HDIEUMDBTSB #### Chapter 43: Touching Millions
### Volume 1: The Road to Fame
#### Chapter 43: Touching Millions
Jiang Wan wasn't the only one shaken by Chu Zhi's performance of "Against the Light" in the semifinals. After the TV broadcast, Mango TV racked up over ten million views within the first half-hour. Of course, this didn't mean ten million people watched it, as video platforms have clever ways of counting views. Nevertheless, if the previous episode, featuring Chu Zhi's island version and Li Xingwei's performance, had given "I Am a Singer" a slight edge over "The Masked Singer," the semifinals were a landslide victory. The show's internal and external buzz, despite having popular stars Lin Li and Li Xingwei, was all about Chu Zhi.
"Of course Orange was wronged, isn't it obvious?"
"Previously, when the scandals broke out, Chu Zhi's fans were saying 'it's slander from rivals.' I thought they were delusional, but now I'm thinking, what if they were right?"
"Everything was arranged too neatly. Even if Chu Zhi, a top star, made a huge mistake, he should still have some die-hard fans. But according to my star-chasing cousin, Chu Zhi's two biggest fan leaders started denouncing him, causing internal conflicts. The scandals spread widely just as the fan group was in turmoil. Do you really think that's a coincidence?"
"@LiTingyu_HiddenMarriage, can you provide evidence? You can't just post lengthy accusations. Honestly, I somewhat believed you before. But after watching the semifinals and recalling the gentleness in 'The Wind Blows the Wheat Waves,' I can't believe the Chu Zhi in your accusations and the one on stage are the same person. If it's all fake, then Chu Zhi deserves an Oscar."
"I think everyone should stay rational because this issue hasn't been resolved. Chu Zhi has been wronged, but we can't start a new witch hunt against a possible victim without clarity. I hope the police get involved soon."
Seeing such comments, Dahua Entertainment felt a twinge of fear. It wasn't the support for Chu Zhi that scared them—public opinion is malleable and can be guided. What scared them was that many netizens were starting to think critically, even if their opinions seemed biased.
Milan Kundera once quoted a Jewish proverb in his Jerusalem Prize acceptance speech: "When people think, God laughs." Why does God laugh when people think? Because the more they think, the further they get from the truth. Whether thinking leads people further from the truth is debatable, but it's clear that people's thoughts were diverging from Dahua's planned narrative.
Beyond strong critical thinking and fan resurgence, "Against the Light" showcased Chu Zhi's healing power, as seen with Jiang Wan. Many strangers left messages:
Silent River: "Crying children get candy; that's true. My younger brother was always mischievous, getting all the attention and love. On his birthdays, he'd get gifts and cakes, because if he didn't like the gifts, he'd get upset. On my birthday, I wouldn't even get a cake, let alone a gift. My mother would just say, 'Xiaoxiao is so sensible.' Sensible kids don't get treats. Chu Zhi, don't be too sensible. You've been wronged, but you wipe your tears in secret, afraid to show it. You don't want to burden your audience with your negative emotions. But if you're too sensible, no one will pity you. Look at you."
This post on Weibo garnered over 200,000 likes and many comments.
masu: "The song 'Against the Light' is indeed filled with despair, but I have a high tolerance for tears. I felt the sadness but held back my tears. But when Chu Zhi said, 'I hope everyone who listens to my songs, whether they hate me or hate me, or hate me, will be surrounded by light,' I couldn't hold back. He knows he's universally condemned online and that no one supports him. The people he sees are all hostile. I regret being one of those who tweeted #ChuZhiGetOutOfEntertainment. Now, I'm receiving blessings from someone in despair. Even absurdist literature isn't this absurd.
Being middle-aged and already frustrated with life's troubles, I found Chu Zhi's situation far worse than mine, yet he's still trying to encourage others. If someone in such despair can still give encouragement, why should I remain downcast? I can't be worse off than a young person, can I? The stage of 'Against the Light' healed me.
No matter what the internet says about Chu Zhi being scum, I'll buy his album whenever it's released. Not as a fan, but because the stage healed me.
Hang in there, Chu Zhi. Tomorrow will be better!"
### Volume 1: The Road to Fame
#### Chapter 43: Touching Millions
Responding to the Zhihu thread "What do you think about Chu Zhi's performance in the semifinals of 'I Am a Singer'? Is he really as bad as people say on Weibo?" there have been numerous topics about being healed on Weibo, Zhihu, and Douban.
First, anyone who's used Douban knows that its content often has a literary touch. Just look at the topics recommended by the platform: "What is your ideal relationship like?", "Which hobbies have changed your life's trajectory?", "What is your favorite lyric?" and so on.
A user named "Longlong's Back Molar" posted under the topic "My favorite lyric":
"［I'm in my senior year of high school, with college entrance exams next year. But I felt unwell and went to the hospital, where the doctor told me I might have systemic lupus erythematosus. My grandmother had this disease, and I'm really scared. If it's confirmed, I won't have much time to study, and my condition will be a burden on my family. I was terrified and desperate, but watching Chu Zhi's performance tonight gave me a lot of courage. 'Feeling the love's presence always beside me!' is my favorite lyric. My parents will be my strong support!］"
The chemical reaction of 90% despair combined with the golden song "Against the Light" was indeed overwhelming, so much so that no one anticipated the wave of calm, reflective commentary that would emerge online.
The trilogy—"The Wind Blows the Wheat Waves" changed his image to that of a gentle boy, "Deserted Island" garnered a small wave of fans through sympathy, and "Against the Light" with his withdrawal from the competition due to real hardship, brought in a large wave of fans.
Chu Zhi's Weibo and Instagram accounts had not been updated for two months, and the comment sections were closed. The fans, affectionately called "Little Oranges," had no outlet for their concern.
There's an old saying in "Yanzi's Spring and Autumn Annals": "When the orange grows in the south of the Huai River, it becomes an orange; when it grows in the north, it becomes a trifoliate orange. Though their leaves are similar, their tastes are different."
Previously, Chu Zhi's cheer slogan was: "When the orange grows in the south of the Huai River, it becomes a king; when it grows in the north, it becomes a trifoliate orange. Though their leaves are similar, they will always stay together."
Therefore, his fans called themselves "Orange Fans" or "Little Oranges."
With no outlet, the "Little Oranges" resorted to an age-old fan tradition of thoughtless actions. They found and bombarded the Weibo accounts of stars who had a good relationship or past conflicts with Chu Zhi. The targets were Wei Tongzi, Heng Kouyi, Yang Jun, and Jian Haoyi.
Wei Tongzi was won over by Chu Zhi at their first meeting. Initially, due to Chu Zhi's bad reputation, he didn't dare to speak out in support. But after "Deserted Island" aired, he fully embraced his fandom, frequently posting photos with Chu Zhi, with captions like: "Success in chasing stars. I won’t say much, but I can assure you Jiu Ge has a great temper. No diva behavior at all."
Japanese star Heng Kouyi, after participating in the show, opened a Weibo account and posted mainly in his real name (using kanji instead of hiragana). Even those who didn't understand Japanese could roughly get the gist.
Heng Kouyi was the boldest, praising Chu Zhi fiercely after the first show: "Chu's work 'The Wind Blows the Wheat Waves' is the best I've heard. Isn't Chu a great singer? @EatABigOrange."
To clarify a small rumor: Japan does have punctuation. It's not correct to say they don't. Japan uses interpuncts, periods, and commas. It's just that you won't often see question marks and exclamation marks in formal writing; these are usually represented by "か" in hiragana, known as the ending particle. Exclamation marks and question marks typically appear in convenience store discounts and variety shows.
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