Chapter 19: The More Stable the Emotions, the More Ruthless the Means

The program flow of "PICK~ Next Stop Diva" is clear and transparent to the mentors.

Mentors can get first-hand news and even know which contestants the program team wants to push, speaking some good words for the contestants on the program when necessary.

Not just this program, all talent shows have hidden unspoken rules—choosing to film certain trainees from good angles, inadvertently handing them lip balm, lipstick, glasses...

It seems like it just happened to appear on the program, but it was actually carefully designed and presented.

But it is precisely because of this that the current situation was caused—

The opening show of the second episode's stage is nominally completed by the mentor and the chosen partner. Even if Lian Baozhi told them in advance that she would leave the opening stage entirely to Jin Li, Jin Li still had to wait for Lian Baozhi's notice.

As a mentor's partner, only participating in one episode of the program recording, for the sake of confidentiality, the partner doesn't know the internal operations of the program.

That is to say, as long as Lian Baozhi doesn't notify them, they won't know the exact time of the rehearsal.

Before, when Sui Lingfang contacted Lian Baozhi's manager, they said they didn't know and were waiting for notice.

Now that the program has already aired, and seeing that there is very little time left until the second episode's recording, even if Sui Lingfang were slow, she would know that the rehearsal is in these few days.

Lian Baozhi's manager was still using this as an excuse to fool people; it was simply courting death.

"Jin Li, are you in the apartment? I'm coming to pick you up now!" Sui Lingfang hurriedly called Jin Li and drove the company car out.

It was afternoon, and Jin Li was practicing vocal music.

The vocal teacher was guiding her personally right beside her, repeatedly praising her for being worthy of being in a girl group, having picked up everything she had fallen behind on in just a few days of teaching.

Jin Li was a bit embarrassed by the praise.

"Fang Jie, I'm just in the apartment practicing vocal music. Is something the matter?" She heard the urgency in Sui Lingfang's words.

Sui Lingfang gritted her teeth and said: "Today is your rehearsal day. Lian Baozhi and the others played dirty tricks on us. They didn't notify us that it was today. If I hadn't lost my temper, I wouldn't know when we would be able to go to rehearsal!"

Jin Li was slightly stunned.

This... Lian Baozhi really has big guts!

Playing tricks in such a big project, is she really not afraid of being exposed?

Sui Lingfang said hatefully on the phone: "I'm coming to pick you up for rehearsal now. When I get to the program team, I must connect with their staff and publicize what Lian Baozhi did. If she doesn't let us have a good time, we won't let her have a good time either!"

Jin Li heard the excitement in her words and didn't say much, only telling her to drive well and pay attention to safety.

After hanging up the phone, she told the vocal teacher, and the vocal teacher gave an "OK" sign.

"I won't go with you. The confidentiality of that place should be very strong. I originally wanted to tell you that you don't need to follow me for practice after today's lesson. Now, consider your graduation early."

The vocal teacher cheered her on: "Go for it! Looking forward to your performance on stage!"

Jin Li smiled bitterly: "I'm quite nervous, afraid I'll mess it up."

The teacher patted her shoulder, "With your current level, it's a bit difficult to mess it up. Just perform with a normal mindset!"

Jin Li went down with the teacher and arrived at the apartment entrance early to wait for someone.

About half an hour later, Sui Lingfang arrived. Jin Li opened the car door and quickly fastened her seatbelt.

With almost no pause, the car drove out again very smoothly.

Jin Li glanced at Sui Lingfang, feeling that her anger had dissipated a lot, and brought up the Lian Baozhi matter again.

"Fang Jie, the matter of them hiding the rehearsal date..."

Sui Lingfang said blandly: "I will expose it. Not only will I expose it to the variety show, but I will also expose it on the internet. You don't need to worry about these things; I will arrange everything. You just need to take care of the stage."

Jin Li's eyelids twitched.

Good fellow, after her emotions stabilized, her means upgraded again.

She reminded: "I don't care, but you must pay attention to the method and don't offend Penguin Pictures."

Sui Lingfang snorted coldly, "Won't offend them, at most it will only make them feel a chill in their hearts. Lian Baozhi bears the primary responsibility for this matter, and Penguin bears the secondary responsibility. If the program team had one more staff member for coordination, would this kind of rehearsal concealment happen?"

Jin Li stopped talking, feeling that Fang Jie was now a cold volcano.

Calm on the surface, but actually ready to explode at the slightest touch inside.

She took out her phone, sent a WeChat message to Ji Qinglian to inform her that she was coming over for rehearsal, then didn't look at her phone anymore, turning to grind through "Five-Three" instead.

Jin Li was grinding through a math paper. The first big framework of knowledge points had been learned, so she had to practice problems to deepen the foundation, facilitating flexible application.

Sui Lingfang originally wanted to say something to Jin Li, but seeing her grinding through problems, she closed her mouth and didn't say a word.

Disturbing someone who is striving for progress will lead to being struck by lightning!

After about an hour, they arrived at Haikou. After confirming their identities, they took a boat for half an hour and arrived at the filming location of "PICK~ Next Stop Diva."

Sui Lingfang coordinated with the staff guarding outside. Before long, Jin Li was let in.

Only she could go in; even Sui Lingfang, the manager, couldn't.

But Sui Lingfang knew that A-list celebrities could bring their managers in.

Not letting her in was just the program team thinking Jin Li's status was small and not yet A-list, so they were blocking people.

She wasn't angry either. She chatted with the staff guarding the door for a few words and gave them a few packs of good cigarettes and a bottle of good wine; both items were things she bought temporarily at a shop in Haikou.

With the cigarettes and wine thrown down, the staff's mouths loosened immediately, and they were more polite to Sui Lingfang.

Sui Lingfang asked nonchalantly: "Hey, does the program team have a work group? Pull me in. Our Jin Li is recording an episode anyway. What if we miss some news?"

The staff member just took out their phone, suddenly thought of something, and said: "Just ask the mentor who invited you."

Sui Lingfang sighed, "Mentors are all A-listers, busy with ten thousand things every day; where would they have time to explain in detail to you! And there are some things in the program. I ask the mentor's manager, and she doesn't know either. Might as well ask in the official group."

The staff member brought up the group QR code for her to scan.

"That's true, it's quite difficult. This one of mine is a public work group, a big group; everyone in the program is in it."

"There are many messages every day, and A-list celebrities basically don't speak. If you really want to know some news, you have to add a private small group, but that depends on people pulling you in."

Sui Lingfang was beaming, smiling and saying: "A big work group is fine; that's exactly what I need."

On the other side, Jin Li met Ji Qinglian in Rehearsal Room No. 5.

Ji Qinglian was waiting at the door.

As soon as she saw Jin Li, her eyes lit up, as if they were glowing.

Ji Qinglian circled Jin Li several times, almost doing a 360-degree observation without dead ends.

Jin Li let her look calmly and composedly.

After a long while, Ji Qinglian held her hand and sighed: "Li Bao, you look so healthy!"

"Pfft!" A light laugh came from the corridor. They looked over and could only see a few blurry figures walking past.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 20 =====