Chapter 11 & 12

Chapter 11: You're Going Down Too

In Blue Star, musicians' resumes on the encyclopedia often highlight significant achievements. For instance, if a Qinzhou musician has entered the top 100 of the season list, this accomplishment will be noted:

"Ranked among the top 100 in the Qinzhou season of x-year x-month."

This accolade speaks volumes about the musician's prestige. Being in the top 100 versus just outside it creates a chasm as vast as night and day.

At this moment, a new song is surging with bullet-like speed, shattering the barrier between these two worlds. The song's name is "Xiaochou."

When "Xiaochou" breached the top 100 of the season chart, Lin Xi noted the precise time: August 20, 4:35 pm. The song had climbed into the top 100 before the workday had even ended!

Lin Xi's knuckles whitened as she grasped her phone. The song's potential empowered her to confidently stride into the company's music promotion department and demand more resources. This was her moment.

Lin Xi hurried to the elevator, her sudden departure and unusual behavior stirring her colleagues' curiosity.

Throughout the day, whether at meals or in the restroom, Lin Xi's eyes never left her phone, punctuated by occasional bursts of odd laughter. If not for a timely reminder from an employee, she would have walked into a door.

Her colleagues speculated: Was she in love? The male employees, in particular, felt a collective pang of disappointment.

Unfazed by their thoughts, Lin Xi focused on "Xiaochou," which held special significance for her—not just professionally, but personally. It was her brother Lin Zhibai's creation, making its success a family victory.

At this point, Lin Xi's immediate task was to secure more promotional resources for the song. Within Shinhwa Music's various departments, the focus was on securing positions within the top 20 or even the top 10 of the season charts.

In particular, the head of Department Eight was under immense pressure, striving to keep their song in the top 10 amidst fierce competition from Nathan Entertainment. The group chat was ablaze with discussions on maintaining their rankings.

Despite these internal battles, no one seemed to notice "Xiaochou" climbing steadily. However, Lin Xi was certain that soon, everyone in Shinhwa would recognize its significance.

Three days after the release of "Xiaochou," on the morning of August 22, singer Sun Wei was feeling the strain. Exhausted from relentless promotions, he checked the season standings as soon as he woke up:

Tenth place:

Song: "Glimmer"

Singer: Qian Zhuan

Composer: Feng Chen

Downloads: 1,481,760

Eleventh place:

Song: "That Autumn"

Singer: Sun Wei

Composer: Liu Bo

Downloads: 1,430,886

Sun Wei felt a chill. He had been overtaken by Nathan's song. Desperation gripped him as he realized the difficulty of regaining his position.

Feeling lost, Sun Wei noticed a new entry in the 16th spot on the season chart:

Song: "Xiaochou"

Singer: Lin Shouzhuo

Composer: Bai Di

Downloads: 1,013,454

Curiosity piqued, Sun Wei played the song. As he listened, he reviewed the song's download trends, noting its meteoric rise—a "J" shaped curve with no troughs.

Realization dawned on Sun Wei: this song was not just a competitor but a force. He glanced back at the top 10, his voice a mix of frustration and satisfaction:

"You're going down too!"

Chapter 12: The Little Flying Stick is Here

By 8:30 AM, many companies were bustling as employees clocked in to start their day.

Shinhwa Entertainment

A group of music department supervisors found their peaceful chat disrupted by an irate voice message. The anger of the minister was palpable:

"Old Liu, get here now! How did you manage to let Nathan take the tenth spot in the season rankings? Just a few days ago, you assured me this wouldn't happen. You've lost your position!"

Before Old Liu could respond, several supervisors chimed in, sharing his predicament:

Supervisor A: "What song of Nathan get to number 10?"

Supervisor B: "Nathan signed a new song on a music variety show last night; it's doing really well."

In Qinzhou, Shinhwa is the leading entertainment company, but in music, Tianguang holds the top spot, followed by Nathan. Shinhwa is a distant third. This month, Shinhwa hoped to challenge Nathan but fell short.

Old Liu had been closely watching the tenth spot. He knew Nathan had overtaken them but hoped to reclaim the position quietly. However, the minister's outburst forced his hand. He decided to play the sympathy card:

"Boss, it's not entirely my fault. Nathan unexpectedly invested in a popular music show, spiking their downloads last night. That wasn't something we could predict!"

The head of the Eleventh Department, holding a grudge against Old Liu, interjected:

"Our department did well with similar resources, coming in sixth this month."

Ignoring the snide remark, Old Liu continued to plead his case:

"Boss, I'll request more resources from the Publicity Department. If we want to beat Nathan, we need all the support we can get!"

The minister remained silent, heightening Old Liu's anxiety:

"We can still close the gap with Nathan. If they can surge ahead, so can we!"

The Thirteenth Department

Meanwhile, in the Thirteenth Department, Lin Xi was watching the rankings and group chat intently. She refreshed the standings:

Tenth place: "Xiaochou" – 1,509,934 downloads

Eleventh place: "Glimmer" – 1,509,876 downloads

Success! "Xiaochou" from the Thirteenth Department had broken into the top ten! Lin Xi was thrilled, her excitement palpable. She took a screenshot to share in the group but hesitated as someone else posted the same news:

"The tenth spot has been replaced!!"

Lin Xi felt a wave of frustration. Others had noticed and posted before her. The chat exploded with reactions:

Supervisor A: "Is this a glitch?"

Supervisor B: "Where did this song come from?"

Supervisor C: "Who owns this song?"

Before Lin Xi could respond, Vice Minister Chen clarified:

"This song is from Shinhwa's Thirteenth Department. The Eighth Department lost their spot, but the Thirteenth reclaimed it for us!"

The chat fell silent. Supervisors were confused and then intrigued as they realized the song was a recent release with incredible download numbers.

Supervisor D: "This song was released just three days ago and has over 1.5 million downloads!"

Supervisor E: "A new song from new artists Bai Di and Lin Shouzhuo!"

The group was abuzz with genuine or feigned admiration. Lin Xi responded with a simple "yes" , feeling both pride and frustration. Supervisors were now aware of the Thirteenth Department's success.

The most conflicted was Old Liu. Staring at the chat, he realized Shinhwa hadn't lost—only he and Nathan had. He reluctantly decided to listen to the song "Xiaochou."

Old Liu gasped at the song's data, recognizing its potential to climb higher in the rankings. He targeted the Eleventh Department's sixth-place song, noting:

"Old Li, can you estimate how high this song might climb?"

The chat grew tense. Supervisors understood the season wasn't over, and this new song was a potential disruptor. Old Li from the Eleventh Department, after analyzing the data, felt uneasy. Despite having over 4 million downloads, the abnormal surge of "Xiaochou" posed a threat.

Old Liu, sensing the opportunity, taunted Old Li in the group:

"The little flying stick is here!" ( TN : the phrase denotes Meteoric Rise )

Old Li was incensed, unwilling to believe that a new song with 1.5 million downloads could dethrone his department's position.

The season rankings battle was far from over, and the outcome remained uncertain.