Chapter 58: Gasps Never Cease! Complete Pandemonium! Lü Bu of the Domestic Entertainment Industry: A Disgraced Celebrity Arrives, Slaughtering Them All! [Monthly Votes Requested]

"I beg to differ!" Teacher Hua suddenly spoke up, immediately drawing the attention of the entire audience. "My view doesn't quite align with Teacher Yang's. I don't think there is anything particularly remarkable about this clout-chaser's singing skills."

"On the contrary, I feel he made some rather bold innovations in his vocal technique. Well, should this even be considered an innovation? Using a rap-like delivery during the chorus sections—personally, I feel it is completely superfluous. Such radical modifications, which clash so fundamentally with orthodox vocal techniques, severely undermine the integrity of a song!"

"Well, that's all. Clout-chaser, don't take it personally either. After all, I am someone who strongly objects to songs being adapted based on personal emotional experiences. Of course, this merely represents my own view; perhaps others might happen to like it."

The crowd of fans sitting in the audience suddenly fell silent.

Although they usually cheered that Teacher Hua was so handsome and could be considered half-fans, most of them had fallen for his looks. As for the washed-up nobody's performance just now, whether it was the quality of the song itself or the emotional resonance during his delivery, it had perfectly conquered almost everyone present. Teacher Yang had at least criticized the song's flawed thematic premise, so people couldn't say much.

Yet Teacher Hua actually went so far as to completely negate the talent of the washed-up nobody himself. Wasn't this implying indirectly that they, the audience, lacked any taste?

In an instant.

An uproar erupted from the seating area.

"There's a rigged system!"

"Rigged! Rigged! Rigged!"

"Teacher Hua, are you just jealous of the clout-chaser's talent?!"

Teacher Hua: "???"

What on earth are these gossip-loving spectators, who usually idolize me, suddenly acting up for?

You bunch of fake fans!

"Look at that. Even the audience can't bear to watch you talk nonsense." Lu Ming looked at Teacher Hua, torn between laughter and tears, before continuing in a deep, earnest tone: "If you really can't stand the sight of me, you could always set up an altar and cast a curse on me during your next concert, instead of sitting here putting on an airs-and-graces display of pretending to understand what you don't."

"Setting aside whether my vocal innovations are good or bad—leave that for the listeners to judge—let's just discuss the degree of innovation in music."

"Whether everyone is singing or writing original work, they all strive to make it down-to-earth. But you, respected sir, boldly innovate by directly adapting music into 'dirges.' Before the concert even begins, fans have already bought their coffins in advance. Coming to your concert doesn't require a ticket; bringing your own coffin is the admission voucher!"

"Not long ago, I told a friend that I wanted to go to Teacher Hua's concert. My friend thought I had suffered a mental breakdown from internet bullying and had a death wish, while my assistant cried as she tried to hold me back, begging me not to go. The moment I stepped up to the concert entrance, hey, guess what? Guards akin to impermanence spirits stood on the left and right checking 'tickets.' Since I didn't bring a coffin, they wouldn't let me in!"

"When Teacher Hua holds a concert, those in the know think people are singing inside, while those out of the know think a cult's sacrificial ritual is being held inside. When it comes to innovation, who could possibly out-innovate you?!"

Teacher Hua: "!!! "

You motherfucking clout-chaser, if I don't completely blacklist you tonight, I don't deserve to be called the god of the Mandopop scene!

[Pfft hahaha!]

[This guy is way too entertaining. Teacher Hua's face turned green from being roasted, is that even real?]

[I am jealous of his talent!]

[Oh no, the clout-chaser was full of talent earlier, delivering original pop golden hits and top-tier auditory enjoyment. The brother focused entirely on that for a moment and completely forgot his true nature.]

[Going unhinged is this little nobody's true face after all.]

[What the hell kind of 'sacrificial ritual being held inside'—I am nearly dying of laughter from his endless stream of slick phrases. Can a normal person actually dream up this kind of hilarious mockery?]

[He voiced what was in my heart and did what I wanted to do but never dared to.]

[The internet's number one proxy roaster, fully deserved!]

The bullet comments exploded instantly.

At this very moment, the packed audience seats were also filled with unmasked, unrestrained laughter.

"Clout-chaser!!!" Listening to the commotion in the audience, Teacher Hua felt he had completely lost face. Burning with rage, he glared at the young man before him, his bloodshot eyes resembling those of a killer. "This is libel! This is slander! This is a severe violation of my right to reputation! I'm going to sue you, I am sending you a lawyer's letter, just wait for the court summons!"

"You've sent them before anyway," Lu Ming said dismissively. "Can you stop going unhinged in front of me?"

"I'm going unhinged? You say I'm going unhinged?!" Teacher Hua pointed at his own face in disbelief, hopping mad.

Seeing that the young man looked utterly provoked—his fair-yet-ruddy face shifting between red and purple like a face-changing performance in Sichuan opera—Lu Ming gently reached out and gave him a light push. Teacher Hua, whose mental state was teetering on the verge of collapse, crumpled like a fragile, weightless maiden, tumbling backwards into his chair with a heavy thud.

"If you dare to bark wildly again, I won't mind pulling out those newly replaced dentures of yours!"

Teacher Hua remained silent, only tightly closing his mouth in humiliation.

Immediately after.

Lu Ming cast a malevolent gaze toward Teacher Yang.

"You... what are you doing?!" Teacher Yang instinctively stepped back. This scoundrel had a mouth that was simply too formidable. Teacher Yang, who had originally been confident in using moral blackmail to ruin the clout-chaser, now felt his heart falter.

Lu Ming's expression suddenly turned solemn. "You said I insulted the two characters for music, that I brought shame to the profession of singer, that I showed no respect for music, and that I would cause the entire Mandopop scene to go to rot, right?"

"What did I say that was wrong?" Teacher Yang locked eyes with him defiantly.

Lu Ming let out a sneer, his eyes turning fierce all at once.

"Yes, I am wrong, and you are right. You're the mentor, you're the senior, you're so noble, you're so high-and-mighty!"

"Not long ago, you adapted the song *Song of the Sharp Shooter*, smiling hiply the entire time, using a cheerful vocal style to get the whole venue hyped. Listening to your fans shower you with praise, you must have felt damn good inside, didn't you?"

"I am utterly fucking disgusted!"

"For the sake of clout, for the sake of catching eyeballs, you didn't look for inspiration in real life, nor did you adapt based on your own insights. Instead, you took our tragic, profound history—lyrics paved with the blood of our ancestors—and slapped a pop music melody over them, before making a racket on stage with your standard Kunqu opera stylings."

"Do you think you look very cool?"

"Do you have any idea how tragic history is? Do you know how hard people had it in the past? Do you know how much blood our ancestors shed? No, you don't know a damn thing. All you know is that you want to be famous, you want to go viral!"

"The moment I saw you, this bastardized piece of work, stopping at nothing for clout—even using your own ancestors as chips without restraint—I knew the Mandopop scene was truly finished!"

Teacher Yang's expression changed completely.

Even the bullet comments on the livestream paused for a fraction of a second; everyone was stunned by Lu Ming's words.

Teacher Yang had indeed released an adapted song titled *Song of the Sharp Shooter* not long ago, which had stirred up quite a storm in the music industry at the time, receiving rave reviews. Back then, the song had sparked considerable discussion online; many felt the lyrics were right and the melody was right, but the feeling projected by the singer's performance felt somewhat strange.

It was just that Lu Ming had been far too prominent lately, with the focus of over half the entertainment industry centered squarely on him. Netizens' attention had been diverted, leaving very few people discussing it. Yet hearing Lu Ming put it this way, the netizens suddenly had a moment of crystal-clear enlightenment.

[The truth is out!]

[I said it felt wrong at the time, but couldn't place what was wrong. Turns out the motherfucker singing it was the problem all along!]

"You're talking nonsense!" Teacher Yang's face turned pale with fright as he raised his voice defensively, "I'm telling you, slander carries legal liabilities!"

"Are you threatening me now?" Lu Ming's gaze turned icy. In a flash, he stepped forward and grabbed Teacher Yang by the collar. "Smiling hiply, treating a heavy history as a tool to rake in wealth, scrambling to adapt when you can't squeeze out lyrics or melodies, manufacturing hype when you lack traction—if this trend keeps up, what will the Mandopop scene become? What will this world become?"

"???" Teacher Yang was dumbfounded.

Why the fuck did these words sound so familiar?

"If this atmosphere takes root, which singer in the future will still bother polishing content or pondering originality? Without putting out works, everyone will just pick a classic song from the music library, swap out the accompaniment, and grandly call it an adapted vocal style. Or worse, follow Teacher Yang's lead and adapt *Sharp Shooter 2*."

"That kind of rotten scene—I wouldn't even dare to imagine it, seriously!"

Teacher Yang's voice grew urgent: "Those are all my lines!!"

*Slap!*

Lu Ming delivered a backhanded slap that instantly dazed Teacher Yang, who had a belly full of words ready to spill.

"Whose lines or my lines? I'm slapping you because you failed to respect history!" Lu Ming glared fiercely at Teacher Yang. "Do you admit it?"

Teacher Yang shrank his neck. "I... I admit it!"

"Are you wrong?"

"I'm... I'm wrong..."

Teacher Yang was completely bewildered. He didn't dare to refute a single word. Even after taking a hard slap to the face from the clout-chaser right in front of the camera, he had no choice but to swallow his broken teeth along with his pride.

Because he really was wrong...

If nobody pointed this out, naturally it wouldn't matter. But now that the clout-chaser had exposed it, if he dared to argue too much about it, he might find himself completely blacklisted across the entire internet by tomorrow.

"Little Yang... take my advice. Me slapping you this time is also because I couldn't bear to watch you ruin yourself. I'm doing this all for your own good. Channeling this drive of yours into the right path and writing more original, positive songs would beat anything else. Am I right, or am I right?"

Teacher Yang clenched his fists so tightly that his bright eyeballs seemed ready to pop right out of their sockets.

He muttered through gritted teeth, "Fine!!"

[Well hit!]

[Anyone who resorts to such unscrupulous means for clout deserves to be hit!]

[I really like that insect quote: does a Heavenly King even get to question the clout-chaser's vocal skills and talent? Do you, Teacher Yang, have any right to question it?]

[Look at you, what business did you have trying to morally kidnap the clout-chaser for no reason?]

[These two teachers really are incompetent yet eager to play with fire...]

[Calling him Teacher Yang earlier, and now calling him Little Yang, even slapping Teacher Yang righteously while the other guy can't even throw a tantrum—who the hell is the actual clout-chaser here?!]

[What's even wilder is that Sister Zheng's record against the clout-chaser so far is 0-4. Didn't she just put on a deeply emotional performance herself?]

[Sister Zheng: Oh no!]

By this time, Sister Zheng was staring dumbfounded from the side.

In just this brief moment, the clout-chaser had mowed down both Teacher Hua and Teacher Yang like mere foot soldiers. Seeing Lu Ming's gaze sweep over toward her, Sister Zheng—her pretty face still stained with tear tracks—puckered her delicate arms in grievance to wipe away her tears, before looking weakly toward Lu Ming as if she had been startled.

"Keep acting, go right ahead!" Lu Ming looked at her with utter disdain.

Don't let this delicate little flower fool you; right now, she only looked pitiful because she realized she was terrified, not because she realized she was wrong.

Given even the slightest chance to crush him, this weak little bunny would charge at him without a moment's hesitation. The best way to deal with a madwoman like this was to make her realize she had no way left to bring him down. Otherwise, in the days ahead, this crazy woman would undoubtedly continue to entangle herself with him endlessly.

Thus, Lu Ming pulled a straight face, his tone severe:

"In that failed relationship, I was toyed with, humiliated, mocked, and even the purest love of a pure-hearted young boy was used by you as a tool to gain internet traffic and invite public mockery. When you did all that, did you ever consider my feelings?"

Sister Zheng stared back, utterly bewildered.

Ever since she had subscribed to extreme individualism, she had truly never considered the relationship between the two of them from such an angle. After all, first of all, there hadn't been any real affection between them to begin with, and second of all, at the time, Lu Ming was merely a stepping stone on her path to fame in her eyes...

"I... I..." Sister Zheng was at a loss.

"You didn't! You only cared about your own interests!"

"You deceived me until my heart turned to ash. Because of you, I lost everything I owned; because of you, my career collapsed; and still because of you, I carried a massive debt, living every day like death, to the point where I didn't even have a tiny spot of my own to stand on. A boy who held basic illusions about love—was he wrong?"

Sister Zheng's expression grew flustered.

"He defended his love—was he wrong?"

Sister Zheng's face flushed slightly as she looked in confusion at the man before her, who was interrogating her with the calmest tone imaginable.

"He just wanted to pour out his heart and soul for his love—was he wrong?"

Sister Zheng's voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum: "No... nothing wrong..."

"He recklessly gave everything he possessed to his significant other—was he wrong?"

Her voice raised slightly: "Nothing wrong!"

"Since he did nothing wrong, why did you constantly disguise yourself as a victim online to win sympathy, and why did you always act as pure as a white lotus? Let me ask you, which of us owes the other?"

Sister Zheng: "..."

For a moment, the woman looked completely lost, her eyes darting around in absolute panic.

The next second, her emotions completely broke down. Curling up and hugging her knees, she burst into loud, wailing tears.

Lu Ming: "???"

"Crying, all you know how to do is cry. Swallow it back!"

Sister Zheng stopped on the dime, gazing pitifully at Lu Ming with teardrops still clinging to her long eyelashes.

"Incompetent yet eager to play with fire—do you dare try it again next time?!"

Sister Zheng shook her head like a rattle-drum.

"Speak! Say you were wrong!"

Biting her thin lips hard to keep from crying, Sister Zheng choked out, "I was wrong..."

"With acting skills like yours, you would have made it big as an actor long ago. Remember today's lesson: don't let me catch you going unhinged again, or I'll discipline you again!"

[Holy shit?]

[Sister Zheng actually got scolded to tears, is that even real?]

[Is this still the Sister Zheng I know? She's actually apologizing to the clout-chaser?!]

[Why does this inexplicably feel like a domineering CEO conquering a proud little pampered wife?]

[Keeping it real and analyzing things objectively, the clout-chaser really was the victim of this relationship. After all, when the two of them were dating previously, the clout-chaser was a top-tier star at his absolute peak. And borrowing money and refusing to pay it back—no matter how you spin it, you can't wash that clean.]

[Stop talking absolute dogshit, didn't Sister Zheng pay it back recently?]

[If she hadn't been pushed to that absolute point, would she have bothered paying it back? Little ear, stop whitewashing your idol. She never intended to pay it back in the first place. And as for mutual destruction, breaking up is breaking up, but seeing that the other guy had high traction at the time and randomly exposing chat logs—does anyone really think netizens don't know what her purpose was?]

[The clout-chaser used to be the God of Pure Love, but it's different now. Ever since he gained that experience, he hasn't held back at all when targeting Reba and Baby!]

[Reba: You're so noble, you're so high-and-mighty, the clout-chaser gave you his absolute best temper, yet you're smashing the pot after eating the meal!]

[I suspect Sister Zheng's heart has already softened. She probably saw how talented the clout-chaser is now, regretted her actions, wanted to cave in, and hoped to taste some sweet retrospective grass.]

[Variety show edition of Three Heroes Battle Lü Bu: one lost his nerve, one got scared, and the other yielded. Today's show is exceptionally thrilling!]

[The clout-chaser really is the God of War in the entertainment circle: combat power MAX, intelligence MAX. Lü Bu with Zhuge Liang's brain—alive enough to shake the heavens with his fists and pacify the world with his tongue, taking life and death lightly and fighting anyone who isn't convinced. Who on earth can spar with this guy?]

[With his debate logic, it's really hard for ordinary people to match a brain as clear as the clout-chaser's.]

[The clout-chaser is getting blacklisted by Huayue? The clout-chaser is still dancing!!]

[...]

Lu Ming glanced back at the LED screen, where the vote count had now reached an astonishing 4,312,002. He was somewhat surprised that his 'Virgo' performance had sparked such a massive response.

Seeing that the three mentors had been choked into collective silence and utter speechlessness by him, he turned around and walked out of the broadcasting studio.

...

On his way, he suddenly thought of a way to make money.

Given that *Take Whatever You Want* was trending with such high attention right now, what if he sold the song's internet transmission rights to Tencent? Wouldn't he reap a handsome copyright fee?

Meanwhile.

The dumbfounded Tencent CEO in front of his screen received a call from Tencent Music's marketing department manager. Hanging up the phone, he dialed Lu Ming's number immediately.

"Hello, I'm Chu Sheng, CEO of Tencent Video. You can call me Brother Sheng."

"There's a professional matter and a personal matter. Let's talk business first: Tencent Music wants to acquire the copyright for the song you performed on the show today. The offer is five million!"

Even Lu Ming hadn't expected Tencent to move so quickly; it was like someone offering him a pillow just as he grew sleepy.

He could only say that Tencent, which had made its fortune by cloning other people's games, truly lived up to its reputation. In terms of commercial intuition and migration efficiency, they were deeply rooted in their heritage.

"The internet transmission rights can be sold; everything else is off the table."

"I'll relay that!" Without urging Lu Ming to package and sell all copyrights together, nor pursuing the reasons why, CEO Chu simply acknowledged it and hung up the phone.

Lu Ming's intent was clear. Five million sounded substantial, but what they wanted was the full copyright of the song. Once it was in their hands, wouldn't they operate it however they pleased? To put it bluntly, given Tencent's usual urinary traits and capitalizing on his high traffic, releasing it as a single and pricing it at 3 yuan per download was a highly probable scenario.

Of course, the most crucial part was actually the performance rights.

If he truly sold the copyright, even he would have to pay Tencent performance fees whenever he wanted to sing it in the future. As his commercial value soared, serving as his debut piece in the Mandopop scene, its significance was naturally different. By then, covering it at any random variety show or a star's concert would command a hefty performance fee.

Such an important copyright was something he definitely wanted to keep in his own hands.

As for the internet transmission rights, they happened to be the least important copyright. True to their name, they merely granted the right to upload music onto digital platforms. Currently, domestic music platforms mirrored video platforms, dominated by a tripartite division consisting of Tencent, Kugou, and NetEase Cloud, with Tencent holding the lion's share of the market leadership position firmly within the industry.

Since his work was already out in public, he ultimately had to upload it to some music platform. For the sake of distribution reach, Tencent Music was clearly the premier choice.

By licensing only this single copyright, the other party's operational scope was restricted solely to allowing users with Green Diamonds to listen to the full track—a normal category that wouldn't damage his reputation.

Of course, he didn't really have much of a reputation to begin with.

What Lu Ming was laying out was his future reputation...

Scarcely three minutes later, just as Lu Ming stepped into his car, the phone rang again.

"For the internet transmission rights, the offer is one million. The price is a bit low, but since you're only selling this one copyright, I've fought for it on your behalf."

"Deal," Lu Ming agreed with a nod.

This scale of contracting was basically executed via electronic signatures—using FaDaDa to receive a verification code and scanning one's face to seal the agreement, making it extremely convenient.

"With your current traffic, you can be said to be a well-deserved top-tier star in the entertainment industry. Your influence is stronger by leaps and bounds compared to your peak period," CEO Chu praised from the other end of the line before smiling. "Any interest in deeper cooperation?"

"How deep?" Lu Ming chuckled softly, waiting for the other's follow-up.