Zhou Ziheng was oblivious to the complexities in her mind and simply continued, "Sometimes the camera represents everything. For example, during the first stage, the contestants whose reactions were edited in all had some background."
"For contestants with backgrounds, the production team will give them microphones on their clothes, but for contestants without backgrounds, they won't even give them a microphone, except when they're performing on stage."
“So even if I could get on camera, it would be useless because I couldn’t even pick up the sound without a microphone.”
Wen Wan was furious when she heard this and couldn't help but curse, "Although I knew there would be some shady dealings, I really didn't expect it to be this outrageous. It really is the production team that has limited my imagination."
"My fists are stiff! This stupid production team is perfect for my curse!"
Zhou Ziheng reached out and patted her head, trying to calm her down, then continued, "At the beginning, they gave me a few shots to generate buzz, and even did some special marketing for me."
"After attracting people, the popularity naturally increased, and then I was directly cut off. The fans also made a fuss a few times because of the camera, but they basically ignored it and only kept me hanging for a few minutes in each episode."
"They've got a pretty good handle on the fans' rebellious nature. The more they troll me, the more my fans will spend money voting for me. That's how they make money."
"Fans are so eager to support their idols, but they don't realize that their debut spots have already been decided, and even spending more money won't change anything."
Wen Wan was speechless for a moment, but she couldn't help but complain, "Fuck! Are they scamming people? Isn't this a fucking scam? It's exactly the same as Xiao Xiao's!"
Zhou Ziheng gave a wry smile, "I think so, but there's nothing we can do. We're all helpless."
"Contestants like us with no background naturally don't want our fans to be exploited, but the contract before joining the group clearly stipulates that we are not allowed to disclose any inside information. If you breach the contract, you will have to pay a lot of money and will be banned from the industry."
"If you have concerns about the contract, you can choose not to sign it and withdraw from the competition. The staff will also deceive you. They will tell you that the contract was added because the show is recorded and they are worried that someone will spoil the show in advance. They will not tell you the real reason."
"Are all the people from that production team still alive?" Wen Wan couldn't help but let out a deathly smile, clasping her hands together and pinching her fingers until they made a crackling sound.
The voice was so terrifying that even Zhou Ziheng felt his scalp tingle. He stumbled over his answer, "Should...should he still be alive?"
"Heh." Wen Wan sneered disdainfully, "It's best if they're alive. Only then can I kill them."
Zhou Ziheng was startled and quickly tried to calm him down, "Calm down. We live in a society ruled by law. If they break the law, we can't follow suit. If a dog bites us, we won't bite back. After all, we're not dogs."
"If a dog bites me, I won't bite back." Wen Wan responded expressionlessly, then gnashed her teeth and roared, "But I will choose to beat the dog to death! Let him bite me!"
Zhou Ziheng was suddenly at a loss for words. He quickly reached out and gently stroked her back, trying to soothe her hair, saying, "I didn't have the ability at the time, so I had to endure it all the time."
"Two years after the show ended, when the third season was officially announced, I directly posted on Weibo to confront them. My thought at the time was that if they paid me, I would also expose their true colors. Fans were also very angry, and some even reported it to the police."
"But too much time had passed, and there was no way to investigate, so it was left unresolved. In the end, everyone worked together to abort the third season, and then there was no news from the production team anymore."
He paused briefly after he finished speaking, then added, "Speaking of which... that was really the first time I felt the importance of power. People with connections have a smooth journey, while those without have a difficult time."
"But I think that no matter what, we should never succumb to power. If we are treated unfairly, we should speak out. I didn't have the ability to fight back at the time, so I will slowly improve myself and find opportunities to expose them in the future."
"It's precisely because I understand how painful it is to be treated unfairly that I don't want others to be treated in the same way."
"There are so many shady things going on in the entertainment industry that I can't handle them all, but if I come across one, I will definitely intervene. I won't allow this kind of thing to happen in front of me."
"I know there is no absolute fairness in the world, but I hope everyone can have relative fairness in front of me, because dreams are really precious, and I hope everyone can realize their dreams."
"Brother is awesome. You are the best person in my heart!" Wenwan looked at him with a gentle smile and praised him without hesitation.
Zhou Ziheng reached out and gently hugged her, resting his chin on her shoulder, and said in a light tone, "I will never forget those dark days."
"Many of my scenes were cut, even maliciously. I was robbed of my center position in the theme song. I was voted out of the song by a group. I was eliminated from the debut group through behind-the-scenes manipulation... I remember all of this!"
"Although my dream was to be an actor, that experience changed my mind. I refused to give in! I simply refused to accept it! I wanted to prove to them that even if I'm just a solo trainee, even if I don't have a company to back me up, I can still debut as the center!"
"So after I came out of that show, I used the meager performance fee I earned to hire a teacher and seriously studied singing and dancing. Then I signed up for 'Perfect Idol'. I didn't fight for money, but for reputation. I had to fight for that reputation!"
Although his tone was very calm, Wen Wan still felt a little heartbroken when she heard it.
She reached out and stroked Zhou Ziheng's back, sighing softly, "You are such a stubborn donkey."
He is just a stubborn donkey. If it were someone else, he might have given up when his grandfather disagreed. Who would be as stubborn as him, running away from home penniless and preferring to starve to death rather than go back?
Or... after leaving the talent show, he directly thought about becoming an actor. Who would be like him who was determined to get up from where he was and prove to everyone that he could do it.
But it is precisely this kind of character that has made Zhou Ziheng what he is today, the upright, charming, invincible, mature and steady Zhou Ziheng!
No matter what, the courage to get up again after falling is very admirable!
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