Morning.
The sunlight streaming through the window roused Ye Yuwei and Li Jiaqi from their sleep.
"You're still sick; you should rest a bit longer. Why are you up so early?"
"I couldn't sleep, and besides, a day without practice makes me anxious."
Ye Yuwei struggled to get herself up, making Jiaqi's heart ache.
But she knew her friend's temperament, so all she could do was help her freshen up.
After warming up their voices in the practice room, the two headed to the mess hall together.
As soon as they stepped inside, they both sensed something was off and exchanged subtle glances.
In addition to some ordinary team members, Duan Yuxin and Yu Qingjia, both from the "God 7" lineup of the general election, were there, along with Xu Mengchen sipping on watery porridge.
It was well known that while the company provided food and accommodations, the top members made it a point not to eat in the mess hall, letting their absence underscore their status.
With caution, the two got their meals and sat quietly at a table near the door to eat.
If anything happened, they could bolt immediately.
About five minutes passed like this when Ye Yuwei saw Zhang Yu, a fifth-generation member, stand up.
Though petite and cute-looking, Zhang Yu was actually from a sports school's track and field team.
She was typically Duan Yuxin's lackey, nicknamed "Sweet Lollipop," though everyone secretly called her "Little Bulldozer."
Carrying her meal tray and heading out, she abruptly kicked Wang Jiayi's shin harshly as she passed by.
Wang Jiayi was new to the group, having bypassed the auditions thanks to her striking appearance.
It was rumored her father had connections with one of the company's executives.
If not for her short time in the group, she likely would have performed at this round's showcase.
Zhang Yu's move was exceptionally covert—quick, ruthless, with the table shielding it from the camera's view.
"Ouch! Wang Jiayi! Why are you sticking your leg out to trip me?" Before the visibly pained Wang Jiayi could respond, Zhang Yu was already glaring with feigned indignation.
"Zhang Yu, you must be mistaken. Jiayi was quietly eating her food the whole time. Why would she trip you?" Wang Jiayi's friend Dong Zixuan frowned as she defended her.
"Dong Zixuan, I'm talking to Wang Jiayi, not you. You better shut up. Do you think I don't know whether she tripped me?" Zhang Yu snapped her head toward Dong Zixuan and shot her a piercing glare.
"You gotta be kidding me. Just because you're fifth-gen doesn't mean squat to me…"
*Slap!*
Before Wang Jiayi, who had slammed the table and stood up, could finish her words, Zhang Yu had already landed a hard slap across her face.
With her athletic background, Zhang Yu's explosive strength sent Wang Jiayi, a vocal student, sprawling on the ground.
Before Wang Jiayi could even get up, Lu Shanshan and a few others from the neighboring table of fifth-gen members stood up, tossing their bowls and chopsticks aside.
"What the hell is this? No rules anymore? Someone who didn't even pass auditions dares act cocky in front of us?"
Before the words had finished, Lu Shanshan and the group surged forward, surrounding Wang Jiayi and mercilessly kicking her.
At first, Wang Jiayi tried to fight back, but soon she resorted to curling up defensively, clutching her head as moans of pain escaped her lips.
Her friend Dong Zixuan stared, her eyes bloodshot and fists clenched tightly, but ultimately didn't step forward.
It was clear Dong Zixuan wasn't one to shy away from confrontation—had their numbers matched, she'd have been the first to throw punches.
Ye Yuwei and Jiaqi sat frozen at their seats.
Leaving now wouldn't work; it'd risk offending people.
They had already realized this was a planned bullying session.
Wang Jiayi must have crossed paths with one of the top-tier members, and Zhang Yu along with Lu Shanshan and their bunch were just henchmen.
The idols in Ye Yuwei's company—or rather all local idol companies—
were mainly sourced from students and young people without permanent jobs.
Students made up the majority.
Most of these students came from privileged families.
Without money, learning to sing and dance would be out of reach, which means no way of joining a girl group.
However, many of these students had already been "big sisters" in their schools.
Clubbing, partying, fighting, and drinking were just everyday activities.
Meanwhile, most young people without permanent jobs only entered this world thanks to their looks; without beauty, breaking into this circle was near impossible.
But typically, companies didn't like hiring them because coming from chaotic backgrounds and lacking formal education made them risky to train—they could easily cause scandals down the line.
Now imagine what happens when you put these girls together.
So don't fool yourself into believing your favorite idol is some innocent flower, a fragile bunny, pure and sweet, devoid of any schemes.
Most of them are cold-blooded schemers hiding behind angelic faces.
Masters of manipulation and drama, without which they wouldn't have landed their place among top-tier artists in their companies.
"Stop it! What on earth do you think you're doing, treating a junior like this?" Yu Qingjia, nicknamed "Little Princess," stepped in and abruptly halted Zhang Yu and the others.
Like vicious hunting dogs transformed into submissive kittens, Zhang Yu, Lu Shanshan, and the rest lowered their heads and admitted fault under Yu Qingjia's authority.
Even Dong Zixuan, who had seen her own share of schoolyard brawls, was stunned at the sight.
This was like a real-life version of a dark mafia movie.
Yu Qingjia was nicknamed "Little Princess" because of her top-notch resources after joining the company, coupled with her cunning strategies—for instance, exploiting fans with remarkable ease. Though her singing and dancing were unremarkable.
Ye Yuwei, Jiaqi, and the other girls sat awkwardly and fearfully, barely daring to breathe.
"Jiayi, remember that when you joined the group, the company taught us the rules: respect your seniors,"
Yu Qingjia gently draped an arm around Wang Jiayi's shoulder while slowly stroking her face with scarlet-polished nails.
Though Wang Jiayi seemed brutally beaten, her face surprisingly lacked injuries—it appeared she had managed to shield her face.
"Sister Qingjia, I…" Wang Jiayi's eyes filled with terror, her voice trembling. She feared her face would be ruined.
"And remember: the N-Team's rules were handwritten by Bingbing, our captain, and pinned to the wall. Can't you read?"
"Say something! Have you gone mute?" Yu Qingjia grabbed Wang Jiayi's shirt collar with an icy expression.
"Y-yes… I… I saw them… I… I'm sorry…" Wang Jiayi's mental defenses finally shattered as she broke into loud sobs.
"Alright, just leave her be and let her calm down. Look how filthy she is, and the mess hall floor could use some cleaning too." Duan Yuxin, ranked seventh in the general election, walked over and threw a disdainful glance at Wang Jiayi.
"Feisty little girl, huh? Facing so many people just now and still wanted to fight. How about sticking with me instead? Why bother with trash like her?" Duan Yuxin grinned as she addressed Dong Zixuan.
Dong Zixuan's ruggedly attractive face revealed hesitation, her inner conflict raging.
Finally, under Duan Yuxin's increasingly icy gaze, she timidly held onto Duan Yuxin's arm.
"Good. Remember, to survive here, you need friends who'll back you up." Duan Yuxin smiled, satisfied.
The group swaggered out as if they had just done something trivial.
The remaining people took no notice of Wang Jiayi, who continued to wail, and quietly slipped away.
Later, I heard that when Wang Jiayi returned to her dorm, someone had left a pile of crap in her bed.
The reason she was targeted was because she had tried to use her connections to steal Yu Qingjia's spot at the showcase,
and after failing, she started bad-mouthing her everywhere.
As for whether Wang Jiayi would retaliate, there was no chance.
Someone like Yu Qingjia, a top-tier member, was uniquely protected by the company.
And if they dared to attack Wang Jiayi, it means they had already assessed her background and weren't afraid of any backlash.