Chapter 123: Refusing to Give Face

"Actually, everyone knows that some people can take a one-meter stride because they are capable of it."

"But for some, the only reason they can take a one-meter stride is because their legs can only reach that far."

Lin Ze’s Weibo post hit a nerve with certain people. Wu Qian was instantly infuriated. He typed out a long, venomous rant on Weibo, but his manager, Xiao Liu, managed to stop him before he could hit send.

Striking at the vital point, Lin Ze had pinpointed Wu Qian’s greatest insecurity.

*So what if my legs are short?*

*These legs were born specifically for low-crotch hip-hop pants! I was born for hip-hop!*

Although Wu Qian kept trying to console himself, for some reason, tears began to well up in his eyes.

*Sandalwood Chronicles* already had a massive number of pre-orders, so the next step would be to increase production based on those figures. Lin Ze, however, was currently focused on another matter: the premiere of *Super Singer-Songwriter* on Friday night. The show had been highly anticipated, but Zhang Yang’s scandal on Friday had overshadowed it, resulting in viewership that was lower than expected.

After a night’s sleep, it was time for the second round of recording. Lin Ze was quite concerned about the current voting results, as they would determine who would be eliminated. The moment online purchasing opened that evening, the voting period closed.

The show’s official Weibo account posted an update: "The latest replacement contestant: Xu Shenshen."

Xu Shenshen?

Lin Ze couldn’t recall who this person was at first. After searching for him, he discovered that the man was a member of *Creation Factory*. To his surprise, the person accompanying him to the competition was Elder Shi, whom Lin Ze had already clashed with twice.

This was interesting. Was Eastern Emperor Entertainment trying to make a comeback through this individual? A newcomer?

*Fine, let’s see what this newcomer is made of.*

Waking up, it was time for recording. After resting at home for half the day, Lin Ze hopped into his assistant Tian Haoran’s car that evening and headed toward the studio.

When Lin Ze arrived at the large lounge, Chen Nan and Li Xiyan were already there. Lin Ze greeted them. Since the cameras weren't rolling yet, they chatted freely.

"Xiao Lin, your comeback this past month has been incredible," Chen Nan said with a laugh.

Lin Ze waved his hand dismissively. "I didn't do anything; some people just bring their own downfall."

"Brother Lin just took down one, and now there's another," Li Xiyan said, handing Lin Ze a bottle of water provided by a sponsor. "I should be thanking you, Brother Lin—now no one is picking on me anymore."

"That’s exactly what I wanted to ask," Lin Ze said, looking at the two of them. "What is going on with this guy? I haven't provoked him in any way. What is he trying to do? And I keep getting the feeling that he’s not exactly the brightest bulb."

It seemed Li Xiyan actually knew the reason.

"Last time he released a song, Chang Zheng released one too. Chang Zheng’s track went viral, and his was trashed by the entire internet. Then, he tried to prove himself in a live stream, but that happened to be the same night you were live-streaming from the bar, so he got roasted for the whole evening again."

Li Xiyan laughed as she spoke; the situation was genuinely funny when you thought about it.

"I knew it. Even when I was just filming a promo for *Sandalwood Chronicles*, he had to throw shade at me," Lin Ze shook his head.

As they chatted, Panda and Rong Zhengyu arrived together.

"Hello everyone, why are you here so early?" Rong Zhengyu smiled at them and walked to his usual seat.

"Nothing better to do at home."

Xiao Wei and A Guang soon arrived as well.

"Everyone, please wait a moment. The new contestant hasn't arrived yet. Once he’s here, we can begin," the director apologized to the group.

The artists and the songwriters behind the scenes waited, assuming that being ten minutes late was standard. To everyone's surprise, they waited for over half an hour, and even the director began to grow annoyed.

Finally, Elder Shi and Xu Shenshen strolled in. The lounge door swung open, and the two entered, Elder Shi in the lead followed by Xu Shenshen.

"Apologies, apologies. Traffic was a bit heavy, so we’re late," Elder Shi said with a grin, starting to shake hands with Chen Nan, who was sitting at the end.

Lin Ze knew this man; he was the one who had written those two songs for Zhang Yang. Lin Ze extended his hand, but to his surprise, Elder Shi skipped right over him, refusing to shake his hand at all. This moment was, of course, captured by the cameras.

"Interesting, very interesting," the director nodded, satisfied.

The close-up of that moment would definitely be edited into the teaser trailer; it would certainly hype up the show. Lin Ze, having been snubbed, wasn't particularly angry and simply sat back down.

Xu Shenshen, standing behind Elder Shi, felt rather awkward. He had been able to diss Lin Ze on the show before because Zhang Yang was there to back him up. But now that Zhang Yang was finished, he was genuinely afraid of Lin Ze. He had intended to be humble and shake hands to smooth things over, but who knew Elder Shi would pull a stunt like that? Xu Shenshen awkwardly skipped over Lin Ze as well.

On this U-shaped seating arrangement, Lin Ze sat on one end and Rong Zhengyu on the other. After Elder Shi finished shaking hands, he saw the two of them sitting there, walked up, and let out a cold snort.

Lin Ze glanced at him but couldn't be bothered to respond. Rong Zhengyu was technically a junior in the songwriting world and should have yielded his seat, but given Elder Shi’s attitude, he didn't budge. It wasn't just about standing up for Lin Ze; Rong Zhengyu needed the buzz, and sitting here was a favor he could trade to Lin Ze. With a win-win situation like that, he wasn't moving.

The atmosphere grew awkward. Elder Shi stood there, unable to force his way between the two. But given his seniority, if he sat on the ends, wouldn't that make him look inferior to Lin Ze?

In the end, he had no choice but to have Chen Nan and Li Xiyan shift. The two moved toward the middle, leaving the end seat open.

"Come on, Shenshen, hurry and sit down."

Chen Nan was a smart man and saw the situation clearly. He and Li Xiyan were firmly on Lin Ze’s side, and as a senior, surely there was no issue with him calling Xu Shenshen—a newcomer to the industry—to sit next to him?

Xu Shenshen looked at Elder Shi, hesitating.

Chen Nan sighed and said to Li Xiyan, "Sigh, am I that annoying? He doesn't even want to sit next to me."

With things put that way, Xu Shenshen had no choice but to walk over and sit next to Chen Nan.