CHAPTER 320: BOYCOTT POP STAR ACADEMY (6)

Wilfred Forbes stared at the wide projector screen in his office, which displayed multiple faces from the video call currently in progress.

While there were other high-profile people in attendance whom he should be paying attention to, his gaze was solely focused on the face of Bing Yongsun, the creative director of Soundwave Music Entertainment Co., who had called the meeting in the first place.

As always, the man wore a placid expression, and the thick glasses on his face helped mask it, but everyone here knew he was furious, and with good reason.

After all, the company was currently in hot water and losing money just as the financial quarter was ending.

And the main reason for that was Wilfred’s own nephew, William, and that stupid, incompetent Korean producer who couldn’t even properly dispose of the evidence.

Although Wilfred wanted to curse, throw things, and pretend nothing had happened, now was not the time to expose his anger.

He needed to keep his head clear and survive this meeting full of sharks that smelled blood and were swarming around to tear him apart, all because of the weakness he had now exposed.

"Since we’re all quite busy people, shall we get started with today’s agenda?" In his usual slow, methodical way of speaking, Bing Yongsun adjusted his glasses before beginning to give his speech at the go-ahead from the other attendees.

"I’m sure you all know about the issue at hand, but I’ll summarize. Because of the video leaks involving PD Park Ji-ho’s mishandling of contestants during field day, clear bias in editing direction to cover up Contestant William’s actions that bullied other contestants, attempted to permanently injure them, and-"

"Objection!" Wilfred interrupted, but Bing Yongsun continued speaking as if he hadn’t heard him.

"Other unsavory acts. We’re currently facing an unprecedented amount of public backlash and need to figure out what the next steps are."

Bing Yongsun paused to pick up a sheet of paper before he continued speaking,

"Since the leaks happened, Pop Star Academy has continued trending in a negative manner despite the attempts of the social media response team working double overtime to address concerns.

We have fired the PD, petitioned WeTube to take down the video for copyright infringement without success, and had the PD put out a statement of apology while taking the blame, yet people are still calling for a boycott, it’s being repeatedly covered by the news and other content creators, our stock has dropped several points, brands have paused their collaborations with our artists, just to name a few issues that are cropping up.

The majority of the fuss is centered around two contestants: contestant Ariel Matisse, who was the victim of malicious editing in this situation, and contestant William Forbes, nephew to our very own Wilford Forbes, who is the perpetrator of violence and the individual who somehow convinced the PD to edit and release the troublesome episode that started this whole mess. We’re meeting today to decide what will be done moving forward to minimize our losses."

"What are our options?" a woman asked as she flipped through the documents she had been sent.

"Let’s start generally before speaking about what the lawyers recommend. The show’s fans, rallied by a user called ChoiFish_C, have created a petition of demands that’s been signed by over a million people, including some high-profile celebrities. I think the demands are reasonable enough, so I’ll share them with you all."

With a single click, a petition was shared across multiple screens, and each of the executives began reading it.

At the top of the petition was a summary of what had happened, along with clips showing what was portrayed in the original episode and the truth that was later leaked.

William’s unapologetic words and actions were repeatedly highlighted, making him seem like an evil psychopath, while PD Ji-ho’s callous words when contestants were injured were also displayed.

Clips showing different injured contestants passed by, and to the surprise of the executives who were expecting to see a particular green-eyed boy have the most videos, there were only two clips about contestant Ariel.

One where William repeatedly hit him with a tennis ball.

And one where he passed out on a soccer field and was carried to a tent by other contestants while the PD carelessly commented to leave him be.

The clips ended, and right below that was the list of demands.

[1. Fire the PD and any high-profile staff in charge of editing and releasing the episode, which wrongfully portrayed contestants. They knowingly created and shared harmful and incorrect content to push an agenda that not only damaged the reputations of various contestants, but also caused them mental distress, emotional damage, refused to address injuries, and created an unsafe space for contestants, and more.]

[2. Fair treatment of all contestants moving forward. We, as the audience, want no manufactured drama. We just want to enjoy the contestants’ skills, their charming personalities, and performances. We would also like complete transparency into contestant votes and rankings at all times to ensure that no bias or manipulation is happening behind the scenes. (attached clips of sudden rule change from previous episodes)(examples of other shows which have 24 hour live feeds as well as weekly episodes being released.)

[3. Elimination of contestant William Forbes for intentionally harming numerous contestants and colluding with producers of the show to hide the evidence. All contestants deserve to have a safe environment where their concerns are heard and addressed, instead of being forced to continue to work with bad actors who make their lives miserable and a production team that covers up the evidence. (Entire list of William’s offenses with clips to back up the claims)]

Reading it, Bing Yongsun wanted to applaud the person who had created the petition.

A simple search showed that the account was firmly supporting one contestant, Ariel, but all of the writing in the articles, posts, and even the petition that was shared about the incident framed the current issue as a collective problem affecting all of the contestants, not just Ariel, while painting William as the antagonist.

And because of that, the fragmented fandom that usually watched from the sidelines when an issue happened to other contestants was standing united in its demands, realizing that if such a thing wasn’t nipped in the bud, the contestant they supported could be affected as well.

While Ariel was the primary person in the limelight due to the malicious editing of the episode, with his fans spearheading the boycott and petition, all fans spoke up for the issue along with the general public, which gave the collective group more impact.

And their company was feeling it.

Emails were constantly being sent to the company, the phone regularly rang, and posts and articles went out like clockwork, all with the same messaging calling for the same thing.

Get rid of PD Ji-ho and William and provide more transparency.

It was a very, very smart campaign, and Bing Yongsun was quite curious as to who the account owner was.

If possible, it would be nice to bring a person like that to help them manage the crisis they are currently going through.

Shaking his head slowly, Bing Yongsun looked at the gridlike display of videos of the other executives who were staring at him expectantly.

"Thoughts?"

"Of course, we won’t be more transparent. But, points one and 3 look solid and easy enough to accomplish. We’ve gotten rid of the PD. Get rid of William. We should also investigate who that PD was in contact with and why he would go to such extremes and ruin his career. Maybe somebody paid him off? I wonder who that could be?" Karen Brunson, A woman who was in charge of an up-and-coming girl group whose brand deals were temporarily frozen due to the issue, and didn’t get along with Wilfred Forbes, snidely remarked.

"No matter what you say, William is not going anywhere." Wilfred cut in with a harsh tone.

"Says who?"

"Says me."

"And why not?" Karen shot back.

"Because there’s no basis for this! This is just the usual entertainment fuss. Once another big issue happens, people will quickly forget about this. Besides, William has issued an apology. He’s vowed to do better and work on improving himself by donating to different charities and volunteering to help those in need." Wilfred tried to brush the issue aside with his usual bluster, but several executives snorted with laughter.

"Isn’t that just your family covering things up? What does that have to do with being a horrible person who’s violent toward people who are supposed to be his future teammates?? PD Emily brought it up at our last meeting that other contestants have reservations about William. I can see that she didn’t tell the full story! I have never seen such an individual with cruelty and malice in their heart at such a young age. If he wants to behave like that and the Forbes family wants to protect him, that’s your prerogative. Just get him away from this company so he doesn’t taint anyone else!"

"Right now, even with the events happening. The show is experiencing unprecedented popularity. The ratings are through the roof. And you know who brought that attention? William! You’re all just making a mountain out of a molehill. Just get that French boy to state his price for a public acceptance of William’s apology, film them making up, and let’s move on. He likes money, doesn’t he? I’m sure he’s stated his price! The Forbes family will pay any amount."

"Ah, about that. I had the remaining PD ask him to quote an amount that would make him comply, and do you know what he said? 100."

"100 Thousand? Done. He’s cheaper than I thought." Wilfred Forbes snorted derisively.

"No." Bing Yongsun showed a rare smile before continuing, "100 million dollars, every day for the rest of his life. He said if the Forbes family insists, he’ll accept euros in place of dollars, but for the sake of your pockets, paying him in dollars is ideal."

BANG!

Wilfred slammed his fist on his desk, causing his image to shake.

"He’s completely lost it! Clearly, he has no plans to cooperate!"

"Correct. His words were, I quote, ’William can keep his apology because I’d rather die than accept it. And if I do die or go missing, I told Chloé to send out my will that says that William Forbes and his family did it.’ The Chloé he’s referring to is, of course, Chloé Laurent, who stormed into my office the other day and has currently frozen all invitations of our artists to Paris Fashion Week this year and has indicated her intent to sue if he decides to quit. Many other contestants, including Levi Temple and James Jones III, have indicated the same." Bing Yongsun continued in that same methodical tone.

Wilfred Forbes froze as another surge of anger flowed through him at the thought of a freshly 18-year-old brat threatening him.

What was wrong with this boy?

Was he mentally ill!?!

Or was he so confident in his backing that he just acted crazy?

"Still. It would be foolish and set a terrible precedent to cave into the demands of the public over a minor issue. And as I said earlier, William is currently bringing in the most eyes to the show and taking it to unprecedented heights, and you know in entertainment, there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Removing him now would bring everything crashing down. Why punish a remorseful child?"

"But you’re wrong about William’s numbers." Another man interrupted while flipping through some files, "And our data analytics team has the numbers to prove it. Before this incident, the most talked-about candidate was Ariel Matisse. Good and bad, he was the most spoken about and had the most rapid growth in fans, especially after he revealed his face.

And after this incident, the most talked about contestant is still Ariel Matisse. He’s experienced the greatest increase in fans; his social media account is now the most followed of all contestants, surpassing Benjamin’s.

And generally, the online opinion about him is now net positive as previous rumours died down. His sounds are trending on TokTik once more, as his graduation is coming up, his academics and his being valedictorian are shared once again, his previous volunteering has come up, the co-sign by Chloé Laurent is boosting him across all social sites, and even his Quiz on Block interview has come up as well.

Even with the calls for boycotting the program, they’re all tied to freeing Ari from the production team and other contestants because they’re assuming that any episode that framed him badly was fabricated by us. The fans love his consistent protesting since the beginning, so numbers-wise, he is the reason things are being talked about. Instead of William, if we eliminate Ariel, I think the blowback might be the worst we’ve ever seen. We absolutely cannot get rid of him, and from what the PD has told us, he has no intentions of cooperating with William ever again. So we’re at an impasse."

"Then let him get eliminated. Weren’t his votes low before the reset? He should be on his way out then!"

"We can’t. Public vote-wise, he’s blowing every contestant out of the water, and it’s not even close between him and the next person. Unless you propose resetting the public votes after each elimination until the final round, then maybe he might drop down. But as it is, he’s not going anywhere. William, on the other hand-"

"Is not going anywhere! Not if I have anything to do with it! This incident is just a setup against him!"

"There would be nothing to set up if that stupid nephew of yours could behave like a human being! As a matter of fact, I’m sure it was you who paid off that PD to edit it like that, so who knows what else he’s been hiding!"

"Watch your tone!"

"Or what? Nobody is scared of you! Unless you plan to hit me like that trashy nephew of yours!"

"Woman!"

"Don’t woman me!"

After letting the group of executives argue like children for several minutes, Bing Yongsun spoke up.

"Shall we take a vote on whether to eliminate contestant William entirely from the program? We’ll also remove him as an artist from the company. This is also the recommended course of action by our lawyers to minimize our losses and cleanly move forward while addressing the concerns of the public and the high-profile family members of some of the contestants."

"You would ruin the life of a child over a silly mistake? How cruel." Wilfred Forbes tried to argue, causing several executives to hide their disdainful expressions.

"A child? I distinctly remember you saying that the last time. He’s just a kid; boys fight all the time and make up. Your nephew is almost 20. How long is he going to be just a child? He’s old enough to know right from wrong. If he were in Korea, he would be in the military right now." Bing Yongsun spoke coldly as he was truly tired of the conversation.

"Well, it’s a good thing he’s not Korean then." Wilfred Forbes replied snidely.

"Sure, if that helps you sleep at night. Do you have any final words, or can we begin the vote to eliminate contestant William Forbes from the competition?"

Staring at Bing Yongsun’s calm expression through the camera, Wilfred knew that the man was waiting for him to make concessions.

And if he didn’t make any concessions, from the other executives’ expressions, he knew they would vote to get rid of his nephew.

Mentally cursing PD Ji-ho, William, and that pesky French boy Ariel, Wilfred Forbes spoke out through gritted teeth, " Wait. The Forbes family will double our current investment, with no additional requests, as long as William stays within the program and I continue to hold the position of group director once they debut. I’ll take a pay cut, and the Forbes family will double the prize money and sponsor any additional things needed to help wipe this issue away. And I personally guarantee that an incident like this won’t happen again."

"That’s not enough. The damage is too great for that. Offer more, or William leaves." Bing Yongsun spoke out coldly.

"Don’t go too far, Bing Yongsun! What else do you want?"

"Nothing too much. It just depends on how much you want your nephew to remain here. Everyone has wants and needs, so let’s come to an agreement." Giving Wilfred Forbes a wicked smile, the discussion among the executives continued.

And by the end of it, Wilfred’s face was completely red with anger, but the atmosphere of everyone else was quite good.

"Then it’s a done deal. William will be allowed to stay. The program name will be changed to Dream Academy: Where Dreams Come True for the remainder of the filming, and we’ll begin an aggressive promotional campaign, all sponsored by the generous Forbes Family. As for the rest of your concessions, is everyone else satisfied?"

"Very." Karen smiled widely. "Thank you, Mr. Forbes, for being so generous."

"Arghhhhhhh!!!!!!"

As soon as the call ended, Wilfred Forbes swiped everything on his desk, sending his laptop, papers, and other knick-knacks crashing to the ground.

Somehow, a video of the handsome green-eyed boy smirking as he danced and rapped began playing, filling the office with his voice.

"Who got them obsessed like Ari? Now, have you ever met Ari?"

******

"What’s this?" Ari asked Kate, the terrible driving staff member, whom he hadn’t seen in a while.

She handed him a green badge with a gold P on it and gestured to his chest.

"A fun tool for later. Just pin it on your jacket, okay? It needs to be visible. Don’t look so suspicious! It’s not anything bad!"

"Okay. Thanks."

"Also, it’s good to see you again, Ari."

"You too, Kate. Did you turn in your license yet?"

"Haha, you’re so funny, Ari. My driving has gotten better, I promise! I can even take you out on a drive to prove it."

"Hmm...let’s table that for later."

Or never.

Sticking the pin on his jacket, Ari waited for Jamie before the two of them took a seat in the small auditorium.

It was time for the ranking ceremony.