The chaotic scene inexplicably sent adrenaline surging through everyone.

As the singing and dancing contestant on stage finished their performance, the entire audience erupted in screams, wildly waving their glow sticks.

This was the first internal showcase for the preliminary contestants—a training match based on stage performances.

It was designed to prevent stage fright during their debut, and from then on, this would be the standard.

"Long Aotian, Long Aotian, hold it higher! Lin Wanning is coming up next!" Li Qingxue exclaimed excitedly.

"Thanks, Long Aotian!" Hu Yuying was equally thrilled. The stage effects today were incredible, giving off the vibe of an up-close concert.

"Leave it to me, no problem!" Long Aotian raised Lin Wanning's support banner—the biggest one in the venue, meticulously designed by Hu Yuying.

As the song ended, the announcer called out the next contestant's number and name.

Even the usually introverted Hu Yuying couldn't help but cheer along with Li Qingxue's excitement.

Seeing the two girls so exhilarated, Long Aotian swung the banner even more vigorously, swaying it left and right.

"Hey man, chill out—I can't see!"

A voice came from behind Long Aotian.

"Sorry, got a little carried away," Long Aotian replied, turning around.

The two locked eyes, both momentarily stunned.

Because the man behind him was also holding a Lin Wanning support banner.

"You're a fan of Lin Wanning too?"

They spoke in unison.

Long Aotian chuckled. He hadn’t expected Lin Wanning to already have fans at this stage.

It was partly thanks to the production team.

The earlier audition rounds had been edited into promotional clips and released.

Though Lin Wanning’s appearance and songs were only shown for a few seconds, her striking beauty and unique voice had already won her a small following.

The entrance music changed, and Lin Wanning stepped out from backstage, dressed in a stunning outfit with subtle makeup.

Hearing the man behind him fervently shouting Lin Wanning’s name, Long Aotian cleared his throat and drowned him out with an even louder cheer.

Not to be outdone, the man raised his voice further.

Back and forth they went, each shout louder than the last.

Hu Yuying and Li Qingxue exchanged puzzled glances.

"Is this some weird male competition thing?"

"Probably," Hu Yuying replied uncertainly.

Just then, Long Aotian felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

Pulling it out, he saw it was a call from Xu Shuai.

Glancing around, the noise made it impossible to take the call.

"Yuying, Qingxue, I need to take this. I’ll be right back."

"Okay, we’ll wait here. But hurry—Lin Wanning’s about to start."

Long Aotian gave a quick thumbs-up and headed for the emergency exit.

He called back, "Hey, what’s up?"

The anxious tone on the other end made him pause. "Wait, slow down—what happened to Huang Fei?"

On the other end, Xu Shuai rubbed his head in frustration, took a deep breath, and tried to explain coherently.

As Xu Shuai spoke, Long Aotian’s frown deepened.

Shen Mengjie’s mother had brought a man in his forties to the school, demanding Shen Mengjie drop out and return home.

She claimed education was useless for her daughter and that she should marry early—specifically, this older man, who had already paid an 80,000-yuan betrothal gift.

The scene at the school had turned ugly.

Since it involved a parent, the school couldn’t directly intervene and instead tried reasoning with her.

But Shen Mengjie’s mother was relentless—wailing, making a scene, even rolling on the ground—so no one dared step in.

At one point, she cursed Shen Mengjie for being "wild" and even slapped her.

Just as the older man was about to drag Shen Mengjie out of the school, Huang Fei rushed over upon hearing the commotion.

No one knew who threw the first punch, but as an athlete, Huang Fei wasn’t one to back down in a fight.

Things escalated until the police arrived, taking Huang Fei away while an ambulance carted off the older man.

After hearing Xu Shuai’s account, Long Aotian exhaled sharply. "I’m still out right now. Head to the police station—I’ll grab a cab and meet you there."

"Got it, we’re on our way."

Hanging up, Long Aotian quickly explained the situation to the girls.

Hu Yuying looked surprised but noticed his urgency. "Be careful on the way. Once Lin Wanning’s done, I’ll explain it to her."

Even Li Qingxue, who usually teased Long Aotian, stayed serious this time. "Take care. We’ll wait for you at home."

With that, Long Aotian left and hailed a cab to the location Xu Shuai had given.

As soon as he arrived, he spotted Xu Shuai and Li Longlong waiting outside.

"How’s it looking?"

"It should be fine. Everyone at the scene can confirm that the other guy shoved Huang Fei first, and both of them got hurt. At worst, it’ll be classified as a mutual brawl."

Before long, a man around forty years old, his head wrapped in bandages, walked over accompanied by a police officer.

Seeing this, Long Aotian and the other two followed them inside.

At first, the older man refused to back down.

Even though it was ruled a mutual brawl, the fact remained that he was injured.

If they pressed the matter, Huang Fei could end up detained for at least a few days.

And anyone with eyes could see this old man was just being a troublemaker!

Long Aotian leaned in and whispered something into Xu Shuai and Li Longlong’s ears.

Then, he suddenly held his breath, his face gradually turning crimson.

Clenching his fists, Long Aotian glared at the older man, his dark eyes burning with hostility, his sharp brows exuding a cold, intimidating aura.

It looked as though, if they weren’t in a police station, he would’ve lunged at the man and torn him apart on the spot.

The older man took one glance and immediately averted his gaze, his bravado crumbling instantly.

Xu Shuai and Li Longlong quickly grabbed Long Aotian, practically dragging him out by force.

The moment they stepped outside, they released his arms.

"Will this really work?"

"If this were his hometown, probably not. But we’re in unfamiliar territory—he’ll think twice."

"Besides, both sides are at fault. He won’t want to provoke some hotheaded stranger in a place where he’s out of his depth!"

It wasn’t the most honorable tactic, but Long Aotian knew that with people like this—bullies who thrived on others’ weakness—playing nice only emboldened them.

Sometimes, showing a little aggression was all it took to scare them off.

Sure enough, not long after Huang Fei paid for the medical expenses, he was released...