Is This How the Entertainment Industry Works? (GL) - Chapter 15

The stirring background music swelled.

All the contestants jumped up in excitement. “We are the supernovas!” they said to themselves and to those around them.

“But before that,” Yu Lian broke the high-energy atmosphere, “fifty people is still too many. I think leaving half of you behind would be better.”

Instantly, the air grew heavy. The contestants looked at each other in disbelief that so many would be eliminated in the very first round.

Yu Lian was satisfied with the effect. “But I don’t know what we should compete in yet… so how about we shoot some high-fashion ‘editorial’ photos? You know, the audience always roasts us for doing editorial shoots every single time,” Yu Lian joked.

Editorial photos—who didn’t know how to take them? Seeing oneself transformed into a beautiful photograph was a happy prospect. At this moment, winning or losing didn’t seem to matter as much because the act of taking photos was enjoyable. The men and women cheered together.

They changed into the provided little black dresses and black vests and ran to the white backdrops to pose.

Yu Lian said, “The quality of an editorial photo is crucial. A good star must know their body’s strengths to showcase them, allowing the lens to better capture your beautiful side.”

Each person had a five-shot limit.

Yan Zhen was the first. Having never encountered a camera before, she stood before the backdrop looking a bit lost. The photographer snapped a picture and shook his head. “That pose won’t do.”

Yan Zhen asked, “Are there any techniques for editorial photos?”

The photographer thought for a moment and told her, “You are smaller than the other contestants; try poses that make you look taller and more elegant.”

Yan Zhen pondered. She thought of a Noble Consort back in the Imperial Palace. When that consort first arrived, she was only a thirteen-year-old girl whose figure hadn’t fully developed. Compared to the other beauties, she seemed completely non-competitive, a target for anyone to bully. Therefore, she had to adopt an extremely high-status demeanor to intimidate the harem.

The key points were: first, the gaze; second, the placement of the hands.

Yan Zhen slightly adapted that consort’s posture, making herself less stiff. The photographer was stunned. After snapping a shot, he marveled, “You said you didn’t know how to do this—were you faking it?”

Yan Zhen smiled. “I know a little bit now.”

The photographer looked at the freeze-frame on his screen. The person in the image was dignified and steady, her gaze looking down with a hint of disdain, yet without making people feel she was arrogant.

This is only knowing a ‘little bit’? The photographer was amazed once again.

Ultimately, many were eliminated because their poses were too boring or they lacked “camera sense.” Twenty-two contestants remained.

Once the crowd thinned, Yan Zhen spotted Xu Weiwei. She ran over to say hello, and Xu Weiwei introduced her to two girls she had just befriended. Xu Weiwei then said, “Do you want to stand with us? Everyone is grouping up; it’s not good for you to be on your own.”

Yan Zhen glanced at the two girls and shook her head. She said to Xu Weiwei, “Since we are standing here, we are competitors. Being alone actually helps me keep a clear head.”

“Alright then,” Xu Weiwei replied.

That evening, a bus took the contestants to the “Supernova House.” As soon as Yan Zhen sat on the sofa, a staff member invited her: “Would you like to come to the Confession Room for a chat?”

Yan Zhen was confused. “Confession Room?”

“You don’t know?” The staff member was equally confused. “Have you never seen our show? It’s where you talk about your mental journey.”

Yan Zhen shook her head. “I don’t think I have a ‘mental journey’ yet.”

“It’s fine. If you really can’t think of anything to say, we can ask questions and you answer them.”

Yan Zhen agreed. Inside the Confession Room, the staff member asked, “Are you and Fang Hexu from the same hometown? Why don’t you talk about your middle school life?”

“Fang Hexu?” Yan Zhen thought for a long time.

The staff member reminded her, “The one who was mocking you this morning.”

Yan Zhen realized who they meant. She said, “I don’t really remember. Middle school was just studying; there’s nothing much to talk about.”

The staff member fell silent. This kind of answer wouldn’t do for the broadcast. They asked a few more questions, but Yan Zhen’s answers remained vague. The staff member grew desperate.

“Then, what is your purpose for participating in this show?”

Yan Zhen said, “I want to become a top-tier star.”

Staff: “…???”

Yan Zhen continued, “I want to become someone who can stand side-by-side with Zhao Baoshang.”

“Zhao Baoshang? You’re a fan of her visuals too?” the staff member asked.

Yan Zhen nodded. “But what I admire isn’t her looks, but her soul and inner character. Zhao Baoshang is a very hardworking and upright person. She may look cold on the outside, but she is kinder than anyone on the inside. I think she is the best person in the world.”

…There really are blind people in this world. The staff member sighed inwardly, hurried to end the confession, and handed the content to Yu Lian.

After reading it, Yu Lian spat out her water. “Fan filters are truly terrifying.”

“Look who she’s a fan of,” Zhao Baoshang said with a hint of pride. She looked at the confession footage, nitpicking for a while—one moment thinking Yan Zhen’s smile was too distracting, the next thinking her words weren’t detailed enough.

“Are you sure she’s your fan? There isn’t much ‘crazy’ in her eyes when she says those things,” Yu Lian noted with doubt.

“If she’s not my fan, then whose could she be?” Zhao Baoshang didn’t like Yu Lian’s question. She was certain Yan Zhen was her fan. Otherwise, why would she practice scenes with her, warm her hands, always appear where she was passing by, work so hard to get to the Capital, and even think about “lifting her skirt”?

The more Zhao Baoshang thought about it, the more she felt Yan Zhen was fanatical about her. Having such a fan… Zhao Baoshang felt quite happy. A faint smile appeared on her face, like snow melting on an iceberg. Yu Lian watched her, lit a cigarette, and shook her head silently.

After interviewing Yan Zhen, the staff went to find Fang Hexu. Unexpectedly, Fang Hexu was very savvy. She first introduced her background:

“I am a country girl. We grew up raising chickens and catching fish, so I think I have a huge advantage in this competition. I’m a practical, hands-on contestant, not one of those theoretical talents who grew up in a greenhouse.”

This statement praised herself without offending others; the judges were satisfied, thinking she could go far.

The staff member asked, “Then why is your relationship with Yan Zhen so bad? As far as I know, you were making things difficult for her the moment you arrived.”

“Difficult? Not at all.” Fang Hexu made a helpless expression. “Even if I did, it might have been a subconscious self-protection. You see, we are from the same hometown; we were classmates in primary and middle school. She was the village’s scheme—cough, I don’t know how to describe it. She’s the type who acts weak and fragile, but actually loves to tattle to the teachers. And what she says is all nonsense, so no one in school wanted to be her friend.”

This was explosive content. The staff member’s eyes lit up. “Anything else?! Any specific incidents?”

“Specifics? Yes.” Fang Hexu rolled up her sleeve. “See this scar? She pushed me. Just because I ran faster than her during the sports meet, she intentionally fell on me, pinning me down so I couldn’t move, then jumped up and kept running.”

“This… this is truly a distorted moral compass,” the staff member said, excitedly recording more.

Fang Hexu enjoyed the feeling of the camera being focused on her. “Yan Zhen’s family is the poorest in the village, and her behavior is usually quite questionable. Stealing things is just the minor stuff; as for the rest… you can imagine for yourselves.” She left them with a cliffhanger.

The staff member murmured, “When Yan Zhen gave her confession earlier, she said she’d forgotten all those things.”

“Would she dare remember? They are all shameful things.” Fang Hexu pointed at her scar again. “I will never forget that pain.” She spoke with tears in her eyes but with a firm, powerful voice. The combination was incredibly moving. The cameraman was completely swayed and comforted her, “Dear, it’s all in the past.”

Fang Hexu blinked and nodded.

When this segment was released as the first episode, the audience in front of their TVs also shed tears. They felt Yan Zhen’s behavior was intolerable—how could someone be so vicious even in primary school? Combined with the previous “vote-rigging” incident involving the Old Master of the Zhao family, someone soon commented:

【Did this person cheat to win against the old man? Truly shameless.】

【That metaphysical science stuff was probably just copy-pasted from the internet.】

【Pah, disgusting. I almost became a fan.】

Suddenly, even Han Xiaomeng was being attacked.

【Birds of a feather—grouping up with a ‘scheming bitch’ who has been like that since primary school, what kind of good person could you be? I’m unfollowing you!】

Han Xiaomeng felt Yan Zhen definitely wasn’t that kind of person. She wanted to help explain, but her manager stopped her.

Author’s Note:

Zhao Baoshang: Another day of being praised by my little fan. I am satisfied.

Yan Zhen: I was actually praising the Eldest Princess.

Zhao Baoshang (writing in a little notebook): I have a good mindset. I won’t hit you yet; you’ll see how powerful I am later.