Chapter 4: The War of Information
[Is there anyone who doesn't know that the arranger of "Burning" is a habitual plagiarist? Five years ago, right after graduation, he dared to plagiarize Yingying's new song, and later he even plagiarized three more singles released by his seniors. I suggest Yinxi remove this song directly from the music library to avoid getting into trouble. I'll say it again, thief, get out of Xingyu!]
[I was just watching a dance video; as long as the background music is catchy and energetic, that's enough. Why are you demanding original content under a male idol's suggestive video? It scared me; I thought the blogger had also been exposed.]
[Huh?? Did they copy "Burning" too? Why isn't it trending?]
Aren't all of Yinxi's hit songs just cobbled-together creations? Why don't you go and promote other songs?
OP, I've seen dozens of posts like this today. Can the paid trolls at least write a few more comments? Seeing the exact same thing repeatedly makes it hard not to suspect you're being paid to smear me.
[How much per post? Delete it and let me repost it.]
[Although I know no one will read this, I still want to take this opportunity to explain. I've been a fan of Qiao Ge for five years. The plagiarism scandal back then wasn't definitively proven. The other side only released a timeline of the creative process, while the concepts and creative process were all vague. On the contrary, Qiao Ge's statement was more substantial. They were just bullying newcomers in the music industry who had no backing and forcing them to apologize.]
Let the bullets fly a little longer [winking emoji], waiting for a plot twist.
[OP, stop being so picky, you even forgot to remove the parentheses]
After a brief period of euphoria, Qiao Ankuang also noticed the conflicting opinions circulating online.
His past experiences were quickly dug up, sparking disputes in the comment sections of various short video bloggers.
A large number of comments launched a massive critique of his past "deeds," with some joining the boycott and others defending him, but most were just curious bystanders watching the spectacle.
In an instant, all the vicious words that had once dragged him to hell seemed to return.
He took a deep breath, knowing he had gotten the company into trouble.
If he hadn't already been embroiled in various controversies, they wouldn't have encountered so many negative comments when releasing their songs.
Although these comments did not affect the spread and popularity of "Burning", they did bring a lot of negative pressure.
"Mr. Fang, I'm so sorry..."
The boss seemed to know what he was thinking, and his voice on the other end of the call was calm and even: "Teacher Qiao, being infamous is still being famous. I'm not responsible for psychological counseling. Since you're here, just make the best of it. You just need to do two things now."
"First, I will open a personal account on the Yinxi platform, release the creative concept of the song 'Burning,' and then show my face in a video to tell everyone that I will release a new single within ten days."
"Secondly, write another song with a completely different style from the previous one. This time, there is only one requirement—do not use the default instrument materials in the online music library. The more obscure the instrument, the better. Ideally, it should be one that has not appeared in pop music for the past few decades."
"If you need to purchase musical instruments or recording equipment, feel free to contact me anytime. I've transferred two million to your account."
These few words immediately calmed Qiao Ankuang down, and he couldn't help but chuckle twice. Two million given away so readily—where else could you find such a generous and capable boss?
He immediately put the chaotic online flame wars to the back of his mind, said a few words of thanks, and his thoughts gradually drifted to the creation of his new song.
Qiao Ankuang was so preoccupied with what rare and uncommon musical instrument to use that he didn't even know when the call ended.
Unlike Qiao Ankuang's extreme joy and sorrow, Fang Zhuo had anticipated this battle of public opinion.
His initial decision to promote on the Yinxi platform stemmed from this consideration: the comment section there has a strong sense of community, with most commenters being casual observers. Such actions by the opposing side, such as buying negative articles, could easily backfire.
This is definitely not the first time; when I release a song next time, I will definitely encounter even more outrageous attacks from the other side.
He didn't have time to dwell on the past and wallow in self-pity like Qiao Ankuang; releasing a new song and clearing up public opinion was more important than anything else.
After Qiao Ankuang's account posted a teaser for his new song, Fang Zhuo forwarded it to Jiang Yu: "[Give each of the two videos on this account 500,000 t of audio and video credits]."
Jiang Yu replied instantly: [Received!]
The copyright fee sharing process in this world is quite well-established. By the morning of the second day after the release of "Burning," Fang Zhuo had received more than 40 million in rebates, and this number was still rising at a considerable rate.
The audio+ campaign launched yesterday has already shown initial success, with both videos receiving over ten million likes.
The comments section below was abuzz with discussion, with some waiting to be proven wrong and others observing the public opinion.
Although not all the reviews were positive, it generated a lot of buzz.
With the promotion and release of "Burning" coming to a slight end and a stable source of income, Fang Zhuo moved out of the villa in the suburbs and into the top floor of a luxury apartment in the city center of 139 Star.
He had just sat down on the sofa when he saw a large amount of red text appear in front of him from the system:
[Ding ding ding, this is an ominous warning. When the host sees this message, it means that you have less than ten days left to survive, and your initial random disease level has been adjusted to level two.]
[If the host's survival time is less than three days, they will receive a critical illness buff, and the severity of this illness will continue to increase. Please remember to renew your subscription in time!]
With this reminder, Fang Zhuo noticed that the slight burning sensation in his stomach had turned into intense contractions and pain. He slowly bent over, suppressing the violent discomfort.
Level 2 pain is enough to prevent people from doing strenuous exercise, so it's not surprising that the subsequent severe illness buff can cause people to lose their ability to think and act.
If it really comes to that point, even a celestial being couldn't turn the tide.
He needs to speed things up.
The rebates from "Burning" were enough to cover the interest on a billion-dollar loan, so he tried exchanging three days of life again, but this time the cost quickly rose to eight million a day.
The pain, which had spread from the stomach, instantly lessened, and the system removed the red notification that was pinned to the top of the screen.
Yi Dian Dian keenly sensed his dissatisfaction and jumped in to offer heartwarming comfort: [Host, actually, the initial debuff you randomly got is already pretty good. There were even operators who got a severe hemorrhoids debuff before, where even the slightest movement would cause their buttocks to bleed. Oh right, and there were also people who had severe diarrhea and needed to carry a portable toilet with them when they went out...]
Fang Zhuo: [Thank you, I feel much better now.]
The apartment is nearly 200 square meters, with almost no partitions in the rooms; the living room alone is 100 square meters. It's surrounded by large glass curtain walls, and with just voice control, the reflections on the glass can instantly change the scenery.
The monotonous urban landscape of the industrial city outside the window disappeared, replaced by a cold, heavy snowfall falling on the fir forest.
The indoor temperature remained constant. He loosened his collar, filled a glass with ice water from the water dispenser, and began to carefully review the notifications that had popped up on the system panel over the past two days.
[Investment Target Number One: Qiao Ankuang]
[Intelligence: 6][Stamina: 3][Appearance: 5][Emotional Intelligence: 6]
[Initial valuation: 1720]
[Current Value Assessment: 415,000]
[The return on investment has exceeded 100 times; this section can be freely unbound.]
[Based on the settlement results, investment slot number four has been opened for the host. Please keep up the good work!]
[Congratulations, host! You have achieved the achievement 'Over 100,000 discussions related to your artists']
[Congratulations again, host! You have achieved the milestone of 'First Ten Million'!]
[Congratulations, host! You have achieved the milestone of 'Your work has been viewed over 100,000 times']
Fang Zhuo's gaze fell on the number of discussions. He tapped the armrest of his seat lightly with his index finger. It seemed that not only cash revenue could generate results, but also a certain level of exposure was equally effective.
Realizing this, he pulled up the original novel and reread it, taking notes at key points.
"Brilliance" has several thousand chapters. Even if Ruan Zihan is reborn, the human brain's memory certainly cannot compare to the original text that is readily available.
This book is filled with a large number of minor supporting characters who only appear once or twice. They flash by briefly in a certain chapter, appearing as appendages to the main character of the chapter.
Now, due to Ruan Zihan's deliberate suppression, these characters have either faded into obscurity or been shelved. Those minor supporting actors who should have been brought into the industry by them are probably still on their original life trajectories, quietly waiting for that turning point in their lives that will never come.
A butterfly flapping its wings can destroy not only the lives of important figures that should have shone brightly, but also hundreds and thousands of unknown names.
Fang Zhuo circled a few inconspicuous supporting characters among them. These people might not bring in huge cash profits, but they could generate a lot of buzz.
He opened the largest social app on the StarNet and sent a message to an account called "Ayi is not taking pictures today".
The other party's homepage mostly features candid photos of various celebrities arriving at airports, and the image quality is indeed very high. The shooting angles are varied and unconventional, but they all manage to capture the best angles of the celebrities, thus the comment section is filled with rainbow-colored praise from fans of each group.
Perhaps because she received too many private messages, "Ayi is not taking pictures today" did not reply to Fang Zhuo all night.
The next morning, he took a spaceship directly to the Federal University of Political Science and Law on the main planet.
The law department was having a boring long lecture on the first floor of the main building. Qin Yi was lying on the table, secretly turning on his personal computer to edit photos he had just taken yesterday.
She is a senior in college this year, and it's time for her to choose between working or continuing to take the postgraduate entrance exam. Although she made a little money by taking photos of celebrities at the airport during college, this small side job can't last forever.
She felt that she would most likely start working at a law firm as a general assistant after graduation, working her way up to obtain her practicing license.
She would gradually detach herself from the unrealistic fantasies woven for her by the enthusiastic fans on StarNet amidst the complexities of her work, and slowly become a boring adult herself.
Every class in her senior year was so soporific; before she even finished editing the photos, she would be dozing off in her elbow.
The dream was so sweet it felt unreal. Qin Yi dreamt that when she was a sophomore in college, she received a private message from a celebrity's studio. A stunningly beautiful female idol said she really liked the photos she took and even wanted to take her to the film set to shoot behind-the-scenes footage.
It was like a giant pie falling from the sky and hitting her on the head. She couldn't help but laugh out loud, and that laughter woke her up.
Her roommate nudged her: "Ayi, don't sleep anymore, get out of class is over, there's an entertainment company boss waiting for you outside."
Qin Yi's mouth formed an "O" shape: "Huh? What are you waiting for me for?"
Could dream manifestation really work? Is she about to be scouted by a high-ranking executive at a talent agency?
The other party has good taste.
Despite thinking this, Qin Yi still cautiously reached out her hand to the other party: "I need to see your entertainment industry federal certification card."
As the entertainment industry continues to flourish, various fraudulent agencies have sprung up like mushrooms after rain. To eliminate this chaos, Star Federation launched a special certification process last year, requiring only companies with official stamps to be qualified to operate in the entertainment industry.
Fang Zhuo skillfully captured the authentication card from the system interface and sent it to the other party's personal computer, then made a gesture of invitation: "Let's talk as we walk, let's go to Wangzuo SOHO for a cup of coffee."
As a private cloud train descended from the horizon, Qin Yi instantly dispelled all his doubts.
After all, renting this thing for a day costs tens of thousands of yuan, and its operating route is always trackable, so it's very safe. There's no way a scammer would spend so much money to scam a college student like her who has no money.
Fang Zhuo's car was rented, of course, because he wasn't used to squeezing onto public transportation with others.
However, judging from the current progress, he believes that buying a private cloud train is only a matter of time.
Sitting in a shop where a cup of Americano costs over 300 yuan, Qin Yi shifted her position slightly, listening to the waiter's gentle inquiries, unsure of what to do with her hands and feet.
After asking about her preferences, the man opposite her casually ordered two coffees in English and then sent the contract to her personal terminal.
"Ms. Qin is a top student from the Star Federation's top law and political university. I presume that checking such a simple brokerage contract is a piece of cake for you."
Qin Yi clutched her head: "Help! Don't call me Ms. Qin, and don't call me a high achiever. I feel like I've been transported to a business setting in a second. I really have a generation gap with you successful people in society."
Resting her chin on her hand, she carefully reviewed the contract: "The contract is fine, boss. I'd like to ask why you wanted to sign me?"
Fang Zhuo replied, "I'm impressed by your photography skills and fan community management abilities. I'd like to ask you to take a set of stage photos for a female idol. I'll take you to meet her tomorrow."
The dream and reality suddenly overlapped, and Qin Yi felt a tingling sensation in his brain, almost immediately wanting to sign the contract.
The moment her fingertip touched the virtual screen, she withdrew her hand: "How about next Tuesday? My internship report is due tomorrow night at midnight."
The other party neither said yes nor no, but simply gave a very faint smile.
A brand-new action camera was pushed in front of her. Qin Yi was so surprised that her mouth dropped open. Then she heard the shopkeeper continue, "Take a look and see if there's any other camera or lens you'd like to buy. Make a list for me after the shoot tomorrow night."
This action camera was only released last month, and now it's heavily overpriced. She hesitated for a long time before buying it.
Qin Yi, without any backbone, put the camera back into his backpack and quickly signed his name on the contract:
"Mr. Fang, shall we set off now?"
A note from the author:
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