Her Majesty The Empress Has Made Her Debut In The Center Position [Ancient to Modern] - Chapter 8

After a brief lapse in conversation, Round Glasses decided to make a call. The call lasted nearly five minutes, and when he returned, his tone had completely changed. “Miss Ji.”

He extended his hand. “Director Chen says he’ll carefully consider your proposal.”

Ji Zhao remained unmoved. “Is Director Chen’s word reliable? Do I need to speak to someone higher up?”

Round Glasses spoke solemnly. “There’s no need. Director Chen is the overall supervisor of this program. He has the final say on all proposals. You can trust him on this.”

Ji Zhao finally extended her hand. “I’ll trust him.”

She stood up. “I’ll give you two days. After that, I’ll go online and tell everyone I’m fine.”

Round Glasses froze. “Where did you get your phone?”

Ji Zhao released his hand, casually grabbed a piece of paper, and smiled faintly. Turning to Pei Jia, she said, “Go open the door.”

Overwhelmed by Ji Zhao’s commanding presence, Pei Jia reflexively ran to the door and opened it. As Ji Zhao walked out, the used tissue drifted lightly into the trash bin.

As dusk approached, the distant snow-capped mountains glimmered golden in the setting sun, their peaks sparkling like scattered diamonds. A gentle breeze carried the comfortable warmth of a spring evening in April, making everyone feel relaxed.

They walked slowly.

Even after renovations, the old building’s poor soundproofing allowed the combined noise of trainees’ voices, music, and the rhythmic thud of sneakers on the floor to seep through the window cracks.

Pei Jia nervously followed Ji Zhao back to the training building, several times wanting to ask questions but swallowing them down.

When they reached the steps, Ji Zhao stopped. “If you have something to ask, just ask.”

As if given permission, Pei Jia fired off questions rapidly: “Are you really going to mortgage the company to invest in this show? What if it loses money? Reality shows have been around for years—how can they still be popular? Do you have a bad relationship with your cousin? Or did your family pressure you to give up the show and return to inherit the family business, forcing him to step in?”

After asking her questions, Pei Jia hesitantly murmured, “Did I ask too much?”

Ji Zhao shook her head.

Compared to the verbose and rambling memorials she used to deal with as the Emperor, Pei Jia’s questions were remarkably clear and concise.

Ji Zhao replied, “I need to put it up as collateral. I won’t lose money. Our relationship is terrible. If murder weren’t illegal, he’d be the first to kill me.”

Pei Jia gasped.

Is this what it’s like in a wealthy family? How terrifying!

Ji Zhao asked, “Do you have any other questions?”

Pei Jia shook her head vigorously.

Ji Zhao turned and said, “Back to training.”

Pei Jia checked the time. “It’s past training hours, isn’t it?”

The production team had set daily hours from 8 AM to 5 PM, which seemed humane. But any smart trainee, even if just to get more screen time or build a reputation for diligence, wouldn’t leave promptly at 5 PM for dinner.

And they only had three days to learn the theme song.

That evening’s training lasted until 10 PM, only ending because the staff manager urged them to stop. After bedtime checks, trainees continued practicing on the rooftop, in the hallways, and even in the living room downstairs, well into the night.

Late at night, after her roommates had fallen asleep, Ji Zhao and Yu Cheng took their phones and tablets to the rooftop to study.

From ancient times through the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, all the way to modern times.

Based on their deductions, the Tang and Song dynasties also existed in their history. After the Song dynasty came the Great Zhou dynasty, which was overthrown by the Great Qi Dynasty. This caused their world’s timeline to diverge from ours.

In our world’s history, there is no record of the Great Qi Dynasty. Perhaps the Seven Stars Alignment caused a brief temporal displacement, allowing them to travel to the 21st century.

The next Seven Stars Alignment was scheduled for mid-June, and they planned to try again to return home then.

The grueling daily schedule left everyone exhausted, which in turn made their sleep even better. The trainees’ appetites also increased dramatically, and the dining hall would be packed during meal times. The production team stationed interviewers in the dining hall to conduct random interviews, which were filmed for a spin-off show called “Dorm Secrets Revealed.”

Three days flew by, and before they knew it, it was time for the assessment.

The trainees were divided into groups of six, making eighteen groups in total. They performed singing and dancing in the multi-purpose classroom in batches, while the mentors sat in another room, scoring them through surveillance monitors and determining the final class assignments.

As the initiator, Cheng Feiwan was the first to arrive. She had remained at the estate these past three days, rushing from classroom to classroom wherever the trainees needed her, constantly busy. Even her manager advised her, “Being an initiator is about building public favor. They won’t give you much screen time anyway. Overworking yourself isn’t worth it.”

Cheng Feiwan just smiled good-naturedly and carried on as usual.

She arrived early, but although the trainees had already gathered in the multi-purpose classroom, they hadn’t yet begun the official filming. They sat on the steps, chatting quietly, their soft voices echoing through the speakers in the room.

Cheng Feiwan scanned the crowd, her gaze settling on Ji Zhaozhao, who stood on the second step in her pink practice outfit. As she watched, she pulled up Ji Zhaozhao’s file.

The ID photo, with its blue background, showed a dimpled smile that carried just the right amount of sweetness, an innocent and harmless look.

It overlapped in her mind with the cold, distant face she’d seen on the monitor.

She remembered Ji Zhaozhao vividly. Even now, Teacher Ruan Qing still praised her performance of “White Snow” in the mentor group, saying Ji Zhaozhao was a natural talent who understood instantly, and that her unique personality would definitely attract fans once she debuted.

Dance instructor Lin Mengxi, on the other hand, was particularly impressed with Yu Cheng, who sat beside Ji Zhaozhao.

Cheng Feiwan had also watched Yu Cheng dance. Her control over her body, flexibility, and coordination were among the top in Class A. Though her singing wasn’t quite up to par, she and Ji Zhaozhao complemented each other well. The two were often seen together—were they… practicing diligently?

Cheng Feiwan was deeply engrossed in reviewing the trainees’ files when the door behind her swung open.

She looked up, smiling. “Director Lu.”

Lu Zheng, deputy director of Debut! Girl, was the one with real authority on the show—the executive producer was mostly a figurehead. But what could he want from her at this hour?

Did the mentor get stuck in traffic? Did the recording schedule change?

“Here’s the thing, Teacher Cheng,” Lu Zheng said, gesturing for her to sit down. He sat beside her, and his assistant muted the monitor, instantly quieting the room. “I need to discuss something with you.”

Cheng Feiwan straightened up. “Go ahead.”

Lu Zheng hesitated before asking, “Do you remember the trainee Zheng Dongqing, Teacher Cheng?”

Cheng Feiwan thought for a moment, then shook her head.

Lu Zheng felt awkward. “She’s the granddaughter of the Zheng Group, our show’s title sponsor. The old man told me he doesn’t expect her to debut, just wants her to be an Initial Center to fulfill her dream of performing on stage. So, for this selection…”

Cheng Feiwan frowned. “Are you asking me to choose her as Initial Center, regardless of her assessment results, Director Lu?”

Lu Zheng hurried to reassure her. “Don’t worry, Teacher Cheng. I watched Little Zheng’s singing and dancing this morning. Her skills are more than enough for a Center position. No one will suspect favoritism.”

At this, the warmth in Cheng Feiwan’s eyes vanished completely. “If her skills were truly sufficient, you wouldn’t need to come to me, would you? Besides, Director Lu, as the founder and former captain of the first-generation girl group, I have my own expertise. You may see her stage presence as satisfactory, but I might not.”

Those words were a bit harsh. Lu Zheng’s face flushed with embarrassment. Cheng Feiwan usually has such a good temper. What’s with this attitude? He was about to try to persuade her again when Cheng Feiwan suddenly stood up.

Lu Zheng jumped in surprise. “Teacher Cheng?”

“I’ve visited each class at least five times in the past three days. If Zheng Dongqing was truly outstanding, I wouldn’t have forgotten her.” Cheng Feiwan organized the trainees’ files. “I can’t go against my conscience and choose Initial Center. You’ll have to find someone else, Director Lu!”

With that, she stormed out of the room, leaving Lu Zheng stunned and speechless.

Meanwhile, the trainees waiting in the multi-purpose classroom remained completely unaware of the commotion. They sat nervously—though some might say anxiously—anticipating their assessment. Even Pei Jia, who had been itching to quit, trembled with nerves.

Ji Zhao rested her chin in her hand. “If we fail the first round, we can go home.”

Pei Jia tapped her foot, shaking her head vigorously. “No, no, no! You have no idea how twisted netizens are these days. The more I want to quit, the more they’ll vote to keep me here, just for their own twisted amusement!”

Yu Cheng frowned. “Nobody’s that bored.”

Pei Jia retorted, “What do you mean ‘not’? That’s exactly the kind of person I am!”

Ji Zhao and Yu Cheng exchanged a look, both remaining silent.

Ji Zhao asked, “What time is it?”

Yu Cheng replied, “A quarter to nine.”

Ji Zhao glanced at the door. “The mentor should be here by now.”

Just as she finished speaking, the door to the multi-purpose classroom swung open. A staff member rushed in and announced, “There’s been an unexpected situation today. The assessment is canceled. Everyone, please return to your practice rooms.”

Without waiting for the trainees’ reactions, the staff member hurried out again.

“What’s going on? Why did they cancel the assessment? I just got myself psyched up!”

“Who cares why? We’ve got an extra day of practice! Perfect—I still need to work on some parts. Let’s go back and keep training!”

“No way… I was just starting to slack off. Now we have to suffer through another day of this?”

Ji Zhao and Yu Cheng exchanged another glance. Ji Zhao shook her head imperceptibly. “Let’s go back.”

The theme song dance was really tough. The complex choreography combined with singing, especially hitting those high notes, gave the trainees a headache. After a brief moment of surprise, they dove back into intense training.

Daily training was monotonous and exhausting, and today was no exception. Dragging their weary bodies back to the dormitory, they didn’t even have time for gossip. They hurried to shower before lights-out, and only when they collapsed onto their beds did they feel like they were finally alive again.

Five minutes past midnight, Yu Cheng nimbly jumped from the upper bunk to the floor and glanced down at Ji Zhao.

Ji Zhao was sitting on her bed waiting for her, the straps of her nightgown sliding down her arms, her long hair tousled from sleep. Though her eyes had regained their clarity, they still held a hint of unguarded mischief.

Yu Cheng paused. “Are we still going?”

“What a pointless question,” Ji Zhao said, getting off the bed. “We’re already awake. We’d be missing out if we didn’t go.”

Yu Cheng retrieved her phone and tablet from the bathroom ceiling, and the two headed to the rooftop with practiced ease. Unbeknownst to them, the moment they stepped through the rooftop door, the light in the Staff Manager’s office lit up.

Huang Yuelan, the head Staff Manager of “Debut! Talent Show,” had received notice from higher-ups two days prior about trainees Yu Cheng and Ji Zhaozhao hiding communication devices. After two days of thorough investigation, she had finally pinpointed their patterns. Tonight, she was determined to catch these rule-breaking trainees in one fell swoop.

Afraid of being discovered, she waited until she was sure Ji Zhaozhao and Yu Cheng had relaxed before quietly tiptoeing upstairs.

Little did she know that Yu Cheng had noticed her after just a single step. Instinctively, Yu Cheng wrapped her arm around Ji Zhao’s waist, ready to fly to the roof, but Ji Zhao stopped her in time. “Can you tell who it is?”

Yu Cheng tilted her head, listening. “Light footsteps on the left, heavy on the right. It’s the Staff Manager.”

Ji Zhao clicked her tongue. “The one who’s always trying to catch us using our phones.”

Yu Cheng’s expression hardened. “Let’s get out of here.”

“No need to rush,” Ji Zhao said, patting Yu Cheng’s hand reassuringly. “She’s been staking us out for days. If we don’t give her something this time, she won’t let it go. Hand over the phone, but keep the tablet.”

Yu Cheng tapped her foot and leaped into the air, placing the tablet on a high shelf. Just as she landed, the Staff Manager burst into the room with a loud shout.

“Freeze!” Huang Yuelan barked. “I knew you two were hiding your phones! Hand them over now! If you give them to me now, I won’t report you and embarrass you publicly. Otherwise…”

Before she could finish, Ji Zhao handed over her phone.

Surprised, Huang Yuelan took the phone with suspicion, instinctively glancing at the screen. The sight froze her. The small screen displayed a page covered in dense text.

Upon closer inspection, it read: “The May Fourth Movement was a patriotic movement that occurred on May 4, 1919, in Beijing. It was led primarily by young students, but also involved broad participation from the general public, citizens, and business owners. The movement took various forms, including demonstrations, petitions, strikes, and violent clashes with the government. It was a thorough opposition to imperialism and feudalism by the Chinese people, also known as the ‘May Fourth Thunder’.”

Huang Yuelan: “???”

She stared in disbelief. “You… you’re planning to drop out and prepare for the graduate entrance exam?”

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