The night before the college entrance exam results were released, I redeemed my Peking University ad

"At worst, I'll just send him a copyright infringement fee at market price afterward, consider it a reward from me."

Shen Yizhen leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and let the stylist style her hair, speaking as if she were talking about something extremely trivial.

"Aren't these kinds of things common in this industry? He's just a high school student with no connections or team; what, he thinks he can sue me?"

"He should be grateful that I would like to sing his songs. It is a blessing he has accumulated over eight lifetimes. So many people are eager to have me sing their works, but they can't even get a chance."

Wang Nan understood immediately and laughed in agreement, "That's true, I was overthinking it. What kind of trouble can a mere kid cause, even if he makes a fuss?"

"When the song becomes a hit, he'll have to thank us instead, otherwise his lousy song will only ever entertain him on campus for the rest of his life."

She paused, then added dismissively, "Does he really think he's something special just because he proved a few math problems? What does a bookworm like him know about the rules of the entertainment industry?"

"If you won't listen to reason, don't blame us for being impolite!"

Shen Yizhen didn't reply, only a nonchalant smile playing on her lips.

When a top celebrity covers a song by an amateur, is that considered a cover?

That's called being rewarded with a meal!

……

As night falls, the Shenyang Olympic Sports Center Stadium is brightly lit.

The 40,000-seat stadium was packed to capacity, with blue and purple glow sticks forming a surging sea of ​​lights, and support signs held up densely. The cheers of the fans could be heard clearly from several streets away.

Fans from all over the country crowded into the venue, shouting Shen Yizhen's name at the top of their lungs. The atmosphere was so hot it almost felt like the dome was going to be lifted.

As the opening drumbeats blared, Shen Yizhen, dressed in a custom-made stage costume studded with diamonds, slowly rose onto a lift.

The entire venue erupted in deafening screams, with shouts rising in waves. Fans in the front rows were so excited that they shed tears, waving their light sticks frantically.

After several energetic songs and dances, the atmosphere in the venue had reached its peak. Sweat dripped down Shen Yizhen's jawline, eliciting another wave of crazy screams from the audience.

After the sixth song was sung, the music gradually faded away.

A staff member handed him an acoustic guitar, and Shen Yizhen walked to the front of the stage with the guitar in his arms. The spotlight shone on him, and the whole audience gradually quieted down.

He held the microphone, his voice deep and gentle, deliberately creating an atmosphere of empathy:

"The next song is a little surprise for tonight."

A commotion broke out in the audience, and some people started screaming.

"I debuted in my teens and have come this far. People always ask me what my initial dream was."

Shen Yizhen's voice was deep and gentle, as if he were whispering to each of his fans.

"When I was a child, I always dreamed of traveling the world with a sword, seeing all the mountains, rivers, lakes and seas, and going to all the distant places I wanted to go with a heart full of passion."

"I recently heard a song by chance, and it immediately reminded me of myself back then, carrying a guitar and harboring dreams."

"Next, this song, 'The You of the Past,' is dedicated to everyone here who is still on their journey!"

The guitar intro begins.

The moment the clear melody flowed out, murmurs of amazement rippled through the audience.

The melody of this song is so catchy; you can tell it's a masterpiece just by listening to the intro.

When Shen Yizhen sang the first line, "I once dreamed of traveling the world with a sword," the entire audience fell silent, followed by a tidal wave of applause.

The melody, lyrics, and artistic conception of this song are a whole level above all his hit songs since his debut. It has the quality of a legendary hit song.

When the chorus "Every time I'm sad, I just look at the sea by myself" started playing, the entire audience of 40,000 people sang along, and the sound waves made the venue tremble slightly.

The fans in the front row sang and cried. Some held up signs that read "Shen Yizhen, My Youth" and cried so hard that their makeup was ruined. Others hugged strangers next to them and howled with excitement.

The atmosphere immediately reached its climax of the entire night.

……

As soon as the concert ended, clips of the live performance of "Once Upon a Time in You" spread like wildfire across the internet.

Douyin, Weibo, Bilibili—fan-edited videos of the event are everywhere.

The video quality ranges from 4K high definition to door lock quality, and every single one of them is getting tons of likes.

In just two hours, #ShenYizhenYouWereBack# surged to the top three on the trending topics list, with views exceeding 100 million.

The comments section was a complete ocean of fan frenzy:

"Ahhh, my brother sings so well! My ears are practically pregnant! I'll listen to it on repeat a hundred times!"

"What an amazing song! Why have I never heard it before? My brother's voice is so perfectly suited to it!"

"Shen Yizhen is the pinnacle of the Chinese entertainment industry! She can bring her own unique flavor to any song she sings, she's practically a legend!"

"I burst into tears as soon as the chorus came on. It reminded me of my youth. Thank you, brother, for singing such a wonderful song for us!"

"I've already set it as my alarm tone! It would be an injustice if this song didn't become a hit! Brother, hurry up and record a studio version!"

Occasionally, a few passersby might mention in the comments section, "Isn't this song an original work by Ji Bai, the top scorer in the Liaoning Province college entrance examination?" These comments are instantly drowned out by the fans' replies.

"What original singer? If it weren't for our brother singing it, who would even know this song?"

"What's wrong with a cover song? Our brother sang it a million times better than the original, that's giving the original a lot of credit."

"It's an honor for our brother to have noticed a song written by an amateur."

"Stop trying to ride on my coattails; are you desperate for fame?"

Nobody took that amateur original singer seriously.

According to the fans' logic, it was Shen Yizhen who made this song known to the world, and the original singer should kneel down to express his gratitude.

Wang Nan sat in the backstage dressing room, scrolling through the soaring trending search data and the fans' enthusiastic praise, and smiled while holding her thermos.

She knew this would be the only outcome.

What good is it if a high school student with no background or team writes a song?

Ultimately, the popularity, traffic, and benefits don't all go to their artists.

If you behave, I might even give you a sip of soup.

If you don't listen, then I'll show you what a true fan teacher is like!

……

Unsurprisingly, Ji Bai also came across a clip of Shen Yizhen singing this song.

"Wow, buddy, are you really that brave?"

I just hung up the phone this afternoon, and you dare to stand on a stage with 40,000 people and sing tonight?

Do they really think the word "copyright infringement" is illiterate?

Do you still think that being a top celebrity is a get-out-of-jail-free card?

So you want to play like this? Fine, fine!

Ji Bai raised his hand, opened Weibo, and quickly typed a few lines of text.

Statement Regarding Shen Yizhen's Unauthorized Performance of "Once Upon a Time" at Tonight's Shenyang Concert

This afternoon, Mr. Shen Yizhen's agent contacted me and offered to buy out the full copyright of "Once Upon a Time" for 500,000 yuan.

I have explicitly refused.

The other party's unauthorized performance without permission is a blatant violation of copyright!

I hope you won't say you didn't know and that it was all the company's doing. And please don't shed tears during the performance to gain sympathy. After all, you were confident the moment you realized you could infringe on someone's rights.

Thirty seconds after the Weibo post was published, the comment section exploded.

No one expected that the nation's top celebrity would blatantly infringe on copyrights.

I never expected Ji Bai to be so tough!

"Front row!"

"What? Shen Yizhen infringed on copyright?? Or did she explicitly refuse but then insist on singing it???"

"Wow, this statement is even worse than a lawyer's letter! Every single point completely blocks their escape route!"

"Ji Shen: I don't play those entertainment industry tricks with you guys. I'm going straight to the legal process, fair, just, and transparent."

"I just saw Shen Yizhen's fans on the trending topics saying that the original singer was trying to ride on her popularity, but this afternoon she just refused a 500,000 yuan buyout. Is that what you call riding on someone's popularity?"

"500,000 yuan for the full copyright of a legendary hit song? Is this buying a song or buying groceries? Are you trying to fob off a beggar?"

"Just for your information: Buying out the entire copyright means that you will have absolutely no connection with this song anymore, and the author won't even have the right to be credited."

……

Then, Shen Yizhen's large army of fans arrived.

"Where did this nobody come from? They think they can ride on my brother's coattails? They're desperate for fame!"

"What's wrong with singing one of your lousy songs? My brother singing it is giving you face. Do you really think you're something special?"

"You just want money, right? Name your price. What are you pretending to be, some righteous person? Are you desperate for money?"

"Just wait for the lawyer's letter! You're spreading rumors about my brother's copyright infringement; we'll sue you until you're expelled!"

"Don't you dare get involved! My brother being able to sing your songs is a blessing you've accumulated over eight lifetimes!"

"Who's going to be white this season?!"

……

Seeing this, the royalists immediately took action:

"Here we go again! It's that 'blessing in the name' argument again! Infringing on someone's rights is a blessing? Then is slapping you in the face a blessing too?"

"Does being a top celebrity mean you can break the law? The Qing Dynasty has been gone for over a hundred years, how can anyone still think they're superior?"

"They clearly refused in the afternoon, but you insisted on singing it that evening. This isn't a cover song; it's outright robbery!"

"Hilarious! A lawyer's letter? Let's see if your brother has enough solid evidence of infringement to file a lawsuit!"

"Dare to provoke the Emperor? You want to die even faster?"

"Ji Shen dares to go head-to-head with international mathematics giants, why would he be afraid of a mere celebrity? Does he really think he's someone important?"

"Ji Bai has made it crystal clear: don't try to shift the blame to the company, don't try to play the victim. I'm asking you, do you dare to admit it?"

"Season God: I can prove even the Millennium Prize Puzzle, so how can I not prove you've infringed on my copyright?"

……

The two sides engaged in a fierce battle on Weibo, with the hashtag #ShenYizhenInfringement# trending soaring to the top of the list.

Meanwhile, on the top floor of a five-star hotel next to the Shenyang Olympic Sports Center, a celebration banquet for Shen Yizhen's concert was in full swing...