Chapter 41 Crisis Public Relations

After Jing Chenxi and his agent left, assistant director Wang Yang quickly walked up to Zong Hai and whispered a few words. Zong Hai's expression visibly changed several times.

However, Zong Hai was Zong Hai after all, and he quickly suppressed the complicated emotions in his heart.

He turned to face the camera and bowed deeply to all the viewers in front of the camera!

Then he stood up, picked up the microphone, and slowly began to speak: "This year marks my twentieth year in the industry. From the very first year I entered the industry, my mentor told me that those of us in this line of work must remember not to cause trouble, but also not to be afraid of trouble!"

"Clearly, I'm in big trouble today. No show has ever had a stage accident like this before!"

"But since it has already happened, we have to face it and solve it. Jing Chenxi's agent has just made it clear that he is withdrawing from the competition and has asked us not to disclose Jing Chenxi's ranking!"

"As the directors of a program, we should give the contestants the respect they deserve, so we will not be announcing Jing Chenxi's ranking..."

At this point, Zong Hai paused deliberately.

In such a serious setting, attentive viewers might be surprised to notice a wicked smile playing on Zong Hai's lips.

Following that, Zong Hai continued, "Then let's directly announce the singers who won first and second place!"

These words instantly ignited the atmosphere at the scene, and the comments in the live stream chat started scrolling wildly.

"Director Zong Hai is undoubtedly a comedian!"

"Holy crap, you can do that? You've announced seven out of eight rankings. What's the point of announcing the last one?"

"Director Zong is amazing! He managed to defuse the awkward situation so skillfully. I'm truly impressed!"

"This is what a professional director should be like—decisive and wise. Thumbs up for Director Zong!"

"Haha, Director Zong's move was brilliant! Jing Chenxi just can't accept defeat!"

"Jing Chenxi's agent must have seen the news online and is too afraid to face the consequences!"

"Just based on Director Zong Hai's wit, this show is bound to be a huge hit!"

"I've truly become a fan of Director Zong Hai; his sense of humor must be innate!"

"Looks like I guessed right. Jing Chenxi must have gotten last place and is too afraid to accept defeat!"

"A shout-out to Director Zong Hai! I hope the show gets better and better!"

At this moment, the number of likes and gifts in the live broadcast room continued to soar. Everyone expressed their praise and recognition for Director Zong Hai's quick thinking in their own way, and also shared their guesses.

As expected, Zong Hai's announcement did not disappoint. Xiao Qingfeng won by a landslide, while Song Yaowei remained firmly in second place.

Every vote is recorded in real time by cameras, but this part has not been revealed in previous episodes, otherwise the rankings would be obvious.

But this time was different. As soon as the show ended, Hunan TV released the voting video on the official account of "Singer Who Makes Waves".

The number of votes was clear at a glance, except that one person's picture and name were blurred out, as were the number of votes.

Each audience member has 3 votes, and the total number of votes is a known condition. There are eight unknowns, and the question asks for the remaining eight based on the known seven. Netizens commented that they could solve the problem.

131 votes!

This is the vote count calculated by netizens.

This is absolutely the lowest number of votes in all twelve seasons!

The internet exploded instantly, with netizens flooding in with mockery.

"Is this all Jing Chenxi is capable of? 131 votes? That's a joke!"

"I just want to know who cast those 131 votes. I want to laugh at them!"

"You thought you were so great, but all you've got is this? You're a disgrace!"

"They used to act all high and mighty, but look at these votes now, aren't they a slap in the face?"

"What kind of popular celebrities are they? They're all just pretty faces. Now their true colors have been revealed!"

"With such limited abilities, you dare to act like a big shot and withdraw from the competition? You really don't know your own limitations!"

Jing Chenxi's fans tried to defend him, but were met with even fiercer backlash and ridicule from netizens.

"Are you fans still trying to defend it? Aren't these votes enough to prove the point?"

"Stop blindly protecting them! The facts are right in front of you: your idol is no good!"

"What are you still bragging about? 131 votes is strength? That's laughable!"

Are Jing Chenxi's fans all blind? How can they still try to deny it?

"You used to go around putting down other celebrities, but look at your masters now, doesn't it hurt to be slapped in the face?"

"Stop trying to save face. Jing Chenxi is a loser, and you're all embarrassing yourselves!"

......

Jing Chenxi, the leading young singer in the Chinese music scene, suffered a major setback on the stage of "Singer Who Makes Waves," but in a very short time, he topped the charts on major entertainment platforms.

Major entertainment media outlets all featured this story on their front pages, with headlines that were increasingly eye-catching: "The Myth of Jing Chenxi Shattered!" "The Fall of a Traffic Star!" "The Secret Behind 131 Votes!"

At the same time, many brands have begun to reassess their partnerships with Jingchenxi.

Endorsement contracts that had already been agreed upon are now at an impasse, with some brands even stating that they will reconsider the feasibility of cooperation.

Jing Chenxi's team was in a state of chaos and anxiety.

In a closed conference room, Jing Chenxi's agent had a gloomy expression, and the team members also looked tense.

"What should we do? This is too serious; it's a huge blow to Jing Chenxi's image!"

The agent rubbed his temples and said in a hoarse voice, "Don't panic, we must come up with a solution as soon as possible."

Another member suggested, "Why don't we issue a statement to explain what happened?"

"No way!" the agent immediately rejected.

"Issuing a statement now will only make netizens think we are making excuses."

Someone then suggested, "Could we hire some online trolls to guide public opinion and shift the focus?"

"This is a must. First, let's find someone to write an article to clear her name. The angle should be from the original intention of Xixi's song creation, highlighting Xixi's original intention to care for cancer patients!"

"Second, quickly contact charitable organizations and donate money and supplies to cancer patients in Xixi's name!"

"Third...third, think of any other solutions!"

This incident has had a huge impact; it's not just a loss in the competition, but also a loss of character. If not handled properly, Jing Chenxi's public image will suffer a devastating blow.

The public relations manager said, "Third, we can hire online trolls to attack Xiao Qingfeng. We can focus on his character, his falling out with his former team, and his tendency to be sentimental and his mediocre singing skills!"

"Fourth, we can also expose the dirty secrets of rival artists to divert attention!"

Upon hearing the PR manager's words, Hu Mei's eyes immediately lit up: "As expected of Manager Liu, let's do it this way, and we must act quickly!"