Chapter 105: Rushing Headlong Toward Disaster

Perhaps it was due to Xu Man’s considerable status in the industry, or perhaps the music market had been so parched for quality work in recent years that listeners were thirsting for something new—whatever the reason, both ordinary netizens and insiders paid close attention to the matter.

Most people online were rather baffled.

Given Xu Man’s standing in the entertainment circle, it shouldn’t have been possible for her to face such an awkward predicament—unable to find even a single platform willing to collaborate!

Could the new song really be so dreadful as to be unwatchable?

That seemed unlikely.

And yet, discussions about the situation grew ever more heated online.

At the same time, Xu Man herself was following the news.

Rather than anger, she appeared to harbor a faint glimmer of excitement in her eyes as she read the media reports.

During this period, calls from various journalists seeking confirmation came in from time to time, but she ignored them all.

It wasn’t until just before noon, when public skepticism had reached a fever pitch, that Xu Man issued a response on her personal Weibo.

She began with a formal expression of gratitude for everyone’s attention and support, then admitted that she did in fact have a new song to release and acknowledged that her new song had been rejected by Jiujiu Music. However, she stated that she was still in the process of reaching out to other platforms.

Her post was like a stone cast into a placid lake, sending forth a thousand ripples!

Unsurprisingly, the response garnered immense attention from netizens.

Major media outlets quickly picked up the story and amplified it.

For a leading figure of the new generation in the music world to release a new song was already big news; for that song to be rejected by a major music platform was even bigger. The combination of these two headlines created a strange, almost alchemical effect.

The public’s attention to the event skyrocketed.

Throughout all this, Chen Qi did nothing. He sat quietly on the sofa in Xu Man’s studio, sipping tea and soft drinks, nibbling on fruit and snacks, observing the entire affair from the perspective of a bystander, marveling at the spectacle.

He was especially impressed by Xu Man’s Weibo post.

Did you think she was simply responding to the facts?

Not so!

It had to be said: Jiujiu Music leaking the rejection to the press was truly unscrupulous.

If Xu Man’s new song really had been mediocre, not only would she have been unable to find a partner to release it, but her popularity and reputation would have suffered a severe blow.

Their move would have made her a laughingstock in the industry.

But Xu Man subtly counterattacked, deliberately mentioning in her response that Jiujiu Music had refused her song.

It would be a mistake to underestimate the significance of this seemingly casual remark.

Now, everyone was aware that Jiujiu Music had turned down her new piece. Once “Beyond the Light Years” was finally released, the platform would become an industry-wide joke!

To call it a joke would be putting it mildly; it could well become an indelible stain on their professional history!

Of course, to Xu Man, exacting revenge on Jiujiu Music was only a secondary goal—her true purpose was to use the media storm to promote her new song.

She had let the story ferment, and only when it reached a certain pitch had she stepped in to confirm the rumors, thus lifting public interest to another level.

The attention on Xu Man’s new song now far surpassed what Chen Qi had seen when he was filming the second season of “Who Would Have Thought.”

Her retreating-then-advancing approach to publicity truly opened his eyes.

She hadn’t spent a dime, and yet she’d achieved the effect of an advertising campaign worth at least several million.

Watching Xu Man calmly orchestrate everything, Chen Qi suspected she had foreseen all of this long ago.

From what he knew, Jiujiu Music’s rejection had been within her expectations, as had their leak to the media. Thus, she must have anticipated the public’s reaction as well, and likely had several contingency plans ready to maximize her benefit.

Chen Qi was deeply impressed.

With a mind like hers, it was little wonder she had become the leading figure among the new generation of singers.

This, surely, was what people called having a broad strategic vision.

What happened next, however, surprised Chen Qi even more.

Perhaps in response to Xu Man’s official statement, or for some other reason, at around two in the afternoon, Jiujiu Music’s official Weibo also released a statement.

They confirmed, in a tone of deep regret, that they had indeed refused Xu Man’s song.

They gave no reason nor explanation.

They simply expressed, in a tone of resignation, that in the current climate, it was normal for good songs to be hard to come by.

At the end of the post, they offered Xu Man some feigned good wishes, saying they hoped she would achieve new heights and looked forward to future collaborations.

Chen Qi was amazed by Jiujiu Music’s utter lack of scruples.

On the surface, they claimed that it was normal to be unable to write good songs these days, but anyone with a discerning eye could see what they were really suggesting. In fact, they were making it plain for all to see.

How ruthless.

They truly wished to push Xu Man into the abyss.

What they failed to realize was that, far from hurting Xu Man, they had sealed their own fate.

It was as if they were racing headlong toward their own destruction.

Chen Qi paid special attention to Xu Man’s reaction, and saw that, upon reading the post, she only smiled faintly, showing not the slightest hint of surprise.

It seemed she had long since expected Jiujiu Music to stoop so low.

He glanced at the time—there were still more than two hours until the end of the workday.

He waited patiently.

...

As evening approached, a woman in her forties arrived at Xu Man’s studio.

She was the head of Tiantian Music.

She had received a message from Xu Man late the previous night.

Xu Man had told her she had a new song.

Knowing that Xu Man had signed a collaboration agreement with Jiujiu Music, she had found this puzzling.

When she heard Xu Man say that Jiujiu Music might not want the song, her first instinct was to decline.

Due to the downturn in the music market, even music streaming platforms like hers were struggling. Under pressure from both performance metrics and competitors, she—having only recently been promoted—was reluctant to waste her precious time on what seemed like a pointless endeavor.

Like everyone else, she naturally assumed the song must be terrible.

If it were any good, why would Jiujiu Music turn it down?

The news she saw today only confirmed her belief that the song was no longer worth releasing.

Yet, Xu Man had repeatedly asked her to come by today.

Out of personal friendship, she finally agreed.

She rang the doorbell and was taken upstairs by an assistant.

Xu Man, in the midst of discussing something with her production team, hurried over to greet her.

“Sister Tang!”

Tang Yan smiled, looking a little tired.

“Come, let me introduce someone to you.” Xu Man led her to the lounge and introduced her and Chen Qi to each other. “This is Chen Qi—the one who made ‘Who Would Have Thought’—and this is the content director of Tiantian Music, also a longtime friend of mine.”

“Hello, Director Tang.” Chen Qi politely extended a hand.

Tang Yan shook his hand with a smile, her eyes filled with doubt.

She didn’t recognize Chen Qi, nor had she seen “Who Would Have Thought,” nor had she even heard of it.

She had no idea why Xu Man was introducing them.

Perhaps noticing her confusion, Xu Man added, “He’s also the copyright holder for my new song.”

“Oh…” Tang Yan suddenly understood, giving Chen Qi a closer look.

But only a glance.

He’d written a song that not even a music platform wanted to touch—how could she be expected to take more interest?

At this point, she finally understood why Xu Man’s new song was facing such hardship!

So young—what could he possibly have written that was any good?

Like Xiao Hang from Jiujiu Music, she almost wondered if Xu Man had gone mad in her desperation for a comeback.

It was understandable to want a comeback, but couldn’t she have found a more reliable songwriter?

Knowing that this young man had dragged her friend into the eye of the storm, she found him impossible to like.

Still, for Xu Man’s sake, she refrained from saying anything harsh.

“Sit,” Xu Man said, motioning for Tang Yan to take a seat, then asked, with barely concealed excitement, “Did you see today’s news?”

Tang Yan sat down beside her, looking at her as if she were a fool.

Had something happened to her? The outside world was full of mockery, and yet she seemed positively exhilarated.

Had she been dormant for so long that even negative attention was enough to make her blood surge? Did she really not care if the attention was all criticism?

Was she truly losing her mind?

“I saw it! So you really were rejected?” Tang Yan was bewildered by her excitement.

Could what she’d read have been fake news?

“Of course,” Xu Man replied, her eyes sparkling. “Didn’t you see how both I and Jiujiu Music have already responded? How could it be false?”

“But…” Tang Yan couldn’t make sense of it at all, staring at her in confusion. “Is there really something to celebrate here?”

“No, but I’m just happy!” Xu Man beamed.

Tang Yan looked at her expressionlessly. Already in a foul mood from the day’s pressures, she had no patience for riddles. “All right, then—what exactly did you call me here for?”

“What else? I want you to help me release the song!” Xu Man said cheerfully.

“You still want to go through with it?” Tang Yan stared at her in shock.

“Of course! Things have already blown up this much—if I don’t release it now, wouldn’t that be even more humiliating?” Xu Man seemed to be teasing her deliberately.

“If you don't release it, you’ll only lose a little face. If you do, it’s not just about embarrassment anymore.” Tang Yan looked at her in disbelief. “Don’t you realize that releasing a bad song will hurt your popularity even more than not releasing it at all?”

“But I think this song is really good.” Xu Man put on a pitiful, aggrieved look.

Tang Yan was speechless. “What good is it if only you think so? The market has to think so! Didn’t you think your last song was good too? And what happened then?”

Xu Man looked at her with wounded eyes.

So much for a friendly chat—why did she have to bring up old wounds?