Chapter Eleven: I Am at Ease

After Cloudsea Media launched its promotional campaign, "Whatever" truly began to show its power.

All the statistics soared like a rocket.

By one o’clock in the afternoon, it had stormed into the top thirty.

By three o’clock, it broke into the top twenty.

By six o’clock, "Whatever," carrying an unstoppable momentum, entered the top ten of the newcomer chart’s overall ranking in one fell swoop!

Currently, it was holding the tenth position.

Many at the company were left dumbfounded.

Although the company had concentrated all its promotional resources for new artists on this song, the speed at which "Whatever" climbed the charts was astonishing.

However, after entering the top ten, its ascent finally slowed.

It couldn’t be helped!

After all, every song in the top ten was backed by major entertainment companies.

The top five in particular belonged to artists who already had their own fan base and traffic.

Their songs were promoted as aggressively as "Whatever," and they had the crucial advantage of an extra half-day’s exposure. Combined with the fact that their music was of decent quality, surpassing them would be no easy feat.

One step behind, and every step behind.

Many in the composition department sighed:

"It's a pity. If 'Whatever' had been promoted from midnight, it might have had a shot at the top five."

"Who could have guessed this song had so much potential?"

"Exactly! Sung by Hao Mingxing, it’s unbelievable."

"And it was written by Wang Mo, can you imagine?"

"Anyway, at least our composition department won’t be scolded this time, right?"

More than just avoiding reprimand.

Having a newcomer break into the top ten was a huge boon for the composition department.

At this moment, Liu Zhengwen finally stopped honking like a goose, dialed his wife once more, and spoke with confidence: "Buy back the cosmetics you returned! And order the bags again—double the amount! I’ll pay!"

"Really?"

"Really!"

"Then I’ll place the order."

Liu Zhengwen was puzzled—his wife was speaking so gently today?

Looking closely at the call log, he realized in his excitement he’d dialed the wrong number and called his sister-in-law instead.

...

Outside the company, the entertainment industry was abuzz as the August music charts were refreshed.

Yet, many weren’t focused on the A-list or B-list singers, nor on the so-called "newcomers" who already had their own traffic. Instead, everywhere, people were discussing a single song: "Whatever."

"Honestly, when I heard it the first time, I couldn’t believe such a song existed."

"Same, my soul was stunned into numbness."

"I’m not used to this style, but I can’t help but admire that voice."

"The first listen felt odd, but by the second, I was hooked—now it’s on repeat..."

"That voice—no one else in the music scene has anything like it. It’s so distinctive, I heard it once and I’ll probably never forget it."

"A singer with such unique style, yet previously unknown—it’s strange."

"Whatever the case, this song gets a massive thumbs up!"

Of course, these were the opinions of ordinary fans.

In the music industry itself, many focused on the miracle of "Whatever" rising from obscurity to the top ten in less than a day.

Initially, the top ten artists on the newcomer chart paid little attention.

Even the ninth-ranked song outperformed "Whatever" in every metric.

For "Whatever" to break through, it still seemed a bit too raw.

However.

As time passed, many began to feel their throats dry.

"This song is fierce—something’s off."

"Wait, it gained ten thousand plays in just half an hour?"

"Don’t scare me."

"Damn!"

"Hold steady, brothers, hold steady."

"Ah! I’ve been overtaken!"

"It hurts~~~"

On the next morning, as people woke up, they were shocked to discover that overnight, "Whatever" had quietly overtaken the ninth-ranked song, advancing one spot.

First blood!

This unexpected victory sounded the charge for "Whatever."

At ten in the morning, it climbed again to eighth place—Double Kill!

At noon, it reached seventh—Triple Kill!

By one o’clock, it moved up to sixth—Quadra Kill!

At four in the afternoon, it broke into fifth—Penta Kill!

Countless people stared at the charts, eyes wide and speechless.

They could only watch as "Whatever" wreaked havoc on the rankings.

Once "Whatever" secured fifth place, only one more step remained to enter the top four.

And the top four singers on the newcomer chart were, by any measure, not true newcomers!

They had their own dignity.

If a genuine rookie song surpassed them, becoming a joke would be the least of their worries. The key issue was that their company’s expectations would likely be halved, casting a shadow over their future stardom.

The fourth-ranked singer was an internet celebrity with over three million followers on Douyin, named Zhao Long.

For this release, he had prepared meticulously.

Beyond the company’s basic promotion, he personally invested a six-figure sum in advertising, determined to achieve a high ranking on the newcomer chart.

After all, this was his transformation from online singer to professional artist.

He couldn’t afford to fail.

Fourth place, though not top three, was satisfactory enough.

The top three were all film and television celebrities—he couldn’t compete.

Yet now, Zhao Long stared at the chart, his expression twisted: "Hold steady! I told you to hold steady!"

But shouting was useless.

Ten minutes later, as Zhao Long’s face paled, "Whatever" overtook his song "Adorably Evil Devil," advancing to fourth place!

"Wuwuwu~~~my fourth place~~~"

Zhao Long collapsed into his chair, crying like a child.

But after a moment, he wiped away his tears and fixed his gaze on the screen once more.

He realized that, after "Whatever" passed him, the upward momentum hadn’t stopped.

Every minute, every second, the gap to third place was shrinking.

What?

Could it be?

Zhao Long’s sorrow turned to excitement; he refreshed the chart desperately, shouting, "Come on! Keep going!"

Not only that, he opened "Whatever," played, downloaded, and added it to his favorites in a full sweep.

Quick!

Faster!

Even faster!

Zhao Long refreshed the chart with his right hand, clenched his left into a fist, his whole body tense and his face flushed.

After a while, he felt he wasn’t doing enough.

He registered several alternate accounts to vote for "Whatever."

Come on!

Keep going!

Even when using the restroom...

Finally, after his relentless efforts, an hour later he watched as "Whatever" squeezed past the original third-ranked song "I Love Studying," successfully entering third place.

"Hahaha, hahaha, hahahahahahaha..."

Zhao Long laughed through tears.

He sank back into his chair, his once bleak mood now utterly refreshed.

Then he let out a long sigh: "Now, that feels good..."