Chapter 034: Nationwide Broadcast

“Whew.” Staring at his reflection in the mirror—a black suit with a fish-scale pattern over a crisp white shirt—Le Xiaotian exhaled deeply.

With Sun Yuzhen beside him, he stepped out of the lounge.

The corridor outside was packed with people; all of them were hosts from the station. As soon as they saw Le Xiaotian and Sun Yuzhen emerge, the hosts excitedly parted to make way. “Go for it, Brother Xiaotian!”

It wasn’t hard making his way into the control room. Taking in the readiness of the team, Le Xiaotian asked, “Director Tang, have you confirmed whether the news is true?”

Face flushed with excitement, Director Tang’s voice was brimming with barely concealed joy. “Confirmed. This afternoon, the Stellar Tower of Blue Moon Island was seized. Tonight, we have a chance to utterly defeat Blue Cang and make a name for ourselves in Fama.”

Le Xiaotian’s eyes narrowed, his expression grave. Thirty thousand hostages. Supposedly, there’s also a formidable Advanced Three-Star Dance Apparatus. This will surely cause panic.

Since the decision had been made, Le Xiaotian wasn’t about to waver. He grinned and asked, “How do I look?”

In perfect unison, the six beauties—Xiangxiang, Xiaomei, Qiuyan, Jiufeng—chorused, “You look amazing!”

Taking out a pair of black-rimmed glasses, Le Xiaotian joked, “Doesn’t this make me look a bit more like an artist?”

Before anyone else could answer, Sun Yuzhen retorted, “Enough. I’ve met plenty of big stars in my time—do you really think my taste is that bad? Let’s focus on the matter at hand.”

The thought of broadcasting live before two billion viewers made Le Xiaotian truly nervous.

But as solemn, sacred epic music played in his mind, he calmed down, his presence surging forth.

Director Tang pointed to the sixteen massive TVs behind him. “Though we have the exclusive live broadcast, soon every other station will be relaying it. This is where they’ll appear. See—this largest screen is yours.”

After the technical rundown, Director Tang finally sought his opinion. “Tonight’s show: let’s call it ‘The Downfall of a Great General.’ What do you think?”

Downfall, my foot! You want to grab attention, but you can’t just pander like that.

Le Xiaotian refused outright. “No. General Ying has a sterling reputation—this title would mislead the audience. From what I see, General Ying’s actions are directed at the royal elite. If it weren’t, he could have just started a massacre; there’d be no need for this elaborate live broadcast. His aim is to expose the scandals of certain political cancer. So, let’s title it ‘A Star of the Military Challenges a Star of the Political World.’”

After pondering, Zhao Dezhu nodded in agreement. “Well said, Xiaotian. We’re the exclusive broadcaster; we don’t need cheap tricks to attract viewers. Our theme should state the facts directly, without bias. That’s how Lotus TV upholds its neutrality. Right and wrong, the audience can judge for themselves.”

Li Hongmei snorted, “You opportunist. Weren’t you the one who suggested ‘The Downfall of a Great General’ just now?”

Seeing that the leadership had no objections, Le Xiaotian glanced at his left wristwatch. One minute left.

He didn’t fuss over details any longer and made his way to the anchor desk.

But as he sat down, the nerves returned. He had no choice but to light a cigarette to steady himself.

That one minute seemed to stretch endlessly. The quieter the room, the more tense one felt.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The shrill ring of the phone startled Le Xiaotian, making his heart leap. Two billion viewers, my god.

After the third ring, he picked up the handset.

In that instant, a wave of calm washed over him. “General Ying? I’m ready.”

Ying Dengbo’s voice came through, steady and resolute. “Good. I’ll call in shortly.”

After hanging up, Le Xiaotian donned his headset and signaled to Director Tang and the control room.

Immediately, the countdown began outside. “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six…”

As the countdown ended and his image appeared on the monitors outside, Le Xiaotian began the broadcast. “Good evening to all viewers in Beihai, Wuchuan, Capital City, Great Blue, Yunluo, and everyone watching from home. I’m Le Xiaotian, hosting for Beihai Lotus TV. My stage names are Brother Xiaotian and Ziyang the Great. Tonight, I bring you breaking news…”

The city of Beihai erupted in excitement the moment the broadcast began.

“Wow, so this is Brother Xiaotian—he’s so handsome!”

“So much charisma: refined features, a determined jaw, deep eyes, and that stylish, mid-length black hair.”

“Classic black-and-white ensemble, the open collar gives him a free-spirited air, and those black-rimmed glasses add a touch of sophistication.”

“Noble without being ostentatious. Daring to go tieless on live TV—Brother Xiaotian is undoubtedly Fama’s top host!”

“Wow, sis, don’t faint yet—at least stare for a few more seconds before you swoon. Oh no, I’m getting dizzy too!”

“Brother Xiaotian, I want to have your babies!”

Watching the ratings rocket from one percent to two, three percent and beyond, Director Tang, Li Hongmei, and the other station heads, along with the hundred-plus hosts crowding the corridor, were all ecstatic. Lotus TV was rising!

The six beauties and three lovely assistants clutched their chests in excitement.

The only one who wasn’t pleased was Le Xiaotian’s wife, Sun Yuzhen, who wore a look of deep concern.

At that moment, Le Xiaotian realized his nerves had truly vanished.

Perhaps it was his innate, unshakable confidence, the artistic wealth of the entire world at his fingertips, experience from eight live performances for crowds of over two thousand, and broadcasting to hundreds of thousands of listeners.

That must be why he adapted so quickly, Le Xiaotian mused.

His expression now relaxed, his movements poised, every word clear and fluent, his voice rich with emotion and especially compelling. “Now, let us uncover the truth together. Let’s open the lines.”

Beep. Beep. Beep.

As soon as he finished speaking, the phone rang once more. When he answered, everyone could hear the conversation.

Ying Dengbo’s calm voice resonated, “Good evening to all viewers. I am General Ying Dengbo. There is only one reason for this nationwide broadcast today: to lead Fama back into the light.”

Hearing the calm yet resolute tone, a sense of foreboding swept the audience across the country.

Because Le Xiaotian was the only one present in this live broadcast, he kept the program on track. “General Ying, you mentioned before that the purpose of this broadcast is to expose the scandals of Fama’s political cancer, correct?”

Ying Dengbo replied, “Yes, that is my only demand.”

Le Xiaotian asked, “Can you share with us the origins of this matter?”

Ying Dengbo did not refuse. “Certainly.”

And thus, the nationwide live broadcast officially began.