After getting this answer, Xie Ning cursed for half a day; she was so angry she felt like she was going to vomit blood.

She really didn't know what kind of job she had taken on. What kind of useless person had she found?

Suddenly, the money in her hand felt like it was burning.

At the same time, she was somewhat impressed by the secrecy measures of the show's production team, even though she had learned quite a bit about the details of the program.

There were even live videos available, but not a single person knew who these guests were—not one—and there wasn't even any guesswork possible. Truly remarkable.

It had to be said that the production team was truly impressive. They had taken secrecy to the extreme; either only the director knew, or the director had unprecedented control over his subordinates.

That wasn't the point, though. The real shock came from the investigation results: none of those guests were pushovers.

Even the youngest-looking singer, the one called "Another Bite Won't Make You Fat," could crush Qin Xiao.

Such a singer, even in Habes, would be regarded as a pillar of strength.

Especially that singer, "Another Bite Won't Make You Fat"; Xie Ning vaguely felt that some of the singer's techniques were very much in the style of Europe and America.

In other words, she even had the potential of an international star.

For a moment, Xie Ning even felt the impulse to sign her, overwhelmed by a feeling of excitement that she could barely restrain.

Looking back at Qin Xiao under her charge, she could only sigh with helplessness.

It really seemed like Qin Xiao had said: this was a gathering of monsters; the show was a slaughterhouse.

If one lacked real strength, whoever came would die!

As for Qin Xiao? She really wasn't cut out for it. Xie Ning wondered why the production team had chosen her in the first place—perhaps to serve as a foil?

Impossible. A show like this wouldn't do that. Throwing a rookie into a mix of experts would be like dropping a rat dropping into a pot of good porridge.

No fool would disgust others like that. So, it seemed more like an oversight now?

Possibly. After all, though Qin Xiao wasn't that great, her skills were passable, and her marketing was really good, even if she didn't have many impressive works.

But in terms of popularity and fame, she was just a step away from reaching the threshold of top-tier stardom.

Xie Ning put away the materials, sighed, and repeatedly pressed her fingers against her temples.

This is too much trouble, she thought. Right now, it seems the best course of action is to withdraw from the competition. It's the only way.

After returning to the hotel, she had another chat with Qin Xiao, especially about the details of the competition and the level of the other participants.

Combining it with her own findings, she had a clear picture in her mind.

"Alright, I understand. You rest at the hotel for now; I'm going to talk to the other party about terminating the contract."

"Really?! That's great!"

Seeing Qin Xiao's excited expression, Xie Ning frowned. She wanted to say something, but thinking of the woman's ambiguous relationship with Ye Zhonghuai, she could only give up.

Rushing out of the hotel, she made phone calls to arrange a meeting with Unlimited Entertainment while instructing the driver to head to Unlimited Entertainment.

She met with director Wei Liangxiao and the general manager of Unlimited Entertainment, Hou Yichuan.

"Miss Xie, have you come to discuss the termination of the contract?" Hou Yichuan asked with a calm face after taking a sip of coffee.

"Yes, Ms. Qin Xiao isn't feeling well, so she probably won't be able to continue with the following recordings."

Xie Ning kept her eyes on Hou Yichuan's face, hoping to read something from his expression.

But Hou Yichuan, who had plenty of negotiation experience from his time in internet companies, wasn't someone a young lady could easily see through.

He leisurely took a sip of his coffee and said with a relaxed expression, "Of course, we regret such unexpected circumstances. Since you wish to terminate the contract, we have no problems with it, as long as we proceed according to the contract."

"Contract?"

Xie Ning was taken aback. Indeed, that was the case, but mentioning the contract at this moment felt suspicious, didn't it?

Her mind was churning, and suddenly, an idea struck her.

"President Hou, you're not suggesting that we need to pay a penalty according to the contract's breach clause, are you?"

Hou Yichuan looked at her with a surprised expression.

"Ah? Isn't that the case? If you terminate the contract early, you're breaching it first. Isn't it natural to pay the penalty?"

On the surface, Hou Yichuan appeared calm, but his mind was actually churning with countless thoughts.

At the same time, he was extremely surprised by Chu Tian. To everyone, Chu Tian seemed indifferent and clueless.

Nobody expected that when he decided to scheme, he could be so ruthless. Hou had no idea what Qin Xiao or Xie Ning, who was in front of him, had done to offend him.

In fact, right from the start when Qin Xiao was invited, Chu Tian had already told him what to do.

First, the compensation could be higher than the market rate by up to fifty percent, though in reality, offering twenty percent above the market rate would have had Qin Xiao coming eagerly.

And that was just the beginning. Following Chu Tian's instructions, apart from Xu Qingqiu and Qin Xiao, all the other guests were established, experienced singers.

They were the kind who could sing flawlessly with the microphone fully open at any time and place, possessing a 360-degree flawless live performance capability.

These old monsters, all seasoned by years of stage experience, were incredibly reliable. If not for their age, any one of them could put to shame the so-called young singers in the current entertainment industry.

Thus, Qin Xiao was like a little rookie caught in a nest of eagles, set to be thrashed no matter what.

What surprised him was that Xu Qingqiu was also somewhat astonishing. Her performance wasn't overly dazzling, but it certainly couldn't be overlooked. Even when compared to this group of old-timers, they seemed to be slightly at a disadvantage against her.

But regarding Qin Xiao, from the very beginning of the negotiations, Chu Tian had stated: easy entry, strict exit; pay more to get them in first.

Then sign the agreement, the contract—all of which went without issues—but Chu Tian had played a little trick here.

The contract and the confidentiality agreement were signed separately, but within the contract, there were provisions governing the confidentiality agreement.

For instance, breaking the confidentiality agreement would be considered a breach of contract, thus incurring compensation.

The trick was combining the breach of confidentiality with the contract breach.

The show's payment was eight million, and the penalty for breach of contract was ten million. However, by adding the penalty for breaching the confidentiality agreement, the financial responsibility for such a breach rose to fifty million.

Then came the predicament. Until then, there had been no issue.

But if you withdraw from the contest, that's an early breach of contract. Based on the breach terms, you would need to pay a penalty.

And this penalty, due to that little trick mentioned before, ballooned to fifty million.

In other words, withdrawing wasn't a problem; just pay up first!

What's been outlined is just an example, and the penalty isn't fifty million, but eighty million!

This amount was assessed by a third-party organization. It was based on the potential budget impact of a leak leading to the show's failure or causing significant losses, calculated in a specific way.

The show's total investment was around two hundred million. The proportion of losses due to the leak was factored in, and the comprehensive calculation came out to roughly eighty million.

After a bit of contractual sleight of hand, that eighty million transformed into the penalty for breach of contract.

Against the rules? Not at all. Many projects in the industry operate this way; calling it an unspoken rule wouldn't be an issue.

Even the legal department wouldn't find issues upon review. It was just like when Xu Qingqiu breached her contract years ago and faced two to three hundred million in penalties. Was that reasonable? Equally unreasonable, but the figures came out that way, backed by data and formulas.

If you had a problem with it, then file a lawsuit.

But filing a lawsuit requires evidence. This evidence would also reveal Qin Xiao's participation in the show, which itself would be another form of leaked information.

So after all the circling, it came to a deadlock.

Of course, matters like this generally don't strictly adhere to contract terms. Usually, both parties amicably decide on a suitable range. Sometimes, for the sake of their relationship, penalties may not even be required.

But that's when both sides see eye to eye and are in good mutual standing. Now, Chu Tian had dug a pit, and the other party had jumped in. How could they possibly get out without a scratch?

Basically, his intention was clear: either pay up to settle or obediently stay and take the hits. It was that simple.

"President Hou, we are all people from the industry; we understand the situation. You're not really going to make us pay this penalty, are you?"

Hou Yichuan nodded lightly and said indifferently, "Otherwise? Isn't paying for a breach of contract what's supposed to happen?"

Xie Ning hadn't realized this issue at first, but upon seeing Hou Yichuan's reaction, she suddenly grasped something, and her gaze involuntarily narrowed.

So, I've fallen into a trap, haven't I? she thought. It's just as I suspected.

So who is it? she wondered. Who set up such an elaborate scheme just to target Qin Xiao? Was it really necessary?

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