Chapter 108: Even Against Ten Thousand

October 7, 2017.
Saturday.

After a National Day holiday that felt both long and short, *My Song* finally ushered in the seventh elimination round of the competition!

In the previous challengers' match, Zhao Ziqi’s stunning debut, Li Xuan breaking the monopoly with her new song, and Pao Ye’s long-awaited performance had sent *My Song*’s discussion and popularity to unprecedented heights over the past week.

Chu Entertainment aggressively hyped Zhao Ziqi, riding Li Xuan’s wave of popularity, eager to seize the opportunity to rise.

Dong Entertainment, not to be outdone, mobilized a massive online army to protect Li Xuan’s fan base, aiming to redirect all focus back onto her.

Meanwhile, Jinshan Entertainment, also a major player in the industry, seeing both Dong and Chu Entertainment going all out, naturally refused to remain idle.

This week, Jinshan Entertainment unleashed a large-scale online campaign to promote their R&B prince, Lin Haoran. They even leaked a romance scandal to stir up buzz, hoping to grab more attention amidst the sea of strong contenders.

Yet, even combining the online forces of the three major entertainment companies, their generated buzz couldn’t hold a candle to the uproar caused by Pao Ye’s performance on *My Song*!

Led by Wang Dazhong, the haters of Pao Ye went all out this week, embodying the worst of opportunists. They deployed armies of trolls and teams, launching relentless 24/7 attacks across forums and platforms, dredging up countless past scandals of Zhang Qiyang, mocking and smearing him with glee, hoping to bury him forever, ensuring he would never recover.

Millions of spectators who had grown weary of Zhang Qiyang’s arrogance finally found their chance to strike back. Like newly freed serfs singing their liberation, they followed the trolls’ lead, beating drums and mocking Zhang Qiyang, desperate to expel this trash from the entertainment world, so he no longer polluted their sight and ears.

This overwhelming wave of hatred was like a raging storm on the sea—an ordinary vessel could never withstand it!

For most artists, this would mean retreating into obscurity for a while, unwilling to face such a tempest head-on.

But Zhang Qiyang was no ordinary man.

He was Pao Ye!

Faced with this brutal and hostile environment, he chose to fight back to the death!

Though millions opposed him, he defied them all!

Even the most composed time traveler would feel irritable when constantly chased and cursed.

When his good results were dismissed as rigged votes, and his poor results met with scorn and ridicule, who could endure such treatment?

At the same time, Zhang Qiyang was dealing with some family troubles, adding to his frustration.

So he vented all his negative emotions on his haters.

On Thursday night, after a private dinner with his elder sister, Zhang Qiyang returned to his mansion and posted a furious Weibo message targeting everyone pressuring him to quit the entertainment industry—

“Damn it! If you don’t want to hear me sing, stuff your ears! I’m not forcing you to listen! Want me out of the entertainment world? In your next life! Want me dead? Fine! I’ll definitely die when I’m 100, but my work will be immortal! When your descendants read my biography, admire my legendary stories, and worship the artistic legacy I leave behind, you idiots can keep cursing me in hell! We’ll keep arguing there!”

This post was like pouring fuel on a raging fire, intensifying the already volatile storm of public opinion into a fierce tempest.

The sharpest haters, like Wang Dazhong, saw Zhang Qiyang was losing his composure and likely to make reckless moves. They escalated their attacks, hoping to provoke him into a catastrophic mistake that would forever nail him to the pillar of shame.

Some neutral onlookers, initially sympathetic to Zhang Qiyang’s plight against public opinion, shifted their stance after reading his arrogant, confrontational post. They quickly joined the haters, viewing him as a reckless, spoiled rich kid.

Meanwhile, Pao Ye’s loyal fans remained steadfast, especially after his defiant declaration. They rallied unwaveringly behind their ultimate idol.

Even if fighting against impossible odds, they would do their utmost to support Pao Ye to the end!

The production team of *My Song* was overjoyed this week.

Most crew members had been working overtime through the holiday, but the unprecedented surge in *My Song*’s popularity kept their spirits high and fueled their dedication.

Their greatest relief and gratitude came from Zhang Qiyang’s willingness to shoulder the blame, drawing all fire upon himself. This deflected much of the audience’s harsh criticism away from the show itself.

This week, not only did Zhang Qiyang post a provocative, controversy-stirring Weibo, but his rehearsal song choice was also the rebellious and defiant *Outlier*!

In the past, Luo Tao and the others would have advised Zhang Qiyang to change songs, but this week, they stayed silent.

They recognized this song would further fuel *My Song*’s explosive popularity. Of course, for Zhang Qiyang himself, it would surely ignite another fierce storm of criticism.

Luo Tao and his colleagues selfishly hoped that if Zhang Qiyang’s results remained poor this week, it would actually boost *My Song*’s reputation and buzz even more.

Last week’s mishap turned out to be a major image boost for *My Song*.

The public finally stopped accusing the show of rigging votes and instead happily mocked Zhang Qiyang.

Viewers who had boycotted *My Song* due to allegations of corruption were likely to return this week, watching with anticipation and pleasure.

They wanted to see Li Xuan’s triumphant comeback, Zhao Ziqi’s dazzling brilliance, and especially Zhang Dapao’s crushing defeat!

This week, *My Song* was poised to break viewership records.

The next two elimination rounds would likely determine the show’s overall reputation and ratings for the rest of the season.

If Zhang Qiyang stumbled again this week but then delivered a decisive, sweeping victory in the final battle next week, *My Song*’s reputation and ratings could skyrocket, far surpassing the previous season!

Experienced music show producers like Luo Tao saw this as a very high probability.

After several recent close interactions, they realized Zhang Qiyang was a once-in-a-generation musical genius!

Regardless of whether his works were backed by a powerful team, his earth-shattering, god-given voice alone had the potential to create miracles.

If pushed to the brink, Zhang Qiyang’s musical potential could explode beyond anyone’s imagination, blowing everyone’s minds!

So Luo Tao and his team secretly hoped Zhang Qiyang would falter once more, forcing him into a corner.

As for Zhang Qiyang himself, he paid no mind to notions of desperation or defeat.

His attitude was simple: let whoever want to care, he didn’t give a damn about rankings or results.

He only sang songs that expressed his feelings and aimed to confront the haters who annoyed him.

Unlike previous rounds, this week Zhang Qiyang also carried a personal burden.

The next day, October 8, was the 50th birthday of the newly wealthy father figure who had brought him into this world.

Their family was hosting a private celebration in the imperial capital.

On Thursday, Zhang Qiyuan invited Zhang Qiyang out to dinner, noticing his brother’s unusual, almost normal behavior recently.

She hoped to seize the chance to bring Zhang Qiyang home and ease the tension between him, their father, and the whole family.

Zhang Qiyang, however, was conflicted and resistant to the invitation.