Esports world champion, debuted as the center of a talent show

The hashtags #JiangZhiyuInjuredAfterBeingSurroundedOnSite#, #PersonalPhotographersMaliciouslyCollideJiangZhiyu#, and #ShiningProjectProgramSecurityNegligence# have exploded one after another, dominating the top of the trending search list and soaring in popularity.

Fans who had only recently learned of Jiang Zhiyu's dual identity were still basking in pride and joy when they turned around and saw their idol being surrounded and injured in such a shameless manner. Their heartache and anger intertwined, and their emotions were instantly ignited.

Jiang Zhiyu's fans and followers from all over the internet gathered together and angrily flooded the comment section of the official account of "Shining Project", flooding the screen with questions and voices of rights protection, almost "tearing apart" the official account.

[Did the production team even consider the safety of the trainees?!]

[Knowing that Jiangzhiyu Island is currently extremely popular and will inevitably be packed with people offline, why not increase security and implement crowd control measures in advance?!]

Why would such absurd scenes occur, such as a trainee being surrounded by a crowd, separated from their companions, and left without anyone to rescue them?!

[They could have arranged for smaller vehicles to go directly to the recording studio, but instead, they made all the trainees walk across the road in the rain, facing crowds directly. Who arranged this unreasonable scheduling?!]

[Private photographers and livestreamers maliciously surrounded and bumped into people, with no control at the scene, allowing trainees to be offended and harmed. Is your program a talent show or just condoning this kind of shameless hype-seeking chaos that harms people?!]

[This matter demands a public, honest, and complete explanation! Those responsible must be held accountable to the end! There will be zero tolerance!]

Pressure from all sides was pouring into the production team.

The backstage staff were completely overwhelmed and in a state of chaos.

On one hand, they had to urgently coordinate with the venue and procedures for the fan meeting to ensure that the stage, equipment, and procedures were in perfect order and to avoid a second mishap.

On one hand, they had to handle emergency public relations, sort out the course of events, coordinate with the legal and operations teams, rush to produce an apology announcement, and formulate a handling plan. On the other hand, they also had to appease the angry fans, screen the information of the maliciously harassing live streamers, and coordinate matters related to holding them accountable.

Having lost count of how many times he'd been caught in a public opinion crisis, Hong Liu sighed softly. While working up a sweat, he comforted himself, saying that being criticized was the fate of every popular show.

Just as he was at his wit's end, his cell phone, which was on the table beside him, suddenly vibrated, and a rapid buzzing sound spread out.

A staff member nearby quickly whispered, "Director Hong, this is your phone."

Hong Liu wiped the sweat from his forehead in frustration, looked down at his phone screen, and the moment he saw the caller ID, he tensed up instantly, a hint of headache flashing in his eyes.

He took a deep breath, composed himself, and pressed the answer button.

On the other end of the phone, Lin Shi's voice was as cold as ice, devoid of any warmth, each word sharp and piercing. Just by listening to his tone, one could imagine the other person's expressionless face and overwhelming aura.

"Director Hong, do you remember what I talked to you about and the contract we signed before the show started?"

Lin Shi spoke slowly, but with an extremely strong sense of pressure.

"I explicitly warned you beforehand that Jiang Zhiyu's identity was special and his safety had to be guaranteed. You were passive and perfunctory throughout, taking chances, and now you've caused such a serious safety incident. How do you explain that?"

Hong Liu instantly broke out in a cold sweat and apologized repeatedly: "Manager Lin, I'm so sorry! This was a major mistake on our part. We failed to anticipate the risks to the crowds, which led to his accident."

He spoke rapidly and promised, "We have already activated our emergency response plan. We will immediately compile a complete account of the incident, issue an official apology as soon as possible, and hold the relevant staff accountable for their negligence. We will also comprehensively upgrade security measures and optimize transportation scheduling to ensure that this never happens again!"

He knew what Jiang Zhiyu and his agent Lin Shi symbolized; the program's biggest sponsor, both publicly and privately, were intricately connected to them.

Lin Shi had no desire to listen to unnecessary pleasantries, nor did he have the patience to listen to his empty promises. He coldly retorted, "Handle the aftermath cleanly and give Jiang Zhiyu, the fans, and the investors a satisfactory answer. If you don't handle it well, I won't be able to keep you as the director either."

Before Hong Liu could plead or explain further, the call was abruptly ended.

The receiver emitted a cold, busy tone. Hong Liu gripped his phone, sighed deeply with a bitter expression, and felt even more resentful towards the paparazzi who had surrounded him today.

"A bunch of bastards."

Hong Liu gritted his teeth, furious.

The minibus drove into the underground parking garage of the venue where the fan meeting was being held. The staff who had been waiting hurriedly led the group backstage and then handed Jiang Zhiyu, who still looked a little tired, a brand-new and clean trainee uniform: "Zhiyu, this is your size, change your clothes first."

Jiang Zhiyu took the uniform, nodded slowly, and walked into the changing room.

He had just draped his dirty coat aside when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

Without much hesitation, he took his phone out of his pocket, pressed the power button, the screen lit up, and several messages popped up.

[Lin Shi: How are you feeling?]

Lin Shi: Don't worry, I've got you covered.

……

[Jiang Ming: Your parents and I are very worried about you. How are you doing?]

Jiang Ming: Go home if you're tired.

……

Aunt Jing: Xiaoyu, relax.

Jiang Zhiyu's gaze gradually froze, and he hurriedly lowered his head to hide the fleeting glint of tears in his eyes.

He didn't know what to reply, so he could only evade the situation by putting his phone back in its place and changing his clothes again.

When he took off his shirt, he noticed several bandages on his elbow wound, which stood out starkly against his fair arm.

His fingertips traced the slightly raised curve of the bandage downwards, slowly passing over the raised scars on his forearm, feeling the distinct tactile sensation beneath his hand.

After a long while, he put on a new shirt, once again covering up the traces that symbolized the past.

When I changed into my new uniform and walked out of the dressing room, the familiar makeup artist was already waiting backstage.

Upon seeing him, the makeup artist smiled reassuringly and said gently, "Zhiyu, I'm afraid you'll have to redo your makeup and styling! Luckily, just as I said, it's very easy and quick to do your makeup and styling, so it won't take up too much of your time."

Jiang Zhiyu nodded obediently: "Okay."

This makeup look is generally consistent with the previous one, but the lip color is a bit darker, which covers up Jiang Zhiyu's slightly pale complexion.

Jiang Zhiyu looked at his face gradually regaining color in the mirror, and curled the corners of his mouth, as if nothing had happened before, and was still a vibrant youth idol.