The next day.
When Frank Castle arrived at Eastwick TV, he found the television station building surrounded by a throng of people. They were all fans of the mentors and contestants.
"Amelia Quinn is the prettiest!"
"Sweetie Chloe is the cutest!"
"Liam Reed is so handsome!"
"Ms. Monroe, I want to have your baby!"
"Celeste Monroe, I love you!"
"Untouchable Diva, come and brutalize me!"
Among the mentors, Celeste Monroe undoubtedly had the most fans and the loudest cheers. The fans of other mentors were suppressed, dare not speak out of anger. As for the contestants, the one with the most fans was...
"Frank Castle, get out of entertainment!"
"Violent man doesn't deserve to be on The Voice of America!"
"Support Amelia Quinn in taking down that cheating man!"
"Frank Castle is so handsome!"
"Who's yelling 'Frank Castle is handsome'?! Beat her up!"
A group of people held banners proclaiming "Frank Castle, Get Out of Entertainment," surrounding the Eastwick TV building and launching a full-scale assault on Frank. Nearby, a girl wearing a hat and mask softly yelled "Frank Castle is so handsome!" and then slipped away, making it impossible for the enraged crowd to catch her.
Frank Castle was dumbfounded. Do I really have this many fans now? How touching!
Next to Frank's "fan" group were Chloe's fans, holding a large poster of Chloe. It was Chloe from the first episode, playing the guzheng on stage. The girl in the poster was charming and endearing, a combination of classical beauty, adorable naivete, and sexiness. Chloe had made a stunning debut in the first episode of The Voice of America. Her contrasting image and outstanding classical-style singing had truly impressed everyone. If not for Frank's overwhelming negative publicity, Chloe would have been the most popular contestant. Of course, currently, no one could compare to Frank Castle in terms of notoriety.
For instance, at this moment, Frank Castle had just stepped out of a taxi when his "fans" spotted him. People immediately grew agitated.
"That's Frank Castle!"
"That jerk actually dared to show up?"
"I'm going to teach him a lesson for Amelia Quinn!"
"I'm going to seek justice for that female employee from Beauteous whom he assaulted that year!"
"Don't let him into Eastwick TV!"
Frank Castle was startled, not expecting his "fans" to be so enthusiastic. Seeing himself about to be surrounded, a small figure darted out from the side, pulling Frank and running in another direction. It was the same young girl who had just yelled "Frank Castle is so handsome!" in the crowd. This girl had pigtails and a round face. Although she was wearing a hat and mask, Frank still recognized her.
"Assistant Liu?"
Liu Yun took off her mask, revealing a flushed, round face, and turned back: "Teacher Frank, suddenly a lot of your anti-fans showed up downstairs. The director told me to come down early and pick you up. Come with me, we'll go through the back door."
Frank Castle frowned slightly: "Assistant Liu, are you saying those people just appeared suddenly?"
Liu Yun nodded: "Originally there were only a few, but then suddenly a large group appeared, and they've been cursing you."
Frank Castle was silent for a moment, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. He already guessed who was behind this.
Liu Yun didn't notice Frank's expression. She led him into a small alley, skillfully found a tightly closed small door, pushed it open, revealing a narrow passage. "Don't worry, Teacher Frank. This is how I enter the station every time I'm late. This path is very safe."
"Okay, thank you, Assistant Liu." Frank followed Liu Yun through the door. Along the passage, they quickly reached an elevator. Liu Yun pressed the up button for the elevator, then said to Frank: "Teacher Frank, you were so cool last episode! No Makeup is really good! I've been listening to your duet with Teacher Cecilia on repeat every day!"
Seeing the round-faced girl's excitement, Frank couldn't help but curiously ask: "Assistant Liu, aren't you afraid of me? Everyone online says I hit women." He even put on a fierce expression.
Liu Yun looked at him, then suddenly burst out laughing, her eyes curving into crescent moons. "Teacher Frank, you don't look like someone who would fight at all! You probably can't even beat me up, right?"
Frank Castle: "..."
Just then, the elevator arrived. The two entered the car. Liu Yun pressed the third floor button while continuing to chatter: "Teacher Frank, this episode's theme is really difficult! Are you confident?"
This episode's theme was indeed very special. Classical style, plus the character for "righteousness" – that made it really hard to grasp. Liu Yun heard other colleagues discussing it, and they all thought this episode might set a new record for the lowest average score among contestants in The Voice of America's history.
Frank Castle smiled: "It's alright. I probably won't be eliminated."
"Really? Wow, I can't wait!" Liu Yun's eyes widened, wishing she could hear Frank sing right now.
The two exited the elevator and arrived outside the contestants' lounge. Liu Yun raised a small fist towards Frank: "Teacher Frank, good luck!"
"No problem!" Frank also raised his fist towards Liu Yun, then turned and walked into the contestants' lounge.
Liu Yun watched Frank's retreating back and murmured: "Teacher Frank looks like such a good person. Why are people on the internet scolding him?"
"Hehehe, only a fool like you would think Frank Castle is a good person!"
A sharp laugh sounded behind Liu Yun. She turned to see a seductive woman in a low-cut mini-skirt walking with Alex Stone. This woman, named Evelyn Chen, was an intern who had joined the station at the same time as Liu Yun. However, the number of permanent positions was limited, and whether one could stay depended on their performance on The Voice of America. Liu Yun was diligent and hardworking, and the associate director had originally assigned her to host Alex Stone. But Evelyn Chen took a shortcut and ultimately snatched the qualification to host Alex Stone, leaving the undesirable task of hosting Frank Castle to Liu Yun.
The longer an artist being hosted remained on the show, the more opportunities there were for the host to shine, and the greater the chance of being kept on staff. Frank Castle, a contestant reviled across the internet, would likely only last two episodes at most. Hearing Liu Yun actually say Frank Castle wasn't a bad person, Evelyn Chen almost burst out laughing.
Liu Yun wrinkled her nose: "Evelyn, don't talk nonsense. Teacher Frank is a good person!"
Alex Stone sneered: "Little girl, your eyesight is already bad at such a young age. Do you really want to be hit by Frank Castle?"
Liu Yun looked at Alex Stone and thought, No wonder Teacher Frank said he was effeminate. He really does look like a woman!
Alex Stone frowned: "What kind of look is that?"
Liu Yun smiled brightly: "Teacher Alex, I wish you get prettier and prettier!" Then she ran off.
Alex Stone was bewildered and asked Evelyn Chen: "What did she say about me?"
Evelyn Chen said: "Teacher Alex, she was praising your good looks!"
Alex Stone chuckled, delicately touching his face: "I think so too."
In the mentors' lounge, Liam Reed held his phone to his ear. "Didn't I tell you to block Frank Castle and make him look bad? How did he get in so easily?"
"He was foiled by a little girl? I paid good money, and this is how you do your job?"
"A bunch of useless trash!"
Liam Reed put down his phone, a hint of malice appearing on his handsome face.
"Frank Castle, that bowl of soy milk you sent me, I'll return it to you sooner or later!"