Chapter 23: The Capital Behind the Stars

"Exactly, the songwriting is the real highlight of this track; Yu Manli's vocals are just the icing on the cake."

"I am so curious now about who this Jiang Jin is, to be able to write lyrics like these!"

"The songwriter is Jiang Jin! He’s so talented! I’m in love!"

"I’ve noticed the name Jiang Jin has a knack for trending. Another Jiang Jin was on the hot search a few days ago."

"Damn, now that you mention it, I remember. The boss of Supernova Special Materials Co., Ltd. is also named Jiang Jin. Now there's this songwriter Jiang Jin for 'Youth.' Is this name cursed or something?"

"Do you guys think... maybe these two Jiang Jins are the same person?"

Jiang Jin was trending!

In an executive suite at the Four Seasons Hotel in Shanghai.

"'The songwriter is Jiang Jin, he’s so talented,' oh my, this netizen is too kind, truly too kind!"

"'The best part of this song is the songwriting,' ahem, this netizen is too polite. After all, Yu Manli didn't sing it too badly."

Jiang Jin held his phone, reading aloud the comments that praised him and then offering modest disclaimers, having the time of his life.

Across from him, Wu Qingya kept rolling her eyes.

What did he mean by "didn't sing it too badly"? She was a pop diva! Her vocal prowess had been verified by countless ears! And this guy—he was far too immodest. Who reads compliments about themselves out loud like that?

But as much as one might call him narcissistic, he had indeed written the lyrics and music for "Youth."

It was infuriating!

Just then, his phone rang.

Jiang Jin raised an eyebrow and looked at the name on the screen—Yu Manli. He turned to Wu Qingya and asked, "It’s Yu Manli. Do you want to listen in?"

Wu Qingya shook her head gently. "No thanks. I don't have the bad habit of eavesdropping on other people's conversations."

Jiang Jin chuckled. "I’m the one inviting you to listen. How could it be eavesdropping?"

Wu Qingya replied, "But Yu Manli doesn't know that."

The beautiful bodyguard had a point, and he found he had no rebuttal.

"Hello, Ms. Yu. Is there something you need, calling so late?" Jiang Jin said, picking up the phone with a casual tone.

Wu Qingya watched, stunned. *No way... the national goddess is calling, and what is with this annoyed attitude from Jiang Jin? Any other man would have been over the moon!*

On the other end of the line, Yu Manli clearly hadn't expected such a reception. She paused for a second or two before speaking.

"I apologize, Mr. Jiang, for bothering you so late."

Jiang Jin’s voice remained calm. "I wouldn't call it a bother."

Yu Manli seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "That’s good to hear. The first-hour data for 'Youth' is in, and it’s excellent across the board, so I wanted to express my gratitude, Mr. Jiang."

Jiang Jin chuckled, his tone still unruffled. "You’re too kind, Ms. Yu. It was your sincerity that moved me."

Yu Manli quickly added, "Mr. Jiang, I’d like to discuss my new album with you in person. Do you have any time?"

"Youth" had already proven Jiang Jin's talent, and Yu Manli wanted to strike while the iron was hot for her 12th studio album.

Jiang Jin thought for a moment before replying, "I’m quite busy these next two days. I’ll call you when I have time."

With that, he hung up.

Wu Qingya’s mouth hung slightly open, her expression one of utter bewilderment.

Jiang Jin noticed her reaction and asked, puzzled, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You just hung up on Yu Manli, just like that?" Wu Qingya let out a heavy sigh, her expression complex.

Jiang Jin shrugged, completely unbothered. "Everything that needed to be said was said. Why keep the call going?"

His persona in front of Yu Manli was that of a mysterious, brilliant music creator; being aloof suited that image. Besides, human nature was inherently fickle; sometimes, if you were overly enthusiastic, people wouldn't respect you as much. Being cold and firm, on the other hand, could earn you unexpected respect.

In silence, Wu Qingya gave him a thumbs-up.

Jiang Jin smiled and checked the 24-hour sales chart on Qiuqiu Music.

An hour and a half had passed, and sales for "Youth" had already surpassed 24 million, meaning nearly eight million fans had purchased the digital rights to the song.

If he recalled correctly, the previous 24-hour record on the platform was 35 million, right?

As for Xue Ting, who had released her song "Moon Shadow" at the same time, her sales were only at 9 million, ranking second.

*No way, the gap is this big? There’s no room for me to show my skills at all!*

Jiang Jin was confused. At this rate, Yu Manli would take first place without him even needing to do anything. But the system had issued a mission, which meant there had to be a twist!

Curious, Jiang Jin spent three yuan to buy "Moon Shadow" and listened to it once. It was decent, but it lacked the power to truly move the listener. No wonder the sales were lagging.

He then checked Weibo and found that the topics #XueTingNewSong# and #MoonShadow# were also trending, though not as high as Yu Manli.

*Is the system messing with me?*

With this doubt, Jiang Jin fell into a deep sleep.

By noon the next day, things had suddenly changed. Sales for "Moon Shadow" surged to 30 million, rapidly overtaking "Youth." On Weibo, the rankings for #XueTingNewSong# and #MoonShadow# climbed to the top two spots.

After a night of silence, "Moon Shadow" had suddenly exploded in popularity!

"Just listened to 'Moon Shadow,' and I was instantly hooked by Xue Ting's voice."

"My god, how can there be a song as beautiful as 'Moon Shadow' in this world? Love it!"

"I wasn't a fan of Xue Ting before, but because of 'Moon Shadow,' I’m now a loyal fan!"

The comments under the related topics were filled with praise!

By 7:00 PM, sales for "Moon Shadow" had reached a staggering 40 million, while "Youth" was trailing with "a pathetic" 30 million!

Professional music critic Qin Sheng posted on Weibo: "From a professional standpoint, the melody of 'Youth' is too simple and the lyrics are too colloquial. Its creator, Jiang Jin, lacks professional depth. On the other hand, the melody and lyrics of 'Moon Shadow' are top-tier and can be called stunning. If Xue Ting continues to develop, she has the potential to become the number one female singer in the Dragon Kingdom."

Once Qin Sheng's post went live, it immediately drew hordes of Xue Ting's fans to control the narrative.

"Tingting, did you see? Even Mr. Qin Sheng is praising you! So touched!"

"Although Tingting's hard work deserves this recognition, I still want to thank Mr. Qin Sheng on her behalf."

"Has anyone listened to both 'Moon Shadow' and 'Youth' several times? Which one do you think is better?"

A war without smoke had begun!

In a high-end villa in Shanghai, Liu Sanhai sat on an imported luxury sofa, holding a glass of red wine while on a call. Before him, Xue Ting knelt on the floor, kneading his legs like a maid.

"Mr. Qin, thank you for your encouragement of Tingting. I will transfer the remaining 300,000 to your account shortly."

After ending the call with Qin Sheng, Liu Sanhai called Xue Ting's studio.

"Prepare a Weibo post celebrating Tingting becoming the number one female singer in the Dragon Kingdom in terms of 24-hour sales. Post it at 8:00 sharp!"

As he set the phone aside, Xue Ting sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Darling, you're so good to me."

A lecherous grin curled on Liu Sanhai's lips. "This is only the beginning. I'm going to elevate you to Yu Manli's position and make you a triple-threat diva in film, television, and music!"