177: Chapter 175

Everyone's gaze was focused on the remaining eleven "Star Saints."

Rescuing Choi Yena and retaking the sausage stall (?) seemed to have become their only goal.

A new, and possibly even more absurd, "Great Rescue Operation" was about to begin within Producer Jiang Zhi Yu's imagination.

Meanwhile, in the backstage lounge, the recently "rescued" Choi Yena was taking water from a staff member. Her little face was flushed, her eyes were sparkling, and she showed none of the "terror" from when she was "captured." Instead, she excitedly said to those around her, "Wow! How was my performance in that 'captured' scene just now? Was it realistic? I felt like a movie protagonist when I was being carried away!"

Everyone: "..."

With Choi Yena "captured" and the sausage stall "lost," Jiang Zhiyu successfully rendered a somewhat tragic sense of "impending doom" to the atmosphere. The audience below whispered, guessing what would happen next; the remaining eleven "Star Saints" on stage looked at each other, momentarily unsure of how to continue—after all, the script they had received (if any) seemed to only cover "Charisma Fighting" and "Protecting Sausages."

However, Jiang Zhiyu clearly didn't intend to give them much time to breathe or feel lost.

The remains of the "Soft Baby King" (colored sponge blocks) and the still-swaying "Zang Zang Bao King" dolls were quickly and orderly cleared from the ring by staff. Immediately after, eleven ordinary folding chairs were brought up and arranged in an irregular circle in the center of the ring.

The production team's prompt sign lit up at the right time, with large, eye-catching characters:

[Please discuss and formulate a plan to rescue Choi Yena! Please take your seats!]

This instruction was relatively normal. The members looked at each other and, with a sense of relief that "the meeting is finally starting," walked toward the chairs to sit down and discuss the "Great Rescue Plan." Although this "plan" was likely arranged by PD Jiang as well, at least they could sit down for a moment to catch their breath and tidy up their thoughts and hairstyles, which had been ruffled by the chaotic battle (Jang Wonyoung carefully adjusted her "400,000 Crown").

However, they had clearly underestimated Jiang Zhiyu's obsession with "ritual" and "variety effect."

Just as they were about to sit, a second prompt sign followed closely behind with an unquestionable force:

[Please wear your corresponding 'Zodiac Induction Headgears' to enhance team resonance and focus on the plan! The headgears have been placed under your chairs!]

Everyone: "???"

Zodiac headgears? What on earth?

Under the chairs?

They looked down in confusion, and sure enough, under each chair was a plush headgear of various colors and... well... unique designs.

Kwon Eunbi (leo) leaned over and pulled out a golden-brown lion head headgear with an exaggerated mane and big, silly eyes from under her chair. Looking at the fluffy, slightly childish headgear in her hand, her mouth twitched, but unexpectedly, she didn't show much surprise or resistance. Instead, she had a sense of resignation, as if thinking, "As expected." Without a word, or even much hesitation, she put the lion headgear directly on her head. In an instant, the majestic (in her own mind) "Lionheart Sovereign" leader turned into a fluffy-haired, dim-witted-looking large feline plush toy.

Seeing their leader take the lead, the other members had no choice but to brace themselves and pick up their own headgears.

An Yujin (capricorn) had a dark gray goat head headgear with curved horns, and there was even a small bell (?) hanging from the horns.

Miyawaki Sakura (Sakura, virgo) had a pink and white flower spirit headgear of some sort, topped with two foam cherry blossoms and a small green leaf? (It barely related to cherry blossoms).

Yabuki Nako (Nako, taurus) got a brown calf head headgear with two small round horns and a pink heart for a nose.

Kim Chaewon (scorpio) had a dark purple scorpion headgear with two forward-curving scorpion pincers decorating the sides of her head and a tail hanging down the back.

Jo Yuri (gemini) had a slightly more complex design—a conjoined twin spirit headgear with two heads (though only one could actually be worn), and the expressions on the two faces were slightly different.

Lee Chaeyeon (sagittarius) had an archer headgear with feather decorations, looking like a simplified version of an Indian chief's headdress.

Honda Hitomi (Hitomi, cancer) had a sky-blue the crab headgear topped with two small the crab pincers.

Kang Hye-won (aries) had the simplest one: a fluffy, pure white little lamb headgear.

Kim Minju (libra), who was also required to participate as the chief judge, received a pale gold libra headgear with a mini balance scale dangling on each side.

And Jang Wonyoung (aquarius)...

When she pulled her headgear out from under the chair, the entire venue (both on and off stage) fell silent for a moment.

It was a plush headgear entirely in water blue. As for the shape... rather than a "water bottle," it looked more like... a giant mineral water bottle with facial features! The top was designed like a bottle cap shape, with a ring-shaped "handle" decoration on each side. The face part had simple eyes and a mouth embroidered with white yarn, and the bottle body had that familiar, expensive mineral water logo pasted on with sequins.

This... this was the aquarius headgear? This was clearly magnifying the shame of the "400,000 Crown" tenfold and then putting it right on her head!!!

Holding this "Mineral Water Bottle Headgear," Jang Wonyoung's fingers trembled slightly. Her beautiful little face instantly lost its color, and her eyes were filled with the words "just kill me."

"Pfft—" Beside her, An Yujin was the first who couldn't hold it in and laughed. But seeing Jang Wonyoung's murderous gaze, she quickly stifled it, her shoulders shaking.

The other members also cast sympathetic glances. Even the usually cool Sakura turned her face away, her shoulders trembling slightly.

"Wonyoung-ah..." An Yujin suppressed her laughter and stepped forward. "Should Unnie help you put it on?" She was afraid Jang Wonyoung wouldn't be able to bring herself to do it.

Jang Wonyoung closed her eyes and took a deep breath, like a warrior about to face execution, and handed the "water bottle headgear" to An Yujin.

An Yujin carefully placed the massive, ridiculous, and advertisement-heavy headgear onto Jang Wonyoung's head. The headgear was a bit large, almost covering half her shoulders. Those "bottle handle" plush ears stuck out on both sides of her head, and the "bottle face" on the front featured simple yarn features that gave off a dull, blank expression.