CEO's Sweetheart is a Super Idol
Chapter 84 - 82: Mentor Takes the Stage

Chapter 84: Chapter 82: Mentor Takes the Stage

Rest Room

One of the mentors, Long Zitao, was preparing while lost in thought.

He was born into a wealthy family, though not at the very top tier.

Even so, his family could still be considered extremely affluent.

With a passion for singing and dancing since childhood and a flair for performance, he joined a boy band.

As the group grew in fame, he became well-known in the domestic fan community.

However, due to certain circumstances, he had to return to the country, accompanied by two other Chinese teammates from his band.

Before the trio returned, with the aid of joint promotions by their respective agencies, two of them soared to become the most popular stars in Huaxia at the time.

But Zitao found himself awkwardly stuck in a lukewarm state of fame, leading many to mock him, claiming his popularity was entirely leeching off his former teammates.

In truth, Zitao didn’t want to "ride on" his former teammates’ fame, but the media outside always looped him into articles about them, often just as a punching bag for criticism.

He had tried hard by releasing songs and acting in dramas, but neither created much of a splash.

His natural abilities were limited—he wasn’t as handsome as his former teammates, his singing only passed the bar of being on pitch, and his dancing looked decent but merely reflected years of hard practice reaching an average level.

Under such circumstances, he began planning to leave the entertainment industry. Before joining this show, he had already been studying at a business school in the USA for over a year.

The mentor role in this program wasn’t something he sought after—when the producers approached his former teammates and were turned down, the opportunity was passed on to him.

Looking at the five other mentors he would be working with, it was clear this show didn’t carry much weight.

A moderately well-known singer from a talent show, Zhang Wei.

An over-the-hill singer who used to do fairly well, Hu Binbin.

A former member of a disbanded group whose only buzz now comes from nostalgic reminiscing, Tian Jiaxuan.

A member of an unknown group who just gained slight recognition from a TV drama, Wang Junhe.

A faded star, aging idol actor who now survives on variety shows, Luo Junxiang.

But he had no better options. Even this opportunity came about after friends worked hard to recommend him for it.

No matter what, he couldn’t let his friend’s kindness go to waste.

Earlier, he had observed the entrance performances of the group of girls, feeling a surge of youthful nostalgia.

He couldn’t help but think about how he used to be just like them—young, brimming with ambition and yearning for overnight fame.

And yet, here he was, with nothing to show for himself.

After exhausting the heat he once had, he had quietly faded out of the industry.

Elsewhere, Yang Xiaoyue resumed operations after resting for about ten minutes.

The entire production team was back in high gear.

She was thoroughly satisfied with the two-hour-long entrance earlier.

She felt incredibly fortunate, as though some of these individuals were heaven-sent.

What came next would depend on the mentors.

She wasn’t too worried about the five mentors’ opening performance. These people were seasoned on stage.

It had been rehearsed several times, with lighting, cameras, and other arrangements prepared in advance.

The crucial factor now lay in their "variety show flair."

Of all of them, Yang Xiaoyue was most concerned about Long Zitao. His previous performances on variety shows hadn’t stood out.

The main reason for inviting him as a mentor this time was difficulty in finding well-known talent show alumni.

Moreover, his two superstar friends had strongly recommended him, making it hard for Tencent executives to decline.

However, during the collaboration, she found Zitao to be quite cooperative, free of any drama, which was some comfort.

With her voice over the walkie-talkie firmly ordering "Action,"

The five mentors took to the stage one by one to perform.

She instructed the cameraman to capture shots of trainees showing "fervent admiration" for the performances.

Such footage would enhance the program’s appeal and create an atmosphere of excitement on-site.

When Long Zitao stepped out wearing a garishly colorful outfit, Ye Yuwei almost couldn’t hold back her laughter, feeling like he resembled a dyed caterpillar.

Nearby, Lv Fangxin was waving her fists in excitement.

"Totally worth it! Totally worth it! I’m seeing a real-life celebrity!"

Sitting one seat away, Chen Yinghan couldn’t help but smile helplessly at Fangxin’s blabbering, finding her amusing and vastly different from other girls she had encountered.

Following that, the mentors’ performances were all passable, with no standout moments.

During this time, the cameraman used the crane arm to repeatedly focus on specific girls.

Those with stage experience quickly realized the production team was picking "plants."

They poured out all their enthusiasm in response.

The clueless ones simply watched passively, while others wondered why their peers were acting this way. Couldn’t they just enjoy the show?

What they didn’t know was that these girls were vying for screen time.

For a show that only aired for an hour and a half each episode,

With over a hundred girls, plus mentor evaluations and ad placements,

Every second of camera time was precious. If you didn’t fight for it, there’d be no chance for you.

Among them, Yu Xiaohong from the fashion girl group performed well, especially when Luo Junxiang appeared. She swayed with great charm, her round glasses exuding just the right hint of personality.

She looked like a slightly wicked schoolgirl straight out of an anime.

When Hu Binbin came out, Yang Xiaoyue instructed the cameras to focus on Chen Yinghan, Chen Afen, Qiang Yueting, and Ruiyi Entertainment’s Zhang Zijing.

All these girls were singer-songwriters, with Chen Yinghan being an absolute beauty.

Watching the footage of her, Yang Xiaoyue couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—this girl was made for the screen.

But sadly, her aspirations didn’t align; she wanted to be an actress and singer.

Next up was rookie actor Wang Junhe’s performance.

The girls initially dismissed him as just another talentless pretty face.

But his dance surprised them—his rhythm was precise, and his control over his body impressive.

Jiang Meiqi from the Insect Girls group was especially thrilled. A fan of his dramas, her face beamed with adoration, like sunlight breaking through a rainbow.

Next to her, Gao Ziyi and Han Qiuhua swayed their bodies in time with the music.

Still, Yang Xiaoyue deliberately directed the cameras to avoid the Milky Way Girl members altogether,

Since they were from the same company as Wang Junhe, to avoid suspicion.

However, Meng Meixuan’s expression was incredibly complex.

Back when she was in the semi-island region, lonely and craving connection, she had a brief fling with Wang Junhe.

Neither of them had truly been in love; it was more about meeting a mutual emotional need during a lonely period.

After Wang Junhe returned to the country, their relationship ended. While he became a rising star, she struggled and was now worlds apart from him.

Regarding how the show allocated screen time, Yang Xiaoyue laid out clear rules. The trainees had to sync well with the mentors and, of course, look attractive.

While Lv Fangxin wasn’t entirely in sync, her beauty more than made up for it.

The cameraman handed her a few close-ups, though some would inevitably be cut later.

The people around her weren’t as lucky. Apart from Chen Yinghan, none received a close-up.

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