Mia couldn't believe that Irina and Cecilia weren't taking the incident seriously. It was like they were completely oblivious to the gravity of the situation. She felt frustrated and worried but as an outsider, she didn't think it was her place to interfere with their business.
At that moment, the broadcast came on: "Hi everyone, welcome to the show. Today is the 5th year that we are hosting the competition Rising Star: Melodious Battle. Please proceed to your seat and wait for the singers who will be participating in the event."
Finally, it was time for the competition to begin.
Cecilia turned to Irina and Alan and said, "We should probably go too."
Irina nodded in agreement and turned to Alan and Mia.
"We need to be in the backstage. Alan, you can go and find your seat there."
Irina said as she pointed in a direction. All the participants were required to go backstage where they would be sent one by one to the stage to perform.
Alan nodded. It was time that they forgot the little incident that they had and focused on their bigger goal.
"Best of luck to you two!"
Alan didn't forget to wish them luck. They nodded with a confident smile. They had done everything they could, and now all they had to do was perform what they had practiced.
Alan also didn't forget to ask Mia, "Would you like to go with me?"
Mia obviously came with her own company. However, after what happened, it was not very good for Mia to go back to where Xin and his manager would be. She wanted to at least avoid them for today.
Mia nodded.
"Let's find our seats. It's tiring standing like this."
As Alan was the manager for Irina and Cecilia who are participating in this competition, he had a seat arranged for him. It didn't matter if he brought a few more people as there were many seats that were assigned to the idols and their managers.
Alan and Mia quickly found the seat which was in the very front. They sat down and watched the stage that had been nicely decorated.
The stage had a large LED display above it, showing the number of people and barrages in the live broadcast room, as well as real-time vote statistics. There were also many cameras facing the stage.
The organizers behind Rising Star: Melodious Battle had invested a lot of effort in this contest as it had become very popular in recent years.
As the audience settled into their seats, the air was thick with excitement and anticipation. Voices rose in a chorus of fervent cheers and chants, each person eager to see their favorite idol take the stage.
"ZENO! ZENO!"
"RUBY! RUBY! RUBY!" …
The cries of support echoed throughout the arena, drowning out all other sounds. Alan couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion as he gazed out at the sea of fans, each one exuding a passion that he had rarely seen before.
While he didn't take idol things very seriously before, he could see that people are really passionate about idols.
But it was one particular group that caught his attention. In the distance, there was a sudden burst of raucous cheers, and Alan turned to see a cluster of people waving banners emblazoned with the names of their chosen idols.
"IRINA! IRINA!"
"CECILIA! CECILIA!"
Alan was taken aback by the sight. He had known that Irina and Cecilia had a growing fanbase, but he had never imagined that they would have fans who were so devoted that they would go to the trouble of making banners and buying tickets to come and support them.
It was not that Alan was underestimating Irina and Cecilia's popularity but to gain fans who would go to such lengths of making banners and buying tickets would normally take time to get. They were fans that would support them in their rise to Top Idols.
So, Alan was surprised to see that they had already managed to get some of the people to go to such lengths for them. As long as Irina and Cecilia don't mess up too much, those people will soon become their die-hard fans.
As if reading his thoughts, Mia spoke up. "Seniors are surprisingly popular!" she exclaimed. "It's not easy to get fans like that, especially so soon after debuting."
Alan nodded in agreement. Irina and Cecilia were still new to the scene, and compared to the other idols in the competition, they were like baby birds just learning to fly. But with fans like these, it wouldn't be long before they soared to new heights of success.
"MINA! MINA!"
The piercing screams of Mina's die-hard fans could be heard from afar. Clad in matching outfits in Mina's favorite color and holding up banners with her name emblazoned on them, the group radiated an intensity and loyalty that was unparalleled.
These were fans who had stood by Mina for years, through thick and thin, and their devotion was unwavering. In comparison, the earlier group of fans supporting Irina and Cecilia paled in comparison.
"MINA! MINA! MINA!" they chanted, their voices reverberating throughout the stadium. Their sheer determination to show their unwavering support for their beloved idol was palpable, and nothing was going to stop them.
It was clear that Mina's popularity far exceeded that of her competitors, Irina and Cecilia. From the size and enthusiasm of her fanbase, Mina was undoubtedly one of the most beloved idols in the entire competition.
In stark contrast, Alan could not spot a single fan of Xin's, let alone a devoted one like Mina's supporters. Even Jun's fanbase paled in comparison to Mina's, further cementing her status as the most beloved idol in the competition.
"Can you see that? That right there is the sheer brilliance of Mina!" exclaimed one of the people standing near Alan, their voice laced with intense emotion.
Alan turned to see who had spoken and found it was Mina's manager. As they were from the same company, it seemed their seats were arranged near each other.
The manager had come to assert Mina's dominance over her competitors, Irina and Cecilia, and her proud smile showed it.
Although Mina's manager didn't despise Alan as much as Jun and his manager, she still held a negative impression of him.
One reason was Alan's attitude towards Mina earlier. Although he hadn't done anything directly to offend her, he didn't give her any face. The second reason was the competition between Mina and Irina & Cecilia.
While Alan may not have been aware of it, Mina's manager vividly remembered the operational department allocating company resources meant for Mina's song to Irina and Cecilia's songs. This created a sense of resentment towards them.
"Yeah, she is definitely one of the most popular here!"