Perfect Superstar.

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South Island, Bihai City.

It was already 10 p.m., but this southernmost city of the nation was still alive with energy and vitality. The horizon melted into the sea, and the seemingly endless beach was dotted with bonfires, casting a warm glow against the night sky.

Couples strolled hand in hand along the long embankment, wandering through paths lined with swaying coconut trees. The gentle sea breeze carried a hint of romance in the air.

Bihai, a well-known tourist destination, was also the final stop of the 'Singing China' national tour.

Lu Chen stood in his 26th-floor room at the Lijing Great Restaurant, gazing out at the beach and sea through the thick floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

He held his phone to his ear, speaking with Chen Jianhao.

After finishing the Deep Sea Zone PK Battle, Lu Chen, along with the other nine victorious contestants, flew with the 'Singing China' production team to Bihai City.

As soon as they arrived at the hotel after the bus ride from the airport, Lu Chen received a call from his sister, Lu Xi.

She informed him that he was once again being targeted on Langchao Blog.

Lu Chen wasn't surprised. Chen Jianhao had already warned him that Jin Hongwei wouldn't give up easily.

With the 'Singing China' national tour nearing its end, Jin had predictably seized the moment to strike.

Changing tactics to slander him— it was a grudge that ran deep.

Lu Chen had already skimmed through the so-called "vagabond singer Old Hai's" blog post on his phone.

He was a jumping clown, nothing more!

The hired writer working for Jin Hongwei certainly had talent; the blog post was so well-crafted that even Lu Chen almost felt moved.

'But where was the solid evidence? A few photos of handwritten sheets were being passed off as proof of plagiarism?'

Such tactics only worked because they were aimed at netizens with low critical thinking skills.

Still, there was no denying that the other side had significant resources to stir up such a massive storm on Langchao Blog.

Lu Chen had to give credit where it was due: Jin Hongwei had done an excellent job.

If it had been an ordinary newcomer with no connections or backing, they might have been utterly ruined by now, unable to clear their name no matter how hard they tried.

But Lu Chen was no longer the rookie who had just joined the talent show. He was no longer alone. He now had support behind him, and he was no longer someone who could be pushed around at will!

This support didn't refer to his Lu Chen Workshop, which was still too small and powerless to handle such situations.

The real support behind him was the 'Singing China' production team and Capital City TV!

Last night's Deep Sea Zone PK Battle had pushed 'Singing China''s viewership ratings past 5%, reaching 5.17%.

A rating above 5% signified massive popularity and enormous advertising revenue.

The primary beneficiary of this was none other than Capital City TV.

Lu Chen wouldn't claim that 'Singing China' became popular solely because of him— that would be arrogant and ignorant.

But his outstanding performance undoubtedly played a significant role!

At this point, it would be absurd for Capital City TV not to support him.

These insights weren't entirely Lu Chen's own analysis. Most of them had come from Chen Jianhao, who had just called him.

"You're not a true Superstar yet, but you're already experiencing the treatment of one!"

Chen Jianhao chuckled. "Should I congratulate you?"

"Honestly, who would go to such lengths to slander a regular newcomer? Nobody's that bored."

Lu Chen smiled wryly. "Brother Jianhao, please don't tease me. Someone's even threatening to take me to court now."

"A clean conscience fears no accusation!"

Chen Jianhao declared firmly, "Just wait and see. In Capital City, what does Jin Hongwei amount to? Someone will naturally put him in his place. What you need to focus on is defeating your opponents and winning the final PK battle!"

"That's your best counterattack!"

Though Lu Chen wasn't the type to get overly emotional or impulsive, Chen Jianhao's powerful words filled him with a fighting spirit. Without hesitation, he replied, "Brother Jianhao, just wait and see!"

"That's the spirit…"

Chen Jianhao chuckled, "When you're back from Bihai, come to Daylily for a gathering. Let everyone celebrate with you."

Lu Chen readily agreed and ended the call.

But just as he slipped his phone back into his pocket, the room's landline rang again.

It seemed that Lu Chen was destined to have no peace on his first night in Bihai.

The caller was Gu Rui, the music director of the 'Singing China' production team.

Gu Rui asked Lu Chen to come to Room 2607.

For the Bihai PK Battle on the 20th, Capital City TV had reserved the entire 26th floor of the Lijing Great Restaurant, accommodating the 'Singing China' production team, the four judges, and the contestants.

Lu Chen was staying in a single room, Room 2029.

Since there were matters to attend to at the Workshop, Li Feiyu had already returned to Beijing ahead of time and hadn't accompanied him to Bihai.

After hanging up, Lu Chen immediately left his room and headed toward Room 2607.

On his way, he ran into Zhang Junhua and two other contestants.

They were evidently heading out of the hotel, and they paused briefly upon seeing Lu Chen.

Lu Chen nodded at Zhang Junhua.

Zhang Junhua smiled and nodded back, brushing past him without a word.

Since their dinner at the Bai Lu Restaurant, Lu Chen's relationship with Zhang Junhua had noticeably cooled. At most, they would exchange greetings when they met, but they no longer spent time together.

The only person who hadn't changed was Mu Xiaochu.

As they passed each other, Lu Chen sharply noticed the flicker of schadenfreude in Zhang Junhua's eyes.

Clearly, he had caught wind of the slander campaign against Lu Chen.

We're just not the same kind of people, Lu Chen thought.

Arriving at Room 2607, Lu Chen quickly knocked on the door.

Room 2607 was a large suite that the production team used as a temporary command center. It was cluttered with computer equipment, and the air was thick with cigarette smoke, almost choking.

Although many hotels had designated smoking suites with excellent ventilation, the seven or eight heavy smokers in Room 2607 were puffing away relentlessly, rendering even the whirring exhaust fans ineffective.

"Little Lu, you're here!"

Gu Rui waved Lu Chen over. "Come here."

Lu Chen greeted them politely, "Hello, Director Chen, Director Gu, Assistant Zhang."

Seated in the lounge area were Gu Rui and two others: Chen Qi, the deputy station director of Capital City TV, and Chen Qi's assistant, Little Zhang.

Chen Qi, in his fifties, had a square face, large ears, and an imposing presence that exuded the authority of someone in a high-ranking position.

He nodded and said, "Have a seat."

Lu Chen sat down across from Chen Qi.

The deputy station director picked up a pack of cigarettes from the coffee table and asked, "Little Lu, do you smoke?"

Lu Chen quickly declined, "Thank you, Director Chen. I don't smoke."

"Good, you shouldn't smoke…"

A faint smile appeared on Chen Qi's face. "Young people should take care of their health. As a vagabond singer, not smoking and drinking less will help protect your voice."

He pulled out a cigarette and held it between his fingers but declined the lighter offered by his assistant, Little Zhang.

Fiddling with the cigarette, Chen Qi said in a deep voice, "We're already aware of the situation online. Someone is deliberately spreading false rumors to defame you. This is not just an attack on you but also a challenge to us at Capital City TV."

"I had Gu call you here to let you know that you don't need to worry about this. The TV station will handle the matter and ensure that justice is served for you!"

Although Lu Chen had anticipated this, hearing Chen Qi personally give such an assurance still left him feeling a bit emotional.

Sometimes, having the backing of a strong organization really made all the difference.

He expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Director Chen!"

"It's not just about me…"

Chen Qi waved his hand and said, "But before anything else, I have an important question for you, and you must answer truthfully. Otherwise, even we at the TV station may not be able to help you."

Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Director Chen, are you asking about the song copyrights?"

Chen Qi smiled, "Exactly."

Such a smart young man— he has potential!

Without hesitation, Lu Chen replied, "There's absolutely no problem with it. All my original works are registered for copyright in the Greater China Music Library. Not only that…"

He glanced at Chen Qi's assistant. "Assistant Zhang, may I borrow your computer for a moment?"

Assistant Zhang naturally agreed and handed over his laptop to Lu Chen.

Lu Chen expressed his thanks, opened the browser skillfully, and entered the website for the Greater China Music Library.

Logging into his account, he pulled up the copyright details for his original works such as 'In Spring', 'My Old Classmate', 'Flying Higher', and 'Dust in the Wind', all of which had either been sold or publicly performed.

Lu Chen said, "There's a 100% guarantee of no issues with copyrights. In addition, I've also registered these works with the 'Universal Music Library' in the U.S. for international copyright protection."

After his breakthrough with Awakening from the Dream, Lu Chen transcribed two original songs, 'My Old Classmate' and 'Cinderella', from memory. He immediately registered their copyrights with the Greater China Music Library, even if it meant emptying his savings.

As his earnings grew, he registered his works with the Universal Music Library, which operates similarly to the Greater China Music Library. However, the latter is a leading platform for musicians and institutions from Europe, the U.S., Japan, and South Korea.

Because the two platforms don't share data, ensuring global copyright protection required registering on both, which came with significant costs.

Many domestic musicians either overlooked this aspect or were unwilling to spend the money, but Lu Chen was not one of them.

His foresight ensured he was prepared and unfazed by the false accusations on the blog.

Chen Qi and Gu Rui exchanged glances before Chen Qi smiled and said, "Little Lu, excellent. Then there's no issue at all."

They weren't afraid to confront others, but they were afraid of Lu Chen failing to hold up his end.

But Lu Chen had proven to be even more thorough and resourceful than they had imagined.

Gu Rui added, "Little Lu, download the copyright certificates for these works and save them to Assistant Zhang's computer."

Lu Chen nodded, "Sure, Director Gu. I also have something I'd like to discuss with you."

"What is it? Go ahead."

Gu Rui's smile was kind and encouraging. "As long as it doesn't violate principles, it's fine."

Lu Chen smiled in return. "I'd like to change the song I'll perform the night after tomorrow. Would that count as breaking the rules?"

Didn't Chen Jianhao say that the best way to counter opponents is with one's performance?

In that case, let's get serious!

(End of chapter)