I desperately want to win on the peninsula

On the table.

Zhou Xian began to explain to Lin Qianqiao: "The person I told you about before who participated in the hip-hop show was EXY. Her company signed her up for the second season of 'Unpretentious Rapstar'."

"Is 'UNPRETTYRAPSTAR' also a rap show?"

"UNPRETTYRAPSTAR is a spin-off program following the third season of SMTM. Unlike SMTM, this program mainly features female contestants competing in rap."

"I see, EXY is really amazing!" Lin Qianqiao was a little surprised to hear this. She glanced at EXY, who seemed a little embarrassed by the praise, and gave Lin Qianqiao a shy nod and a smile without replying.

Frankly speaking, isn't this show just a real-life drama? No wonder Zhou Xian said EXY is quite capable. If his ability were weak, not only would the drama be uninteresting, but he might also be easily defeated by one side. That wouldn't be a good show.

Zhou Xian added, "She's been spending a lot of time practicing with her rap teacher lately; she's a very hardworking rapper..."

Lin Qianqiao didn't quite understand Zhou Xian's thought process, even though she had previously been described as a talented rapper. She glanced at EXY across from her, her expression instantly changing, and said to Zhou Xian in an annoyed tone, "Come on... Didn't I tell you, Hyorin sunbaenim nin will also be participating."

"Oh, I remember now, so you were being used as a punching bag all this time?"

"Heh~ Hyorin sunbaenim and I just practice as usual, and she's been making a comeback lately, so she hasn't been practicing rap."

EXY glanced at Zhou Xian, unscrewed the cap on his drink, took a sip, and then noticed that Xue'e's drink on the table was unopened. He casually picked it up and opened it with a snap, as if he were cracking open someone's skull. He handed it to the sweet girl next to him, and Xue'e smiled and thanked him softly. She took the drink, opened the cap, and took a sip.

Her gaze returned to the other side. "Zhou Xianxi, Clown really used you as a punching bag. During the battle, after several punches, you didn't cry. I thought you were really resilient, you're so tough!"

After saying that, she gave a sarcastic thumbs-up, "Did you pass the SMTM auditions? Surely you're not just at the amateur level..."

"Can you stop talking nonsense? Do we even need to talk about the auditions?" Zhou Xian's face darkened. It was obvious that his battle skills were lacking. "You should worry about yourself... Those ladies participating in the show are not to be trifled with. You know what will happen if they really start fighting."

"Are they very capable?" Lin Qianqiao asked, sounding curious.

"The average rap level is... okay, it's just that the senior artists participating in the show have more experience, so EXY is easily suppressed." Since everyone here is on the same side, there's no need to hide anything. Zhou Xian answered with a slight hesitation: "For example, AOA's Jimin, Wonder Girls' Ahn Sohee... they are all senior idols who have debuted for many years."

"Understood."

After all, to be aggressive, one must have superior and higher-than-other aspects; that's the meaning of breaking through defenses.

Others have been in the industry for many years, yet they can come up with amazing little phrases like "I have more fans than you," "I earn more money than you," "I carry designer bags," and "I eat high-end Korean beef while you eat seaweed soup with rice."

They could probably leave EXY speechless before their debut, especially girls of that age, when their self-esteem is at its strongest. They would feel terrible all night just reviewing what happened when they got home.

Just like the protagonist in the movie 8 Mile, he couldn't rap any of the brilliant lines in his mind and could only stand there awkwardly. Lin Qianqiao nodded and looked at EXY to encourage him: "EXY should have seen 8 Mile Underground, right? We need to make a comeback, show our spirit, and not be afraid of them."

"Hehe... Thank you." EXY chuckled sheepishly, looking down slightly embarrassed as he said, "Actually... I already asked my mom to make me pasta at home."

"Being superstitious is useless. You'll just have to go on TV and get beaten up."

Zhou Xian seemed to lack common sense, which made EXY glare at him angrily, "I'll see who gets beaten first. I'll watch every single episode of SMTM, so you better not lose, Zhou Xian."

"Even if I lose, someone will be there for me, right...?"

Zhou Xian seemed to chicken out and steered the conversation to the person next to him. Lin Qianqiao tilted her head, pointed to her nose, and asked, "Me?"

"Huh? Is there anyone else besides you?" Zhou Xian frowned upon seeing this and asked incredulously.

Upon hearing this, EXY waved his hand at the air in front of him, as if trying to fan away the bad luck. "Come on, Qian Qiao definitely won't lose to you. He's definitely very strong, at least several levels higher than you, Zhou Xian."

"How...how did you figure that out?"

Zhou Xian hesitated. He didn't know the exact extent of Lin Qianqiao's abilities, and he wondered how EXY knew. But this question wouldn't keep him waiting long. EXY replied casually, "Beauty is justice. Qianqiao looks very capable."

Lin Qianqiao thought this made a lot of sense and nodded in agreement, saying, "You have a good eye. Then the gap between me and Zhou Xian is definitely more than just a few levels."

"Pfft—hahahaha." EXY burst into laughter upon hearing this, and Xue'e, standing to the side, also covered her mouth and chuckled. The relaxed and pleasant atmosphere was like a warm current, quietly melting away the thin layer of ice that had formed during their first meeting, making them feel that Lin Qianqiao was surprisingly easy to get along with.

Just as Zhou Xian was about to retort, the bibimbap he had just ordered arrived, and the aroma of the food filled the small dining table.

"Let's eat first."

"Hey, do you want some hot sauce?"

"No, I don't eat spicy food."

"..."

While eating, Lin Qianqiao listened to Zhou Xian and EXY chatting. The two of them were quite talkative and could chatter on and on once they had something to say.

The content jumps from the initial noise and stage experience to which dish in the company cafeteria is the best, then from how strict the new dance teacher is, to a recently watched popular web series.

Xue'e occasionally added a few words in a low voice, while Lin Qianqiao listened quietly from the side.

As night deepened outside the window, the hustle and bustle of the restaurants continued, but the time spent at this table seemed to be slowed down, flowing with a rare, unpretentious ease.

After finishing their meal, they exchanged contact information, and EXY and Seol-ah went back first. The Starship trainees' dormitory was also near Nonhyeon-dong.

Before leaving, the two girls smiled sweetly and waved goodbye.

After everything was over, only Lin Qianqiao and Zhou Xian remained at the door. After finishing their meal, they naturally went back to their dormitory.

……

ment TV station.

The "Show Me The Money" conference.

Directors Lee Sang-geun, Shin Chun-ji, Choi Hyo-jin, and Yoo Il-han are responsible for program content, internet marketing, stage performance, and visuals, respectively.

The third season has already allowed "smtm" to gradually step out of the HIPHOP circle, so the production team has high ambitions for this season. They have brought their own star producers, expanded the number of contestants, invited more well-known contestants to participate in the show, and made the competition rules more standardized.

The four directors gathered together, while staff members organized the various documents for the auditions, and began a serious meeting.

The production team needs to select contestants who can generate buzz and highlights from the advanced contestants to create scripts for the post-production staff to edit.

We must show the audience what they want to see; this is crucial for the show's ratings and influence.

Lee Sang-geun, who is in charge of the program's content, asked first: "Who are the contestants who are currently generating buzz?"

"Mino and Black Nut".

After the staff finished speaking, they immediately projected the two candidates' audition results onto the screen.

The former comes from the YG Entertainment group Winner, who are themselves the show's biggest draw. They were very confident during the audition process and passed easily.

The latter was quite outrageous. Not only did he take off his pants at the audition to reveal his red inner layer, but he also made a shocking statement during an interview—"Anyway, the champion is Song Minho."

This isn't just subtle mockery; it's a blatant accusation that the production team is engaging in underhanded practices.

However, after watching the video, Lee Sang-geun was not angry at all; instead, a meaningful smile appeared on his lips. He admired this kind of "cleverness" in deliberately creating controversy, accurately selecting opponents, and understanding the needs of both sides.

"This is a good topic," Lee Sang-geun said, unconcerned about the highly pointed remarks. "This interview doesn't need to be edited; just put it into the main video as is."

"Won't this affect the program?" a person in charge asked hesitantly, expressing their concerns.

"Don't worry." Lee Dong-geun adjusted his glasses. "The conflict between idol rappers and underground rappers is their business and has nothing to do with the show. We're just presenting what actually happened."

He then followed up with, "Are there any other contestants who are generating buzz?"

"PD NIM, you'll definitely be interested after you see this," the person in charge said with a confident expression.

"Oh?" Li Xianggen had a general understanding of the advancing contestants, and there were very few pleasant surprises. He was quite curious about the contestant that the person in charge mentioned could pique his interest.

The large screen then switched to another display under the control of the staff.

A contestant, whose face was obscured by his low-brimmed hat, was performing an a cappella rap. His impeccable flow and fresh choice of rhymes, combined with his flawless vocal tone, immediately caught Li Xianggen's eye.

As the performance ended, the contestant slowly raised his head, revealing a visually striking face.

In an instant, Li Xianggen's eyes widened, almost doubting that he had seen wrong.

"Who is this person?" Lee Sang-geun was secretly shocked. Such formidable strength combined with such a handsome face made him a definite champion candidate. If used properly, he could garner a lot of attention.

"Kyo, a member of MONSTAX, is from STARSHIP."

The person in charge handed the information to Lee Sang-geun: "This contestant was added by STARSHIP later and has not been promoted. He probably participated in the show for the purpose of exposure. STARSHIP's focus is on another member, Joo-heon."

"No wonder..." Lee Sang-geun took the documents and flipped through them. Apart from information about his debut and his pre-debut days, there was very little content. "Does he have anything that can generate buzz?"

"Yes," the person in charge answered affirmatively.

Then Li Xianggen saw Lin Qianqiao surrounded by a crowd on the big screen, facing the gazes from all directions, as if she were at the center of the world.

Regardless of the provocative gazes or various forms of hostility, Lin Qianqiao's expression remained consistently disdainful.

This highly visually appealing shot is exactly the effect Li Xianggen wanted.

He has finally found someone who can ignite a discussion between idol rappers and underground rappers. You should know that the YG artists who were hyped up before were actually not satisfactory, and it was just a topic that the production team wanted to create.

YG started out with hip-hop and has always maintained a certain status in the industry. Underground rappers don't actually have that much resistance to their artists.

At most, people might be envious, but not many would actually buy into it.

Now that a talented and good-looking idol rapper has emerged, how can anyone not be satisfied?

Lee Sang-geun suppressed his excitement, "Was that Andup who provoked Kyo?"

"Yes, PD NIM." The person in charge nodded in response.

"We can arrange interviews for the two of them in the next round, especially Andup, so he can share his thoughts on idol rappers." Lee Sang-geun pondered for a moment, "As for Kyo, let me think about it some more."

"Understood." The person in charge was taken aback, but immediately understood the director's meaning, knowing that there was going to be some excitement.

"I don't think we need to consider it. Kyo can bring a lot of traffic to the show," said Liu Yihan, who is in charge of online marketing.

"That's right," visual director Choi Hyo-jin affirmed. "Moreover, the company behind him doesn't have much influence on us, so we don't need to worry too much."

These words drew nods of agreement from the other directors.

All three directors gave their answers, leaving only Shin Cheon-ji, and everyone's eyes turned to her.

"It doesn't matter, as long as it brings in ratings for the show, you guys can decide." Shen Qianzhi shrugged.

"In that case, I'll finish the plan as soon as possible." Seeing everyone's approval, Li Xianggen smiled. As the person in charge, it was rare to see such a united scene.

……