Chapter 352 Premeditated Sabotage
As Ye Wanxi watched his retreating figure, the smile on her face gradually faded, replaced by a cold, inquisitive look of disgust.
She took off her last glove and threw it into the trash can next to the stage.
No sooner had they finished throwing it than Gao Min, along with Zhao Xiaoqin and another person, followed them over.
"Miss Ye." Zhao Xiaoqin carefully handed the zither back to Ye Wanxi, holding it in her arms. "Thank you so much for your help today. If it weren't for this zither you brought tonight, I would have definitely embarrassed myself, and might even have been scolded."
Zhao Xiaoqin looked shaken. For her, it was a small matter to mess up the performance and be criticized by the audience online who might not even know how to read music. But if Chairman Zhong found out and publicly punished her, that would be a big deal.
Before coming here, I had watched the previous season's Zhao Xiaoqin episode. Just thinking about that scene makes my scalp tingle, and at the same time I am even more grateful that I was able to meet a benefactor during my adversity.
"You already thanked us on stage, no need to be so polite." Ye Wanxi smiled and took the zither, praising, "Your performance with your senior brother tonight was worth all the effort we put in."
Zhao Xiaoqin's face flushed slightly, even happier than when she had just received affirmation from several mentors on stage.
But then she remembered what had just happened and said with a face full of guilt, "I'm sorry, I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you properly in front of the camera, I didn't expect... it would turn out like that."
The scene just now could have easily made her the target of ridicule if she hadn't been careful. Luckily, Ye Wanxi was quick-witted, otherwise she would have really done something wrong with good intentions.
“I understand, it’s not your fault. Besides, I didn’t lose anything. On the contrary, I got a lot more screen time. It was my first time recording this show, and at least I left an impression on the audience so they won’t think I was just a background character. Just don’t blame me for accidentally stealing the spotlight from your first place. There’s no need to apologize for it.”
"No, no, no, how could we blame you? You're really amazing, you deserved to be number one tonight, I was completely stunned! Right, Brother Zheng?"
Zheng Baihong chuckled and echoed, "That's right, Miss Ye's performance tonight was truly unexpected. My head is still spinning; it might take a day or two to recover. That was incredibly impactful!"
"Pfft, hahahaha..."
As the group was chatting and laughing, a staff member rushed over and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing them: "We've finally found you all!"
"What's wrong?"
"Director Li asked me to invite a few of you over, saying that the person who damaged Miss Zhao's piano has been found."
"What?"
Zhao Xiaoqin and Zheng Baihong exchanged a glance and immediately wanted to follow them to see the despicable person who was playing tricks behind their backs. Before leaving, they didn't forget to call Ye Wanxi and the other person along.
"Miss Ye, please join us."
Ye Wanxi did not refuse and went with the two of them, carrying her zither.
When the group arrived, the work room was packed with people. Upon seeing the person in question, the people surrounding the area spontaneously made way for them to get closer.
As the group drew closer, they discovered a television station employee crouching with his head in his hands right in the center of the circle.
Hearing the commotion, Director Li turned to look at Zhao Xiaoqin and the others, and breathed a slight sigh of relief: "They're here."
"Director Li, what's going on? Someone said they've found the person who damaged my violin?"
As soon as Zhao Xiaoqin finished asking the question, the person squatting on the ground couldn't help but tremble.
Director Li's expression was rather grim. He pointed at the man and said, "Found him, this is the guy."
“This person…”
“He’s a logistics staff member at our TV station. Two days ago, he stole the key to your dressing room from Uncle Liu and secretly made a copy. Because of this key, he was able to get into your room and damage your piano.”
Upon hearing Director Li's words, Zhao Xiaoqin and the other person's expressions changed slightly. Zheng Baihong asked with a stern face, "Did he only have a key for our lounge, or did he have keys for all of your rooms?"
"Only your room was provided."
"Was the lounge we were assigned to today arranged a few days ago, or was it randomly assigned on the spot?"
"This was assigned a few days ago, and everyone in charge of this knows it."
Zheng Baihong fell silent, but his expression grew even more unpleasant.
The rooms were assigned a few days ago, but this person stole the keys two days ago, specifically the key to their lounge, to have it copied. This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment crime; it was premeditated.
Director Li clearly understood this as well, and his gaze toward the logistics staff grew even colder: "What are you doing with your head down? Raise your head! You know what you're doing is shameful, yet you still insist on doing it. What's the use of regretting it now? Tell me, why did you destroy someone's instrument? Did you have any accomplices?"
What Director Li really wanted to ask was whether someone was trying to bribe him behind the scenes?
He didn't believe that a staff member who had no vested interest in the performers would harbor such malice towards Zhao Xiaoqin and her companion for no reason.
It's impossible that he had some major conflict with the two during their interactions at the TV station, to the point that the other party held a grudge and deliberately sabotaged their appearance.
Zhao Xiaoqin and her companion came to the TV station for the first time this afternoon for rehearsals. Before this, the two had never been to the TV station, let alone had any contact with each other.
This person had been planning to steal the key for two days.
After analyzing all these factors, the most likely explanation is that he was bribed.
However, considering that these were just Director Li's own guesses, and there were still a few contestants who hadn't had time to leave, Director Li had to change his story.
Hearing Director Li's reprimand, the person squatting on the ground finally slowly raised his head. He was a young man in his early twenties, a bit dark-skinned, otherwise fine, but as soon as he raised his head, his eyes would unconsciously dart around, giving people a dishonest feeling, which made him uncomfortable to look at.
Especially when it fell on Zhao Xiaoqin and the other person, it was filled with a hint of resentment and malice, and was full of sinister intent.
As soon as Zhao Xiaoqin met the other person's gaze, she instinctively took two steps back and asked in a low voice, "Brother, don't you think this person looks a little familiar?"
"Indeed, a bit." Zheng Baihong scrutinized the man carefully, then frowned and asked, "Have we met before?"
The man looked up at him, grinned, and said, "Have you seen me before? Of course... I have."
No one expected that the man would suddenly leap up from the ground and pounce on Zhao Xiaoqin the moment he spoke.
The gleam reflecting off the blade blinded many people. Zhao Xiaoqin gasped, frozen in place, helpless as she watched the knife get closer and closer.
Everyone else was also terrified by what they saw, and the entire work room was instantly filled with screams.
(End of this chapter)
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