During a break in group rehearsals, Lin Chen went to the break room to get some water and overheard hushed conversations.
"...He just sang an original song, right? The judges are praising him like he's some kind of superstar."
"Shh, keep your voice down. He's the 'dark horse,' the show's 'darling.'"
"Dark horse? I think it's just hype. Maybe it was all pre-arranged, just a way to give us nominees a 'hard work pays off' persona."
"I heard Manager Wang from Xingyao is really pushing him, he'll probably sign him soon. He'll be 'one of their own' then, of course their attitude will be different."
"So what if he signs? Someone without connections will just be a high-level employee, his resources will depend on the higher-ups' mood..."
Lin Chen tightened his grip on his water glass, silently turned and left. He wasn't angry, just felt a deep sense of powerlessness. He never intended to steal anyone's thunder; he just wanted to sing. Why had things become so complicated?
That evening, he couldn't help but call Chen Kai again, pouring out his recent troubles.
"The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease." Chen Kai sighed on the other end of the phone. "You've demonstrated value, which inevitably touches on the interests of some, or puts you in someone's game. The show needs buzz and ratings, the company needs controllable and profitable artists, and other contestants worry you'll snatch away limited advancement spots and resources… What you're experiencing now is the most common undercurrent in the world of fame and fortune."
"Then what should I do? I feel… like I'm being swept up by so many things, almost losing my way."
"Remember why you're standing where you are." Chen Kai's voice was steady and powerful. "It's for singing. Camera time, buzz, complex interpersonal relationships—these are all noise surrounding 'singing.' You can cooperate with the show's rules appropriately; that's survival wisdom. But don't lose your true self in the process. Protect your creations; that's your foundation. As for the isolation and exclusion…" He paused, "If you decide to take this path, this is the norm you must get used to. True strength is about letting your work and talent speak for themselves, not about conforming."
Chen Kai's words were like a stabilizing force, calming Lin Chen's restless heart slightly. He recalled the few lines of inspiration for his new song that he had secretly scribbled in his notebook during rehearsal that day. It was a record and reflection on his current situation; the melody was still somewhat chaotic, but the emotion was genuine. This reassured him that no matter how noisy the outside world was, the pure land within him dedicated to creation remained.
However, the undercurrents were far more turbulent than he had imagined.
The day before the recording of the second round of eliminations, the production team suddenly called a meeting with all the contestants and announced an "important notice"—to increase the suspense and appeal of the competition, the next round would introduce a scoring system by a "media jury," accounting for 30% of the final score. At the same time, the contestants' "online popularity" would also be factored into their total score. The production team's official partner platforms would immediately open individual voting channels for the contestants.
The news caused a stir in the contestant area. This meant that the competition would no longer solely depend on live performance and judges' opinions; the company's operations, fan economy, and media relations would play a crucial role.
After the meeting, Lin Chen noticed several contestants with management companies were immediately surrounded by their agents or assistants, whispering about their vote-getting strategies and media relations. Meanwhile, solo contestants like himself could only watch helplessly as others orchestrated their campaigns.
He opened his phone and accessed the program's cooperation platform. Under his voting channel, although there were many supportive comments, his vote count lagged far behind those of the already established or well-connected contestants. He even saw numerous defamatory comments accusing him of "playing the victim," "pretending to be innocent," and claiming "mediocre singing skills relying solely on original songs"—clearly the work of organized online trolls.