Five minutes before the competition's live broadcast across the entire network, the atmosphere in the main hall grew increasingly solemn and quiet. The silver-white numbers continuously counting down on the high screen marked the approaching start time of the competition.
The contestants had initially crowded around Lu Mingming, asking for milk candies. They only dispersed their circle when notified by staff that the media was arriving.
Now, the air was so still that only the occasional faint rustle of candy wrappers could be heard.
The media personnel from Xingfu Star's five well-known major weekly publications and the Tianhe platform entered the hall together. They wore their work passes, either smiling and greeting friends in the media seating area or standing in corners, jotting down notes in small booklets, projecting an air of busyness.
Lu Mingming spotted Sasha among the media representatives, which immediately gave her a sense of familiarity. They smiled and waved at each other from a distance of over ten meters.
Before the competition began, most contestants were already in their seats, waiting for the opening. They chewed on the milk candies Lu Mingming had given them to slightly alleviate their nervousness.
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The milk candies were now finished. Except for the seasoned veteran Cheng Shiqin, who still wore a cheerful grin, all the other contestants were participating in this selection competition for the first time. Unsure how to react, they passively accepted the media's filming and interviews.
Unexpectedly, the top-ranked streamer, Nine-Tailed Fox, was the last contestant to arrive, just as the venue was about to close.
Upon her arrival, almost all eyes in the hall involuntarily focused on the striking woman in the tight leather skirt.
Undoubtedly, her appearance was outstanding, and her figure was equally alluring and voluptuous.
However, her tardiness was not well-received by most media professionals. A few elderly scholars with graying temples furrowed their brows into the character "川" (chuan).
Yet, Nine-Tailed Fox was unfazed. She even positioned herself at the center of attention, a smug expression on her face, freely showcasing the graceful curves of her body.
The moment Lu Mingming saw Nine-Tailed Fox, Cheng Shiqin's whispered "scoop" from earlier immediately came to mind.
She opened her personal computer to check her messages. Her own words remained at the top of the message interface, displayed without the "read" symbol.
Lu Mingming let out a heavy sigh, trying to comfort herself: "Tangyuan hasn't called me. Maybe everything is fine?"
She pinched her palm, forcing herself to calm down.
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The cameras were currently adjusting their angles, ready for the live broadcast. The Star Chief then entered the hall; she would deliver the opening remarks in the final minute before the competition.
She was a mature woman, dressed in a fitted beige gown, with a dark leather belt cinching her waist, revealing an unexpectedly slender and firm figure. She exuded an elegant and intellectual aura, possessing a charm entirely different from Nine-Tailed Fox.
In the hushed silence of the entire venue, her voice was unhurried and perfectly pitched, like a smoothly played guqin. Everyone present seemed immersed in a flawlessly executed piece of music.
The Star Chief's speech was not as long-winded or complicated as those of Earth's leaders. After concluding briskly, she prepared to depart.
At that moment, a staff member quietly emerged from backstage and whispered something into her ear. In the next second, the Star Chief's beautiful, oval face shifted slightly.
Lu Mingming noticed this and guessed that something unexpected might have happened.
As expected, the Star Chief leaned towards the microphone and announced, "After verification by the staff, two of the beast-human cubs provided by the organizers have disappeared. The competition will be temporarily postponed by half an hour. Please wait patiently."
Instantly, a ripple of shock spread throughout the venue. People began discussing this unforgivable transgression in hushed, disbelieving tones, anger flaring from their hearts to their faces.
"Star Chief, may I ask whose cubs have gone missing?"
Nine-Tailed Fox asked this ill-timed question, immediately drawing everyone's attention back to her.
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Indeed, if her cub companion went missing, it meant she would receive a substitute cub. These substitute cubs, compared to the officially assigned ones, often had flaws.
Some were reflected in their appearance, some in their personality, and most in their lineage.
The chances of winning when partnered with two soft and obedient cat cubs were always higher than partnering with unpredictable snake cubs.
Moreover, substitute cubs were not easily understood. Combining overly clever cubs with those lacking intelligence was a disaster regardless of who you picked.
Therefore, these cubs also had a collective nickname: demons!
While the contestants worried about the unexpected happening to them, only Lu Mingming subconsciously looked in Nine-Tailed Fox's direction.
For some reason, after peeling away the superficial nervousness in Nine-Tailed Fox's words, Lu Mingming detected an undeniable hint of excitement, as if she were anticipating something to happen.
The Star Chief looked at Nine-Tailed Fox's waist number, her eyes carrying a hint of pity. "I'm sorry, it's contestant number one's companion."
The uproar intensified. Everyone knew Nine-Tailed Fox was a strong contender for the championship. It was highly likely that some contestant wanted to sabotage her performance and prevent her from winning!
People's judgmental gazes darted between Cheng Shiqin and Lu Mingming.
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In this competition, besides Nine-Tailed Fox, only these two had a chance of winning. Many began to speculate that the culprit was one of them.
"Heavens, who would frame me like this!"
Nine-Tailed Fox cried out dramatically, covering her mouth with a silk scarf. Tears welled up in her enchanting fox-like eyes.
When a beauty weeps, naturally, many "righteous individuals" are moved to action.
"Contestant number one, rest assured, we will uncover the truth for you!"
"May heaven strike me down, someone dares to harm the cubs! They deserve to be cut into a thousand pieces! Don't worry, I'll go find them!"
"My mental strength is B-. Miss Nine-Tailed Fox, you can entrust your cubs to me!"
The unsuspecting crowd was easily incited, each eager to step forward with righteous indignation.
"Thank you, everyone. However, I have one more thing I'd like to ask."
Nine-Tailed Fox put away her tearful facade, nodding gratefully. She turned and met Lu Mingming's gaze directly.
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"Streamer Mingming, could you explain the truth behind your early departure from the banquet last night?"
In an instant, sharp and disbelieving eyes converged on Lu Mingming. A portion of the onlookers, the anti-purebloods who enjoyed drama, showed their expected disdain, viewing her as the culprit.
After all, if Nine-Tailed Fox were to fall, Lu Mingming would become the contestant with the highest chance of winning.
"Good heavens, I even ate her milk candy. What if I'm poisoned!"
"I ate them too. Let's hurry to the infirmary. Don't let this woman succeed in framing us."
The hamster contestant whispered to the streamer beside her, their words filled with disbelief and apprehension.
"How cruel! This is disgusting pureblood humanity!"
Similar remarks echoed among the streamers, each completely forgetting that they were the ones who had asked for milk candies.
Seeing the situation turn sour, the little Samoyed trotted over to Lu Mingming's side, acting as a protective knight.
Amidst the collective targeting, Lu Mingming clearly saw the unmistakable schadenfreude in Nine-Tailed Fox's eyes.
She finally understood that this entire scheme was orchestrated against her.
From last night, Nine-Tailed Fox had been preparing for this moment!
The truth?
What truth did they expect her to provide? The truth was she had done nothing!
Lu Mingming's eyes darkened. "I left the banquet early last night because I took two cubs for a walk to aid digestion. Other than that, I did nothing!"
"But did anyone see?"
The Star Chief inquired.
"No one saw us on the road, but the surveillance cameras should have recorded it."
Lu Mingming's words were firm and powerful; she would not accept this slander.
Nine-Tailed Fox sneered, "If you were prepared to steal cubs, you would have surely disabled all the surveillance cameras, wouldn't you? How could there be any recorded footage?!"
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The Star Chief gestured, signaling a staff member to retrieve the surveillance footage.
On the large, light blue screen, the surveillance videos from all areas last night played clearly, including Lu Mingming's early departure.
However, just as Lu Mingming was about to return to the hotel, the surveillance footage of that entire section suddenly turned pitch black, making it impossible to see anyone clearly!
That path led back to the hotel. Simultaneously, the childcare room provided by the organizers was also nearby.
Just as Nine-Tailed Fox had said, the evidence was now laid bare before them. It was impossible to explain herself!
"I don't know what I did to offend you, but to use such despicable means against me."
Nine-Tailed Fox, with a choked sob, pointed directly at Lu Mingming's face, skillfully manipulating the situation.
As soon as she finished speaking, she turned to the Star Chief, clasping her hands in supplication.
"I request, Your Excellency Star Chief, to permanently disqualify Lu Mingming from the competition. Such a person is not worthy of remaining on Xingfu Star!"
The onlookers, snapping back to reality, gathered together in support of Nine-Tailed Fox's words.
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The calls for Lu Mingming to withdraw from the live competition grew louder. Rumors converged, and with enough repetition, baseless accusations were treated as established facts!
The Star Chief rubbed her forehead in resignation.
The current problem was that the cubs were indeed missing, and the true culprit could not be identified.
She had just used her mental power to scan the entire competition venue but found no trace of any anomaly. She couldn't rule out the possibility of intentional obstruction.
However, there was no more time. The postponement of the live broadcast was already abnormal and had drawn a great deal of criticism.
"Contestant number two, do you have anything you wish to say?"
The Star Chief decided to finally hear Lu Mingming's defense.
If she were disqualified from this live competition at this moment, Lu Mingming could foresee the widespread condemnation she would face on Xingfu Star, not to mention her own cubs being bullied, and her future potentially turning bleak.
It wasn't something she had done, and she would never take the blame or blindly accept this accusation!
With the situation having reached this point, Lu Mingming quickly made a decision:
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"I can swear that I did not do this.
If there is still doubt, I am willing to swap my cub companion with Nine-Tailed Fox's cub companion, and I will participate in the competition with the substitute cub!"