"Okay!" Tongtong immediately agreed.
Xia Qianqian also raised her fist, "Go, go!"
The parent sitting behind Tongtong, seeing how young she was and how fluent she was in foreign languages, quietly told her daughter not to underestimate her opponent.
However, most of the contestants didn't take Tongtong seriously.
Perhaps Tongtong was indeed very smart among her peers and could be called a child prodigy.
But they had been smart since childhood, and no matter what, they wouldn't be outdone by a little kid.
At this moment, a staff member from the program team walked onto the bus with a list and began registration.
Then they went to another bus. After confirming that everyone was on board except for a few invited guests who weren't staying at the hotel, they instructed the driver to head to the television station.
The television station was not far from the hotel, only about a twenty-minute drive. Many contestants on the way got to know each other.
However, their acquaintance was not just to make friends, but for the sake of knowing their enemy to win every battle.
They were rivals, and only by understanding each other could they defeat each other.
Therefore, their conversations were filled with ulterior motives.
Since no one considered Tongtong a competitor, no one actively greeted her.
It was simply because she was too young, and they couldn't find common ground to talk about.
Liu Yifeng, afraid that Tongtong would feel awkward or lonely, initiated a conversation and chatted all the way until they arrived at the television station.
Liu Yifeng had only seen Mango TV on television before, and what he saw were always the recording sites of programs.
This was his first time standing outside the television station. He had to admit that it looked much grander and more imposing than his local television station.
Its golden shimmer was mesmerizing!
This was also Xia Qianqian's first time here. Generally, those who could participate in variety shows here had some level of fame.
Someone like her, who had no fame, wouldn't be invited even if she didn't ask for appearance fees.
Being able to record her first program here was considered a new beginning for her.
She immediately took out her phone and asked Liu Yifeng to quickly take a couple of photos for her to keep as a souvenir.
As expected of a young girl, she liked to take pictures wherever she went.
Liu Yifeng found his camera and snapped two photos of Xia Qianqian.
Afterward, Xia Qianqian held Tongtong's hand and asked Liu Yifeng to take another photo. Just as Liu Yifeng thought it was over, Xia Qianqian took her phone back and turned on the front-facing camera.
Before he could react, she took a selfie with him. "You..."
Xia Qianqian smiled and explained, "I see you don't like taking photos. Since we're here, we have to keep a photo as a souvenir. I'll get it printed and mail it to you!" With that, she put away her phone.
Seeing this, Liu Yifeng couldn't say anything more. It was just a photo, and he wasn't so petty as to make her delete it.
At this moment, he noticed that not only Xia Qianqian was taking pictures, but others were doing the same.
"Everyone, please come in. There will be plenty of time for photos later!" the staff member shouted loudly, seeing everyone engrossed in taking pictures.
Only then did everyone put away their phones and follow the staff into the television station.
The television station was very large, with several halls where different programs were being recorded.
In the lobby, famous actors or well-known hosts would occasionally walk out.
The people working here were already used to it.
Many invited guests fantasized about becoming a regular guest on Mango TV one day.
Led by the staff, they arrived at a large conference room.
Invited guests in one room, contestants and their families in another.
This was to facilitate explanations because their contracts were different and the content of the recording was different.
"I'll go to that conference room. If you have any questions about the contract you don't understand, call me, and I'll teach you!" Xia Qianqian pointed to the conference room next door.
Liu Yifeng nodded, "Okay, you go in quickly!"
With that, he held Tongtong's hand and entered the conference room, finding a seat at random.
This conference room could accommodate one hundred people at a time. There were thirty-two contestants in this competition, plus thirty-two family members, so there was more than enough space.
Coincidentally, Mother Song brought her son and sat next to Liu Yifeng, whether it was intentional or not.
However, Liu Yifeng did not provoke her. This woman was almost obsessed with raising her son, so it was better for him to stay away.
But just because he didn't provoke her didn't mean Mother Song wouldn't say anything.
She looked at Liu Yifeng beside her and said, "In today's first competition, your son will likely be eliminated. You don't need to come tomorrow, so why sign a contract!"
Hearing her annoying words, Liu Yifeng couldn't be bothered to reply. Although he didn't know her son's strength, he had never doubted his own son's abilities.
Seeing that Liu Yifeng ignored her, Mother Song stopped being bothersome and merely snorted, expressing her disdain.
"Everyone, welcome to Mango Television. Those present here today are the future and hope of our nation. Every contestant has been selected from one in ten thousand, and you all possess the strongest minds.
We hope you will give your all in every upcoming competition and live up to this encounter.
Shortly, our station's general manager will come and say a few words to everyone and will provide you with a contract. Once you have reviewed it and have no issues, you may sign it. Afterward, we will discuss the competition rules."
Meanwhile, Xia Qianqian sat in a less conspicuous spot.
She had already signed her contract and only needed to listen to the competition rules.
Most of the people present were minor figures in the entertainment industry. Although some had acted in many TV dramas, they only played supporting roles and were not very famous.
The only relatively famous ones, Gao Yuan and Yun Duo'er, had not yet arrived. As expected, the main acts always came last.
Since everyone was not yet familiar with each other and they were rivals, the atmosphere was very quiet.
Seeing that Yun Duo'er and Gao Yuan had not arrived, the staff member smiled and asked everyone to wait!
In fact, the program team had already handed over the contracts when they invited them.
The reason they were waiting for the two of them was because of their different statuses, and they dared not underestimate them.
Many people below were already impatient: "What's going on? Didn't they say we were going to sign contracts? We've been sitting here for more than ten minutes, and there's been no movement!"
"Exactly, they're treating us like this!"
"Complaining is useless. Don't you see that two invited guests haven't arrived yet? We all have to wait!" someone said sarcastically.
"What do you mean? They're making thirty of us wait because two people haven't arrived? That's too much!" a female guest who didn't know they were waiting for Gao Yuan and Yun Duo'er said indignantly.
Until someone explained, "What can we do? They're big stars after all.
Our combined worth isn't even half of theirs!"
"When will we become popular too? I want to be treated specially like this!" one person said with envy.
Listening to the murmurs of the crowd, Xia Qianqian did not join in.
Firstly, she was not a person who liked gossip. Secondly, she had long accepted some of the behaviors in this industry.
Let alone waiting ten minutes, she had waited for two hours before.
She remembered that once, a sound engineer invited her to sing backing vocals for a singer.
It was agreed that the recording would start at 2:30 PM. She arrived twenty minutes early, but the singer insisted on delaying until 4:30 PM, and everyone waited for her alone.
Since she was the lead singer, the recording couldn't proceed without her.
Even though she was two hours late, no one at the scene got angry at her. They even thanked her for rushing over to record.
It was simply because she was famous enough that any song she sang could enter the bestseller list, and the profits she brought were unimaginable.
So she was long accustomed to it and wouldn't complain, because she indeed had the right to be temperamental.
Unlike them, they were afraid of being replaced if they were late, which was why they made it a habit to arrive early for any program they attended.
Seeing the crowd's discussions, the staff member couldn't say much. In fact, he was also impatient, but he was just an employee earning a few thousand yuan a month. How could he dare to confront the big stars? It would be like not wanting to work anymore.
Amidst the growing dissatisfaction, a major star finally walked into the conference room.
A beautiful woman in high heels and a custom-made haute couture dress from a certain brand walked in.