Chapter 27: The Championship Battle

“Investigation?” Zhou Tong was confused when he received the call. When he remembered the competition tonight involving the up-and-coming artist, he suddenly understood. He quickly arranged the schedule and rushed Ji Chenxuan to Star Avenue Sports Arena as fast as possible.

By the time they arrived, the audience voting to decide whether Xiao Chi or Fang Hao would win had already begun.

It was still a real-name voting system, with each person allowed to vote only once. Each vote required a payment of one yuan.

Whenever this kind of voting started, the online “money-grabbing” complaints flooded the internet, often dominating several trending topics.

The event organizers, however, just smiled. “Go ahead and complain. You can complain all you want, but the money is ours to make.”

It must be said that in order to rake in the money, the organizers had put in a strict anti-cheating mechanism at the technical level. Fans trying to use fake accounts to vote would find it nearly impossible. Even if they wanted to send in more money, it was futile.

The only effective method the marketing team used to help the contestants gain votes was the “Red Envelope Strategy.”

As a top contender for the championship, Fang Hao’s team was no exception. They used all kinds of promotional and vote-pulling tactics, throwing money around without hesitation.

At the start of the voting, Fang Hao’s votes surged at a terrifying speed, quickly pulling ahead of Xiao Chi, which sent Xiao Chi’s fans, both on-site and online, into a panic!

They had originally thought that someone as unknown as Xiao Chi wouldn’t have much of a chance. However, they were shocked to learn that behind him was Liu Sanshui, a seasoned expert in this field, and unexpectedly, there was also Ji Chenxuan, the former super VIP who had held the top spot in tips for a long time.

Seeing the intense competition in the backstage, Ji Chenxuan didn’t hesitate and gave Liu Bing a simple order: “Dump money!”

“Throw money like crazy!”

Zhou Tong suppressed a laugh, thinking to himself: For President Ji, who is the biggest official sponsor, this is just a matter of transferring funds from the left hand to the right hand. This deal won’t lose!

Liu Bing preferred to strike back when least expected. Xiao Chi, being a newcomer, had yet to systematically manage his fanbase. Most of his fans were scattered and not yet organized, making it impossible for him to compete against Fang Hao’s large, well-organized fan club.

In addition to contacting prominent social media influencers to help with votes and using the red envelope method, Liu Bing personally messaged his friends in the entertainment industry.

In the first minute of voting, he revealed Xiao Chi’s backstage team—several highly influential figures in the industry—online.

In the second minute, a collage of Xiao Chi’s natural, unretouched photos, showing his bare face, appeared quietly and was quickly reposted.

In the third minute, the now-famous flying kiss from his previous performance was made into a GIF and pushed onto the trending topics with the hashtag #Angel’sKiss.

As Liu Bing had said, Xiao Chi had the kind of face that could deceive the world. One wave after another of casual fans were drawn in, climbing onto Xiao Chi’s bandwagon and cheering wildly.

Finally, his votes began to surge. With explosive speed, they caught up to Fang Hao’s, each contesting for the lead, closing the gap with relentless determination. Their numbers were growing closer and closer!

Ji Chenxuan sat on a single sofa in the backstage VIP room, watching the data tug-of-war unfold on the giant screen. He crossed his legs, his fingers lightly intertwining over his knee.

The coffee had already gone cold. Zhou Tong cautiously replaced it with a fresh cup, but Ji Chenxuan didn’t drink a sip. He remained focused, his eyes fixed on Xiao Chi’s image.

It wasn’t until the two contestants’ votes finally tied—then surpassed Fang Hao’s—that Ji Chenxuan’s expression shifted slightly.

At this moment, it felt as though they were back when Xiao Chi was still a virtual idol, receiving endless tips for every performance, driven by a fear of being overtaken by second place.

Ji Chenxuan unconsciously leaned slightly forward, his brows both relaxed and furrowed, an anxious look on his face, resembling an old father waiting for his son’s report card.

Zhou Tong couldn’t help but silently complain to himself—“Chasing star is really scary!”

On the main stage, at the center of everyone’s attention, Fang Hao and Xiao Chi stood side by side, their gazes fixed on the giant screen displaying the constantly updating vote count. Their expressions were very different.

Xiao Chi had no idea how much behind-the-scenes struggle, complex calculations, and financial backing were required for him to win.

He didn’t need to worry about anything beyond the performance. For him, the stage was everything, a pure source of light and heat.

He remained calm, as if the outcome wasn’t a life-changing gamble, but rather just an interesting game.

Fang Hao stole a glance at him, feeling a bit uneasy. He had thought his only real competitor was Fang Zhichang, who was currently in first place. He never expected that, from the start, things would go wrong, and he would be surpassed by an unknown newcomer.

With a bell ringing, the voting time ended. The final results were 7.5 million votes for Xiao Chi and 9.8 million votes for Fang Hao—Xiao Chi advanced!

The fan section was filled with despair, and Fang Hao let out a long sigh. He forced a smile and extended his hand to shake Xiao Chi’s: “Good luck.”

“Thank you.” Xiao Chi could feel the faint tremor in Fang Hao’s hand, sensing an indescribable disappointment.

He watched Fang Hao, who forced a smile and waved to the audience, his dejected figure swallowed by the dark side door, an unexpected emotion stirred inside Xiao Chi.

There’s no reset button in life. If he couldn’t keep winning, one day, he might find himself walking off the stage in defeat.

Below, the audience erupted in cheers, while the host on stage exaggeratedly congratulated him. Xiao Chi stood under the spotlight, his silhouette outlined by the dazzling lights.

Is this what excitement feels like? Xiao Chi instinctively pressed his hand to his left chest, feeling the warmth of his chest cavity pulsating energetically beneath his palm, heating up with intensity.

Out of nowhere, Xiao Chi felt a wave of suffocation and unease.

At that moment, he subconsciously scanned the crowd for Ji Chenxuan’s figure—but he wasn’t there, nor was he anywhere else. Right, he must be working.

Xiao Chi felt a little disappointed. Despite the crowd around him, there was no one to share his joy or loneliness with.

After Xiao Chi, the other contestants took the stage one after another, and the first round of the group performance battle quickly reached its end.

The five victorious contestants were now revealed, with Fang Zhi and Xiao Chi standing side by side, one on the left and one on the right.

Fang Hao secretly glanced at Xiao Chi’s profile. The more he compared, the more anxious he felt. This guy was simply flawless from every angle—his popularity had skyrocketed too quickly!

Just as Brother Wen had said, there must be powerful backers throwing money to support him. Otherwise, how could his data have shot up like a rocket in the first round?

What real talent does he have besides marketing?

“Please give the five contestants a short break. The battle for the top three positions is about to begin!”

Following the host’s cue, everyone thanked the audience amidst the blinding flash of lights, then temporarily exited the stage.

After a long commercial break, the host’s exaggerated voice once again echoed throughout the venue: “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re live at the Huanyi National Star Show Grand Finals! The five finalists who have stood out are about to compete for the final championship!”

“The songs for this competition will be drawn by the judges from their submitted song libraries for each of the five contestants. Until the moment they step on stage, the contestants themselves won’t know which song they will perform. Will it be exciting? Will it be thrilling?”

“Our champion will certainly possess all-around exceptional abilities, along with a bit of luck. Alright, now, let’s have the contestants prepare backstage! The song list will remain a secret until the contestants step on stage!”

Backstage

Fang Zhi, anxiously waiting, kept glancing nervously at the door until his manager appeared, gave him a slight nod, and held up five fingers: “It’s settled. This amount.”

The manager handed him a small note, and when Fang Zhi opened it, it revealed one of his most well-prepared signature songs.

“Money isn’t the issue… What about Xiao Chi?”

The manager whispered a few words in his ear. Fang Zhi exhaled a relieved breath, his expression immediately lightening, and a confident smile spread across his face.

—

Meanwhile, backstage with Xiao Chi

As soon as Xiao Chi entered the backstage area, Zhang Mengmeng grabbed him, urging him to change clothes and touch up his makeup. He was bent over, arms extended, and head raised, as if he were a marionette being pulled by strings.

Liu Bing’s voice was like a series of popping firecrackers, incessantly going on about the upcoming events.

Xiao Chi didn’t hear a single word. He glanced at Liu Bing’s busy back, feeling a surge of emotions but holding it all in.

“Hey, whose flower basket is this? It’s filling up the entire hallway! Can’t anyone pass through?” Liu Bing’s voice raised in complaint.

Xiao Chi, with his chin held by Zhang Mengmeng as she applied blush to his face, looked at the mirror from the corner of his eye. Sure enough, the flowers stretched from the hallway all the way to the door, forming a flowery path. The petals still had fresh dew on them, and the rich fragrance filled the room.

“I had someone send it. What’s the problem?”

A low, magnetic voice came from the door. Xiao Chi turned around abruptly, and Zhang Mengmeng, startled, accidentally dragged the powder puff too hard across his cheek, leaving half his face flushed like a ripe apple.

The apple-like blush on his face was met by a warm smile as he looked at the man leaning against the doorframe. Xiao Chi grinned, his apple-like cheeks flashing: “Ji Chenxuan! What are you doing here?”

Ji Chenxuan looked at his flushed face, holding back a smile. He slowly stepped into the room and, with a serious tone, said, “I came to check on the competition progress and thought I’d stop by to take a look.”

“Oh, so you didn’t come to see me specifically…” Xiao Chi pouted in disappointment, shrinking back into his seat and turning his head so that Zhang Mengmeng could redo his makeup.

Ji Chenxuan nearly bit his tongue. “Actually, I…”

“Alright, President Ji, you should get back to your work. It’s a mess in here.” Liu Bing chuckled, his voice full of teasing, “We won’t take up your time.”

Ji Chenxuan: “…”

He ignored Liu Bing’s taunts and slowly walked to stand behind Xiao Chi’s chair, looking at the reflection in the mirror. He cleared his throat and said, “I watched your performance earlier. You did well.”

Zhang Mengmeng continued adjusting Xiao Chi’s chin while his eyes remained glued to Ji Chenxuan’s face. “You watched? From the audience?”

“No, I watched the broadcast backstage. You… who taught you that last move?” Ji Chenxuan pursed his lips, hesitated, and finally asked.

He was utterly heartbroken. If he had known that a flying kiss would work, he would have bought up the entire section of seats directly facing the stage!

“Huh? You mean that one?” Xiao Chi was about to say it was something he found in the database, but when he realized there were other people around, he just vaguely replied, “I… researched it.”

Researching that?

Ji Chenxuan frowned slightly, unable to suppress his thoughts. Could it be that this guy has finally started to tap into his own charm consciously?

Unable to resist Liu Bing’s repeated urges, Ji Chenxuan finally had to leave. As he turned to walk away, the corner of his coat was suddenly tugged. He turned around and met a pair of eyes full of expectation.

Xiao Chi was looking up at him, eagerly watching. “Will you still be around later?”

“Of course!”

Ji Chenxuan’s lips moved slightly, and he smiled modestly. “If you perform well.”

“Deal!” Xiao Chi finally released his grip, his eyes curving into a satisfied smile.

Just before leaving, Ji Chenxuan casually asked, “The flowers… Do you like them?”

Without thinking, Xiao Chi replied, “I like everything you send.”

Ji Chenxuan couldn’t remember how he left the room. His steps felt as though they were floating, like he was walking on cotton candy. A subtle smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, as if he was trying not to smile too broadly.

Zhou Tong could barely stand being near him, wishing he were three feet away. He finally broke free from the pink bubble, rubbing the goosebumps on his arms and breathing in the fresh air.