Ariana overheard Jacob's words to the male agent, delivered with a friendly smile.

"Okay, I understand. I'll be depending on your support from now on."

This left Ariana with an uneasy feeling, as she sensed that the male agent was trying to lure Jacob away from their team. Suppressing her dissatisfaction, she approached Jacob and asked politely, "Mr. Faustin, wasn't the production team supposed to assign you to our team? Why are you..?"

Jacob interrupted her, gave her a dismissive look, and said, "I requested to switch to the production team. You'll need to find a replacement."

Ariana's expression grew cold as she retorted, "You should know that the production team plans everything ahead. If you've changed teams, there won't be a ready replacement."

Jacob shrugged indifferently.

"That's not my business. I've switched, and you'll have to sort yourself out." Jacob said nonchalantly, not even bothering to give Ariana another glance.

Ariana's demeanor turned cold as she said, "Your actions aren't fair.

Changing teams last-minute without notice and leaving us to find a replacement isn't going to reflect well if it becomes public."

Jacob's reaction to her words was far from pleasant. He gave Ariana a disdainful once-over and impatiently replied, "Oh, it's you, isn't it? Your team doesn't belong on this stage. This is a talent show platform, not a place for a mix of various acts and comedy shows.

Besides, I'm an established musician and the musical director here.

It's beneath me to teach a bunch of people who can't even hit the right notes. It could harm my reputation. What if your team Loses?

That would tarnish the image I've built for so many years."

Jacob's tone and attitude toward Ariana were notably different from how he had talked to the male agent earlier. He was clearly choosing his behavior selectively.

Ariana's patience was running thin, and she retorted, “Apparently, being an established musician is all about skill and not ethics. You don't even have the basic integrity for contractual agreements."

"You folks from this smaller company have no idea how you managed to get on this channel. What gives you the audacity to question my integrity? If you can pull it off, then do so. Otherwise, withdraw from the competition early and save yourselves the stress," Jacob also grew impatient.

After a few back-and-forths, Ariana concluded that exchanging words with this unreasonable person was pointless. She turned on her heel and walked away.

As Jacob watched Ariana walking away, he rolled his eyes and made a sarcastic comment to the male agent beside him.

"Look at her, she's got some looks, but who knows how she managed to gain entry."

Interestingly, the male agent beside him appeared contemplative as he watched Ariana's retreating form, as if he had seen that person somewhere before.