Chapter 213 Secret Competition
Orval, being the quick thinker he was, came up with a new plan on the fly. He straightened up, cleared his throat, and said, "How about we have both Aria and Diana serve as program observers to guide the new legal team?" This way, the core interests of the program were protected, and the awkwardness between Edward and Aria was sidestepped, letting everyone save face.
"Diana, what do you think of this idea?" Edward's voice broke through my thoughts.
I was a bit surprised, looked up, and met his eyes. There was a mix of confusion and fatigue in my gaze, but I just nodded and said, "I'm fine with it."
Aria, on the other hand, looked like she wanted to argue, her lips slightly parted.
But before she could say anything, Edward raised his hand to stop her and turned to Orval, saying decisively, "Let's go with your plan and start fresh."
Orval thought for a moment, nodded, and then looked at Edward and me seriously. "Let's get the team together to revise the script overnight and start recording officially tomorrow."
The whole staff was thrilled that I could stay with the program team.
Meanwhile, a young lawyer from the new legal team came up to me. He bowed slightly, with a sincere smile, and said, "Ms. Cooper, it's an honor to work with you on this program. I almost missed this chance."
I sized him up and could tell he got on the team through connections and money, but his humble and polite attitude earned him some points with me.
I smiled faintly, patted his shoulder, and said warmly, "We'll have plenty of chances to learn from each other. Use this program to boost your reputation in the industry; it's a good start."
Then I turned and walked away, my steps casual. But inside, I was filled with endless sadness.
Edward was never one to let feelings get in the way of business. I knew him well after all these years. But now, with Aria, he was acting recklessly, ignoring the consequences. I couldn't help but wonder: what did Aria have over Edward that made him act so out of character and treat me like this?
I wandered the crowded streets, feeling lost and confused. I didn't know where to go, so I just moved with the crowd.
When the script revisions messed up the original promotional plan, the directors decided to go with a live broadcast to create some buzz. The new legal team was competent, and during the live show, they handled questions from help-seekers with calm and accurate legal advice.
But Aria was a disaster on the live show, acting like a total loose cannon.
Whenever the legal team members explained their views based on legal provisions and professional experience, Aria would interrupt without hesitation.
With baffling confidence, she'd declare, "That's not right. It should be..."Aria's constant interruptions threw the lawyers' carefully planned communication strategy into chaos. The people seeking help were left even more confused, not knowing who to trust.
I was left to clean up the mess from Aria's actions. I patiently explained the legal basis to everyone, trying to keep the show on track. After two hours of live broadcast, I was completely drained, feeling more exhausted than if I had hosted the whole night alone.
Since it was live TV, we couldn't gauge the audience's reaction in real time. But after the broadcast, I quickly found out that the show had hit a new viewership high.
Surprisingly, the audience wasn't focused on how the lawyers solved the help-seekers' problems. Instead, they were all about the subtle interactions and hidden competition between Aria and me.
For the program team, the competition between guests wasn't the main thing; what mattered was high ratings and sparking widespread discussions.
Among the many topics buzzing online, the talk about Aria and me stood out. The audience noticed Aria's deliberate targeting behavior and expressed their dissatisfaction and criticism of her on social media.
Sensing the negative public opinion, Aria quickly hired a bunch of Internet trolls to fight back. But the public had already made up their minds, and the support for doing the right thing was huge. Her actions not only failed to save her declining popularity but also fueled more righteous indignation among neutral bystanders, making them side with me.
By the third episode, my online popularity had skyrocketed while Aria's plummeted, creating a stark contrast between us.
I wasn't too worried about Aria's online antics. Compared to those flimsy online reviews, I valued the tangible benefits the program could bring to Stellar Legal Advisors and me.
I had always been popular with the public, and there were constantly netizens seeking my help online. Sometimes, there were so many people seeking help that I couldn't handle them all.
To better manage the influx, I helped Lila set up a live broadcast account and directed some of my audience to her live room.
Even though Lila had a smaller online presence than me, she was just as experienced a lawyer.
During every live stream, she thoughtfully and clearly addressed viewers' legal questions, quickly earning their respect with her professionalism and composure.
Lila's and my growing popularity quickly caught the attention of the reality show's production team. Viewership surged, with more and more people tuning in to see me on the program.
While I was busy preparing for the third episode, Orval suddenly came to find me again. I felt uneasy, instinctively thinking that Aria had come up with some new way to make things difficult for me.
With this thought in mind, I followed Orval to the office, my heart pounding, only to be completely surprised to see David, whom I hadn't seen in a long time.
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