Chapter 86
While Eleven Girls were diligently producing their latest single, the Four Group’s single was also undergoing vigorous promotion on the other end.
On this day, as per the company’s arrangements, Nina appeared on the show to promote their group’s single, just like any other day.
“Let’s welcome today’s special guests, the Four Group! Please give them a round of applause!”
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While the contestants applauded the members of Four Group, they exchanged hushed conversations.
Nina’s gaze landed on the female contestant who had asked the question, giving her a slight nod without uttering a word, remembering her contestant number.
The others caught a glimpse of Nina’s expression. Seeing her maintaining her standard smile, they relaxed a bit but didn’t want to appear too obvious. They only explained when the members of Four Group took their seats, “She’s a well-known idol, but she’s been developing her career overseas. Do you know the foreign xx girl group? She’s a member of that.”
Nina had debuted ten years ago, a time when these contestants were probably in elementary school. Moreover, she had rarely conducted activities in her home country during her early years. “Nina” had been her stage name since her debut, so it was normal for most people not to know much about her.
However, even with this explanation, the female contestant who had asked still wore a puzzled expression. It wasn’t until the others mentioned that Nina was a junior sister from a top idol group and that their company had famous male and female groups that she finally understood. She looked at Nina with admiration.
Nina didn’t hear what the contestants were discussing behind her, but she had a rough idea by now.
She bit her lip, her palm unconsciously clenching, the carefully manicured nails digging into her hand, causing a slight stinging sensation. Nevertheless, her face maintained a composed smile, showing not a hint of displeasure.
In the subsequent selection phase, Nina naturally gave the female contestant in her group an advancement card, effectively eliminating the contestant who had irritated her.
The other contestants in her group expressed their gratitude to Nina profusely, overwhelmed by her favor. On the other hand, the eliminated female contestant appeared dazed, clearly not comprehending why she had been eliminated.
The female contestant bit her lip and, finally, unable to accept it, asked, “Teacher Nina, may I ask the reason she got the advancement card?”
This program’s judges consisted of three regular judges and one special guest judge. Each judge had a certain number of advancement cards, and only those who received these cards could directly advance, while the rest of the contestants would be eliminated based on their total scores.
Nina wasn’t surprised by the question. She smiled and replied, “I think she has great potential.”
The other judges understood why Nina had said that but chose to remain silent and just smiled. After all, if Nina, with her many years in the industry, couldn’t sincerely say such words, her judgment as an artist would be questionable. They also didn’t want to offend Nina on behalf of the contestant. Moreover, when the episode aired, it might even spark controversy.
The contestant praised by Nina had already displayed subpar performances in previous episodes, while the eliminated contestant, although not the strongest, shouldn’t have been eliminated either. This just showed that Nina had set a trap for herself.
After completing the recording, once back in the chauffeured car, Nina, who had been all smiles earlier, quickly changed her expression. She wordlessly tossed her handbag into her assistant’s lap and complained to her manager, “What’s wrong with these newbies nowadays? Don’t they do their homework before appearing on a show? They actually asked who I am? Their professionalism is seriously lacking! They should’ve left a long time ago!”
Nina’s manager knew that she had always been sensitive to comments about her early years when she seemed to prefer overseas opportunities and rarely acknowledged her own country, as if she wished she weren’t a foreigner. Now that her popularity had declined and she returned to her home country to make money, any mention of this topic would make Nina furious.
“Don’t say that. Those contestants didn’t know you would be a guest, and this isn’t a talent show. It’s normal for them not to recognize you. Why get so angry?”
He said that, but the manager didn’t dare to mention that, in the eyes of most people, Nina, just like Qiao Dai, was just a member of this year’s new group.
Nina snorted and turned away, not wanting to hear her manager’s continued nagging.
“Sis, don’t be upset. Look how hot our latest single is right now.”
The members of Nina’s group quickly came to her defense. Their latest single, “Bomb,” had been released recently and had received widespread acclaim online.
This song was crafted by a world-class production team, exuding a strong international vibe from head to toe. It’s incredibly fashionable, whether it’s the arrangement, lyrics, art, or styling. It’s a high-quality, high-energy song.
【Ah, this is what a proper girl group style should be!】
【It’s lit! The sisters look so beautiful and stylish!】
【They completely dominate the stage!】
The Four Group and Nina’s fans quickly began promoting the song on various community forums. With their high-end and chic style, along with the sultry makeup, they achieved immense popularity. They seemed to be on the verge of a massive breakout.
Initially, online discussions were mostly positive, with fans recommending the song. However, as the hype spread, some strange comments started appearing.
【By the way, how are i9 and Eleven Girls’ singles doing? Why haven’t we heard any news from them for so long?】
【Can we really expect anything from these little girls? They should go home and focus on building their skills.】
【Speechless. Can we please not let these trashy groups pollute my ears?】
【Nina, our goddess, come and save us from these weirdos!】
Perhaps to improve Nina’s mood, her teammates found such comments and handed their phones to Nina, saying with a smile, “Sis, look, you don’t need to worry about them.”
Nina raised an eyebrow, took her teammate’s phone, and glanced at it for a moment. Then, seemingly bored, she leaned back in her seat and handed the phone back, with a casual smile in her eyes. She lazily said, “Why bother with what they say? Not worth it.”
Hearing Nina’s response, the others quickly agreed, “Yeah, you’re right, let’s not pay attention to them.”
As they continued chatting, someone suddenly mentioned the recent viral “Bamboo Rafting” video on a short video platform. It was a clip recorded by a tourist during their visit to a province. The video was short, and the footage wasn’t very clear, but that didn’t stop it from becoming a hot topic on the app in just a few days. Many users left comments under the video.
【Wow, this is incredible!】
【How did they manage to do this?】
【Isn’t this just some internet celebrity stunt?】
【Don’t talk nonsense if you don’t understand. This is called Bamboo Rafting, a national intangible cultural heritage project. You can’t do it without basic skills. Even if it’s a stunt, so what? Shouldn’t intangible cultural heritage be promoted?】
【Oh my goodness! I just looked it up, and it’s absolutely stunning! How did I not know about this before?】
【Ah, it’s Bamboo Rafting, and it’s really amazing!】
As Nina’s teammates watched the continuously refreshing comments in the comment section, they couldn’t help but tease, “The hype for this little video is so high? Looks like we’ll have another internet sensation popping up in a few days.”
“Just seeking attention.”
Nina glanced at the screen, finding it uninteresting, so she turned her head away. Her teammates understood her and didn’t say anything further, quietly closing the video.
On the same day, Eleven Girls’ official account posted a new update, revealing the latest developments regarding their single.
【#ElevenGirls x Intangible Cultural Heritage# The sisters’ treasure journey, please look forward to Eleven Girls’ latest single.】
The official account released several promotional images, including Kunqu opera, martial arts, embroidery, and eleven other intangible cultural heritage projects. Each member of Eleven Girls had conducted a thematic photoshoot based on the project they represented. When people saw Qiao Dai in a fiery red dress standing amidst the lush greenery, they couldn’t help but gasp.
At that moment, an image suddenly appeared vividly in everyone’s minds: a girl in a flaming red dress standing on the shimmering water, with rippling waves beneath her feet, surrounded by misty fog. She looked like a fairy gliding over the water, gracefully cutting through the water curtain and creating ripples.
【Wow! They’re collaborating with intangible cultural heritage? That’s amazing!】
【Ah, they all look so beautiful! I’m going crazy!】
Fans were thrilled, and Nina’s manager, upon learning about this news, felt a sudden jolt in his head and a sinking feeling in his heart.
The promotional video for Eleven Girls’ single used many real-life scenes, with the members transforming into famous artists, embroiderers, or the Bamboo Rafting girl among others. The video was complemented by carefully composed lyrics and melodies by Song Annie and Lu Cong, as well as dance moves that combined traditional and modern techniques. It gained a massive following.
#ElevenGirlsSingle#
#ElevenGirlsSistersTreasureJourney#
Apart from promoting the single, Eleven Girls’ reality show, “Sisters’ Treasure Journey,” was also set to air soon. The show provided a detailed look into the members’ travels across various regions of the country to explore and learn about local intangible cultural heritage. The first episode quickly dominated the variety show charts.
【Oh my goodness! The girls are so dedicated!】
【Can we have more programs like this? As a fan of culture, I’m thrilled!】
【The latest single is so good! I’ve recommended it to everyone around me; it’s just amazing!】
No one had the leisure to focus on the Four Group anymore. Everyone’s attention was involuntarily drawn to Eleven Girls.
Fans had already seen powerful Korean and Japanese groups, but now they wanted to witness the beauty and aesthetics unique to their own country showcased on the world stage. Eleven Girls seemed to offer that possibility.
As Eleven Girls’ popularity continued to rise, the fans of the Four Group became increasingly agitated and started making snide remarks.
【Can they learn about intangible cultural heritage projects so quickly? Isn’t it post-production?】
【Don’t market staged photoshoots, it’s disrespectful.】
【Riding on the trend, shameless.】
Of course, Eleven Girls’ fans weren’t about to let these comments slide and began counterattacking.
【Do you even want this level of popularity? Oh, right, you probably don’t because you look down on it. You want international appeal!】
【By your logic, only inheritors of intangible cultural heritage have the right to promote it?】
While both sets of fans were engaged in a heated exchange, a bombshell of news hit the internet:
【Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Association: Thank you, Eleven Girls, for serving as the youth ambassador for our association, working together to preserve excellent traditional culture.】
【Intangible Cultural Heritage Bamboo Rafting Project: Welcome, Qiao Dai.】
Eleven Girls had formed a partnership with the Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Association, and Qiao Dai had even become an honorary member of the Bamboo Rafting Protection Association, receiving an honorary certificate from the association.
As the news spread, even the fans of Eleven Girls were left dumbfounded.
Wasn’t this supposed to be about a girl group releasing a new song?
How did their idols manage to become honorary members of a national association?
Isn’t this just incredibly impressive?!
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