As for fairness? The singers participating in the breakout competition had all revealed their identities beforehand. This inherently gave them an advantage in terms of fame and existing fan bases, and the possibility of fans intentionally skewing votes couldn't be ruled out. The system also aimed to prevent judges from giving high scores due to personal relationships. Deductions served precisely to balance this.

Though absolute fairness was unattainable, Chu Tian strove to create an environment that was as fair as possible. He didn't want this world to gradually devolve into a mere showcase for capital, where backroom deals were rampant and filth was everywhere. That wasn't what he wanted; in fact, it was precisely what he detested. He couldn't change himself to drift along with the tide, so his only option was to maintain his own integrity and see if he could try to change his immediate surroundings.

So far, his efforts seemed to be effective; at least the program enjoyed an excellent reputation.

Not only was the creativity refreshing, but the program's structure was also very rigorous. What netizens discussed most enthusiastically was precisely the production team's painstaking efforts to maintain secrecy. To date, there had been no leaks about the program's inner workings, nor had any singer's identity been guessed.

Of course, it wouldn't be good if no one could ever guess. So, each episode actually revealed some small clues. For instance, during the first episode, when introducing each singer's nickname, there was a brief singer introduction. This introduction actually contained hidden information about the singers themselves. It just wasn't very obvious at first. With only a few hundred people in the live audience, the chances of someone guessing correctly were indeed small.

However, as the show progressed, more clues would be provided. The official online accounts would also release more clues corresponding to certain singers. It was just a matter of whether anyone would notice.

Now that the second episode has aired, it seems likely that a singer will be guessed in the next one, right? After all, these clues were released based on the singers' performances; the closer a singer was to elimination, the more precise the information became.

For example, in the third episode, Qin Xiao was about to be eliminated. This evening, the official account released a program poster that included a slogan—an ancient poem: "The shadow fades and the colorful clouds disperse, leaving behind sounds that fall upon Western Qin."

At first glance, it seemed meaningless, like a pretentious ancient poem, but it actually concealed the singer's name. Whether anyone could decipher it depended on the netizens' abilities.

He closed the poster and glanced at the comments below. Indeed, some people had noticed the poem, but it seemed their focus was elsewhere.

"Why did the production team even use a poem as a subtitle? But the meaning of this poem seems to have nothing to do with the show, right?"

"Probably the editor trying to act clever but failing. Like shaking an almost empty bottle to make noise—they overdid it."

Chu Tian was noncommittal regarding these comments. They only saw the first layer, but the answer was actually on the fifth.

"[No problem with the curtain call concert, but what about special effects integration? What does that mean? Is it about embedding ads using special effects methods?]"

Seeing the new message from Hou Yichuan, Chu Tian was momentarily stunned. What had I said before? He quickly checked the previous message. Indeed, in his drowsiness, he had unwittingly suggested two methods to Hou Yichuan.

The concept of ad integration here was still stuck at literal, physical embedding. It wasn't nearly as sophisticated as in his previous life. He recalled producing variety shows in the past. Regardless of whether there were ads or not, they would always leave ad spots open. In the camera frame, they'd place a small table, a whiteboard, or even create a few 3D characters with empty sloped spaces on either side. During post-production, if no advertisers had been secured yet, these areas would display 3D models of the program's name or logo textures. If advertisers came on board, these would immediately be replaced with ad posters or products. Many similar techniques were used, and viewers watching the variety shows wouldn't even realize it. Who would have thought that the milk and beverages on a small white round table were actually added with special effects? Who would have guessed that the signs next to the guests were originally pure white, with ad posters digitally added in post-production? The advantage of this was that it affected neither the initial recording nor the subsequent ad integration. While it meant more work for the post-production team, the overall approach offered numerous benefits.

Now that Chu Tian had brought up this concept, Hou Yichuan hadn't even considered this angle. He still thinks it's about inserting ads like old-school post-production overlays? How low-tech. A throwback to the eighties?

"[That's not what I mean. I'm saying ads can be directly added to the post-production footage itself.]"

"[For example, the large screen in the background. You can simply apply an ad poster as a texture onto it. It's just a matter of adding camera tracking. With intelligent computation, as long as there's no significant movement, it's virtually indistinguishable.]"

"[Alternatively, you can add some fixed advertising products next to the stage, or even composite them onto the judges' table during post-production.]"

...

He rattled off many ideas in one breath, mostly common tactics from his past life.

Meanwhile, Hou Yichuan, still working overtime at the office, was utterly amazed.

"[Wow, President Chu! How did you even think of that? Can we really do it this way?]"

"[It should work. Consult with the post-production colleagues first; it shouldn't be a major issue. Also, I'm not a bullfrog!]"

"[Uh... HAHAHA, sorry, a typo! I meant 'Bravo! Bravo!' [Thumbs up gesture]]"

"[Stop with the flattery. Is there anything else?]"

"[Huh? No, nothing else. Aren't we discussing the show?]"

"[What else is there to discuss? I've given you two ideas for the ads. The show's viewership is steadily increasing, and its popularity is on the rise. What more is there to say? Just keep up the good work!]"

"[...President Chu, as expected, you hit the nail on the head. I am thoroughly impressed! [Clasped hands gesture]]"

"[Get lost. If there's nothing else, I'm going to sleep. I have things to do tomorrow.]"

What was with this Hou Yichuan? Could it be that everyone in the internet business had such a youthful mindset? I used to call him Brother Yichuan, and he didn't like it. Now he keeps calling himself 'little brother,' when he's clearly five or six years older than me. I really can't understand his way of thinking.

"[Nothing else. Where are you now?]"

"[Wuzhen. Why?]"

"[Nothing, just asking. What are you doing in Wuzhen? Business?]"

"[What business? Can't I be on vacation?]"

"[Vacation... Are you dating? That's... not appropriate, is it?]"

"[Why isn't it appropriate?]"

"[We're working overtime, and you're on vacation... If our colleagues find out...]"

"[I'll distribute bonuses at the end of the year. That car you like? I'll make it a prize. How's that for appropriate?]"

"[Boss, please rest early! I wish you good health, long life, may all your wishes come true, success in all your endeavors, students as plentiful as peaches and plums, and a house full of children and grandchildren...]"

...

Watching Hou Yichuan's increasingly erratic messages, Chu Tian rolled his eyes. Sometimes I seriously wonder if hiring him as the company manager was a reliable decision. During the interview, he was the epitome of professionalism—gray suit, gold-rimmed glasses, appearing deceptively polished. How could there be such a stark contrast between then and now? Indeed, interviews are just a formality; to truly judge a person takes time. BAH! BAH! BAH! That's not what I was getting at... Forget it, time to sleep.

He plugged in his phone to charge, pulled the blanket over himself, closed his eyes, and cleared his mind, truly ready to sleep this time.

「The next morning, just past six o'clock, a cacophony of sounds erupted outside.」

Chu Tian opened his eyes and looked around. If not for the hotel room and the blanket confirming he was indeed in bed, he would have thought he'd woken up in a bustling marketplace.

What's going on? Are they starting work this early?

Scratching his bedhead, Chu Tian squinted. Still in his pajamas, he shakily made his way to the door and carefully opened a crack to peek outside.

Just as he did, he saw a beautiful woman standing right at his door, turning her head to look back at him in surprise.

Hmm? Hmm! What the heck? Why is there a woman standing outside my door? And she's quite pretty, looks just like a celebrity.

It wasn't just him; the woman at the door was also startled. Turning her head, she saw a tall man peeking out through the crack in the door.

Even though I can't see his whole face, at such a close distance... despite his messy hair and sleepy eyes, with even a bit of eye-gunk... it still can't hide how handsome he is. The key is his skin—it's so smooth, tender, fair, and well-defined. Even with those sleepy eyes, anyone can tell he's a total hunk.

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