Chapter 180-185

Chapter 180. Change of Program

Ding Shan guessed in her heart. From the looks of it, the suit on Li Yang's body should have been custom-made for her by someone she valued much. The way she said she liked it very much was also her love for him.

Ding Shan glanced at Chen Tong lightly and lowered her head to smile. She felt sorry for this fool who wanted to curry favor with Li Yang. She couldn't even praise the right person and didn't have the most basic observation skills. The boss behind her had spoiled her.

...

Chen Tong noticed Ding Shan's gaze and that ambiguous smile. She was so embarrassed that she became angry. Ding Shan's smile was not noticeable. To cover it up, she lowered her head and only smiled for a moment. However, this moment's smile was like a thorn piercing Chen Tong's heart. It made Chen Tong feel as if nothing she did was right, and she was treated like a clown by Ding Shan.

Chen Tong was highly disappointed. Since Ding Shan came here to record the variety show with her, she encountered obstacles everywhere. First, she was not valued, then she said the wrong things and offended people.

With Ding Shan around, it made her seem so annoying. Chen Tong did not want to be like this, but she could not help but compete with Ding Shan every time. Seeing Ding Shan get everyone's attention and love just like that.., she felt uncomfortable from the bottom of her heart.

Wasn't she just an actress who became famous when she was young and then went downhill? What was there to be proud of? Relying on her fame when she was young, always taking advantage of her savings, and deceiving the feelings of the audience?

She pretended to be pure and innocent. She had been in the entertainment industry for so many years, and there might be many dirty things that had not been exposed yet. Other than acting, what other skills did she have? She was just a little clever with her words and always quibbled. How could she see her as a joke?

Chen Tong's eyes turned. She had an idea in her mind. She signaled her manager with her eyes. When her manager saw Chen Tong's expression, she knew this troublesome artiste would do something.

Her manager leaned over helplessly. Chen Tong whispered into her ear and ordered, "Go change my appearance program. I want to perform something even more amazing. I want to sing a song with an octave, the one from my album."

Chen Tong's manager frowned and advised her earnestly, "Don't do anything rash. The program has already been set. How can you change it just like that? Also, your voice... isn't it feeling well recently? Stop singing."

Chen Tong's eyes widened, "If you want to go, then go. I want to sing. How can I let others know my strength if I don't sing? The first episode of the program has to attract the audience. I also want to show those talent show artistes who are worthy of being respected as a mentor."

Chen Tong's manager looked troubled. Chen Tong's voice was not that good. She had released a record before, but most of it had gone through a lot of tuning. Now that she would sing the live version, wasn't that fooling around?

When Chen Tong saw her manager looking at her with a disapproving look, the evil fire in her heart grew even more vital; she threatened her in a bossy manner, "You don't listen to me now, do you? Do you believe that I will fire you immediately? Do you not believe in my singing? I have sung before and will be able to sing today."

The manager sighed. She didn't dare go against this pampered little princess who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth. In any case, if she disagreed, she would be fired. She might as well pray that she would be able to finish singing in a while. At least, it wouldn't be too outrageous; that way, she would still be able to keep her job.

Chen Tong smiled because her manager had gone looking for the director. She secretly glanced at Ding Shan and thought, I'll show you the charm of a little princess on stage in a while.

Xiao Zhao also came to Ding Shan's side and asked her in a low voice what she should perform. Now, she had to go and find the director to confirm the final program list.

Because she wanted to ensure authenticity and freshness, Yin Hui deliberately canceled the rehearsals, filling the coaches with a sense of mystery.

Everyone relied on their abilities to prepare the program presentation. This was also a big surprise for the talent show artistes who were coming to the venue. They did not know what program the coaches would perform, and their hearts were filled with anticipation.

This also decided which coaches they would choose as their teachers.

Ding Shan thought briefly and whispered a few words into Xiao Zhao's ear.

Xiao Zhao's eyes lit up. She made an OK sign and ran away happily.

Chapter 181. Is it Xiang?

When Li Yang saw this scene, she smiled, "Are you here to ask about the performance in a while? Speaking of which, I'm worried. I'm not a celebrity, so why would I perform in any show? Director Yin is being ridiculous, including me. It's really..."

Ding Shan comforted her, "Everyone knows you're not an artiste, so they will understand. This isn't anything difficult. It's just that with us opening the show, the artistes of the talent show will be excited. When they see that their coaches will be nervous and put in all their effort on stage, they will have more courage. This is also one of the highlights."

...

Li Yang nodded in agreement. "That's true. There's no need to hide why I chose to participate in this show. I've spent a lot of money to select some talents and sign with our company."

Li Yang smiled self-deprecatingly and continued, "But there's no denying that there are a lot of talent shows. I chose to believe in Director Yin because I liked his devious ideas. They're extraordinary and also very energetic. Unlike other shows, where they rehearse several times and still have to act as if they were pleasantly surprised. I don't have that kind of acting skills!"

Ding Shan was also amused. "Sister Li, you're so quick with your words. You're telling the truth! I participated in this program because Director Yin's ideas are very creative. He's young and energetic. The program he creates will also be extraordinary."

Chen Tong pretended not to care and listened at the side. Initially, she wanted to eavesdrop on the program Ding Shan would perform in a while. She did not expect that after talking to Li Yang for a long time, Ding Shan still did not get to the point, and Chen Tong did not want to cut in and ask about the topic rashly. She could only sit there uneasily and wait for the recording to begin impatiently.

Chen Tong rolled her eyes. How annoying. If she had known earlier that she would stay in the lounge for a while longer, she would have sat there and listened to the hypocritical conversation of the two people, isolating her. She really could not stay there for even a minute.

Ding Shan and Li Yang did not think so. The two of them got along very well. It was pretty interesting to talk and look at the arrangement of the scene.

A staff member came to deliver water to the three people who had already arrived at the scene. After politely putting the water on the table, he said, "Teacher, please wait for a moment." He comforted them, "The other two male teachers are almost done. The recording is about to begin. Please be patient!"

Ding Shan and Li Yang also nodded in understanding. Chen Tong's entire body was filled with annoyance. She took the water bottle and drank a few mouthfuls as if she was venting.

Li Yang joked, "Young people nowadays all like to look good, regardless of gender. I have a lot of boys under me, and they have more makeup than me. As an artiste, they have to pay attention to their image."

Ding Shan also smiled cooperatively.

Chen Tong snorted coldly, "I don't think so. When men put on makeup, they're neither men nor women. It's so scary. They don't have any masculinity and even make us wait for them. They're not gentlemanly!"

Li Yang was still smiling. "Miss Chen, you can't just focus on your beauty. To look good on camera, which artiste can go on stage without makeup? That would be disrespectful to the audience. We came early. Wouldn't it be good to have a chat?"

Just as Li Yang spoke, the headset of the staff member who came to deliver the water made a sound. The staff member stopped what he was doing and turned slightly to the side; he held onto the headset and said, "What's missing? Didn't I ask you to keep it this morning? Didn't I leave it with Lisa? She went to buy tea leaves for President Yin to entertain President Xiang. Where can we find her people now?"

The staff member was in a mess. He hurriedly packed up his things and apologized to Ding Shan and the other two. "I'm sorry, teachers. Please wait for a moment. I need to take care of some things first." After saying that, he was about to leave.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Chen Tong called out to the staff member.

The staff member turned around hesitantly. "Teacher Chen, is there anything else?"

Chen Tong's face was filled with curiosity and a tinge of excitement. "I think I heard you mention President Xiang just now. Which President Xiang?"

The staff member did not understand and replied in a daze, "It's President Yin's good friend, President Xiang of the Xiang Group."

Chen Tong's spirits immediately rose. "Xiang Group's director Xiang? He's here too?"

The staff member nodded and explained, "Yes, director Xiang and our boss are friends. We've invested quite a lot in this show. He's here to watch the recording."

Chen Tong's face was full of joy. She waved her hand and said, "Alright, you can return to your work."

The staff member left quickly.

Chapter 182. ChengTong Meat

Chen Tong could not hide her excitement. There was no one else by her side to talk to, so she did not care about the awkwardness just now and moved closer to Li Yang; she said in a low voice, "He came! Sister Li, you should know Xiang!"

Then, she looked at Ding Shan with a meaningful and probing look. "Sister Shan, have you heard of him?"

...

Ding Shan did not understand why Chen Tong was so agitated. However, on second thought, it must be some powerful big boss that made Chen Tong look so mysterious. However, she did not have any impression. Therefore, she shook her head and did not reply.

Li Yang reacted very quickly. As a manager, she naturally understood business investment and knew which people she could not afford to offend. This Xiang Hong that Chen Tong mentioned was ranked in the top few people she could not afford to offend; in terms of strength, Xiang Hong should be the number one person she could not afford to offend. Fortunately, Xiang Hong had never been involved in the entertainment industry, so he was not very well known by the people in the industry.

Li Yang said slowly, "I've heard of Xiang Hong. They say that he is young and reckless, that he is extraordinary, and that he is a rare business genius. However, there have never been any rumors in the industry. I didn't expect that he was good friends with President Yin. This is the first time I've heard of this. It's also because of this relationship that he invested in the show."

Chen Tong chimed in excitedly, "That's right! That's the Xiang Corporation! It's at the level of a god! He's never had anything to do with the entertainment industry, but he's here in person this time."

Chen Tong's smile was full of emotion as she muttered to herself, "I want to see what this Xiang looks like. Everyone says that he's young and promising, so he must be a good-looking person."

Then, she tilted her head and teased Ding Shan, "Sister Shan, you don't even know Xiang? You've been in the circle for so long; it shouldn't be so. I'm not looking down on seniors, but there are some things that you don't know just because you've been in the industry for a long time."

Chen Tong looked smug, as if she knew what a fantastic person Xiang Hong was.

Ding Shan laughed and asked, "Oh? Is this Xiang the Tang monk? Can he make people live forever? Otherwise, why does Miss Chen look like a vixen who smells the fragrance of meat?"

Chen Tong's expression changed, and she glared at Ding Shan.

Ding Shan rolled her eyes slightly but still said coldly with a smile, "Miss Chen, you're so happy. Those who don't know would think that you and Xiang have a good relationship. Who would have thought you don't even know what he looks like?"

Chen Tong was so angry that she was in a daze. "Sister Shan, let's have a good chat. Why are you scolding me? I may have offended you, but you shouldn't have attacked me like that, right?"

Ding Shan's expression turned cold. "Who is the one who has been deliberately provoking me? I advise Miss Chen to say less. Don't let others hear that you're so concerned about some big boss. Don't think that female celebrities are superficial people who only care about money."

Ding Shan was not polite at all. Chen Tong's repeated verbal provocations had long worn out Ding Shan's patience.

She was trying to probe whether Ding Shan knew Xiang or not. She was trying to pry into Ding Shan's privacy. She wanted to see if Ding Shan knew about these wealthy businessmen behind their backs. Was she using unspoken rules to get to the top?

Hearing Ding Shan's denial, Chen Tong used the words that Ding Shan had previously used to mock Chen Tong for not knowing how to respect her seniors to mock Ding Shan. It was as if she was well-versed in the world's ways and learned all kinds of information about the industry better than Ding Shan.

Ding Shan only felt that Chen Tong's brain seemed to have been dug out by someone. How could there be such a foolish woman who did not have a good outlook on life? Not to mention how amazing Xiang was, even if Chen Tong were on good terms with him and obtained any benefits, Ding Shan would not be jealous.

Some people chose specific paths that Ding Shan did not want to comment on, but that was not the path she wanted to take.

Moreover, Chen Tong had only heard of Xiang's deeds and did not know him. What was there to brag about?

Ding Shan really could not understand Chen Tong's train of thought. She shook her head speechlessly.

Chen Tong also rolled her eyes. She was indignant in her heart. It was like this again! Why was Ding Shan always able to act as if she was high and mighty? What was there to be ashamed of if she admitted that she wanted to get to know rich people and obtain better opportunities? In this circle, who did not climb up like this? Why did she, Ding Shan, look down on others?

Chen Tong secretly swore to herself that she would wait and see. She did not waste her efforts participating in this program. Although there was a small interlude and an annoying person like Ding Shan competing with her on the spot.., it would not hinder her outstanding performance on the stage. Perhaps, she could even get on Xiang Hong's good side.

If she could get to know someone at Xiang Hong's level, she would laugh her head off even in her dreams!

Chapter 183. Thoughts

Chen Tong thought proudly that Ding Shan could be used as a foil for her. She could let Ding Shan pretend to be aloof and distant and see how long she could act. At that time, when she saw that she had won Xiang's favor, Ding Shan would be dumbfounded!

At that time, no one would call her little Ding Shan anymore. Her fame would spread all over the country. It would be so popular that everyone would forget about Ding Shan. It was also time for Ding Shan to be a little more polite!

...

She had to thank Ding Shan for walking right into the trap. If she had not come to participate in the talent show, she would not have been able to find a suitable opponent to complement her excellence. She was not good at acting, but when it came to performing on stage.., Ding Shan was an amateur. How could she compare to her?

Although she had started her career under the name of Little Ding Shan, if Xiang found out that she was younger and prettier than Ding Shan, wouldn't that be a great opportunity?

Since Chen Tong had successfully debuted, she did not like others to call her little Ding Shan anymore. However, there had never been a moment when Chen Tong was glad she had this title.

Because as long as this title existed, she and Ding Shan would be compared. With the contrast, wouldn't there be even more praise for her?

The other two male mentors arrived just as Chen Tong was calculating in her heart.

Both of them were very young. One of them was dressed in a suit and was Chen Xi, who had debuted as a singer. The other was a new hip-hop artist named Su Yan. He was dressed very fashionably, and his expression was excellent; his arrogant manner contrasted sharply with Chen Xi, who was calm and gentle beside him. The two male coaches' styles were very different and represented two different music genres.

Chen Xi hurried over with a smile and greeted Ding Shan and the other two. He bent over slightly to shake hands with them and kept on exchanging pleasantries.

Ding Shan and Li Yang gently shook hands one after another and returned the greeting with a smile. Chen Tong also changed her attitude from earlier, as if she was not the one who said that the two male coaches were neither male nor female and had no gentlemanly demeanor. She raised her hand with a smile and firmly held Chen Xi's hand. She blinked her eyes as if she was trying to act obediently. "Hello, Chen Xi. I've wanted to work with you for a long time. You're handsome!"

After Chen Tong greeted him, she held Chen Xi's hand for a long time without letting go. Chen Xi was stunned for a second. Fortunately, he quickly reacted and replied with an even more enthusiastic smile, "Sister Tong, you're too polite. I've always admired you." As he said that, he pulled his hand back forcefully and continued to stand there with a smile on his face. No one could find anything wrong with him.

Chen Tong was not very happy. She pouted her lips as if she was acting cute. "Why are you calling me sister Tong? You are already calling me old."

Chen Xi smiled and did not say anything. He walked straight to his seat and sat down.

When Chen Tong saw that Chen Xi was not paying attention to her, she gave him a resentful look. What was going on? How could he be indifferent to her?

Su Yan was left standing in the same spot. He probably had not participated in many shows before, so he seemed awkward.

Although he looked very arrogant, he was also very polite. He politely greeted Ding Shan and Li Yang but did not say anything. He looked like he was not very good at socializing, and there was a kind of contrast between him and his young self. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Su Yan was a straightforward boy despite his extraordinary appearance.

Su Yan called out to them in a daze, "Hello, Teachers!" Ding Shan smiled in response to Su Yan's greetings, and her expression became gentler.

Ding Shan had an impression of him. Although Ding Shan did not usually come into contact with rap music, she once heard that Su Yan wrote a song for some old heroes. The melody was shocking, and the lyrics pierced the heart, describing a period of history from a novel angle that made Ding Shan's nose ache. It was the first time she was moved from the bottom of her heart by the passionate singing of rap songs.

This kind of musical talent was rare, and it was a song that only a person with a pure heart could write.

He used a more rhythmic and stimulating way to sing, and the effect was perfect. After listening to it, other than being moved, her blood boiled.

Therefore, Ding Shan's first impression of Su Yan was excellent. She even looked at him a few more times out of curiosity, wanting to see what kind of person would be able to write such a song. She did not expect him to be so young. He was amazing.

Su Yan seemed to have sensed Ding Shan's gaze. He tilted his head uncomfortably and silently greeted Chen Tong again.

Chen Tong's attitude changed drastically. She looked at Su Yan with some disdain and nodded perfunctorily as a greeting.

Chapter 184. Out of Tune

From Chen Tong's point of view, people who dressed strangely were all trying to attract attention. They were so childish that they wanted to die and live in their world. Moreover, it was said that rappers had terrible tempers and had stopped going to school early to learn to be bad. Look at how this Su Yan is dressed in a mess. He thought that he was handsome?

Chen Tong did not take Su Yan seriously. She felt that Chen Xi was still the best. He was gentle and handsome, and his songs were terrific. There were many of his songs on her playlist.

...

It was fate that she could be in the same program as Chen Xi. She should suggest that the program team let her and Chen Xi collaborate more on the stage. That would be called a handsome man and a beautiful woman. It would be more eye-catching, and the audience would love to watch it!

The executive director then went on stage and adjusted the microphone. He bowed politely and said, "Hello, everyone. I am the Executive Director of this program. My surname is Sun. Thank you for the great support from the five teachers. The recording is about to begin officially. May I know which teacher will go on stage first?"

Chen Tong stood up slowly and said in a reserved manner, "Let me do it." The order of going on stage had already been decided. To be polite, director Sun asked again in public. Ding Shan and the rest understood. They did not have any objections.

Director sun nodded and turned around to leave the stage.

Chen Tong nodded at the others with some pride and walked backstage to get ready. Before she left, she even looked at Ding Shan with a slightly provocative look on her face. She seemed highly confident.

When Ding Shan saw Chen Tong's meaningful smile, she knew that Chen Tong was the one who requested to be the first to go on stage. She probably felt she had a plan and wanted to take the lead and get a round of applause.

Ding Shan curled the corners of her lips slightly and did not give a response. Chen Tong might have some strength, but it was not to the extent of stunning people. Ding Shan knew this in her heart.

If she wanted to perform on stage, then let her do it. Ding Shan had no patience in playing any games of flattery and derision with Chen Tong. It seemed that Chen Tong had already treated her as a competitor, and Ding Shan did not want to bother about it.

After some preparation, Chen Tong walked onto the stage. The music started playing. Everyone present was a little surprised, but they quickly understood.

Chen Tong had chosen the most challenging song on her album. However, due to the great difficulty and strong melody, it was also the most popular song. It was reasonable for Chen Tong to choose this song, but it was too difficult; they did not expect Chen Tong to dare to sing the live version.

The staff present were all intrigued and looked at Chen Tong on the stage with anticipation.

Everything went smoothly when Chen Tong opened her mouth. After all, she had also debuted in a talent show. Chen Tong's voice was sweet, accompanied by a beautiful and light melody. It was also quite pleasant to the ears. Chen Tong's eyes were curved, and she smiled sweetly at the camera. She picked up the heavy hem of her dress and strolled on stage like a princess.

However, gradually, the music became louder, and the atmosphere became increasingly intense. Everyone was waiting for Chen Tong's high voice to perfectly display the chorus.

Chen Tong took a deep breath, but her voice changed its pitch halfway through the song. Everyone's heart was in their throats, but they followed Chen Tong's voice and fell back to where they were. Chen Tong's reaction was fast, so she adjusted it in time. She changed the high pitch to a standard pitch, so she could be considered to have muddled through.

The first high pitch failed, and the entire song became plain. Panic flashed through Chen Tong's eyes, but soon after, the second climax arrived. Chen Tong was afraid. With the first failure, when Chen Tong wanted to try the high note again, her voice became tighter and tighter and started to go out of tune.

The harder Chen Tong tried, the more nervous she became. The song was a mess, and she made several obvious mistakes. The most eye-catching high notes all failed. It could only be considered that Chen Tong had barely finished singing the song, and nothing was outstanding about it at all.

The camera swept across the four people below the stage. Ding Shan's expression did not change, nor did she intend to mock Chen Tong. She still smiled faintly and clapped politely. Li Yang was tactful. She commented very well, "Chen Tong's voice is lovely." There was no mention of singing skills at all.

However, when the camera turned to Chen Xi, he had a severe expression. He even had a faint frown. Not until he noticed the camera that Chen Xi immediately change his word; he smiled and said, "It is indeed lovely. It is very nice to listen to."

Although the change in his expression was only for a moment, it was still noticeable. After all, Chen Xi was a musician himself. He was more sensitive to songs and had higher requirements. It was already very respectful for him to be able to say a few words of praise against his conscience.

Chapter 185. No Redo

Su Yan looked dispirited. With a cold face, he expressionlessly clapped his hands twice and then stopped. He did not care about the camera. Anyone could tell that he was not interested in Chen Tong's performance.

Then, the camera moved to Ding Shan, which lasted for a long time.

...

The director team was very sharp. Before the official recording, they had already noticed the subtle atmosphere between Ding Shan and Chen Tong. After all, many of the staff members had already seen the short episode at the dressing room door.

Moreover, Chen Tong had always been known as Little Ding Shan. Although the two of them were in different fields, when they met in the same variety show this time, there would be some sparks. Even if there were no sparks.., the director team would still think of ways to find some material.

Although Ding Shan had already agreed with Yin Hui not to accept malicious editing, such gimmicks could still be produced.

The directing team knew their limits and could record it truthfully. As for whether there was any grudge between Ding Shan and Chen Tong, the audience would have to guess for themselves.

Ding Shan noticed the camera, but her expression did not change. She only smiled faintly. She was polite but not enthusiastic, as if she was enjoying a typical performance. She did not boast or have any meaningful expression; she did not deliberately support the show. The curve of her lips was always faintly discernible, and there did not seem to be any change in her mood.

The director team did not get what they wanted, so they could only turn the camera away in disappointment and aim at Chen Tong again.

At this time, Chen Tong had just finished singing a song. She was panting, and her expression was hideous.

She stood on the stage, sulking.

The host came up to the stage in time to ease the atmosphere, "Thank you, teacher Tong Tong, for bringing us the performance. This song is lovely. I hope everyone can support our teacher Tong Tong's song. It's been hard on you. Come, please come down the stage to enjoy the performances of the other teachers!"

Unexpectedly, Chen Tong frowned. She held her earpiece and said, "No, let's do it again. The sound effect of the earpiece wasn't good just now. I'll re-record it."

The host stood on the stage awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

The cameraman stopped what he was doing, and the recording studio fell into a strange silence.

Director Sun walked out and said, "Teacher Chen, what we want is this kind of one-time performance, so even the rehearsal has been canceled. You don't have to worry. It's very realistic, and the audience will like it."

Chen Tong asked impatiently, "I don't like it. I already said that there's something wrong with the headset that your program team prepared. What's wrong with me doing it again?"

Director Sun Chuckled, but he wasn't in a hurry. However, he still insisted, "We have recording arrangements. The other teachers and contestants are still waiting to go on stage. Teacher Chen, it's better to follow our rules. Everyone only has one chance to perform."

Director Sun looked at a machine facing the contestants in the waiting room.

Director Sun took the opportunity to say, "In the future, all contestants, no matter how many times you practice off stage, you will only have one chance to perform on stage. Failure or success is a difficult problem that you have to overcome. You can not blame anyone. This is the value that we want to convey on stage. We hope the rookies can cherish the stage and give the audience the most realistic picture."

Then, he said to Chen Tong, "Teacher Chen, you have to set an example! Otherwise, the contestants will think that they are lucky. Everyone would want to come again. Our program will then go on recording until next year. Please leave the stage!"

Director Sun's words could be said to be merciless. He even used his advice to intimidate the contestants in the room who were watching the coach's performance.

Rules were rules. Even the coaches did not have the right to control the stage and occupy other people's time.

The stage was sacred and solemn, and everyone had a fair chance. Although this variety show was an observation and training program that let the audience see the usual training, the final performance represented the results. Only during the short period on the stage would whoever could control the setting be able to soar to the sky.

Success is never accidental. With such rules, the stage performance is so precious the contestants will work hard in their daily practice to provide more hot-blooded material for the recording.

The director team can be said to be well-intentioned.