Chapter 66 A Storm is Brewing

In just one day, the previously suppressed topics of discussion were brought to the forefront of public attention, unable to withstand the storm of public opinion.

The initial heated discussion about Fang Yucheng's plagiarism was just a private discussion among fans, a few viewers of "I Go" and a few passersby.

Most people remain skeptical about this matter.

After all, as a top idol, Fang Yucheng has not only performed on stage but also has numerous film and television works, which have earned him a relatively good reputation across various age groups.

However, with the emergence of trending topics about fans demanding money from celebrities, it seems that an invisible force is releasing one piece of negative information that has been suppressed in the industry in the past.

So, when Tan Xi returned to the dormitory, she saw her roommate looking at her with teary eyes.

Tan Xi: "...?"

"Don't get me wrong, I just watched the edited version of 'I Go'."

Her roommate grabbed a handful of tissues, stammered, and secretly glanced at her, "It's about Xixi... Did you see the trending topics? That... Fang Yucheng..."

Tan Xi: "I saw it."

The topic that topped the trending search list, once clicked on, reveals screenshots of chats in fan groups posted by a marketing account with millions of followers.

The conversations in the group include, but are not limited to:

[To boost sales of this single, everyone needs to buy at least 50 copies. Students without living expenses should borrow money to buy, while working professionals have no upper limit. You must post a screenshot of your purchase before midnight tonight. Missing even one copy will be considered being a lazy fan and will result in being publicly blacklisted.]

[Minors should ask their parents for money; if they really have no money, they should do part-time jobs or take out loans. Yu Cheng's ranking depends on you guys, and you still don't have this much awareness?]

Beyond the overt pressure to spend money, the group has been repeatedly flooded with fundraising links for a long time. Big fans have repeatedly used names such as "support screen", "birthday gift box" and "visit to the film crew" to raise money, often launching fundraising campaigns of hundreds of thousands or even millions of yuan.

However, the supposedly publicly disclosed account details were questioned by fans in the group who had worked as finance and accountants, who claimed that the images were photoshopped.

However, the group administrators ultimately decided to ban and kick out the person who raised the question.

The big fans then resorted to their usual sob story: they said that they were also extremely busy in real life, and that if it weren't for Fang Yucheng, who would be willing to do such a chore?

Those who only buy for free have no idea how hard their brother worked and are unwilling to put in any effort for him, which is why the album sales are so low.

And if the company can't see the commercial value of the older brother, he won't be able to stand on stage in the future, etc.

After saying all those nice words, he disappeared without a trace, leaving the fan group to split and form factions...

Just as Tan Xi was scrolling through the trending topics, her phone suddenly vibrated.

Immediately afterwards, a notification popped up: [Your friend Xu Liunian_Xiaobai invites you to join the group]

Tan Xi was stunned for a moment.

Before she could even react, the messages in the small group chat popped right into her eyes when she swiped open the message bar.

[Narrive in the Years_Xiaobai: @Is it you who leaked that group message, right?]

Tan Xi gripped her phone tightly, her heart skipping a beat.

The warmth from my fingertips vanished instantly, and a chill ran down my spine involuntarily.

Before she could even think about how to deal with the hostility from her former comrade, her phone vibrated again.

[Narrive in the Years_Xiaobai: No need to say anything, I can guess it's you.]

[Narrative of the Passing Years_Xiaobai: Last week, the big fans were urging for 8,000 sales, and you were the only one who publicly questioned the fundraising accounts in the group, and you were even blacklisted. Several of the leaked screenshots were only visible to the core group, and you just joined the core group last month, so your permissions match up perfectly. Yesterday, when they said they would check everyone one by one, you were the only one who left the main group overnight; the timing was too obvious.]

[It's Tan Xixi: You're overthinking it. I left the group because I stopped being a fan.]

Just as Tan Xi was frantically spinning around trying to cover it up, while recalling whether there was any personal information about herself in this social media account, she caught a glimpse of the message that had just popped up out of the corner of her eye:

[Narrive in the Years_Xiaobai: I'm not here to expose you]

[Narrive in the Years_Xiaobai: But next time, don't be so obvious about doing something like this.]

Tan Xi paused in the movement of her fingertips.

What does this mean?

[Xu Liunian_Xiaobai: I also didn't want to stay in the group for a long time, but many old friends are still in it, and after so many years, liking an idol and giving so much for him, there is some nostalgia.]

[Xu Liunian_Xiaobai: Yesterday, several of us were expelled from the fandom by those people because we stopped spending money on in-game purchases]

[Xu Liunian_Xiaobai: I happen to have saved all those transfer records and voice messages urging me to spend money. If the evidence isn't enough, I can provide more.]

[It's Tan Xixi: ...?]

[Mist0999: Well, I'll be frank then... I ship Chaomu, and I've long been disgusted by their constant cursing and swearing at Ling Zhaomu, and I'm even more disgusted by the way Fang Yucheng's fans are behaving.]

【Crossing the river but not me: +1.】

[I want to touch the stars in my brother's arms: +1]

[Xu Liunian_Xiaobai: If one person leaves the group, it's too obvious. Leaving as a group avoids being noticed.]

[Narrive in Time_Xiaobai: Remember this next time]

[It's Tan Xixi: Thanks for reminding me, but why are people doing this for me?]

[Narrive in the Years_Xiaobai: ?]

【Crossing the river but not me: ?】

[I want to touch the stars in my brother's arms: ?]

[Is that Tan Xixi? : ?]

[Narrive in the Years_Xiaobai: How could it be just for you? Silly child (kind face.jpg)]

[Crossing the River Doesn't Save Me: XiXi, aren't you in the ChaoMu CP fan group? You even helped organize events and participated in several live polls.]

Why would they...?

While Tan Xi was still wondering, the sentiment in the group quickly shifted to another point.

[Mist0999: Hey, let's not talk about that now. Did you guys see the third trending topic about the professor from the Central Conservatory of Music?]

[Mist0999: I really can't imagine how much suffering Jiu Jiu and Zhao Zhao went through in the past!]

[Crossing the River Doesn't Ferry Me: Hahahaha, after publicly unfollowing me, I can finally vent my anger! ***, how can there be such a despicable idol? I thought if an idol was disqualified, at most they'd be caught having a mistress or having a chaotic private life, but who knew he was morally corrupt and professionally incompetent.]

[Crossing the River Doesn't Save Me: I originally thought that it was okay if the acting was a little bad, but at least it was a singer crossing over, and this level was already much better than many idiotic actors.]

[Crossing the River Doesn't Save Me: Then suddenly they tell me his songs are plagiarized? I'm speechless. When I was a fan of his, I was a career-obsessed guy! This idiot, only a bunch of brainless morons would fawn over him.]

The messages in the group were refreshed very quickly. It seemed that everyone was finally able to let loose and enjoy the show. In no time, all kinds of edits, fanfiction, and beautiful pictures flooded Tan Xi's previous question into a sea of ​​data.

She shook her head helplessly, but her attention was drawn to another topic on the trending topics list.

#Central Conservatory of Music professor criticizes Fang Yucheng for plagiarizing a song#

After clicking on the trending topic, the first result is a verified official personal red V account.

Although he doesn't have many fans, his personal posts and self-introductions are so serious that Tan Xi thought she was seeing a professor from her school.

On the homepage, the most recently posted content is the one with the highest popularity:

——

Comments on Fang Yucheng's plagiarism

From Hmul client

In the past few days, many students have sent me private messages, hoping that I can respond to the matter of the original work of Ling Zhao, an outstanding graduating student of our school, being suspected of being plagiarized by Fang Yucheng. They also shared with me professional analysis and comparison videos of the two creators' songs that are available online.

The video creator's analysis was professional and not misleading, so I don't know what I need to respond to.

But today I think I understand that I should say something.

As a music professional, I am heartbroken that talented musicians have their creative desires stifled by blindly following trends, and I also regret that they have dedicated their lives to music yet remain unknown.

But music creation is never a shortcut to chasing viral hits or seeking quick fame.

Not to mention the despicable acts of stealing others' hard work through plagiarism, slandering original creators with despicable means, and disguising one's own talent.

The path of creation is destined to be one of hardship, of experiencing and perceiving the happiness, joy, sorrow, anger, and jealousy of everyone.

Easily seizing the achievements of others does not allow one to utilize them as one's own ability.

Only by immersing oneself in music, maintaining reverence for it, and remaining true to one's principles can one go far.

I also hope that everyone who embarks on a journey in the music industry will not be misled by fleeting fame, nor will they lose their integrity by taking shortcuts, but will uphold their original aspirations and bottom lines.

——

The comment section quickly filled with comments:

[How did this gossip get so out of control? What does it mean that Ling Zhao's music was included in the graduation works of students from the Central Conservatory of Music?]

Looking at the timeline like this, there's no way to fake it. This person composed a song that made a top celebrity an instant hit before even graduating from university, and then it was all stolen?

[This is all brainwashing! Who does the professor think he is? What gives him the right to condemn my brother with just his words? Isn't it common for music to have similar melodies? Ling Zhao is just a scumbag trying to climb the ladder by using my brother's fame to leech off his popularity. May his whole family die! Anyone who accuses my brother of plagiarism again, I'll hurl insults at you until your account is deleted!]

[If you're blind, get your eyes checked. How dare a nobody like Ling Zhao try to piggyback on the fame of a top star? He can't even write a hit song, so he relies on framing others to gain attention. Calling songs with similar styles plagiarism? How much real expertise do experts and professors have these days? I think this person was bought off by Ling Zhao's team to maliciously stir up trouble against my brother; it's just a game of capital.]

I finally understand. The comments section is full of people blindly following the crowd and smearing others; they have absolutely no ability to think independently.

[Even your brother's sugar daddy says he used someone else's compositions, and the fans are still complaining about it?]

[Huh? I just came from the trending topics next door. What do you mean Fang Yucheng didn't plagiarize because they own the copyright to Ling Zhao's songs?]

[Let me translate: Fang Yucheng's current company owns the copyright to Ling Zhao's songs, so Fang Yucheng has paid the copyright fees for using Ling Zhao's songs, so it doesn't count as plagiarism :)]

[Wow, did anyone see this? Ling Zhao has sued Jingyun International?]

[Is he really going to be this tough? Last time I said he was a coward for letting a woman handle things, but I didn't expect him to be secretly plotting something big?!]

...

The disturbances from the outside world seem to disappear once you put down your phone.

The afternoon was gloomy, with thick clouds hanging low. Even on higher floors, the curtains, half-drawn, made it feel completely dark.

The room was dark and gloomy.

The phone was carelessly tossed on the sofa.

The figure inside the room lay on the living room carpet, eyes tightly closed. He didn't move, despite the incessant ringing of his cell phone echoing through the empty room.

After the phone rang persistently for most of the day, Fang Yucheng finally opened his eyes indifferently, sat up, and picked up his phone.

He seemed to be enveloped in an impenetrable chill, and upon seeing the contact name displayed on the screen as "agent," he simply blocked the number.

However, after this action, he saw countless push notifications on his phone.

The densely packed private messages and countless red dots indicating missed calls in the lower left corner looked like an invisible spider web, closing in on him.

He flipped through the contacts expressionlessly, clicked his tongue lightly, and pulled out a number from his address book.

"...Mr. Li, I'm sorry to bother you in your busy schedule."

Fang Yucheng deliberately lowered his voice, mimicking a certain tone, his manner naturally carrying a hint of familiarity and intimacy: "That Weibo post from the PR team, was it at your behest? You know me..."

"President Li is in a meeting."

An unfamiliar female voice came through the receiver, interrupting him without hesitation: "Please schedule your meeting with him through the front desk, and do not call his private number."

The words that were about to be spoken were abruptly cut off.

The next second, Fang Yucheng's voice turned cold: "When will he finish his meeting?"

"Mr. Li is not available today."

"How is this possible..."

Fang Yucheng instinctively retorted, but before he could finish speaking, all that was left on the other end was a cold busy tone.

He leaned back on the sofa and raised his hand to rub his temples.

It is extremely rare for the other party to refuse to see him.

Even because of the trending topics, he didn't think such a small matter was enough to change the other party's attitude.

What happened?

Li Yunjing, she should clearly be someone with great fortune...

Fang Yucheng suddenly paused, as if something had occurred to him.

Just then, my phone suddenly vibrated.

Several text messages popped up in succession.

I know you're holding your breath, but given the current situation, you need to face reality.

The company has stated that all my subsequent actions have received the highest priority authorization.

[I tolerated some of your behavior before because you were new to the company, but the current situation doesn't allow you to act on your own. All your social media account access will be revoked. My personal assistant and I will be at your home immediately.]

Don't say I didn't warn you beforehand, it's best not to go out casually right now. There's a whole bunch of paparazzi waiting to take big photos downstairs, and there are also stalkers lying in wait for you.

My personal assistant and I are on our way to your house. You'd better behave yourself and wait there. Don't cause me any more trouble, or no one can protect you.

Realizing something, Fang Yucheng opened the backend.

The screen suddenly changed, and a notification popped up indicating that the login had occurred in a different location.

The account is already logged in on another device.

Fang Yucheng was so angry that he laughed. In all his years in the industry, this was the first time he had encountered such an impolite agent.

Even Sun Jianglin would notify me in advance before doing something like this, instead of directly cutting off his channels for posting messages on social media.

What are they trying to do? Put him under house arrest?

Fang Yucheng was just feeling absurd when the sudden system notification added fuel to the fire:

[Luck value detected is too low; initial quest item: Imitation Seven-Star Lamp has been automatically deactivated]

[Survival Points Deduction Countdown: 23:59:59]

A certain word struck a nerve, and with a sharp crack of shattering glass, transparent shards and splashing water flew everywhere.

"On what grounds?"

"Before any of this happened, I had already made Mu Jiu fall in love with me and taken everything that Ling Zhao should have had. And now, a mere plot point from a novel has ruined my years of hard work?"

He raised his eyes and glared at the empty space: "Even now, you still want to take my life?!"

In the messy room, only his heavy breathing, caused by intense emotional turmoil, and the sound of water dripping from the edge of the table onto the floor could be heard.

In the void, that cold, mechanical voice rang out without any emotion.

[WARNING! The host's initial survival value is insufficient. Continuous loss of luck value will result in expulsion from this world]

[Please increase the female lead's favorability as soon as possible.]

Upon hearing a cold reminder, Fang Yucheng silently dialed the number.

After a long wait, the call was finally connected.

As he listened to the unresponsive questioning from the other end, his eyes gradually turned crazed.

At the same time, his voice was low and hoarse, like the most tender whisper between lovers.

"Xiao Jiu, is it possible for us to meet one more time?"

-----------------------

Author's Note: If all goes well, the main story will be finished around New Year's Day, and the villain will be gone soon.