Chapter 84 Besieged

In the offices of Starlight Entertainment, the atmosphere was even more tense.

“The current situation is this,” the head of the Artist Department reported cautiously, holding a report compiled by his subordinates. “Right now, Lin Qihua is the talk of the town. Everyone acknowledges his talent and believes that, even if he doesn’t become an A-list star next year, it’s only a matter of time. If he continues this strong performance in the second episode and beyond, there’s no doubt he’ll be the biggest winner of this year’s ‘Singer,’ with his popularity skyrocketing. His social media following has already surpassed twenty million, and everyone is eagerly anticipating his next performance.”

“According to your analysis,” President Chen said with a grim expression, “will he be able to keep up this momentum in the next episode?”

“I’m afraid there’s little doubt,” the department head replied helplessly. “First, his popularity isn’t waning, and the producers of ‘Singer’ need him to keep the buzz alive, so they won’t eliminate him rashly. Second, judging by Galaxy Entertainment’s track record, they never act without thorough planning—they’re surely well-prepared for the next episodes. It’s easy to imagine his chances of being eliminated are slim. All we can do is wait and watch for any sign of a slump.”

“Then we’ll wait and see for now.” President Chen understood well enough. “Assign someone to keep a close eye on him and report back immediately. If an opportunity arises, act at once.”

“Understood.” The department head agreed, though there was resignation in his voice. “President Chen, aren’t we putting too much focus on this matter?”

“Hm?” President Chen’s gaze shifted to him, exerting considerable pressure.

“Look, the company’s current situation isn’t great,” the department head pressed on despite his nerves. “Our artists haven’t been properly integrated, schedules are chaotic, and the quality isn’t high. Several of our top stars are already voicing concerns, claiming the company can’t coordinate resources effectively and is even dragging down the quality of their engagements. This is bad for the company’s development.”

Instead of the stormy reaction he’d expected, President Chen merely gave a soft “Mm,” fell silent for a long time, and then said, “If that’s the case, put this matter aside for now and focus all your attention on the company. I’ll see to the resources and try to get things consolidated soon.”

“Thank you.” The department head breathed a sigh of relief, then took his leave, leaving President Chen alone in his office, deep in thought.

After spending the night talking with Lu Zhixuan and the others, Lin Qihua returned to the hotel, slept soundly, and woke up late, well into the morning.

“Ah!” He stretched luxuriously and, rubbing his stomach, realized he was famished. He dressed and stepped outside his room, discovering a bamboo steamer of dumplings and a cup of soy milk on the table, with a note: “Eat breakfast as soon as you wake up. After you finish, you’re coming shopping with us.” It was clearly from Shen Manni.

After freshening up, Lin Qihua ate his breakfast at a leisurely pace, opened his door, and knocked on the room next door. Ma Xiaoqian answered.

“You’re up?” she said softly, her expressive eyes fixed on him.

“Yeah.” Lin Qihua touched his cheek, found nothing there, and realized from Ma Xiaoqian’s faint smile that she had been teasing him.

“Come in already—are you going to stand there gazing soulfully all day?” Shen Manni laughed as she came over, already dressed for going out. “Hurry up! You’re coming shopping with us today.”

“Well, I just woke up and hurried over to report in, didn’t I?” Lin Qihua replied with a wry smile.

“At least you know better than to forget us now that you’re famous,” Shen Manni teased, throwing him a playful wink.

“Alright, let’s go,” Lin Qihua said, choosing to ignore her antics.

“You probably don’t know yet,” Shen Manni began reporting the situation as the three walked out together. “While you were sleeping, things outside practically exploded. ‘Singer’ is such a hit that you’re now a household name. Your social media gained nearly twenty million new followers overnight! The messages for you nearly crashed the platform. Xiaoqian spent the entire morning dealing with it.”

“Well, isn’t this exactly what we hoped for?” Lin Qihua laughed. “Now that it’s really happening, why complain?”

“It’s not a complaint—it’s just exhausting, you know? Do you have any idea how many calls I had to take this morning?” Shen Manni waved her hands dramatically. “I’m worn out!”

“Thank you for your hard work. Today, everything’s on me—buy whatever you like,” Lin Qihua offered, deploying his trump card.

“That’s what we were waiting for!” Shen Manni rubbed her hands eagerly. “Xiaoqian, let’s make him pay dearly today.”

“Alright!” Ma Xiaoqian replied with a smile.

The three chose the largest shopping mall in Xiangzhou. Because it was the weekend, the place was packed.

The result was predictable: as soon as they entered, Lin Qihua was spotted. The moment his name was called, people swarmed from all directions, surrounding the trio in layer upon layer. There were requests for selfies, autographs, questions—all sorts of demands.

“Hold on, hold on,” Lin Qihua called out as the crowd grew denser. He had to shout several times before everyone quieted down.

“Everyone,” Lin Qihua placed himself protectively in front of the two women and bowed to the surrounding crowd. “We just finished the competition last night, and today I wanted to spend some rare free time shopping with my manager and assistant. I’m deeply moved by your enthusiasm, but this isn’t safe. Please, don’t crowd any closer, or there could be an accident.”

“He’s right,” the fans agreed, and the crowd finally settled, no longer pushing forward.

“Great. First, thank you all for your support,” Lin Qihua said with a smile. “Second, I understand your wishes, but this place isn’t suitable for us to gather like this, is it? How about this: I’ll pick ten representatives for autographs and answer three questions, then we’ll all take a group photo together. How does that sound?”

“Sing us a song!” one fan shouted.

“Alright,” Lin Qihua agreed readily. “Someone fetch a guitar and I’ll perform something for everyone right here. Afterward, please let us go our separate ways and enjoy your shopping, too. Don’t worry—if you want autographs, contact our official fan club and I promise to sign and mail them to you as soon as possible.”

His sincere words satisfied the crowd. Lin Qihua randomly chose a few fans, signed his name for them in a bold, flowing hand, and answered their questions.

“Did you ever imagine you’d be this popular?”

“No, I didn’t. Look, I foolishly came to the busiest place in town to shop—do you think I knew? If I had, I would’ve stayed in my hotel room and not gone anywhere.”

The crowd burst into laughter.

“Do you have a girlfriend? Are these two with you?”

“That’s two questions! But I’ll count them as one. For now, I don’t. They’re my manager and assistant. Aren’t they beautiful? It’s a pleasure having them around. You can be jealous, but it’s one of my perks.”

Laughter again.

“Last question: what can we expect from you next week?”

“That’s a tough one, but I promise I’ll do my very best. Please look forward to it.”