FI CH35: Let the Storm Rage More Fiercely!

The timeline was reversed.

The netizens were in an uproar, madly feasting on the drama. Bai Xuanrui had already hammered down his own timeline, and the company’s was just a submission time. Now, the screen recording Sheng Lingyu posted clearly showed the creation time.

Public opinion reversed in an instant.

— So complete! The entire creative process + the original performance!
— A full 10 days earlier, a direct death blow. [So satisfying]
— Didn’t you ask for the hammer? The giant hammer is here. What else do you have to say? [Looking forward to it] @BaiXuanrui—Rui v
— This is the original! The original is Sheng Lingyu!!
— Ahhh, I knew our Xiao Sheng was the original creator! [crying loudly]

In the flood of comments, almost everyone clicked on the original video, “Ting Yu”. Only then did they discover that the adapted “Ting Yu” was merely “catchy.” Compared to the original, it was the difference between a stone and a piece of jade. The former’s elements were messy, filled with a stiff, over-designed feel. The original “Ting Yu”, on the other hand, was relaxed and natural. With just a simple guitar, the infectiousness of the plucked strings was at its maximum, as if it had written out all struggles and confusion, with a heart still facing the sun.

— Ting Yu, Ling Yu… This is a song written for himself.
— Such deep emotion. In the midst of the masses, he wants to hear his own voice.
— It strikes a chord in my heart. I’m crying. [sobbing]
— To even steal a song someone wrote for themselves, and to change it into something unrecognizable! How shameless can you be?

With the solid proof laid out, netizens dug up the live broadcast video again.

— Oh my god. His song was plagiarized, and it was sung right in front of him!
— Sheng’s ability to adapt on the spot and his mental fortitude are too strong. If it were me, I would have broken down on the spot.
— He can just pull out an original song on the fly! His talent can’t be hidden!!! [thumbs up]
— This part is so heartbreaking to watch.
— This is a real, talented musician! I’m fiercely stanning him! [starry eyes]
…

Wave after wave of popularity surged in. The hot search topic that Bai Xuanrui had spent a fortune on was directly converted to #ShengLingyuListenToJade#, with the popularity even doubling or tripling. Also trending high was #BaiXuanruiPlagiarism#.

However, the topic below was very civilized. Almost no netizens were cursing. There were only enthusiastic onlookers posting screenshot after screenshot, with fan credentials on full display.

— [@AYellowCabbage-xr: A plagiarist who then calls out others. What kind of person is this!] Tagging the main person for you, you’re welcome. @BaiXuanrui—Rui v
— [@LoveRui: Plagiarists’ whole family can die!] Here you go~
— [@BaiFamily’sLittlePudding: The thief crying “thief”! Plagiarism dogs can die!] Sister, great cursing, great cursing, liking this hard~ [heart] [heart]
…

In the vast sea of tags for Bai Xuanrui and his studio, the sharp-eyed onlookers didn’t forget the production team. With the solid proof, the crowd gradually sniffed out the inside story.

— Two identical songs were submitted, and you really didn’t say a word?
— Not only were they scheduled together, but the plagiarized one was put first. [hehe]
— Trash show, trampling on originality to promote a plagiarism dog. [flop for me]
— Bai’s backing is really something else. [smile]
— Don’t hide, come out and explain. @ISingMyHeartOfficialV

…

In the lounge, crash!

Everything on the table was swept to the floor. Bai Xuanrui was about to go mad with anger, yelling at his manager, “What are you standing there for! Get someone to take down the hot searches!”

The manager’s head was throbbing. “All the money was used to buy hot searches. Where are we going to get the money to take them down now?” Besides, if Bai Xuanrui lost his commercial value, the higher-ups wouldn’t support him anymore.

He said, “Let’s figure out some PR first.”

“PR!? Then you guys better—”

While he was losing his mind, the manager’s phone rang. He quickly made a hushing gesture, but before he could even exhale, he held his breath again. It was a call from Director Cen Mu’s side.

As soon as he answered, he heard the direct question, “What’s this about ‘Ting Yu’ being plagiarized? We need an explanation.”

The manager broke out in a sweat. “We participated in the adaptation…”

“Adaptation???”

The person on the other end laughed as if they had heard the most absurd joke, then scoffed, understanding. They didn’t hold back. “Why don’t you just say it’s a derivative work? We’ll contact the original creator directly.”

With that, they hung up with a slap.

“Damn!” The manager clutched his phone, unable to hold back a curse.

However, before he could face Bai Xuanrui’s thunderstorm, his phone vibrated again. It was the brand.
— Your party is suspected of plagiarism, and your reputation has been damaged. The endorsement is terminated. You don’t need to come for the screen test next week.

Fucking hell. It was all over… The manager pinched the bridge of his nose.

Bai Xuanrui simply couldn’t accept it. After cursing out Cen Mu and the brand, he remembered something else. “Right! Didn’t you say my luck had turned? Where’s the master? Get that master for me again!”

The manager, having given up, let him be. “Fine…”

In the small, bright room, Sheng Lingyu held his phone. “Ah, I’ve gained so many fans!”

Lin Su peeked over. “Oh…”

Xuenima peeked over: [Oh…!]

Manager Xi was about to peek over as well when his phone rang. He answered it with a “hello,” then froze. “Ah?… Director Cen, you mean Director Cen Mu!?”

Three heads shot up in unison. ?

Xi’s voice trembled with excitement. “Okay, we’ll talk in person. We’re free, we’re free! Our Xiao Sheng is very free!!”

After hanging up, he wiped his face hard. He took a few seconds to compose himself, looking like he was about to cry. “…Director Cen Mu has taken a liking to your ‘Ting Yu’ and wants to use it as the theme song for his new movie. He’s invited us for a meeting.”

Sheng Lingyu’s mouth slowly fell open.

Xi grabbed him. “Don’t just stand there stunned. Quick, change your clothes! We’re going right now…”

He paused midway through his sentence and looked at Lin Su. “…Ah, Mr. Lin. I-we were supposed to treat you to dinner tonight.”

“Next time. After everything is over…”

Lin Su said as he stood up. He had done what he needed to do. “I should be going back too.”

Just as he was about to leave, Sheng Lingyu called out to him. The latter looked up, his eyes fervent and sincere. “Little Senior, thank you for coming all this way to give me such confidence.”

Lin Su paused for a moment, then shook his head. “I didn’t do anything.”

On the homepage in front of him, all those dusty original videos had been unearthed, garnering hundreds of thousands of likes.

“Your confidence comes from your work.”

Sheng Lingyu’s bright gaze flickered.

Lin Su left after speaking. Before he walked out the door, he turned back and smiled at him. “A bright future awaits.”

Xuenima also squatted on his head, gratified: [Everything is the karmic retribution you deserve.]

“…”

Lin Su snatched it off and left, closing the door.

…

When he returned home, the sun was gradually setting. Lin Su, carrying Xuenima, strolled into the living room and saw an extra figure inside.

He Zhenling was leaning back on the sofa, his long legs crossed. His jacket was already off to the side, and he was casually flipping through a book. Seeing him return, he closed the book and looked up.

Lin Su: ?

Such a realistic mirage.

Before he could poke it with a pen, the other person spoke first. “Been out making waves again?”

…Alright, he’s real.

Lin Su shook his head to clear it. “How did you know?” He said shyly, “Telepathy?”

As his words fell, he saw He Zhenling’s lips move slightly, and then he actually fell silent.

Lin Su: …Huh??

He suddenly remembered something and his gaze slowly fell on the other’s left chest. Under the close-fitting black fabric, the outline of the ring was faintly visible.

It couldn’t be a physical “electric” telepathy…

“What are you looking at.”

He Zhenling looked at him directly.

Lin Su retracted his gaze and walked over to sit down. He naturally probed, “Every time I… prosper, do you feel anything?”

The man in front of him gave a soft laugh. “I do.”

He looked over expectantly. He Zhenling said softly, “I’m happy for you.”

“…”

Lin Su thought: Nima, he’s still so humorous.

[Heh heh.]

But he could basically confirm that He Zhenling could sense the fluctuations in spiritual power generated when he altered fate. This one-sided reaction didn’t affect him, so Lin Su didn’t mind. He even felt eager to try: What if I change one every second, one every second…

He Zhenling was sharp. “What are you thinking?”

Lin Su quietly reined in his thoughts. “I was thinking, what did you come to find me for?” He added, “Of course, you can also come find me even if there’s nothing.”

He Zhenling scoffed, skipping the second half of the sentence. “I came to follow up on the case’s progress.”

Tea was brewed at the table, and a ball of light brought a teacup before him.

Lin Su took a sip. “The fate has been returned to its rightful place. The remaining time is for returning the suffering that person experienced, doubled.”

He Zhenling nodded, asked a few questions about Sheng Lingyu’s situation, then paused and added, “By the way, Bai Xuanrui’s side…”

Just as he was speaking, two knocks sounded at the door. His voice stopped. Lin Su took two seconds to react, then remembered. “Oh, I scheduled the butler today, to make squirrel-shaped mandarin fish and eight-treasure duck.”

He Zhenling: “?”

Lin Su was happy for him. “You’ve come at just the right time. In a bit, I’ll have him show you some color.”

He Zhenling: “…”

Xuenima had already transformed into A’Ma, majestically and skillfully going to open the door. Lin Su watched it leave, then turned his head. “By the way, what were you about to say?”

He Zhenling took a deep breath and pressed his temple. “…Forget it. I don’t want to say anything right now.”

With the butler acting as a workhorse, by the time they sat down to eat, it was already dark outside.

Lin Su and the tall, imposing Xuenima were devouring their food at the table. He Zhenling sat on the side, his posture straight and tall, eating slowly and elegantly while scrolling through his phone.

Lin Su peeked over. “What are you looking at?”

“Following up on a case. Supervisory work.”

“Where are you in the follow-up?”

The phone was handed directly to him.

Lin Su looked down and saw that He Zhenling was also surfing the web on his big blue V account. He paused for two seconds, then was quickly drawn in by the lively content.

The heat was still high and hadn’t died down yet. Following the netizens’ questioning, the “I Sing My Heart” production team had issued a statement in the afternoon, first solemnly apologizing to Sheng Lingyu, saying it was a failure in their review process. Then they threw the blame onto Bai Xuanrui’s side, claiming that a certain “staff member” had failed in their duty and had arranged the performance according to Bai Xuanrui’s side’s request.

Bai Xuanrui’s side was furious, on one hand countering that “there was no such thing,” and on the other, throwing the blame onto the assistant, Xiao Tao, claiming they had bought the song from him and had done “adaptive creation.”

The former assistant, Xiao Tao, was also quickly doxxed and forced to issue a statement saying he was clearly just paid to do a job.

In one afternoon, a grand drama of “dog bites dog” had played out.

It was undoubtedly met with a round of mockery.
— “Adaptive creation,” what a niche definition.
— How did a bunch of plagiarists form a closed loop? [strategic lean back]
— A three-dog standoff.
— “Next one. He bites it, it bites him biting it biting him.” from <<Bite Everywhere>>
— Why are you fighting? All thieves should go to jail! [support]
— You guys continue biting. Let us see how much dirt you can shake out. [holding melon, waiting]
…

Lin Su was swimming in the sea of drama when he suddenly saw another topic rising.

#PlagiarismInCliff’sEdge#

He: “?”

Clicking on it, he saw it was the drama Bai Xuanrui had starred in. Probably following the trail of his misdeed of “plagiarizing a song and then calling out the original creator,” some netizens had gone to dig into the drama that had made him popular, only to discover that the props in that drama were also suspected of plagiarism!

The mask used by the protagonist, played by Bai Xuanrui, had been copied in its design from a blogger with only a thousand followers. The plagiarized blogger had spoken out before, but due to the drama’s high popularity, their voice was suppressed, and they were even cyberbullied by Bai Xuanrui’s fans.

Now that the onlookers had arrived, it was all dug up.
— Holy crap, I thought the mask design was a huge bonus for the character when I was watching the drama. Turns out it was copied.
— Plagiarizing and then cyberbullying the original creator. Your family’s style is truly consistent…
— Remember the variety show’s official announcement before? Bai’s fans almost cyberbullied the main sponsor. [looking at the sky, crying with laughter]
— Hahahahahaha! I’m laughing again just thinking about it.
— Bai Xuanrui’s family are truly masters of cyberbullying…
— Congratulations to Bai Xuanrui on getting a double portion of the plagiarism package. [cheering]

Seeing this, Bai Xuanrui’s fans, who had been hammered to death, immediately fought back in a last-ditch struggle.
— What does the prop design have to do with Xiao Bai?
— Fine, fine, just throw all the plagiarism dirt on Brother Rui!

Netizens immediately laughed.
— It has nothing to do with you guys? Are you saying Bai Xuanrui was just passing through a world of plagiarism?
— The production team should also come out and give an explanation. @CliffsEdgeOfficialV
— You guys are finished for getting involved with BXR!

The heat hadn’t been fermenting for long before the drama’s production team, in an emergency PR move, quickly responded. Probably taking advantage of the “everyone pushes a falling wall” situation, they also directly threw the blame onto Bai Xuanrui. A personal account claiming to be a “production staff member” opportunistically came out with a revelation:

@LittleHe: Um… actually, the lead actor originally in talks for this drama was SLY. S’s side had prepared their own mask as a prop, so the production didn’t prepare one. But right before filming started, it was suddenly changed to BXR. The props team didn’t have time to design one and hastily borrowed from a certain blogger. We solemnly apologize for this and will also purchase the copyright. [bowing]

As soon as the statement came out, it was quickly pushed to the top. The netizens, who were originally just digging up plagiarism, unexpectedly dug up the melon of resource-snatching.
— Holy crap? How much did Bai snatch from Sheng?
— At first I thought he was just a thief, turns out he’s a habitual thief. [lighting a cigarette]
— So it’s really possible to be this shameless…
— Bai is practically snatching things openly with his backing. Which sponsor did he latch onto? [doubt]
— Sheng is so full of talent, yet he’s so tragically suppressed.
— With Xiao Sheng’s craftsmanship, I can already imagine how stunning the mask he made would be.
— Ahhh, damn it, I really want to see it! [crying]

Bai Xuanrui’s remaining die-hard fans were still being sarcastic. “The props SLY made probably weren’t that good anyway.”
“Hehe, who knows, maybe he copied them from somewhere too.”
— “Too”… I say you brain-dead fans… [laughing crying]
…

In front of the screen, Lin Su raised an eyebrow slightly.

A voice came from the side. “What, finished watching?”

He turned off the phone and handed it back to He Zhenling. “Turbulent waves, a bloody storm, but Xiao Sheng is completely victorious. Only some of Bai Gan’s brain-dead fans are still working for nothing. Nothing to fear.”

He Zhenling cast a glance at his commentary and took back the phone.

The general trend was set. Lin Su continued to eat.

Xuenima, having devoured its food, was now thirsty again. “Our soup hasn’t come yet.”

Lin Su smoothed its fur. “Today’s soup has a 15-character name. It should be difficult to cook. Let’s wait a little longer.”

Xuenima: “Who’s having a difficult time, the butler?”

He Zhenling looked at them deeply.

Lin Su was in the middle of lecturing Xuenima about not being too blunt when the phone on the table vibrated. He turned his head and saw it was the production team’s WeChat group. Ke Juexin had tagged Sheng Lingyu.

[Ke Xinxin]: Xiao Sheng, we saw everything online. We’re not trying to ride your popularity, but we have to let you know. Our show’s first episode air time was set a while ago, and it happens to be tonight at 8 PM. @Singing

[Singing]: It’s okay, I know!
[Singing]: Thank you everyone for your concern~ [puppy blooming with flowers]

“…”

Lin Su’s eyes instantly lit up. He slapped the table. “Xiao He! Turn on the screen projection!”

As his words fell, the butler, wearing an apron, appeared at the dining room entrance with the soup.

He Zhenling: “…”

Lin Su looked up and paused. Oh, he had to consider Xiao He’s face. He corrected himself. “Supervisor He, please turn on the screen projection.”

He Zhenling said calmly, “I sound like an AI assistant you keep at home.”

He then turned and went to the living room.

Lin Su shook his head. “You’re always overthinking.”

He also got up and gestured for the butler to bring the soup to the living room with them. In the living room, He Zhenling had already turned on the TV. “Which one do you want to project?”

“Of course, Xiao Ke’s show.”

Lin Su sat down expectantly. “I have a feeling the storm is about to get even more fierce!”

Author’s Note:

Lin Su (punching the air): Let the storm rage more fiercely!
He Zhenling: …Knew you were going to stir up trouble again.
Lin Su: It’s riding the wind and breaking the waves! Setting sail—

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