"Those people just spout nonsense," Yang Chaoyue remarked. "I bet the production team bought that trending topic."
"Even if you know, you can't say anything," Manager Zhang replied. "That's just how this industry works. They can be reckless, but they have to pay the price."
Manager Zhang seized the opportunity to remind Yang Chaoyue to watch her tongue on the show.
Yang Chaoyue fell silent.
Just because things have always been this way... does that make it right?
In truth, apart from the intense pressure she faced during her debut, Yang Chaoyue had been well-protected since entering the industry. Manager Zhang tirelessly corrected her missteps, and those around her constantly reminded her of the rules.
But it was impossible to shake the nagging feeling in her heart.
The only thing she could think to do was confide in her best friend, Chen Yihan.
Chen Yihan had seen the sudden, inexplicable trending topic earlier that day and initially suspected something was amiss.
Although she had never formally met Ye Huanqiu, Yang Chaoyue's descriptions painted him as a polite person.
Now, understanding the terms of his original contract and knowing he had recently left his job, she began to understand why the contract had been structured that way.
"Alright, alright, don't be upset. Get some rest and give a stellar performance tomorrow. The better you do, the more you'll prove Teacher Ye's extraordinary talent, right?"
"Mm-hmm. I'll go to bed early tonight and warm up my voice properly tomorrow. Yihan, you'll be blown away!"
"We'll see."
After the brief call ended, Chen Yihan understood that the production team's antics were understandable in their pursuit of ratings, but their methods were too underhanded.
She dialed the number of Uncle Xu, whom she had contacted before. Though officially her father's butler, he was actually a distant relative from their ancestral village. By kinship, she should address him as "Uncle."
Having worked alongside her father since the early days of his business, Uncle Xu had always maintained his role as a loyal retainer. His reliability and efficiency had been the reason her father had relied on him for so many years.
"Ah, Miss Yihan, calling so late."
"Uncle Xu, you've been drinking again..." Chen Yihan's voice held a mix of teasing and reproach.
Uncle Xu quickly reassured her, "Just a little bit of baijiu. I'm not drunk at all. I can handle business perfectly. What can I do for you, Miss Yihan?"
"Maybe I should call you again tomorrow, Uncle Xu. Please don't drink too much and take care of yourself."
"Alright, I understand. I'll finish this one and stop."
Chen Yihan worried that Uncle Xu, being tipsy, might not fully grasp what she was saying. Besides, even if she wanted to clear Ye Huanqiu's name, now wasn't the right time.
A hastily issued denial could never match the momentum of a rumor.
A counter-narrative needed a favorable wind to catch and gain traction.
As for Gao Jin of Hai Die Company, he merely smiled knowingly at the news. Having climbed the industry ladder from the bottom over many years, he knew exactly what kind of people ran these TV stations, media outlets, and viral accounts.
Based on his observations of Ye Huanqiu on stage, the man didn't strike him as arrogant. There must be more to the story.
None of this mattered to Gao Jin. His focus was entirely on tomorrow's showdown. He had immense confidence in the song he'd composed for Mirei Mei this time. While he felt its quality still fell slightly short of Renowned Far and Wide, it was undoubtedly his best work yet.
Pressure truly did breed creativity!
The online uproar only added to the anticipation for tomorrow's live broadcast of I Am a Creator.
Just after 7:30 PM on Saturday, the five-minute commercial break ended, and I Am a Creator began as scheduled. Shen Tao was still glued to the viewership ratings.
The previous episode had averaged 0.55%, peaking at 0.81%.
From the very start of the second episode, the average rating surged past the 0.5% mark. Analyzing the data, it was clear that yesterday's trending search topic purchase had paid off. As soon as Ye Huanqiu appeared on screen, the live chat erupted with insults.
Some mocked, "Look who's here! Who said he wouldn't show up? Must have chickened out from all the hate!"
Fortunately, someone quickly corrected them: "Hey, guys, this is pre-recorded. He won't be here for the live broadcast later. Don't waste your anger on the wrong moment!"
The viewership spike from the Ye Huanqiu backlash was impressive, and Shen Tao beamed with delight as he continued to monitor the numbers.
Meanwhile, Director Zhang oversaw the studio from the master control room. The hosts, singers, and Creators were all present, except for the absent Ye Huanqiu.
They were making final preparations for today's live broadcast, a first for the show. Absolute precision was crucial to avoid any mistakes.
Pre-recorded segments accounted for at least forty percent of the show's content, giving the production team ample time to prepare.
On stage, Gou Bing glanced at the empty seat beside him and remarked to Li Yuanjie, "Young Master Li, look at this guy—he hasn't even shown up yet and he's already acting like he owns the place. He deserves all the criticism he's going to get. If his performance flops later, rest assured, I'll personally lead the charge in tearing him apart and utterly humiliating him."
"That clown isn't worth my time," Li Yuanjie replied dismissively, feigning indifference. In reality, he seethed with resentment at Ye Huanqiu's "privileged" status, his gums practically itching with fury.
Forced to maintain composure in front of the others, he dared not voice his true feelings.
Zhao Ziyun and Sui Gu only learned of Ye Huanqiu's absence upon arriving. Focused on their creative work, they rarely followed online news. They were collaborating with Liu Ning, whose skills were sufficient to handle the song they had written.
The pre-recorded segments were now airing, showcasing glimpses of the creators' collaborations with their singers over the past few days, including a conversation between Ye Huanqiu and Yang Chaoyue.
During that exchange, Ye Huanqiu had said: "Allowing yourself to be vulnerable is the most powerful way to demonstrate strength."
The segment resonated with the audience, and Ye Huanqiu's remarks hardly fit the arrogant, reckless image portrayed by marketing accounts and most netizens.
Of course, some would argue that it was all an act. After all, didn't celebrities maintain polished facades before their scandals erupted? And didn't those disgraced stars commit plenty of scandalous acts?
This unintentional comparison to celebrities inadvertently boosted Ye Huanqiu's profile.
The segment's viewership was strong, averaging around 0.61% and peaking just shy of 0.7%.
As the collaboration segment between the singers and creators concluded, the director seamlessly cut back to the main studio.
Wang Ziqiang and Meng Yan's opening segment felt completely natural.
The camera deliberately panned across the studio, lingering on the empty seat. The netizens who had been holding back for so long finally erupted, seizing on this detail to unleash their pent-up fury.
The online atmosphere grew so toxic that Director Zhang had to instruct his technical team to urgently moderate the comments, filtering out the most extreme vitriol.
"Dirty traffic" might be lucrative, but once you've drawn it in, it's not easy to sweep it under the rug.