Idol Chapter 96

Huo Ren hesitated for a moment, and the director next to him was already loudly announcing the result: “Huo Ren – out!”

Chi Ji smiled and blew a kiss, then astonishingly sped away.

The others were still in the distance, not yet understanding why someone suddenly disappeared from this side.

Xie Lianyun, as Bo Jue turned to look at Huo Ren, quickly grabbed a position and shot, hitting the crown on his head with impressive marksmanship.

“Xie! Lan! Yun!”

“Hahaha, I knew that good equipment can’t beat good positioning!”

Huo Ren suddenly realized that the situation was not good.

He was out, Chi Ji had reversed his jump, and Jue-ge was eliminated. Now, the Red Team’s only hope was Long-ge.

Long-ge still had four colored eggs in hand, and making one wrong throw could lead to defeat.

Mei Shengyao quickly understood the double-agent setup and grabbed the other bag of colored eggs thrown by Chi Ji, while simultaneously starting to flank and chase after Long Jia.

Xie Lianyun prioritized finding a secluded area to hide in, knowing that he didn’t have much advantage at this moment, and not giving away his position became crucial.

Mei Shengyao and Chi Ji were both slender young men, making them more agile and nimble.

As for Long Jia, he was the team’s strongest in terms of physical strength and had no trouble dealing with their simultaneous pursuit.

The three of them chased after Long Jia like a pair of swift swallows, weaving through obstacles, buildings, and various rooms and corridors, their speed making it seem as if professional athletes were competing.

Huo Ren and Bo Jue sat on the side, eating boxed meals and looking very content.

“I’ve always wondered why Xiao Chi knocked over the salt shaker and made us start over during the barbecue,” Bo Jue sighed, “That mischievous child.”

The cameramen had a hard time keeping up with those three idols—

Long Jia had an incredibly powerful burst of speed, and when he dashed out, it was like a lightning strike.

Chi Ji and Mei Shengyao even performed aerial flips with a single hand to navigate their way through obstacles, making the hunting ground feel like a parkour training ground.

Xie Lianyun, feeling safe in the designated area, noticed a music instrument experience hall nearby and picked up a shamisen, strumming it casually.

The sound of running shoes scraping against the tiled floor echoed from above and below, and the traditional melodies of the shamisen perfectly matched the rhythm, creating an oddly tranquil atmosphere.

“Xie Lianyun,” Bo Jue shouted from afar, “What are you doing?”

“Ever heard of the ‘Immortal Who Plays the Qin and Zither’? I’m just adding some buffs,” Xie Lianyun waved his hand, “Don’t disturb me.”

Long Jia, in a sidestep, jumped from the fifth floor to the third floor, while Mei Shengyao immediately emerged from a nearby billboard.

Without hesitation, the two of them backed off and simultaneously threw their markers, their hand speed so fast that it seemed they didn’t even need to aim.

Mei Shengyao backflipped to dodge a particularly tricky curve, while Long Jia found the last bag of colored eggs hidden here earlier. With a quick turn, he accelerated towards it.

Chi Ji had already caught up with Long Jia and, the moment he joined the battle, began pushing down the sponge block obstacles set up by the production team, squeezing the remaining maneuvering space to the extreme.

“Big brother,” Mei Shengyao suddenly called out, “Are you up for a solo?”

Without waiting for Long Jia’s response, Chi Ji had already flipped to his side, holding a golden pellet in his palm, pressing it onto the badge on Long Jia’s chest that was tied with a ribbon.

Then, in a rather cheeky manner, he swiped horizontally, dusting the entire crown with golden powder.

Mei Shengyao openly kissed Chi Ji on the cheek in front of the camera, and both young men made a scissor-hand gesture at Long Jia.

“Long Jia – out!”

“Blue team wins!”

Xie Lianyun appropriately played a segment of the Super Mario victory music.

“Yun-ge,” Huo Ren rested his chin on his hand, “You’re playing it cool.”

“I’m just playing it by the book,” Xie Lianyun raised an eyebrow, “Maid outfit or thigh dance?”

The three members of the Red Team decided to drink bitter gourd juice.

They had to maintain their dignity; cross-dressing and such were absolutely not an option!

Long Jia downed his glass, his face wrinkling in bitterness.

Huo Ren, with a blank expression, finished his entire glass and even poured a half glass for Bo Jue.

The day after the recording of the first episode ended, Uncle Jiang took them to the Nightfire Live Hall Center in advance.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen Boss Pei,” Mei Shengyao was curious, “What’s he been up to?”

“Videos? Something about videos?” Uncle Jiang also couldn’t recall the name and motioned for them to check the recent schedule first.

April and May were the filming period for “Crown Hunting Ground,” followed by endorsements, magazine interviews in June, and preparations for the concert in July.

This time, the concert venue was set at the largest “Angel’s Ring” in the country, and all the tickets were sold out in an instant when they were released. Scalpers raised the ticket prices sky-high, forcing the company to issue an urgent statement encouraging fans to choose legitimate channels.

When Huo Ren heard about the concert, his heart skipped a beat, and he asked, “Who’s the chief director for the concert this time?”

“It’s Boss Pei, but there’s an even more impressive person coming,” Uncle Jiang smiled, “The lead director and the main visual director are both Bai Ping.”

Huo Ren was stunned for a few seconds, “Can a film director handle this?”

Bai Ping was a renowned director with numerous awards both domestically and internationally. It was rumored that he had returned to China for his career earlier this year.

“He’s treating this as a warm-up,” Uncle Jiang led them through the corridor towards the studio, “I’ve heard that Director Bai is still filming a movie in July and August and is coming back to help us when he has some free time.”

The album “Peach Soda” not only had skyrocketing popularity but also received critical acclaim. The concert and the music video were both made with the utmost sincerity and effort. Given Corona’s current level of maturity and progress, winning an OSC Crown Award for this album seemed highly likely.

However, as they moved forward with variety shows and the concert, it was equally important to handle public relations and media control effectively.

The problem stemmed from an award that Chi Ji had received earlier in the year.

The title of “Top 1 Male Celebrity Most Wanted for Dating” was quite common in the entertainment industry, as such titles could be handed out liberally, and their significance wasn’t particularly high. However, someone decided to post this matter on forums and gaming discussion boards, sparking a chain reaction over the past three months.

Most of the non-fans who didn’t follow celebrities closely couldn’t accept Chi Ji’s earring makeup and fashion style. He was known for his sharp and sarcastic remarks, and they openly ridiculed him, saying that today’s girls only liked lace, and guys like them, real straight men, couldn’t relate.

More disturbing than insults about his appearance and clothing were the gender-based attacks.

 

“Isn’t this pink-haired girl cute? How much for a night? I’ll pay ten bucks. #LOL”

“My girlfriend, who’s a fan, says he’s transgender. Is that true? Can tr*nnies become stars now?”

“Chi Ji, come out and pl*y, believe me, I’ll f*** you hard!”

 

This kind of disdain had existed before Chi Ji’s debut, and certain unkempt men would feel threatened when they encountered someone like Corona, prompting attacks about being “effeminate,” “disgusting,” and suggestions to “go to a plastic surgery clinic and buy a d***.”

If this had happened two years ago, it might have triggered a large-scale online hate campaign by several companies banding together, followed by a wave of massive internet violence.

Now, despite the endless insults and ridicule, both the group’s and solo fans maintained a consistent stance. They completely controlled public opinion in areas where it was necessary to do so, ensuring that no negative comments were visible on the surface.

The company used technology and public relations methods to delete most of the negative posts, while also preparing a script. They decided to address this issue openly with Corona.

This matter couldn’t be avoided; the more you tried to evade it, the more certain people would revel in it.

“We’re thinking of using a live broadcast program to turn the situation around,” Uncle Jiang said while holding a cigarette and gestured for his assistant, Xiao Tian, to light it for him. He exhaled smoke slowly and said, “Today is the day we make our move.”

The other members had already read the proposal one by one and had mischievous smiles on their faces.

“Isn’t this a bit too much?” Long Jia said slowly, “What if they accuse us of bullying?”

“Every action has its consequences,” Uncle Jiang sneered, “Besides, we operate on a bounty system. There are plenty of fools who will come charging at us.”

“This is the way to go,” Huo Ren said with sharp eyes, “It’s a brilliant move.”

The “Crown Live Room” started on time, and the barrage of comments was already densely filled with hearts and confessions. The fans were in high spirits, completely unaffected by the hidden vermin in the background.

“Hi, everyone. It’s been a while,” Huo Ren greeted them with a smile and began hosting the program according to the plan.

After addressing three trivial rumors and debunking them, he changed the subject and slowly said while looking at the camera, “It’s important to note that due to the upcoming concert and variety show recordings, we’ll have to temporarily pause our live broadcasts for a season.”

“However, Nightfire Live will be partnering with SPF’s official website to launch a new online variety show called…”

“‘Idol’s Code.'”

“Before introducing this new program, we need to read a few negative comments.”

The others cleared their throats and read out the extremely malicious attacks with indifference.

 

“Can Mei Shengyao be even more effeminate? I can take on ten guys like him, and I’ll have him on his knees in five minutes!”

“Where did Bo Jue and Chi Ji have their gender reassignment surgery? I want to send my roommate there and have some fun with them.”

“These star-chasing girls nowadays are really messed up. They keep calling these weak guys ‘husbands’ every day, it’s disgusting. They probably can’t even open a mineral water bottle without your help. Ugh.”

 

As these comments were read out, the fans felt their hearts ache.

 

“Brother, please don’t read anymore, we’re so heartbroken for you. Yao Yao is still laughing; he’s truly an angel. Tat.”

“These people never accumulate any virtue with their words. Let’s hope they meet a miserable end on the streets one day!!”

“My beloved brothers have really been through a lot. Just listening to this makes me feel heartbroken and uncomfortable. I really hope these haters can have their brains washed with hydrogen peroxide.”

“Don’t read anymore, don’t read anymore. I feel so uncomfortable; I can hardly breathe. Qaq.”

 

Huo Ren stood calmly in front of the electronic screen, his hands clasped together.

“‘Idol’s Code’ is the nation’s first comprehensive celebrity and amateur battle variety show.”

“Anyone between the ages of 18 and 25 can participate in this competition.”

“The top ten contestants will receive sponsored global trips and a luxury car each, while the first-place winner will receive a prize of three million yuan.”

He smiled faintly, raising an eyebrow, revealing his determination in this moment.

“When some people sign up, they could bring their disdain and contempt along with them.”

I’ll crush them all into dust.