"I see. It's a real shame. If only you had continued recording back then, perhaps we could have become friends. The moment I saw you today, I felt an instant connection."
"Me too, Teacher Liangli."
"Alright, Su Yang, please take a seat."
Liangli actually wanted to chat with Su Yang for a bit longer, even considering asking for his contact information directly on stage.
However, this was a national live broadcast, and the director in her earpiece kept urging her on. Liangli was compelled to stop talking, ask Su Yang to sit, and move on with the program.
"Now that our three contestants are present and have introduced themselves, I have a question for all of you."
The sofas were extended. Liangli was supposed to sit on either side, meaning she would have to sit next to Ji Rufeng. But now, she directly sat down next to Su Yang.
She had completely forgotten about how close she was with Ji Rufeng backstage.
Ji Rufeng's expression remained grim. Even though his agent was constantly reminding him via earpiece to manage his facial expressions.
But faced with such a situation, who could possibly manage their emotions?
Still, Ji Rufeng knew that his rise to fame hadn't been easy, so he had to endure it for now.
This was a national live broadcast. If his expression was off now, or if he made any other strange moves, he wouldn't be able to survive in the entertainment industry.
Liangli gestured across, saying, "All three of you know that this competition is organized by our Bureau of Culture. Our director is also present today, seated across from us. Our director will be observing all your actions."
"The audience votes are the most crucial element, but our director also holds ten thousand votes to award to any contestant who satisfies him."
Ten thousand votes might seem like a lot, but in this era of massive traffic, it wasn't that significant.
Contestants with high popularity could easily overwhelm this number.
If Ji Rufeng hadn't shown that expression, Su Yang felt he might have desperately needed those ten thousand votes. But now...
Su Yang's popularity had already surpassed Ji Rufeng's, and he would likely surpass Ji Rufeng by a wide margin later.
However, no one could predict the future. If the vote difference was small, these ten thousand votes could be decisive.
Due to special circumstances, it was inconvenient for the Director of the Bureau of Culture to appear in person.
The military leaders of the nine major departments of Long Country were similar; it was inconvenient for them to appear before the public, so they rarely participated in such events.
The Director of the Bureau of Culture was actually someone who could make an appearance, but this time, to help the contestants relax, he chose not to. He was simply watching the three people on stage from the darkness.
Upon hearing Liangli's words, Su Yang glanced across. With his keen eyes, he immediately spotted the Director of the Bureau of Culture behind the partition.
He was currently appraising the three of them.
Su Yang could also see what the director's initial impressions of the three were.
Ji Rufeng's initial impression was very good. However, because Ji Rufeng lost control of his expression later, the director was not satisfied with his performance, and his impression worsened.
Previously, this director's impression of Su Yang wasn't very good either.
This was because Su Yang had only informed them of Ms. Yang's company's participation upon arriving at the venue. Coupled with the fact that Su Yang and Ji Rufeng had competed for the final slot for a long time before appearing,
This situation, if viewed negatively, could be seen as diva behavior. Because of this, the Director of the Bureau of Culture initially had a poor opinion of Su Yang.
Among the three, the best initial impression was for Wang Zheng.
After all, Wang Zheng had absolutely no scandals, was a veteran artist, and had sufficient popularity.
His national recognition was also the highest among these three. If these three were to go out, despite Ji Rufeng's massive traffic, Wang Zheng would still be recognized by the largest number of people.
However, later on, the Director of the Bureau of Culture changed his mind.
This change began when Su Yang appeared.
Su Yang's attire, coupled with the noble demeanor evident in his every word and gesture, perfectly showcased the unique noble temperament of a Long Country man.
This kind of temperament was very rare.
Moreover, Su Yang was incredibly composed when facing the cameras, as if there were no cameras present.
At this moment, Su Yang's impression in the mind of the Director of the Bureau of Culture had ranked first.
From the moment Su Yang arrived at the venue, the thunderous cheers that erupted made Su Yang confident that he had secured his position.
Seeing the director's current impression of him further solidified his belief that this competition was already his.
"Honestly, I was hesitant when I was first informed," Wang Zheng began his answer.
"After all, as everyone knows, I've been married for over twenty years, and my children are already dating. Participating in a blind date show would be a joke, wouldn't it?"
"But later, a staff member told me that the purpose of this event was to promote China's traditional culture. That immediately piqued my interest. It's about bringing glory to our country!"
After Wang Zheng finished, Liangli picked up the conversation, "Yes, Teacher Wang has understood it perfectly. This is about selecting someone to represent China and bring honor to the nation abroad."
"What do the remaining two of you think?"
"I agree with Teacher Wang. This is about bringing honor to the country," Su Yang said. "And... I have some similar experiences from before, so I might be more at ease."
"Aren't we more at ease in front of the camera than you are?"
As soon as Su Yang finished speaking, Ji Rufeng interjected.
He wasn't stating his own opinion, but rather directly contradicting Su Yang.
Upon hearing Ji Rufeng's words, the audience fell silent for a moment.
[...What is Ji Rufeng saying?]
[Has he finally lost it?]
[I always thought Ji Rufeng was pretentious, especially with his gentle persona, but it never cracked before. Now it seems it was all fake...]
[Ji Rufeng is so disgusting...]
[Why did he say that at this moment? He seems so thoughtless. Didn't he graduate from an art academy? Didn't they teach basic etiquette there?]
[There were rumors before that Ji Rufeng's degree was fake, and he actually graduated from a third-rate vocational college (whispering)]
[Above, although I don't like Ji Rufeng, that was clarified before. Ji Rufeng's degree is real.]
[In the entertainment industry, who really knows?]
Ji Rufeng is really asking for it...
Su Yang thought to himself.
But Su Yang didn't get angry. He calmly looked at Ji Rufeng and said, "Indeed. Both of you have been in front of the camera for a long time, while I've only been in front of the camera for a short period at most."
"But what I meant was that I have participated in blind date shows before, so I might be more at ease in that regard."
"I know Teacher Wang and your daughter were each other's first love and got married. You must not have participated in blind date shows before. Have you?"
[Help, help! Su Yang is so bold!]
[Su Yang's emotional intelligence is amazing! I love him!]
[The more I watch this man, the more I fall for him. What's with Ji Rufeng?]
...
Upon hearing Su Yang's words, Ji Rufeng gritted his teeth.
"I... of course, I haven't participated. I just..."
"You must have misunderstood my meaning. It's alright, hahaha." Su Yang didn't expose Ji Rufeng; instead, he laughed along, helping Ji Rufeng out of the awkward situation.
Ji Rufeng glared fiercely at Su Yang.
[No way, Su Yang is even helping Ji Rufeng? He's too kind!]
[What's with Ji Rufeng's expression...]
[No, what is he trying to do, Ji Rufeng...]
The bullet comments were overwhelmingly critical of Ji Rufeng, with very few, almost none, speaking in his defense.
Indeed, in this situation, what could anyone say in Ji Rufeng's defense?
Ji Rufeng's lips were pale. He didn't know why he had suddenly said that. He just felt incredibly uncomfortable seeing Su Yang doing so well.
Su Yang could understand Ji Rufeng's feelings, but he was truly not a good person.
Exchanging a smile with Ji Rufeng, Su Yang said, "Mr. Ji, as the current top-tier celebrity with a massive fan base, why are you participating in this program?"