SGSHE99

The companies orchestrating these viral marketing accounts had done their homework. They knew Luan Xing’an had no parents and that his only grandmother had passed away. They knew he was all alone, with no elders at home, certainly none of the age of father and mother Qu.

Besides, to be honest, a couple that age chasing after a celebrity together? That just looks abnormal right off the bat!

Thus, they naturally jumped to the conclusion that mother and father Qu were just hard-up laborers, middle-aged or elderly folks pretending to be fans of a young star for a few hundred yuan a day.

The kicker was…among the seed stars they had cultivated in the past, the fans at the forefront of the fandom weren’t always genuine either.

That’s right, they had a history of using fake fans themselves, which is exactly why their minds went down that twisted path!

Fake fans aren’t just for padding numbers, they have all sorts of uses.

The current situation was a case of the hunter getting pecked in the eye by the very geese he hunted, naturally, it was infuriating.

Someone snapped in frustration: “Jing Heguang is pushing Luan Xing’an so hard, he couldn’t even be bothered to hire professional fans?!”

“Who knew that old guy was a big shot from a completely different circle?”

Their situation was truly miserable, the avalanche of smear material they’d unleashed had backfired, turning them into a laughingstock.

Not only had they wasted all that money, but they’d also inadvertently generated hype for the other side.

The executives at the companies involved looked vicious: “So the second narrative flopped, fine. Now, focus on pushing the first one. I refuse to believe those young girls would still want to be fans of a guy who picks up trash.”

“That’s a great idea, Boss Bao! Young people care so much about saving face. If they get mocked for being fans of a trash-picker, they’ll definitely feel humiliated. Once word gets out, let’s see who’d still want to stan him!”

***

The paid online trolls kept stirring the pot. Many viral marketing accounts, having been mocked by the general public, developed a contrarian streak and jumped on the new narrative to push that initial angle.

Xiao Chen was busy organizing the fanbase and trying to calm everyone down, but a mass exodus of fans was still inevitable.

—— Many people still couldn’t accept that the idol they adored had done something so ‘unsavory’.

Xiao Chen was furious. These people claimed to love their big brother the most when they were fans, yet the moment things turned sour, they switched their profile pictures to black and vanished.

It was actually the casual onlookers who stepped up to slam the clickbait accounts.

He didn’t rob or steal, he earned his living with his own two hands, what was there to be ashamed of?

The commotion grew increasingly heated, and the ‘hot’ tag remained pinned at the top of the trending list.

***

Jing Heguang decided the time was right. He drafted his message in a notes app and posted it online.

@Jing Heguang: Does cultivating a newcomer require zero investment? Did I ever interfere in a way that warranted criticism? If not, then shut up.

@Jing Heguang: Judging by his work, he deserves every bit of praise. In fact, I feel my own knowledge and vocabulary are too limited to do justice to even half of his talent.

@Jing Heguang: Luan Xing’an, a youth who embodies the very best of the world. [9-Image Grid.JPG]

Jing Heguang didn’t need to use trending hashtags, he was a massive source of traffic in his own right.

As soon as the Weibo post was posted, countless people rushed to share it to ride the wave of hype, while fans screamed with excitement.

Jing Heguang’s fans cheered, praising how wonderful their big brother was for stepping up at a moment like this, a true embodiment of courage and integrity.

Luan Xing’an’s fans flooded in to express their gratitude, feeling as though their pent-up grievances had finally been released.

Many of them were already fans of both, multi-fandom, and a large number had even started shipping the two together.

The CP fans were in a frenzy: screaming that brother Jing was the best, swooning over the dynamic, and declaring that they’re now fully satisfied with this dose of ‘sweet’. They were ready to tear apart the trashy paid trolls.

***

Inside Luan Xing’an’s largest fan group.

Group Admin (Xingxing’s Head Fan): I feel like I’m not worthy.

Admin (Xiao Xingxing): ??? What’s wrong, Group Owner? I’m still busy slamming the trolls.

Group Member (Pudding): Aaaaaah! Brother Jing has come to back our Xingxing up, and his fanbase has joined in too, just watch how those who bailed will regret it!

Group Admin (Xingxing’s Head Fan): Sob… I’m not worthy of being the head fan. Brother Jing is the real deal. He openly admitted his own knowledge was limited, all just to praise our Xingxing!

Group Member (Da Ke): Sorry… I think I want to ship the CP now. Even if it’s just a bromance, it’s just too sweet! Xingxing was cut off from the world while filming the show and knew nothing, yet brother Jing handled everything for him. Xingxing didn’t have to worry about a single thing.

Group Admin (Xingxing’s Die-hard Fan): @Da Ke You can totally support both sides, we don’t ban CP fans here~

The reason they didn’t ban it was mainly because the CP dynamic was just too irresistible. There were sweet moments everywhere, who could possibly resist that?!

The situation was similar over on Jing Heguang’s side.

Jing Heguang had a solid body of work. His career path was vastly different from typical idols, and the majority of his fanbase consisted of people who simply loved his music.

Not to mention, countless people had tried to latch onto him for clout or manufacture dating rumors in the past. Since the original owner never bothered to clarify things, the fans were long past the point of being shocked and didn’t mind the idea of ​​him dating.

Fans had even gone so far as to organize massive betting pools on who he might end up with, though, of course, those bets always ended in spectacular failure.

This time, however, Jing Heguang was sending out clear signals and making his protective stance obvious. Many fans sensed there was more to the story.

When the show aired, Luan Xing’an didn’t pull any stunts. He came across as a fresh, wholesome young man who just focused intently on his performance.

He wrote great songs and sang beautifully, so the fans actually quite liked him.

Jing Heguang’s fans found themselves listening to Luan Xing’an’s music while simultaneously clamoring for Jing Heguang to release new songs of his own.

When someone tried to frame them, the two fanbases joined forces, linking arms to go out and teach the hired trolls a lesson.

***

Xiao Chen watched as his boss settled the whole situation with just a few Weibo posts, then wiped the sweat from his forehead. However, he had no time to rest. He have to travel to Luan Xing’an’s hometown with a team to gather interview material.

The locations weren’t far apart.

Xiao Chen set off that same day and, by noon the following day, had sent all the footage to the studio for a dedicated team to handle the editing and post-production.

Once processed, the video was released via the official Jing Heguang Studio account, bringing it to the public’s attention.

In the video, people dressed in outdated clothing stood in old, narrow streets. The walls behind them were discolored, bearing no trace of their original appearance.

“Xing’an? He’s a sensible kid. He’s known how to help his grandma with chores since he was little! I hear he’s singing now, he’s really made something of himself. That’s wonderful!”

“He’s a truly honest lad, hardworking and a good student. He’s miles better than my own kid!”

“He loves to sing, everything he sings sounds great!”

…

Xiao Chen and his team interviewed Luan Xing’an’s old neighbors.

These neighbors were ordinary people living somewhat hard lives, and they appeared quite self-conscious on camera.

Yet, whenever they spoke of Luan Xing’an, their words were filled with praise and affirmation.

One person even produced an old photograph showing several neighbors with a group of children.

Luan Xing’an was only seven or eight years old in the picture, yet his features bore a distinct resemblance to his current self.

Talk of plastic surgery or a gloomy personality? These were nothing but fabrications, falsehoods manufactured out of thin air.

Jing Heguang invested significant manpower and resources into the matter.

The rumors were swept away by the sheer momentum of the truth, revealing the reality of the situation.

Was there hype involved?

Yes, but it was strictly within reasonable limits.

The rumors?

False, all of them were thoroughly debunked.

After the topic remained a hot trend for a full day, more people began to speak out. Influential figures grasped the truth of the matter and stepped in to show their support.

A legendary figure in the music industry publicly voiced his support during an interview.

The elderly veteran, sporting a head of white hair but radiating vigor, spoke in a resonant voice: “Back in our day, we mentored newcomers the same way, hands-on guidance. The path to becoming a singer was much easier then, yet we old folks still worried. We couldn’t bear to see those sparks of talent extinguished before they even touched the oxygen they needed to catch fire. The road is much harder to travel now, so mentoring newcomers is truly a wonderful thing. Young people represent the new sparks, and Jing Heguang is doing a great job.”

He then gave a thumbs-up with both hands, facing the camera.

With a respected veteran leading the way, other singers stepped forward to openly support Jing Heguang.

The online buzz was intense.

@Tuantuan: Life is full of impossibilities, yet also brimming with hope! Along the journey, you have excellent mentors and friends walking by your side. @JingHeguang

For the accompanying image, Tuantuan selected eight photos from the 3×3 grid Jing Heguang had shared featuring Luan Xing’an, and combined them with a piece of fan art depicting Luan Xing’an as a scavenger.

There is no need to list further examples, suffice it to say. The parties who had tried to stir up trouble were absolutely furious.

Not only did the incident propel Luan Xing’an into the mainstream spotlight, but it also earned Jing Heguang recognition from industry veterans and official bodies alike…

If they didn’t know for a fact that their own intentions were malicious and impure, they might have suspected they were actually helping Jing Heguang and Luan Xing’an generate hype.

After all, the results were surprisingly spectacular, a ‘buy one, get one free deal’ of success.

Many people discovered Luan Xing’an through the trending topics and learned about the show Voice of Heaven. Once they heard the singing and saw that face, they instantly became casual fans.

Upon learning how marketing accounts had bullied an honest, unassuming kid, those casual fans were so incensed that they turned into devoted, die-hard fans.

All of this turn into tangible results: Luan Xing’an’s skyrocketing follower count and the surge of votes across various voting platforms.

The intangible benefits lay in his expanded reach among the general public. This wave of activity significantly boosted his visibility and likability, laying a solid foundation for his future career.

With all that wrapped up, Xiao Chen could finally go back to washing diapers.

He realized that while his boss was currently deeply lovestruck, that lovestruckness hadn’t dulled his intellect in the slightest.

It was just that his boss was pouring all his mental energy into Luan Xing’an.

One move from him was enough to show that his old, razor-sharp instincts were still very much intact.

The troublemakers had messed with a lovestruck man who possessed explosive combat power, they certainly had no one but themselves to blame for their downfall.

***

Inside Green Channel studio.

All was calm. No one mentioned the outside commotion to the ten remaining top trainees.

The trainees themselves were busy preparing for the final two rounds of performances.

Luan Xing’an, however, felt the staff were acting strangely. They kept glancing at him as if he were a walking pile of money.

Finding a spare moment, Luan Xing’an sought out Jing Heguang and whispered, “Brother Jing, why do the staff keep looking at me so strangely?”

Jing Heguang smiled, gave him a once-over, and said, “Has your face gotten a bit rounder lately?”

He couldn’t resist reaching out to give Luan Xing’an’s cheek a pinch.

As his cheek was squeezed, Luan Xing’an thought to himself: All those meals and big chicken drumsticks lately haven’t gone to waste.

After a bit of playful banter, Luan Xing’an forgot about the odd behavior of the staff, his attention fully captured by Jing Heguang as they began discussing their collaborative performance.

Luan Xing’an was delighted at the prospect of performing alongside brother Jing.

He had already prepared the perfect song, a narrative-style love ballad ideal for a duet.

As for Jing Heguang, he felt the CP fandom hadn’t had any major ‘sweet’ for a while now, and a collaborative performance was the perfect opportunity to deliver some.

As the founder of the XingGuang CP, he is determined to be at the forefront of creating content for it!

T/N: As the person involved, captain, and founder of the ship, how could he not deliver ‘sweets’ for everyone! (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ﾞ