The Vicious Female Supporting Character Goes Viral After Her Masks Drop During the Talent Show - Chapter 24

In the recording studio for the first public performance, the audience had already departed. The 100 trainees returned to the stage, waiting for the final results to be announced.

Zhong Yan had already learned from An Tao that their group—Playing Group B—had won the team battle. Now, they were simply waiting for the individual vote counts to be revealed.

The voting rules were simple: After two groups performed the same song, the 800 audience members first voted for their favorite group. Then, they cast a single vote for the individual trainee they found most impressive. If no one stood out, they could abstain.

Yan Shi took the stage. After announcing the winners of all eight song matchups, he began revealing the individual scores for each member. Following the performance order, Playing was the fifth song to be displayed.

In the previous groups, the highest individual scores hovered around 110, while the lowest dipped into single digits. Most fell somewhere in the dozens. When it was time for Playing, the cheers from the trainees grew noticeably louder. Everyone was eager to see if this “Dream Team” could set a new record—and more importantly, who would emerge victorious in the clash between the two titans, Zhong Yan and Tian Jingyu.

In truth, most people already knew the answer. In terms of overall stage presence, Group B had clearly outshined Group A, and the audience’s group vote had already confirmed that. Individually, while no one said it aloud, anyone with eyes could see that Zhong Yan’s performance had completely eclipsed Tian Jingyu’s. Both were Centers, yet after watching Zhong Yan, the audience could barely remember Tian Jingyu was even there.

The results on the big screen began with the Sub-Vocals and Sub-Dancers.

Group A’s members received 4 and 5 votes respectively. The trainees were shocked; these numbers were incredibly low for such a high-profile group. It seemed Tian Jingyu had sucked all the “air” out of the room, leaving her teammates as mere background dancers.

Group B’s members fared better, with 32 and 35 votes. Not high, but a massive lead compared to Group A. It was clear the audience’s attention was focused on the front-row players.

Next came the Lead Rappers.

Group A’s Lead Rapper: 8 votes.

Group B’s Jin Li: 102 votes.

A collective gasp went up as the first triple-digit score appeared. Jin Li was thrilled and wanted to cheer, but seeing the pale face of her Group A counterpart, she bit back her laughter and gave herself a silent mental high-five.

Finally, only the Main Dancers and Main Vocals remained. Since Tian Jingyu and Zhong Yan were both Centers, they were saved for last. That meant Group B’s Main Dancer, An Tao, was paired with Group A’s Main Vocal, the youngest trainee in the competition.

Group A’s Main Vocal: 6 votes.

Group B’s An Tao: 108 votes.

More gasps filled the room—half in celebration for An Tao, half in pity for the sixteen-year-old girl from Group A. An Tao stared at the screen, her eyes welling with tears. For the first time in over a month, she felt seen. She turned to Zhong Yan, who was already smiling at her.

“I promised you,” Zhong Yan whispered. “You won’t let anyone down.”

Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for. The screen only had two blank spots left: Tian Jingyu and Zhong Yan.

Yan Shi’s voice was steady. “Next, we will reveal the individual votes for the Centers of Playing Groups A and B.”

The room went silent. The numbers spun on the screen before snapping into place.

Tian Jingyu: 249 votes.

Zhong Yan: 251 votes.

The room erupted. Two hundred and fifty-one votes! It was a staggering new record. Some entire groups hadn’t collected that many votes combined. The “Great Demon King” had lived up to her reputation.

However, after the initial shock, a few whispers of confusion broke out. “Zhong Yan only beat her by two votes?” “The gap is so small. I didn’t expect that.”

Given the disparity in their performances, many expected a landslide. Everyone looked at the two protagonists. Tian Jingyu’s face had been grim since she left the stage, and it remained so now—it was impossible to tell if she was mourning her loss or relieved it was so close. Zhong Yan, however, remained as composed as ever, gracefully accepting her teammates’ hugs. She didn’t seem to care about the margin at all.

Zhong Yan truly didn’t care. There were only 800 people in this room, but millions would watch the broadcast. In the “Blue Ocean” of the public audience, the real winner would be undeniable.

“The trainee with the highest individual score, with 251 votes, is Zhong Yan!” Yan Shi announced. “And the highest-scoring group is Playing Group B!”

“Every member of Group B receives a 100,000-vote bonus. As the top individual performer, Zhong Yan receives an additional 100,000-vote bonus, totaling 200,000 extra votes.”

On the big screen, the pyramid rankings shifted. The members of Group B surged to the top, with Zhong Yan firmly ensconced at the very peak. As the other trainees applauded, many were already making a mental note: For the second performance, I have to find a way to stick with Teacher Zhong!

The Confrontation

While the trainees celebrated, the mentors were finished for the day. Yu Junran returned to his dressing room to change. Just as he was about to leave, his phone buzzed. His face darkened when he saw the familiar number.

“Same old rule. 5 million. Use the previous account.”

Yu Junran gripped his phone so hard the veins on his hand bulged. First 1 million, then 2 million, and now 5 million. Three demands in a single month, each one more brazen than the last. His patience had reached its breaking point. This was a bottomless pit.

He stormed out of the room, grabbed a passing staff member, and barked, “Where is Yan Shi?”

When Yan Shi returned to his own dressing room after the recording, he found an uninvited guest. Yu Junran was sitting in his chair, legs crossed.

“You’re in the wrong room,” Yan Shi said coldly, holding the door open.

Yu Junran stood up, but instead of leaving, he kicked the door shut with a loud thud. He immediately lunged forward and grabbed Yan Shi by the collar.

“This was your idea, wasn’t it?”

Yan Shi shoved his hand away. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Yu Junran shoved his phone into Yan Shi’s face, displaying the photo of the expulsion notice. “Aside from your parents, who else would have this? Don’t play dumb with me, Yan Shi. You sent your parents to blackmail me, didn’t you?”

Yan Shi glanced at the photo with a blank expression. “I have a poor relationship with my parents. I am not responsible for their actions.”

“I don’t care if you know or not! They are your parents! Deal with them!” Yu Junran hissed. “Tell them if they stop harassing me, I’ll let the previous 3 million go. If not, I’m calling the police!”

Yan Shi slowly straightened his rumpled collar. He sat down on the sofa, stretched out his long legs, and looked up at Yu Junran. “Then call them. If you feel you are being extorted, why indulge the criminal?”

“Yan Shi!” Yu Junran was fuming. He was convinced Yan Shi was only acting this way because he knew Yu Junran was terrified of his past secrets being exposed.

“I remember you promised to ‘cooperate’ with me,” Yu Junran sneered, looming over him. “Are you breaking our deal?”

“I have been cooperating,” Yan Shi said, his voice devoid of emotion. “You told me never to mention the past and to hide the truth. For a month, I haven’t said a word to anyone or the media. How is that not cooperating? As for my parents… they were witnesses from the start.”

A flash of mockery crossed Yan Shi’s eyes. “Since this is a ‘partnership,’ you should do your part. Isn’t silencing witnesses your specialty? Don’t blame me because you’re bad at your job.”

Yu Junran was nearly driven mad with rage. Bad at his job? He had spent years paying off people, deleting data, and bribing the media to keep that secret buried. Ever since Yan Shi had returned to the spotlight, he hadn’t had a single night of peaceful sleep.

He looked at the elegant man before him—a far cry from the “wretched bastard” of eight years ago—and realized his stubbornness hadn’t changed at all.

Yu Junran pointed a finger at Yan Shi’s nose. “Don’t get smart with me. Zhong Yan is still in this show, and I am still a mentor. When she debuts, her management will be under Dingming—under my uncle. Do you want something to happen to her?”

At the mention of Zhong Yan, a ripple finally appeared in Yan Shi’s calm eyes. Dingming. He knew how filthy their methods were; they had once driven him to the brink of despair. Zhong Yan was the one who had saved him. He couldn’t let her fall into their hands.

His gaze turned lethal. He stared back at Yu Junran. “If you have the guts, try it. Let’s see who gets ruined first—her, or you.”

“You dare threaten me?”

“I’m stating facts,” Yan Shi said, his eyes like frozen pools of water. “You’re the one afraid of the truth, not me. If you touch her, I won’t hesitate to destroy you.”

“You aren’t afraid? Ha!” Yu Junran shoved the photo forward again. “This expulsion notice for ‘serious misconduct’ has your name on it!”

“If it has my name on it,” Yan Shi countered, “then why are you the one being blackmailed for it?”

Yu Junran choked, his lips trembling, unable to find a retort.

Yan Shi was prepared to burn everything down. If people wanted to use his “dark past” to hurt those he cared about, he wasn’t afraid to go public himself. He had survived these years on nothing but spite and fearlessness. He had nothing to lose.

Yu Junran was shaken. He didn’t actually want Yan Shi to “self-destruct,” because he knew he would be caught in the blast.

As Yu Junran stood there speechless, Yan Shi walked out and slammed the door.

Alone in the room, Yu Junran sank into a chair, his strength failing him. He realized he was losing control. The blackmail was a bottomless pit, and Yan Shi was a ticking time bomb. He was being squeezed from both sides.

I cannot let it end like this!

He began pacing the room frantically. If every path led to a dead end, he had to carve a new one. Suddenly, he stopped. A cruel light gleamed in his eyes. Perhaps Yan Shi was right. To build anew, one must first destroy.

He pulled out his phone and replied to the blackmail message:

“Do a job for me. I’ll give you 10 million when it’s done, and we’re settled forever. One hour to decide. Yes or no?”

If Yan Shi wanted to “explode,” Yu Junran would make sure he struck first. He had far more cards in his hand than Yan Shi ever would.