This Star Only Wants More Money - Chapter 16
Translator: Diviner
“Unknown Bass Maestro Boldly Challenges the Contestant Xu Feng from ‘Tomorrow’s God of Song’ Who Quit!”
“Who Is Stronger: The Original Singer or the Cover Artist?”
“Finally, a Pro Is Ready to Teach Xu Feng a Lesson!”
“…”
In just one day, Xu Feng saw all kinds of push notifications on his phone. His video from the secondary account had been forced onto the trending topics and algorithmic recommendations.
Even Xu Feng himself saw the video several times across different platforms, with remarkably similar captions, creating a sort of cyber deja vu.
There were even some music bloggers who, from a “professional perspective,” analyzed both videos with great fanfare, gathering plenty of comments.
When an original piece and its cover collide, it naturally creates a highly controversial, argumentative, and attention-grabbing event, sparking numerous bloggers to hop on the bandwagon.
Among them, there were quite a few who were secretly fanning the flames.
After all, the spectators would never think the drama is too intense.
The video Xu Feng posted yesterday under his “Ding Henrun” account had already accumulated over a million views.
But even more alarming than the number of views was the amount of comments on this video.
Generally, a video with a million views might have between 500 and 2,000 comments, depending on the topic. However, this one already had nearly 10,000 comments!
It’s easy to imagine just how heated the arguments were.
“My main account’s video didn’t get nearly this much engagement…” Xu Feng marveled, clicking on the comments section to see how far the debate had escalated.
“Other than slight differences in playing style, I don’t think this up-and-comer’s performance is any worse than Xu Feng’s.”
“Where do you get the nerve to say that? Without the original, you’d be strumming air right now. Disgusting, biting the hand that feeds you and forgetting your roots.”
“Putting aside the originality, just based on this piece, I think Teacher Ding’s playing isn’t inferior to Xu Feng’s. Why can’t people even speak the truth anymore?”
“I don’t know much, but I trust my ears.”
“Let’s stick to the music itself; is this really a piece you can just casually change the style of? Does it still have the original flavor? There’s no soul left; this guy would get eliminated in the first round of a competition, let alone compare to the original artist.”
“First-round elimination? Did you watch those music bloggers’ review videos? Whether you like it or not, Teacher Ding’s playing sounds good.”
“Did Xu Feng offend the program team, so they hired these trolls to slander him? Hilarious.”
“By the way, Teacher Ding’s hands and arms are pretty nice. You can only see the lower half of their body, but it looks good too… Probably quite good-looking.”
“Is Teacher a guy or a girl?”
“When will the teacher show their face?”
“This comment section is terrifyingly off-kilter. I’m out.”
“Why not let the two teachers exchange techniques? What’s so unthinkable about that? I believe Xu Feng wouldn’t mind such an exchange, @Xu Feng.”
“…”
So many classic comments… From ignoring facts to moral coercion to being generous with others’ resources, all of them are playing their roles perfectly. It really showcases the public relations skills of a big company—stirring the pot and muddying the waters with finesse.
Unfortunately, “Ding Henrun” was actually Xu Feng’s alternate account. He wasn’t angry; in fact, he found it all quite entertaining.
He wondered how these people would react when they learned the truth.
While Xu Feng was enjoying reading the comments, a message popped up on WeChat.
It was from the person who had introduced himself as Xiao Liu, his current “employer.”
Xu Feng’s departure had caused quite a stir for “Tomorrow’s God of Song,” diverting a significant amount of traffic away from the show.
Given that Xu Feng showed no inclination to cooperate and could potentially become a formidable competitor in the future, the entertainment company under the same corporate umbrella as the show’s production team had prioritized suppressing Xu Feng as their most urgent task.
Xiao Liu, as the direct supervisor, was under a lot of pressure. After signing the contract, he had been worried about whether “Ding Henrun” could defeat Xu Feng.
However, after seeing the first video showcasing strong skills and not losing ground in the back-and-forth with Xu Feng, Xiao Liu’s anxiety eased somewhat. He started investing funds according to the plan to amplify the incident’s influence.
Even if the skills of both sides turned out to be evenly matched during the final PK, they could always manipulate the comments and marketing to claim that Xu Feng had lost!
As long as they could maintain “Ding Henrun’s” momentum, Xu Feng was done for this time.
“Teacher Ding, we watched your video, and your skills are impressive. Xu Feng must be panicking now; otherwise, why would he bother releasing an identical video? The pressure you’re putting on him seems really effective!”
Xu Feng almost burst out laughing but managed to hold it in, typing back, “Not bad, not bad.”
He was indeed under a lot of pressure—playing two roles, performing the same piece twice, each time in different outfits. It was pretty exhausting.
Xiao Liu remained very attentive, “Xu Feng is already feeling the heat. Don’t rush; release a few more videos, provoke him a couple of times, and he’ll surely accept your live PK.”
Xu Feng responded seriously and patiently, “No problem, I can edit another video by tomorrow.”
As a qualified contractor, listening to the client’s needs and meeting their reasonable demands within the scope of the payment was the most basic requirement.
Seeing such a straightforward response, Xiao Liu felt confident that he had found the right person. He was convinced that the 100,000 yuan investment was worth it—so hassle-free, efficient, with no extra trouble or demands. The emotional value alone was off the charts.
Of course, he didn’t forget to reiterate key points, “The live PK will likely draw a big crowd, so please don’t get nervous or let it affect your performance. As long as you maintain your current level, you’re sure to win.”
“Or, you could throw out a little bait to the audience, enticing them to pressure Xu Feng into a live PK with you. For example, in your next video, you could declare that if you win, you’ll reveal your face to the entire audience. That would add some fun and credibility, and also help you build a fanbase, which would only benefit your personal development.”
From the current comments, many people had already imagined Ding Henrun as either a handsome guy or a beautiful lady, curious about “Teacher Ding’s” appearance.
If Ding Henrun were willing to offer this bait, many spectators would surely flock to Xu Feng’s comment section, forcing him to accept the challenge.
Xu Feng agreed readily, “I’ll post it in my next video update.”
Actually, Xu Feng had planned to reveal his identity right after completing this assignment—there’s no way he would actually lose just because of one assignment.
During the commission, he had to be responsible for his client, but once it was over, what Xu Feng did was his own business.
Seeing such an enthusiastic response, Xiao Liu was very pleased. Normally, he wouldn’t have said more, but considering that Xu Feng was a highly popular contestant who had shone on the show, he decided to be a bit more cautious and added, “Teacher Ding, when selecting a song for the PK, it’s best to avoid Xu Feng’s original compositions. Original works get too many extra points.”
Afraid of originals? How troublesome.
Xu Feng started typing out a casual, reassuring reply, but halfway through, his fingers paused.
Speaking of original compositions… Since this PK was drawing so much attention, why not seize the opportunity to draw another song from his repertoire and release it during the PK? It would make for a powerful promotional event.
When the performance ends and his identity is revealed, he could perform the new song live when the stream’s viewership peaks. The PK could serve as the debut for the new track!
With a plan forming in his mind, Xu Feng quickly deleted the message he was typing and adopted a slightly arrogant tone, “Is his biggest asset originality? As if I’m incapable of creating original songs?”
Xiao Liu, both surprised and delighted, typed back with trembling hands, “Teacher Ding, you have original compositions too?!”
Suppressing his embarrassment, Xu Feng continued his high-minded act, “Heh, I wouldn’t do anything I’m not confident in.”
With an original composition in the mix, Xu Feng’s last bit of advantage would disappear completely!
This PK was in the bag!
“Teacher Ding, you’re sure to succeed!”
In the program’s office, Xiao Liu was ecstatic. He put down his phone, turned around to his colleagues, and instructed, “Get the 110,000 yuan ready. As soon as the PK ends, transfer it immediately! Don’t forget to send gifts too; we need everyone to know Xu Feng lost!”
To maximize the pressure on Xu Feng in public opinion, the 100,000 yuan payment was split into two parts: 80,000 as a direct transfer and another 20,000 as gifts after the PK to make a splash and attract traffic.
Gifts would be subject to platform fees. Although their professional accounts had some discounts, the overall cost would still be higher.
But, as long as they could decisively defeat Xu Feng, an extra 10,000 was no big deal.
Xiao Liu glanced at the progress inquiry sent by his boss, confidently replying: “Don’t worry, boss, everything is under control! Just keep an eye on Ding Henrun and Xu Feng’s updates!”