Chapter 114: The Beginning of the Second Phase (Please Support with Votes)

What if something has absolutely no connection to a certain person?
Then find someone related to it and link that person to the matter.

Ding Zhong viewed the rivalry between "Slow Rhythm" and "Yearning for Life" entirely as a spectator munching on sunflower seeds, watching the drama unfold.

Compared to other singers and artists under Brilliant Entertainment who still worried about the ratings and reputation of "Slow Rhythm," because of the joint efforts between Brilliant and Brother Entertainment, they still had opportunities to appear on "Just Walk Slow" later on.

But as a songwriter, Ding Zhong had no need for such fearless exposure or public persona.

Variety shows, especially, are prone to establishing personas.

In August, he could afford to be completely laid-back, just waiting for the composer at Brilliant Entertainment to finish the score, then leisurely get through August to participate in the singing battle in September.

So Ding Zhong maintained a very calm mindset.

That was until he found himself trending on social media for the wrong reasons.

Originally just peacefully watching the drama unfold, he became embroiled in a wave of criticism.

He had intended to quietly enjoy a month of watching from the sidelines but was forced to post a late-night clarification on Weibo, explaining that song battles are a common form of exchange among songwriters.

Ridiculous!

Ding Zhong did not want to be trending, absolutely did not want to be trending—there was simply no need.

Songwriters should quietly write behind the scenes; singing and those kinds of public-facing activities should be left to the working singers.

And they still earn a decent amount.

But netizens' minds do not follow his logic.

In response, Ding Zhong was at his wit’s end.

He posted three times overnight on Weibo, but it was useless.

Netizens adopted the attitude of "Won't listen, won't listen, stubborn as ever," ignoring all explanations.

Clearly, the full version was written by Gabe but withheld from release—so why was he the one getting blamed?

Ding Zhong found it incomprehensible.

This world was crazy, yet he remained clear-headed.

After the premiere of "Slow Rhythm," viewers' attitudes toward the guests polarized sharply, especially with the formidable guest lineup of "Yearning for Life" coming first.

Conflict was unavoidable.

Ding Zhong actually welcomed the eruption of this conflict; the more intense, the better.

Because the netizens’ attention shifted.

Fewer people were criticizing him.

When you cannot resolve a conflict, create a new one to divert attention.

Though the conflict between the two shows also harmed Brilliant Entertainment’s interests, Ding Zhong couldn’t care less.

As long as they stopped attacking him, that was enough.

Operating under the belief that personal interests trump company interests, Ding Zhong even used a Weibo alternate account to fan the flames of this conflict.

Online, the discussions grew increasingly heated.

The person mentioned most by viewers and netizens was still Gabe.

Much like after yesterday’s broadcast of "Yearning for Life," the topic surrounding Gabe remained at a very high level of popularity.

The only difference was:

Yesterday, Gabe’s topic topped the Weibo trending list.

Today, it dropped to second place.

The number one trending hashtag on Weibo was: #SlowRhythmPremiere#

Industry insiders knew that Brother Entertainment had paid a hefty sum to secure this trending spot.

Because suppressing Gabe to claim the top trending spot required an enormous volume of discussion.

“Isn’t this An Chuxia screen time way too much? Does the perennial runner-up really deserve so many shots?”

“After watching the first episode of 'Slow Rhythm,' honestly, I feel quite disappointed. Maybe I had too high expectations. After watching, I can only say it’s average. It’s hard to imagine that 'Slow Rhythm,' which was prepared for over half a year, actually falls behind 'Yearning for Life,' which was rushed out by Brilliant Entertainment. Truly surprising and baffling.”

“Not as good as imagined, just okay.”

“Putting a bunch of twenty-somethings together to talk sincerely—what was Brother Entertainment thinking? People with no experience and no life, talking heart-to-heart?”

“To be honest, the first half's chat segment made me cringe, but the conversations between Xie Shun and Teacher He were very comfortable. That’s what real heart-to-heart looks like.”

“Can’t say 'Slow Rhythm' is bad; it’s just that 'Yearning for Life' is too good. Comparing people kills the mood; comparing goods means discarding some. No comparison at all.”

“Seriously, the game script is way too obvious. At least act a bit more naturally, and they’re actors, too!”

“Although I like some singers from Brother Entertainment, this time, the guests were really disappointing.”

“Xiaxia tried her best, okay? Don’t speak ill of her.”

...

Most viewers and netizens were not very satisfied with the first episode of "Slow Rhythm," feeling the quality did not justify the six months of preparation.

Especially compared to the quickly assembled "Yearning for Life" from Brilliant Entertainment, "Slow Rhythm" looked even weaker.

Furthermore, an anonymous netizen revealed that An Chuxia’s spot on "Slow Rhythm" originally belonged to Yin Mengna.

She had snatched Yin Mengna’s place.

Immediately, the topic intensified.

Yin Mengna’s fans were unhappy and began to defend their idol.

“After watching the show, something felt off. An Chuxia’s screen time is absurdly high. Turns out she got on the show through some unknown means.”

“I thought since they were both from the same ‘runner-up’ camp, An Chuxia and Yin Mengna would sympathize with each other. Didn’t expect this!”

“An Chuxia looks pretty, but I didn’t expect her to steal someone else’s spot.”

“Looking closely, An Chuxia has been suppressed by Teacher Gabe since her debut. As a newcomer, it’s surprising Brilliant is willing to invest so much in her. Think about it!”

“Calculating An Chuxia, she took Yin Mengna’s place.”

“Never thought An Chuxia was this kind of person—turning from good to bad.”

“If An Chuxia is still on next episode, I definitely won’t watch.”

“...”

In this matter of substitution, Yin Mengna was clearly the underdog, the one being bullied.

And netizens often side with the underdog.

Not only were Yin Mengna’s fans restless and protective, but casual onlookers who enjoy stirring the pot also joined in with comments and replies.

Yesterday, because the controversy over the half-finished song had not fully died down, they couldn’t directly attack Gabe and found insulting Ding Zhong unsatisfying.

Now, An Chuxia was in the line of fire.

There were quite a few like this.

Just when netizens thought it was about to settle, another bombshell dropped that night.

Wu Yu’s spot was also snatched; the person he replaced was Jiang You.

This news caused a massive uproar on Weibo like a raging river.

Jiang You was different from Yin Mengna.

Jiang You was one of the three regular guests on "Yearning for Life."

“No way! Is this real?”

“Pretty sure it’s true. 'Slow Rhythm’s' production team is so shady, one replacement after another.”

“Can’t see why Wu Yu is any better than Jiang You.”

“Next time someone says the director was changed last minute, I wouldn’t be surprised. Why switch someone who’s already confirmed?”

“This is ridiculous. I just want to know how many of these guests weren’t snatched spots.”

Compared to the anger of Yin Mengna’s fans, Jiang You’s fans were much more composed.

“Thanks to 'Slow Rhythm' for not letting Jiang You join; otherwise, how could he be on 'Yearning for Life'?”

“With Teacher Xie Shun and Teacher Gabe on 'Yearning for Life,' it’s way better than 'Slow Rhythm'!”

“Glad he didn’t go to 'Slow Rhythm,' or I wouldn’t know whether to keep watching. That show is so trashy and shady.”

“Feeling grateful to 'Slow Rhythm' for not hiring him.”

“Thank you, 'Slow Rhythm,' for not hiring him.”

“...”

Yin Mengna’s fans vented anger, Jiang You’s fans expressed gratitude.

Two different voices, but the same underlying sentiment.

Whether it was replacing someone or snatching a spot, such discussions were soon drowned out by other topics.

Brilliant Entertainment and Brother Entertainment would not allow these topics to spread further.

That night, peace in the online world was impossible; the clash between the two shows continued.

This confrontation was destined not to end anytime soon.

And this was only the first episode.

The online debate remained fierce, yet Li He paid little attention.

After Meimei had a good sleep, the next day, Li He rode in the production team’s van to the small mountain village mushroom house to start filming the second episode.

In the van, Li He sat with Wu Guang.

Once inside, Wu Guang kept chuckling nonstop. “I told you this show would blow up! Haha! Just as I expected, it really did.”

Li He said nothing.

Wu Guang continued laughing, “Lots of people in the industry were waiting to see me fail, saying I’d end up like Wenshan, dead and miserable. Ha! Take that!”

Li He remained silent.

Finally, Wu Guang couldn’t hold back: “What gift did you mention in your Douyin video? The full version of ‘Ordinary Road,’ right? Has it really been written?”

His tail was finally showing.

This was why Wu Guang insisted on sharing the ride with Li He—the full version of “Ordinary Road.”

Li He nodded calmly, “It’s done.”

Wu Guang immediately got excited.

“But Sister Yang doesn’t want us to leak it,” Li He raised a red flag; after all, Wu Guang wasn’t going to verify with Zhang Yang.

Wu Guang’s excitement deflated instantly.

[Wu Guang’s negative emotion value +0.03]

—
P.S. First posted then revised, please point out any mistakes.