After finishing everything, Chu Lian opened her browser and logged into her M Station account to check the comments she had posted.
In just over two hours, her comment had surpassed the previous top two hot comments, ranking first with nearly seven hundred likes and over a hundred replies. Most of these replies were from her supporters:
"BlackNeko-chan is awesome, waiting for the face-slapping moment."
"BlackNeko has spoken, live performance, no explanation needed, that'll be the ultimate slap. I want to see comment #1588 live-stream eat crap, thanks."
"BlackNeko Queen is so domineering, please whip me..."
"BlackNeko-chan may be petite but she's fierce! Flat is justice, and she rules the world with her flat chest!"
Alright, she really shouldn't have expected her fans to speak like normal people. But still, these words warmed her heart, because she could tell that most of them were die-hard fans.
Some were book fans, some liked her personally, some were just fed up with the people attacking her, and some came specifically to support her.
Regardless of their reasons, the fact that they supported her now was the greatest compliment she could receive. Even if not for herself, she had to work hard for their sake.
When she checked her private messages, the first few were fairly normal—some attacks, some praise, some confusion, and some friend requests. But one message made her eyes narrow slightly. The sender was unfamiliar, but the signature at the end read "Xingguang Media."
The message read:
"A genius without strong protection will fall quickly. The same goes for someone too beautiful. The world is full of people who can destroy the weak in an instant, especially those who don't know their place."
"It doesn't feel good to be attacked, does it? That's because you don't have a backing. No matter how talented or beautiful you are, without support, people will still hate you. The only way to solve this is to find a powerful backer. With such backing, you'll have the confidence to speak out."
"If you and your sister are willing to accept our company's invitation and sign with us as artists, we promise to use our greatest resources to nurture you and make you the brightest stars in Huaxia."
"With our company's protection, no one will dare to question or criticize you anymore. As a star, you'll enjoy the most glamorous lifestyle and be treated like a princess."
"Let me tell you something in confidence—this wasn't supposed to be disclosed, but to show our sincerity, I'll say it anyway: in recent years, our company has been the fastest-growing entertainment company. We have no shortage of newcomers or big names. What we lack now is someone who can represent Huaxia on the global stage. We believe you and your sister have that potential, and we've even discussed it in a previous meeting and reached an agreement."
"If you join us, you'll enjoy the best treatment, the richest resources, and the best mentors. We'll help you connect with Hollywood and other international companies for world tours, albums, and movies. All this can be yours, just say yes."
A long list of benefits and incentives followed. On the surface, it might tempt many people. But if one looked closely at the hidden restrictions in the contract terms, it would be obvious this was no opportunity—it was a trap.
"Clause ①: Initial contract duration is ten years. During these ten years, Party B (Chu Lian) may not terminate the contract voluntarily or for any reason. After the term ends, Party A has the right to propose renewal or amendment. If Party B refuses, they may not join any other company for five years, and all works produced under Party A will remain its property without compensation."
"Clause ②: During the contract period, Party A has the right to decide all performances and invitations for Party B. Party B may not accept any work outside of what Party A arranges."
"Clause ③: Party A has the right to determine Party B's development direction, and Party B must comply with all reasonable suggestions proposed by Party A."
...
In total, more than a dozen clauses could be summed up as: "We are your boss—you have to do whatever we say. Everything we assign, you must complete seriously. Otherwise, no allowance, and we'll lock you at home. Even if you're an adult and don't live here anymore, you still owe us for all the food, clothing, and money over the years, and you can't marry for five years…"
If someone only looked at the listed benefits without carefully examining the clauses, they'd be walking straight into a trap.
Sure enough, no matter how sweet their words were, when it came to setting a trap, they wouldn't hold back. And coming at her so hastily—wasn't it obvious they were behind the recent smear campaign?
It seemed her emergence had indeed caught a lot of attention. They had seen her potential—and even more, Ayase's beauty. With their looks alone, even if their music careers didn't take off, they wouldn't be a loss.
Those so-called top-tier benefits were probably standard for everyone. They probably assumed she'd be flustered by the current storm.
Even if she handled it this time, they could always stir up another round of dirty tricks. Now they had approached her not even fearing exposure—clearly a veiled threat: either sign with them, or stop releasing your work.
Even if she signed with another company, they'd probably still try to defame her. It was obvious their real target had always been Ayase. Whether it was someone lusting after her ethereal beauty or wanting to use her as a flawless idol—they saw her as a goldmine.
Dream on. Do they really take me for some clueless little girl?
These tactics might work on ordinary girls—luring them in with empty promises. Even if their parents objected, they'd try to persuade or defy them. But me? Who gave you that confidence?...
A cold gleam flickered in Chu Lian's eyes, making her furrow her brow. She turned—and saw Ayase standing behind her, eyes narrowed dangerously at the screen.
So she hadn't really been resting but had been quietly observing. When she saw that message, she couldn't hold back.
Chu Lian knew Ayase's personality well. Though she didn't usually act arrogant, at her core, she was proud beyond measure. Chu Lian had never seen her show regard for anyone else. Only she mattered to Ayase. No matter how talented others were, they were ants in her eyes.
And most importantly, Ayase could never tolerate being treated like a fool or having her dignity trampled. That would awaken her hidden pride—and when that happened, the real Ayase was terrifying.
To prevent things from spiraling out of control, Chu Lian came up with a plan—a perfect way to disgust those Xingguang Media people.
"Ayase, don't be mad. I know they're trying to intimidate and threaten us. While we can't deal with them outright just yet, I have a plan to make them suffer for a while—keep them too busy to bother us."
Hmph. Annoying people—don't think I can't fight back!
She opened the exchange menu and navigated to the Integrity Points section. Entering the Gensokyo category, she searched for a while. When she found what she was looking for, she smiled. Just as she thought—something this shameless had to be here!
"Bunbunmaru Newspaper: Gensokyo's 'most reliable', 'most ethical', and 'most accurate' top-tier newspaper. Committed to delivering the freshest news with the fastest delivery, offering the finest experience. Exchange cost: 29,999."
"Effect: Consumes 30,000 Integrity Points. Converts each point into one newspaper copy, distributed via random delivery to the target's home through selected newspapers. Specifying a newspaper requires 10,000 additional Integrity Points. No regional limits (automatic translation based on language zone). Content requirements: must adhere to absolute 'fairness', absolute 'accuracy', and absolute 'non-tabloid' standards."
"Simply place your written newspaper onto Bunbunmaru's printing press, and it will automatically transmit into the designated publication's print run and be delivered straight to the target's home—absolutely undetectable. Want to leak some scandalous scoop about yourself? Use this—it's super effective! Don't forget to leave a good review, see you next time..."
This was her revenge plan. Hmph, once the face-slapping moment arrives in a few days, she'd make them famous!
Beside her, Ayase gave Chu Lian a strange look…
She's broken. As the saying goes: "Cute on the outside, black to the core." Now it was Xingguang Media who ought to worry—hopefully, they wouldn't be so angered by her genius idea that they'd keel over. That really would be "death by genius."