I Married the President

System notification: You are not his friend...

’Did he block me?’

’Hmph...’

Claire Sinclair scoffed. ’As if I’m afraid of him.’

-

During the filming of the second episode of Star of Tomorrow, the contestants had to compete in group battles, which would ultimately lead to the elimination of nearly half of them.

As the ethics examiner, Claire Sinclair not only had to watch the contestants’ performances every day but also had to monitor their every word and deed behind the scenes. Keeping an eye on all 99 contestants by herself was a massive undertaking.

However, as the second round of talent evaluations began, the second round of ethics evaluations also quietly commenced.

The format of the second ethics evaluation was the same as the first. This time, however, the test wasn’t about picking up a lost phone. The production team deliberately returned the contestants’ phones, instructing them to post three social media updates and make two phone calls.

In other words, the second ethics test had no deductions, only opportunities to earn bonus points. The number of points awarded would depend on the contestants’ behavior, and their every word and deed would directly affect their final vote counts.

After getting their phones back, some contestants immediately called their families to let them know they were okay. Others called their best friends for comfort. Some, worried about alarming their families, chose not to call anyone they knew, instead phoning in to an FM radio host to vent their frustrations...

As for the three social media posts, most contestants posted similar content: one post asking for votes, one telling their fans not to worry, and a final one with a selfie. Only a very small number posted content expressing gratitude.

Claire Sinclair assigned final scores based on the contestants’ three posts and two phone calls. Most of them received a score of 90, with only a few scoring in the 80s.

When the second talent evaluation ended, the scores for the second ethics evaluation were released. The contestants were surprised to see they had received high scores.

Still, not a single contestant had approached Claire Sinclair. Their prejudice against her remained strong.

Claire Sinclair didn’t let it bother her. She just needed to do her job.

After the second round of evaluations, the production team invited the four mentors to dinner at a five-star hotel near the campsite.

Claire Sinclair wasn’t comfortable with such social engagements, so she made an excuse to go to the restroom.

Unexpectedly, just as she came out after taking care of business, she saw Cecily Taylor standing at the restroom entrance, arms crossed, scowling at her.

"Claire Sinclair, we need to talk."

"About what?" Claire Sinclair replied politely. She pretended to check the time on her left watch, but she was actually activating its recording function.

Cecily Taylor said coolly, "My brother’s restaurant was taken down by your Astoria Daily. You know about that, right?"

"I do. I saw it on the news," Claire Sinclair admitted frankly.

Cecily Taylor’s face instantly darkened. "Cut the act," she snapped. "If my brother hadn’t asked you for help, would his restaurant have gotten into trouble? You must have told your cronies to go after him!"

Claire Sinclair sighed helplessly. "Professor Taylor, you keep claiming I had someone go after your brother. Do you have any proof? Besides, your brother’s restaurant had its own problems. Even if the Astoria Daily hadn’t exposed them, another media outlet would have. How long did you think he could get away with it?"

"Oh, so you really think you’re some kind of crusader for justice?" Cecily Taylor sneered. "Let me tell you something, Claire Sinclair. There’s no such thing as absolute justice in this world. If there were no darkness, reporters like you wouldn’t need to exist. It’s precisely because of ’crusaders’ like you that people like my brother are a necessity. You took him down this time, and I’ll make damn sure I take you down in return!"