Ep. 3: Kongming Secures Eiko a Festival Slot Through Strategic Manipulation

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To leverage Eiko's recent success, Kongming arranges for her to perform at a local music festival. Despite her amateur status, she is assigned a minor stage concurrent with the main act, Jet Jacket. Kongming employs the Thirty-Six Stratagems tactic "Create something from nothing" by feigning equipment failure to lull Jet Jacket into complacency. He exploits his knowledge that their lead singer has a sensitive throat and will avoid singing his signature song before a major concert the following day. This deception allows Eiko to capture the audience's attention with a powerful opening. When Jet Jacket confronts him about these underhanded methods, Kongming pacifies them by providing a remedy for sore throats. The strategy succeeds, boosting Eiko's confidence and attracting a major music producer.