Chapter 81 The Two Dukes (Part 1)
@唯你娱知书V: A certain already debuted artist participated in the talent show to fulfill his own selfish desires. The other teammates were just there to make up the numbers. After all, there are precedents, and the other person was smart enough to leave first.
Wei didn't rush to open the comment on this Weibo post. First, he browsed through the blogger's past posts.
He claims to be an insider? I've never heard of such a person before.
Wei paused, holding his phone, before remembering that he had compiled a list of the group's top fans back when he was with 4ward, and he often paid attention to the public opinion trends of these top fans.
I have indeed seen this name, but I didn't pay much attention to it at the time. I just occasionally posted some 4ward news, thinking it was just trying to grab attention like other marketing accounts.
All employees of Will Company sign confidentiality agreements. The marketing department does operate some marketing accounts that are biased towards Will Company for emergencies, but these accounts are definitely not the kind that speak maliciously about their own artists.
This is the blogger's most commented-on post in the past three months.
The comments section was filled with all sorts of opinions, and the blogger would intentionally reply to some of them, which Wei carefully read one by one.
@YunTataTata: Are you talking about the captain...?
@唯你娱知书V replied to @云塔塔塔: All I can say is that he still loves being the captain as always.
@Highlight: I really don't understand why he wants to be an idol so much.
@FishFish: I don't understand this at all. Can someone explain it to me? What's the precedent? (Please put an ear to this.)
@Dongmen Xiaoyu: Longtime fans of Will know this guy. He almost debuted as part of a group, but all the members left later. It seems there's a hidden story behind it all...
@Aisha: He climbed up by stepping on so many people in order to debut as an idol. He should withdraw from the competition as soon as possible.
...
These top-ranked comments have accumulated many likes, showing that this blogger has grown quite a bit of leg hair. Surprisingly, there isn't a single comment questioning this.
Wei frowned as he looked at the comments, his face dark and gloomy. Suddenly, he noticed a comment that was quite far down the page and had already been replied to by the blogger.
@Xiaotanghui: Can I say this? Actually, I've always thought his portrayal of Dongdong in that hugely popular drama was really awkward.
@唯你娱知书V replied to @小汤汇: Dian, don't be biased, the path he should have taken was as an actor.
Judging from the tone, the person behind the operation was probably a rather arrogant man. Wei stared intently at the reply, a sudden intuition flashed through his mind, and he scrolled up again, becoming even more certain.
This person seems to prefer Lin Ruohe to act, so he tries his best to slander his idol, Zhengcheng.
The blogger did not post any new posts, but his comments had been moved to the forum and generated considerable buzz. The forum had many users who possessed various materials and historical records. Before long, they had used a few old photos and news screenshots to construct a story about a highly controlling senior trainee who sacrificed an innocent trainee for his own future, failed, and then quietly lay low on the path of acting, waiting for an opportunity to make a comeback.
The show has already aired three episodes, which is the time when fans are most enthusiastic and scrutinize the interactions and micro-expressions between the trainees every day.
Some ordinary, unremarkable pictures and videos are now being reposted and reinterpreted by people with ulterior motives.
For example, "When Fancy stood up for XY, a certain team leader was not there, which clearly shows that their relationship is not good. As the team leader, someone did not appear until the end. Maybe he secretly used his phone during the show to find out that Fancy was popular, so he deliberately did not appear to make him suffer."
"So all that talk about this person using their phone and that person contacting someone privately a while ago was actually just to cover up for a certain team leader?"
"That's quite possible. After all, what other company besides Will would go to such lengths?"
Wei also laughed. So that's what they were waiting for. This is how much they care about the phone. While smearing Lin Ruohe, they didn't forget to pin the phone issue on him.
Seeing that the discussion was not decreasing but increasing, and related terms had already appeared on the trending search list, the fans of the members of Eternal Six Stars were also showing signs of being led by the forum.
Wei also made a phone call and urgently contacted the company's public relations department. Since it involved the company's debuted artists, they could no longer stand idly by. At the same time, he also made relevant preparations and followed the clues that the blogger had inadvertently exposed, which gave him a direction for investigation.
...
The production team of "Team Up" was also paying attention to the direction of public opinion, which constantly influenced their editing direction. After a while, seeing that the momentum seemed to be under control, Jiang Xunzhen arranged to continue editing according to the original plan.
She also arranged for more people to stand guard in the areas where fans frequented, to prevent some extreme fans from affecting the trainees. Especially as the show aired, the number of fans outside the recording base increased, with some even queuing overnight just to make sure they didn't miss any of her favorite fans passing by.
The production team is now using a lot of manpower every day to persuade and ensure the safety of trainees and fans.
The two people in the "Passionate Forgetting" group who got into a fight received the same warning as Jin Ziran from the production team. As for other punishments, the production team has not yet announced them, but judging from their submissive appearance, it is clear that the punishment was not light.
While the outside world was abuzz with various rumors and speculations, the recording of "Team Up" was not without its challenges.
Just as Meng Fanxi and his team were getting back on track with their training, the production team started causing trouble again.
In the dormitory that night, Meng Fanxi made each member of the "Wings" group stand in a row and corrected their expressions one by one.
The members of the Eternal Six Stars claimed to be bored and squeezed into this room. The four of them sat together on the lower bunk, and Xu You looked at Gu Huailang, whose face was already twitching, with schadenfreude.
The stage performance of "Wings" involves multiple stages of emotional changes, requiring seamless transitions in facial expressions. This demands that each performer be able to freely switch between their own expressions, and achieving accuracy and emotional delivery is even more challenging.
Meng Fanxi had never been a teacher of other people's performances before, but he was forced by the situation to do so. He frowned, put on what he thought was an extremely serious expression, and paced back and forth with his hands behind his back.
Rotten wood! It's all rotten wood!
"Fan Na, I know you have big eyes, but stop straining your eyes. The bloodshot veins in your eyes are clearly visible. Who are you trying to scare? This isn't a horror stage!"
A few people sitting nearby burst into laughter.
Turning to Lu Ning beside him, Meng Fanxi said earnestly, "Brother, you're the complete opposite. Come on, open your eyes wide. You look like you've been scared by Fan Na."
Lu Ning: "I was really scared."
Fan Na: "Hey!"
Han Jia and Wu Jianian are quite teachable. They made some progress a few days ago, and tonight their progress is even more outstanding. They received high praise from Teacher Meng.
Taking a deep breath, Meng Fanxi walked up to Gu Huailang. During this period, Gu Huailang's role had repeatedly hit a wall. Even Zhu Lou, who came to visit, noticed that Gu Huailang was not quite used to the role. Meng Fanxi tried many methods to help him get into character, but the results were not good.
Meng Fanxi kept telling himself that the person in front of him was a future movie star, so he shouldn't get angry.
Meng Fanxi: "I've thought about it for a long time, and the current positioning and movements are not suitable for you."
The choreography for "Wings" was created by the show's own choreographer, and it matches the overall direction of the song very well. However, the downside is that it wasn't tailor-made, so there are always some discrepancies between the actual performance and the actual choreography.
Gu Huailang's character here is relatively lively, and there are a few actions that require him to jump out to complete his part. Meng Fanxi first tried to get him to change the emotions and expressions he was conveying, but there was still no good improvement.
Later he realized that it wasn't Gu Huailang's problem, but rather that this relationship wasn't right for him.
Although Gu Huailang has not yet grown into the rugged and well-defined figure he will later become, his eyes are already showing a sharp edge. It is indeed a bit difficult for him to act so wildly on this stage, even though he is playing the role of an assassin.
Therefore, Meng Fanxi plans to make some minor changes to Gu Huailang's part, and will wait for the choreographer's approval tomorrow.
Gu Huailang was a little apprehensive. He was determined to join the team, and if he became the one who dragged them down, he really wouldn't be able to face Meng Fanxi.
Just as Meng Fanxi was about to give everyone a brief summary, the TV screen in the dormitory lit up.
All eyes turned to that direction.
【Kind tips】
Dear trainees:
To ensure that while you are working hard to prepare for the second performance, you also keep in mind the urgency of the first official ranking announcement after the second performance, the production team has decided to announce your survival and elimination status in real time from now until the end of the second performance.
Approach challenges with a sense of hunger!
Oh, right!
Oh, I forgot to mention, nearly half of the trainees will be eliminated in the first official ranking! ^_^
The trainees' first reaction after reading the announcement was: "Damn the production team."
The screen in Meng Fanxi's dormitory immediately displayed the status of people's departures and stays.
Meng Fanxi, Gu Huailang, Han Jia, and Wu Jianian stayed behind.
Zhong Chu, Fan Na, and Lu Ning are currently out of the picture.
The word "Leave" on the screen is in gray-black font with cracks, which is very unpleasant to look at.
Lin Ruo and the others returned to the dormitory next door, where they found their situation; they had all stayed behind.
Meng Fanxi didn't understand the point of announcing the outcome in real time. The program wasn't broadcast live and had a significant time lag. Could the votes won in the second round really turn the tide? He expressed his doubts.
This is especially true for trainees who may still be far from achieving their goal of staying in the competition.
This real-time announcement is basically...
Meng Fanxi grasped the fleeting thought in his mind. He looked at Zhong Chu, Fan Na, and Lu Ning, who were sitting dejectedly on the stools, and understood the true purpose of the program.
It undermines morale.
Fan Na and the others had completely lost their earlier enthusiasm. Their big eyes, which had been teased by Meng Fanxi, were now hidden behind their drooping eyelashes, making it impossible to discern their thoughts.
Meng Fanxi sat down, looked at them, and said softly, "Are you going to give up?"
There was no response.
"Everyone will leave this show eventually, it's just a matter of time."
The expressions of the group shifted slightly.
"Everyone has their own life, but the stage is the intersection of our lives. It will always be there and will always welcome its audience."
"So what if we're eliminated? Even if we're eliminated, we should still leave behind a perfect performance for the second round, right?"
...
That night, they talked until very late, until the next day when they went to the practice room with dark circles under their eyes and tired expressions, and were seriously criticized by Fu Hanfei, who came to give them guidance.
The group exchanged knowing glances and chuckled, completely dispelling the gloomy atmosphere of the previous night, which made Fu Hanfei laugh in exasperation.
Time flies, and the day of the second performance has finally arrived.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
