My agency went bankrupt before I even got on stage.

Lin Fan and his group of five went upstairs and pushed open the door to the student cafeteria, only to find that they weren't the only ones who wanted to eat hot pot there. Someone was already organizing a party! Several pots were set up, and a group of people were eating enthusiastically and having a great time!

Ah Zhe was trying to scoop out rice noodles from the pot with a slotted spoon in one hand and chopsticks in the other, but he didn't manage to get anything and even burned his hands with the soup. He was making a fuss and acting pitiful! He looked up and saw Lin Fan and the other four standing at the door.

"Brother Fan, you're here! Come in, come in! Sit here!"

The others, seeing them arrive, greeted them warmly: "You've come at the perfect time! The battle has just begun! Clear broth, half-and-half, spicy, and extra spicy—we have it all!"

"Come on, let's do it ourselves and we'll have plenty to eat and wear!"

"Eat as much as you want, all you can eat! I saw three huge refrigerators crammed full of hot pot ingredients!"

Lin Fan and his four companions found places to sit down, asking, "What's going on here? Why does it feel like there are more people here than at the victory celebration? When did you guys arrive? You didn't even call us when you organized this!"

"Hey!" Frog handed Lin Fan a set of cutlery and casually put some mutton into the hot pot. "Morning Star has been running for so many seasons, the production team is shrewd! Is a celebration party the place for us? Obviously not! But dozens of us are here, we can't not even get a meal, right? So this is what happened!"

The cafeteria is open! Ingredients are ready for you! If you want to go to a celebration party, go; if you don't want to go, come here and have fun on your own.

Chen Xianwu chuckled: "You know what, having dinner with these big shots is definitely stressful! Even though they have no idea who we are. It's much more enjoyable to have hot pot with everyone. The production team really put in a lot of thought!"

"Whether it was intentional or not, I don't know," Wen Yang suddenly chuckled mysteriously from the next table, "but the director is probably furious!"

Everyone fell silent for a moment. It wasn't just the director; the head of Starry Sky Entertainment, the mentors and guests on site, and the sponsors were probably all furious!

But you deserve it! This is the center position you chose! This is the royal family you're protecting! No matter how brain-dead you are, you have to suffer for it!

Li Xiaodong suddenly muttered to herself, "I have to talk to my agent when I get back and ask him to try to avoid me doing any activities with that guy!" Otherwise, I'll get screwed over and have to clean up his mess!

Zhuo Yuanquan and Lu Bingyang exchanged a glance, and they both saw the same thought in each other's eyes: Stay away from that person! So as not to get dragged down!

"Stop talking about unhappy things! Eat, eat, eat! The food is ready!"

"Is anyone willing to perform to liven things up?"

"Get lost! I'm sick of this acting for over a month! How about I show you how to eat a plate of hot pot lamb in three seconds?"

"Act! You have to act! I'm really interested in this! I bet you a bottle of Coke! If you can't finish this meal in three seconds, you have to drink this bottle of Coke!"

"After you finish drinking, shall I give you a performance of eighteen consecutive burps?"

Everyone chatted and laughed, talking about the funny things that happened during training together, discussing their respective development after being eliminated, joking around, and bragging.

Suddenly, a voice rang out abruptly: "Everyone's here!"

Everyone looked up and exclaimed, "Wow! It's time to call him C-position! X-STAR's C-position, Li Yingqi, along with Tu Jingyi and the others, have all arrived. Not only have they come, but they've also brought several cases of beer."

For a moment, the lively atmosphere suddenly quieted down, and the mood turned a bit cold.

Li Yingqi seemed unaware that she and her group weren't very popular. She smiled and led the other group members in, very naturally joining Lin Fan's table and sitting down on her own.

"What delicious food should we eat?"

The other members also found seats, opened cases of beer, and distributed them to everyone. "Brother, give me a pair of chopsticks. I've been drinking all this time, and I'm completely stuffed. I can't take it anymore!"

As the saying goes, you can't hit someone who's smiling. These group members don't have much conflict with others. It's normal for them to stick together with Li Yingqi and Tu Jingyi. Exchanging resources and mutual benefit is the norm in the entertainment industry. There's no need to ruin their relationship over this.

If Li Yingqi hadn't had that brain fart during his speech and made those random remarks, the other trainees probably wouldn't have distanced themselves from him; instead, they would have been eager to get close to him.

Unfortunately, whether he's out of his mind or just plain stupid, what Li Yingqi says is just water flowing from his brain, and who knows how much more water is left. To avoid being implicated by such a person, everyone doesn't say anything openly, but they all subconsciously want to distance themselves from him and sever ties with him.

The other tables accepted the beer brought by the group members, as a way of welcoming them in.

Besides himself, Lin Fan's table also included Li Xiaodong, Lu Bingyang, Zhuo Yuanquan, Chen Xianwu, Wawa, and two other roommates from room 404. None of them responded to Li Yingqi's words.

joke!

Lin, who holds a grudge, clearly remembered that just a few hours ago, this idiot had dissed him in front of so many people! If Ding Erxun hadn't fired the first shot, he wouldn't have been so easily dealt with!

Besides, I'm not going to debut, so I'm not afraid of you, Li Yingqi!

Li Yingqi chuckled dryly and said shamelessly, "How can we eat hot pot on such a hot day without alcohol! Come on, let me open some for everyone."

As he spoke, he popped open several bottles of beer, one for each person. Li Yingqi also grabbed a bottle for herself, still with that same smiling face: "Come on, Brother Fan, let me toast you! If it weren't for you, our show wouldn't have such high ratings. I heard from the director that you're a major contributor to the show!"

Before Lin Fan could move, Li Xiaodong snorted first: "So this is how you diss a hero?"

Others may fear Li Yingqi, but Li Xiaodong is not.

Before forming the group, they might have to be wary of the "royal family" (favored members who are considered "royal family members"), lest they become stepping stones for the "royal family" to rise to power. But even after forming the group, it's uncertain how many group activities they'll have! It's true that Li Yingqi is a favorite of the company, but the company can't afford to offend everyone for one person!

Li Xiaodong considers herself a newbie in the entertainment industry, with low popularity and status, but she can't compete with her family's wealth! Her family just doesn't support her debuting as an idol, but they haven't said they're not interested in investing in entertainment projects! She remembers the last time she called home, her dad mentioned investing in some projects of a big company?

Seeing Li Xiaodong's lack of respect, Li Yingqi's smile almost crumbled, but he wasn't there to cause trouble: "Yes, Xiaodong, you're right! It's all my fault. I'm a bit of a loose tongue. My manager has scolded me countless times for this! That's why I'm here to apologize to you guys!"

"Brother Fan! This drink is for you! I hope you'll be magnanimous and not hold it against me!" Li Yingqi lightly touched the bottle in front of Lin Fan with his beer bottle, and then, without waiting for Lin Fan to speak, he chugged the whole bottle himself!

Lin Fan and his group at the table exchanged bewildered glances. Was this guy really here to apologize?