Chapter 81: Tearing Off the Mask

The nanny van for the two girl group members soon drove to the recording site of *Creating Idols*.

The two women found Luo Mo inside the practice room.

What was to follow next was the finals.

It was just that there was still a long time until the finals, so the trainees had been a bit more free lately.

And people like Li Junyi would actually be facing Elimination in a few days and would have to leave this place.

But Luo Mo was still the same as usual, pulling everyone from the Anonymous Team to participate in practice.

Every day, they still practiced Basic Skills with great regularity, and he would lead everyone in practicing Singing, dance moves, and the like.

Jiang Ningxi and Shen Yinuo walked into the practice room, and looking at the scene before them, they were actually quite moved.

It was clear that Luo Mo held very high prestige in everyone's hearts.

The nickname "Instructor Luo" was not just something said casually.

Even though many people no longer had a stage to prepare for, if Luo Mo told them to practice their Basic Skills hard, they would just keep practicing.

Simply because Luo Mo had said one sentence very seriously: "The stage is not just here."

Luo Mo, who was practicing dancing, saw the two women push the door open and enter; he glanced at them and said, "You're here?"

"Go wait for me in the empty room to the side; I'll bring the computer over in a moment," Luo Mo said.

The two women nodded.

Luo Mo returned to the dormitory to get the computer, and after pushing the door open, he saw Jiang Ningxi pulling up her slightly loose over-the-knee socks.

Luo Mo took a look and felt that she was truly worthy of being called a Leg Fairy; these legs were truly flawless.

Ankle socks, over-the-knee socks, silk stockings, fishnets, bare legs... she should be able to pull off every style, and all of them were breathtakingly beautiful.

For a leg enthusiast, Jiang Ningxi was definitely a stunner among stunners.

It was just that after recalling it carefully, back in middle school, his focus was all on faces, and he didn't know how to look at legs at all.

—That was careless.

Shen Yinuo, who was half-lying on the table, tilted her head and looked at Luo Mo as he entered, saying full of energy: "Luo Mo, one piece of good news and one piece of bad news, which one do you want to hear first?"

"I don't want to hear either," Luo Mo said, putting the computer on the table on purpose.

"No! You have to know!" Shen Yinuo stretched out her right hand and slapped it onto the table with a *thwack*.

"Then let's hear the bad news first," Luo Mo said.

Shen Yinuo said: "The fee for the lyrics and composition of *Daughter Kingdom* that you gave us might have to be lowered a bit; it has to be discounted, hee hee."

She said it had to be discounted because Luo Mo was about to become one of their own. When Xinyu internal staff sold songs to each other, there would be a small discount on the price.

Of course, the most critical profit-sharing would not change.

"Hmm? Then I'm not selling it," Luo Mo closed the computer and made a move to leave.

Jiang Ningxi, with her cold temperament, watched the two drama queens acting here and felt a bit of a headache.

The most fatal thing was that Shen Yinuo just happened to fall for this act.

She immediately said loudly: "Hey, hey, hey! Don't! It's because the company has agreed to your conditions! You're about to be one of our own, so we definitely have to give you a small discount!"

"Oh my, oh my, it's fine if you don't give a discount; it's just a gesture anyway, we are very sincere!"

Jiang Ningxi looked at the disappointing Shen Yinuo and felt that she had already been handled by Luo Mo.

Luo Mo had already seen right through her.

This made her want to go to some platform and post anonymously: "My ex-boyfriend and my good best friend seem to be getting closer and closer. What should I do? It's urgent, waiting online."

Hearing this, Luo Mo walked back to his seat slowly, opened the computer slowly, and said in a slow speed: "Oh—, is that so—."

However, the next moment, his face turned serious, and his expression and tone were both very earnest.

"I have already received your sincerity, as well as Xinyu's sincerity."

"However, I still won't sign the Contract today," Luo Mo said.

"Why?" This time, even Jiang Ningxi, who had been silent, couldn't help but speak in unison.

Luo Mo said: "It's not that I'm unwilling; I want to delay it for a while. After the finals of *Creating Idols* end, if you at Xinyu are still willing to sign this Contract with me, then I will sign with you."

He said very seriously: "I have received your sincerity, and this is the sincerity I am giving back to you."

"What is this all about!" Shen Yinuo was confused and didn't understand at all what Luo Mo was talking about.

She racked her brains before saying: "Do you think you might perform poorly next, and then we at Xinyu will be disappointed in you and regret our decision?"

Jiang Ningxi pondered for a moment and gave Luo Mo a deep look.

She could tell that Luo Mo had something on his mind; he had his own considerations.

For some reason, relying on her intuition, Jiang Ningxi had a bad premonition.

Luo Mo didn't say much, only saying: "Anyway, just bring my sincerity to President Shen. In a few more days, Xinyu should also be happy to wait a little longer."

Shen Yinuo had come with sincerity so full it was about to overflow; Luo Mo could feel it, feeling as if he were wrapped up, wrapped tightly.

It couldn't really be called "you treat me as a national scholar, and I must repay you as a national scholar."

He was indeed reciprocating this sincerity and also letting Xinyu think things through.

Luo Mo could roughly guess what he was about to face.

Although he hadn't thought too deeply about it, he was also very clear about what choice he would make in the end.

By the time the grand finals arrived, whether Xinyu would still dare to sign a Contract with him would truly be an unknown.

"Alright, let's stop talking about this for now. Come, come, let me explain this *Daughter Kingdom* to you properly," Luo Mo said with a smile.

The atmosphere that followed was not very good.

Shen Yinuo was puffed up with anger, feeling so angry that her chest felt like it was going to explode, angry to the point of chest pain.

It was already this big, and she even wondered if she was going to have a second growth spurt from being so angry.

Delaying, what's with the delaying? This young lady just wants you to become mine immediately!

The feeling of waiting is just too unbearable!

Jiang Ningxi, however, was slightly preoccupied and a bit worried, but words of concern were stuck in her throat and she couldn't get them out.

Once the three of them parted ways and the two women returned to the car, Shen Yinuo immediately called Shen Shaoqiu and repeated Luo Mo's exact words.

On the other end of the line, Shen Shaoqiu was silent for a long time.

Finally, he only said: "Nuo Nuo, your eye for people this time is indeed not bad. How about this, Dad will first give Ning Dao a call to understand the situation. When you get home, Dad will chat with you in detail."

"Alright." Shen Yinuo hung up the phone, her whole body half-slumped on the luxurious seat of the van, the energetic girl having completely deflated.

Jiang Ningxi looked out the window and glanced at the sky.

Today is an overcast day.

………

………

On the other side, as the person involved, Luo Mo, although at the center of the vortex, actually had a very good mindset.

While eating dinner, during the time Tong Shu was washing dishes for him, he quickly drank up Tong Shu's portion of yogurt.

Days passed quickly, and three days flew by in an instant.

Today, another 30 trainees are to be eliminated.

Just as everyone expected from the start, the Anonymous Team is now left with only Luo Mo and Tong Shu.

Li Junyi and the others had low popularity from the beginning and no capital backing, so even though they were carried along by Luo Mo the whole way, their rankings were stuck outside the top 20.

Even Tong Shu, who had had stunning performances, is now stuck at twelfth place.

It seems like the debut spots are not far off, but in reality, the capital has these positions locked down tight; trying to climb to ninth is as hard as ascending to heaven!

As for Luo Mo himself, he has already surged to second place.

The vote gap between second and third place was not large to begin with, so within a few days, Luo Mo has advanced further, aiming his sword at first place!

Li Junyi and the others were all happy for Luo Mo, and even though they were about to leave this place, they felt satisfied.

This night, even Luo Mo carried a bit of the sentiment of departure.

As luck would have it, the people from Pineapple Entertainment came knocking again.

The person who came this time was not Zheng Quan, the Music Director who had a favorable impression of Luo Mo, but another high-level executive from the company.

Wang Shisong felt that the pressure applied to Luo Mo was enough; if he were a smart person, he should already know how to choose.

Just as Luo Mo finished embracing and saying farewell to Li Junyi and the others, a staff member came to say that someone from Pineapple wanted to see him.

Luo Mo looked at the program staff and asked: "Does Ning Dao want me to go see him immediately?"

The staff member said: "He didn't say that; Ning Dao only said that it is possible to meet."

Possible to meet, which means it is also possible not to meet.

Luo Mo didn't rush over, but continued to say goodbye to Li Junyi and the others, and gave each of them a parting word.

These parting words were all tailored to their individual strengths; for instance, to Li Junyi, Luo Mo told him not to slack off in dancing, and to believe in himself, as there would be a day for dancing to shine.

In this world, most people feel that for those who dance, what great prospects could they have?

Only Luo Mo knew very clearly that there are too many singing-based talent shows now, and over time, everyone will get tired of them.

Within the same category, it will also become increasingly difficult to come up with new tricks.

Then, variety shows will explore other fields.

Like many dance programs on Earth, their popularity is quite good, the hottest being "Street Dance of China".

The contestants who participate in this program might not become big stars, but their lives will definitely be much better than before.

Next, Li Junyi and the others were to board the bus and leave.

Before getting on the bus, Li Junyi gathered his courage and asked: "Brother Mo, we asked you before what this motto actually means, 'Do not worry about the lack of soulmates on the road ahead', we didn't quite understand."

"Now that we are leaving, can you explain it?"

Tong Shu, who was feeling sentimental on the side, immediately pricked up his ears.

He had been curious about this matter for a very long time.

Actually, these big boys had discussed it many times in private; they looked at this sentence and analyzed it as meaning there are no soulmates, hoping that in their future life's journey, they could have a few more true friends.

Therefore, they prepared to be emotional before parting, to see if they could move the usually strict-as-hell Instructor Luo.

Unexpectedly, Luo Mo smiled and said: "Remember to watch the finals. According to the procedure, every time the rankings are announced, you have to recite your motto again. At the finals, I will tell you."

"Alright, Brother Mo." Li Junyi and the others said.

The bus was about to leave, and Luo Mo and Tong Shu watched them depart.

"Tong Shu, you go back to the dormitory to rest first." Luo Mo said.

He had to go meet that old Pineapple.

………

………

On the other side, this high-level executive from Pineapple had already waited impatiently.

His name is Wang Shilin, a distant relative of Wang Shisong, and in the family genealogy, they are of the same generation, both in the 'Shi' generation.

Wang Shilin did not think there was any problem with Pineapple putting pressure on Luo Mo.

But a trainee who hadn't even debuted yet dared to make him, a Pineapple executive, wait here for him; he was truly arrogant beyond measure!

"Heh, these days, young people who haven't even debuted have this kind of attitude. No wonder the people below say that newcomers are getting harder and harder to manage." Wang Shilin thought to himself.

This time, he was still bringing that B Class Contract to find Luo Mo.

Actually, before setting off, he felt that the B Class Contract was already too high.

It's meant to be pressure, right? After the pressure is applied and the person is scared, how can they still be given the same level of contract?

At the very least, some of the profit-sharing inside could be adjusted downward a bit.

You must know, even if the revenue share was lowered by just one percent, the company could still earn a lot more money over these few years.

This kind of tactic is actually very common; it is ubiquitous not only in the entertainment industry but in many places.

Therefore, Wang Shilin felt that Luo Mo was being somewhat ungrateful.

Once Luo Mo entered, he looked Luo Mo up and down from head to toe, his gaze traveling from top to bottom, which was repulsive.

After Luo Mo sat down, he used his duck-like voice and said, "Luo Mo, right?"

Luo Mo ignored him.

He continued on his own, "My time is very precious. Now, let me see what time it is... Hmm, I will only talk to you for three minutes."

"I won't say any other nonsense. Take a look at these two copies of the Contract. If there are no issues, sign both of them."

Luo Mo sat there without flipping through them, just glancing at them casually.

"The group formation agreement and the previous Contract?" Luo Mo said calmly.

Wang Shilin nodded, leaning back slightly into his chair.

He didn't even hand Luo Mo a pen; even if the other party wanted to sign, he would have to ask for a pen himself or run out to borrow one from the staff.

Pineapple continued to maintain the style of how the company treated artists from many years ago, and this came from the top down.

In the past, they would ban or Xuezang people at the slightest disagreement. Although it is the era of big data now and that is more difficult, they still have to maintain this majesty.

The entertainment industry is actually the most dramatic place; many times, reality is even more bizarre than a novel.

Having spent so many years on Earth, Luo Mo knew a thing or two about the messy affairs in the industry. Some of the behaviors of entertainment industry bigwigs will refresh your worldview.

Some people don't even take your physical organs seriously; do you think they would care about your personality?

Luo Mo looked at him and said, "What if I don't sign?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Shilin laughed.

"Then the fact that you don't have a group formation agreement will be known to the whole world tomorrow."

"For someone without a group formation agreement, wouldn't the 【Popularity Support Ranking】 become a joke?"

"Then, Pineapple TV will delete all your videos because of this personal action of yours, including all your stages from the previous episodes of the show."

If Luo Mo did not have a group formation agreement, then he indeed did not meet the standards initially proposed by Pineapple, and they had the right to carry out this operation.

If this person neither forms a group nor is willing to sign a personal contract with Pineapple, is Pineapple doing charity by promoting him?

And then he signs with another company, benefiting others for nothing?

Wang Shilin continued, "That is to say, things like your 'Big Fish' and 'Red Actor' will all disappear, and all your footage will also disappear."

Upon hearing this, Luo Mo raised an eyebrow.

The words were not stated very clearly, but the meaning was obvious: everyone in the Anonymous Team would suffer along with him, and their stage footage would also be completely cut.

He was aware that Tong Shu's personal video had been deleted along with his a few days ago.

Wang Shilin looked at him, feeling that he had given enough of the stick and it was time for the carrot.

This squinty-eyed man smiled and said, "Luo Mo, actually the company thinks highly of you and values you very much; otherwise, I wouldn't have come at all, you understand?"

"The industry has its own rules; you will understand later."

"Sign the contract. Pineapple is one of the four major companies in the industry; you will have a future."

Upon hearing this, Luo Mo laughed.

At this huge gambling table, a new capital giant had taken a seat.

It was just that this time, it was this capital giant who made the first move.

"Luo Mo, accept the cards!"

This young man sitting alone at the card table was already surrounded by beasts.

It was just that before, they wanted to swallow most of the chips.

This time, they also wanted to eat people.

The words "eat people" immediately made him think of the great Lu Xun's "Madman's Diary".

"How interesting," Luo Mo said in his heart.

(PS: First update, 4500 words.)

(End of this chapter)