A Pair of Evil Women's Love - Chapter 44

Chapter 44: [VIP]

The third public performance was imminent. Fu Haitang had worked overtime for four days and had only slept for fifteen hours.

After her promotion, she had taken over the entire show, and there were far more things to handle than she had imagined. Ren Qing, dissatisfied, gave Fu Haitang a free hand in managing things, only glancing over financial reports.

A newcomer who had only been at the TV station for three months wanted to be in charge of a show?

Ren Qing was certain Fu Haitang would fail. She started openly taking time off and skipping meetings, just waiting for Fu Haitang to make a mistake so she could reclaim her position.

A few days flew by with a packed schedule. In the blink of an eye, the live broadcast of A Station’s third public performance was a trending topic again.

In the afternoon, the last rehearsal ended. Fu Haitang was exhausted and dizzy. She swallowed two cold medicine pills, washed them down with coffee, and made the final preparations before the live broadcast.

In the backstage area of Studio 1, dozens of monitors showed the entire performance hall. Fu Haitang pressed her temples and said, “Everyone get ready. The live countdown will begin in ten minutes.”

(Go for it.)

Fu Yilan sent a message.

Fu Haitang didn’t have time to check it. Her palms were sweaty, and the schedule in her hand was a blur. The coffee she had ordered arrived, brought by an intern.

The drinks were distributed backstage. Fu Haitang smiled and told everyone to finish their drinks before going on set, to avoid spilling on the equipment.

The director’s name was Fang. He was very experienced in the industry and was like a lifeline for Fu Haitang. She personally delivered his coffee and, after a few days of fawning, finally said the most important words.

“My experience isn’t enough, so I’ll be relying on you a lot tonight, Director Fang.”

Director Fang was a Beta who had been in the industry for over a decade. He had seen a lot of ups and downs, so he said bluntly, “I won’t let my career be a gambling chip in your workplace drama.”

Fu Haitang sighed in relief. She had heard about Director Fang’s character, so she didn’t try to bribe him or invite him out, afraid that this principled elder wouldn’t go for it.

“Thank you, Director Fang. If this episode goes well, I’ll treat everyone to a good meal.”

Director Fang: “Get ready.”

“On set, verify the audience attendance,” Fu Haitang said into the walkie-talkie.

A voice came through: “The entrance has been closed. We have 986 attendees.”

For an indoor venue with a capacity of a thousand, this attendance rate was excellent. Excluding the staff and supporters the station had brought in, the attendance was as high as a blockbuster movie.

This was her first test.

Fu Haitang was quite satisfied.

“Host, you’re on,” Fu Haitang said.

Director Fang cooperated: “Cut to the jib crane, wide shot, slow zoom in for a close-up.”

Sini reported from the front desk: “Set ready.”

Fu Haitang: “Confirm lighting, music.”

Sini: “Lighting confirmed, music confirmed.”

“Alright,” Fu Haitang breathed a sigh of relief.

Director Fang: “Ten-second countdown.”

“Ten!”

“Nine!”

“…”

Fu Haitang’s body was stiff, and her hand muscles felt like they had lost control.

She lowered her eyes and opened Weibo to relieve her anxiety. The comments under the show’s live broadcast post were filled with fans waiting for the show to start.

Among the various support posts, Fu Yilan’s popularity was far ahead.

But because of her leg injury, there were still many voices of doubt.

The goal of the third public performance was no longer to win the championship but to secure a good ranking. Both fans and popular commentators agreed that Fu Yilan should focus on building a stable fan base in this episode.

And the winner of the online vote for the third public performance should be someone else.

That’s what they said, but logical people underestimated the power of fans. In the entertainment industry today, fan power was indispensable. They spent money on shows and endorsements, fought for roles and resources, and among them were many fans with great insight.

Fu Haitang had been extremely busy this week, and not just with company matters. She had spent a week organizing Fu Yilan’s official Weibo, using her assistant account to attract loyal fans, and creating a fan group separate from the others.

First, she separated herself from the artist, then she used her “big fan” account to send out exclusive behind-the-scenes photos of Fu Yilan’s training to solidify the fan base. In just one week, she had sent out three tasks: cleaning up the comment section, fighting with Jing Zhao’s fans, and tagging medium-sized brand endorsements.

This morning’s task was to mobilize all available resources to vote for Fu Yilan.

After all, Fu Yilan wasn’t the only one trending this week.

Jing Zhao had a company behind her. Lin Meixue and Lin Meilin were also popular and backed by well-known entertainment companies.

By the third public performance, relying solely on strength was a rarity. Unless you had a strong appeal to the public, capital and marketing were the key.

Money and tactics were both necessary.

She had spent hundreds of thousands to buy hot searches to please Gu Jingjing. For Fu Yilan, Fu Haitang was even more ruthless, sending out nearly a hundred thousand yuan in red envelopes.

She could only be thankful that she had created the persona of a “big fan” from America, using the time difference.

During the day, Fu Haitang would disappear, but at night, she would pop up in the group chat, giving out red envelopes and talking about her true love for Lanylan.

The fans, having taken her money, also shared her burden, and started calling her “Sister”.

The persona of being a wealthy and refined person increased the fans’ trust. In just two or three days, she gained over 20,000 followers.

With this many followers, they listened to her. When she gave them tasks, people would naturally organize the details for her.

Then, using the “big fan” persona, she deployed her voting tactics. In just a few days, the fans were completely devoted to Fu Haitang’s persona.

Soon, this group of people would infiltrate other fan groups through various channels. By then, the power of the fans and their friends, combined with a large number of individual fans, might just be able to compete with the entertainment companies.

Fu Yilan was still a hot favorite to win the championship!

As for Gu Jingjing, her family had a strict rule that she was not allowed to be in the entertainment industry, so the blame could be shifted to her family later.

Gu Jingjing had the talent to debut, but with her personality, she would likely make many enemies in the entertainment industry.

The two pilot episodes and the two main episodes that had just aired had already sparked a lot of criticism about her “princess syndrome.” The character of the villainess, the cannon fodder, had already had her scandals silently laid out.

“Three!”

“Two!”

The countdown ended. Fu Haitang sent the last message using her American IP address and turned off her phone.

“One!”

“Hello, everyone!”

“Welcome to the live broadcast of ‘Group Show 07’s’ third public performance!”

The audience roared with excitement.

The show had begun as scheduled.

Fu Haitang let out a huge sigh of relief. She smiled, received a message from Sini backstage, and then moved to another location to record the drawing of lots.

“Have you heard about the new rules?”

“Huh?”

The waiting area was filled with chatter. The details of the new rules were kept secret until half an hour before the show, when they were finally revealed on the official Weibo account.

The third public performance would have two winners!

One for the vocal group, and one for the dance group.

This was a complete surprise to everyone. The second most trending topic after the show’s premiere was the new rules for the third public performance.

Weibo Comments:

• • (The show is doing everything it can to promote Fu Yilan.)

• • (Two winners? Hahaha, I think we all know why.)

• • (It’s a known fact that all the powerhouses are in the dance group. The two vocal groups will have a harder time because a pure vocal performance isn’t as dynamic as a song and dance. And individual votes will affect their rankings. If they’re not careful, their rank will drop and they won’t get any screen time. The worst case is elimination. That’s why when the groups were announced, all the talented people with connections went to the dance group.)

• • (What a clever move! My god! Just by the grouping alone, they’ve eliminated a bunch of competitors for Fu Yilan!)

• • (One more thing, Meixue and Meilin are in Fu Yilan’s group. If they were in the dance group, they would be strong contenders for the championship. But since they’re fans of the original song, they voluntarily joined the vocal group. Now look what happened. They were probably comforting themselves thinking they could get a C-position in a small group competition. Now it’s almost certain they’re just going to be a stepping stone for someone else.)

• • (I really don’t understand Meixue and Meilin. They’re in the same group as Fu Yilan. Even if she didn’t have a leg injury, it would be hard to steal the championship from her!)

• • (I feel like it might have something to do with Gu Jingjing. The “big fans” of the twin sisters said they seem to dislike Gu Jingjing’s princess syndrome.)

• • (Can we not be so conspiratorial? At least when they chose the songs, everyone chose freely, and it was first-come, first-served. The production team didn’t force anyone!)

• • (This is the first time I’ve seen a show with such obvious favoritism. My god, what’s Fu Yilan’s background that makes the show favor her so much?)

• • (Insider here. I can only say that the main planner is also from a humble background, so they might be kindred spirits.)

“Smack!” In the empty hallway, Gu Jingjing slapped Fu Haitang across the face. “Are you messing with me? Two winners? What did Fu Yilan give you to make you do this?”

Gu Jingjing’s summoning came out of nowhere. Fu Haitang had to miss the drawing of lots, with Sini filling in for her. Fu Haitang held her face and said, “Young Miss, I didn’t…”

“You’re still saying you didn’t!” Gu Jingjing stomped her foot. “When you were just a regular planner, you used the excuse of being insignificant. What about now? The rules have been updated, two winners? What were you thinking?”

Fu Haitang sniffled, feeling a little wronged. “…Fu Yilan’s popularity is too high, so I had no choice but to separate you and her into two different tracks by having a dance and a vocal group.”

Gu Jingjing was stunned and looked at Fu Haitang with suspicion. “You thought of it that way?”

Fu Haitang nodded. “Fu Yilan’s popularity is too high. It’s too difficult to surpass her to get first place. But with pure dance, Young Miss, you’ll definitely be able to stand out with your talent!”

Gu Jingjing picked up her phone. The online analysis was varied, and it was true that after the new rules were announced, her chances of winning had also increased. Without the twin sisters, in the dance group alone, she had two fewer major competitors.

Her palm was numb. The slap she had just given Fu Haitang had used almost all her strength. Gu Jingjing felt a little bad. Fu Haitang was right. Her tone softened. “I still have to rely on my own talent to win the championship? What about the trolls you bought?”

“The money…” Fu Haitang choked up. “It’s all gone.”

Gu Jingjing frowned. “That fast?”

Fu Haitang’s eyes shifted. “Young Miss, I think there might be someone else trying to lower your popularity.”

Gu Jingjing: “Huh?”

“Your father explicitly said you’re not allowed in the entertainment industry. I saw that the data was wrong a couple of days ago, and I had some suspicions, but… but I didn’t dare to tell you.” A half-truth is the most believable lie. Fu Haitang advised Gu Jingjing, “How about we keep a low profile?”

Mr. Gu ran a heavy industry company, and his business often involved cooperating with the government. Keeping a low profile was a strict rule he had repeatedly told his family. Gu Jingjing felt a little guilty.

Fu Haitang: “If you can make it on your own, it will be easier to explain to your father. I’m just afraid that if he hears about the fake activity… then…”

Gu Jingjing shuddered. “Don’t say it!”

Fu Haitang’s hands were clasped together, and the phone in her palm had been vibrating for two minutes. She subtly glanced at it. It was Sini and other colleagues reporting on the situation.

“Young Miss,” Fu Haitang said with a difficult expression. “Maybe I should go back to work first?”

Gu Jingjing: “Get out!”

“Yes!” Fu Haitang scurried away.

She let out a sigh of relief. Although she had temporarily fooled Gu Jingjing, using the same excuse too many times would expose her. She could only hope that the new “fish” would take the bait as planned.

The drawing of lots was almost over.

Fu Haitang rushed back. She touched up her makeup, barely covering the marks on her face, but she didn’t expect Fu Yilan to be the last one to draw a number.

Fu Yilan looked at Fu Haitang’s face, then at Gu Jingjing’s disgruntled expression at the entrance. She opened her mouth and silently mouthed two words: “Idiot.”

Fu Haitang’s eyes curved. “Number 56, go ahead and draw.”

This was the number Fu Yilan had received when she first entered the TV station as a trainee. By now, almost no one called her that anymore. Fu Yilan’s lips curved, and she took out the number from the bottom of the box.

Fu Haitang: “Show it to the camera.”

Fu Yilan unfolded the slip of paper: “Final performance.”

Everyone else was in disbelief.

Being the second to last to perform, Fu Yilan’s order was the best!

Fu Yilan blinked, leaning in to look at the drawing box. Fu Haitang quickly moved the box away and smiled as she moved on to the next segment.

Microexpressions and subtle movements were hard to hide from a person with a keen eye.

Fu Yilan’s gaze was complex. She had lost count of how many times Fu Haitang had helped her.

Fu Haitang had openly stated her support, created a vocal group just for her, separated her from the dance group to compete for the championship, defied Gu Jingjing and got slapped, and now with that subtle move, she had even rigged the order of the draw.

Fu Yilan took a deep breath.

It was very hard not to be moved by someone who was so clearly biased towards her.

Fu Yilan felt her throat dry. She stood in the front row, and during the morale-boosting session that followed, she kept staring blankly at Fu Haitang’s lips.

Live stream comments:

• • (What is Lanylan looking at?)

• • (She’s looking at Instructor Fu’s mouth.)

• • (Are they an item?)

• • (She’s probably just daydreaming.)

• • (I have to say, my Alpha always has that same expression before they pounce on me.)

Her phone buzzed.

It was a message from the medical staff.

Fu Haitang answered the call for clearance and found out that Fu Yilan had requested two closed-off shots from the production team.

She was going on stage without her crutch?

Fu Haitang’s eyes widened. “Don’t give her clearance yet…”

“She’s already gone. Please inform Fu Yilan. The medical staff can’t reach her right now. Oh, never mind, we found her!”

The call was cut off.

Fu Haitang: “…”

The aftereffects of a closed-off shot could include muscle atrophy. Fu Yilan was so reckless!

“Director Fang, take over the live feed,” Fu Haitang said into the walkie-talkie. “I have to leave for ten minutes.”

When Fu Haitang rushed to the dressing room, Fu Yilan had just finished her first shot.

“Fu Yilan!”

Fu Yilan’s usually calm expression rippled. For some reason, she felt a strange sense of guilt.