Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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He’d originally thought it was a normal competition based on skill, but at the last minute, after making it to the semi-finals, the organizers suddenly pulled a tantrum.
Something that could have been completed in an afternoon, they’d split it into three days, competing in this one today, that one tomorrow, one against this one, another. They’d also have to pose in front of a sign for photos, and their images could be used for all sorts of commercial purposes during the competition…
While some people were watching, and the competition was growing in popularity in the city, even getting a dedicated broadcast time slot on local television, from the contestants’ perspective, it felt a bit overly exploitative.
The eldest brother had originally wanted to finish the competition quickly and return to school to focus on studying and preparing for the next split-time exam. But after being manipulated by the organizers, he felt completely cheated.
If he’d had the patience to advertise for people, he’d have agreed when those two agencies approached him. He’d probably be a huge star by now, wouldn’t he be fighting so hard for a few tens of thousands of dollars?
It’s fine if it was just a fight, it would only last three days at most, so consider it a lesson learned.
But what was even more infuriating was that the scoring criteria for the top three in the competition had been changed again. This time, in addition to the Dance Dance Revolution scores and the judges’ ratings, the total audience votes from the last three days would also be used to rank the top three.
First place would receive a 50,000 yuan prize, while second place would get 20,000 yuan, and third place only 10,000 yuan—a stark difference in status.
But first place relied not only on skill but also popularity. Furthermore, the judges’ scores had been increased to 40% of the total score, and the judges were appointed by the organizers. This meant that if you didn’t cooperate with their various promotional campaigns, it would be difficult to get a high score.
From now on, winning wasn’t just about playing the Dance Dance Revolution; you had to curry favor with the judges and drum up audience popularity, which was unpleasant.
The competition was no longer just a simple competition.
The organizers clearly had this plan from the start; this deal thus felt like a scam.
Although Yan Han initially only wanted to win third place, he became deeply committed to the competition after acquiring his music expertise. He would take time off every weekend to practice at the mall. The effort, time, and dedication he put in were no less than anyone else’s. After all, he had fought his way through millions of people, so there was no reason to give up just yet.
So, on the eve of the second game of the finals, Yan Han, already exhausted from the first, even consulted Lin Jianlu while they were working on their summer homework.
Big Brother Lin was a man of profound knowledge, with an entire wall of legal books occupying his bookshelf. Yan Han knew that Big Brother Lin had read all of them.
“So, is this a violation by the organizers?”
“Not really,” Lin Jianlu said. “When you filled out the registration form, they already stated that the format of the competition was up to the organizers, including advertising. That was already stated in the competition instructions.”
Yan Han: “…”
“But it’s certainly unethical.”
“…Then is there nothing I can do? Do I have to sacrifice my dignity for the next two days to ensure fairness?”
Yesterday, in his first match, he hadn’t cooperated with the organizers’ promotion of the sponsors because he couldn’t accept it. As a result, the judges gave him a low score.
After all, he’d been practicing diligently for a month, so Yan Han knew his own level. He’d also watched other people’s matches and knew the level of his opponents.
If the low score had truly been due to his poor performance, he wouldn’t have complained. But the judges’ reasoning for the low score was completely ridiculous and unfair. Not only was Yan Han dissatisfied, but many of the spectators were also baffled.
Fortunately, his popularity, while not particularly impressive, had remained high, so the low score from the judges wasn’t enough to get him eliminated immediately.
But with Big Brother’s fiery temper, he couldn’t stand such a loss.
So, he quickly came to Big Brother Lin for advice.
“Nonsense again.” Hearing him talk about sacrificing his looks, Lin Jianlu looked at him with a hint of resignation and said, “Leave this to me.”
“What will you do?”
Lin Jianlu lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment. “The organizer behind this competition is Tianhua Entertainment. It’s not going to be easy…”
“Huh? Tianhua Entertainment?”
Yan Han remembered the name. It seemed like the agent who came to chat with him when he signed up and tried to poach him to become a star was from Tianhua Entertainment?
As a famous first-tier city, two major domestic entertainment companies were circling the city: Tianhua and Lu Xuan. Because people from both companies had offered him olive branches, and people who follow the entertainment industry like Wen Juerong would occasionally mention them, Yan Han still had some impressions of both companies.
How could it be that after all this time, he had thought that this was just a small competition, but it was also run by entertainment industry giants?
“There’s a lot of fish in the pond here, so it’s normal you don’t know.” Lin Jianlu explained, “This seemingly ordinary competition has actually been planned by Tianhua for a long time. Essentially, they’re trying to recruit more new talent for their agency. Are you personally in touch with the five eliminated in the quarterfinals? They’re likely either signed by entertainment companies or on the verge of signing.”
“Of course, someone with exceptional talent like you would be noticed during the auditions.”
“…”
He understood the rhetoric. But the point was…
“Big Brother Lin, how do you know so much?”
Yan Han looked at him with a look of even greater admiration!
Lin Jianlu was also doing his summer homework at the time. Hearing this question, he simply replied calmly, “Oh, because my family has shares in Lu Xuan, so I know a little bit about it.”
“Hmm?”
Yan Han also looked thoughtful. It was no wonder he was slow to react; the shock was just too much for him.
“You mean Lu Xuan Entertainment?”
“Yes.”
“The only company that could compete with Tianhua?”
“Yes.”
“…”
Yan Han was stunned.
“Big Brother Lin.”
“Hmm?”
“Does your family have any other cool industries that I don’t know about?”
“…There should be a lot.” Lin Jianlu answered after thinking carefully, and then asked seriously: “Which one do you want to learn about first?”
“No, I was just joking.”
Yan Han smiled at his brother Lin. He swore never to discuss this kind of industry with Lin Jianlu again!
In any case, the next day, the second game of the finals arrived as scheduled.
Since entering the finals, Yan Han had to declare his identity. His participation in the competition had been no secret, so in the end, he could only write “female” in the gender column, in front of many classmates.
However, because of his undeniably strong demeanor, his every move exuding masculinity and handsomeness, the organizers had arranged for him to wear stylish, neutral outfits for the finals. Even his outfit today was a complete men’s outfit.
Indeed, after entering the finals, due to advertising, even his clothes were provided by the organizers. He couldn’t even earn points by playing the drag queen role!
This was a double loss!
Furthermore, they had to arrive two hours before the competition and have a professional makeup artist apply their makeup, making it like a talent show. The entire process took up half a day, which was another reason for the older brother’s displeasure.
However, the other two contestants in the finals didn’t mind this at all. Besides Yan Han, the other two were a man and a woman. The man was a freshman and was said to be in the school dance club.
The girl was a sophomore in high school, about to enter her third year at the start of the semester. She was an arts student hoping to apply to a prestigious film and television academy in China, and her potential was limitless.
Both of them shared a lively and outgoing personality, eager to show off in public. Yan Han was completely different.
The fundamental reason was that the eldest brother simply wanted to win first place because he didn’t want to give up the fifty thousand yuan, while the other two contestants, evidently from exceptionally well-off families, might not even consider the few thousand yuan.
However, in their eyes, Yan Han was the true tycoon— his clothes were all world-renowned, the latest models of the year.
He was constantly driven by luxury cars, and they were never the same car: a Rolls-Royce one day, a Maybach the next. Who could compare?
What was most infuriating was Yan Han’s attitude. Not only did the two contestants disapproved, but even the staff of the organizers couldn’t help but complain – “How rich is this family to wear clothes worth thousands of dollars as if she was going to the vegetable market?”
“She is thrown away like a worn-out shoe! She is simply thrown away like a worn-out shoe! In the last final, I saw with my own eyes that she was wearing Versace sportswear in the morning and changed into new Hermes models in the afternoon!”
“Is it fake? Who is so rich and still participating in our competition? And I heard that this person has no connection with the higher-ups, otherwise the first game of the finals would not be…”
“It shouldn’t be fake, you didn’t see the car that brought her here today…”
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