TO SHOU WITH LOVE

45 - TEACHER SAI

The two words “Teacher Sai” coming from Thanapon’s mouth made Sailub feel somewhat unfamiliar.

It seemed like the first time Thanapon called him “Teacher Sai”, before, he would just call him by his name.

No, it seemed like he had been called that before, but it was a bit earlier, when Thanapon still held that photo in his hand and didn’t know about Way’s affair.

However, back then when Thanapon called him “Teacher Sai,” it always carried a hint of mockery.

But this time, with “thank you” preceding “Teacher Sai,” it seemed somewhat solemn.

However, this thought only flashed through his mind, and Sailub didn’t have the mood to think about these things right now.

His intuition told him there was something wrong with the vote count.

In the first half, Asperatus had been leading all along, but in the last few seconds, the growth of their votes suddenly slowed down, continuing until Urban Collapse surpassed them.

Such a reversal of votes had happened before, during the impromptu creation of “The Empty Can on the Street Corner” by Asperatus.

However, that time, it was because Marsara had taken advantage of the 200-vote lead from the mentors, and Asperatus had indeed performed exceptionally during the impromptu creation.

Everything was traceable.

But this time… Did Urban Collapse’s supporters really have this much influence?

On stage, Thanapon returned the microphone to the host, then, with his guitar on his back, he exited the stage with Sammy and Topten.

The big screen displayed the list of the top ten bands in the competition.

After the host finished the routine closing remarks, the audience began to leave, and the studio became noisy.

Several mentors didn’t rush to the backstage; they stood up, stretching their shoulders and chatting casually.

Sailub, however, was not in the mood for small talk, he furrowed his brow, holding the script rolled up in his hand, as if deep in thought.

Seeing his somber expression, Davika guessed the reason and leaned in, lowering her voice, “We can’t control the outcome of such things. Don’t take it too hard.”

“Do you also think they shouldn’t have lost?” Sailub looked up at her.

Davika shrugged, not saying it outright but conveying her meaning quite clearly.

Sailub pondered with his eyes down for a few seconds, then stood up, took out his phone, and dialed Rose’s number before heading to a secluded area in the corridor.

Rose quickly answered the call, “P'Sai, what’s up?”

“Was the vote count manipulated in the last round of the competition?” Sailub asked bluntly.

There was silence for a few seconds, then footsteps sounded, indicating Rose had found a place with no one around to take the call.

“You said you didn’t want to be a mentor back then, so why are you taking it seriously now? Even if you lead the winning band in the end, the performance fees won’t increase.”

She deliberately made jokes to evade the question, but Sailub refused to change the subject, saying, “Rose, just tell the truth. I just want to confirm my suspicion.”

His words were direct, and Rose didn’t want to beat around the bush either.

After a few seconds of silence, Rose sighed, “These things are inevitable. Don’t take it too seriously. This show is called a competition, but in the end, it’s just an variety show. Who wins and who loses is all about the show’s effect.”