Chapter 34 The Telephone.
When they returned to their temporary dormitory, the atmosphere was gloomy.
Lu Xiaoxiao held her phone, which was showing a live stream of Group B. She sullenly switched between different live streams to check the number of viewers.
On the phone screen, not only did the popularity of the anime girl group "Star Resonance," which was already a popular competitor, continue to rise, but the number of viewers in Bai Wanqing's live stream also exceeded the peak of Ling Wei's live stream due to the influx of a large number of viewers.
Ling Wei took out her phone.
When we parted last time, he told me that I could contact him if I needed anything.
Right now, I guess something's up?
"I'm going out for a bit." Ling Wei said to her dejected teammates, then walked out of the dormitory with her phone in hand, and went alone to the empty beach.
As night fell, the waves relentlessly pounded against the rocks, producing a dull thud.
She took a deep breath of the salty, fishy air, as if to gather her courage, and finally pressed the dial button.
The call connected, and the regular "beep-beep" sound from the receiver struck a chord in her heart.
She felt inexplicably nervous, and her palms were sweaty.
"Hello?"
The call was answered, and it was Qu Mingyuan's familiar and steady voice that came through, although the background seemed a bit noisy.
"Um, boss," Ling Wei said, organizing her thoughts and trying to keep her voice calm, "I wanted to ask about the shutdown of all our Group A's live streams. Our team, along with several other teams, strictly followed the rules. This situation makes the competitive environment...very unfair. Is there any way to restore the live streams of the compliant teams first?"
She finished speaking in one breath, her heart beating a little fast.
However, there was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, with only faint background noise indicating that the call had not been interrupted.
This silence felt like an invisible pressure, causing Ling Wei's heart to sink little by little.
"Hello?" she asked tentatively again.
Then, Qu Mingyuan's voice came again, clearer than before.
“I’m sorry,” his voice, transmitted through the electricity, struck Ling Wei’s eardrums clearly, “until the investigation is completed and the situation is rectified, all live broadcasts by Group A must be shut down.”
There was no explanation, no reassurance, and certainly no special treatment as she had hoped.
There is only one absolute conclusion.
All the words Ling Wei wanted to say were stuck in her throat by this businesslike response.
"Sorry," Qu Mingyuan's voice rang out again, tinged with obvious urgency, "I have to hang up now."
The call was abruptly cut off as soon as he finished speaking, leaving only a busy tone.
Ling Wei stood frozen in the sea breeze for a moment, holding her phone. Listening to the cold "beep beep" sound, she kicked the sand under her feet and watched the fine sand fly up and fall back down helplessly.
Meanwhile, in the conference room of the Qinghe City Cultural Bureau.
Qu Mingyuan hurriedly hung up the phone at the end of the corridor, a faint, complex expression flashing across his brows. But when he turned and pushed open the conference room door, all his emotions had been carefully suppressed, leaving only the composure and focus befitting a leader.
He quickly returned to his seat and nodded slightly to everyone present: "Excuse me, let's continue."
Secretary Sun keenly noticed that when the leader took the phone earlier, he deliberately went to the corridor. Now that he had returned, although his expression was normal, the unconscious tapping of his fingertips on the table revealed his inner turmoil.
Secretary Sun knew perfectly well that the reason why Director Qu would leave his seat to answer the phone at such a crucial meeting was most likely related to the Wanghaiyu incident that was being hotly debated at the moment, and it was very likely related to that person.
The atmosphere in the conference room was heavy. This was a high-level meeting that could determine the direction of the project. In addition to several key figures from the cultural system, there were also several other figures with distinct personalities who were equally formidable.
The core issue is how to handle the live-streaming violation incident involving Group A of Wanghaiyu and its subsequent impact.
"If you ask me, this isn't that serious."
Mr. Wang, a representative from the production platform, leaned back in his chair and waved his hand dismissively. "It's a variety show, so unexpected incidents are normal; they can even increase the buzz. Shutting down the group that violated the rules is just a formality. As for the other teams, especially the talented ones, gold will always shine. Missing a day or two of live streaming won't affect the overall situation. The audience is watching the final stage. If they can't even handle this little setback, what kind of idols are they?"
Qu Mingyuan listened quietly, his gaze calmly sweeping over everyone present before finally settling on President Wang. He didn't directly refute him, but instead raised the issue to a higher level:
"Our original intention in launching this project was not only to create a popular variety show, but also to explore a new path that combines the cultural industry with local development, and to provide these young people with dreams with a fair, transparent, and dignified competitive stage."
"Gold will always shine, that's true. But our responsibility is not to sit on the sidelines and wait for the gold to struggle out on its own, but to ensure that the environment for mining gold is clean, the rules are clear, and the process is protected."
He leaned slightly forward, his hands clasped on the table, his gaze steady and earnest.
"Today, we can tacitly condone the partial trampling of rules and allow some people to suffer injustice simply because of our strength. But what will be the authority of the rules tomorrow? How will those young people who abide by the rules now view us? Will they feel that so-called fairness can be discounted in the face of popularity and unexpected events?"
A middle-aged man in a striped shirt across from them chuckled softly, his tone carrying a deeper meaning: "Judging from Qu Ting's words, he's standing up for the contestants?"
Qu Mingyuan's expression remained unchanged, not even a flicker of his eyebrow. He calmly met the man's gaze and clearly asked in return:
Shouldn't it?
The middle-aged man was taken aback by his question. His smile froze, and he opened his mouth but was speechless for a moment. He then looked away dejectedly.
A brief silence fell over the meeting room. Qu Mingyuan looked around and, seeing that no one else had raised any objections, slowly leaned back in his chair, lightly tapping the table with his fingertip, thus bringing the debate to a close.
"Since there are no other opinions, the next steps are..."
Secretary Sun was taking notes with his head down. Ever since the news of the Wanghaiyu live broadcast accident came in the afternoon, his boss hadn't stopped.
First, under pressure from all sides, he decisively issued a shutdown order for the entire group. Then came a series of non-stop emergency meetings and telephone coordination. Even this high-level meeting, which is being held late into the night, was personally convened by Qu Mingyuan.
The pen scratched across the paper. As Secretary Sun looked at Qu Mingyuan, who was speaking, she suddenly felt that all the busyness of the night had an answer.
His leadership is protecting something important in the most clumsy yet reliable way.
.
.
Mini-theatre: (Several years later)
Ling Wei: Look at the clouds in the sky...
Qu Ting: Hmm?
Ling Wei: Doesn't it look like the day you hung up on me?
Qu Ting: I was in a meeting that day...
Ling Wei: Staring (_)
Qu Ting (quickly admitting his mistake): It was my fault. From now on, I'll let you hang up first.
Ling Wei: Then if we play that game tonight, I'll forgive you.
Qu Ting: ...Okay.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com