Chapter 39: Why Do Celebrities Care So Much About Ratings?

A celebrity’s hobbies can be niche, but they shouldn't be bizarre.

The fact that Yu Wei secretly writes web novels is simply too absurd—so absurd that netizens seeing the trending topic initially suspected it was just a case of someone sharing his name.

What kind of career path is this? Has the entertainment industry become so competitive that stars now have to write books to make a living?

Having spent so many years online, who hasn't read a web novel or two? Whether it’s male-oriented or female-oriented, everyone eventually encounters them. The return of the Dragon King, urban miracle doctors, the strongest castaway, the rise of the underdog, rebirth and rise to power, bloody vengeance, overbearing CEOs, wealthy family feuds, real and fake daughters, forbidden student-teacher romances, harem palace intrigues, chasing wives to the ends of the earth, running away with a bun in the oven...

And you’re suddenly telling me that Yu Wei—the musical prodigy, the light of the new generation, the only martyr of idol economics, the man whose talent defeated capital—is secretly writing this stuff?

The entertainment industry changes in the blink of an eye. People would have accepted it if Yu Wei’s reputation had suddenly imploded, but entering the web novel industry? That’s just too ridiculous. A celebrity hunched over a computer every day, writing "satisfying" fiction, working diligently and nervously, even having to endure criticism from readers... What for? Does he want the occupational hazards of a web novelist?

The trending topic climbed rapidly. Without any capital backing it, it relied entirely on spontaneous discussion among netizens. It is truly hard to resist clicking on something this absurd. Other trending topics might be bought, but this one definitely wasn't, because even the investors didn't know about it.

Firefly Literature: What the hell?
Variety Shows: Is this popularity coming out of thin air?
Novel Platform: (O_O)

A "flop" has emerged in the entertainment world, and his trending topic is soaring through the sky. The situation is so abstract that several companies can't even tell if this is a good thing or a bad thing. For them, tonight is destined to be a sleepless one.

The investors are left speechless and baffled, but the netizens are having a field day. People don't really care about the petty gossip of the entertainment industry, but a web novel written by a star? They have to at least get a taste of it!

Before clicking, they thought Yu Wei was writing fantasy or cultivation, or perhaps a romance novel at worst. But when they saw the screenshots, they were stunned: why is it a show-business novel?

Male-oriented and female-oriented entertainment novels are quite different; female-oriented ones focus on interpersonal relationships, while male-oriented ones focus on leveling up and fighting monsters, but the core is the same: gratification. Whether it’s a top star’s secret marriage or a top star’s comeback from rock bottom, it’s all essentially a fantasy about the entertainment industry.

"You’re actually in the industry—what are you fantasizing about?"

"I'm dying of laughter. I was indifferent to Yu Wei's music, but now I have to follow him. I really love reading this."

"Who put you up to writing this book? What is your goal in the entertainment industry?"

"Why is there a 'plagiarism' tag on this? What should I do if I actually want to read it?"

Frequent readers of web novels know what "plagiarism" means in this context—it refers to transmigrated protagonists who copy classic works. It’s a standard trope; no need to take it too seriously.

***

[Title: Why Does the Star Care So Much About Ratings?]
Author: Melancholy Mushroom
Synopsis: Wei Yu, the artist who just won the award for lowest rating of the year, unexpectedly awakens a "Rating System." As long as he publicly rates the entertainment industry, he gains bonuses in singing, music theory, and acting, and is rewarded with entertainment works from another world.

"What kind of 'hit drama' is this? It only became a hit because they bought bots to inflate the data. Regular people haven't even heard of it. 4.2 stars."

"Still calling yourself a 'divine beauty'? If you strip away the nostalgia filter, you're just ordinary. 5 stars, no more."

"Number one on the fake charts? This song is worse than a musical patchwork. At least those other songs actually become hits. 1.6 stars, get it out of here."

...

The flavor is too strong. You can't write this synopsis without three years of experience reading entertainment novels. How could Yu Wei, who just wrote the poetic lyrics "Hearing the sound of tears, I enter the forest to seek the pear blossoms; all I find is a row of green moss" on a variety show, come up with this? Did he eat too many hallucinogenic mushrooms?

"I've added it to my favorites. What about you?"

"I'm laughing so hard I'm literally rolling on the floor. He's so bold—is he trying to get himself killed?"

"I'm a newbie. I've never read an entertainment novel. Is this satirizing the industry?"

"What satire? It’s just mindless fun. Read more and you'll understand. The plot is purely fictional; even if it shadows someone, who would have the nerve to identify themselves?"

The trending index hit over four million. Exploded.

Even Yu Wei was stunned to see himself at the top of the trending list. Yu Wei is currently around a second or third-tier level, and web novels aren't nearly as easy to spread as gossip, so these numbers are terrifyingly high.

"I've been writing novels for so many years, this is the first time I've ever been this popular..."

Every time he refreshes, he gains dozens of bookmarks. Which web novelist could resist such temptation? This is the kind of success a "flop" author dreams about. He feels like staying up all night to update eight chapters!

Forget it. My life is more important.

Just as Yu Wei was holding his phone, admiring the data growth, Liu Ning called. Even she, his manager, had been kept in the dark.

"Sister Liu, what's up?"

"What's up? You're asking me what's up? I should be the one asking you..." Liu Ning adjusted her excitement and asked with concern, "What were you thinking? Why suddenly write this?"

It wasn't sudden; he’d been updating for over half a month.

"Around the time I was about to terminate my contract, I was afraid of starving, so I decided to give it a try. I've always read a lot of them."

Yu Wei had his excuse ready. It wasn't entirely a lie; he really did want to make some money at the start.

"Then... can you stop now? I'm afraid of the negative impact."

Sister Liu is getting on in years and doesn't quite understand this. She only worries that Yu Wei might have written something he shouldn't have and gotten into trouble. After all, he’s not short on money now, so there's no need to continue, right?

"I can't. I have to be responsible for my readers. They gave me the honor of reading my work; if I stop now, how is that any different from lip-syncing at a concert?"

Yu Wei had understood this from the beginning. Just as he criticized Zhang Lingye for insulting fans, he couldn't let his own readers down. You can't have double standards.

Furthermore, he has to keep writing to obtain more rewards. As for what he can and cannot write, he knows his limits. He understands Sister Liu's mindset; his parents were also worried when they found out he was writing novels. People always have a certain sense of awe toward fields they aren't familiar with. She’s worrying needlessly, but she truly has his best interests at heart.

"Fine, as long as you know what you're doing." Only then did Liu Ning state her true purpose. "The boss called you, but you didn't pick up."

The boss? He thought it was a spam call. Since he started trending, he'd received a lot of calls—former bandmates, old classmates, etc. He really didn't want to answer these unknown numbers. Actually, Qi Luo'an had sent him a private message too, but he pretended not to see it...

"The reader circle is exploding. I can't keep up."

"Why are people tagging me? I'm done. Take away my moderator status!"

"Playing dead, are you? You'd better be truly dead."

Although she complained endlessly, she never missed a beat in deleting ads and dealing with trolls, keeping the novel's comment section organized. Tears welled up in his eyes—she really is the best. I’m dying of gratitude.

Beneath the trending topic, it started as just netizens chatting, but as the event continued to ferment, official media and bloggers couldn't sit still anymore.

Entertainment News: Heard that Yu Wei, who sang "Heart Wall," wrote a novel? Everyone, come take a look.

Yu Wei clicked in and scanned it. The first comment was: "What's the title? Don't leave us hanging, or you'll regret it!"

Bloggers and marketing accounts all had their own agendas, so their posts were bizarre. One blogger even made a book-recommendation video accompanied by a stress-relief clip... Netizens are truly talented.

The official posts were quite serious, but they basically just stated facts, with few offering deep analysis of what was behind the event. How could they analyze it? Other news stories either analyze the background or the process, but who would have guessed a celebrity would run off to write a novel? You couldn't even make this up.

No clear context, no insiders, no conflicts of interest—the logic doesn't even hold up. How could the authorities even weigh in?

However, Yu Wei underestimated the "charming moments" of journalism. Before going to bed, he saw a post titled [Yu Wei's Perspective].

"Behind this book lies Yu Wei's dissatisfaction and deconstruction of the current state of the entertainment industry. He uses his pen as a sword and his ink as a blade, tearing open a dark corner of the industry with a satirical story, restoring order and clearing the air."

Yu Wei understands the sentiment, but he doesn't even use a pen and ink. Can they really turn *this* into a conspiracy theory?