Chapter 124: The Air Thick with Gunpowder

"How are you holding up? Can you still take it?" Qin Lulu called that evening. In the video, she looked exhausted; she was clearly at a film set, having just finished her shift.

"I'm fine. This level of pressure doesn't scare me," Lin Qihua said with a smile.

"I wanted to speak up for you, but I received a call from an incredibly influential senior. They warned all of us artists who are close to you not to get involved in this public opinion war, or else our studios would face comprehensive suppression. The pressure is too great, and since you don't have any evidence to prove your innocence, anything I say would be useless." Qin Lulu looked helpless. She felt guilty toward Lin Qihua—not just because he was her junior apprentice brother who had done her favors, but more importantly, because when Han Dong left Beijing, she had taken on the responsibility of looking after him. Now, she felt powerless, which filled her with remorse.

"Don't worry about it," Lin Qihua comforted her. "As a superstar, Yu Wenhao wields power that a standard A-list celebrity simply cannot withstand. I completely understand."

"You knew he was behind this?" Qin Lulu gasped.

"Yes, and not only that, I know his manager, Chen Yan, is the one personally pulling the strings," Lin Qihua smiled. "There is a long history behind this. I suppose I’m just a bystander caught in the crossfire of a burning city gate. But what choice did I have when I encountered someone like Tang Zhijie? Could I just stand by and watch a girl get ruined? The matter started because of me, so it is only reasonable that I bear the consequences."

"Be very careful. Their tactics are vicious. This definitely won't be the end of it; if this move fails, they’ll surely have another one ready," Qin Lulu warned.

"I understand. Don't worry."

After hanging up, several other friends called to express their concern and their apologies for being unable to help. Lin Qihua took it in stride. Aside from Qin Lulu, the others were merely acquaintances. It was unreasonable to expect them to risk their careers to confront a superstar for his sake; he didn't have the status or the depth of relationship to ask for that. That Lu Zhixhen had even offered minor help was already quite generous.

There was no way around it; this was the reality of the entertainment industry. He was still just a fifth-tier artist, his status low, and a superstar could crush him with ease. He didn't even need to lift a finger—his mere influence was enough to pin him to the ground. The only things keeping Lin Qihua standing were the massive popularity and fan base brought by *The Singer*, and the steadfast support of Galaxy Entertainment.

As long as Yu Fengqin remained unaffected, it would be difficult for Yu Wenhao to strike him through other means. He could only continue to smear him through public opinion, hoping to drive away his fans, subject him to immense pressure, or force a breakdown. Furthermore, he aimed to influence the audience's perception through the media, hoping to cause Lin Qihua to perform poorly in this weekend's *The Singer* competition and get eliminated. Whether that would happen remained to be seen, but it was no longer the most important thing. He had to keep a level head and face the situation correctly. The priority was salvaging his image. A lie repeated a thousand times becomes the truth; with entertainment media bombarding him, he didn't know if his fans would be able to hold the line.

Tang Zhijie and his group certainly wouldn't give up. Otherwise, wouldn't they just be lifting a rock only to drop it on their own feet?

The next day, the flames of war were rekindled.

This time, it was other artists who stepped forward.

At nine in the morning, Liu Ruoyan, an artist from Xinghui Entertainment, stepped up. On her social media platform, she reposted Tang Zhijie’s commentary and added her own message: "As a witness on that night, I can testify that Lin Qihua did indeed confront Teacher Tang. His arrogant demeanor still leaves me unsettled. I support Teacher Tang; such an artist has no place in our entertainment industry. I strongly urge that he be expelled to restore peace to the industry."

She was the first artist to step out and accuse Lin Qihua, and since she had no apparent connection to Tang Zhijie, the impact was massive. The media, having spent the night preparing, quickly followed up with reports, harshly criticizing Lin Qihua from every angle.

The audience, who had been watching from the sidelines, was quickly swayed by public opinion, launching a new wave of attacks against Lin Qihua.

"It’s her?" Yu Fengqin looked sorrowful. "I never expected it to be her."

"Liu Ruoyan is an A-list artist who defected from us a while back," He Li explained to Lin Qihua. "Sister Qin used to treat her very well. It's no wonder Sister Qin is so heartbroken that she would stab us in the back at a time like this."

Lin Qihua nodded. "That makes sense. It seems Xinghui Entertainment has joined the fray."

"It's not just joining; it's an alliance," Yu Fengqin said calmly. "Chen Jian is full of malice. To deal with us, he will stop at nothing. I suspect these schemes are all his doing, and today he couldn't hold back and decided to take the field himself."

Recalling the impression Chen Jian had left on him when he visited that night, Lin Qihua agreed with Yu Fengqin.

Liu Ruoyan's act wasn't the end. By noon, several more artists from Xinghui Entertainment had stepped forward to condemn Lin Qihua and Galaxy Entertainment. They held a special status: they were all former Galaxy Entertainment artists who had moved to Xinghui. Their simultaneous condemnation had a devastating impact, allowing public opinion to once again overwhelm Galaxy Entertainment and turn into a full-scale assault.

He Li quickly organized a counterattack. She directly pointed out that in recent years, Xinghui Entertainment had spared no effort in using unscrupulous means to compete with Galaxy, waving checks to poach Galaxy’s main artists and leaving the company severely weakened. These artists had betrayed Galaxy for money and fame, disregarding years of cultivation. If Galaxy had wronged them, or if it had been a standard career move, Galaxy wouldn't have minded. But such ruthless tactics were hard to accept. How could such ungrateful artists have the face to stand in the industry? Now, when Galaxy was in a difficult position, they were the ones stepping forward to deliver a bloody blow to the company that had raised them. Isn't it chilling? One could only imagine the credibility of their words.

The counterattack from the "Morning Stars" (Lin Qihua's fan base) was sharp and precise, hitting Xinghui Entertainment's Achilles' heel: the fact that these artists were poached using dishonorable means. Artists who attack their former company were morally flawed to begin with. Taking this step was a blunder. However, the fans and media backing these artists argued that it was because Galaxy Entertainment was unfair to them that they left. Now, they were supposedly standing up because Galaxy was in the wrong for protecting a morally corrupt artist. They claimed this proved that Galaxy had serious problems, and the fact that an artist like Lin Qihua could thrive there showed the company wasn't worth following.

The "Morning Stars" did not back down. They retorted directly: "If the company was unfair, please provide evidence. After these artists left, only one second-tier and a few third-tier artists remained. Who exactly was being treated unfairly? Who benefited? As for whether Lin Qihua is 'good'—when the company was in crisis, he was the one who turned the tide. With his creative talent, he allowed the company's remaining artists to shine to their fullest. That is why the company values him so much."

The conflict had turned into a war between the "Morning Stars" and various factions. By sticking to the key point of "evidence," the "Morning Stars" refused to budge. Anyone who attacked was met with a relentless response. Their combat effectiveness was off the charts, leaving all parties stunned. Just as Tang Zhijie didn't always personally engage in mud-slinging—preferring to use the media to open up the situation before delivering a final blow—Lin Qihua had only issued his clarification at the start. Since then, the "Morning Stars" had been holding the front line. Though they couldn't stop the overwhelming tide of media opinion, they prevented the situation from becoming completely one-sided. At the very least, Lin Qihua's fans could see the "Morning Stars" fighting tirelessly for their idol, giving them a belief to hold onto: "If the 'Morning Stars' are still holding on, why should I give up so quickly?" If Lin Qihua were truly morally corrupt, how could so many people in the "Morning Stars" faithfully defend him?

In other words, the existence of the "Morning Stars" didn't just hold the last line of defense in public opinion; it let everyone watching know that as long as they stood firm, Lin Qihua wouldn't be defeated. It kept the fans' faith from collapsing. At the very least, they didn't immediately turn against him, instead adopting a wait-and-see attitude. Even that was a massive achievement. With the support of his fans, Lin Qihua could continue to face everything with strength.

At noon, the security guards downstairs reported a new situation.

"Fans are protesting downstairs with banners?" He Li stood up abruptly, nearly falling over in her agitation.

"Yes, about a hundred of them," the security guard reported.

"Are there any reporters following?"

"Yes, I see quite a few holding equipment and carrying cameras."

"I'll go," Lin Qihua stood up. "The fans are here to see me; I have to show my face."

"No," Yu Fengqin and He Li shouted simultaneously. "The fans will get emotional when they see you. If something happens, it will be a huge disaster."

"I'll go down first," Chang Yan stood up. "Sister Lin and Zixuan can continue here. The rest of you follow me to meet the fans. Our 'Morning Stars' are meant to communicate with the fans anyway. Representing Qihua to meet them is the most appropriate. If needed, Qihua can come down later."

"Good." Seeing no better option, He Li agreed. "Have the company's security concentrate at the entrance, and report the situation to the police immediately to avoid any mass incidents. If something goes wrong, we won't be able to explain it; even if it's not our fault, it will look like it is."

"Understood," everyone agreed.