Su Hongda heaved a slight sigh of relief upon hearing the words but hesitated. “Additional investment…”

“You still want to buy more votes, don’t you? It seems like the family has quite a bit of spare cash. If you’re in a hurry to spend it, why not simply invest in the program?” Su Ning observed his expression, then added, “Don’t worry, you won’t lose. This season’s debut group looks solid.”

Guang Ying Entertainment didn’t just invest in the show; they would also get a share of the revenue from the group’s operations later. This was all clearly laid out in the investment contract, which was why Su Hongda was so adamant about pushing Su Ning into this to maximize the benefits.

Besides, Chen Yuan had extensive connections in the industry. Maintaining a good partnership with her was crucial, something that money alone couldn’t easily buy.

Patting Su Hongda’s shoulder, Su Ning said, “Think long-term.”

Despite himself, Su Hongda found himself persuaded. Thinking about it, Su Ning’s words made sense, and he nearly forgot that this was his junior talking. After a moment of realization, he stiffened his face again and said sternly, “Hold on. You can’t just decide on spending money like that! You weren’t the one handling this earlier. What do you even know? And if you want a spot in the debut lineup, who exactly are you planning to push up?”

Su Ning didn’t answer directly. He waved his hand dismissively. “No rush. Let’s have a meeting with Director Chen first and discuss it before deciding.”

While waiting for Chen Yuan to arrive, Su Ning didn’t have a moment to rest. Outside, a crowd of reporters was still gathered, clamoring noisily. Their excitement from the live broadcast hadn’t yet worn off, and they were eager for more.

Guang Ying Entertainment had always focused on behind-the-scenes production. A bit of PR money could smooth things over, but they had never faced such a large-scale situation before. PR Director Yao Xiaolan, unused to handling such crises, was understandably flustered.

Not forgetting her plight, Su Ning turned to help. Reporters were notoriously difficult to deal with—they held grudges but couldn’t be completely ignored either. Guang Ying Entertainment wasn’t paying PR fees just to suffer losses. Articles couldn’t be written recklessly, nor could the narrative continue to spiral out of control.

After consulting with Yao Xiaolan, she nodded repeatedly in agreement.

For some reason, today she seemed particularly reliable, like a completely different person.

At this moment, Shen Huai, standing off to the side, finally calmed down. Looking around, he realized that somehow everyone was now gravitating toward Su Ning, as though he were the center of the universe.

Things were slipping out of his control.

Nevertheless, he maintained his composure. Joining Su Ning as they stepped out together, Shen Huai spoke as though none of the earlier unpleasantness had occurred.

“Su Ning, blame me. I was too impulsive earlier.”

“How about this—let me accompany you to handle the media? Consider me an extra pair of hands. I wasn’t thoughtful enough before and worried you might lack experience. Please don’t be angry with me. Uncle Su, you too—don’t worry. When Director Chen and the platform representatives arrive, I’ll greet them. Director Chen and I are old acquaintances, so nothing will go wrong.”

What a speech.

No one had asked him to step in, yet here he was, inserting himself naturally into the situation.

Su Ning had no intention of letting him handle the media. Who knew what Shen Huai might blurt out? Just as he was about to refuse, someone else interjected.

“You don’t need to go. I’ll handle both the media and Director Chen,” Shen Mingzheng said. “If you have time to spare, focus on your own public image issues and don’t cause more trouble for the company.”

Shen Huai’s expression stiffened as he argued, “But I’m a special guest mentor for the program. I—”

“You’re aware that you’re just a mentor, not a company shareholder or part of the investment team, aren’t you?” Shen Mingzheng stared at him. “Go back.”

His tone carried the weight of an order, and his words were just as infuriating as Su Ning’s earlier remarks, constantly reminding Shen Huai of his position.

Even though Shen Huai was unwilling, he didn’t dare to defy Shen Mingzheng. Taking a deep breath, he turned and left.

It felt as though Shen Mingzheng already knew who had been stirring up trouble behind the scenes. The swift dismissal of several program employees had likely been his doing.

Ever since this man’s sudden arrival, nothing had gone smoothly.

In the end, Shen Mingzheng and Su Ning handled the media together. Once they had regained control of the situation, PR Director Yao Xiaolan became increasingly adept at managing the crowd.

After most of the reporters had left, Su Ning called Yao Xiaolan over and whispered a few words to her.

The more aggressive online media outlets, which had arrived late and were the last to leave, lingered until the end. One of their leaders exchanged a look with Shen Mingzheng before finally heading out.

Shen Mingzheng was also preparing to leave but hadn’t gone far when Su Ning called out to him.

“Don’t be in such a rush to leave, everyone. Since President Shen brought you here, please wait a little longer. I have some matters to discuss,” Su Ning said with a smile as he stood up. “I just had a small break room tidied up next door. It’s a bit makeshift, but there’s tea and snacks. Why don’t you rest there with President Shen?”

Shen Mingzheng glanced at him.

From the earlier live broadcast, Su Ning had already deduced which media outlets had been invited by Shen Mingzheng. These were the ones whose harsh questions had not been on the original guest list.

Shen Mingzheng had no intention of letting the so-called press conference proceed as planned. He wanted to protect the program’s reputation and future, ensuring Guang Ying Entertainment didn’t run amok.

If Su Ning hadn’t been prepared in advance, the media outlets Shen Mingzheng had brought would have left Shen Huai and himself in an embarrassing position. A failed press conference would have ended any chance of him returning to the program team.

Despite having guessed all this, Su Ning remained outwardly cordial.

He even anticipated Shen Mingzheng’s plan to hold a private discussion with these media outlets. That was why they hadn’t left the venue and stayed until the end. Originally, they had planned to meet at a nearby coffee shop, but Su Ning had made that unnecessary.

The meeting room was no simple setup. From the tea to the equipment, it was evident that preparations had begun while they were dealing with the media.

PR Director Yao Xiaolan escorted the reporters with utmost politeness. “I’ll return to the venue now. Please feel free to make yourselves comfortable. If you need anything, just let me know. Once Director Chen and the platform representatives arrive, I’ll inform you.”

Such gestures were nothing extraordinary—normal hospitality at best.

Shen Mingzheng had invited the reporters to discuss strategies to shift public opinion. Major online media outlets couldn’t always let Jiang Hai Media dominate the narrative.

However, dealing with these sly media representatives was no easy task.

In his past life, Shen Mingzheng had always disliked negotiating with them. Yet, thanks to his capable assistant Chen Tao and the juicy scoop at hand, he managed to gather these media giants despite being new to the scene.

When the reporters began to grow impatient, Yao Xiaolan knocked on the door and handed Shen Mingzheng a detailed proposal regarding the program’s rule adjustments, signaling a strategic shift.

This caused a significant change in the reporters’ attitude, and the discussion progressed more smoothly from there.

Su Ning’s mastery of the situation left Shen Mingzheng in awe. This was not the Su Ning he remembered—this was someone entirely new.