Have you ever been a celebrity? Why are you writing about entertainment?

Chapter 110 Are you really competing?
"Running a non-existent competition must be exhausting, right?"

Yu Wei had only ever seen this kind of comment in the review section of games that hadn't even received a license yet; the accounts were being managed in vivid detail, but the game's release was nowhere in sight...

Unexpectedly, he had the good fortune to see it in his book review section today.

To the readers, the competition he organized seemed so convincing that they would almost believe it if they could find no related information online.

The novel seriously introduced the program rules, but who would have thought that Yu Wei would actually prepare a competition poster?
Aside from not publicly advertising, it's practically indistinguishable from a legitimate program, and its popularity even surpasses some real shows.

Variety shows have become commonplace in recent years, with various platforms and companies vying for a piece of the pie. There are tons of online and television variety shows, and many of the new shows are completely unknown to viewers.

The obscure variety show was completely ignored, the guests were the absolute bottom of the barrel, and the promotional materials released by the production team only received single-digit likes. The only two comments they did post were from people asking what the show was called…

But Yu Wei's "Top-Tier Popularity" is different. Even if it doesn't exist, Yu Wei's novels are very popular.

With the added boost from the popularity of Zhang Lingye, Fei Hong, and Zhou Mumu, this virtual reality show has garnered considerable attention.

Some people who don't surf the internet much thought the show was real after seeing it online, and they're already eagerly anticipating its premiere.

It's a joke that it can even air; Yu Wei's show isn't even registered, it doesn't even have a publishing license...

A fake program that wasn't even officially approved has become more popular than many real programs on the market. Who can you complain to about this?

This is not the most unacceptable thing. What other variety show producers find most unacceptable is that Yu Wei's fake program had zero cost.

Damn, he can write about any guest he wants, and he doesn't even spend a penny on appearance fees for celebrities to appear on his shows. Is he trying to run a zero-dollar shopping spree in the entertainment industry?

Nowadays, celebrities charge millions for appearances on variety shows, but Yu Wei can hire a whole bunch of them without spending a penny.

They gained popularity without spending a single penny...

The novel only mentions a name, so you really can't be so shameless as to ask for money. This is a perfectly legitimate scheme.

He gained popularity and viewership from the variety show, but he didn't experience any of the hardships involved in producing it.

Project approval, investment attraction, filming, and post-production—that doesn't exist. It's all just wishful thinking!
The fake one is so arrogant that it's impossible to lock onto it.

Yu Wei didn't have time to continue reading netizens' opinions on the match. Calculating the time, the celebrity fans should be arriving at the battlefield soon.

"Congratulations to Mumu on her cameo appearance. Looking forward to her new works."

"Yu Wei, could you please give Mu Mu more screen time, a positive role?"

"Why is Fei Hong everywhere? I refuse to be associated with him!"

The first to be mentioned were Zhou Mumu's fans. Yu Wei originally thought that Zhang Lingye's fans were the most powerful among the three, after all, he was their idol.

As a result, the top three comments were firmly occupied by Zhou Mumu's fans, leaving Lao Zhang only able to barely survive on the fourth floor.

As for Fei Hong, he couldn't be seen at all; it seems his career is truly over after he's become ugly...

Ultimately, the entertainment industry is all about looks. As long as you're handsome, you'll have a place in the industry, no matter how bad your acting is. You could even go into the industry and have fans calling you back.

If you're ugly, you'll end up in a predicament like Fei Hong: you have a good personality, you're hardworking and have solid acting skills, but you don't have many fans.

Especially after his relationship with Zhou Mumu was revealed, Zhou Mumu's fans refused to acknowledge it, feeling that he was climbing the social ladder.

The comment on the third floor expresses this sentiment: even in novels, they have to clarify a rumor.

This is how it is when celebrities date; they also have to get past the fans. If they don't get the fans' approval, there will be small arguments every two days and big arguments every three days, which is hard to bear.

Yu Wei underestimated Zhou Mumu's popularity. She debuted as a child star, has great looks, and has representative works that show her as well-behaved and cute, which attracts many female fans.

She has a high percentage of "mommy fans," and these fans are very protective. If they see a male celebrity, especially an unattractive one, trying to woo her, they certainly won't allow it.

However, one good thing about "mommy fans" is that they are relatively reasonable. Unlike young, mindless little girls, "mommy fans" are strong because they are mothers, and they can still speak properly when it doesn't involve their idols.

Therefore, the novel's comment section was relatively harmonious, with few people saying that Yu Wei was not the real Yu Wei, and some even said that he and Zhou Mumu were both fans of the same character.

Seeing the novel's data continue to grow, Yu Wei slept soundly until dawn. The next day, he was surprised to find that quite a few people were urging him to update the novel.

It's been a long time since we've seen the name Yu Wei. Ever since his story about being a celebrity writing a novel was exposed, most netizens have just been there for entertainment.

They watch when there's an update, and don't watch when there isn't. They watch when they're interested, and don't watch when they're not. They're not here for the plot, so naturally they won't specifically urge for updates.

But things are different now. He's created a variety show competition out of thin air, and with the addition of several real celebrities, many people are genuinely curious to see how things will unfold...

So these real stars have already been pre-selected for the finals? They all have names, so they must be key players. It's obvious they can't be eliminated in the first round.

I'm a little curious about how they're supposed to advance.

"good."

Yu Wei had already thought out the specific rules for the program. Since it was a competition, it had to showcase the competitive spirit and make the battle exciting!

Traditional talent shows, where the mentors have the final say, are far too unreliable, with countless instances of the production team scripting events to protect contestants.

Yu Wei's competition format doesn't involve any fancy formalities; it's all about 1v1 from the start, where skill determines everything. The 77 contestants will directly battle each other, with 38 winners and one bye advancing directly. The 38 losers won't be eliminated but will enter the waiting area to compete for the final nine spots.

Who wins and who loses depends entirely on the readers' likes. The competition was fierce right from the start, making it a real contest.

However, if the outcome of the competition is entirely determined by readers' likes, then the protagonists and mentors would have no purpose. Weakening the protagonist's influence is a major taboo in novels!

Therefore, Yu Wei cleverly arranged a best-of-three system, with one point awarded for each round: one point for each vote from the mentors, one point for each vote from the live audience, and one point for each like from online viewers, i.e., readers.

To ensure that the outcome of the competition depended entirely on reader votes, he would write the contest between the mentor and the audience as a 1:1 tie in the novel.

This approach preserves the protagonist's prestige and influence as a mentor while also allowing readers outside the story to feel a sense of immersion in the moment.

Everyone's praise is the most crucial factor, the weight that breaks the balance...

Seeing everyone's enthusiasm, Yu Wei didn't hold back anymore and quickly finished writing the first chapter of the day, briefly introducing the rules of the program and then writing about Zhou Mumu's performance on stage.

The stage spotlights suddenly dimmed, leaving only a soft, warm light shining on the center of the stage.

Zhou Mumu walked slowly onto the stage, her white skirt swaying gently with her steps, like a cloud bathed in moonlight.

She nodded slightly to the audience, lightly touched the standing microphone with her fingertips, and spoke in a voice as clear as a mountain stream: "The next song is called 'Time Thief'."

The subtle murmurs from the audience gradually subsided, and her gaze swept across the dark audience seats, as if she were conversing with every single look.

"Don't let go of what you can hold onto."
If you can hug someone, don't pull them away...

This song was indeed chosen by Zhou Mumu. Yesterday, when she was writing a new program, Yu Wei asked her if she would be willing to be an extra in a novel, and then Zhou Mumu specifically asked to sing this song.

She is an actress by profession and can sing, but she is not very proficient. This song is gentle and easy to sing, and it suits her voice.

Yu Wei told her to hurry up and record the song; if she just filmed a simple singing video, it should be finished today.

The release of the new chapter unsurprisingly caused a stir among readers. Not only did it use a real person's name, but it also included its own song. Wasn't this a blatant favor to get into university?
"I really want to hear Mumu sing this song."

"Real stars and real songs! I have to speak up for the natives of this fictional world! It's a rip-off, a complete rip-off!"

"It's a shady deal that Zhou Mumu didn't advance. She's a professionally trained singer, and even if she weren't a professional singer, she would have easily advanced in the first round."

"I support Yu Wei arranging for Mu Mu to advance, but don't pull any shady tricks."

The flaws of fake competitions are also obvious: Yu Wei has the final say. He can write whatever he wants, there's no behind-the-scenes manipulation, only the author's powerful hand.

Having realized this, many readers have already recognized that the competition format is unfair...

If Yu Wei is determined to let a real star win in the end, then wouldn't this book just become a tool for promoting someone?
This isn't a real competition, so if the later part involves real-life celebrities competing against each other, it won't be convincing to the audience. What should he do?
"I don't engage in shady dealings."

Yu Wei had anticipated this point long ago. If the outcome were entirely up to the author, the competition would indeed be meaningless. That's why he arranged for an immersive voting channel for readers.

Just then, Zhou Mumu's performance video arrived. It was clear that she had prepared carefully, and the video was actually recorded on a stage that was neither too big nor too small, which was probably the company's actual location.

The studio was too spacious, which caused a slight echo during the performance, but Yu Wei felt that it was just right, very realistic, and that the audience would definitely feel more immersed in the performance.

After ensuring the video content was correct, Yu Wei made a copy for Qi Luoan to post on her short video account, while Yu Wei herself posted a copy in the bonus chapter.

[Zhou Mumu's performance song in the first round of "Top Idol" was "Time Thief"]
"what?"

"no?"

Wasn't this competition just something Yu Wei wrote randomly? How come there's actually a singing segment? And they actually invited Zhou Mumu herself to sing. Does it have to be this faithful to the novel?

Are you really having a competition?
If Zhou Mumu's singing in the novel is real, what about the other celebrities, and what about their performances in later competitions and shows? Will they also do it for real?

Yu Wei is trying to make this fake competition look like a real one, with a storyline and videos, the sense of immersion is off the charts.

Moreover, Zhou Mumu sang really well. Although she wasn't as technically proficient as Yu Wei's original version, her clear female voice was undoubtedly more suitable for the song.

Fans are definitely happy to hear their idol sing, but the more authentic Yu Wei's performance is, the more worried they are that Yu Wei will write nonsense.

"Such a wonderful performance, you can't possibly be eliminated, can you?"

"Don't pull any stunts, I approve of this song."

"Update soon! I want to see Mumu advance with a unanimous vote!"

With the release of the performance video, Yu Wei's fake show has actually taken on a competition feel. Not only are viewers looking forward to it, but some are also worried that their idol might lose.

"Whether or not I can advance is not up to me; it's up to you who can decide."

Yu Wei wasn't in a hurry to let readers vote; he was waiting for Zhou Mumu's opponent's singing video.

Gentlemen, I love war!

(End of this chapter)