CHAPTER 108: CHAPTER 105: WITHDRAWAL CONTROVERSY

Second day

While having breakfast, everyone suddenly noticed something very interesting.

That was, all of them had naturally divided themselves into five groups.

Even those who used to be on the same team were no longer sitting together.

Yuwei was very familiar with this phenomenon; it was the same in Hanoi.

Each of them had their own circles, instinctively forming cliques, remaining vigilant, and suspicious of what people in other groups might do to them.

The 11 members of Class A had also split into three smaller groups, each sitting at their own table, without communicating at all throughout breakfast.

It wasn’t until training started that they began laughing and joking as if they’d been close friends for years.

Today, Zhang Wei was teaching them vocal techniques, just like he had taught the other groups the day before, starting with vocal warm-ups.

This immediately exposed the vocal shortcomings of many participants.

Natasha and Guo Xia could barely manage simple melodies, though their pitch was clearly unstable.

Lin Jiayi was slightly better than the two of them, while Lv Xiaoxue was completely tone-deaf.

The remaining seven were all at a professional level, with Chen Afang standing out the most. Zhang Wei even commented that her breath control surpassed his own.

This inflated Chen Afang’s sense of superiority to an extreme level, as she already saw herself as a cut above the rest.

Natasha watched this Australian wild woman flaunting her skill with undisguised annoyance, glaring at her, which didn’t escape Chen Afang’s notice.

However, Chen Afang dismissed it entirely, thinking, let this uncivilized Russian woman be jealous! As a proud Gao Hua—no, as a bona fide Australian—I couldn’t care less.

Just then, the broadcast system chimed in: "Due to personal reasons, one contestant will be withdrawing, and another contestant will take their place."

Everyone was stunned. Who was leaving? It had only been three days since filming began, and someone was already quitting.

Among the three members of the Sunshine Girl Group, Fan Xiaona, nicknamed "Flower Spider," was currently being interviewed by the production team.

"I’m sorry, due to personal reasons, I have to withdraw. I know many people were hoping for me to stay, especially my fans, but I apologize," Fan Xiaona said with a blank expression.

At this moment, she was feeling extremely displeased, convinced that the production team had played a trick on them.

Because when they negotiated earlier, the production team had promised they could stay for at least five or six episodes, and the group had decided to participate for the substantial exposure it offered.

Who could have imagined that two members would be gone by the first day? She was angry and helpless, choosing to withdraw as a way to express her dissatisfaction.

Simultaneously, her agent strongly urged her to quit, arguing they shouldn’t help boost the production’s ratings, which would be tantamount to feeding into exploitation.

Their decision was incredibly foolish.

By now, they had already invested themselves, and the production had achieved its objectives. If she continued to play along obediently, she might’ve received some compensation after the show ended.

But by creating a scene like this, it only resulted in a completely severed relationship.

As for the promise to stay for five or six episodes? Trusting verbal assurances in the entertainment industry is naive; even with a signed contract, you had better check for loopholes carefully.

Fan Xiaona’s departure didn’t cause the slightest ripple among the other girls. From their perspective, perhaps another contestant with better resources would replace her, especially given Fan Xiaona’s "renown as a girl group member."

"Organize an exclusive interview about their departure," Yang Xiaoyue instructed the directing team, thinking it might serve as a highlight for the show.

Soon, several girls were summoned to share their thoughts about the situation.

However, before the interview began, the production team informed them that the footage might or might not be aired.

This wasn’t limited to just this interview; earlier ones operated under the same rule.

The intention behind this was twofold: to prevent them from holding ulterior motives and to warn them against speaking improperly.

To these girls, if their interview made it into the broadcast, it meant they would gain a few additional seconds of screen time—similar to appearing briefly in a solo music video. As a result, everyone participated eagerly yet spoke with caution.

Gou Shuangying: "I feel very sad about her withdrawal. It hurts my heart. In this line of work, you can’t be afraid of questioning. If you believe in yourself, you need to prove it to others."

From her words, we can infer that she thought Fan Xiaona quit because she lacked the skills and wasn’t willing to work hard.

Fan Lei: "I actually feel regretful, and even a little angry. I’m not angry with her personally, but with her decision to give up this opportunity."

In truth, Fan Lei was also reflecting on her own feelings. To her, this was a valuable opportunity; if you didn’t surrender and kept striving, you might have a shot at debuting.

They hadn’t grasped the true nature of this situation: Fan Xiaona was merely a "sacrificial lamb" and no longer useful.

No matter how hard she tried, it wouldn’t make a difference unless she somehow possessed Madonna’s skills and looks overnight.

Next, the production team interviewed the substitute contestant, who turned out to be the model agent Wang Na. Standing before the Class C trainees, she sternly announced, "What she gave up is my long-held dream."

But Wang Na knew very well she wouldn’t debut either. She was much smarter than Fan Xiaona’s agency; she only needed the show to boost her market value.

Moreover, by cooperating nicely with the production team, maybe they’d graciously grant her some favors.

Then the production team approached Lv Fangxin for an interview, which was specifically designated by them.

This surprised Fangxin, as she had already been interviewed twice on the first day of filming.

"What’s your opinion of Wang Na?" the production crew began stirring up drama.

"She’s strong in terms of ability, but honestly, she doesn’t feel very girlish," Fangxin answered candidly based on her intuition.

Her comment could also be interpreted as: Wang Na has talent, but her physical appearance doesn’t suit the girl group aesthetic. She’s unlikely to make it in this industry.

When this segment was shown to Yang Xiaoyue, she was astonished. This girl isn’t stupid at all! In fact, she seems to see through the core of things better than most.

The production team just needed one "unconventional woman" to replace another "unconventional woman." Both were nothing more than stepping stones.

Everything else proceeded per usual, though by now, some contestants had started scheming.

Because all of them were vying for the center position in the theme song. Some companies were pulling strings externally, while certain individuals plotted their own strategies internally.

In the control room, Yang Xiaoyue glanced at the clock and saw it was nearly 11 a.m. She was preparing to leave when the deputy informed her that Chen Afang wanted to meet her.

Yang Xiaoyue couldn’t quite understand why this woman would seek her out, but she decided to entertain her request, given that Chen wasn’t some random nobody.

"Hello, Director Yang."

"Hello Afang, what can I do for you?"

Yang Xiaoyue poured her a glass of water and watched her with a smiling face.

"Director Yang, as you know, the theme song assessment is the day after tomorrow. I’d like to be in the center position." Chen Afang cut straight to the point without any preamble.

This left Yang Xiaoyue momentarily stunned. What kind of tactic was this?

"Afang, the center position is determined after your performance by the votes from your own group."

"Director Yang, let’s not beat around the bush. I know how this works—it’s impossible for us to truly vote among ourselves!"

Seeing Yang Xiaoyue’s expressionless silence, Chen Afang continued, "Director Yang, I’m Australian, highly educated, and have significant fame in your region. My skills are the strongest among everyone here. Choosing me is the best investment for your show."

Yang Xiaoyue couldn’t help but feel both disgusted and amused at the condescension in Afang’s tone.

"Miss Chen, your usual tactics won’t work here, and your commercial value hasn’t been proven yet. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be participating in a girl group talent show under the guise of a professional singer." Yang Xiaoyue said with a rich note of sarcasm in her voice.

"I’m about to leave for the day. Also, don’t Australians often pride themselves on fairness and integrity? You coming to me like this is breaking the rules."

Without waiting for the now pig-liver-colored Chen Afang to say anything further, Yang Xiaoyue got up and walked away.