Chapter 163

Quintus watched as Phoebe approached, already guessing her intentions. She stepped onto the stage and exchanged a few words with the host. The host smiled, eyes filled with anticipation, then gestured for Phoebe to proceed. Phoebe thanked her with a smile before turning to Quintus.

She said, “Joshua doesn’t believe you improvised on the spot. You’re my artist, and I don’t want you accused of cheating to win. So, I have a suggestion.” She then shifted her gaze to Joshua, smiling as she asked, “The question is, Joshua, do you dare to play along?”

Joshua was already annoyed at Phoebe stepping up to defend Quintus. With a frown, he asked, “And how exactly do you plan to prove he didn’t hear and modify the song beforehand?” His posture screamed confidence. “How do you want to play this?”

Phoebe continued, “The song you just sang hasn’t been recorded or officially released in our country, has it?” Joshua wasn’t foolish. The moment she said that, he immediately caught on. “The song I just performed is brand new. I haven’t recorded or released it yet.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Are you suggesting that Quintus should learn my song?”

Phoebe nodded. “That’s right. If Quintus can also learn and rearrange your song within half an hour, it proves he truly is the genius you so sarcastically claimed him to be. It would completely clear him of any accusations of cheating. After all, this song was written by you and performed for the first time tonight. He couldn’t possibly have learned it in advance.”

She asked again, “So, do you dare to take up the challenge?” Then, with a taunting smile, she added, “If you refuse… well, I can only assume you’re afraid.”

Phoebe firmly believed in Quintus’s talent. That was why she dared to make this proposal. Not only would it prove his skill, but it would also completely embarrass Joshua. And knowing Joshua’s personality, he would definitely accept. Otherwise, he’d have to admit he was scared.

As expected, Joshua let out a cold laugh. “Me? Afraid? Fine! If the venue agrees, I’ll play along.” He added, “There are security cameras here, right? Have them pull up the footage from when I performed, and let Quintus learn from that.”

Joshua wrote this song just before coming on the show. It had never been recorded, not even as a voice memo on his phone. His performance earlier had been its first-ever public debut. There was absolutely no way Quintus could have heard or studied it in advance. And Joshua was convinced there was no way Quintus could rearrange it within half an hour.

Phoebe beamed. “That’s the spirit!” Then she turned to Quintus. “You up for this?”

Quintus flashed a confident smile and nodded. “Of course. You believe in me, and I won’t let you down.”

Just moments ago, he had been wondering whether he needed to prove he hadn’t cheated. And now, Phoebe had stepped in to help him reclaim his honor. She was amazing. More than that, she believed in his talent so much that she made this bold proposal without hesitation. Being trusted so unconditionally filled him with warmth.

Chapter 163

Quintus was determined he would not disappoint her. He would prove to everyone that she had chosen the right person. He would make her proud. Phoebe gave him a sinali.

Joshua watched their exchange and, for a split second, felt an ominous premonition. But then he dismissed it. There was no way Quintus could pull this off. There was nothing to be nervous about. If Phoebe was so eager to throw herself into the fire, she and Quintus could fall together. That wouldn’t be his fault.

Later, Phoebe had already confirmed with the host, and she had agreed to her proposal. The two sides discussed the arrangement briefly, and the host had someone retrieve the surveillance footage for Quintus to study. The host then announced the additional challenge to the audience.

Rather than objecting, the bar’s patrons cheered excitedly, eager to watch the show unfold. Even viewers watching the livestream couldn’t help but join in the excitement.

Quintus’s fans were overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude toward Phoebe. In the past, their idol had been suppressed and bullied, forced to endure it all alone. But now, someone was standing up for him. Finally, he wasn’t alone anymore.

Meanwhile, Joshua’s fans remained convinced that Quintus had cheated. Seeing Phoebe’s supporters celebrating, they couldn’t resist arguing back.

Phoebe’s fans, however, couldn’t be bothered to argue. Getting into petty squabbles would only hurt their public image. They had a more refined approach. They stayed cheerful and classy. Anyway, they just had to believe in Phoebe.

Once the footage was ready, Quintus sat down to study the song. Joshua and Phoebe both returned to their seats. As soon as Phoebe sat down, Maddox winked at her and grinned. “Pheebs, you’re ruthless!” he laughed. He loved watching her pull these kinds of power moves.

Lexic, being a professional, could tell that Quintus truly had exceptional talent. At the same time, she admired Phoebe’s quick thinking and ability to turn the situation around so flawlessly. She chuckled. “Pheels, you’re so good at this!”

Chapter 163

James and Jimmy followed suit, laughing. “Pheels, you’re the best!”

If Quintus succeeded, Joshua would suffer the biggest humiliation of his career. And more importantly, Quintus would finally get the recognition he deserved, stepping into the spotlight by standing on Joshua’s fallen pride. Phoebe’s crisis management skills were top-tier.

With this unexpected twist, Sebastian immediately instructed the production teams to promote the event and build up hype. He wanted to make sure even those who weren’t watching the livestream heard about it. Sure enough, the show shot up the trending charts again. More and more viewers flooded into the livestream, filling the chat with excited discussions. The show’s ratings hit a new peak.

As Sebastian watched the rising viewer count and the backend statistics, he couldn’t stop grinning. Getting Maddox on board… those were the best decisions I’ve ever made. Phoebe to this show and working hard…

The assistant director laughed in agreement. “When it comes to stirring up drama, these two are in a league of their own.” Drama meant engagement, and engagement meant success. With eager anticipation, he added, “We’re in for a real show now.” Even he was hooked, waiting to see what would happen next. So he knew the audience must be just as excited.

Sebastian chuckled. “Yeah, let’s sit back and enjoy the show!” One dramatic twist after another was pure entertainment. He certainly enjoyed it.