CEO's Sweetheart is a Super Idol
Chapter 78 - 76: Entering the Program

Chapter 78: Chapter 76: Entering the Program

Lin’an

Shengshi Peach Garden Film and Television Base

Yuwei and Lu Bingbing, dressed in blue-and-white pleated skirts adorned with stars and moons, were sitting backstage in the recording studio.

To achieve the desired program effect, the contestants were being brought in waves.

They hadn’t seen the stage before, nor had they rehearsed.

It could be said to be a "battle where the enemies could be anywhere."

The two didn’t say a single word, sitting silently as if they were strangers.

Lu Bingbing wasn’t worried about Yuwei refusing to cooperate with her.

She knew the latter was smart enough to understand that sabotaging the performance would ultimately harm both sides.

Suddenly, a stagehand in the hallway announced that all "performers" needed to head to the stage.

Despite having experienced hundreds of public performances, both Yuwei and Lu Bingbing still showed signs of nervousness.

Meanwhile, Yang Xiaoyue and other backstage staff were also watching the screen closely with heightened tension.

Before the show began filming, a prelude episode titled "Growing in Darkness" had been aired.

The production team originally intended the prelude to highlight the struggles and hardships female group members faced in pursuing their dreams, alongside the tough realities of being in girl groups, all aligning with the show’s theme: "Brave Forward, Man Triumphs Over Destiny."

However, the ratings for the prelude were mediocre, casting a shadow over the entire production team.

If this episode couldn’t attract viewers, it would spell failure for the show.

At the moment, Sun Miao was also highly anxious, as every group’s entrance sequence had been carefully discussed by her and the editing team.

The goal was to let these girls create their "best stories" themselves.

With Yang Xiaoyue’s signal to begin, the first group, ’Insect Girl Team,’ walked onto the stage.

"Wow! This place is huge!" A slightly chubby girl with a round face and eyes like black grapes looked around curiously.

"Why is it so dark? Are they preparing to surprise us or something?" joked Han Qiuhua, who had a Japanese-style bob and exuded an air of flirtatious maturity.

Another girl, standing beside them, who smiled like sunshine and rainbows—Jiang Mengqi—didn’t say anything but quietly surveyed her surroundings.

Sitting in the waiting room, Yuwei instantly recognized her—it was the girl who had been selling beef noodles that day.

The girl’s smile had left a deep impression on her, comparable to Hanoi’s "Sweetheart Number One" Ran Ran.

Unexpectedly, they turned out to be part of the well-known girl group under the "Sunny Sisters" banner.

"Hey, is anyone there? We are..." The slightly chubby girl, Gao Ziyi, paused mid-sentence and pulled her two companions. The three lined up neatly and loudly smiled and said, "We are the ’Insect Girl Team.’"

The pitch-black "audience area" gave no response, leaving them feeling a bit disappointed and helpless.

Behind the camera, Yang Xiaoyue’s palms were sweating with excitement.

Making them the first to enter was definitely the right move. Generally, those who go first might be nervous and stiff, or even clueless, which would ruin the program’s effect.

After repeated discussion, Sun Xiaoyue decided these three girls should go in first.

Firstly, these girls had vibrant personalities, especially Gao Ziyi.

Secondly, Jiang Mengqi’s smile was infectious. When interacting with people, "first impressions" matter deeply, and Jiang Mengqi just had that kind of charm.

Her appearance wasn’t the aggressive type of beauty but one that both men and women find approachable.

Such a combination had a high chance of letting the audience stay tuned with the show.

However, if their performance fell short,

their screen time would be reduced through post-production editing, or even completely cut, allowing a more valuable group to complete the task of keeping viewers engaged with the episode.

What the three girls didn’t know was that their fate would be decided in this brief one-minute interval.

In truth, Yang Xiaoyue hadn’t intended to give them this much screen time, but Gao Ziyi was performing remarkably well, and Jiang Mengqi was undeniably eye-catching.

At that moment, the lively and energetic Gao Ziyi assumed the show hadn’t officially started yet.

Being on such a grand stage for the first time, she instinctively spread her arms wide and shouted, "I’m the king!" prompting the other two to burst into laughter.

This sentence actually reflected the deepest desire in her heart—she genuinely wanted to become a spotlight-catching idol.

"Turn on the lights!" Yang Xiaoyue nearly cheered aloud for Gao Ziyi’s "stroke of genius."

Gao Ziyi was practically born to be comedic, not through forced effort but by naturally creating moments that grabbed attention—reminiscent of Xie Na.

To be utterly fearless in such an unfamiliar and pressure-filled setting was truly remarkable.

Her line was excellent—it not only served as a "summary" for her team’s debut but also set a perfect "transition" for the lights to come on.

In an instant, countless dazzling lights layered on one another, illuminating the stage brilliantly.

The grand performance hall revealed its majestic appearance in the breathtaking lighting.

At the front of the stage, 101 chairs were arranged in a pyramid formation, from high to low.

As the broadcast hall unveiled its "true face," a magnetic male voice began explaining the seating rules.

The rule was simple—you could choose to sit in the position you believed you deserved.

The three girls simultaneously gazed up at the throne at the top of the pyramid.

Their hearts surged, their eyes burning with ambition—they all wanted to sit there.

However, lacking the courage—or perhaps out of insecurity—they opted for seats in the middle rows.

As soon as they sat down, two other groups arrived on stage.

One group embodied the youthful and adorable style, all three dressed in overalls and small shirts.

The other group seemed aimed at the mature and sophisticated vibe, wearing black casual suits, but ended up looking more like office workers.

These two groups were named: Red Sun Rising and Half of the Golden Autumn.

Within the Red Sun Rising group, Lin Jiayi—a petite yet vibrant girl with a slightly cute smile—waved at Insect Girl Team: "Hello, sisters over there!"

Gao Ziyi’s trio stood and waved back with smiles while discreetly observing the seven girls approaching from afar. Unable to discern clearly, they instinctively felt wary.

"Wow, it’s you!" exclaimed Ni Chunshu from Red Sun Rising, a short-haired girl adorned with an adorable plush toy, bouncing with excitement.

Meanwhile, the girls from Half of the Golden Autumn displayed visibly unnatural expressions.

Originally part of a single group, Ni Chunshu felt their ensemble lacked potential and terminated her contract to join Red Sun Rising, unexpectedly reuniting with her former teammates on this program.

Awkward smiles spread among the group, while some faces turned outright cold.

Ni Chunshu, feeling embarrassed, pulled her teammates Lin Jiayi and Li Shihan away quickly.

Already familiar with the seating rules, they deliberately chose seats one tier above the Insect Girl Team.

Although Half of the Golden Autumn arrived a step later, the four girls were undeterred. Despite maintaining a seemingly soft demeanor, they bypassed Red Sun Rising entirely, clearly aiming for a higher tier.

At this point, sitting below the two groups, the Insect Girl Team’s smiles froze on their faces, and they simultaneously regretted not choosing seats on a higher level.

This, in essence, was a psychological tactic—in competition, one must never lose in terms of momentum.

"Hello!" Half of the Golden Autumn’s team leader Jiang Xijie greeted Ni Chunshu proactively.

Ni Chunshu, for reasons that seemed more genuine—or perhaps echoes of her dissatisfaction in her old group—responded with an expression of mock innocence and said disdainfully, "Can you stop being so fake?"

Her remark left an awkward silence in its wake, especially for her former teammates.

Evidently, Jiang Xijie’s greeting had been calculated to avoid criticism for being petty.

But now, this woman had turned her strategy against her.

Jiang Xijie no longer paid her any attention, her focus fixed entirely on the throne above.

Yang Xiaoyue kept her eyes glued to the screen—it was perfect. She couldn’t look away; this was getting more and more exciting. Truly, it’s said: with three women, you can create drama.

Especially when dealing with young women barely exposed to society yet burning with a desire for fame.

They had no idea how to conceal their emotions.

She instructed the cameraman to zoom in, ensuring that every shift in expression on their faces was conveyed to the audience with absolute clarity.

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