Chapter Twelve: The Wager

As soon as Zhou Lu entered the live stream, the viewer count soared at a terrifying pace, instantly surpassing one hundred thousand. Moreover, because Zhou Lu chose to side with Chen Nian, the atmosphere in the stream underwent a complete reversal; the trolls and paid commenters hired by Wei were suddenly silenced.

"Wei—Wei, what do we do now?" Lin Xinrou was completely panicked as she stared at the screen.

"Damn it! If she won't play nice, then I'll destroy him completely. No one will have him!" Wei spat under his breath, pulling out his phone to start sending messages.

Since he could no longer get Chen Nian on his side, Wei decided to ruin this young man's future and crush his budding career in the music world. Now that they were enemies, if Chen Nian were allowed to grow, he would surely threaten the future of Heart Trace Entertainment.

"Master, so 'Sunny Day' and 'Elopement' were really written by you? That's insanely awesome!"

"Of course—now that the goddess Zhou has chosen to support Chen Nian, isn't it obvious?"

"I knew it! Lin Xinrou's been in the industry for six years and never had a song as good as 'Sunny Day,' and now she suddenly comes up with something this incredible? Something's fishy!"

While Chen Nian's live stream was filled with peace and support, a user with a prominent verified badge entered and requested to join the broadcast.

Chen Nian was momentarily surprised and checked the person's profile.

"Who is that?" Luo Xiaoyi, one of the stream's moderators, could see the connection request as well.

"Wang Duoyu, Heart Trace Entertainment's top producer," Luo Xiaoyi explained. "Ignore him; he's probably here to cause trouble."

Chen Nian smiled faintly. Hearing this only piqued his interest. He accepted the request.

"Hello, can you hear me?" A gruff, weathered voice echoed in the stream the next second.

"No way! Producer Wang! He's actually here!"

"So this is the man who wrote 'The Day Doesn't Understand the Night's Charm'? I've heard so much about him—finally, I get to see him live!"

"We can hear you loud and clear, Teacher Wang," the trolls hired by Wei immediately showered him with flattery.

Wang Duoyu gave a slight smile. "Young man, I am one of the producers of 'Sunny Day.' I admit you sing well, but I must advise you: plagiarism is shameful."

"Endlessly hyping yourself and riding our coattails is an insult to us original creators. If you want fame, you should rely on real talent!" Wang Duoyu began his assault.

He was, after all, a big name in the industry with several popular works to his name. As soon as he spoke, many viewers quickly voiced their support.

"That's right, Master Wang speaks the truth. Plagiarism is a disgrace! Plagiarists deserve to go to hell—so, if I may ask, Master Wang, when do you and your protégé, the great Lin, plan to go to hell?" Chen Nian ignored the barrage of insults in the chat, smiling as he replied.

"You—!" Wang Duoyu was so enraged he could barely speak, pointing at the screen, his whole body shaking. "You—you insolent brat!"

"You accuse me of plagiarism—do you have any proof?" Chen Nian responded by producing copyright certificates he had prepared in advance, displaying them for all to see.

"No way, he actually has the copyrights for 'Sunny Day' and 'Elopement.' So he really did write these three songs?"

"How is that possible? Lin only released the complete version of 'Sunny Day' yesterday. Before that, there were only lyrics—how could it be his?"

"Exactly. Having the copyright doesn't prove he wrote them. Maybe he stole the lyrics and registered the copyright before Lin could!"

"He steals Lin's song and has the nerve to claim the copyright? Shameless plagiarist!"

Just as Chen Nian expected, even with the copyright in hand, it did little to sway the diehard fans.

"That's right, your logic makes sense," Wang Duoyu nodded with satisfaction, seeing the majority of the chat supporting him. "Having the copyright doesn't prove you wrote the song. In fact, you probably stole our lyrics and registered them before we could. We trusted you, and this is how you repay us? Young man, I truly misjudged you."

Wang Duoyu shook his head, feigning regret.

Chen Nian smiled faintly. He could count on one hand the number of times he'd met Wang Duoyu at the company. Each time, he'd greeted him with humility, yet Wang Duoyu had never spared him a glance. Where, then, was this supposed misplaced trust?

"In that case, how can I prove 'Sunny Day' is my own work?" Chen Nian grinned, acting as though the high-and-mighty producer before him was utterly insignificant.

"Simple enough. If you claim you wrote 'Sunny Day,' and if you're as talented as you say, it shouldn't be hard to compose another one or two songs of similar quality, should it?" Wang Duoyu smiled maliciously, setting a trap for Chen Nian.

"All right." Chen Nian nodded and picked up his guitar, preparing to perform.

"If you've got a ghostwriter ready, you could sing a few lines and claim it's your own. How are we supposed to know if it's real or fake?"

"If you truly have talent, improvising a song shouldn't be difficult, right?"

"If it's an improvised creation, you won't have any chance to plagiarize!"

"If you can't do it, hand over the copyrights for 'Sunny Day' and 'Elopement,' then end your stream and get lost!" Wang Duoyu began riling up the audience.

The viewers were there for drama, and with Wei's paid trolls fanning the flames, they transformed into a frenzied mob, eager for the spectacle.

"That's right, you must improvise!"

"If you really wrote 'Sunny Day,' improvising shouldn't be a problem!"

"Let Master Wang give you a topic—then you won't have a chance to copy!"

The trolls in the chat joined forces with Wang Duoyu to ensnare Chen Nian.

"Fine," Chen Nian was amused by their clumsy performance. "Give me a topic, and I'll compose."

Seeing that Chen Nian had taken the bait, Wang Duoyu's face bloomed with a triumphant smile.

"You said it yourself. If you fail, you must hand over the copyrights for 'Sunny Day' and 'Elopement!'"

"Chen Nian, don't agree!" Luo Xiaoyi, watching the stream, was frantic.

It was obvious this was a trap set by Heart Trace Entertainment. As a signed artist herself, Luo Xiaoyi knew all too well how ruthless they could be. Now, with all three song copyrights in Chen Nian's name, they could only smear him online as a plagiarist. But if the copyrights fell into the company's hands, Chen Nian would have no way to clear his name.

"All right," Chen Nian paid no heed to Luo Xiaoyi's warning and agreed without hesitation. "But if I succeed, Lin Xinrou must apologize to me in public and announce her permanent retirement from the music industry!"

Wang Duoyu was momentarily stunned, glancing helplessly at Wei.

Such a serious commitment was not one a producer could make lightly.

After a moment's silence, Wei nodded. He simply didn't believe Chen Nian could compose, on the spot, a song to rival 'Sunny Day.'

Wang Duoyu nodded in agreement.

Having secured what he wanted, Chen Nian smiled in satisfaction.