"So, today's questions will target Tongtong?" Liu Yifeng was stunned.
Director Wang nodded, "Yes, but I don't know who's behind it. Otherwise, the station wouldn't target Tongtong for no reason. Think carefully, do you and your son have any grudges with any contestants or special guests?"
Liu Yifeng thought hard, "We don't know anyone. We only met yesterday, and we're not close. Who would go to such lengths? And if they're afraid Tongtong threatens them, many contestants performed well yesterday. Why choose to eliminate Tongtong?"
"In short, it must be one of them. Others have no reason to do this. I hate people who play dirty tricks the most; it's disgusting!" Director Wang said angrily.
"Could it be Song Mama?" Liu Yifeng asked uncertainly, as she was the only one he'd had a disagreement with yesterday.
Director Wang immediately denied it, "That's unlikely. Song Mama doesn't have the influence to make the station obey her." Someone with the ability to make the station so compliant must have considerable power, otherwise, who could convince the station director?
After hearing Director Wang's words, Liu Yifeng felt there was some truth to it. Then who could it be? Suddenly, a familiar face flashed through his mind. It was Tongtong's biological mother, Yun Duo'er. She was the one who most likely wanted Tongtong eliminated. Their appearance must have made Yun Duo'er fearful that her past actions would be exposed, affecting her career. Moreover, she feared Tongtong winning, which would mean she had abandoned a genius son, a son who could have helped her career soar. This was a result she couldn't and wouldn't accept. No woman could accept abandoning her son for her career, only for him to later bring her career even greater success. It would be like she had given up a shortcut and made the most foolish choice, one that kept her in constant anxiety, fearing the day it would be revealed. The best solution was to eliminate Tongtong, reduce his exposure, and thus minimize the chances of her past actions being discovered.
Director Wang saw Liu Yifeng staring blankly and waved his hand, "Yifeng, what's wrong? Have you thought of something?"
Liu Yifeng snapped back to reality and shook his head nonchalantly, "No, I don't know who's behind this!"
"Then what do you plan to do? Seek an explanation from the general director, or announce it to the media after the show?" Director Wang asked.
Liu Yifeng shook his head, baffling Director Wang. "Are you going to suffer in silence after such unfair treatment?"
"Director Wang, I'm very grateful you told me this. Honestly, I wouldn't blame you if you hadn't. But precisely because you told me, I cannot make this public. If I did, the general director would immediately know you leaked the information, and the consequence would be you being fired. I can't let you lose your job because of this."
"But if you don't make a fuss, the questions will be unfair to Tongtong, and he might be eliminated!"
Liu Yifeng smiled at Tongtong and patted his head, "Tongtong, tell Uncle Wang, are you scared?"
Tongtong also smiled and shook his head, "Not scared. We'll face whatever comes our way!"
Seeing the father and son so calm despite knowing the truth, Director Wang was shaken. If it were anyone else, remaining calm in such a crisis would seem foolish. But this father and son gave him the feeling that they had everything under control, as if nothing could stump them. This put him at ease. "Tongtong, Uncle Wang is rooting for you!"
"Uncle Wang, just watch my performance. No matter what schemes they use, they won't succeed," Tongtong said, clenching his fist with a proud expression. Director Wang, who had been worried, finally smiled. This outcome was the best for him, and he hoped Tongtong could indeed handle any challenge thrown at him by the station and shut them down. It wasn't as simple as them wanting Tongtong eliminated; in the face of true strength, their petty tricks would be useless.
At that moment, Liu Yifeng's phone rang. It was Xia Qianqian. "Yifeng, where did Director Wang take you? The show is about to start, and the general director is taking attendance!"
"Okay, we're coming!"
"Hurry up. I'll find a seat later and watch Tongtong's performance. I'm curious to see the general director's expression when Tongtong answers the questions," Director Wang said. They then left the room together, Liu Yifeng taking Tongtong to the backstage while Director Wang went directly to the recording hall.
Director Wang saw Liu Yifeng arrive late and worried if he had said something to them. However, seeing no unusual expressions on the father and son, he relaxed. It made sense; no matter how foolish Director Wang was, he wouldn't jeopardize his career and the station for people he had no connection with. While it sounded like a righteous act, it was actually foolish behavior. That's why people say, "Heaven and earth will destroy those who don't look out for themselves."
"Since everyone is here, let's all enter according to our designated order. Family members will use the other back entrance, while contestants and special guests will enter through this door. I hope everyone performs well and leaves a deep impression." With that, everyone began to enter.
Liu Yifeng sat in his seat from yesterday. As soon as he entered, he saw Director Wang waving at him from a distance. He smiled and nodded in response before sitting down. Once everyone was seated, the cameras were ready, the lights were adjusted, music played, and the host made a stylish entrance. After the familiar opening remarks, the judges and contestants were introduced, and the audience applauded. Then, the host announced today's competition rules. "After yesterday's fierce elimination round, I'm sure everyone is eager to perform. I look forward to your brilliant displays. However, there will still be eliminations today. Who will advance and who will leave with regret depends on your strength. Now, I announce today's competition rules: this is the second day of the advancement rounds, with three rounds of competition. Each round will have different tasks, but all are individual events. We will score based on the contestants' accuracy. After three rounds, the bottom eight contestants will enter the revival round, where four will be eliminated, leaving four contestants. The theme for the first round is displayed on the big screen: hundreds of dots, each with a different number. Contestants must memorize each dot within three minutes. We will then call out a shape, and the contestant must state its corresponding number. Whoever takes the shortest time ranks first, and so on. If a contestant fails to answer within eight minutes, it counts as a failure. However, you can use your special guest's privilege to have a member of the help team assist you. But we cannot guarantee that the member will answer correctly. If the privilege is not used within eight minutes, it's considered a failure. For the sake of fairness, the judges will draw lots to determine who goes on stage to answer. Who will be the first judge to draw?" the host asked.
"I'll go first!" Yang Yin, the only female judge, raised her hand.
"Alright, then we invite Ms. Yang to the stage to draw lots and see who will be the first contestant to take the stage!" the host gestured. Yang Yin walked onto the stage. The names of twenty-eight contestants were placed in a sealed box. Yang Yin needed to reach in and pick a ball with a contestant's name written inside. "Ms. Yang, please reach in and pick a ball!" the host said, looking at her standing by the box.