High-Altitude Worker, Unfortunately a Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Role - Chapter 30

He knew that Ming Yue had ranked high enough to secure her desired song for the first public performance: the cool and fierce dance track “Untamed Tide,” perfectly suited to her style.

Unfortunately, the song’s popularity meant fierce competition within her group, which included an all-around ACE the Production Team had dubbed the “Great Demon King.” Ming Yue ultimately lost the center position.

“Maybe… I still lack confidence,” Ming Yue said, sounding dejected as she recalled her failure.

“It’s okay. Just try harder next time,” Zhao Ke encouraged, adopting a supportive approach. The competition on these survival shows was brutal enough; she didn’t want to add more pressure to the young girl.

“No, no,” Ming Yue shook her head, her eyes earnest. “I have to debut.”

Without the center position in this first public performance, her ranking was likely to drop, putting her at a disadvantage for future song selections—a vicious cycle she couldn’t afford.

Ming Yue didn’t dare dwell on the thought.

Zhao Ke’s lips parted to speak, but before she could, a voice from behind offered a less-than-encouraging affirmation:

“It’s good you have this awareness.”

Zhao Ke turned to see Sha Kaiyun approaching.

He was the general manager assigned to the five-member girl group, overseeing two assistant managers.

Zhao Ke’s gaze drifted involuntarily to his sequined black shirt.

Sha Kaiyun’s flamboyant attire made him look more like a middle-aged fashion designer strutting his stuff than a talent manager.

The live stream chat exploded with comments:

Wow, it’s actually Sha Kaiyun! Is Star Yue Media taking their trainees this seriously?

No wonder the pre-debut promotion was so intense.

Who is Sha Kaiyun? Is he a big deal?

He’s one of Star Yue’s top managers. He discovered Xin Zhuo, the popular singer, and He Jingxue, the Golden Melody Award winner.

Some viewers had migrated from the survival show’s live stream:

Great! Sha Kaiyun is Sister Bao’s manager! Her chances of debuting just went up!

Thanks for the support, Senior Zhao Ke!

“Brother Sha,” Zhao Ke called out.

Her two assistant managers had already taken over the trainees’ daily promotion and publicity tasks. Zhao Ke was surprised to see Sha Kaiyun personally at the TV station.

“If you have nothing else to do, go back and practice,” Sha Kaiyun said dismissively, waving Ming Yue away. His gaze then settled on Zhao Ke, scrutinizing her.

“Xiao Liu will brief you on the specific operational details later.”

“Okay,” Zhao Ke nodded.

His appraising stare made her uneasy.

Does Sha Kaiyun know? The thought suddenly flashed through her mind.

“Xiao Ke, are you interested in singing and dancing? You could even visit the practice room when you have free time. After all, if you’re only managing Ming Yue’s promotions, your workload shouldn’t be too heavy, right?”

Zhao Ke pressed her lips together, but didn’t contradict Sha Kaiyun.

“I understand. Sister Bai Ling is also in Ming Yue’s group.”

“Yeah,” Sha Kaiyun sighed. “Her ranking is only in the twenties. It’s driving me crazy.”

“You know, the company set a KPI for me: at least this many members need to debut.” Sha Kaiyun held up three fingers.

Zhao Ke’s lips twitched, her eyes flickering nervously. In a stiff voice, she reminded him, “Brother Sha, I’m live streaming right now.”

Is he really saying this on camera?

Good grief, they want to secure three out of the nine debut spots? Typical Star Yue Media.

He said “at least.” If they could get all five to debut, they wouldn’t mind either.

Sigh, I saw some clips from the practice room. The girls… they seem to lack stamina. Their eyes are lifeless during practice, like they’re already dead.

The first performance hasn’t even happened yet. Isn’t it too early to say all this?

Sha Kaiyun didn’t panic as Zhao Ke had expected.

He chuckled casually. “I know. It’s just wishful thinking. Everyone needs something to strive for, right?”

Seeing his reaction, Zhao Ke could only agree, “Brother Sha must be under a lot of pressure.”

“Yeah, unlike you. Now that your popularity is rising, you don’t have to worry so much anymore.”

Sha Kaiyun shot Zhao Ke a sidelong glance.

Zhao Ke’s hand, adjusting the live stream camera, froze. “Worry about what?”

Sha Kaiyun pulled out his phone, swiped a few times, then looked up at Zhao Ke, his gaze strangely intense.

“You tell me. What should you be worried about?”

The camera, still poorly positioned, only captured the two men from the shoulders up.

Sha Kaiyun glanced at the camera, then back at Zhao Ke. His fingers, hidden beneath the frame, tapped the rear camera of the phone he held.

He knows!

Zhao Ke’s mind reeled, her bl00d surging to her head like boiling water.

Sha Kaiyun knew, yet he didn’t know.

The fact that Star Yue Media used nude photos to blackmail and control its artists was a closely guarded secret among the upper echelons.

Manager Kong Jianshan, the early-generation top agents who had grown alongside the company, and perhaps even higher-ranking executives, jointly controlled this monstrous scheme. For years, they had profited by draining the lifeblood of their artists.

Zhao Kexin was certain that Sha Kaiyun wasn’t a key player in this scandal.

If he were, he would have known when Qiao Qinglu used her family connections to get Zhao Kexin and Zhao Ke into the company. He would have known they weren’t threatened with nude photoshoots.

Cold sweat trickled down Zhao Kexin’s back. Suppressing her shock, she summoned all the acting techniques her drama teacher had taught her and smiled. “Of course, I’ve been quite lucky.”

What would have happened if I hadn’t debuted? Zhao Kexin suddenly recalled Ming Yue’s resolute yet fragile expression.

No, I can’t just sit here and wait to be destroyed.

Zhao Kexin had initially planned to slowly uncover traces of the company’s dark secrets. But now, it was clear that exposing this vile corruption was urgent.

Sha Kaiyun didn’t stay long. With so many artists under his management, he had to fly to different cities for various events.

Zhao Kexin slumped onto the sofa in the backstage lounge, staring up at the ceiling.

The live stream chat erupted with laughter.

What’s wrong with Keke? Does she think being a manager is hard? Hahaha

Keke: My life is suffering.jpg

I’m dying of laughter! Who thought it was a good idea to let someone who accidentally opens a live stream while playing a mobile game manage a Weibo account?

Zhao Ke not only visited Ming Yue and her teammate Wang Nanhuan in their practice room, but also made rounds to several other dance studios to check on the remaining three trainees.

Su Xi’s back had completely healed, and her backless performance outfit showed no trace of her past ordeal.

Hong Yuanyuan, who had previously participated in a singing competition, chose a vocally challenging song for her first performance. Zhao Ke gave her throat lozenges and throat spray, reminding her not to strain her voice.

Liang Xiaoxiao, ranked last at over thirty, was barely noticeable in her performance team. Zhao Ke spent hours practicing dance with her, finally limping away with a hand pressed to her aching knees.

HAHAHAHA I’m dying of laughter! Why does she look so pathetic when she tries so hard?

Keke, thank goodness you’re not the one competing in the survival show!

Honestly, Zhao Ke isn’t that uncoordinated. Why is she dancing so aggressively though? HAHAHA

Keke, debut already! We can totally make the “pretty and funny girl” concept work!

“Teacher Zhao.”

Zhao Ke had barely rested when a member of the production team approached her.

“Ming Yue has a mid-episode commercial shoot. Would you like to come watch?”

“Yes, I’ll be right there.”

Zhao Ke sprang up from her seat.

The sponsor for Idol Creation Project was the national sportswear brand, Move Without Limits.

This was Ming Yue’s first time working on a shoot for such a major brand, and coupled with the photographer’s demanding requirements, her performance was falling short.

In the center of the set, a massive trampoline prop dominated the space. Ming Yue repeatedly bounced on it, striking athletic poses mid-air.

The photographer rapidly clicked the shutter.

During bouncing, facial expressions tend to twitch uncontrollably, making it difficult to capture a flattering shot.

Experienced models consciously control their facial muscles to maintain composure while bouncing.

But Ming Yue clearly hadn’t mastered this technique. Every mid-air photo was so unflattering that rival groups could use them as damaging material.

Is this the level of the top five? This show is doomed to flop.

Maybe she’s had too many injections? Her face looks stiff, haha.

“Bounce, bounce! Watch your expression!”

“Focus on your expression!”

The photographer lifted his head from behind his Sony camera, his frustration palpable.

“What’s wrong with you? You’re going to be an idol! Can’t you manage your expressions?”

“I’m sorry, Teacher Zhao.”

Ming Yue nervously clutched the hem of her shirt, her shoulders hunched. Even her brightly colored sportswear seemed to have lost its vibrancy.

“Forget it. Just adjust yourself over there. Let’s shoot the individual shots first.”

The photographer waved dismissively.

Zhao Ke arrived to witness this scene.

Ming Yue was crouched in a corner. Zhao Ke sighed inwardly and handed her a black coffee with a straw.

“It’s okay. Rest for a bit, and we’ll try again.”

Keke’s pure encouragement-based teaching style!

Honestly, this ad design is really unfriendly to newcomers, but Ming Yue’s performance has been the weakest among the contestants.

Zhao Ke can only offer water. After all, she herself has zero fashion presence.

Isn’t this Ming Yue’s ad shoot? What does Keke have to do with it?

Exactly! Zhao Ke’s endorsement of W家 didn’t sell many magazines either. Her sales were terrible.

Becoming popular through variety shows doesn’t cut it.

Ming Yue accepted the coffee Zhao Ke handed her, thanked her, but still couldn’t shake off her listlessness.

Seeing this, Zhao Ke plopped down beside Ming Yue.

Keke’s at it again, just sitting anywhere.

Those pants must be filthy. Mom would kill her.

Zhao Ke watched the distant figures bobbing up and down for a long moment before finally speaking, “Don’t you like heights?”

Ming Yue paused, then quickly shook her head. “No, I love them.”

“You love them?” Zhao Ke turned to look at her.

A glistening bead of sweat still clung to the girl’s chin.

“But you look so tense.”

The real reason Ming Yue’s expression management was failing was her divided attention. Part of her focus was on her futilely airborne body, leaving her unable to fully connect with the photographer’s lens.

“No, I really do love them, Sister Coco.”

Ming Yue wiped the sweat from her chin, her bright eyes sparkling.

“When I was little, my dream was to be a pilot. I even practiced skydiving to prepare. But then… I joined the company and stopped going.”