Andrew's statement left everyone dumbfounded. Zac turned to him and retorted, "Andrew, are you out of your mind? Wasn't the recording explicit enough? Are you suggesting that Jodie should replace Simone on this show because she's innocent?" Andrew stuttered, attempting to clarify, "We merely assisted her in negotiating with Simone; it wasn't her initiative." Zac scoffed, "Your heads are filled with absurdities. You've been manipulated and discarded, yet you still strut around with pride." Ethan chimed in, "Am I misunderstanding something? Did you genuinely negotiate with Simone? According to the recording, it seems more like you were pressuring her to relinquish her spot to Jodie." It's infuriating to see Simone, a person of such talent, being treated so unjustly and subjected to such bullying. Keira, visibly upset, retorted, "Mr. Andrew, we're not deaf. We can discern right from wrong." Despite arriving late, Tina had witnessed the entire incident. She questioned, "Am I having trouble understanding? From what I've gathered, it appears that Mr. Andrew and his family have been pressuring Simone. In the recording, Jodie clearly expressed her reluctance to take the spot. She politely conveyed her wish not to upset Simone or their parents. Isn't this a clear indication of her disinterest? Am I missing something?" Eric coughed, "So, our comprehension is flawed. We can't match the absurdities in Mr. Andrew's mind." He added sarcastically, "Ah, we're just a bunch of fools." He rarely got involved in disputes, but today, he couldn't hold back. Andrew truly is, as Zac stated, an imbecile. He's so blinded by his desire to protect Jodie that he can't think straight.Brandon concurred, "I agree; we can't comprehend or agree with Mr. Andrew's words. We're simply too foolish." Leon coldly remarked, "He's just a foolish idiot who can't differentiate between negotiation and coercion. It makes me wonder if he relies on others to handle his directorial tasks behind the scenes. After all, the Gray Family isn't short of money. As long as they gain fame, anything goes." Andrew's statements were utterly baseless and nonsensical. Even in this situation, he insisted on maintaining the facade of a harmonious family. Leon emphasized, "If we have to form a team later, I refuse to be in the same group as this idiot." I'd rather perish than be in the same group as these people again. Seizing the opportunity, Tina declared, "I don't want to be in their group either." Thank goodness! I really don't want to be in the same group as these losers again.Andrew realized that all the guests on this show were targeting him. "You're all ostracizing us. That's just too much." This was the first time he had been so singled out and ridiculed. It was utterly humiliating. He then addressed Leon, "You can question my character, but please refrain from insulting my profession." He had never resorted to using a ghostwriter for his directorial work. Zac confidently retorted, "Yes, we are ostracizing you. Are you just realizing that now?" Simone added, "He's always been the least self-aware yet the most self-righteous." Among the five, Sc*mbag No. 4 was the most problematic. Andrew hadn't anticipated Zac and Simone's harsh words in front of the live audience, and he was left speechless.The atmosphere turned incredibly awkward. Zac turned to Jodie. "Andrew is defending you. Don't you have anything to say?" Jodie, the instigator, always hid behind others, and Zac deliberately wanted to expose her. She regretted it now and cursed Zac for meddling. Primarily, she hadn't expected Simone to have a recording and to release it at this moment. Otherwise, she would have definitely stopped Andrew from acting recklessly. Simultaneously, she felt a twinge of resentment towards Andrew. Everything was going smoothly, but he had to stir up the issue of spot-stealing. Now, they were all caught in this embarrassing predicament. Jodie was at a loss for words. She could apologize to Simone; sure, she could feign it. After all, it wouldn't be sincere, but when Aaron tried to apologize, he faced ridicule from Simone and Zac, so that was not an option. On the other hand, if she sided with Andrew, she'd face backlash from netizens once again. This time, she genuinely wanted to clear her name. So, with teary eyes, she lowered her head, feigning embarrassment and injustice. Seeing this, Andrew stepped in, "This is all my fault; you can blame me. Jo is innocent. Why are you forcing her to speak?" Jodie remained silent, but her silence also indicated her agreement with Andrew. Simone realized that this charade was nearing its end, so she responded, "We have no common ground with you, and we have no interest in engaging with you any further. After all, you don't comprehend basic human language. To the director and the audience in front of the camera, I apologize for the time we've wasted. Now, let's proceed with the live segment of the show so as not to squander the production team's time and the resources of the public live broadcast." From the beginning, she targeted Sc*mbag No. 4, the country's popular new director, with a trending topic. The Gray Family was dragged along with him into the spotlight. Her objective for the opening of this show had been accomplished. There was no need to continue arguing with Sc*mbag No. 4, a person with a narrow-minded perspective who couldn't be reasoned with. It was best to stop here to stir up more negative sentiments towards Andrew and his group. As expected, the live chat was in an uproar. Andrew, with his good looks and reputation as a renowned new director, had a significant fan base.When the show started, his fans criticized Simone, but after hearing the recording, they fell silent. Either they felt embarrassed, or they feared backlash if they spoke up. Simone's fans, along with the fans of other guests and some casual viewers, were all enraged now. 'I never expected Simone's family to be like this. From her parents to her siblings, not a single decent person among them.' 'This is outrageous! They actually bullied Simone like this. I was heartbroken after hearing the recording.' 'For the sake of their adopted daughter, they coerced their biological daughter and sister into giving up their resources. Is this something a human being would do?' 'The most ironic part is that they believe Simone is the one stealing Jodie's resources and bullying her, as long as they don't relinquish their positions.' 'Based on the implications in the recording, it appears that this kind of thing has happened quite frequently.' 'As Zachy mentioned, Simone is not their family, but their adversary.' 'Simone is truly unfortunate to have such a family.' 'I am truly grateful that Simone encountered her mentor; otherwise, she would have been in a miserable state.' 'For the first time, I find Aaron utterly repulsive. He lost Simone and yet has the audacity to torment her for the sake of Jodie.' 'Yes. This scandal is something I never anticipated. Where does Aaron find the audacity?' 'Now they apologize. But where were they before?' 'Thank goodness Simone didn't accept their apology and forgive them; otherwise, I would have been consumed by anger.''The other members of the Gray Family are equally repugnant.' 'That agent, Titus, deliberately defamed Simone before. He is so malicious.' 'Luca as well. Simone dedicated so much time to making throat lozenges specifically for him, but he accused her for the sake of Jodie. What a despicable person.' 'Yes, I bet the so-called Mr. Reuben is definitely not a good person either.' 'Mrs. Gu is even more heartless. Simone is her biological daughter, yet she treats her own flesh and blood this way for the sake of her adopted daughter.' 'Although Mr. Steven didn't say anything, he didn't seem innocent either.' 'Zachy was right about everything. He is protecting Simone and doing an excellent job.' 'All of Simone's kindness toward the Gray Family was in vain.''The reasoning of the Gray Family is truly absurd. How is Gray Group not bankrupt yet?' 'Now I understand why Simone wanted to sever ties with the Gray Family. 'All I want to say is that cutting ties was a wise decision, and Simone did an outstanding job!' Soon, 'Simone's Exposed Recording,' 'Simone Being Blamed by Mr. Andrew,' and 'The Logic of the Rising Star, Mr. Andrew' all trended and occupied the top three positions. Following that, Aaron, Luca, and Andrew experienced a significant loss of fans. Many of their former fans turned against them. They unfollowed and criticized them, stating that they were unworthy of their support. Titus and Luca were also brought up again and subjected to various forms of mockery and criticism.Salma, Steven, and Reuben, who had previously remained in the shadows, were not exempt from the criticism and found themselves pulled into the fray.