Perfect Superstar.

The last time Lu Chen faced online attacks, Capital City TV chose not to intervene. However, to assume that they didn't value him or were indifferent to his situation would be a serious misjudgment— especially when their own interests were at stake.

A tiger that doesn't show its strength can easily be mistaken for a sick cat.

Capital City TV, a dominant force in the capital, could unleash overwhelming power when provoked!

On the evening the 'Singing China' team arrived in Bihai, at 11:15 PM, Capital City TV's official account on Langchao Blog released a strongly worded announcement.

In this lengthy post, Capital City TV declared that they had noticed the wave of online slander targeting 'Singing China' contestant Lu Chen and had launched a formal investigation.

The production team's thorough inquiry confirmed that Lu Chen held full copyrights to his original songs, including any transferred rights. These songs were registered with the authoritative platforms Greater China Music Library and Universal Music Library in the U.S.

Capital City TV firmly stated that Lu Chen had not engaged in plagiarism or theft in his songwriting. Meanwhile, the blog post titled My Story with "In Spring" by the account "Vagabond Singer Lao Hai" was found to contain significant fabrications, misleading netizens and defaming Lu Chen.

To protect the reputation and honor of 'Singing China' contestants, Capital City TV, alongside Lu Chen, filed a formal report with Langchao Blog, requesting a transparent and impartial investigation.

The announcement concluded with the inclusion of copyright certificates for ten songs in both Chinese and English.

This move was backed by solid evidence— proof in hand, leaving no room for doubt!

The official post by Capital City TV triggered an immediate wave of shares and comments.

The Langchao blogosphere erupted in shock— no one had expected Capital City TV to back Lu Chen so decisively!

For those familiar with reality talent shows, it was clear: Capital City TV's support for Lu Chen wasn't just about protecting his reputation; it was about safeguarding their own interests. Touch the dragon's reverse scale, and you'll be destroyed.

At 11:35 PM, the Langchao blog platform issued a pop-up announcement on its homepage.

The announcement was brief: After an investigation prompted by Capital City TV's report, the post My Story with "In Spring" by "Vagabond Singer Lao Hai" was found to violate platform rules and was deleted.

Moreover, technical tracking revealed that the IP address of "Vagabond Singer Lao Hai" matched that of the well-known blogger "Rice Ball," whose account had been temporarily suspended.

If Capital City TV's announcement sounded the call to arms, then Langchao Blog's response was the decisive strike— swift and brutal, cutting off the offender at the root.

The truth was laid bare for all to see.

"Rice Ball," a prominent blogger with 7.5 million followers known for his marketing strategies, was exposed as the person behind the alias "Vagabond Singer Lao Hai." Many felt duped.

'Wasn't he claiming to be a struggling singer who had drifted in Beijing for over two decades? How did he suddenly turn into a famous influencer? It was a complete farce!'

Influencers who had shared or liked the defamatory post rushed to delete it, trying to pretend nothing had happened.

Some who reacted too slowly— or were offline— had their comment sections flooded with criticisms with the prime comment being: "Do you have any shame?"

As for Rice Ball's blog, it was inundated with scathing comments from Lu Chen's fans and neutral readers alike.

Since his account had been suspended, Rice Ball couldn't close comments or delete posts, leaving him helpless as his reputation was mercilessly shredded.

His once-prominent account was effectively finished.

In stark contrast, Lu Chen's blog returned to normal. Many who had misunderstood him previously came back to apologize, liked his posts, and followed him. The comment section turned into a lively and harmonious space.

The wave of hate targeting Lu Chen disappeared almost instantly.

Such is the nature of online trends— quick to rise and quick to fade. Without someone fueling the fire, they rarely last long, especially when they are decisively extinguished.

At 11:47 PM, Tan Hong, a celebrity with over 20 million followers, voiced his support for Lu Chen in a blog post.

He expressed hope that the plagiarism scandal wouldn't affect Lu Chen's performance in the upcoming Bihai station competition, as it would be a real pity.

Tan Hong also lamented the gullibility of many netizens who were too easily misled by fabricated stories, leading to the wrongful vilification of a talented young artist.

In fact, the greatest flaw in the story My Story with "In Spring" was that the so-called "Vagabond Singer from Beijing" neither registered copyright for his supposed work nor filed any online record— which presented a glaring inconsistency.

Even if it's just a draft, uploading it to a major platform like WeChat Music for registration costs little and can prove the originality of the work. Legally, it's also effective.

This basic copyright knowledge is something few vagabond singers would be unaware of, casting serious doubt on the authenticity of the story. However, ordinary netizens lacked this understanding, allowing the plagiarism scandal to spread.

Tan Hong expressed his heartfelt hope that such incidents would not happen again and that domestic originality would no longer be harmed.

At first glance, Tan Hong's blog post seemed a bit late and somewhat like hindsight.

But in reality, while lamenting the naivety of misinformed netizens, he also delivered a resounding slap to those in the entertainment industry who shared the defamatory post— If netizens don't understand, do you not understand either? Clearly, it was deliberate!

Not a single person from this group dared to rebut him. Even if their teeth were knocked out, they could only swallow their blood.

With Tan Hong's immense fanbase, his support indirectly boosted Lu Chen's popularity on the Langchao blog. In just a few hours, Lu Chen even made it to the homepage's celebrity rankings!

Following Tan Hong's post, other stars like Chen Fei'er, Lin Zhijie, and Zhen Zhen also voiced their support for Lu Chen in their blog posts.

The next day, an entertainment newspaper ran a headline on its third page: "The Four Judges of 'Singing China' Strongly Support a Newcomer!"

That morning, Lu Chen also posted on his blog.

By then, the scandal had largely subsided. Thanks to the support of Capital City TV and major figures like Tan Hong, negative commentary about Lu Chen disappeared from blogs, forums, and message boards.

In his post, Lu Chen first thanked Capital City TV and the judges, including Tan Hong and Chen Fei'er.

He then reflected on how the two scandals he faced on the Langchao blog had deepened his understanding of human nature's complexities and life's unpredictability. He expressed heartfelt gratitude to the fans who had consistently trusted and supported him.

He assured his fans that despite being slandered, misunderstood, humiliated, and cursed, he still held onto his dream of pursuing music, with a steadfast and unchanging heart.

He ended with an exciting announcement:

"Tomorrow night, at the final round of the 'Singing China' National Tour in Bihai, I will present a brand-new song for all my supporters. Please look forward to it. Thank you!"

He tagged Capital City TV, the 'Singing China' production team, Tan Hong, Chen Fei'er, Lin Zhijie, Zhen Zhen, and the Lu Family Army's official fan group.

Lu Chen's blog post, titled Thank You, quickly garnered massive attention, with countless shares.

Those tagged, including Capital City TV and various verified accounts, responded with words of encouragement and support.

In just a few hours, the post's shares and comments exceeded 100,000!

What fans were most eager to discuss, however, was the new song he would unveil—the mystery was tantalizing.

…

August 20th, Evening

The final round of the 'Singing China' National Tour in Bihai was broadcast live from the Bihai Sports Arena, reaching millions of viewers nationwide.

The indoor stadium, with a seating capacity of 5,000, had been converted into a massive performance stage.

Every seat was filled. All 24 cameras were in place, and the production team was fully prepared. At exactly 7:30 PM, the theme song Life on a String resonated through the arena.

The host took to the stage with energy, delivering a quick ad before inviting the judging panel to appear.

Tan Hong, Chen Fei'er, Lin Zhijie, Zhen Zhen.

The four celebrity judges, already familiar to viewers nationwide, entered one by one, greeted by thunderous applause and cheers. The two Heavenly King and Queen-level judges received particularly overwhelming adoration.

Next came the thrilling PK draw.

The touring team's 10 contestants were pitted against Bihai's top 10, with their fates decided by the judges' small control buttons.

Tan Hong pressed his button first, and the large screen rapidly displayed photos of the 20 contestants, flipping through them in rows and columns.

When Tan Hong pressed "Stop," the first PK pair was revealed: touring team Zhang Junhua vs. Bihai top 10's Lin Meiru!

The two contestants took the stage in turn, performing their best songs. Their scores were determined by the judges, in-house audience, and online viewers.

The higher scorer would advance to the national top 10.

The loser, with no second chance, would be eliminated. The PK competition was brutally unforgiving.

While the rules weren't entirely fair—two of the strongest contestants could face off, forcing one to be eliminated—it heightened the excitement and appeal, making the show a hot topic.

As the competition progressed, many talented contestants were regrettably eliminated—not because they lacked skill but because they encountered an even stronger opponent.

And Lu Chen was undoubtedly one of the strongest opponents!

(End of Chapter)

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