Chapter 33: The Subtle Mockery
Three months, three hit songs.
Are all newcomers this prolific nowadays?
Some people even started to suspect that this "Xianyu" might actually be a seasoned composer using an alias to toy with his peers.
After all, the industry has never banned composers from going undercover, and given the quirky personalities of some of these top-tier composers, it wouldn’t be the first time something like this happened.
The next day, Xingmang issued an internal response:
Xianyu is not an alias of an established composer; he’s genuinely a newcomer.
Many within the company who had met Xianyu confirmed this, adding a few details: Xianyu is male, not very old, and only joined the composition department recently…
“So he’s been accumulating these songs for a while.”
“Exactly, it’s not necessarily that he’s super productive—he probably built up a collection of good songs before officially entering the industry, and now he’s releasing them all at once, giving the impression of being highly prolific.”
“But that still speaks to his talent.”
If it’s not a prank by a top composer, then this is the only plausible explanation.
Reporters tried to interview Xianyu to uncover the true identity of this newcomer, but Xingmang refused, stating:
“Xianyu doesn’t like being disturbed.”
This wasn’t Xingmang’s decision but Lin Yuan’s, who had specifically consulted Lin Yuan on the matter.
No one was surprised by this, as there are many composers in the industry with a similar temperament to Xianyu.
They never accept interviews, avoid any form of public exposure, and only sign their names to their works—
Lin Yuan wasn’t the only one.
Even some top-tier composers in the industry are so mysterious that their names are known, but their faces are never seen.
As one famous saying in the composition world goes:
"The farther I am from the audience, the more room there is for imagination in my work."
Who originally said this is no longer known, but it resonates with many composers.
People have different personalities.
Some want the whole world to know them, but those who choose to stay behind the scenes often have little interest in being in the spotlight.
You can’t find them in the world, but their legends spread far and wide—isn’t that a kind of charm too?
In the following days, "Flammable and Explosive" gained tremendous momentum, with its numbers continuously soaring and narrowing the gap with the top two songs.
Then, on the seventh day...
At Shanhai Culture, A-list singer Zheng Liang was in the lounge, urging his assistant, "Quick, call the publicity department. I need more ad space—the gap between us and first place isn’t that big!"
"Got it!"
The assistant was equally excited, feeling like the dawn of victory was near. But just as he was about to leave, Zheng Liang's manager stopped him. "No need."
Zheng Liang frowned, "What do you mean, no need?"
The manager replied, "There’s been a change in the rankings."
Zheng Liang was overjoyed, "We’re in first already? That’s great! But it’s still not secure—we need to ramp up our promotion. The competition is fierce."
"No, that’s not it."
The manager sighed, "You’ve dropped to third place."
Zheng Liang couldn’t believe it. "Wasn’t I in second?"
The manager shook his head, "We miscalculated."
Zheng Liang was silent for a few seconds before he sighed in resignation, "So, I’ve been overtaken."
The manager looked at him, "Didn’t you expect this?"
Zheng Liang nodded, "I did, but I didn’t think it would happen in the first week. I was hoping to hold onto first place for a little while before ‘Flammable and Explosive’ took over."
Yes, Zheng Liang knew that "Flammable and Explosive" was destined to be the champion track this month. He just wanted to enjoy being at the top, even if only briefly.
"So pitiful," he thought, feeling a bit helpless.
The manager tried to console him, "Either way, the first place will change hands tomorrow. If you can’t get first, does it really matter if you’re second or third?"
"Yeah," Zheng Liang chuckled, "Right now, no one understands Chen Zhiyu’s feelings better than I do."
In fact, they didn’t have to wait until the next day.
By 8 PM that night, the top spot had already changed hands.
Anyone who opened the New Song Chart would see that the number one song was now "Flammable and Explosive."
Lyrics/Composition: Xianyu
Downloads: 335,100
This download number far exceeded the first-week data of the top songs on the Rising Star Chart.
But that’s the power of a well-known artist.
Even Zhao Yingluo’s fame couldn’t compare to a true newcomer—after all, she was the champion of "Bloom."
And Xianyu was no longer an unknown name either, with two hits already under his belt.
Still, the industry couldn’t help but be astonished.
Even though the first-day performance of "Flammable and Explosive" had already hinted at this outcome—
"Comeback."
"Underdog victory."
"Dark horse."
"Reversal of fortunes."
These were the words that came to many people's minds.
No one had expected that the airtight blockade set up by Silver Light and Shanhai would end up turning two A-list singers into stepping stones for Zhao Yingluo!
That day, the headlines in Qinzhou’s media were all variations of:
"Zhao Yingluo’s debut single surpasses two A-list singers!"
What was initially a battle between top-tier artists had now left Zheng Liang and Chen Zhiyu as mere supporting characters.
Instead of blocking Zhao Yingluo, the collaboration between Silver Light and Shanhai seemed to have inadvertently given her two high-quality assists.
Zhao Jue couldn’t stop laughing.
When she first learned that Silver Light and Shanhai were teaming up to target Xingmang, she almost gave up hope for Zhao Yingluo.
But who would have thought that "Flammable and Explosive" would overpower the singers’ fame, allowing Zhao Yingluo to effortlessly reach the top?
Some in the industry weren’t wrong in their assessment—this was indeed a textbook case of a composer lifting a singer to new heights.
Zhao Jue, being someone who never forgets a grudge, wasted no time after the song topped the charts. She immediately called Silver Light’s rival, Ximei, and her first words were:
"I must thank Silver Light for their assist."
"Heh,"
Ximei, a long-time competitor, instantly recognized Zhao Jue’s sarcastic tone.
After all, it wasn’t their first time tearing into each other.
Ximei shot back with the same snarky tone, "Xianyu has elevated Zhao Yingluo to a level that doesn’t even belong to her."
"Don’t trouble yourself."
In this industry, 80% of successful singers owe their success to great composers.
Zhao Jue ended the call with a grin.
She then dialed Shanhai’s rival, whose chief responded even more sourly, directly cursing, "The higher you climb, the harder you fall."
"Well, you have to climb up there first."
Zhao Jue laughed heartily. This kind of comeback didn’t faze her in the least—in fact, it relieved all the frustration she’d been holding in.
At the same time, Zhao Yingluo was riding an emotional rollercoaster as she watched her song reach the top.
Like Zhao Jue, she had thought that with two A-list singers in the mix, she had no chance of winning this month.
But just when she was at her lowest, Xianyu performed a composer’s miracle, and "Flammable and Explosive" became January’s champion track in just one week!
To put it in more dramatic terms:
In the face of an absolutely great song, all schemes and plots are useless. A great song can break through anything!
Just like the song’s title—
It’s both "Flammable" and… "Explosive!"