Chapter 142: Mere Clowns

"Once again, thank you all for your support and defense. I feel I have simply performed my duties, and I am not as noble as everyone makes me out to be.

Regarding the winner of the Golden Melody Award for Best Composer, I believe Tang Guo is truly deserving of the honor. There are three reasons:

First, since Tang Guo began composing, he has produced ten songs, each of which is a masterpiece. Even with rookie singers performing them, they have achieved excellent results.

Second, Tang Guo advanced to the rank of Gold-tier Composer in just four months, setting a record for the fastest promotion to Gold-tier status.

Third, Tang Guo is currently the only composer to have been officially recognized by Weibo as the 'Rookie King,' a title that was specifically tailored for him.

With so many honors and records to his name, I find Tang Guo’s receipt of this award to be convincing. However, the Golden Melody Awards is a democratic institution; if anyone wishes to question the fairness of the awards, they are welcome to present evidence that proves their own strength."

In his Weibo post, Li Kang made no direct mention of Su Chen insulting him, yet every sentence implied that Su Chen was unworthy.

At the end, he specifically tagged the official account of Star Orange Entertainment.

"I am speaking up for the Tang Guo of your company; surely you have something to say?"

To Li Kang's surprise, tagging Star Orange Entertainment was like dropping a stone into the ocean; there was no response whatsoever.

At Star Orange Entertainment, an operations staffer scrolled through their phone and muttered, "This Li Kang really has nothing better to do. Why is he tagging us for no reason?"

Faced with such a complex situation, they didn't know how to handle it, so they had to report upward. It went through the ranks until it reached Fang Xiao.

"Ignore him."

The final instruction was to treat his tags as if they didn't exist. Ever since the Golden Melody Awards ceremony, Qin Pei had informed Fang Xiao of everything that had transpired. Although Fang Xiao was curious about the conflict between Su Chen and Dynasty Entertainment, she fully respected Su Chen’s intentions.

After waiting several hours in vain for a response from Star Orange Entertainment, Li Kang became furious.

Damn it!

He had been speaking up for Tang Guo the entire time—even if his motives weren't entirely pure, the least Star Orange Entertainment could do was show some acknowledgment. What about common courtesy?

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He even considered writing a post to reprimand Star Orange Entertainment, but considering his own stance, he decided against it for the time being.

Fortunately, while Star Orange Entertainment remained silent, his comrades appeared.

That afternoon, a singer named Gong Ziming reposted his long Weibo essay and added his own commentary: "Some people should prove their strength before questioning others! Trying to challenge the 'Rookie King' based on just two songs is nothing short of delusional!"

Unlike Li Kang, Gong Ziming’s words were sharp, laden with sarcasm, and practically named Su Chen directly.

"The teacher is right!"
"Some people just have no self-awareness; they don't know their own worth!"
"To think he could make the Golden Melody Awards change hands with just two songs—he’s far too arrogant!"
"Honestly, if those two songs hadn't been sung by Jiang Yan, they might have flopped! Listening to them now, they’re just mediocre—nowhere near as amazing as the internet hyped them up to be!"
"Isn't that the truth? They were probably just hyped up! After all, they have capital backing them!"

Gong Ziming's Weibo post immediately attracted many onlookers to take sides. Previously, when they stirred up trouble, they could only hop around in the comment sections without any real platform. Now that someone had finally stepped up to be their mouthpiece, they were overjoyed.

Following Gong Ziming’s appearance, other singers began to speak up one after another.

Sikong Hao: "@Su Chen, the best way to earn honor is to prove you are worthy through action, not words!"

Man Zhiwen: "It’s truly ridiculous. If everyone can question the fairness of the Golden Melody Awards, can I also claim the Best Male Singer award should be mine?"

Wen Sheng: "As a witness, let me say a fair word. Throughout the awards ceremony, Brother Kang showed more than enough restraint. Unfortunately, some people are truly lacking in character. Throwing a tantrum won't solve anything. The Golden Melody Award for Best Composer won't become yours just because you kick up a fuss!"

Undoubtedly, these individuals were all singers from Dynasty Entertainment. While their fame wasn't immense, each still had their own fan base. As their posts went live, many people began to follow suit.

In an instant, Su Chen climbed to the top of the trending topics once again.

"Multiple singers denounce Su Chen; strength is the only proof!"
"Su Chen bombarded by major singers; tantrums won't solve problems!"
"The Golden Melody Awards should not be questioned!"

Bolstered by the high trending status, Su Chen’s Weibo followers surged to over two million in a short time, and the number continued to climb.

Facing such a barrage of abuse and attacks, Su Chen’s Weibo remained completely silent.

*He must be scared from all the scolding,* many thought. After all, with thousands of netizens and several singers personally attacking him, they believed no one could withstand such pressure.

Just as people thought Su Chen had retreated into silence, his Weibo suddenly updated:

"Clowns!"

Only four words, but he tagged Li Kang and the others in the post.

Boom!

The momentum, which had been on the verge of fading, reignited instantly.

"Damn, why is Su Chen so tough? I want to ask, what gives him the right?"
"I really didn't expect this response. It’s hard to keep my composure—the last time I saw a celebrity this bold was twenty years ago!"
"Su Chen has completely offended them now. It's going to be hard for him to survive in the industry from here on out!"
"Isn't this blatantly insulting people? Can someone come and handle this?"

The crusade against Su Chen online was in full swing. However, the person in question was currently wandering casually into Star Orange Entertainment.

When he reached the office area of the second composing team on the 19th floor, Dong Xiaojie’s sharp eyes spotted him immediately.

"Wow! Su Chen, you're back!"
"Hurry, let me see—has anything changed?"

Her shout immediately drew the attention of many, and a crowd quickly surrounded Su Chen. Pleasantries like "long time no see" and "you're amazing" followed. Su Chen smiled and responded to each one.

"Su Chen, you saw what’s happening online, right? What are you planning to do?" Dong Xiaojie asked quietly once the crowd had dispersed. They had sat closest to each other previously; although they didn't communicate much, she was the person he was most familiar with.

"It’s nothing major, don't worry about it!" Su Chen said, offering reassurance rather than a direct answer.

"If you ask me, you should just admit you're Tang Guo."
"Let those people who look down on others see just how ridiculous they are!" Dong Xiaojie said, making a fierce face.

Su Chen couldn't help but chuckle. It seemed that whether they supported him or opposed him, everyone’s emotions had reached a boiling point.