Chapter Ten: One Million Followers, Fanning the Flames

Yes!

Everyone believed that during her performance, Bai Ling was so deeply immersed in her emotions that she couldn’t extricate herself. Some even thought she had fallen into the same state as described in the lyrics—grievance, despair, and even thoughts of ending it all.

After all, Bai Ling appeared to be a frail and delicate woman. And what she had been through was not something an average person could easily endure.

But in reality…

Bai Ling was simply a bit shaken by the effect of the aura. As for whether she had truly sunk into utter hopelessness or entertained any self-destructive thoughts—what nonsense!

However, once she collected herself, Bai Ling found herself looking forward to what would come next. After all, she had chosen the song “Underwater” for a reason.

First, the song's mood perfectly matched her current situation, making it the ideal piece for a counterattack and a heartfelt protest. Second, the song had once been a chart-topping hit; among all the viral internet songs, this one carried considerable weight.

Although this world was a parallel one, distinct from her previous life, she doubted that people’s tastes would differ too greatly.

So, after tonight’s livestream, could Bai Ling stage a dramatic comeback?

As it turned out, even Bai Ling had underestimated the situation!

That night, Bai Ling went to bed early. Now that she truly was a young woman, she couldn’t afford to stay up late. Otherwise, she would lose her greatest asset, wouldn’t she?

As for being called a “pretty face”—was that a problem? What a joke! Isn’t that a compliment? Don’t men love being called “handsome” or “making a living off their looks”? That’s a lifelong pursuit!

The next morning, when Bai Ling woke, a familiar voice from the system echoed in her mind.

“Congratulations, Host, for successfully resolving your personal crisis and gaining a certain degree of fame and prestige. The system rewards are now being distributed!”

“Congratulations, Host, you have received ‘God-tier Makeup Skills’!”

“Due to your outstanding performance in this event, the system will grant you an additional mystery box reward!”

“Please accept your rewards!”

Half-awake, Bai Ling was baffled.

What? She had expected to be rewarded with something like god-tier makeup skills for her good performance. But an extra mystery box? What did that even mean?

“System, you’re being so generous?”

“No, wait—just how intense was the reaction yesterday, for you to bestow such a lavish gift?”

Gradually sobering up, Bai Ling jolted to attention. She grabbed her phone and started surfing the web.

Immediately, her screen was flooded with trending search terms. Bai Ling didn’t even need to search for herself—her name was everywhere. The forums, trending topics, all of it.

What was most different from yesterday was that the negative comments had dwindled significantly. Now, only the die-hard fans of her former groupmates kept up the tirade, insisting Bai Ling was nothing but a schemer.

As for Bai Ling’s live singing and the “skills” she had displayed, they simply pretended it didn’t exist, keeping their defenses up and refusing to mention it.

On the other hand, those who had always found Bai Ling interesting—or had been her fans from the start—were now strutting with pride. Even bystanders were drawn in by Bai Ling’s “ordeal” and “voice,” joining the swelling tide of public opinion.

They were armed and unstoppable, fighting fiercely on this invisible, smokeless battlefield.

As for the opposition…

Starshine Entertainment and the artists who came forward to support the company were utterly overwhelmed. Even the die-hard fans who clung to their defensive lines couldn’t withstand this tidal wave of pressure. The hired trolls brought in by Starshine had also fled in defeat.

“Starshine Entertainment, say something!!!”

“Has Wang Tianhai gotten so used to hiding in his shell that he won’t come out now?”

“What a joke! Didn’t they publish a pile of press releases yesterday? Why so quiet today?”

“We still don’t know how Bai Ling is doing—she’s been silent for almost fourteen hours. I’m really worried.”

“Yeah, I wonder if she’s alright.”

“I hope nothing bad has happened. She’s so talented and beautiful—her singing is incredible. It’s The Light that doesn’t deserve her. Please, let nothing happen to our girl.”

“Exactly! She’s got what it takes to be a singer, but they made her dance and serve as a background prop. The people at Starshine are truly hopeless.”

“This is what they call the industry’s top standard? What a laugh…”

Seeing fans and bystanders speaking up for her, Bai Ling couldn’t help but smile.

See? This is what happens when you cross me.

She let out a long breath, lazily shifted her position, and hugged her cat-shaped pillow.

Now that was comfort.

Of course, seeing people worry about her—thinking that her fourteen-hour absence might mean something was wrong—Bai Ling felt a twinge of guilt, a prick of conscience.

After all…it was her own fault for sleeping in.

After some thought, she decided to post an update to ease her conscience.

Opening her account, she was stunned.

What the—!

Ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand…a million!

No way!

Bai Ling was dumbfounded. Her account had barely scraped together a hundred thousand followers before, most of them bots she’d paid for. But overnight, her follower count had exploded tenfold. Now, she was a bona fide social media influencer with a million fans.

How terrifying…

This was too fast.

Only now did Bai Ling understand why the system’s rewards were so generous.

Time to take off! Looks like my days of a lazy, idle life are over! Let’s go!

Bai Ling was so excited she nearly bounced out of bed.

But to bounce, you have to get up first. So, her toes made first contact with the cold indifference of the world. Then she quickly pulled them back.

Well, no need to get too excited. Stay humble, stay cautious. I’ll lie here a little longer…

System: I still prefer you when you’re full of fighting spirit…

Two minutes later, a fresh, heartfelt update appeared on her social media account.

“Spent the whole night awake, still can’t figure out what I did wrong. Perhaps this is just sadness and helplessness. Thank you all for your concern…”

After posting a message to reassure everyone, Bai Ling delightedly watched as a flood of caring and debate-filled comments poured in beneath her post.

Then she switched to browsing the various social platforms and forums.

The ever-increasing comment counts and the relentless criticism of Starshine Entertainment brought a bright curve to her lips.

This feeling was no less exhilarating than making a million overnight.

Isn’t living all about feeling alive?

Of course, if she could make a million a day while lying in bed, Bai Ling wouldn’t complain about that either.