Lu Chen realized that Tony and Starlight Company were indeed taking action. Just two hours after his phone call, the wave of malicious comments on the music app was starting to die down.
But instead of fading, the situation was only escalating.
On major social media platforms, terms like "Gu Cheng," "Starlight Company," and "V.T. Bullying" dominated the trending topics.
V.T and Starlight Company had been dragged onto the hot search list by an avalanche of criticism.
Lu Chen, glued to his phone as he scrolled through the trending topics, was fuming—just like the few others crowded around him. Raiden Ei even muttered a few times about leveling Jia Shi Company with a single slash...
As maddening as the smear campaign launched by their competitors was, what was truly aggravating was the flood of clueless onlookers blindly following the hate train.
"These people are way too quick to believe rumors," Yae Miko narrowed her eyes. "The comment section's a complete mess—it's disgusting."
"Most of them are Gu Cheng fans..." Lu Chen remembered that many classmates were into this idol singer. Lately, they'd been talking about his new album non-stop, even spending money to push its rankings. The sense of unity among them was striking.
Now that Gu Cheng was being painted as a "victim," he became the perfect target for public sympathy. The combination of diehard fans and misled bystanders fanned the flames further.
Starlight Company had already issued a "clarification," stating that both sides had mutually and peacefully terminated the contract, and that the so-called "bullying" incident was completely fabricated. No one had tried to snatch Gu Cheng's resources.
But Gu Cheng's team was slow to respond.
"This Gu Cheng..." Lu Chen's gaze turned icy. With this kind of deliberate manipulation and misdirection, wasn't he afraid of it all blowing up in his face when the truth came out?
Did he really think that just because he had a new backer, he could afford to cross his old employer, Starlight?
What he didn't realize was that V.T's backer was far more powerful than he could ever imagine.
Lu Chen glanced around. What had once been a warm, cheerful dinner table now felt cold and grim.
Every single person here was someone Gu Cheng couldn't afford to offend—people who could wipe him off the face of the earth, literally.
"Gu Cheng's team replied," Yae Miko said as she refreshed her phone.
"Oh?" Lu Chen turned back to his screen.
Gu Cheng's official account posted a vague response: they were willing to believe that Starlight Entertainment wouldn't engage in bullying and that the termination had been a normal business decision.
"What a weasel..." Lu Chen couldn't help but notice Gu Cheng's cunning.
The post appeared to clear the air, but it didn't fully deny the accusations—subtly distancing themselves while fanning the flames.
More and more people jumped on the bandwagon, bashing Starlight. Fans were particularly vocal in defending Gu Cheng.
"Even now, he refuses to kick them when they're down. He's just too gentle!"
"Gu Cheng is so considerate. He's always kept a clean image, never fighting for the spotlight. And now this? Shouldn't Starlight feel ashamed?"
"#Starlight#V.T#GoToHell!"
"Protect the best Gu Cheng (heart heart) Protect the best Gu Cheng (heart heart) Protect the best Gu Cheng (heart heart)"
Lu Chen turned off his phone, which had become increasingly toxic, and looked at the others.
Yae Miko was calmly blowing on her pale pink nails, but her words dripped with killing intent.
"Gu Cheng likes singing, right? I can make sure he never sings in his next life. Now wouldn't that be satisfying..."
"You're still too soft, Miko," Raiden Ei offered a suggestion. "I heard he likes to dance while singing. How about we make sure he can't dance in his next life either? What do you think, Chen?"
Both of them fixed their eyes on Lu Chen, as if just waiting for his command to rush out and turn Gu Cheng into a motionless patient in the ICU...
Venti still sat off to the side, seemingly uninvolved despite being at the center of the issue. He could only smile helplessly, as if unsure what to say.
Just then, Qiqi looked over and said, "Do you need... Qiqi's help? Qiqi is good at fighting..."
Lu Chen patted her obedient little head and chuckled, "Thanks, Qiqi. Just stay here and guard the house, okay?"
He opened his phone again, monitoring the ongoing public opinion shifts. This problem couldn't be solved with brute force—that would only bring negative attention to V.T.
If Gu Cheng got sent to the hospital now, all fingers would point their way, and V.T wouldn't be able to clear its name.
Despite all the frustrating news, there was one unexpected silver lining—possibly the only good thing to come out of this mess.
"Ode to the Sea" was suddenly trending, skyrocketing into the top ten.
The rumors and hate had ironically brought tons of attention to Venti's new album. People were now curious—what kind of album could spark such an online firestorm?
Lu Chen even noticed a wave of professional music critics joining the fray. Uninfluenced by public bias, many of them had praise for "Ode to the Sea."
"'Ode to the Sea' is surprisingly high quality."
"Are we sure this V.T is just a rookie?"
"A flawless blend of classical and pop! Truly masterful!"
In the end, music speaks for itself, and Venti's talent was undeniable.
Lu Chen's phone buzzed again. Tony had more news—Starlight had deployed its own army of paid commenters.
After all, Gu Cheng's departure had done serious damage to the company's image. If they just sat on their hands, their reputation would rot.
With both sides' paid commenters now locked in battle, Lu Chen figured it was time to make a move.
"Should our V.T. teacher go out and warm up a little?" Lu Chen looked over at Venti.
He was planning to track that big pop star Gu Cheng, but he wouldn't bring Raiden Ei or Yae Miko—those two might not hold back and could end up stabbing Gu Cheng for real...
Of course, bringing Venti had its reasons. After all, the wind could carry everything to the Anemo Archon.
Lu Chen didn't buy the image Gu Cheng's fans were selling—that of a pure and untouchable white lotus in the entertainment industry.
"I've really caused everyone trouble..." Venti smiled sheepishly. "At this point, it's better if I handle it myself."
"Your business is our business," Raiden Ei said with a small shake of her head.
"If you need anything, just say the word~" Yae Miko added with a wink.
"Qiqi will help too!" Qiqi clenched her tiny fist.
Seeing everyone so united warmed Venti's heart. He looked at Lu Chen, who had already changed shoes, and felt even more grateful.
"Let's go!" Lu Chen snapped his fingers. "If all goes well, we're dropping some serious dirt!"
Dirt that would completely destroy Gu Cheng's carefully crafted image...
...