin Xuan's doing, a test to see if her agent was aware of the situation.

When Shang Jian saw Mu Zhi bring up the matter, he didn't try to hide it or take it seriously: "Once the news of you joining the cast of 'The Bell Ringer' comes out, the fans affected by the leak will be 'doing sit-ups'."

The agent's conciliatory attitude silenced Mu Zhi.

This completely shattered any remaining hope I had for Shang Jian, my agent.

"I called you here today because the show 'Celebrity Kitchen' has been doing well, and two popular variety shows have extended invitations to us. Take a look."

As he spoke, he pushed the cooperation invitation document in front of Mu Zhi.

"Mr. Shang, filming for 'The Bell Ringer' will begin in a little over a week. I'm a new actor, so I need to make time to thoroughly understand the character and prepare for joining the crew. I also have a reading session with the production team in a few days, so I'm afraid..."

Out of the corner of her eye, Mu Zhi noticed that Shang Jian's face darkened instantly when he heard her say she wanted to decline the variety show appearance. He was about to launch into his usual manipulative rhetoric: "Newcomers need to be obedient so the company can properly plan your acting career."

It was clear that if she didn't agree, the matter wouldn't be resolved.

She needs to finish filming "The Bell Ringer" smoothly, and it's not advisable for her to confront Shang Jian head-on for the time being.

She could only try to negotiate: "I'm afraid I don't have enough time. Mr. Shang, you don't want a newcomer like me to finally get a lucky break and land a leading role in a big production with a lot of screen time, only to mess it up, right?"

How about this, I'll choose one of these two variety shows to record. That way, I can explain it to the company, and it won't put you in a difficult position.

Shang Jian is the type of person who responds better to gentle persuasion than force; he wants his artists to fawn over him and obey him.

In fact, he had seen Mu Zhi's performance in the later stages of "Chasing the Light" and "Celebrity Kitchen". He thought she was a good prospect, but because of Mu Zhi's repeated "disobedience", he deliberately left her aside to teach her to be obedient.

Seeing that Mu Zhi's attitude was good and her considerations were reasonable, I realized that Mu Zhi's attitude was good.

He relented: "Alright, you pick one."

Mu Zhi picked up the documents on the table in front of her and looked through the information on the two variety shows.

The first show is a dating reality show, and the second is an outdoor camping reality show.