180: Chapter 178

However, it wasn't over yet!

Just as the "roast duck man" was dancing joyfully (?), and everyone was laughing uncontrollably, several new "characters" wobbled onto the arena entrance!

They were several giant humanoid juice can dolls!

The cans were printed with the distinct XX Juice (Brand F) logo, in flavors like orange, apple, and grape... The mascot suits were round, and the tops were designed with funny smiling faces that could open and close (simulating a pull tab). They walked with clumsy, swaying steps onto the arena, joining the dance line for secret story of the swan! Their movements were even stiffer and more ridiculous than the "roast duck man," but added a sense of silly cuteness.

"???" The girls eating roast duck on stage froze again, forgetting to continue rolling the roast duck pancakes in their hands.

Producer Jiang Zhi Yu's sales pitch immediately followed, his tone full of "consideration":

"Ah! A friendly tip! Roast duck is delicious, but eating too much might feel a bit greasy, right? No need to worry! We have the perfect solution!"

His voice rose, full of passion:

"Oh! Our partner, 'XX Juice,' also felt this happiness (?) and has come to help!"

"After tasting the delicious roast duck, do you feel a little bit of greasiness? (Actually, not really.)"

"No need to worry! With XX Juice by your side, it will keep you cool and refreshed all day long!"

His speaking speed increased, like a TV shopping host:

"XX Juice, 100% pure fruit pressed, zero pollution, no additives! Rich in natural vitamins, healthy and delicious, refreshing and thirst-quenching! It's the best choice to pair with grilled meat, roast duck, and other delicacies!"

"Look! Even our 'Juice Elves' can't help but dance in celebration! (Referring to those intruding juice can mascots.)"

Following his words, those "juice can mascots" also started to move. They didn't dance, but began imitating aerobics movements, raising their "arms" (actually the sides of the cans), making "muscle-showing" (?) and "cheers/drinking" poses. Their movements were stiff but earnest, and with the remix version of secret story of the swan still playing, the scene became even more chaotic and hilarious.

On stage, the girls wearing headgear and masks, holding roast duck rolls, looked at the scene of demons dancing wildly before them—on the left was the "roast duck man" dancing IZ*ONE's dance, on the right were the "Juice People" doing aerobics, and in the middle were the group of "Star Saints" themselves, wearing animal/plant/object headgear while eating roast duck...

They had completely given up on thinking and facial expression management.

Jang Wonyoung (with her water bottle head mask lifted) held a roast duck roll in one hand and her forehead with the other. Her beautiful face wore a complex expression of shame, amusement, numbness, and "this world is beyond saving."

Kwon Eunbi (with her lion head mask lifted) chewed on roast duck while watching the dancing roast duck man, her mouth twitching.

An Yujin (with her goat head mask lifted) simply gave up and swayed her head along with the roast duck man's movements, the bells on the goat horns jingling.

Others were also laughing so hard they almost choked on the roast duck.

How was this any kind of "pre-battle supply"?

This was clearly a—planned by Jiang Zhiyu—fusion of food advertising, awkward mascot dancing, song intrusion, and extreme absurdity—

"Ultimate Product Promotion Carnival"!!!

And they, without realizing it, had become the core and most "sacrificial" display models and audience of this carnival.

In the backstage, Jiang Zhiyu watched the chaotic and "brilliant" scene on the monitor, listening to the deafening laughter and cheers from the audience, stroking his chin with satisfaction.

Excellent.

Buzz, advertising effect, and variety show legendary moments—all there.

As for the "Rescue Duck X" operation?

Well... let everyone finish this "pre-battle roast duck feast" before continuing the plot.

Anyway, the duck (roast duck) is already here, so is there still a need to rescue another "duck" (Choi Yena)?

The originally ethereal and mysterious melody of secret story of the swan was now mixed with the clumsy "quack" accompaniment of the "roast duck man," the stiff "cheers" sound effects of the "Juice People," and the continuous laughter and exclamations from the audience, forming an extremely absurd Myeong-dong street symphony. The eleven "Star Saints" at the visual center of this symphony, after experiencing a series of magical processes enough to be recorded in idol history (or perhaps the history of dark pasts) like "tactical meeting," "pre-battle roast duck supply," and "Roast Duck & Juice Advertising Extravaganza," were in a strange state of alternating daze and numbness.

They mechanically chewed the roast duck that was indeed delicious but tasteless at the moment, their eyes blankly following the jumping "roast duck man" and "Juice People." The plush headgear they hadn't taken off yet, with masks lifted (lion head, water bottle head, cherry blossom head, goat head...), made them look like a group of alien creatures who had wandered into a human kindergarten carnival.

Just as the chaos reached its peak and even Jiang Zhiyu felt the advertising effect and jokes were enough and it was time to move to the next stage (or give the kids a buffer), the production team's prompt board finally lit up with a "merciful" instruction:

[The first stage of filming is temporarily over! All Star Envoys, please move backstage, change your clothes, and prepare for the next part!]

This line of text was like a holy light of salvation, instantly piercing through the members' brains that were muddled by the aroma of roast duck and the awkward dancing.

They could leave? They could take off these damn headgears? They could temporarily escape this bizarre stage?

Without any hesitation, the eleven girls simultaneously put down the roast duck rolls they were halfway through or hadn't started yet (a bit wasteful but they couldn't care less), and with a synchronized "click," they snapped the lifted masks back onto the plush headgear, temporarily hiding their faces that were written with "life is no longer worth living." Then, they quickly stood up, not even having time to tidy their tracksuits stained with a bit of sauce, and walked quickly toward the edge of the arena and the passage leading backstage. Their steps were slightly messy, revealing an urgency to "quickly escape this place of trouble."

Walking off the arena and through the slightly narrow passage, they finally left the audience's sight and those noisy sound effects. The air in the backstage area seemed much fresher (and more normal).

However, before they could take off their headgear and catch their breath, they saw at the entrance of the passage a man leaning against the wall, holding a walkie-talkie in one hand and his other hand in his cargo pants pocket, with an incredibly bright smile on his face, as if he had just finished a great artistic creation—Producer Jiang Zhi Yu.

Seeing them file in, Jiang Zhiyu's eyes lit up, and he immediately stood up straight, giving them two high and forceful thumbs up! The smile on his face was so bright it almost blinded them, a blatant mix of "well done," "excellent effect," "I'm a genius," and "thank you for your hard work (probably?)."

"Kids! That was great!!" Jiang Zhiyu's voice was full of infectious energy, as if they had just finished the finale performance of the Grammys rather than a roast duck advertisement show with an off-the-charts shame level. "The stage effect was incredible! The improvisation was top-notch! Especially the part eating roast duck, the expressions were very real! And the shock when seeing the roast duck man dance—perfect! This is the variety sense we need!"

He praised them generously, as if those cringe-worthy moments were all carefully designed artistic expressions.

The members of IZ*ONE looked silently at Jiang Zhiyu's overly bright smile and thumbs up through their plush headgear, for a moment not knowing how to respond.

Angry? They seemed to have no strength left.

Complain? They seemed to be at a loss for words.

Laugh? Their muscles seemed a bit stiff.

In the end, they could only collectively pull the corners of their mouths, trying to squeeze out an... awkward yet polite smile through the eye holes of the headgear. Kwon Eunbi (Lion Head) even nodded slightly, representing everyone in accepting this "praise." But the extent of that nod looked like a heavy mix of exhaustion and the compromise of "whatever you say."