After being dumped by the diva, I was picked up by her arch-enemy.

October 1st, midnight.

As soon as the National Day bell rang, the homepages of major music platforms were refreshed simultaneously.

Brilliant Entertainment had already purchased the most prominent recommendation slot.

Shen Ruoqiu, dressed in a red dress, stood in front of the landscape painting, while Chen Yu's name was listed first in the lyricist and composer column.

"Glorious China" is now available online.

The song begins with a grand orchestral arrangement, followed by a children's choir. Shen Ruoqiu's singing skills remain incredibly solid, with clean high notes and full emotion.

The promotional machine that Brilliant Entertainment had been preparing for days was now running at full speed.

In just three minutes, it became a trending topic.

Within ten minutes, it was number one on the Penguin Music real-time chart.

Within half an hour, sales exceeded 500,000.

Major marketing accounts released articles overnight, with each headline more exaggerated than the last.

"A diva joins hands with a top-tier talent to sing a magnificent chapter in this glorious era!"

"Chen Yu surpasses Jiang Yichen, achieving legendary status once again in the main theme track!"

"Official choices don't necessarily reflect strength; the market has already given its answer!"

In the comments section, Chen Yu's fans were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Who is the true songwriting genius in the Chinese music scene? Do you see it now?"

"Didn't someone film the aircraft carrier and the fighter jets? What about the song?"

"They mobilized so many resources, but in the end they didn't even dare to go online. It's hilarious."

"Don't ask. If you do, it's a secret. If you ask again, it's because the artist is preparing something big."

"Could they really be deserting at the last minute?"

One o'clock in the morning.

Jiang Yichen's personal account has not been updated.

Star Entertainment's official account has not been updated.

The accounts of the Publicity Department and CCTV also remained silent.

Two o'clock in the morning.

"Glorious China" continues to lead the charts.

The related topics have garnered over 500 million views.

The headquarters of Brilliant Entertainment remained brightly lit.

Bai Yanqiu sat in a leather chair in the data center, legs crossed, holding a half-glass of red wine in his hand.

On the big screen, the song's sales and play counts continued to rise.

Wang Jianye walked over with a tablet in his hand, his face crinkling with wrinkles.

"Mr. Bai, it's all settled."

"Penguin Music, Kuyun Music, and Yinlang Music are all number one on these three platforms."

"We occupied four of the top ten trending topics."

"Jiang Yichen hasn't released a song yet, so it's probably been rejected by his superiors."

Bai Yanqiu swirled his wine glass, his eyes filled with smugness.

"I've said it before, official assignments aren't something anyone can tackle."

"What's the point of taking pictures of aircraft carriers, the Great Wall, and fighter jets?"

"His songwriting is terrible, and the bigger the event, the more ridiculous he looks."

Wang Jianye nodded repeatedly.

"President Bai's judgment is indeed accurate."

"Now people online are saying he's lost his touch, and some even speculate that he can't produce any new work and has been abandoned by the publicity department."

Bai Yanqiu took a sip of wine, and the corners of his mouth turned up.

"Have the PR department add fuel to the fire."

"Don't mention the official sources directly. Just say that Jiang Yichen wasted public resources. He filmed for half a month and still can't produce a finished product."

"Ask a few more music critics how much it costs for those fighter jets and warships to make an appearance."

Wang Jianye's eyes lit up immediately.

"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant."

"His work surpasses his own, and then public opinion kicks him while he's down."

"Even if he releases the song this time, he'll first be criticized for wasting resources."

Bai Yanqiu placed the wine glass back on the table and tapped the edge of the table lightly with his knuckles.

"I don't want to win by a small margin."

"I want him to fall off the official platform on his own."

The order was quickly relayed to the public relations department.

In less than ten minutes, the new term climbed to the top of the trending searches.

Jiang Yichen deserted his post.

The tribute song appears to have failed the review process.

Mobilizing the nation's most important assets just for celebrities to put on a show.

The three terms were posted side by side, and the popularity of the latter continued to rise.

Jiang Yichen's fans were so anxious they couldn't sleep at all.

They refreshed Weibo repeatedly and rushed to the comment sections of Star Entertainment and various official media outlets to inquire.

"Jiang Shen, what exactly happened? Come out and say something!"

"If the song needs to be delayed, then so be it. We can wait. Let's not give everyone reason to speculate."

"CCTV, are you still going to broadcast 'Wanjiang'?"

"Xinhua News Agency, please give me a straight answer. I've been waiting since last night, and I've already drunk three cups of coffee."

"That seven-second behind-the-scenes shot of the fighter jets got me really pumped up; the final cut can't be missing, right?"

Many fans are still arguing their case.

"No official announcement means no official announcement. Who told you it didn't pass censorship?"

"When has Jiang Yichen ever made any boastful claims about his work?"

"You were pessimistic about 'Dying to Survive' before its release, and you were still pessimistic about the release of four new Chinese-style songs. Haven't you learned your lesson after being slapped in the face?"

However, faced with an overwhelming barrage of online trolls, the fans' explanations were quickly overwhelmed.

The argument continued until 4 a.m.

Just when everyone thought the official media wouldn't respond, CCTV News' account replied to a netizen.

There are only three words.

"Please look forward to it."

Following this, accounts from Xinhua News Agency, People's Daily, and the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China also gave the same response in the relevant comments.

"Please look forward to it."

These three words left netizens bewildered.

"What are you looking forward to? The song or the music video?"

"Could you type a few more words? I'll reimburse you for the data usage!"

"I'm so anxious! Have you state media started pandering to people's tastes now?"

"I understand, this deal definitely didn't fall through."

The online trolls from Brilliant Entertainment immediately jumped out to stir up trouble.

"Stop comforting yourself, if there were any real works, they would have been released at midnight already."

"Glorious China has already taken the top spot across all platforms, and some people can only maintain their popularity with just three words."

"Is the tribute song not being released at midnight on National Day? Is it going to be saved for a midnight snack?"

The internet is in an uproar.

Jiang Yichen, however, did not show up.

In the backyard of the Qilin Theater in the capital city.

It's 7:30 in the morning.

Jiang Yichen, dressed in a black tracksuit, slowly finished a set of boxing moves in the yard.

Tan Yunxiao rushed down the corridor with his phone in hand, his brows furrowed tightly.

"Yichen, people online are practically calling you a deserter."

"You really aren't going to respond?"

Jiang Yichen stopped his movements and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel.

"The release date was set by the higher-ups; saying it ahead of time is considered a leak."

"Let them curse if they want to."

Tan Yunxiao glanced down at the trending topics and angrily swiped the screen rapidly with his thumb.

"Those bastards from Brilliant Entertainment even said you were wasting public resources."

"This hat is quite heavy."

Jiang Yichen took the warm water that Su Yao handed him and drank two sips.

"The higher you put your hat on, the harder you'll fall."

"Senior brother, it's National Day today, don't get angry with the online trolls."

"Go and turn on the TV in the front hall so we can watch the military parade."

It's exactly eight o'clock.

The live broadcast of the National Day military parade has officially begun.

The Qilin Opera Troupe did not schedule a morning performance.

More than thirty fellow disciples sat neatly in the front hall, even Hou Fei, who was usually the most boisterous, calmed down.

On television, the bright national flag rose in the wind.

The honor guard marched past the square in perfect unison.

The battle flags fluttered in the wind.

Armored trains surged forth.

When the commentator shouted in an impassioned voice, "The aerial formation is about to pass over the square," all the fellow students in the lobby instinctively stood up.

A formation of fighter jets swept across the sky above the capital with thunderous force, their roar deafening.

Tan Yunxiao's eyes welled up with tears, and his hands clenched tightly at the seam of his trousers.