All Chapters of Side Chick Era… Over: Chapter 681 - Chapter 690

The staffer was flushed with excitement."Our stream just blew up! Sure, we paid for some promotional traffic, but this effect—this reach—is off the charts! Right now, we're closing in on a million viewers, and the numbers are still climbing!"Fabian hurried over to check.One glance, and he froze.In the time it took for him to exchange a few words, the viewership had already broken the million mark.A million… A million!All his years in directing, and he had never seen such heat around a project.For a moment, he just stood there, stunned. Then the realization hit, and his blood surged. His instincts sharpened—this was it. At last, he could feel it: his chance to finally step out of the shadows.He spun toward the technicians at their consoles. "Keep the servers and the stream stable. I don't want so much as a hiccup or a freeze."Everyone present was part of his original team. They understood the gravity of the moment. This broadcast could make or break them.The staffer

Thomas was quick-witted and always full of ideas.Kelly's eyes lit up. "Thomas, what's your idea? Tell me now!"Thomas said, "I can't intervene in the live competition itself—that has to be on you. But on the broadcast, I can make your numbers look better."Immediately, Kelly understood what he meant. "You… you mean you want to boost my stats?"Pre-sale ticket numbers, now broadcast figures… all artificially inflated.Kelly felt a pang of unease.True, Carter and Nate had once spent large sums to help her gain followers and create hype. But those were real fans, with genuine support.Thomas's method, while costly, felt different. It carried a sense of false prosperity.Who wouldn't want real fans? Facing a sea of fake bots made Kelly feel… wrong.Sensing her hesitation, Thomas added, "I can throw money at boosting traffic. You still have to attract fans yourself, but whether you can beat Sharon… I can't guarantee."Kelly remained silent.The competition had already begun. Ev

But there was nothing to be done. Even if they continued streaming Sharon, viewership could still drop.The live chat scrolled furiously, comments flying faster than anyone could read."What's this? Compared to Sharon, she's nowhere near as good.""Sure, it sounds intense, but I still prefer the calm, soothing feeling Sharon brings.""Ugh, I can't stand that pitiful, delicate look—leaving!""Don't go! Kelly is excellent too. Give her a chance, get to know her."In the audience seats up front, Reina and the others exchanged uneasy glances after watching Kelly's performance.Reina couldn't help asking, "This… is Kelly's skill?"Johnny's face was one of disbelief. "This is just…"Halfway through, David nudged him and gave him a meaningful look. Johnny paused, realization dawning.He adjusted his tone. "I can see she has a solid foundation, certainly some ability…"Yet he couldn't suppress the doubt gnawing at him. "Teacher, is she not feeling well today? Not performing at her t

Maestro Warner said, "Competitions are ruthless. No matter what happens, it cannot influence the judges' scoring. Otherwise, it would be unfair to the other contestants."Having served as a judge in numerous major competitions, Warner had seen countless unexpected incidents. Even if a contestant collapsed mid-performance and had to be rushed to the hospital, they would not be given a chance to perform again. Otherwise, if everyone started collapsing and replaying their performances, the whole competition would descend into chaos.Reina nodded. "True talent will always shine. Kelly has the skill—this one performance doesn't define her. I checked the schedule; the second-round cycle comes last. She still has a chance to compete against Sharon and even fight for the championship."Knowing that Kelly hadn't shown her full potential, the tension in the room eased slightly.Online, viewers who had been about to leave the livestream paused, their attention caught by what had just unfolded

Casey frowned. "The domestic scene really does need a change in attitude."Soon after, the results of the match between Sharon and Kelly were announced.Sharon scored a perfect ten points.Kelly… zero.Even though the host and judges praised Kelly for losing honorably, she couldn't shake the sting of humiliation. She had lost to Sharon again.At least she had prepared herself before stepping on stage, preserving a shred of dignity. Kelly forced herself to smile gracefully and said to Sharon, "Sharon, congratulations on winning the first round."Sharon returned the courtesy with a polite smile. "Thank you for your kind words, Kelly. I look forward to our next encounter. I hope your health recovers quickly and your hand heals soon, so that in the next match, you can try to win it back."Sharon had scored ninety-nine points. To surpass her would have required perfection. Even John, dazzling as he was, had only managed ninety-five at his peak. Kelly hadn't even matched that. Winning