Chapter 44: The Grand Path of Calligraphy, Our Sect Endures Forever

"Didn't you say there was going to be a massive battle?"
"Where is the battle?"
Zhang Lingye pointed at the brightly lit short-video account on his phone, cursing himself for believing Qi Yuan's nonsense and waiting around to help his buddy in a real war, only for the opponents to surrender before the fighting even started!
"This isn't how it's supposed to go."
Qi Yuan never expected this outcome either; Yu Wei hadn't even released his song yet, and the opponent was already offering allegiance as a disciple. "This violates all common sense!"
"Whose common sense? Don't tell me you read it in a novel."
Seeing the hesitation and unspoken words on Qi Yuan's face, Zhang Lingye could more or less guess the truth. Such a good kid, how had he been poisoned by web novels?
What made you labor under the delusion that internet singers lacked brains?
Minor villains in novels indeed didn't need brains; they just blindly opposed the protagonist, only to be slapped in the face and disappear from the narrative, leaving readers unable to even recall who these guys were...
But real, living people understood the art of avoiding harm and pursuing profit, especially veteran influential bloggers who had spent years struggling in the internet trenches. They understood all too well how to maximize their own interests.
"It shouldn't be like this."
Of course Qi Yuan hadn't just been reading too many novels—after all, he had only read this particular book about Yu Wei. He simply felt that this opening shot to overturn the entertainment industry should have been a bloodbath of epic proportions.
"If I were Yu Wei, I definitely would have..."
"That's why you aren't Yu Wei." Zhang Lingye cut him off flatly. "Why have I suddenly started noticing how ridiculously ungrounded you are lately? Have you reverted into a second-chancery puberty?"
Day in and day out, he muttered on about rivals, ideals, and conspiracies. Did Yu Wei even know he was supposed to single-handedly reform the entertainment industry?
"You don't understand."
Qi Yuan looked up at the ceiling at a forty-five-degree angle and let out a long sigh. After all, someone had genuinely pulled this off once upon a time.
Only those who had witnessed miracles believed in miracles; that was an idol he had never even met!
"Now I'm starting to doubt whether we'll even be able to wait around for Yu Wei."
Zhang Lingye scratched the back of his neck. Since the so-called grand battle hadn't materialized, he figured their stakeout plan was looking pretty shaky too...
"Let's wait a little longer. If we really can't catch him, we'll just head over to his apartment to check it out."
Qi Yuan's resolve was finally starting to waver. Things were developing somewhat beyond his expectations, and he had to ask Yu Wei in person.
Could all of this possibly be part of his calculations as well?
...
Moving was an excruciatingly painful process, especially for someone as "nostalgic" as Yu Wei, who couldn't bear to throw away even idle items because he always felt he might need them someday.
He would pick up a straight, long stick and want to bring it home as a holy sword, reluctant to throw it away even if it just sat around as a decorative piece...
The internet seemed to have a name for this condition: squirrel syndrome, referring to people who liked hoarding things like squirrels and were unwilling to throw them away. It was usually fine, but moving day always gave them a headache.
"Streamer, give us your thoughts on Yu Wei."
Yu Wei paused his clothes-folding motion and glanced sideways at the livestream playing on his computer screen.
Just ten minutes ago, Chen Chen—the person currently riding the crest of the storm—had started broadcasting. Her livestream room's popularity remained sky-high, and Yu Wei, thinking he might as well do a little reconnaissance, simply let it play in the background while he packed.
Hearing his name, Yu Wei subconsciously slowed his movements, wanting to hear what her actual stance was.
Anyone who could come up with a smooth operation like offering discipleship was definitely not a simple character...
"You're asking the right person. Anyone familiar with me knows I'm a fan of Teacher Yu Wei. My homepage even has a cover video of 'Heart Wall'; anyone interested can go check it out."
Had she doxed the incorruptible model worker's home?
Of course Yu Wei didn't believe that. After all, the song "Heart Wall" had indeed blown up, and it was quite normal for singing bloggers to cover it. Still, if she used that as evidence, it would genuinely be hard to refute.
Whether true or false didn't matter anymore; what Chen Chen wanted right now was for everyone to believe she was a loyal fan of Yu Wei.
"Why call Yu Wei 'Teacher'... Calling someone with ability and seniority 'Teacher' is completely normal. Besides, Teacher Yu Wei even offered guidance to me in his book; calling him Teacher is not an overstatement at all."
Chen Chen's smile before the camera was pure and natural, her hair tied in a loose ponytail. She occasionally tilted her head to address the scrolling comments with a few remarks, making her attitude appear extremely sincere.
Initially, most netizens had simply come to watch the drama unfold, including a fair number of Yu Wei's readers who loved stirring the pot. But seeing her so well-behaved and reasonable made it somewhat difficult for everyone to keep stoking the flames.
This level of social maneuvering was truly incomparable to low-emotional-intelligence influencers. If Yu Wei hadn't witnessed two even more scheming individuals on a variety show, he might have almost believed her...
"Thank you for the popularity ticket, 'A Small Weighing Stone Can Press Down a Thousand Catties.' Guidance where? How should I put it." Chen Chen furrowed her brow slightly at the camera. "The song 'Crimson' was written by me four years ago. Back then, I didn't understand anything, and my creative abilities were quite lacking."
"After so many years, Teacher Yu Wei was still willing to write about it and provide an objective evaluation and analysis. That has been of tremendous help to me, and I've benefited immensely."
This statement carried a high level of sophistication. Not only did it pinpoint the origin of the title "Mentor," but it also seized the opportunity to thank Yu Wei, establishing her own stance in this entire affair.
Most importantly, she cleverly elevated herself: the song was written four years ago when she was just starting out, so flaws and shortcomings were completely normal, and losing was forgivable.
In reality, though, she hadn't written any other superior songs over the past four years, making her essentially a one-hit-wonder internet singer. This remark was clearly a way of downplaying the heavy stuff and beautifying herself.
However, since everyone was just there for the gossip, very few people scrutinized her exact words or bothered to argue over such details.
"Anyway, I hope everyone will continue to pay attention to Teacher Yu Wei. Also, I hope you'll all look forward to his new song, 'Red Beans.' I'm sure Teacher Yu Wei's work will be fantastic!"
"I'll be doing a cover version when it drops, so feel free to hit that follow button if you're interested."
Water-tight and seamless. At the end, she didn't forget to plug herself—a move that offended neither face nor substance. The cover announcement was meant to cement the title of "Disciple" and successfully harvest fans.
She certainly had some tricks up her sleeve...
For a moment, Yu Wei couldn't find any flaws to pick at. He only felt that there was a reason this person was able to become popular; although her actual talent was somewhat lacking, she certainly knew how to navigate human relationships.
Thinking about it, managing to write a widely circulated viral internet song wasn't easy either—at least it was much better than many lesser idols who struggled even more with covers.
With the situation developing to this point, it was actually the maximum degree of a win-win scenario. Yu Wei could leverage this to increase his fame on short-video platforms, while Chen Chen got the traffic she desired.
As for the title of mentor, he could take a wait-and-see approach. Since she showed him respect, Yu Wei had no need to push her into a corner, and besides, he wouldn't be able to stop the countless others who would copy the trend later anyway...
Since he used someone else's song, it wasn't too excessive for them to attach his name to it.
Anyway, he had no intention of admitting to it himself. The rate at which internet influencers crashed and burned was too high, so it was best to avoid direct association.
Of course, the song would be released right on schedule.
So what if she surrendered? Even if she surrenders, I'm still striking!
He could toss them a sweet treat, but a beating with a stick to teach them a lesson was still necessary; otherwise, they'd get too full of themselves.
Soon, Yu Wei finished packing up. Only the computer and the bed remained unpacked, and he would have to rough it out for one more night while taking the opportunity to knock out some more words.
In the plot, the protagonist successfully advanced in the third episode of "I Am a Singer-Songwriter," immediately kicking off a new round of competition, followed by the recurring cycle of singing and winning, singing and winning.
He had already selected the songs to be written into the book; they were all viral internet songs on par with "Crimson," each one more silent than the last when compared.
After publishing the new chapter, Yu Wei skillfully opened the novel's comment section. Learning that he intended to write about the new round of competition, the drama-loving readers immediately sprang into action.
"Write about Xia Zan's songs! I've had it out for his toxic fans for a long time."
"Whoever posted above, you're on your own if things blow up."
"Write about Huang Chuyang instead! I can't wrap my head around why people keep hyping him up. Yu Wei, give it to him hard and put him in his place!"
The guys were back making wishes again...
Every single one of these names belonged to major heavyweights in the entertainment industry, and their fanbases were notoriously ruthless. If they retaliated, could his readers protect him?
Judging by Yu Wei's understanding of his readership, forget about protecting him—they would at most shove him to the front as a human shield...
He scrolled through the comments a few more times and unexpectedly found a few self-recommendations.
"Teacher Yu Wei, I'm little Guo. Could you write about my song 'The Simplest Scenery'? It doesn't need much page space, playing an extra in the background is fine."
"Let me form the vanguard, write about my 'Treading Starry Clouds'."
"Teacher Yu Wei, look at me! I was on a talent show, 'Canned Water'."
Yu Wei actually knew these songs; they were all viral hits that had once swept across the entire internet and were already within his pool of source material. Now, however, they were all reduced to roadside nobodies.
Seeing a successful precedent, these influencers caught the scent and swarmed right over, treating this like a job interview?
Chen Chen's slick move had pointed out a bright path for them...
The path of literature is vast, and the Yu Sect shall endure forever!
They had voluntarily joined the authoritative organization of Yu Wei's disciples.
Originally, Yu Wei had been worried about offending people by writing songs in his book, but now they were lining up to deliver themselves to his doorstep.