Entertainment: After singing her CEO best friend to tears, she repaid him with her body.

Chapter 117 We're Not Going to Mess with Wang Bo Anymore

Office area of ​​the "New Voice Battle" program team at Lin'an City TV Station.

Zhao Zhong stared at the newly released public opinion monitoring report on the computer screen, his brows furrowed into a deep knot.

"Starlight Media withdrew?" He turned to the publicity director, his tone full of disbelief. "Yesterday they were pushing Wang Bo and Zhang Lei's 'old flame nostalgia' everywhere, and today they've dropped out of the top 50 trending topics?"

The PR director adjusted his glasses, his eyes behind the lenses also filled with confusion: "Not only did they remove it, they also proactively contacted several entertainment accounts, demanding the deletion of posts that over-interpreted the relationship between the two. What's even more outrageous is—"

He swiped the mouse and brought up another set of data: "Look, the 'Entertainment Frontline' WeChat official account under Starlight published a music review this morning, titled 'From 'Once Upon a Time' to 'Blue Lotus': The Purity and Resonance of the Times in Wang Bo's Music.' The whole article is full of praise, and the praise is so sincere that anyone who doesn't know would think that Wang Bo is their company's favorite son."

Zhao Zhong leaned closer to the screen, reading word by word the sycophantic praise in the article: "'Wang Bo's singing has a rare sincerity, a sincerity that is like a clear spring in today's impetuous music scene'... 'His creations transcend the clichés of petty love and touch upon a more universal emotional resonance'..."

"This writing style," Zhao Zhong clicked his tongue, "it deserves more money, right?"

The assistant director leaned in, stroking his chin as he analyzed, "Something's definitely fishy. Starlight was clearly paving the way for Li Xuan in the shadows, and also using Wang Bo to promote Zhang Lei's new drama. Why the sudden 180-degree turn? Did Wang Bo make some kind of shady deal with them?"

"What does he have to offer?" Zhao Zhong shook his head. "Besides talent, oh, and his face, but does Starlight Entertainment lack handsome men?"

Everyone looked at each other.

Just then, Xiao Lin, the staff member responsible for liaising with sponsors and partners, rushed in: "Director Zhao, I just finished a call with the project manager from Starlight Media. I subtly inquired why they suddenly changed their tune, and guess what they said?"

"Stop keeping me in suspense!" Zhao Zhong glared.

Xiao Lin lowered his voice, mimicking the other person's tone, which was both helpless and slightly gloating: "Our CEO, Mr. Li, said that Wang Bo is a rare talent and should be cherished and supported. As for Qin Xiao... he's the darling of our sponsor, and of course we wish him well, but ultimately, music is about letting the work speak for itself."

"Let me translate," the publicity director explained precisely, "It means we can't afford to mess with Wang Bo. Your production team can handle it themselves."

Zhao Zhong leaned back, let out a long breath, and felt a headache coming on.

What kind of mess is this?!

A show that was originally planned to have a predetermined champion was completely disrupted by a "bug-level" contestant who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Now even our biggest partner has turned against us. Although they didn't say it outright, their attitude was clear: give the championship to whoever you want, but we at Starlight are not going to mess with Wang Bo, this big shot.

"So... how should we edit it next?" the editing team leader asked hesitantly. "Should we still emphasize Qin Xiao and downplay Wang Bo?"

Zhao Zhong stared at the close-up shot on the screen of the audience in tears during Wang Bo's performance, and remained silent for a long time.

Finally, he wiped his face, waved his hand as if resigned, and said, "Let's edit it according to... the actual reactions. We'll give the audience what they want to see. As for the champion..."

He gave a wry smile: "We'll take it one step at a time. Anyway, with this level of popularity, does it matter who wins or loses? The show has become a hit, the sponsors are happy, the ratings are soaring, and we've got the prize money—what more could we ask for?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Only the assistant director muttered quietly, "What about the sponsor..."

Zhao Zhong's eyes sharpened: "The sponsor invested in Qin Xiao and the show. If the show becomes a hit, their brand exposure will be much higher. What's there to be dissatisfied about? If you really ask, just say—this is the audience's choice, the market's choice, the choice of the stars and the sea!"

"..."

Inside a high-end apartment in Shanghai.

Zhang Lei, dressed in comfortable loungewear, without makeup, her long hair loosely tied up, curled up on the huge wool carpet in the living room, with a music app playing on the tablet screen in front of her.

She has been playing this on a loop for nearly two hours.

From "Once Upon a Time" to "Encounter," from "Your Answer" to "Blue Lotus," one song after another, it's like flipping through a biography that's both strange and familiar.

The city lights outside the window were dazzling, while only a floor lamp was on inside, casting a warm yellow glow over her.

Her expression remained aloof, revealing little emotion; only her slightly pursed lips and the occasional trembling of her eyelashes betrayed the turmoil within her.

She recalled the times when they were still together, and Wang Bo would occasionally hold a guitar and hum some off-key melodies.

At that time, Wang Bo's eyes shone with light, but that light was always veiled by a layer of timidity.

He would play her excerpts from his writing, then cautiously ask, "Leilei, do you think... this is okay?"

She would usually just nod and say "it's okay," or more directly point out where the chords were off or where the lyrics were too straightforward.

She thought it was for his own good, to encourage him to improve.

Looking back now, her calmness and objectivity at that time were perhaps more like buckets of cold water.

Now, this man who once needed her evaluation has written a work that even made her, a professional actress who prides herself on having excellent emotional control, feel a lump in her throat and her eyes well up with tears.

The cry for freedom and liberation in "Blue Lotus"; the tender remembrance of bygone times and people in "Once Upon a Time"; and the subtle yet intense regret and blessings in that song dedicated to her...

Is this really Wang Bo?

Is he the ex-boyfriend she had almost forgotten in the corner of her memory, defined as having a gentle but unmotivated personality, and being talented but not good at managing relationships?

The tablet automatically played the trailer for "The Subtext".

She had heard of the program; it was known for its depth and cultural content, and the guests it invited were mostly scholars, writers, and artists.

Wang Bo actually appeared on this show?

The trailer was edited to be highly conflicting.

The camera angles switch rapidly.

Professor Chen's serious face: "Traditional Chinese culture is no longer suitable for modern society!"

Dr. Li's gesture of adjusting his glasses: "Individualism is the source of innovation!"

Editor-in-Chief Zhang's elegant yet incisive statement: "The rise of the 'Guochao' (national trend) is essentially a manifestation of cultural inferiority!"

Then the camera focuses on Wang Bo, who is sitting on the sofa in a relaxed posture, with even a faint smile on his lips, but his eyes are clear and firm.

The voice-over, spoken by host Lin Wan with a hint of concern, asks: "How will musician Wang Bo respond to the 'siege' from the three experts?"

The short 30-second trailer was full of tension and suspense.

Zhang Lei subconsciously clicked on the comment section of the trailer, and it was already exploding in popularity.