Chapter 53: The Official Endorsement

The recent public discourse on Weibo had largely revolved around Zhang Ming’s provocations and Xie Ying’s acceptance of the challenge. Only occasionally did discussions arise about the two of them participating in a competition.

However, with the registration deadline for “Singing Master” already passed, such heated debates were easily quelled with a bit of guidance.

Yet, by morning, a fresh wave of public opinion surged across Weibo, its sharp focus directed squarely at Lin Ziyao and Qin Yu themselves.

“It seems Zhang Ming wasn’t wrong after all. ‘Invisible Wings’ and ‘Initial Dream’ only topped Penguin’s new song chart; compared to the charts in the Free Nation, they truly lack any significant weight.”

After making this assertion, the user then attached examples of works from the Free Nation to further support their point.

“This kind of dream-belief theme is already cliché in the Free Nation; only people domestically treat it like a treasure.”

Initially, such comments were a mere trickle, small enough that the studio’s content moderation team didn’t even need to intervene, as fans would quickly refute and delete them.

However, as time progressed, numerous bandwagon comments began to appear, causing the public discourse to ferment and gradually evolve.

“Lin Ziyao is just pretty; why are there so many simps?

From questioning their talent, the comments eventually escalated, labeling both of them as mere ‘vases.’ By the time the studio reacted, the sheer volume of comments made it impossible to delete them all at once.

Now, both sides were clashing fiercely in the comment section: one faction accusing Lin Ziyao of being nothing more than a pretty face, while the other condemned them for their blind adoration of foreign things.

“Manager Nan, what should we do?”

Upon seeing Li Xinan return to the studio, the staff on duty quickly approached, eager to find a solution.

“Xiao Wang, have you traced the addresses of these comments yet?” Without even setting down the items in her hands, Li Xinan hastily questioned Xiao Wang, who was in charge of backend technology.

“The network addresses all originate from the same location. It’s highly probable that someone hired a team of internet trolls to incite this trend.”

Xiao Wang handed Li Xinan an analysis report.

Li Xinan took the report and quickly scanned it. Most of the comments pushing the ‘vase’ narrative were indeed from trolls, primarily targeting Lin Ziyao. This was because she had the least amount of screen time and hadn’t yet solidified her fan base, making her an easy target for the trolls.

However, if the studio requested platform assistance for a ban, it would take a certain amount of time to process, with mass bans only possible by tonight at the earliest. Even enabling comment moderation at this point would be difficult to manage effectively.

Lin Ziyao was currently in a crucial phase of gaining followers. If this situation wasn’t handled properly, not only would her fan growth stall, but she would also be permanently branded as a ‘vase.’ Even if she were to release original songs one after another in the future, that initial impression would be incredibly difficult to reverse.

Li Xinan found herself in a difficult predicament.

“Xiao Wang, find out who hired these internet trolls!”

Li Xinan ordered Xiao Wang to continue investigating the origin of the trolls, then returned to her office to make a phone call.

“Have you seen the news online?”

“I’m looking at it now.”

On the other end of the line, Qin Yu was lounging on a chaise longue, gazing at her laptop. The screen displayed Lin Ziyao’s official Weibo account, where the war of words in the comment section was still updating in real-time.

“I plan to send a lawyer’s letter through the studio, warning these trolls to quiet down for a while.”

Li Xinan rubbed her temples. This was the best solution she could think of; after all, it was under the studio’s name, so she had to discuss it with the boss.

“Regarding that, you needn’t worry. Let them jump around for a bit; they’ll shut up by noon.”

Hearing Qin Yu’s reassurance, Li Xinan’s spirits instantly lifted. “Do you have a plan?” she asked.

“No, I just heard some news.”

Crossing her flawless long legs into a more comfortable position, Qin Yu ended the call with Li Xinan. She then clicked on an audio file stored on her computer.

Lin Ziyao’s soft, sweet voice filled the room, accompanied by Qin Yu’s laughter.

After her call with Qin Yu and receiving her assurance, Li Xinan immediately felt at ease, humming ‘Initial Dream’ in her office.

“Manager Nan, I’ve found a lead on the internet trolls you asked me to investigate.”

Xiao Wang’s voice sounded from outside the door. After receiving her permission, he entered the office and placed a stack of freshly compiled documents on the desk.

Li Xinan picked up the documents and browsed through them page by page. When she saw the company’s organizational structure, her eyebrows perked up.

“Their manager is also surnamed Li? A relative, then!”

Having said that, she picked up her phone, preparing to make a call. Noticing Xiao Wang still in the office, she immediately added, “Tell everyone not to worry about Ziyao’s situation. Our current task is to continue monitoring the active internet trolls in the comment section.”

Once Xiao Wang exited the office, Li Xinan dialed the phone number left by the company.

“Manager Li, is that right? This is Qin Yu Studio, and I’m Li Xinan…”

The content of their phone conversation remained unknown, but on Weibo, more and more people began to question whether the quality of China’s music scene was truly lacking, or if Lin Ziyao had only topped the new song chart by relying on her ‘simps.’

As time passed, it reached twelve noon.

A single Weibo post emerged, shattering everyone’s doubts.

The video’s content was straightforward: it showcased a group of individuals who, despite harsh conditions, willingly dedicated their youth to grassroots efforts, as well as those who, despite accidental disabilities, persevered with unyielding determination. The video was brief, lasting only about a minute.

Yet, the images of these individuals were deeply moving, and the video’s soundtrack featured none other than ‘Initial Dream’ and ‘Invisible Wings.’

The accompanying Weibo text read: “Never forget that the initial dream is to serve the people, and never forget that invisible wings empower self-reliance.”

The account that posted this Weibo belonged to an official institution, evidenced by the blue ‘V’ in the bottom right corner of its avatar, clearly indicating its origin.

On China’s internet, a saying often circulates: ‘Don’t spread rumors, don’t believe rumors, just wait for the official reversal.’

This conveys the immense credibility and weight this institution carried.

As soon as this Weibo post was published, all talk of Lin Ziyao being a ‘vase’ instantly died down. Even the internet trolls who had been active in Lin Ziyao’s comment section vanished without a trace.

All doubts were crushed beneath the weight of this Weibo post. The fact that an institution which usually refrained from speaking out had specifically created this video demonstrated its clear endorsement of these two songs.

“Boss, you didn’t tell me it was such explosive news!” Li Xinan immediately called Qin Yu’s mobile phone. “I haven’t even thought of the caption for reposting yet; what am I supposed to do?”

When she saw the official Weibo post, her legs trembled. She hadn’t expected the news Qin Yu had hinted at to be *this* significant.

‘No wonder she remained so composed in the face of online scrutiny.’

‘If I had known an official post was coming, I would’ve been as steady as an old dog too.’

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