Chapter Nine: The Toppled Dominoes, A Chain Reaction

“What did Bai Ling do wrong? The one at fault is Starlight Entertainment!”
“That’s it, the more I think about it, the angrier I get. I’m so useless—what good is venting on a woman here? I’m going to confront Starlight Entertainment myself!”
“Exactly, staying in this livestream is pointless. Let’s go demand an explanation.”
“Starlight Entertainment is really bullying people.”
“Siblings, let’s charge together!”
“For the sake of our poor Bai Ling, we have to unite!”

Under the weight of guilt, everyone who had been moved by the song naturally rallied together at that moment. After expressing their ‘stance,’ they didn’t hesitate to gather en masse under every PR post by Starlight Entertainment, even flooding the company’s official website with criticism.

“Whoever did wrong, show yourself! Hiding in the shadows—what does that prove?”
“Coward! You have the guts to abuse your power, but not to admit your deeds?”
“Wang Tianhai, I’m talking about you, you gutless coward!”
“So this is the so-called pillar of the nation’s second-tier entertainment industry? Pathetic!”
“The entertainment industry is filthy—Bai Ling’s experience is just the tip of the iceberg.”
“If only someone would clean up this mess.”
“Starlight Entertainment, come out and apologize!”

However, this approach posed little threat to Starlight Entertainment Co., Ltd. They simply closed the comment sections, deleted the messages, and that was that—a standard procedure. In their eyes, after a bit of time, this would all blow over and people would forget.

But unexpectedly, things were different now. The old tactic of coldly ignoring the public no longer worked. At first, it was only the tens of thousands from Bai Ling’s livestream making noise. Their numbers were impressive but not enough to force Starlight to publicly admit fault. Yet, when they lost their outlet, these people naturally dispersed.

They moved to trending topics, forums, and discussion boards, spreading the conversation far beyond the original livestream. At the beginning, the uproar wasn’t so remarkable. Even though many believed Bai Ling was in the right and Starlight Entertainment was in the wrong, the reaction was muted. After all, the world is full of injustices—what’s one more? Especially when it comes to the entertainment industry.

There’s a saying: if you don’t want to get involved in these sordid affairs, don’t wade into muddy waters. If you enter the scene yourself, can you really blame others? Though there’s some sense to it, it’s a cold-hearted view. But what can one do? That’s the way of the world.

As the lyrics of Bai Ling’s song “Undersea” describe: “On the shore, people wear faces of indifference.”

Yet what truly left a mark was not just the emotion Bai Ling conveyed. “Undersea” exploded in popularity! Many viewers uploaded the saved livestream videos to major video sites or used them in online debates. Even though few knew the song’s name, they were all captivated by Bai Ling’s voice—not just its clear, pure quality, but the depth of emotion she poured into her performance.

Anyone who listened to the song in full became utterly absorbed, unable to extricate themselves. This was the power of the performance bonus card.

Once people understood the entire story and realized the injustice Bai Ling had suffered, they recognized her as a victim from the very start—completely innocent. And they couldn’t help but empathize. The more they pitied Bai Ling, the more their anger toward Starlight Entertainment grew, swelling into a tidal wave.

Passionate and indignant, they joined the ranks promoting Bai Ling and condemning Starlight.

Normally, for a little-known actress like Bai Ling, such a stir would have been impossible. Even nearly trending once was nothing significant—time would settle everything. But now, it was as if a domino had been toppled; the song “Undersea” surged like a rolling tide, crashing relentlessly against Starlight Entertainment.

In no time, headlines flooded the trending lists:

“Shameless abuses of power—does the law mean nothing?”
“President Wang of Starlight: ‘I am the law!’”
“Pitiful young Bai Ling driven to despair?”
“Shocking! Top company embroiled in scandal—what’s the truth?”
“Workplace harassment snowballs—firsthand account emerges!”
“One song brings tears—who would have thought it was hers…”

The trending topics were filled with related tags.

Yet the headlines atop the trending list were all peculiar and sensational. But it didn’t matter—anyone clicking in would quickly grasp the full story.

Meanwhile, Bai Ling’s performance reached a wider and wider audience, and Starlight’s predicament grew ever more dire. Wang Tianhai’s phone was ringing off the hook—with calls from PR, furious executives, and data or social media departments asking if they should spend money to suppress the trending topics.

Wang Tianhai was beside himself with frustration, his anger inexpressible.

“Damn it, damn it!”
“Why can’t we contain this?”
“Why can’t we suppress these trending topics?”
“What is the PR department even doing?”
“And you, Zhou Tai!”
“Didn’t you say the girl could sing? Why not nurture her as a talent? Why send her to me?”
“You son of a—!”

Wang Tianhai’s heavy frame trembled as he kicked Zhou Tai. Zhou Tai, meanwhile, felt utterly wronged. What did this have to do with him? Wasn’t it President Wang himself who handpicked Bai Ling? As for her singing ability, he still couldn’t figure it out—not only could she sing, she had stunned everyone. Just look at those lyrics—so perfectly timed, as if written for this very moment. A trap! An absolute trap!

“Bai Ling, you little wretch, you’re definitely out to ruin me. Just wait—your day will come.”

He swore vengefully in his heart.

But at that moment, Bai Ling was oblivious to the storm of public opinion. She looked helplessly at her tear-stained face and muttered, “This performance bonus card is too effective. I’m about to move myself to tears…”