CEO's Sweetheart is a Super Idol-Chapter 338 - 330: Opportunity Knocks

The next day

Tencent Building

Wan Kai sat in his office chair, reviewing the document brought by his secretary.

After thinking for a moment, he opened his computer and sent out a message.

"I agree with Yuwei’s contract in principle, but the clause about contract termination needs further consideration."

The reply came quickly: "Mr. Wan, we’ve already negotiated this clause with Ye Yuwei multiple times, but she stands firm on this point."

"Looks like she’s betting on the fact that we need her for the group formation!" Wan Kai sneered.

"Mr. Wan, it’s clear she’s aiming to go independent after the three-year contract expires."

"She sure dreams big. Go negotiate with her again; there’s still time before the group forms."

The other party agreed briefly and went offline.

Just as Wan Kai was about to relax, his secretary called.

"Mr. Wan, Zhou Dan—Mr. Zhou wants to meet you!"

"Please let her in."

Holding a stack of documents, Zhou Dan entered the office.

"Mr. Zhou, please have a seat."

"Thank you, Mr. Wan. Regarding the candidates for the group formation, I want to make a change."

Wan Kai remained noncommittal upon hearing Zhou Dan’s request.

Although Zhou Dan’s company handles operations and has a say in the final selection of the girl group members, the decisive power rested with Tencent.

"I want to replace Gao Ziyi with Jiang Mengqi."

Zhou Dan’s proposal surprised Wan Kai: "Mr. Zhou, Jiang Mengqi lacks popularity."

"I’m aware, but Gao Ziyi is an unstable factor. We already have a ’sing-dance double liability’ case like Lv Fangxin, and if we add someone who’s just a comedian like Gao Ziyi..."

"Mr. Zhou, I understand your concerns, but why not consider Li Shihan?"

"Her skills indeed surpass Jiang Mengqi’s, but her image doesn’t meet the requirements."

Zhou Dan immediately rejected Li Shihan without hesitation.

"Mr. Zhou, Jiang Mengqi’s style clashes with Lai Ruoxuan."

"I understand, but finding eleven girls with completely distinct personalities and appearances is simply impossible."

Wan Kai pondered for a moment before continuing, "Mr. Zhou, are you certain about Jiang Mengqi?"

"Yes, I think she can attract male fans. Don’t forget about the mobile phone advertisement incident."

Zhou Dan’s remark made Wan Kai sit up straight.

In fact, Tencent had their own criteria for determining group members.

One key factor was the frequency with which advertisers would request a particular individual to shoot commercials.

Jiang Mengqi had been chosen by a mobile phone brand to shoot an exclusive advertisement.

This indicated that Jiang Mengqi still had a market presence among investors.

A major revenue source for girl groups was advertisements and endorsements.

This income often surpassed their earnings from appearing on variety shows.

Sometimes, when a girl group wasn’t popular enough, they would even have to pay for appearances on prime variety shows.

Wang Na was completely excluded because no advertisers ever selected her to shoot commercials.

Similarly, the two commercials featuring Gao Ziyi had been forcibly arranged by Tencent.

Regarding that mobile phone advertisement, Tencent originally wanted Ye Yuwei and Wu Zixuan to shoot it, but the advertiser explicitly requested the former.

Left with no choice, Tencent had to shoehorn Zhang Zijing into the ad.

"The matter of Jiang Mengqi’s debut position, I’ll need to address it in the senior management meeting."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Dan chuckled, knowing it was merely a procedural formality.

Other departments wouldn’t meddle with the issues of the entertainment section; as long as the department head approved, the rest would simply make routine inquiries.

Jiang Mengqi herself had no idea that her fate was quietly taking a turn.

She was still in the practice room, training as hard as she could. Even though she believed her chances of debuting were slim, she wanted to leave no regrets on the stage.

At 25 years old, she was already past the prime age for idols and nearing her retirement point.

"Rainbow, keep going! You’re the ray of hope in everyone’s heart."

As sweat soaked her body, she looked at her reflection in the dance mirror and flashed a dazzling smile.

Likewise, Lai Ruoxuan was training intensely. Unlike Jiang Mengqi, she still held a glimmer of hope for her debut due to her highly devoted fanbase.

"Qiqi, don’t give up. If you don’t give up on yourself, your fans won’t give up on you either."

Lai Ruoxuan kept encouraging herself as she pressed on with sheer determination.

Meanwhile, Lv Xiaoxue, Qi Ziyue, and Liu Feiyu were significantly more relaxed.

Their agencies were relatively strong, ensuring their transition into acting roles once they returned.

While they felt reluctant about leaving, they viewed acting as the more legitimate path.

Since they weren’t originally idol material, they didn’t push themselves as fiercely as Jiang Mengqi and Lai Ruoxuan.

"Yue Ting, take a break." Fu Xiaoyu handed a bottle of water to her teammate.

"Thanks!" Qiang Yueting replied with a smile, sitting beside her.

She didn’t resent Fu Xiaoyu despite her rank being lower in previous evaluations.

Having participated in numerous talent shows, she had seen through many things.

A lot of times, whether one became popular simply came down to fate.

"I’m so close to the end; my body is nearly at its limit."

"Yue Ting, it’s not over yet; we’re going to debut together."

Qiang Yueting smiled at her friend’s words: "My general fan base is collapsing, my voting stats are awful, I’m old, and my health isn’t great. I don’t stand a chance anymore."

Fu Xiaoyu felt her heart ache upon hearing this and began to cry.

Though she appeared strong to fans, she wasn’t nearly as tough inside.

She didn’t know how to console her friend.

"Xiaoyu, don’t cry. We chose this road, betting our youth for the faintest chance at tomorrow."

"I’ve joined Super Goddess and many other shows."

"Opportunities like this are almost impossible to come by."

"Don’t carry any emotional burdens. Just give your all and shine."

Qiang Yueting pulled Fu Xiaoyu into her arms. Beneath the window, the two seemed like lost children in the forest, finding solace in each other’s presence.

On the plane, Ye Yuwei and her companions were fast asleep, utterly exhausted.

The previous night, they had been recording a show non-stop, with no time to rest.

What frustrated them the most was a big-name guest arriving late.

They had to wait at the set for three hours.

Trying to stay awake when they desperately wanted to sleep, they eventually couldn’t endure it any longer.

Lv Fangxin and Zhang Zijing even showed symptoms of vomiting.

They had pushed their bodies far too hard, leaving them in severe suboptimal health.

The accompanying assistant sensed trouble.

If their health issues prevented them from performing at the finale, it would be disastrous for the company.

Even worse, if someone fainted on stage during the live broadcast, it would tarnish the company’s reputation immensely.

Under these dire circumstances, the assistant called the company.

Tencent was furious.

These girls had been brought in specifically to save the struggling show.

To make matters worse, someone had been acting like a diva and refused to attend the recording.

Outraged, Tencent demanded immediate recording.

They also instructed the collaborating Fruit Channel to terminate the contract with the diva and seek damages.

The diva was terrified. He had actually been in his trailer nearby.

His defiance stemmed from his dissatisfaction with the program requiring him to collaborate with the girl group on a musical showcase.

He saw himself as a rock musician, an artist, and couldn’t accept performing alongside a girl group.

He questioned his status compared to theirs, dismissing them as mere reality show contestants.

What he forgot was that he was nothing more than an outdated singer.

Despite being respected as a veteran in the industry, he was no longer relevant.

If he were truly proud, he wouldn’t have joined such a variety show.

He also overlooked one crucial fact.

Tencent was the industry leader, and if they blacklisted him, no platform would hire him.

Terrified, the singer abandoned his hotpot and rushed to the recording.

However, the program crew sent him away.