Zhou Chen didn't take Chen Bo's words to heart; he just saw it as a casual joke. Even if Chen Bo really wanted to help him, he would still be replaced because of offending Zhang Chuchu, and he would still have to leave.
But fortunately, this was also the result he wanted. Otherwise, if it were the original Zhou Chen, he would have regretted wasting such a good opportunity for debut and might have even cried.
After chatting briefly with Chen Bo, Zhou Chen went straight back to the accommodation area.
Just as he was about to take a shower, Su Qingge came looking for him.
"Zhou Chen, where were you tonight? Why didn't I see you at practice? I saw other trainees working overtime to practice?" Su Qingge asked with concern.
"I was celebrating Chen Bo's birthday and then played a few rounds of table tennis with him just now," Zhou Chen replied.
"Huh! What's wrong with you? Did practicing late last night cause problems? Otherwise, why would you behave so unusually today?" Su Qingge suddenly felt that the Zhou Chen in front of her was a bit unfamiliar, as if she didn't know him.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm actually more clear-headed than before. I just don't want to overwork myself. I'll still participate in the program, but whether I can advance to the next round or not, I'll leave it to fate," Zhou Chen said.
"What's wrong with you? This isn't the Zhou Chen I know."
"From now on, this is how Zhou Chen will be. I just want to live my own life, not be bound by career, and not sacrifice my health for overtime practice just to debut. But thank you for coming to check on me."
"Alright, even though I don't know what you've been through, suddenly you seem like a different person. But since you've decided like this, I won't say anything. I have to go back and continue practicing my dance steps. Bye."
After saying that, Su Qingge turned and went back to continue practicing overtime.
Zhou Chen knew that tonight, the other eight trainees were also practicing overtime like Su Qingge, because they all knew that this program would definitely involve singing and dancing, so they would try their best to practice these two skills.
If it were the original Zhou Chen, or if he hadn't merged with him, he might have acted the same way, or even more crazily.
But now, Zhou Chen said to hell with overworking. He'd rather go to bed early and wake up early to stay healthy.
"Zhang Jie, what's going on with Zhou Chen? Isn't he coming to practice tonight? Look, the other eight trainees are here, but he's not."
On the other side, Liu Chao, also a trainee at Wanhe Entertainment, didn't see Zhou Chen and asked Zhang Chuchu with a puzzled expression.
To be honest, Zhang Chuchu initially didn't believe that Zhou Chen would not cherish this opportunity. After all, since signing with Zhou Chen, she had only seen him work diligently to seize the opportunity, more so than anyone else. She had never seen Zhou Chen slack off like this.
Although Zhou Chen had quarreled with her during the day, she still held a little hope that Zhou Chen would show up in the practice room tonight.
Now that she saw he didn't come, she completely gave up hope. She decided not to give Zhou Chen any more chances.
"He doesn't cherish the opportunity to debut himself; then it's not my fault. Don't bother with him. When he's eliminated tomorrow, I'll immediately have the company freeze him. Let's see if he dares to act cocky then."
Upon hearing Zhang Chuchu say this, Liu Chao felt secretly happy.
Throughout, Wanhe Entertainment had always wanted to promote Zhou Chen because of his height of 185cm and his stunning looks. Although Liu Chao had connections in the company, he often didn't receive as much attention as Zhou Chen.
Now, if Zhou Chen were really to slack off and be shelved by the company, Liu Chao would naturally benefit. This was the outcome he most wanted to see.
So, he immediately began to flatter Zhang Chuchu, saying, "Zhang Jie is wise. Trainees like this who don't listen shouldn't be indulged. Otherwise, once you indulge one, there will be a second, third, and even countless more."
"Of course. Does Zhou Chen think he's so great? After this, he'll be completely finished in the entertainment industry. You need to work hard, and when that happens, all of Wanhe's resources will be focused on you, which will be your opportunity," Zhang Chuchu said.
"Thank you, Zhang Jie. Please rest assured, I will strive for any opportunity and definitely won't slack off like Zhou Chen, let alone argue with you," Liu Chao said.
Although Liu Chao had connections in the company, he knew that Zhang Chuchu's husband was the manager of Wanhe, and he had even more senior connections in the industry. So, at this moment, he tried his best to please her.
In fact, all the trainees in the company were trying to please Zhang Chuchu, except for Zhou Chen, who had unprecedentedly argued with her.
This was something Zhang Chuchu couldn't tolerate, which was why she had to shelve Zhou Chen.
At two in the morning, the other nine trainees participating in the activity were still training in the practice room, while Zhou Chen had already entered dreamland.
In his dream, he imagined the leisurely countryside he had planned, with a fish pond where he could sit and fish whenever he had time, a piece of land where he could grow his favorite vegetables, and a garden full of roses, orchids, and more.
The next morning, when he woke up, he was still savoring the dream from the previous night.
"What a beautiful dream! If only it could come true sooner."
He couldn't help but sigh to himself.
This only strengthened his determination to slack off in the program today and then be eliminated.
Given Zhang Chuchu's character, once he was eliminated, he would be shelved.
After being shelved, he could start planning everything he dreamed of.
After washing up, he didn't rush to queue up early for the tasks arranged by the program group. Instead, he went out to have a leisurely breakfast. When it was almost time, he casually headed to the assembly point.
Timing it perfectly, he arrived just in the nick of time, almost late.
Without a doubt, he was the last one to arrive.
Seeing his slack-off attitude, Zhang Chuchu was once again furious.
She really wanted to go over and scold Zhou Chen for being useless.
But thinking of Zhou Chen's attitude toward her yesterday, she didn't want to waste any more of her breath.
Whether he advanced or was eliminated today, Zhang Chuchu would make sure Zhou Chen knew the consequences of not listening.
Seeing Zhou Chen like this, Liu Chao felt even more pleased.
He knew that the more Zhou Chen slacked off, the more opportunities and resources he would have.
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