Drama Queen Reborn as a Top Student!-Chapter 978 - 482: Defending the Title

The week before the second episode of Travelogue aired, the internet was bustling.

The show’s production team was particularly good at stirring up drama, deliberately releasing preview clips that sparked huge controversy, ensuring there was no lack of buzz, but the potential impact on the artists wasn’t part of their concern.

Shen You’an had a great reputation among the public, coupled with being the orphan of a martyr, possessing a scholarly aura, and having good looks. With all these buffs combined, the attacks from Chen Shucheng’s fans seemed like clownish antics, and even dragged down Chen Shucheng’s reputation.

This was not good.

He Qian, being a veteran in the entertainment industry, managed to make Chen Shucheng a hot young talent, thanks in large part to his adept PR team.

Especially when it came to manipulating public opinion, they were unparalleled.

This was the first time He Qian felt the frustration of punching into thin air.

Why did this young girl Shen You’an have such a good public reputation?

The hired internet trolls were like a pebble sinking in the vast sea, utterly insignificant against the massive crowd of general viewers.

Those fans who crazily defamed Shen You’an vented their frustrations, but they also tarnished Chen Shucheng’s reputation, making it a loss rather than a gain.

He Qian felt quite dejected. He immediately sought out Lu Hao, but unfortunately, Lu Hao, that old fox, just gave him the runaround. For the sake of the show’s popularity and topics, he disregarded their old college dorm friendship.

At this moment, He Qian really regretted letting Chen Shucheng join Travelogue.

As the saying goes, know your enemy and know yourself to be ever-victorious, so he decided to investigate the management company behind Shen You’an.

Other Shore Entertainment, not well-known in the entertainment circle, was founded two years ago, with the investor and general manager being Zhao Heng. This Zhao Heng was young, a rich second-generation, graduated from an elite school abroad, and upon returning home, the first thing he did was establish Other Shore Entertainment, while also investing in other sectors, though the entertainment sector had the largest proportion.

Zhao Heng, indeed a graduate of a prestigious school, possessed great managerial skills. Over the past year, Other Shore Entertainment developed swiftly, signing veteran star Ru Caiying for a comeback, and featuring new-generation actors Qi Baotan and Pu Yutai, whose new works received great responses. All of them had prospects and potential, and even in the music sector, they found treasure, signing singer Jiang Han, hailed as the last hope among creative talents in the music industry.

Despite its low profile, this company was very vibrant, full of future potential, especially with newcomer Shen You’an joining, bringing fresh hope.

According to the insider information gathered, Zhao Heng was extremely skilled at investment. Public records show that he interned at Tianlu Bank’s headquarters during his study at Siland, giving his resume substantial weight.

His investment spanned many industries, which was essentially networking. Zhao Heng undoubtedly was a clever businessman.

Only when He Qian utilized his connections to discover that the biggest investor behind the Travelogue show was Zhao Heng, did he realize how naive he had been.

No wonder Lu Hao, that sly old fox, gave him the runaround—it was because he didn’t dare offend the financial backer.

Thus, wouldn’t Chen Shucheng become the stepping stone for Shen You’an’s rise to power? Not to mention Rong Xianning lurking close by, eyeing the opportunity.

Upon consideration, if they couldn’t beat them, they might as well join them. He Qian adjusted his promotional strategy, having pressured Chen Shucheng about it—this guy likely did have some thoughts, which he apparently displayed rather overtly in the show, allowing the production team to seize on the gimmick and create drama.

If that was the case, then just go with the flow, muddle the waters, and make sure no one has it easy.

Meanwhile, the neighboring show Brainstorm saw the recording of its eighth episode.

Ever since Gu Bichen exited the program due to a cheating scandal, Shen You’an and Rong Xianning shone brightly without any hindrance, advancing boldly in the show. Even Liu Runxi, Yan Lu, and Gao Yuyue gained noticed through their excellent performances, despite not having any public recognition.

After the third team battle, the groups were dissolved, and everyone would fight alone, launching an assault on the highest peak.

Since Brainstorm started airing, ratings climbed steadily, attracting a vast audience from all demographics, achieving widespread popularity on the internet, breaking the age barrier.

During the recording of the eighth episode, the TV channel was airing the sixth, which was the last round of the individual battle.

Shen You’an, for two consecutive individual battles, secured first place. Liu Runxi’s eternal second-place status faced a challenge; during the fifth episode, the second individual battle, he was hit by Rong Xianning, finally winning over her by a narrow margin, maintaining second place.

It was an intense thrill for the viewers, this was the advantage of a competition format—it’s as stimulating as a sports match.

Everyone was guessing if Rong Xianning could surpass Liu Runxi in the next episode, taking the second seat, getting one step closer to Shen You’an.

But this was hard to predict; these three were strong contenders, every one of them a genius picked out of thousands—they remained good friends regardless of who won or lost.

The suspense of the sixth episode lay in the contention for second place.

Viewers were already seated in front of their televisions awaiting the show’s broadcast.

Those without TV access gathered at online streaming portals.

Shen You’an’s scholarly prowess was consistent as ever, displaying a dominant presence in the show. Her mind worked incredibly fast, her vast knowledge was astonishing. How could there be someone so knowledgeable and brilliant in the world?

But no one ever doubted that Shen You’an had any inside information or cheated.

This inevitably cast a shadow on Gu Bichen.

Shen You’an, after answering each question, would provide her approach and trace the historical context, offering her unique insights. Her confident demeanor was too charming. Moreover, she was candid about questions she didn’t know, unafraid of losing points, confident to recover them in her areas of expertise.

Viewers weren’t fools; it was obvious when someone was genuinely capable versus faking it.

Predictably, Shen You’an maintained her top position on the scoreboard this episode.

But second place was filled with suspense.

Liu Runxi and Rong Xianning were evenly matched, but Liu Runxi was slightly luckier and more composed, winning the previous two personal battles over Rong Xianning by narrow margins.

This episode, Rong Xianning went all out, made a bold decision, opting for the highest difficulty questions. Losing points meant dropping out of the top seven, but victory would firmly secure second place over Liu Runxi.

All the viewers were on edge for him.

Some joked about the wonders of genetics, suggesting Rong Xianning inherently had a gambler’s gene.

Liu Runxi always gave viewers an impression of a calm and indifferent demeanor, like a gentle rain and wind, neither hurried nor lagging, never seeking to advance but ensured he wouldn’t fall behind, always securely behind Shen You’an.

Yet this episode, facing Rong Xianning’s aggressive approach, while he maintained his composure, his actions betrayed his inner thoughts.

He also chose a bold approach.

Now it was a matter of seeing who would prevail.

The final question decided who first seized the answering rights, granting them a chance.

This chance wasn’t foolproof; answering correctly was required; otherwise, they risked awarding points to the opponent.

The atmosphere was visibly tense on set.