HDIEUMDBTSB #### Chapter 44: See You at Nine!
### Volume 1: The Road to Fame
#### Chapter 44: See You at Nine!
“Tong Tong, how is Juzi's health? He withdrew from the competition, and just thinking about the impact of the scandals breaks my heart.”
“It's my fault, all my fault. I supported Jiu Ge, but when Chu Zhi's super-topic moderator criticized fans for liking such a star and smearing the fan community, I wavered and ended up hurting Jiu Ge.”
“I see from Weibo that Hengkou-san and Jiu Ge seem to be on good terms. Is there any accurate information?”
“After the performance, Juzi could barely stand. I’m really worried. In the previous episode, Hengkou introduced a doctor, and Juzi said that traditional Chinese medicine couldn’t treat it. Could it be some terminal illness? The more I think about it, the more scared I am!”
Thousands of messages like these poured in. Under normal circumstances, it would be somewhat impolite to question other celebrities in this way, but fans concerned about their idol didn’t care about etiquette.
Wei Tongzi, as one of Chu Zhi's major supporters, promptly replied on social media and in fan groups: “Jiu Ge's health is really poor, to be precise, his mental state is very bad. I noticed during the recording that he was easily distracted and had difficulty concentrating. Despite this, Jiu Ge worked hard to overcome it. He really needs a good rest right now.”
Hengkou Yi had flown back to Tokyo for some urgent business and was so busy that he even missed the rehearsals, so he had no time to respond.
Unlike Hengkou Yi and Wei Tongzi, who formed their relationships with Chu Zhi after his scandals broke out, Yang Jun and Jian Haoyi were the opposite. They had met at an awards ceremony, and Yang and Jian actively sought to befriend Chu Zhi. While calling it "sucking up" might be an exaggeration, they immediately shared and promoted any news about Chu Zhi, whether it was a new single or an endorsement.
Chu Zhi, being a straightforward person, helped them get a lot of resources. Even the leftovers from his top-tier status allowed Yang and Jian to thrive. The head effect is evident in any industry, but it’s particularly pronounced in the entertainment industry, and Chu Zhi used to be at the pinnacle.
Yang and Jian were skilled at going with the flow. After Chu Zhi’s scandals broke, they were the first to distance themselves from him.
But the most dramatic was Jian Haoyi, who posted a heartfelt message:
“Jiu Ge, this will be the last time I call you that. What you've done might not be illegal, but it's certainly immoral. As public figures, we should uphold basic moral standards and promote positive energy. We aren’t afraid of mistakes as long as we correct them earnestly. If you can correct yourself, I will always stand by you. You will always be my Jiu Ge!”
Although Jian didn't mention the allegations of extramarital affairs and secret marriages, his words implied that all the rumors were true.
His behavior was reminiscent of the infamous "Knife Party" led by Du. To provide some context, during the filming of "Rain of Bullets," actress Bian claimed that actor Yin Xiaotian had pulled her hair and hit her. Despite the lack of evidence, Du took Bian’s side, leading a group of celebrities to criticize Yin and demand an apology. The situation flipped when a video showed no such assault occurred—only minor shoving, primarily initiated by Bian. However, by then, it was too late; Yin's reputation had suffered, and his endorsements were terminated, one of which was taken over by Du.
Chu Zhi’s endorsements were all high-end, beyond Jian’s reach, but Jian still managed to gain some fans by marketing himself as a moral figure.
“Weren’t you with Juzi? How’s his health?”
“Seems fake. Participated in the third episode of 'I Am a Singer' but no updates? Always with him? Haha.”
“Fake virtue. Since that 'forever my Jiu Ge' post, no interaction at all.”
“The allegations of secret marriage, extramarital affairs, and patronage haven’t been confirmed. Why are you speaking out?”
Jian also had his own fans, leading to arguments in the comments between his fans and Chu Zhi’s “Little Oranges.”
In the crew’s dressing room, Jian Haoyi browsed Weibo, his expression as indifferent as an old man on a subway reading the news. He didn’t understand why, despite being widely condemned, his “good brother” Chu Zhi could still bounce back. Was it his face that gave him such resilience?
“He can write songs?” Upon reflection, Jian realized that "The Wind Blows the Wheat Waves" and "Against the Light" were indeed great songs. But why did such good songs come from him? It was truly frustrating.
More frustratingly, Jian Haoyi couldn't help but be struck by Chu Zhi's handsomeness during the semifinals, muttering to himself, "Either this face is Nuwa's show-off work, or it's her graduation project."
There were other actors in the dressing room, and since Jian Haoyi didn't have his headphones, the volume on his phone was low. He wasn't moved by the despair in Chu Zhi's voice, only captivated by his appearance.
Slap! Jian Haoyi lightly slapped the back of his head to snap himself out of it. Could black really turn into white? Jian Haoyi, who had accumulated popularity through singing and was now acting in dramas, believed Chu Zhi could never catch up, so he didn't need to worry.
Despite his claimed indifference, Jian Haoyi still instructed his manager to calm the arguments on Weibo. He thought that the fans who unfollowed Chu Zhi before the semifinals were just feeling guilty, and letting them vent for a while would solve the problem.
However, Jian Haoyi didn’t anticipate the follow-up events...
Mango TV has many flaws worth criticizing, such as its tendency to stir up trouble in post-production, editing certain stars to appear annoying or creating conflicts among guests. But it excels at one thing: promotion. Mango TV ranks second to none in this area, and no other TV station dares to claim first place.
First, several official Weibo accounts with millions of followers, including Mango TV, I Am a Superstar, Mango TV, Mango Pick, and Mango Entertainment, all reposted the same message. The original posts came from the accounts “Xiaomang Tea Talk Invite” and “Huang Youru.”
Xiaomang Tea Talk Invite: “[#Chu Zhi's Response#] @Huang Youru_ invites @ChugeDajuzi_ to a tea talk, looking forward to the first direct response on the hot topics discussed online. Broadcast at 21:00 on Mango TV, members can watch in advance! #WatchXiaomangTeaTalkonMangoTV# #DontMissIt#]”
Huang Youru: “[#Chu Zhi's Response#] Eating melons on the front row. @XiaomangTeaTalkInvite_ @ChugeDajuzi]”
Instantly, it trended on Weibo, sparking intense discussion.
The fire was fanned, stirring up the controversy even more!
The excitement was like spicy stir-fried intestines and deep-fried peanuts—highly anticipated.
Dahua Entertainment had no chance to intervene. Mango TV's rapid succession of promotional moves left Dahua with no time to react. How could they counter this? Come back from the dead?
Marketing accounts that thrive on sensationalism added fuel to the fire. The account [Dong Ge’s Gossip] had reported a few months ago with the title: “The First Big Scandal of the Semester: The True Face of Top Star Chu Zhi, Wake Up from Your Obsession, Fans!” Now, the title read: “Beware of Online Judgments: What Is the Truth Behind Chu Zhi's Incident? Let's Wait and See!”
The same exclamation marks, but the content was entirely opposite. This is how marketing accounts operate; their only stance is to blow up the news. Channels like UC, Douyin, Kuaishou, and Kankan were quickly occupied by these accounts, further spreading the news of Chu Zhi’s upcoming interview.
With only a day until the tea talk show aired, time flew by in a blink.
For working people, it was a day of toil or slacking off; for students, a day of playing or studying hard; for the elderly, a day of chess or watching short videos. Everyone spent the day differently, but for many workers and students, 9 PM tonight was unmissable.
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