Chapter 84: The Hunter’s Trap

Qin Xuzhi’s eyes were icy cold, a trace of mockery on her lips.

‘With me here, you can forget about becoming a big star.’

‘If she really lets Chu Yuyao sing an original song, with Tian Lanxing’s personal endorsement, it would absolutely blow up the entire internet.’

‘When that happens, the spotlight will be on that useless waste. Who would care about the eldest miss of Prosperous Entertainment?’

Qin Xuzhi walked quickly toward the fire escape.

She pushed open the fire door. The stairwell was empty.

She pulled out her phone, opened her contacts, found a number saved under ‘Old Ghost,’ and dialed.

After a few rings, a frivolous male voice answered.

“Yo, Miss Qin, what brings you to call me today?”

“Got a job for you. I’ll send you an audio clip. Find someone to produce this song. It doesn’t need to be complicated, but it has to be fast.”

Old Ghost hesitated, a hint of reluctance in his voice.

“Miss Qin, you’re trying to steal someone else’s song? If the other party makes a fuss…”

“Double the money.” Qin Xuzhi got straight to the point. “Make sure the copyright is registered before the release. Erase all traces. If anyone traces it back to me, I guarantee you won’t be able to stay in Linhai City.”

At the mention of double the money, Old Ghost’s meager professional ethics vanished instantly.

“Got it! You pay well, I work well. I’ll make sure it’s done without a trace.”

After hanging up, Qin Xuzhi immediately sent the recorded audio. Then she dialed another number, this time to a PR firm her family had long worked with.

“Miss Qin, what are your instructions?” The voice on the other end was extremely respectful.

“Prepare a batch of high-quality bot accounts and stand by. Keep an eye on a contestant named Chu Yuyao. When I give the word, you move.”

“Miss Qin, what direction should we steer the narrative?”

“Plagiarism. After she sings her so-called original song, I’ll release the link to the true original source. Then you push the plagiarism scandal to the top trending list. I want her to be humiliated on stage.”

“Understood. We’ll make sure she never recovers. But Miss Qin…” General Manager Zhang hesitated. “This Chu Yuyao is under Tian Lanxing’s protection. If we go after her, won’t we anger Tian Lanxing? That’s someone we can’t afford to offend.”

Qin Xuzhi sneered. “If Tian Lanxing finds out that the person she personally praised and publicly supported is a shameless plagiarist, do you think she’ll still protect her? She’ll probably feel deceived and be the first to come after her.”

“Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.” General Manager Zhang praised repeatedly. “Miss Qin, this scheme to kill with a borrowed knife is masterful.”

After hanging up, Qin Xuzhi felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction. She could already picture the scene.

During the live broadcast, millions of eyes would be watching. Chu Yuyao would stand on stage with anticipation, singing this song dedicated to Tian Lanxing.

Just as everyone was moved, a torrent of negative news would flood the stream.

Public opinion would instantly reverse, branding her a plagiarist, a thief stealing someone else’s song to dedicate to her idol, shameless.

Her original fans would be furious, even turning into haters. And Tian Lanxing, feeling deceived, would be utterly disappointed in her.

The higher you climb, the harder you fall. When Chu Yuyao fell from the clouds into the mud, despised by the world, she would appear like a savior.

She would give Chu Yuyao a hug and say, “It’s okay, all…”

At that moment, Chu Yuyao would be overwhelmed with gratitude and do whatever she wanted.

This was true hunting.

She pushed open the fire door and stepped back into the bright, spacious corridor.

Her smile was still warm and charming. She even greeted a few contestants she passed with a smile.

But no one knew the chilling malice hidden beneath that beautiful exterior.

****

Another few days passed.

The heat from the audition preliminaries didn’t fade; it intensified.

Chu Yuyao’s debut on the first stage had been a sensation. The moment she opened her mouth, the whole world fell silent.

Her voice was one that could purify the soul.

Soon, various recommendation videos flooded the internet, labels like ‘godly voice’ pasted on her. Combined with Tian Lanxing’s previous public endorsement, Chu Yuyao’s popularity skyrocketed at an incredible pace, firmly topping the popularity charts.

“Family, I missed you so much!”

The moment the million-follower big V ‘Magical Girl Intel Ji’ started streaming, over a hundred thousand people flooded the chat.

“Missing person returns!”

“Sis Ji, where have you been? We’ve been waiting so hard.”

“Front row! What’s the stream today?”

Intel Ji clasped her hands together in front of the camera, making a pitiful begging expression.

“It’s all my fault. As you all know, I’m a die-hard fan of Tian Lanxing. On opening day, I saw Tian Lanxing herself! Family, can you feel that? I was so excited I didn’t sleep for three days. I’ve been staying up all night editing her highlights. My hair is falling out in clumps.”

The barrage scrolled with ‘Hahaha’ and ‘Sorry for your hair.’

Intel Ji got straight to the point.

“Without further ado, today we’re going hardcore. Everyone knows Polar Trendy Toys? They got an exclusive license from Starflare Entertainment to Tian Lanxing. Tomorrow they’re officially releasing the official Tian Lanxing collaboration trading card pack.”

She walked while pointing the camera at the long corridor ahead.

“Today, Sis Ji is going to sneak into Starflare’s training base for a first-hand experience. Rumor has it that these cards have a very low chance of containing a collector’s edition UR card.”

****

Starflare Entertainment base, a lounge on the third floor.

“Is this jungler sleepwalking? The enemy is about to destroy my tower, and he’s still in the jungle farming wolves! Is he planning to raise those wolves to send him off?”

Hua Mu’ai stared at the grayed-out screen, slamming the table in anger.

Chu Yuyao, sitting next to her, was startled by the noise. She quickly stopped moving her mouse and turned to soothe her.

“Mu’ai, don’t be angry. I’ll rotate from mid to help you. Just play safe under the tower for now.”

“How can I not be angry!” Hua Mu’ai grabbed an iced cola and took a big gulp, finally suppressing some of her anger.

These past few days, she had been living in hell.

Thinking of the two women in the apartment, Hua Mu’ai’s face twisted in pain.

Xia Xingyan and Shen Tinglan were like oil and water, their open and covert struggles threatening to tear the house down.

In the morning, they fought to make breakfast; at noon, they fought to serve fruit; in the evening, even watching TV became a battle for the seat beside her. The air was constantly filled with invisible gunpowder and killing intent.