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

Chapter 119 The Avenue is Obliterated
Half an hour after voting began, the score between Tong Yulu and Chi Leying was 8732:8965.

The votes were very close, making this probably the most evenly matched contest so far.

Most of the two players' fans haven't arrived yet. Those who are voting now are mostly casual fans who don't participate much in the community and don't have much fighting power.

The legitimate fan groups always mobilize collectively; when they do act, they catch the other side completely off guard.

With a large number of people, a crazy spirit, unwavering faith, continuous efforts, a strong fighting spirit, and organization and discipline, the fandom on the internet is truly not a mob.

Not fatal, but really annoying...

Since he had nothing better to do, Yu Wei went inside to check on Hu Xing's writing progress. He had already written two chapters, while Hu Xing hadn't even finished the first one.

It's actually quite normal. He used to spend two months polishing a 6000-word opening, but in the end, he was still rejected. He would laugh in frustration when he saw the reply.

When you criticize a writer for poor writing, it's actually because they have even worse stuff they haven't shown yet.

"Take your time writing. If you can't write it smoothly, I doubt anyone else will like it either."

Yu Wei patted him on the shoulder to comfort him, and then called the photographer out. For a shut-in, it's easy to imagine how torturous it is to be watched while writing.

He wasn't much of a writer to begin with, and with several photographers watching him, it's no wonder he couldn't produce anything worthwhile...

While he was chatting with the photographers, the fan group arrived, and Chi Leying's votes surged by tens of thousands. A few minutes later, Tong Yulu, not wanting to fall behind, chose to vote as well.

This is definitely not their full strength; they're probably still testing the waters, trying to make the other side nervous while also showcasing their power.

In the professional terminology of fan voting, this behavior is called "setting off fireworks" because the vote count chart will suddenly show an irregular upward waveform, which is particularly eye-catching in the naturally growing curve.

Besides the visual aspect, the sudden surge in ticket prices also carries a sense of self-celebration, hence the use of fireworks to describe it.

A small increase is like fireworks, but a sudden surge is like a flood. You can tell how the data was obtained at a glance.

Yu Weizhen had actually seen the vote counters for "Top Idol" online, and some people even did live streams to count the votes and keep track of the data growth.

This is a strategy that involves both generating traffic and watching for entertainment, so that everyone can easily spot which company is rigging the votes.

The last time Zhou Mumu's fans were caught rigging votes, it was these people who discovered it. All I can say is that we should call statisticians out.

From all aspects, Yu Wei's fake competition, apart from lacking a venue and organizer, is becoming more and more like the real thing.

Just as the competition reached its climax, Tong Yulu sent a private message, strongly condemning Chi Leying's underhanded tactics.

Editing a singing video into a music video, isn't that sneaky?
"I am reporting that Chi Leying's singing videos use a lot of material from Japanese dramas. She is incorporating film and television clips into her performances without copyright protection, which is a clear case of commercial infringement."

"Make her withdraw from the competition quickly."

Wow, this is the age of whistleblowing! If you can't win a fight head-on, you just report them, right...?

"That makes sense, but this is a fake match."

If it were a real variety show, using unlicensed videos for performances would indeed easily lead to disputes. But Yu Wei's competition doesn't even exist, so where does the infringement come from?

Then let me ask you, where is the business aspect?
If it wasn't for commercial purposes, then it's just something someone made on a whim and shared for free, so it definitely doesn't qualify as a commercial video.

Tong Yulu left cursing. If this plan fails, then we'll have to meet on the battlefield. Deer, follow me into battle!
In the short time it took Yu Wei to take a sip of water, Tong Yulu's votes began to surge, increasing by dozens almost every time the page was refreshed, and the increase lasted for more than five minutes.

After a fierce attack, the two candidates' votes were pulled ahead by more than 30,000. Chi Leying tried to catch up a few times, but she still couldn't catch up.

It burned out?
It doesn't seem like it. The two have roughly the same number of fans, activity levels, and fighting power, so it's unlikely that they would lack stamina from the start. Yu Wei feels that they are deliberately showing weakness.

Voting is also a matter of tactics, especially when there are unpredictable factors like online trolls. Revealing your hand too early can actually put you at a disadvantage.

By feigning weakness and then launching a surprise attack to steal the rankings, one can defeat the opponent with minimal losses...

What Yu Wei could think of, these veteran fans could definitely think of as well; it can only be said that they were all playing a game of strategy.

Perhaps it was the deterrent effect of readers "voting for the other side" that worked; although fans of both sides were still hurling insults at each other today, their word choice and sentence structure were much more restrained.

Just when he thought the comment section would be much more peaceful this time, a glaringly negative comment popped up, making Yu Wei hesitate for a few seconds.

"This is hilarious. Can't you just die already? If you can sing clearly, then sing. The sound is so heavily edited. Does this shameless deer dare to acknowledge your master's voice? You're lying and praising it as nice. Are you deaf?"

At first glance, Yu Wei also thought it was Chi Leying's fans attacking the other party, but upon closer inspection, something didn't seem right. Knowing that foul language would force passersby to take sides, they still deliberately stirred up trouble. This person was probably a scoundrel...

But without a doubt, he was very successful in his scheme. Not only were many of Tong Yulu's fans angered and joined the fray, but many passersby also believed it.

You're foul-mouthed, huh? Then this thumbs up has to go to Tong Yulu.

Tong Yulu was already leading in votes, and with the addition of the innocent bystander, the vote difference widened even further, putting her in a passive position.

There are certainly some clever readers, but they can hardly change the minds of most casual observers; they can only make a few sarcastic remarks in the comments section.

"Actively stirring up trouble for Chi Leying, Bao is a fan of Tong Yulu, what a low-level way to associate."

"When you typed the words 'cheap deer,' your heart was bleeding, wasn't it, Le?"

"Sister Lu's move was too ruthless; she had the perfect timing, location, and people."

When the online trolls stirred things up, no netizen was innocent. Tong Yulu not only gained the lead in votes, but also briefly occupied the high ground in public opinion.

Even so, Chi Leying's fans did not come forward on a large scale; only a few individual fans were busy explaining, but with little effect.

Isn't this urgent?
If their composure in the vote count is due to their good mindset, then their ability to remain calm even when facing public criticism must mean they have a backup plan.

Even after the first day of recording ended, Chi Leying's team still hadn't made a proper move. Although their votes were increasing, the gap between them and Tong Yulu was widening.

When Yu Wei finished get off work, the two had already pulled ahead by more than 90,000 votes, which was definitely not a small number.

"Remember to submit your manuscript to the editor as soon as possible; you might get the results tonight if you do."

Hu Xing's new start is passable. Most online novels have ready-made templates. As long as the entry point is good, it can be interesting even if you follow the formula. At least getting a contract shouldn't be a problem.

When the show airs, his book should attract some attention; there will always be viewers who are curious enough to read it, so it won't be a complete flop...

Yu Wei ordered takeout when he got home and was about to take a shower when Qi Luoan sent him a private message, asking him to check Weibo.

What's interesting to watch on Weibo? Big data has very accurately pushed trending topics to Yu Wei, specifically those related to Chi Leying. Her fans have definitely hidden something big.

#Ticket Exchange
Yu Wei was still a little confused, but when she clicked in, she was shocked to find that Chi Leying's fans had directly exchanged tickets with fans of sixteen artists in the Chinese entertainment industry.

I almost forgot about exchanging the tickets.

Besides using online trolls to manipulate votes, fan groups also engage in resource exchange. They agree to cooperate, with each person voting for the other, thus expanding their vote pool from the source.

Not only the entertainment industry changes, but also the gaming industry, e-sports industry, and anime industry; they'll change whenever needed.

Compared to paying money directly to hire online trolls, exchanging tickets would take a lot of time and energy. She contacted sixteen fan groups to exchange tickets in one go. You can imagine how busy Chi Leying's fans will be in the future.

"I admire that; the musician really gave it his all this time."

"It's not a loss; beating the opponent is a win."

"There's nothing we can do then. Deer, contact the vote-buying channels as soon as possible."

Ticket exchanges aren't something everyone can do; such collaborations require integrity and a certain network of connections.

A celebrity who is universally hated in the entertainment industry can't even get their ticket exchanged.

This is where Chi Leying is stronger than Tong Yulu. They are about the same in terms of fan base and popularity, but there is one thing that Tong Yulu can't compare to: connections.

Chi Leying's emotional intelligence is far superior to hers; that's what makes her so popular.

It was a fake competition, but the outcome was real. Those who had grudges would settle their scores, and those who had grievances would settle their scores. Last time, Tong Yulu rose to fame by arguing, and Chi Leying's fans still remember that.

This time they finally found an opportunity. It's a competition of pure skill, and they're even singing the same song. If one wins, the other will be crushed for life.

They really went all out for this match.

"Wow, sixteen fan groups."

One fan group is scary enough, but what would it be like if a dozen fan groups attacked together?

At this point, it's no longer relevant to petty squabbles like those from online trolls and haters. Faced with sheer numbers, the influence of any individual is practically negligible...

Except for Yu Wei, he can delete the poll comments at any time if he wants.

He opened the comments section, but there was no trace of Chuanzi anymore; the front row had long since become a photo spot for other fans.

"Xia Zan's fans are checking in, helping Le Ying's sister rise to the top."

"Huang Chuyang's fans are checking in. Yu Wei, look at our Yangyang."

"Taoyuan check-in".

What is this? Taro balls?

Why have all of Qi Yuan's fans been summoned here? Are they even subscribing to his novels to meet their KPIs, despite their hatred...?

The voting speed of the sixteen fans was terrifying. Not only did they quickly make up the gap of more than 90,000 votes, but Yu Wei's takeout had not even arrived yet, and they even surpassed the gap of 48,000 votes.

The rate of increase shows no signs of slowing down. If this continues, Tong Yulu's fans will find it impossible to catch up, and she will probably face the biggest gap in their careers ever.

There are no tricks involved, it's all about numbers. No matter how powerful their fanbase is, how can they compete with sixteen groups of people?

At times like this, the only option is to engage in a magical battle, either by copying others and exchanging votes, or by hiring online trolls, or you'll be forced to admit defeat and be thoroughly humiliated.

However, the ticket exchange route has been blocked. Generally, tickets are only exchanged when there is a need. Chi Leying exchanged tickets with sixteen different venues in one go, which means that all the artists who need to exchange tickets recently are probably included.

If you want to win a competition by swapping tickets, you only need to swap tickets with a few companies. The fact that they swapped so many at once clearly indicates that they are monopolizing the market.

If you already lack the connections of others and the market is monopolized, what's the point of getting anything out of it?

At this point, the only way to avoid losing is to hire online trolls to manipulate votes...

"Are they going to hire online trolls again?"

Yu Wei looked at the ever-growing gap in votes and felt a little helpless. Why bother with vote rigging? It would be better to just give him the money and decide the winner directly.
He thought this would turn into another wave of online trolls, but within just a few minutes, the comment section was filled with people condemning Chi Leying's fans for being shameless.

"How disgusting is this bitch? Did she give the online trolls advance notice?"

"I see now, you guys are really going all out to beat me."

Yu Wei glanced at it a few times and understood a bit. It seemed that Chi Leying's fans had also contacted several well-known online troll groups to directly inflate prices.

Now, if Tong Yulu's fans want to buy votes, they'll have to pay several times the usual price to get them.

You can swipe your way through, but it will cost you a fortune.

Moreover, these words also revealed a signal: Ren Chi Leying's fans had already contacted online trolls, so they could easily manipulate the chat if they wanted to.

Tong Yulu and her fans were completely outmaneuvered, with all possible escape routes essentially blocked.

This style of doing things is very similar to Chi Leying's style. She is very calculating, but still merciful and does not go so far as to kill everyone.

If they were even more ruthless, they could wait until the other party was bleeding heavily before making their move, at which point they would have lost both their wife and their army.

Making the other person hesitate beforehand is actually quite considerate; perhaps she ultimately can't let go of that brief roommate relationship...

Even if their personalities clash, the wrinkles of time still etch the rings of their lives together.

Yu Wei thought it was over and was about to have dinner when Tong Yulu's fans, who had been yelling and cursing in the comments section, suddenly changed their tune and started spewing harsh words again.

"The most humane company is about to make a move!"

Judging from this, Tong Yulu's company is about to make a move, and the involvement of capital undoubtedly marks a new dimension in the battle.

"Do you want to fight again?"

Yu Wei, the organizer of the event, never expected it to escalate to this point. If the fighting continues, the Great Dao will be obliterated!

(End of this chapter)