Transmigrated into the Villainous Scummy Alpha in a Talent Show Novel - Chapter 29

Originally, there shouldn’t have been so much worry. After all, based on An Zizi’s character in the book, she was a cold, elegant, and proud woman who drew clear lines between love and hate. She would definitely judge Jiang Ming’s performance based on her true feelings.

But it was better to be safe than sorry. What if An Zizi had a sudden lapse in judgment right now and voted “out” for Jiang Ming? That would be disastrous.

Her heart in her throat, Lin Qi steadied her breathing and quietly waited for the result.

Running her thumb over the microphone, An Zizi glanced at Jiang Ming, then at Yuan Li. Both of them wore visible tension on their faces. Only the trainee who had received three votes seemed utterly indifferent, exuding an air of assured victory.

The corners of her lips curled up, but her voice remained icy. “I think Jiang Ming should stay.”

Without waiting for the show’s host to say anything about making Yuan Li and Jiang Ming compete for second place, An Zizi stood up and continued, “However, the two who should stay are Jiang Ming and Yuan Li. I don’t believe the trainee who received three votes has the skills to deserve a spot.”

Well, damn.

Looking around, it seemed no one had expected An Zizi to be this bold. A timely silence fell over the room. Lin Qi hadn’t anticipated it either, she had planned to speak up herself, given that the “privileged trainee’s” lack of skill was obvious to everyone and unlikely to win the favor of three mentors.

But An Zizi had beaten her to it, exposing the industry’s unspoken rules.

“An Zizi!”

Even the director, seated behind the cameras, couldn’t stay still. He stood up, glaring at An Zizi with fury, as if accusing her of breaking the unwritten rules. Clearly, that trainee had connections, everyone was supposed to turn a blind eye. Who would want to mess with money?

An Zizi would.

Her sharp gaze shifted to the director as she smirked lightly. “So, is this your connection?”

“You !”

“Stop recording!”

The director, nearly forty years old with a beard he kept to appear profound, trembled with rage. Pointing at An Zizi, he spat, “Get out. We’ll cut all your footage in post-production.”

“Oh? What’s next blacklisting me?”

A cold, beautiful woman’s smile could be both mesmerizing and terrifying. An Zizi stepped away from the mentor’s seat and glanced at the indignant trainees. None of them were outsiders, they could all see the blatant rigging. First, an unqualified observer was shoved in, and now a spot was outright reserved. What were those truly chasing their dreams supposed to do?

How could they ever compete with capital?

This was only the first elimination. They had barely survived this round, but what about the second or third ranking announcements? Even the debut lineup could be manipulated at will.

Lin Qi began to regret her earlier assumptions about An Zizi. A person this principled and clear about love and hate would never misjudge Jiang Ming’s performance because of some misguided feelings toward her.

She genuinely cared about the trainees’ interests. Once this kind of backstage manipulation started, it would happen again and again, stealing away the futures of those who deserved them.

A sense of admiration rose in Lin Qi as she stepped out from behind the mentor’s seat. Her tall, graceful figure complemented An Zizi’s elegant stance, though not in a romantic way, more like the mutual respect between alphas.

“Director, how much did they pay you to rig the competition so brazenly?”

She turned around and swept a glance over the “mountain” of trainees, all of whom wore expressions of indignation. Lin Qi looked back and said, “You’ve stirred public anger. The director who rigged the last season’s audition is still rotting in jail. Would you like to join him?”

“Lin Qi, don’t think you can act so brazenly just because you have the backing of the Lin family ”

Before he could finish, he was cut off by an unusually cold voice. “Director, since you know the Lin family has influence, how dare you threaten me to my face?”

“All you want is to keep Jiang Ming, right? Fine. Then Yuan Li can just leave. There’s no conflict between who I protect and who you protect, is there?”

Was it sheer audacity, or did he truly not care about the dreams of these trainees at all?

Lin Qi had initially felt indignant on behalf of the underprivileged contestants, but now she was genuinely furious. What did he mean by “Yuan Li can just leave”? Just because Yuan Li had no money or influence, she could be tossed aside like trash?

“You still don’t get it.”

“Teacher An, may I borrow your phone?”

Taking the phone from An Zizi, Lin Qi, with her excellent memory, dialed her mother in one go. “Mom, they’re rigging the audition here, trying to eliminate my good friend.”

“What?! How dare they eliminate our precious Qiqi’s friend? They must have a death wish. Just wait, I’ll wipe them out in one go.”

“Okay, thanks, Mom!”

Returning the phone to An Zizi, Lin Qi now felt utterly fearless. She had read in the book that while the Lin family wasn’t the wealthiest, their influence in the entertainment industry was such that a single breath from them could shake the entire circle. That was why the original character could bully Jiang Ming so openly.

With her mother stepping in, there was no way things could go wrong.

Sure enough, less than half an hour later, the door to their recording venue was pushed open. A tall woman walked in, leaning on a cane. Dressed in a sharp suit, her profile was elegant, exuding both strength and fragility. Upon closer inspection, her eyes were closed was she blind?

Her demeanor was serene, her steps quick yet light. This had to be the frail yet formidable CEO Song En from the book.

Unable to see, she walked to the center of the stage and bowed to the trainees. Her voice was as gentle and refined as her appearance. “I apologize to all the contestants. The director accepted bribes and attempted to manipulate the competition. Thank you, Teacher An and Contestant Lin, for standing up.”

Looking at her face, Lin Qi had to admit, albeit begrudgingly that Song En was indeed strikingly beautiful. Her closed eyes lent her an air of tranquility, and her calm, composed speech made her seem like someone dependable.

But no matter how she looked at it, Lin Qi still found her infuriating.

Everything Song En could do, Lin Qi could do too. Even the Japanese Song En couldn’t speak, Lin Qi could. So why did Song En get to effortlessly gain a lovely wife without even dealing with the corruption?

Fuming, Lin Qi rolled her eyes not like Song En could see it anyway.

With a wave of her hand, Song En summoned her secretary standing behind her, her expression unreadable yet resolute. “Since I can’t see, you’ll carry out my decisions. I want a new director by tomorrow. As for this one blacklist him from the industry. The contestant who bribed him goes on the blacklist too, barred from any association with the Song family’s enterprises. And as for Yuan Li, the contestant who was nearly eliminated take me to her.”

The secretary nodded and guided the blind woman to stand before Yuan Li.

Song En, sensing someone slightly shorter standing in front of her, bent down apologetically and extended her hand. Her voice, much softer now compared to the stern tone she had used earlier when announcing the disciplinary action, carried a note of sincerity. “Contestant Yuan Li, I truly apologize. I promise such underhanded tactics won’t happen again. I also hope you’ll shine brightly in the upcoming competitions. Whether you debut or not, our Song Group will definitely sign a contract with you as compensation for this mistake.”

Yuan Li seemed somewhat overwhelmed by the unexpected gesture. She stood frozen for a moment before hesitantly shaking Song En’s hand, staring at the gentle CEO in a daze.

Lin Qi, on the other hand, was grinning from ear to ear, clearly relieved that Song En had chosen to address Yuan Li first. But her joy was short-lived when she heard Song En say, “Take me to Contestant Jiang Ming.”

Instinctively protective, Lin Qi quickly stepped between them, blocking Song En’s path and grasping her hand to prevent her from moving further. “There’s no need to extend an olive branch to Jiang Ming. She already has the Lin family backing her.”

Song En smiled warmly. Though she couldn’t see Lin Qi’s face, her extraordinary hearing allowed her to recognize the voice of the show’s standout center. “Lin Qi, right? Don’t worry, I’m not here to take Jiang Ming from you. I just want to offer my apologies.”

Logically, Lin Qi understood that Song En’s use of “take” simply meant she wouldn’t compete with the Lin family for Jiang Ming’s talent. But somehow, her mind conjured up an image of two alphas vying for an omega, this was a potential rival in love!

However, judging by their first meeting, it didn’t seem like sparks were flying between them.

Slightly reassured, Lin Qi stepped back. “Ahem, go ahead.”

With that, Song En, guided by her secretary, approached Jiang Ming and bowed deeply once more. “Contestant Jiang Ming, I’m sorry for nearly costing you the qualification you rightfully earned. It was my oversight.”

“It’s fine,” Jiang Ming replied coolly.

After a brief pause, Song En added, “As compensation, our production team will arrange for your aunt to visit during the show. How does that sound?”

Damn, this sly fox is playing the emotional card now?

Hearing this, Lin Qi suddenly remembered, she had promised Jiang Ming that her own mother would secure backstage passes for Jiang Ming’s aunt during the first performance so they could reunite. But she, the absolute fool, had forgotten!

Forgotten!

How could she forget something so important?

And now Song En had swooped in to score points!

Lin Qi’s temples throbbed with a mix of tension and guilt, and she was on the verge of self-loathing when Jiang Ming’s icy voice cut through her thoughts. “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary. Lin Qi will help me.”

The subtext was clear: I don’t trust the Song family, so I’ll rely on Lin Qi instead.

Holy! The female lead isn’t even mad at me for forgetting?!

Not only that, but she had rejected her supposed “official match” in favor of Lin Qi.

Fireworks of joy exploded in Lin Qi’s heart, but she pressed her lips together, unwilling to let anyone see her gloating over this small victory.

But damn, this feels amazing!

This matter could be considered settled. Lin Qi and Jiang Ming walked back to their dormitory under the evening breeze, their initial joy dissipating. The once cheerful Lin Qi rubbed her hands together, her head lowered. After hesitating for a long time, she finally spoke up, “I’m sorry, Jiang Ming. I promised you’d get to see your aunt during the first performance, but I forgot. My memory isn’t great it’s really not that I don’t value you.”

The girl chuckled softly, tilting her head up with a raised eyebrow. “Oh? So, you value me a lot, huh?”

“Of course, I do.”

“Then tell me your secret today, okay? If you’re honest, I’ll forgive you.”

For some inexplicable reason, Lin Qi sensed a hint of temptation in Jiang Ming’s usually cool and composed fox-like eyes. Faced with such allure, Lin Qi’s throat unconsciously tightened. Why… why did she feel like she was seeing the seductive charm of the later-stage Jiang Ming from the novel?

“I’ll tell you.”

Author’s Note:

Song En has finally made her appearance. Due to the butterfly effect, she won’t fall for Little Jiang again, but Lin Qi, that silly dog, will be endlessly jealous.

In the end, she’ll find out that President Song has Little Koi pinned against the wall, kissing her.

Lin Qi: ?