Esports world champion, debuted as the center of a talent show

After his stunning performance on stage and viral photos of him leaving work, Jiang Zhiyu became the most talked-about contestant on the show, and even the slightest thing he did was blown out of proportion.

Due to the special nature of this event, it broke the current status quo that talent shows in the entertainment market can only "enjoy themselves," attracting countless passersby to participate in the discussion, and even causing a surge in the number of online viewers for the live broadcast of the program the next day.

Shortly after the official account of "Shining Project" released the announcement, several related hashtags such as #talent show contestants steal things to sell for money# and #Jiang Zhiyu's illegitimate child# became trending topics.

Following this, more and more true and false information was released, and various topics about "idols and sasaeng fans" were raised, which opened the curtain for the show's widespread popularity.

If it weren't for the scandal that made the show known to the world, Hong Liu should have been excited about the show's huge success, but at this moment he only felt a headache.

"That top trending topic is too media-driven; let them suppress it."

"Notify the bloggers we can contact to post some PR tweets."

"What kind of guidance should we take? You need to ask me that? Positive energy!"

"Make sure the server is in good condition before tomorrow's live stream, then there will definitely be a surge in traffic."

"It means the live stream mustn't crash! There will be a lot of people tomorrow!"

While rubbing his temples, Hong Liu kept answering and making phone calls, so busy that he felt a dull pain in his forehead.

Other companies took the opportunity to bribe professional trolls, stirring up trouble in various comment sections and posts, fabricating all sorts of rumors, and attempting to muddy the waters even further.

Some people spread rumors that Jiang Zhiyu usually acts like a big shot when there are no live broadcast cameras and has a bad attitude towards other trainees. They claimed that Bian Ziang did this because he could no longer tolerate it and it was purely out of revenge.

Some people fabricated lies, saying that Jiang Zhiyu brought his own capital to the group, squeezing out the resources of other contestants, and that Bian Ziang was forced to resort to this desperate measure.

Even more outrageous, some people made sarcastic remarks, saying that this might have been orchestrated by Jiang Zhiyu's team to gain sympathy and generate buzz before the first public performance.

These rumors are completely unfounded, yet many people blindly believe them, leading to heated and chaotic arguments in the comments section.

The forum posts quickly reached thousands of views, with opposing sides arguing heatedly. Professional trolls and marketing accounts worked together to spread negative comments.

But Jiang Zhiyu's fans are not to be underestimated.

From the moment the incident was exposed, the fan club and anti-blacklisting team took immediate action, systematically initiating control and clarification.

Instead of blindly engaging in arguments with the haters, they rationally organized the evidence, compiling all the solid clues and leaked footage, creating a clear clarification chart, and posting it on various platforms.

Regarding the rumors of "acting like a big shot," fans released a large number of practice room live stream recordings, in which Jiang Zhiyu was humble and low-key, and there was no such thing as a big shot attitude.

Regarding the claim of "self-directed and self-acted," fans directly listed Jiang Zhiyu's popularity rankings and stage performance videos, emphasizing that he speaks through his talent and doesn't need to resort to such despicable means to attract attention.

The fans had a clear division of labor: some were responsible for collecting evidence, some for debunking rumors on the forum, some for reporting accounts that maliciously spread rumors, and some for calming down other fans. They systematically suppressed the rampant rumors one by one.

Even as the haters kept launching counterattacks, the fans held their ground and prevented the negative narrative from going astray, thus firmly protecting Jiang Zhiyu's bottom line in terms of public opinion.

#Passersby were deeply moved by the Jiang Zemin supporters in the square#

[Having followed talent shows for so many years, this is the first time I've seen such a powerful fan base after only one week of airing. Respect!]

At this time of day, fans of each group should be busy learning how to vote...

—[Actually, apart from Jiangsi, the other brands are like this.]

If this program continues like this, it's going to become a one-man show by Emperor Jiang.

—[Instead of saying we should thank Emperor Jiang for leading the way, the other trainees' popularity is also skyrocketing.]

But to be honest, not having a company is a huge disadvantage, and it's exhausting to fight alone with just fans.

[Who said Jiang Zhiyu had a bloodthirsty nature? Absolutely right...]

That evening, after learning the truth, Mi Lan and Lin Sen were a little cautious, afraid of touching his emotions, but Jiang Zhiyu acted as if nothing had happened, just like usual.

Even after a night, the online discussion has not subsided and remains highly heated.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking and most of the trainees at the base were still asleep, Jiang Zhiyu had already arrived at the training room ahead of time.

He held the sheet music and notes for the first public performance in his hand. When he pushed open the door, there was no one in the practice room, only an empty room and a cold mirror.

It's too early; the live stream hasn't even started yet.

He put his things on the floor in the corner, stretched his arms and legs a little, and was just about to start practicing his voice when he heard a series of hurried yet hesitant footsteps behind him, accompanied by slightly heavy breathing.

Jiang Zhiyu turned around and saw Yao Wei standing at the door of the practice room, his face pale, his eyes red-rimmed, and his eyes bloodshot.

He looked like he hadn't slept all night; he was listless, his expression full of guilt, and he was awkwardly clutching the hem of his clothes.

He and Bian Ziang had always had a good relationship, and they never disagreed or argued. He completely trusted Bian Ziang, and it was he who introduced Bian Ziang to Jiang Zhiyu.

But he never expected that Bian Ziang would do such a thing.

A strong sense of guilt overwhelmed Yao Wei, causing him to be consumed by inner turmoil all night, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

Seeing Jiang Zhiyu turn around, Yao Wei's lips moved, his voice thick with nasal emotion: "Brother Jiang..."

As soon as he finished speaking, he lowered his head abruptly, his voice filled with self-reproach: "I'm sorry, Brother Jiang, I'm really sorry."

"Bian Zi'ang is my friend. I was the one who introduced him to you. I misjudged him..."

The practice room was quiet, except for Yao's remorseful apologies.

Jiang Zhiyu looked at the dejected Yao Wei in front of him, his eyes softening slightly: "Don't be like this, this has nothing to do with you."

"You introduced him to the friend, but he chose his own path. He is responsible for everything he does; it's not your fault."

Jiang Zhiyu's voice was soft, yet exceptionally powerful, like a warm current that instantly soothed Yao Wei's panic and guilt.

The two sat cross-legged and chatted for a while, talking about all sorts of things, even discussing the shooting techniques and item locations in "Zeroing Out". Jiang Zhiyu finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Yao Wei excitedly slap his thigh when talking about a topic that interested him.

Later that evening, all the other group members, except for Xue Guang, arrived at the practice room one after another.

When everyone saw Jiang Zhiyu, they subconsciously slowed their movements, their eyes filled with concern, but no one dared to bring up the matter. They simply walked silently to their positions, ready to begin today's training.

Originally, according to the plan, today was supposed to be the time for the group to practice the stage details and consolidate their positioning and teamwork. Everyone was prepared for high-intensity training.

But no one expected that an even bigger change was yet to come.