RAAS ### Chapter 22: I Have Fans
### Chapter 22: I Have Fans
“Why! Why! They’re too unfair!”
After the recording ended, Li Qing returned to the backstage lounge and silently put Zabra back into its case.
Next to him, Han Han's face was flushed with anger, her eyes brimming with tears. She clenched her fists, looking very upset: "Leng Ling is also from Yuanzheng Media. They are definitely targeting you. Xie Sijie's song is good, but your song isn't any worse. Why do they think you're inferior to her? And why weren't we notified about the contestants being switched at the last minute? This was definitely intentional, Qingzi."
Silly girl, of course, it was intentional.
Li Qing sighed, but what could he do?
Facing the combined power of Diva Leng Ling and Zhao Wendi, he, a newcomer, was completely outmatched.
In the lounge, PK winners Feng Jing, Xu Song, and their agents hadn't left yet.
They looked at Han Han's indignant expression and listened to her criticize Diva Leng Ling and the media giant Yuanzheng Media. Their expressions shifted, showing sympathy, pity, and a bit of awkwardness.
None of them had expected that Li Qing, the most promising contestant, would lose to Xie Sijie in this PK match.
Was there foul play?
Maybe not, but the turn of events was indeed strange.
They had listened to both songs. To be precise, with their current musical ability, they couldn't determine which was better.
But if they had to pick a song to listen to repeatedly, they would undoubtedly choose "Fly Higher."
Why? Because this song was catchy, powerful, and full of energy!
Unlike "Song of Dreams," which was soft and lacked spirit. After listening to it once, they only found the lyrics beautiful and the melody good. However, that ethereal quality didn't resonate with them.
It was clear in the lounge that Feng Jing was the most conflicted, frowning tightly.
She knew that under normal circumstances, she would have been eliminated. But the way things turned out was beyond her expectations.
However, even though Li Qing's assistant's words were aimed at her, she didn't dare to speak out. She couldn't afford to give up this rare opportunity out of sympathy.
Therefore, the only sound in the lounge was Han Han's angry voice. No one else knew what to say.
Criticize the show? They had future performances. Claim Li Qing was inferior? They weren't blind, and they couldn't shamelessly lie about it.
As for Li Qing, he seemed indifferent to the result, calmly packing up his guitar.
Li Qing was somewhat surprised by the outcome, but he had to admit that "Song of Dreams" was indeed a high-quality song, comparable to "Fly Higher."
Each had its merits, and ultimately, it came down to the judges' preferences.
With Diva Leng Ling's suggestion, the four judges quickly made their decision.
Except for the hypocritical Zhao Wendi, the other three judges gave the spot to Xie Sijie.
The result was decided in an instant, and he was eliminated. There was no point in staying any longer.
Although he felt uncomfortable, especially with Leng Ling's attitude when she said "prefer 'Song of Dreams,'" he could accept his loss gracefully.
He had the talent and strength to rise again.
Without Zhang Butcher, he didn't believe he'd be so desperate to eat hairy pigs.
"All four judges are professionals, highly respected in the industry, and Diva Leng Ling also expressed her opinion. Why do you think everyone is wrong and only you are right?"
At this moment, a mocking voice came.
A young woman with shoulder-length hair walked in. Behind her stood Xie Sijie, holding her pass and standing quietly with her head down.
Her expression was calm, showing no surprise at the PK result with Li Qing.
The setup was too obvious...
Seeing Xie Sijie's expression, everyone in the room seemed to understand.
Han Han, however, trembled with anger, holding back her tears, and glared at the woman: "Che Mei, you know what you did. Is fair competition too much to ask? Qingzi has already been suppressed for a year. Isn't it enough? Why can't you let him rise on his own strength?"
"Details determine success, and character determines destiny. His future was decided from the start. Only a naive girl like you would be fooled by his appearance and follow him so blindly!" the shoulder-length-haired woman sneered.
Thinking about the past year's hardships, Han Han's eyes instantly turned red.
"Have you said enough?"
Li Qing raised his head, recalling her background, and coldly stared at the woman: "Che Mei, don't forget your roots. When you sold the company's debut information to other companies, did you forget who spoke up for you and saved you from being kicked out?"
Che Mei stiffened.
Others looked surprised, hearing this for the first time.
Li Qing slung his guitar over his shoulder, slightly tilted his head, and stared at the somewhat scared Che Mei: "I don't expect you to be grateful, but you shouldn't repay kindness with ingratitude. Or maybe you're just a treacherous ingrate?"
Che Mei, nervously, said, "I'm loyal to my company, Li Qing. You were in the wrong back then. Don't forget why the company suppressed you. It was because you didn't know your place."
"I didn't know my place?" Li Qing snorted, "I'm done wasting my time with an idiot like you."
He took Han Han's hand and pushed past Che Mei, leaving her standing there with a conflicted expression.
Xie Sijie and the others, who had wanted to speak, watched Li Qing and Han Han leave, feeling awkward and silent.
The atmosphere turned icy cold.
...
At 5 p.m.,
Outside the Beijing TV station, Li Qing held Han Han's hand and returned their guest passes at the security office, ready to leave, when a black Jeep pulled up in front of them.
The window rolled down, and Jiang Zhongnan, sitting in the driver's seat, looked at Han Han and Li Qing holding hands in surprise: "Qingzi, is this your girlfriend?"
Li Qing was stunned to see Jiang Zhongnan here: "Brother Jiang, why are you here?"
"Of course, I had to come. Were you planning to hide this from me?"
Jiang Zhongnan glanced at Han Han and laughed: "Wow, you've been hiding this well!"
"Hello, I'm Qingzi's assistant, Han Han. I'm not his girlfriend," Han Han's face, previously angry, turned red and embarrassed as she pulled her hand away from Li Qing's.
"Brother Jiang, your eyesight is terrible!" Li Qing laughed.
"Sure, keep denying it. Denying is explaining, and explaining is admitting!"
Jiang Zhongnan didn't notice Li Qing's disappointment, assuming his younger brother had easily passed the preliminary round of "Music Star."
He patted the passenger seat: "Come on, get in. Lao Ma and Yunyun have prepared a celebration dinner, just waiting for you!"
Han Han looked at Li Qing, worried he'd be upset by Jiang Zhongnan's words.
Li Qing smiled, showing no discomfort.
He was about to open the car door and invite Han Han in when six or seven fashionable young girls rushed over.
Their eyes sparkled with excitement as they stared at Li Qing: "Li Qing? Is that you?"
"It's Li Qing, really him!"
"Oh my god, it's really him! He's so handsome up close!"
"Li Qing, keep going. I'm your fan. I loved 'Fly Higher' today. Don't worry, I'll get my friends to vote for you. This show doesn't recognize real talent. They'll regret their decision today!"
"That's right, Li Qing, we support you!"
A group of excited girls surrounded Li Qing, their fragrance making him feel awkward and stiff.
After signing a few autographs, Li Qing finally managed to break free from their enthusiastic crowd.
In the car, Han Han, a bit jealous, said, "You have a lot of fans."
Li Qing chuckled, feeling a bit smug.
Having been recognized by fans on the street, especially young, beautiful ones, was a first for him.
It felt... pretty good!
At that moment, Jiang Zhongnan, driving, suddenly asked, "Qingzi, did you get eliminated?"