?Chapter 762:


    By afternoon, the artists trickled in one by one. Her group consisted of six members, though how many would survive thepetition’s ruthless winnowing remained to be seen. Hadley waited in a modest conference room. Linda was thest to arrive.


    “Apologies for beingte,” Linda announced as she entered, slipping off her down coat and passing it to her assistant. Among the group, she was the most well-known. Naturally, no one dared hold her tardiness against her.


    “No issue.”


    “We just got here too…”


    Linda shed a smile at her new colleagues and then nced up—and her expression shifted the moment she spotted Hadley at the head of the table. “Hadley?”


    The production assistant blinked in curiosity. “You two know each other?”


    “Know each other?” Linda echoed, flicking her hair with practiced ease before throwing Hadley a teasing wink. “We grew up together.”


    Hadley felt an invisibleugh coil in her throat—sharp, cold, and utterly silent. Some childhood friends were worse than strangers.


    “That’s fantastic!”


    The assistant took Linda’s words at face value, oblivious to the chill in the air. “Miss Pearson is leading this group. With your bond, Linda, you’re bound to reach the finals!”


    Linda beamed. “Hadley, I’m counting on you.”


    “Naturally.” Hadley responded with a faint, unreadable smile.


    The other artists exchanged nces, unspoken thoughts thick in the air. So it was true—Linda was already on a fast track. The rest of them would just have to fight for scraps.


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    Hadley refocused on the room. “Take a seat. For the debut performance, the production team wants a group routine.”


    There would also be solo sections, ranging from brief moments to more substantial performances.


    “I need to know your backgrounds—whether you’ve trained in any dance styles or yed sports.”


    She gestured toward the artist at the far end. “Let’s go around the table. You go first.”


    “Alright, Miss Pearson…”


    After hearing their self-introductions, Hadley concluded, “Since all of you have some dance experience, let’s move to the studio. Show me what you’ve got.”


    “Got it.”


    “Sure.”


    The afternoon was a blur of movement, but as the hours passed, Hadley began forming a clear picture of her team’s abilities.


    “I understand everyone’s strengths now,” she said. “I’ll draft a few performance concepts and send them in the group chat. You can review them and vote on the final piece.”


    “Alright.”


    “No problem!”


    Once most of the details were ironed out, the meeting adjourned. For now, Hadley would be working at the TV station, and the production team had provided her with a dressing room key.


    As she stepped out, she ran into Linda at the entrance.


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