I was exposed for adding my female boss to my group of female friends.

Performance: 78 points, 79 points.

Creativity: 80 points, 79 points.

Idol appeal: 70 points, 69 points.

When the entire score appeared on the screen, everyone present was stunned once again.

In the previous group, He Su and Yu Xiaoxiao gave vastly different scores.

In this group, the score difference between the two was almost as if they had agreed beforehand, with only a 1-point difference in all the items.

Among them, the most anticipated aspect for everyone—in terms of creativity—Jia Yi's final score was actually lower than Chen Liang's!

Chen Liang scored 88 points + 79 points in creativity, for a total of 167 points.

Jia Yi's score was only 80 points + 79 points, for a total of 159 points.

They've lost a full 8 points!

And that's not even the most outrageous part. The most outrageous part is that the previous group's final score was 455 points, and Jia Yi's group also scored 455 points.

They're tied!

In the case of a tie, Jia Yi's team scored 8 points higher in creativity, which means...

Has Jia Yi become the weak link in this group?

It's fine if you don't think about it, but once you start to think about it, it's just embarrassing.

He Su and Yu Xiaoxiao were also stunned. Neither of them had expected this outcome.

He Su's score of 88 for Chen Liang is well-founded.

He scores points based on aspects such as melody complexity, chords, and lyrics, and then adds them up at the end, resulting in a number he calculated himself.

Although the final number was very high overall, he had checked each item individually and believed there was no room for further deductions, which is why he finally filled in such a number.

Yu Xiaoxiao's scoring was not so detailed; it was simply a comparison of scores.

She felt that Chen Liang's song was slightly better than Meng Xing's, but only by a little bit.

At the same time, she was more inclined to believe Jin Lan emotionally, so she gave Chen Liang a lower score than she gave Jin Lan.

She felt that Jia Yi's song was similar to Chen Liang's; she couldn't tell whether it was better or worse.

Moreover, the two were arguing fiercely, and in order not to offend either of them, she simply gave them the same score.

She actually played a trick behind the scenes—since she didn't comment on whose song was better, she gave them the same score, leaving the decision of who won to He Su, who had a higher profile.

He Su was indeed fooled; he still awarded points based on the sum of individual items.

He Su actually had his own agenda. He originally thought that Yu Xiaoxiao would consider Jia Yi's status and give him a score higher than Chen Liang's.

But honestly, in my personal opinion, Jia Yi's songs aren't as good as Chen Liang's.

So he felt perfectly justified in writing down an 80, hoping to raise the average score.

Both of them thought the other would give Jia Yi a high score, but the final result was that Jia Yi scored 8 points lower than Chen Liang.

Moreover, it was 8 points lower than the other person with the same score.

This is going to be really funny.

The live stream chat was instantly flooded with comments:

"This production team is really brave! They actually dared to give Jia Yi a lower score than Chen Liang!"

"The production team is amazing! They dared to mess with Jia Yi like this just for the sake of the show. That's incredible!"

"Does the production team really dare to be so exploitative? No wonder Guo Xiaoran withdrew from the competition. If they do this, which celebrity will dare to participate in the future?"

"What do you mean Jia Yi? You, Jia Yi, are inferior to others and yet you blame the production team for creating drama? His song is only worth this score!"

"Look at Jia Yi's expression, his face has turned green, haha, I told you long ago that Music Tailor is no good, second best, cjb, unworthy of his position."

"Even if Jia Yi is bad, he's still not someone like you, a nobody, who can pull off a scam. Heh."

"Hey, can you please explain yourself before you post a comment?"

"What kind of show effect is this? The two mentors gave scores that differed by less than one point. Even if you calculate the average score, Jia Yi's score is not as high as the other's. Jia Yi's brainless fans, stop making trouble."

The live stream chat was buzzing with excitement, and the director was all smiles as he watched the numbers climb steadily.

Who said the show is doomed without Guo Xiaoran?

I think Chen Liang made a good change!

Chen Liang's performance on the show is worth at least two Guo Xiaorans!

Seeing the embarrassing score, the host went to the production team for a brief chat, then spoke with the two mentors before going on stage.

"Dear viewers, the mentor scoring session has now concluded. The final scores are: Qin Yunshang's group 517 points, Jin Lan's group 455 points, and Lu Chujiu's group 455 points."

"Currently, Qin Yunshang's group is in the lead, while Jin Lan and Lu Chujiu are tied for second place."

"However, the other two groups should not be discouraged. The current score is not the final score. There will be audience voting next."

"As Chen Liang just said, the quality of a song ultimately depends on the audience's preferences."

On the screen, bar charts for three songs appeared.

The number of audience votes for the three songs has been steadily increasing.

With only three minutes left before the voting deadline, various fan groups in the live stream have already begun campaigning for votes.

"Cloud fans, follow my lead! Get your votes ready! Cast!"

"Sisters, let's support Teacher Jia Yi together! Cast your precious votes!"

"Let's campaign for the 'Awakening from a Dream' duo! Let's help Xiao Hanbao Chujiu become a huge hit!"

Among the many voices campaigning for votes, those campaigning for Jin Lan and Chen Liang were the fewest, and visibly few.

Even the viewers in the live stream noticed.

"Haha, there are people campaigning for everyone, but I haven't seen anyone campaigning for Jin Lan and Chen Liang."

"This isn't normal. I support Jin Lan, but this song was written by Chen Liang. Next time, she can vote with someone else. This time, pass."

While the contestants anxiously awaited the voting results, the two mentors, Yu Xiaoxiao and He Su, were monitoring the live stream chat.

Yu Xiaoxiao also noticed this and whispered, "The situation is very unfavorable for Jin Lan and Chen Liang now. No one is campaigning for them."

“That’s normal,” He Su said. “Jin Lan and Chen Ya were blaming each other on stage, which affected their popularity.”

Yu Xiaoxiao said, "The two of them happen to be collaborators, so the fans don't know which side to vote for."

“That’s only one aspect,” He Su said. “More importantly, a one-sided online feud will attract fans, otherwise you’ll lose them.”

He paused, then continued, "You see, that's how it was with Yingzi and Daolang back then. Once they started fighting, it was a fight to the death. They usually tried to avoid confrontation and keep things peaceful, otherwise they would lose fans."

Yu Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and said, "Well, those three guys from FT Boys, haven't they been making quite a fuss lately?"

He Su smiled and said, "The three of them broke up because they have different interests behind them. They are not really fighting. It's just their fans who are fighting."

Then, he whispered to Yu Xiaoxiao:

"Always let the fans start the fight, don't get involved yourself, unless you can guarantee a one-sided victory, that's how you gain followers."

Yu Xiaoxiao suddenly realized, "No wonder, Dao Lang only released a song later to criticize someone indirectly, but never directly accused anyone. It seems he has matured."

That's exactly the point.

Yu Xiaoxiao nodded seriously, determined to remember this principle.

These are invaluable words of wisdom from a senior figure in the idol industry, worth a fortune.

He Su leaned back in his chair and said, "The problem with Jin Lan and Chen Liang is that they didn't keep their composure. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the overall evaluation of their performance was affected, which is a bit of a pity."

“Indeed.” Yu Xiaoxiao nodded, looking at the three bar charts on the screen with a hint of regret.

Actually, she felt quite sorry for Jin Lan, and she thought her performance was pretty good.

It would be such a shame if the argument on stage affected their performance... Hmm?

what's the situation?

Yu Xiaoxiao suddenly realized that the situation seemed to be getting a little strange.

In the three bar charts, Qin Yunshang's votes were initially far ahead, but gradually, Jin Lan and Chen Ya's votes caught up.

Now it seems like it's catching up with Qin Yunshang!

Yu Xiaoxiao rubbed her eyes, somewhat incredulous.

Are you kidding me?

Why did Jin Lan and Chen Liang get so many votes?

He Su looked a little embarrassed.

As mentioned earlier, feuding affects popularity, but Jin Lan and Chen Liang's votes have skyrocketed.

Many viewers in the live stream also noticed this.

"How come Jin Lan and Chen Liang have so many votes? Is this vote rigging?"

"The production team is going too far by trying to create drama for the show!"

"Yeah, hardly anyone campaigns for them, where did they get so many votes?"

"No, I think all three songs are pretty much the same. I only remember 'Plum Jam' the most, so I voted for it."

"Yes, I'm not a fan of anyone in particular, I just think 'Plum Jam' sounds better."

"At least 'Plum Jam' is better than Jia Yi's song, so it's a bit unfair that they got the same score."

Looking at the vote count on the screen, Meng Xing clenched his fists nervously.

Because their group's votes are about to be overtaken by "Plum Jam".

"How could this be? Who exactly is voting for 'Plum Jam'?" Meng Xing asked in a low voice.

Qin Yunshang remained expressionless, gave a cold laugh, and simply said:

"normal."

After saying that, and seeing that "Plum Jam" was almost catching up with him in the votes, he added:

"Everyone here is a newcomer. The show has a large audience and many casual viewers, but the majority of the audience are silent. And their votes are subconsciously cast for the songs that make the best first impression."

Meng Xing stared at him and asked, "Are you saying that Jin Lan sings better than you?"

Qin Yunshang turned her head and glared at him, saying, "No, it's Chen Liang's song that's better than yours."

Meng Xing shrank back, not daring to speak.

Ugh, losing to a newbie is so embarrassing!

In the end, the votes for "Plum Jam" on the screen finally surpassed Qin Yunshang's, bringing them to first place.

Jia Yi's song received only third place in the votes, far fewer than the top two.

The photographer, not wanting to miss out on the excitement, pointed the lens at Jia Yi and took a close-up shot of his face, which filled the entire screen for a full three seconds.

Jia Yi sat upright, trying hard to sculpt his expression so that he would appear indifferent.

But he still couldn't help feeling a burning sensation on his face.

The camera lens in front of him was like a scorching sun, making it impossible for him to open his eyes.

It was bad enough that his score was lower than Chen Liang's earlier, but now his vote count is even lower.

This is a complete failure in terms of both reputation and popularity!

He lost everything, even his underwear!

Something must have gone wrong.

How could his song possibly get more votes than mine?

Have today's audiences lost their aesthetic sense?

It's worth noting that his song was prepared in advance, and he had polished it for a month before releasing it.

There were some revisions made during the process of singing it for Lu Chujiu.

And Chen Liang's song? It was written in just four days!