The Vicious Female Supporting Character Goes Viral After Her Masks Drop During the Talent Show - Chapter 25

The next morning, the moment Zhang Jing woke up, his phone chimed with a new message.

“Hello, PD Zhang. Regarding the partnership for the debut group’s operations between your program and Dingming, CEO Lu wishes to meet with you as soon as possible to discuss details. Do you have time today?”

Reading the message from Lu Ting-shen’s secretary, Zhang Jing sighed and sat up in bed. He truly couldn’t figure it out. If Lu Ting-shen had come to the performance yesterday to push for the management rights, why hadn’t he brought it up then? Now, suddenly, he was in a desperate hurry.

Despite the CEO’s erratic behavior, Zhang Jing felt he could no longer justify delaying the decision. For one, he hadn’t found a suitable alternative, and with the first public performance already filmed, time was running out. Secondly, after yesterday’s events, Dingming seemed quite proactive toward Zhong Yan, suggesting an intent to sign her.

Furthermore, he could use the incident involving Tian Jingyu’s alleged drugging as leverage in the negotiations. If Dingming was willing to compromise—by dropping Tian Jingyu, supporting his plan to push Zhong Yan as the star, and providing a better operational roadmap—he could accept the deal.

With these thoughts in mind, Zhang Jing picked up his phone to reply to Dingming and set a meeting time. However, before he could type, his phone rang with an incoming call from an unknown number.

“Hello, is this Mr. Zhang Jing, the producer of Best Girls?”

A steady, professional female voice came from the other end. She sounded young but highly capable.

“I am. And you are?”

“Hello, PD Zhang. I am the head of Yanxing Entertainment. My name is Li Xing.”

Li Xing? Zhang Jing recalled Xu You mentioning that name during a chat. Xu You had said that Li Xing had recently resigned from Dingming to join a new company, intending to return to idol management. Xu You had even suggested he look into her, saying she might be an excellent alternative for the debut group’s operations.

Zhang Jing had tried to look her up but couldn’t find any information on her new employer. As Xu You had said, her new backer was quite mysterious.

“Miss Li, hello! I’ve heard your name before and wanted to reach out, but I lacked the means,” Zhang Jing said, pleasantly surprised. “To what do I owe the call?”

The voice on the other end gave a polite chuckle. “I’m contacting you today because I’d like to discuss the partnership for the operation of the Best Girls debut group.”

The Power Shift

That morning, in the CEO’s office at Dingming Group.

After reporting the day’s schedule, the secretary added, “CEO Lu, I contacted Producer Zhang Jing this morning as requested. However, I have not yet received a reply.”

“Follow up at an appropriate time.”

“Understood. Also,” the secretary continued, “regarding Tian Jingyu, one of our trainees in Best Girls… I have notified the Artist Department to immediately cease all promotional marketing for her. We are contacting her to suggest a voluntary withdrawal. She will be responsible for any breach of contract fees with the program. If she refuses to withdraw, it will be considered a breach of her contract with Dingming, and she will remain liable.”

“Good. Get on it.”

As the secretary was about to leave, his phone vibrated. He checked it, then turned back to Lu Ting-shen’s desk.

“CEO Lu, Producer Zhang Jing has replied.”

“Oh? What time is the meeting?” Lu Ting-shen asked without looking up from his documents.

“He said he has no time today. He declined.”

The tip of Lu Ting-shen’s pen stopped. He finally lifted his head.

The Reveal

That evening, when Zhang Jing arrived at the scheduled restaurant, Li Xing was already waiting. After exchanging pleasantries, they sat down in a private booth.

“PD Zhang, have you had a chance to look at the operational plan and the cooperation agreement I sent you?” Li Xing asked.

Zhang Jing nodded. “I have.”

Earlier that day, after Zhang Jing expressed interest, Li Xing had sent over two documents: a future debut group plan and a draft agreement. Zhang Jing had spent the entire afternoon studying them.

Regarding the operational plan, Zhang Jing could only marvel at Li Xing’s brilliance. She was a veteran with deep experience, yet she wasn’t afraid to propose bold, feasible creative ideas. The plan was comprehensive and exciting; it didn’t just lack flaws—it made his blood pump with the vision of his girl group becoming a superstar sensation. He believed no industry expert could turn down such a proposal.

He was also shocked by how detailed it was. It had clearly been in development for months. This meant Li Xing hadn’t reached out on a whim; she had intended to manage this group long ago.

The draft agreement was also incredibly fair—even more generous than Dingming’s, offering a slightly higher profit share to the platform.

“If you have any questions or dissatisfactions, please speak up. We can negotiate,” Li Xing said with a smile.

“I am very satisfied with the plan and the agreement. However…” Zhang Jing paused, a look of confusion crossing his face. “I do have one question.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“You said you are the head of Yanxing Entertainment. Yanxing… is a new company, isn’t it?”

Zhang Jing had never heard the name. This “mysterious new backer” was his only concern. Why would a talent like Li Xing leave an industry giant like Dingming for an unknown startup? And why had she stayed so low-profile until now?

Zhang Jing chose his words carefully. “I know nothing about your company. Do you have any current projects or signed artists?”

Li Xing maintained her calm, professional smile, as if she had expected this. “Yanxing Entertainment is indeed a brand-new company. We only recently completed our registration and built the team. I understand your hesitation.”

She pulled another document from her bag and placed it before him. “This is Yanxing’s corporate information. You can verify it on any official platform, but I’ve printed a copy for your convenience.”

As Zhang Jing flipped through the pages, Li Xing continued, “As for signed artists, we currently have one. She is also my boss and the legal representative of Yanxing Entertainment.”

Zhang Jing froze. He quickly looked down at the “Legal Representative” line in the document.

His eyes widened. The name written there was: Zhong Yan.

“This…”

The shock was so sudden that Zhang Jing was speechless for a long moment. He asked cautiously, “Is this the same Zhong Yan I know?”

Li Xing smiled. “Yes. Our boss is currently a contestant on your show.”

It took a while for the realization to sink in. Zhong Yan had planned this from the start. She was competing in the show while simultaneously moving to seize the management rights for the final group. Once she debuted, she would be managing herself. The profits wouldn’t go to outsiders, and she wouldn’t be restricted by anyone. Furthermore, by managing the debut group, she could launch her new company’s reputation into the stratosphere.

It was a brilliant, mutually beneficial masterstroke. Zhang Jing couldn’t help but laugh and clap his hands.

“Zhong Yan is a genius,” he muttered. He used to think she just wanted to be famous; he had vastly underestimated her. “I have no more questions.”

He closed the file. He felt that looking at it any further would be a sign of disrespect to such a genius.

“Then PD Zhang agrees to cooperate with us?” Li Xing asked.

“I am very willing. However, I have one problem to solve first.”

“Go on,” Li Xing said.

“As you likely know, I was previously in talks with Dingming Entertainment.”

“Yes, I heard.”

“Dingming was your former employer. They are an industry giant and not easily offended. If I back out now, I need a legitimate excuse to give them.”

Zhang Jing scratched his head, troubled. “I’m trying to figure out what that excuse should be.”

Before Li Xing could respond, Zhang Jing’s phone rang. It was the publicity team for Best Girls. Li Xing gestured for him to take the call. Zhang Jing stepped out of the booth.

The moment he answered, an urgent voice erupted from the speaker. “PD Zhang, have you seen the news?”

“I’m in a meeting. What news? Why are you so panicked?”

“The Producer, Yan Shi, has been exposed! There are major ‘black materials’ surfacing. It’s bad!”

Back in the booth, Li Xing checked her own phone. A breaking news alert on her lock screen caught her eye. She raised an eyebrow, looking surprised but not entirely shocked. She tapped the headline, which redirected her to the top trending topics on Weibo:

#YanShiSchoolBullying# #YanShiExpulsionNotice#

The two hashtags were sitting at number one and two, marked with the “Exploding” tag. Li Xing skimmed the articles, her expression shifting from calm to thoughtful.

A moment later, Zhang Jing rushed back into the room, looking frantic. “Miss Li, I’m so sorry. An emergency has come up. We’ll have to finish this another time.”

“If I may ask, is it regarding the Producer, Mr. Yan Shi?” Li Xing pointed to her phone screen.

“Yes! This came out of nowhere. My phone won’t stop ringing. Sponsors are already calling, terrified the show will be affected.”

“PD Zhang, don’t worry,” Li Xing said, flashing a confident, knowing smile.

“The Producer will not have a negative impact on the show. In fact… you now have your ‘legitimate excuse’ to give to Dingming.”