novelinnhs Chapter 101 Dynasty Entertainment Declares War? Whoever Loses Retires!
Chapter 101 Dynasty Entertainment Declares War? Whoever Loses Retires!
The morning sunlight, like scattered gold dust, spills into the luxurious restaurant of Genting Highlands.
The air was filled with a rich aroma of milk and wheat, which was the French toast and pumpkin soup that Lin Zhou had made early in the morning with his [god-level culinary skills].
"Dad, this is so delicious!"
Nuonuo sat in her high chair, her little mouth smeared with yellow pumpkin soup, and she ate with great relish.
Lin Zhou, wearing an apron, was patiently wiping her mouth with a kind, fatherly smile on his face.
"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."
At the other end of the dining table, Su Qingge, dressed in comfortable loungewear, was holding a cup of hot milk and reading financial news.
She was in a good mood.
very good.
On the screen, Starry Sky Media's stock price chart showed a sea of red, hitting the daily limit within ten minutes of the market opening.
All of this is thanks to the song "Legend" that came out of nowhere.
A single song not only saved a company on the verge of bankruptcy but also propelled her back to the forefront of public opinion. Now, the entire internet is discussing the mysterious identity of "Qilin" and Su Qingge's triumphant return, while those negative articles about her being "outdated" or "lacking talent" have long been swept away without a trace.
"Lin Zhou".
Su Qingge put down her phone and looked at the man feeding her daughter, a slight smile involuntarily creeping onto her lips.
Although this guy isn't a "Qilin," it's undeniable that his luck seems to have improved since his "personality changed drastically."
"What's wrong, honey? Do you think your husband looks especially handsome today?" Lin Zhou looked up and raised an eyebrow at her.
"Handsome my foot!"
Su Qingge rolled her eyes at him, but there was no hint of disdain in her tone. Instead, her voice carried a rare gentleness. "Are you free this afternoon? Come with me to pick out a piano for Nuonuo."
"Yes, sir!"
Lin Zhou agreed with a smile.
Warm and harmonious.
The sun shines brightly, and life is peaceful.
This scene is like a still image in an oil painting, so beautiful that one doesn't want to disturb it.
However, the calm surface of a lake often conceals the most turbulent eddies.
Just then.
Su Qingge's phone, which was on the dining table, suddenly started ringing frantically and hysterically.
It wasn't a phone call, but countless news feeds and @mentions, coming in a deluge like a machine gun, that instantly froze my phone screen.
"Buzzing—"
The deafening vibration shattered the restaurant's tranquility.
"What happened?"
Su Qingge frowned and picked up her phone. Because of too many notifications, the screen was so laggy she couldn't move it and had to restart it.
In the few seconds it took for the computer to boot up, an ominous premonition loomed over her like a dark cloud.
At the same time, Lin Zhou's phone rang.
The call was from the company's CEO, Mr. Li. As soon as the call connected, Mr. Li's furious roar came from the other end:
"Lin Zhou! Check Weibo! Zhou Lixing, that madman, is going to fight us to the death!"
Weibo?
Lin Zhou's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly clicked on it.
Before the opening screen could even finish displaying "GG," a blood-red "Explode" character was smeared directly onto his face.
The top trending topic was simply two names and a bet, without any extraneous keywords:
Zhou Lixing vs. Su Qingge, the loser retires from the entertainment industry.
Lin Zhou's pupils suddenly contracted.
Click on the entry.
The pinned post was a message released precisely at 8:00 AM by the official Weibo account of Dynasty Entertainment, with extremely arrogant wording, bordering on a "suicide attack."
[Challenge]
To Starry Sky Media and Ms. Su Qingge:
"We have serious doubts about the song 'Legend' released by you yesterday and the so-called 'mysterious producer Qilin' behind it."
"A 'ghost' who disappeared for seven years and whose background and resume cannot be found suddenly appeared out of nowhere at the critical moment of your company's life and death and 'coincidentally' created a hit song whose style is highly consistent with Ms. Su Qingge. All of this is too coincidental and even full of the stench of capital operation."
"We have reason to suspect that the so-called 'Qilin' is nothing more than a fabricated persona maliciously created by Starry Sky Media to salvage its stock price and deceive the public! Behind it, there is likely a professional team of ghostwriters manipulating the story!"
"This behavior is not only a desecration of original music but also a fraud against the vast number of fans!"
"To defend the authenticity and purity of the Chinese music scene, I, Zhou Lixing, in my personal capacity as the young heir and music director of Dynasty Entertainment, formally challenge Ms. Su Qingge!"
"The Golden Melody Awards ceremony will be held one month later."
"We'll each submit a new song to the market and professional judges for evaluation. Whoever's song has the lower overall metrics (including sales, streams, and professional ratings) will be publicly announced—"
"Permanently retiring from the music industry!"
"Ms. Su Qingge, do you dare accept the challenge?!"
This letter of challenge is venomous in every word.
Every word was like a poisoned knife, not only completely denying the existence of the "Qilin," but also pushing Su Qingge into a desperate situation where there was no end to it.
Should we accept the challenge?
With only one song, "Legend," how can he compete with Zhou Lixing, who has the support of the entire Dynasty Entertainment production team behind him?
Should we not fight?
That would confirm their guilty conscience and that "Qilin" is a scam. At that point, not only will Starry Sky Media's stock price collapse, but its reputation will also be completely ruined.
This is an open conspiracy.
A vicious conspiracy disguised as "justice" and "honor"!
"A madman! This madman!"
Su Qingge finally saw the challenge letter, and she was so angry that she trembled all over and almost crushed her phone in her hand.
She wasn't afraid of losing.
She never imagined Zhou Lixing would be so despicable! He was even willing to gamble his own career to suppress her!
"Mom...Mom?"
Nuonuo was startled by Su Qingge's sudden outburst of aura and whispered a sound.
"It's okay, Nuonuo, be good and eat."
Su Qingge took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the anger and panic in her heart, and forced a smile that looked worse than crying at her daughter.
But Lin Zhou could see clearly that her fingertips were trembling and deep in her eyes was an unconcealable powerlessness and...fear.
Yes, fear.
She wasn't afraid of losing; she was afraid that the "Qilin" that had finally reappeared would disappear again because of this high-stakes gamble.
She was afraid that she would lose the light that had once saved her again.
"Wife."
Lin Zhou put down his chopsticks, stood up, and walked behind Su Qingge.
He didn't say anything to comfort her, but simply reached out and gently, yet with unwavering determination, grasped her cold shoulder.
The warmth of the palm was continuously transmitted through the thin fabric.
"Don't panic."
Lin Zhou's voice was steady, like a reassuring pill: "The sky won't fall down."
"But…"
Su Qingge turned to look at him, her eyes red-rimmed. "He's trying to kill us. A month...where am I supposed to find a song that can beat his?"
"Who said they were looking for someone?"
Lin Zhou smiled, his eyes radiating a reassuring confidence.
He picked up a napkin from the table and gently wiped away the milk stains from the corner of Su Qingge's mouth, his movements as tender as if he were handling a rare treasure.
"Didn't he want war?"
Lin Zhou looked into Su Qingge's eyes and said clearly and forcefully, word by word:
"Then let's fight."
Wasn't he questioning the "Qilin" brand?
"Then let's have 'Qilin' uproot him and his Dynasty Entertainment."
...
The master bedroom light stayed on for a long time that night.
Su Qingge tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep.
The challenge letter felt like a heavy mountain pressing down on her heart, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
She kept refreshing Weibo.
The hashtag #DoesSuQinggeDareToAcceptTheChallenge# has already climbed to the top of the trending searches.
In the comments section, Zhou Lixing's fans and online trolls dominated, spewing all sorts of sarcastic and offensive remarks.
"Getting scared, huh? Can't keep up the act anymore, can you?"
"You've got the guts to release a song, but not the guts to accept the challenge? That's hilarious."
"Waiting for Su Qingge to announce her retirement from the music industry; the Chinese music scene is long overdue for a fresh start."
The immense pressure overwhelmed her like a tidal wave.
She even began to doubt whether she had really made a mistake. Should she have been more forceful in rejecting Zhou Lixing? If only she had…
Just as she was lost in thought and almost consumed by anxiety,
A very soft and soothing guitar melody suddenly broke the silence of the bedroom.
Su Qingge was taken aback and turned her head.
Lin Zhou had somehow moved a chair and was sitting by her bedside. He held the ukulele Su Qingge usually used for practice in his arms, his slender fingers gently plucking the strings.
He didn't look at her, but instead lowered his eyes to look at the zither in his arms.
Moonlight streamed through the window screen, casting a gentle glow upon him.
"Let me look at you one more time, from south to north..."
"It's like having your eyes blindfolded by the Fifth Ring Road..."
He spoke.
Without using any singing techniques, he simply hummed a melody she had never heard before in her ear with the simplest and gentlest breathy voice.
The melody was simple, even carrying a hint of sadness and melancholy.
But that voice was like a pair of warm, large hands gently smoothing out all the wrinkles and anxieties in her heart.
Su Qingge's breathing gradually calmed down.
She looked at the man playing and singing for her under the moonlight, and her eyes unconsciously welled up with tears.
"Let me hear it one more time, the most beautiful line..."
"You're home, I'm waiting for you..."
The singing grew fainter and fainter, fading into the distance.
Su Qingge's eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
In the last second before she completely drifted off to sleep, she vaguely thought:
This song... is really good.
What's your name?
However, what she didn't know was...
Lin Zhou did not stop after she fell into a deep sleep.
He put down his ukulele, took out his phone, and looked at the familiar name on the screen, a name he hadn't contacted in a long time, by the moonlight.
[Plan B, activated.]
He edited a short message, clicked send, and then deleted all records.
After doing all this, he looked up at the unfathomable night outside the window, his eyes becoming complex and profound.
Zhou Lixing, do you think this is just a war in the music industry?
No.
You've messed with the wrong person.
This game began the moment you decided to mess with my wife…
There's no turning back.