Shuangwen Female Main Character Doesn’t Want To Be a Sensation #79

Hey, first of all, thanks for reading my lousy Machine Translation. To be honest, I’d really like it if you guys corrected the mistakes I made. But please speak nicely and politely. My heart is not strong enough to read your too-harsh comments. Have a nice day. 🙂

Chapter 79

Huo Xing not performing didn’t matter because the other trainees had already boosted the ratings. The audience wants to watch the show for Huo Xing. If Huo Xing could make such a big splash, he wouldn’t need to join the show; he would be a mentor at the very least.

The latter part was said by Shi Zhi, sharp but true.

The show wasn’t affected at all and remained popular. Moreover, when Shi Zhi appeared and performed a Top (Beyblade) trick on stage, the ratings soared!

The glamorous female celebrity casually played with the Top (Beyblade) on stage while the trainees cheered, “Go, Zhi Zai! Daddy loves you!”

Shi Zhi: ???

She stopped to see who was calling her Zhi Zai.

Many of her company’s artists were competing; she was their Boss. Even for other trainees, Shi Zhi was their senior due to her experience.

It wasn’t just anyone; the whole audience, even the host, was cheering.

Recently, Shi Zhi participated in a parenting show, sparking a parenting craze and earning the nickname Zhi Zai.

Shi Zhi: “…”

The audience’s cheer reflected their feelings: Zhi Zai is so cute, we want to play with her.

The show’s director watched Shi Zhi with sparkling eyes, seeing her as a ratings booster.

The director started planning, “This time it’s a Top (Beyblade), next time diabolo, and for the final night, sugar painting!”

Shi Zhi interrupted, “And the sugar painting can be given as a prize to the champion?”

Director: “I hadn’t thought of that, but you’re right… great idea.”

Shi Zhi coldly: No, she can’t.

Helping once was enough; did they really expect her to keep boosting ratings?

Before Shi Zhi could refuse, Cheng Yu spoke up for her.

“Forget it.”

He glanced at Shi Zhi and then told the director, “That’ll cost extra.”

Shi Zhi added, “Unless you pay more.”

Money solves everything.

Brother Quan, nearby, felt his manager position was at risk.

Cheng Yu stole his line.

…

Huo Xing had stopped causing trouble, living and eating with the other trainees. After his antics, his special privileges and extra screen time disappeared, and now he was treated the same as everyone else.

He made a fuss for nothing.

“The Strongest Idol” show became a huge hit, with a strong momentum. The pilot and first episode garnered high discussions, making companies that didn’t participate regret it and inquire about the next season.

Many talented and attractive trainees caught the audience’s attention.

Shi Zhi’s company had a few trainees competing. Each had different styles and strong abilities, and Shi Zhi’s artists brought them attention.

Other strong companies also had skilled artists, creating competition among trainees and companies.

Zhu Yanan, a manager from Extreme Culture, approached Shi Zhi after her Top (Beyblade) performance.

Wearing glasses and with meticulously combed hair, she greeted Shi Zhi, “Hello.”

Zhu Yanan inherently looked down on Shi Zhi and her artists. Like Sun Zhiguang before, she thought a star like Shi Zhi nurturing artists was a joke. However, Zhu Yanan even considered Sun Zhiguang trash.

Everyone here was trash.

Only she had the skills to nurture idols, and this time, her company would produce the most group members.

Feeling confident, Zhu Yanan appeared aloof.

Shi Zhi glanced at her, “Want an autograph?”

“My pen ran out of ink, sorry, you’ll have to wait while the staff fetches a new one…”

Despite being at the show, Shi Zhi was still popular. Contestants and staff often shyly asked for autographs, emptying her pen’s ink.

Zhu Yanan: ???

Who wanted Shi Zhi’s autograph?

After Zhu Yanan introduced herself, Shi Zhi simply said, “Hello, hello.”

Zhu Yanan: … That’s it?

Yes, that was it. Shi Zhi wasn’t good at small talk.

…

Misunderstood as wanting an autograph, Zhu Yanan lost her aloofness but still lectured her artists.

“Your only goal is to succeed. This is your last chance; it’s do or die.”

“The initial performance was barely satisfactory, but not cohesive enough.”

“Li Zhouxu, why didn’t you practice for ten hours? Were you slacking?”

Despite his makeup, Li Zhouxu’s exhaustion showed. His company trainees head down, didn’t defend him.

Zhu Yanan’s rule was that everyone was an enemy, even within the same company. Speaking up for Li Zhouxu could mean collective punishment.

Li Zhouxu apologized, “I’m sorry, I was sick.”

Zhu Yanan cut him off, “I don’t want excuses!”

Though she had asked initially.

“Not practicing ten hours is not practicing ten hours. No food for you today.” It was a command.

Li Zhouxu: “…Okay.”

“And I saw you getting close to Shi Zhi’s trainees?”

“Stay away from them. Don’t mix with riffraff. Remember, the entertainment industry has no friends. You’re here to form a group, not to make friends. Understood?”

Extreme Culture trainees: “Understood.”

Zhu Yanan: “Louder!”

“Understood!”

A large-scale brainwashing session.

…

“Boss, why did you let us join ‘The Strongest Idol’?”

Shi Zhi’s trainees surrounded her, thinking she had high hopes for them to debut.

With two episodes aired, their fan base grew, some even forming fan clubs, making them excited.

Shi Zhi told them, “To make money.”

Silly kids, it’s all about making money.

“If anyone’s lucky enough to debut, that’s great.”

“If not, at least you get exposure and some pay to cover the cost of the teachers I hired for you, right?”

These newcomers were currently unprofitable, so Shi Zhi thought practically.

If they can’t make it big, at least earn back some training expenses.

Shi Zhi’s trainees: …Okay, they had overthought, but it motivated them.

Ye Ziwen, “Boss, watch me! I’ll get the center position!”

Shi Zhi didn’t discourage him.

Young people with aspirations are promising, and she believed in him.

If he got the center position, his commercial value would rise.

But Ye Ziwen, who said this, spent his days excitedly reporting to Shi Zhi about the show.

To be precise, his social interactions.

He’d say things like, “Left Bank trainees are really nice.”

“Extreme Culture trainees are super hardworking, practicing even after everyone else left.”

“I get along well with Li Zhouxu from Extreme Culture. He was sick, so I got fever medicine from a director for him.”

Shi Zhi: “Should I give you a gold star?”

Ye Ziwen felt shy, “I’m too old for that… but is there really a gold star?”

Shi Zhi: There isn’t. She felt like she was managing children, not artists.

“Aren’t you aiming for the center position?”

Ye Ziwen confessed, “I just said that because I heard Teacher Lu said the same when he joined ‘Youth My Style’ and he won the championship.”

He was praying for good luck!

Shi Zhi coldly, “Stick to materialism.”

Lu Zeming won because of his skills.

But Ye Ziwen’s childlike excitement was endearing, even if Shi Zhi, who responded briefly, mostly ignored his long voice messages.

Ye Ziwen: “Boss, you’re happy for me, right?”

Shi Zhi: “Yes, yes!”

Brother Quan: In reality, she’s just brushing him off.

Ye Ziwen wasn’t always cheerful. When Shi Zhi didn’t hear from him, she felt odd and decided to visit.

The staff commented, “Boss, you really care about them.”

Shi Zhi: “I’m counting on them to make money.” How could she not care?

The team thought Shi Zhi was being hypocritical.

Shi Zhi was familiar with the show staff, who even prepared a room for her like the mentors. The director wanted her there 24/7.

Shi Zhi wasn’t falling for that.

Ye Ziwen, always cheerful, had lost his smile. During practice, he smiled but quickly dropped it after, surprised to see Shi Zhi.

“Boss, why are you here?” He walked over.

Shi Zhi: “To see your fake smile.”

“To see how you torment the audience with it.”

What did the audience do to deserve to see Ye Ziwen’s stiff smile?

Shi Zhi: “What’s wrong?”

Ye Ziwen initially wanted to downplay it but couldn’t under Shi Zhi’s piercing gaze.

He admitted, “Boss, it’s nothing big, just feels petty to tell you.”

Shi Zhi: “It’s fine, you’ve always been petty.” Ye Ziwen once felt abandoned by President Xu.

Ye Ziwen explained, “I told you I got along with Li Zhouxu, but he suddenly became distant. I found out his manager forbade him from interacting with me.”

This upset Ye Ziwen.

Shi Zhi frowned, “Is this an idol competition or a kindergarten?”

Only in kindergarten do people get told who they can’t play with, right?

And directed by a manager.

Brother Quan also found it absurd, understanding the concern about close interactions but thinking this was excessive.

Ye Ziwen felt embarrassed, scratching his head, “Boss, I’ll adjust quickly.”

“If Li Zhouxu’s manager forbids it, I won’t…”

Almost an adult, he knew this wasn’t for making friends but couldn’t help feeling affected.

Shi Zhi: “Play, just play!” Why stop because of that?

Brother Quan: “…”

Ye Ziwen: “…” He felt less mature compared to his Boss. 

…

Shi Zhi proposed to the program team that while practice was important, it was also necessary to balance work and rest; one couldn’t always be mentally tense.

The program director had actually considered this aspect. “We were originally planning to organize a literary and art performance,” he suggested, opting for a live broadcast format.

In this literary and art performance, everyone not only had to practice the theme song but also had to take on an additional layer of burden. Shi Zhi asked the director, “Is this relieving stress or adding pressure?”

The director thought for a moment and agreed, “It’s both.”

“Do you have any ideas, Teacher Shi Zhi?”

Shi Zhi suggested, “How about we play some games? The losers can perform randomly, choosing whatever they want to perform. Let’s just have fun however we like.” This would also provide a platform for the trainees who wanted to showcase their talents.

Although the program aimed for fairness and impartiality, achieving absolute fairness in terms of camera time was impossible.

Naturally, those who performed well or were more entertaining would get more screen time than those who didn’t showcase themselves, were timid, or missed opportunities.

This matter was settled.

So, the trainees of “The Strongest Idol” received notice that they had half a day off. They could play games together and have fun, and the program team had already posted the live broadcast link on their official account.

The trainees were all very happy. While it wasn’t possible to completely eliminate the competition pressure, this added a bit of color to their otherwise monotonous training life.

Fans eagerly awaited seeing their favorite newcomers on screen.

[“Is Teacher Shi Zhi coming today?”], someone asked in the live broadcast chat.

Because Shi Zhi appeared on the show, Gardenia was also looking forward to seeing her in the live broadcast. However, Shi Zhi didn’t appear on camera.

The camera remained focused on the trainee; she didn’t need to be in front of it.

All they could hear was Shi Zhi’s voice from off-camera.

However, they could see the artists from Shi Zhi’s studio.

Ye Ziwen was the most popular artist from Shi Zhi’s studio. He had a youthful appearance and looked innocent, but surprisingly, he excelled in rap. With explosive energy, he could easily capture the audience’s attention. He achieved an A grade in the preliminary stage.

The other artists also had their own unique characteristics.

Fans felt like they had entered a world of flowers, selecting from among these handsome and talented young men.

Until they started playing tug-of-war.

The artists from Shi Zhi’s studio were really eager to win. Initially, they shouted about winning the championship for Shi Zhi, but soon they all turned into memes. Their handsome features contorted due to exertion.

Comments flooded the chat.

[“Ye Ziwen’s wife just barged in. Honey, our child is already nine months old… Oops, sorry, who’s that idiot inside? The child’s miscarried, I’m unfollowing.” (Facepalm)]

[“Tang You is too handsome. I want to kiss the screen… Wait, stay away from me.”]

[“The antis are desperately searching for ugly photos but can’t find any. Turns out, the biggest antis are themselves. Offering ugly photos voluntarily? Nice move!”]

[“Let me introduce, these idiots are all artists from Shi Zhi’s studio. Joining the studio is not a loss; they’re all suppliers of memes.”]

Shi Zhi had created her own world in the realm of memes with her hammer sandwich machine. Now, she was bringing her signed artists to the show.

[“This damn competitiveness reminds me of Shi Zhi winning the mud wrestling championship.”]

The artists from Shi Zhi’s studio put in their utmost effort, and they didn’t disappoint. They successfully won first place in the tug-of-war competition.

Li Zhouxu also reconciled with Ye Ziwen, quickly restoring their brotherly relationship while playing. The lively atmosphere infected the artists of Extreme Culture, who initially seemed like perfect robots, making them active as well.

Fans of Extreme Culture’s trainees noticed this [“The little ones are smiling so cutely, and they even have dimples.”]

The leader of Extreme Culture’s trainees was called out by the manager and returned quickly.

“What’s wrong?” colleagues asked.

The smile disappeared from his face. “After Ms. Zhu asked us to finish, she wants us to train for another five hours.”

The trainees from Extreme Culture instantly lost their mood to continue playing.

…

Ye Ziwen brought a lot of snacks into the dance studio: cola, soda, fried chicken…

The aroma filled the room.

Ye Ziwen didn’t just eat by himself; he invited everyone to share. But they couldn’t dirty the floor, as they would have to clean up afterwards.

The program team allowed everyone to eat in the dance studio.

“Do you want some?” Ye Ziwen asked Li Zhouxu.

Li Zhouxu shook his head, still looking worried.

“Aren’t you afraid the boss will find out?”

The trainees from Shi Zhi’s studio laughed. “We’re robbing the boss after seeing her eat,” they said.

It wasn’t really robbery; it was expressing their desires, and Shi Zhi would directly buy it for them.

Shi Zhi’s studio was just that awesome!

Li Zhouxu looked enviously at them. “… That’s nice.”

“Our manager doesn’t allow us to touch these things. We can only eat vegetables and chicken breast.”

Others added quietly, “And we’re not even sure we’ll get to eat those.”

If Ms. Zhu was dissatisfied, besides intense training, they’d have to starve.

Although other company trainees didn’t have fried chicken provided, their situation wasn’t as dire as that of Extreme Culture.

After a few days, everyone realized that the trainees from Extreme Culture, who had scored several A grades, were actually living very hard lives.

It wasn’t just about the high demands of the company anymore; it was downright harsh treatment.

Ye Ziwen packed up his things. “Then I’ll go eat by myself.”

He couldn’t do anything about it; he’d try not to provoke them.

The fried chicken was too tempting, and so were the hamburgers. With Extreme Culture’s intense training and limited food, their youngest members were genuinely hungry. Ye Ziwen got a small piece of fried chicken for them.

He removed the outer coating and tore off a small piece of chicken inside, but he didn’t swallow it; he just chewed it. He wanted to eat, but he didn’t dare.

Despite this, Zhu Yanan still found out.

…

The young trainee was called over to the staircase by Zhu Yanan.

Zhu Yanan scrutinized the young trainee.

“Tell me, why did you go to eat?”

“Can’t control your own mouth?”

“Do you know how fat you are? Look at yourself in the mirror. People like you shouldn’t even be alive. Why don’t you just go die?”

The young trainee had no way to explain because explanations were useless; they weren’t needed in their company.

Various harsh words poured out of Zhu Yanan’s mouth.

Fat, ugly, doesn’t look good anywhere, living is just a waste of air and water.

The young trainee hung their head, tears streaming down, while Zhu Yanan shouted at them, “Lift your head up and look at me!”

Then she used her nails to poke at their forehead.

The young trainee pleaded, “Sister Zhu… I’m sorry… I won’t dare again…”

Enough.

Zhu Yanan wouldn’t consider the artist’s feelings; she degraded them to the dust, worthless.

Then Zhu Yanan leaned against the railing and made a commotion.

It was Shi Zhi.

Shi Zhi heard the commotion, came over to check, and witnessed this workplace bullying, akin to workplace harassment. So Shi Zhi tapped on the railing.

Harassment was everywhere, not just between men and women but also between superiors and subordinates.

Shi Zhi raised an eyebrow, “Training people?”

“It looks like training, but listening to the content, it sounds like a palace drama.”

Zhu Yanan didn’t expect to be caught by Shi Zhi; she was startled, and her face didn’t look good.

“The trainees didn’t do well, so I’m criticizing and educating them.”

She didn’t dare to admit to the training.

Actually, Shi Zhi had already heard those words from Zhu Yanan, heard Zhu Yanan mocking the young trainee for being too fat, saying they should go die.

In reality—

Shi Zhi glanced over; the young trainee was as thin as a piece of paper, the bones on their neck protruding, looking like they didn’t have much flesh on them at all. Anyone who touched them would feel prickly.

The young trainee was probably even smaller than Ye Ziwen, silently shedding tears.

Shi Zhi looked at Zhu Yanan again, “I think you’re not exactly thin either.” Where did she find the face to say such things?

If being fat warrants death, then Zhu Yanan would be condemned to the depths of hell?

Zhu Yanan: “…”

She didn’t argue with Shi Zhi; she knew she was in the wrong. With a huff, she left.

The young trainee followed behind, hesitating, and said to Shi Zhi, “Thank you, Teacher Shi Zhi.”

He knew Shi Zhi spoke up for him, giving her the closing words.

Shi Zhi responded with a smile and told him, “You’re not fat; you’re too thin.”

There was still a red mark on the young trainee’s forehead from where Zhu Yanan had poked him with her nails.

…

Shi Zhi had long known that the circle was highly competitive, with many companies not only fighting externally but also internally. They were extremely harsh and strict with their artists. Artists like Ye Ziwen and the others were signed to the company by the previous manager but hadn’t had any chance to shine.

However, in Shi Zhi’s experience, there were fewer cases like Zhu Yanan’s, who managed artists like machines.

The artists from Extreme Culture spent day after day, year after year, in such an environment. Before, they hadn’t thought anything was wrong. They had wanted to have good relationships with the company’s artists. Still, they were indoctrinated with the idea of having no friends.

But now—

Seeing the artists from Shi Zhi’s studio getting along well, they were confused, too.

Do they really have no friends, no camaraderie, and can only compete against each other, treating everyone as enemies?

During this time, they had been hit with too much shock.

Shi Zhi stayed in the room prepared by the program team at night and received a message from Ye Ziwen.

“Boss Shi, are you still here?”

Shi Zhi: “Yes.” So, what’s up?

Ye Ziwen’s voice came from outside the door, “Boss Shi, can you open the door?”

He was outside the door.

In fact, not only Ye Ziwen but also several trainees from Extreme Culture who had been rated as A and B grades.

Ye Ziwen showed a pleasing smile to Shi Zhi. He was unsure inside, “Boss Shi, can you help them… They said they want to come to our studio.”

Shi Zhi thought of a scenario.

A house cat went out for a stroll and brought back several expensive cats from other people’s homes.

Not just one, but several.

Seeking shelter.

Zhu Yanan never dreamed that while she intended to use artists to raise the company’s profile, her artists would quietly leave.

Shi Zhi leaned against the door frame, “Ye Ziwen, you really know how to bring trouble to me.”

The trainees from Extreme Culture acted on impulse, mustering the courage to come over. It was only this impulse that made them dare to consider changing companies. They hadn’t expected to be directly rejected, and the light in their eyes dimmed.

After all, it was normal; no one could be blamed.

“Thank you, Teacher Shi… Thank you, Ye Zi…” They were already prepared to give their farewell speeches.

But Shi Zhi said, “I happen to like challenges.”

“Is there anyone else who wants to join my studio? You can come together!” she added with enthusiasm.

Shi Zhi’s studio shelters beautiful boys and girls exploited by unscrupulous companies (managers) and gives them a warm home.