Chapter 88
After the announcement of the preliminary selection list for the annual grand finals, various variety shows, advertisements, and magazine covers flooded in like countless snowflakes. This made Qiao Dai’s agent, Ling Na, ecstatic. Coco’s top management was also overjoyed and decided to focus on nurturing Qiao Dai and her fellow Eleven Girls members.
On this day, just after finishing her recording, Qiao Dai returned to the company and was greeted by Ling Na, who had a beaming smile on her face.
“Xiao Qiao, your timing is perfect. The higher-ups just gave me some materials. Take a look and see which one you like.”
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Qiao Dai’s gaze landed on the top document, and her eyes widened slightly. She blurted out, “A dating variety show?”
Her tone inexplicably quickened, and her porcelain-like skin began to blush faintly, like a rosy sunset on the horizon.
Is Ling Na suggesting that she should join a dating variety show? But aren’t idols supposed to avoid dating?
Qiao Dai appeared puzzled, unable to fully grasp the concept of on-screen couples and promotional strategies like these. Moreover, she couldn’t help but think of Cheng Su. What would he say if he found out she was going on a dating show?
Qiao Dai briefly imagined the scenario, feeling like a helpless little otter caught in a raging sea. The sky was filled with lightning, and the waves surged beneath her. A drenched little sea otter looked up at a fierce killer whale, apologizing with a pitiful expression, “I-I’m sorry.”
The massive killer whale showed no mercy, slapping its tail on the water, creating countless splashes. Without listening to the little sea otter’s explanation, it simply bit onto the otter and swam away.
Qiao Dai: !!!
Faced with Qiao Dai’s reaction, Ling Na didn’t think too much of it. She picked up the dating variety show contract and asked, “Do you want to join the dating variety show?”
Although Qiao Dai was an idol, participating in variety show romances was a different matter. If executed successfully, it could gain them a substantial following of shippers. Besides, this show was currently highly popular, with many idols having participated and even formed several exclusive on-screen couples. It was a good opportunity.
Ling Na had just looked up at Qiao Dai when she saw the girl on the couch react like a startled cat. Qiao Dai suddenly tensed up, her eyes widened, and she vigorously shook her head. She crossed her arms in front of her chest with a large X-shaped gesture, almost instinctively saying, “No!”
As Qiao Dai spoke, she gasped for air, her face turning bright red like a ripe apple.
Ling Na didn’t expect Qiao Dai’s reaction to be so intense. She assumed it was because the young girl was shy and had a somewhat innocent demeanor. Qiao Dai might not be comfortable discussing mature topics like romance, which could explain her strong rejection.
“Well then, let’s take a look at the next one.”
Ling Na and Qiao Dai continued to review several more contracts but couldn’t decide which one to choose. Ling Na was inclined to suggest the dating variety show again when she noticed Qiao Dai’s gaze fixed on another document placed aside.
“What’s the content of this contract?”
Qiao Dai pointed towards the document on the table, and Ling Na picked it up, explaining, “This is information about ‘Idol All-Star.’ Would you like to take a look, Qiao Dai?”
Seeing Qiao Dai nod, Ling Na became more enthusiastic and shared some details about the show while Qiao Dai reviewed the materials.
“Idol All-Star” featured both domestic and international idols as guests, and they had to complete idol-related challenges based on different themes in each episode. These challenges showcased their hidden talents beyond their idol personas. For example, in a special racing episode, a star’s racing scene became immensely popular and gained countless fans. Apart from singers and dancers, the show also featured top idols from the acting industry and extreme sports enthusiasts. It was a treasure trove of hidden talents, and participants could become breakout stars.
Qiao Dai’s interest was piqued. Many things in this world fascinated her, and whether it was singing, dancing, or now, exploring new experiences, she was always eager to try. “Idol All-Star” seemed to be a show full of opportunities to showcase unique talents.
Upon seeing Qiao Dai’s enthusiasm, Ling Na instructed her assistant to fetch more information. She was well aware of the popularity of the show, and it was a classic idol variety program that could attract a substantial fan following. If Qiao Dai could deliver an outstanding performance on the show, the audience’s response would be remarkable.
“Let me check. The theme for their upcoming episode is…”
Ling Na glanced at the information sent by the production team and seemed a bit surprised. She said, “It’s a sports-themed episode.”
Hearing Ling Na’s tone of surprise, Qiao Dai curiously asked, “What’s wrong? Is there an issue with a sports theme?”
Could it be that Ling Na was worried she wouldn’t be good at sports?
Qiao Dai lowered her head and examined the materials in her hand again. She realized that the “sports theme” mentioned in the document didn’t mean that the participants would engage in athletic competitions. Instead, it referred to a thematic performance based on the concept of sports.
Recognizing Qiao Dai’s confusion, Ling Na realized her earlier tone had led to a misunderstanding. She quickly explained with a smile, “No worries. I was just surprised to see so many sports-themed variety shows recently. It felt a bit unusual.”
Upon seeing that “Idol All-Star” had invited Qiao Dai for an episode with a “sports” theme, Ling Na immediately thought of other recent programs like “Celebrity Sports Games” and “Crossover Idols,” which all had similar content. While this wouldn’t have been strange under normal circumstances, the fact that so many variety shows were featuring sports-related themes in a short period of time left Ling Na with an inexplicable feeling.
However, regardless of her concerns, Ling Na believed that participating in this episode of “Idol All-Star” would be beneficial for Qiao Dai. After all, during the shoot for the Deep Blue Sea video ad on Beidao Island, Ling Na had witnessed Qiao Dai’s swimming skills. Even professional underwater photographers couldn’t keep up with Qiao Dai initially. Ling Na doubted that Qiao Dai would perform poorly in a sports-themed episode.
Feeling more excited, Ling Na clapped her hands and raised her voice slightly as she said, “Let’s go with this one then! If you have no objections to the contract terms, I’ll contact them today.”
Qiao Dai nodded and replied, “Sure, thank you, Sister Ling Na.”
Meanwhile, on the other end, the production team of “Idol All-Star” was in a meeting with the executives from their own company.
The executives frowned when they saw the proposed list of guests for the show. One of them said, “What’s going on here? Didn’t we ask you to prepare this in advance? Why haven’t you gathered all the participants yet?”
The production team was also troubled. They looked at their displeased leader and explained awkwardly, “Mr. Gao, it’s not that simple. As you know, not many young people today are physically fit, and even fewer celebrities have time for regular exercise. We’re doing a sports-themed episode, and we can’t just settle for anyone. The pool of potential participants is quite limited.”
Hearing this, the production team couldn’t help but sigh. There weren’t many stars they could invite to begin with, and the higher-ups had emphasized not allowing subpar participants, which further reduced their options. It was a challenging situation.
Mr. Gao furrowed his brows and said in a serious tone, “It’s a sports theme, not an invitation to become professional athletes. What are they so afraid of? If they perform well, it could be a…”
He stopped abruptly, his expression changing slightly. He closed his mouth quickly and didn’t say any more, only instructing the production team to work harder to ensure the theme was executed beautifully.
Just as the meeting room was filled with a gloomy atmosphere, a staff member suddenly came in with an excited report, saying, “Qiao Dai’s side has responded, and they are willing to participate in our show.”
Qiao Dai was one of the most trending idols at the moment, and the recent collaboration between her group and Intangible Cultural Heritage had caused quite a stir in the industry. Many people had watched Eleven Girls’ promotional videos for their single. Mr. Gao was no exception; he had taken a particular interest in the girl who mastered Bamboo Rafting. He hadn’t expected to have this opportunity so soon.
Upon hearing this news, Mr. Gao’s expression relaxed slightly, and he nodded approvingly, saying, “This young girl is quite impressive, confident. I like her. Unlike some others who always seek personal benefits behind the scenes.”
The members of the production team immediately understood that the “other person” Mr. Gao mentioned was the other guest they had invited, Nina.
Nina’s team had some influential connections, or else, given Nina’s bossy and commanding attitude, she would have been kicked out by the production team and directors. However, they reluctantly agreed to her special demands, albeit with some resentment. After all, they aimed to create a diverse show, not a compilation of individual showcases.
“Anyway, no matter what, let me make one thing clear. You all must be extremely careful and treat this episode with the utmost importance. Do you understand?”
During the subsequent discussions on various topics, Mr. Gao called everyone back before the meeting concluded. He emphasized his point with a solemn tone.
“Remember, don’t engage in any shady dealings behind the scenes.”
Mr. Gao’s gaze swept across everyone in the room. He took a deep breath, and a hint of cold determination flashed in his eyes.
“If things go wrong, the consequences will be severe.”
Everyone was slightly surprised by Mr. Gao’s seriousness. They wondered what had prompted this sudden sternness.
Only Mr. Gao understood the gravity of this upcoming episode. He had already issued a warning, and he had done everything within his power. If someone chose to ignore his advice, he wouldn’t hesitate to watch from the sidelines.
The future of the show now depended on the choices made by the guests themselves.
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