Chapter 148: Cutting Down Everything in Sight

By 8:00 AM on January 15th, the download count for "Courage" had reached 1.2 million. Among the songs released that day, it was already far in the lead. Although Dynasty Entertainment had deployed five singers with a total of 15 songs, not a single one could rival "Courage." Winning by volume had proven ineffective, and the encirclement campaign seemed to have become a joke.

" 'Courage' is out! Everyone, go listen to it!"
"When was it released? Why didn't I see any news on Su Chen's Weibo?"
"Right, he didn't post on his Weibo, but Xu Shuang's did!"
"Xu Shuang? The singer performing Su Chen's song? That name sounds familiar!"
"Search her on Baidu; it's easy to find her background. She used to be a very impressive singer!"
"Got it, I'm going to listen!"

At 8:00 AM, before the workday had even begun, many commuters were still packed into buses or subways, yet they were already starting their daily social interactions via their phones. News about Su Chen's new song release began to spread across the web through social media feeds. Although Xu Shuang had announced the release time on Weibo, Su Chen had not reposted it, meaning a large portion of netizens—especially his own fanbase—had missed the update. Now that they heard the song was live, they flocked to show their support.

The internet is a strange place. Some can engage in shady dealings under the scrutiny of millions, while many ordinary people will uphold their inner principles and keep a simple promise, even when no one is watching. It was time to honor the promise of "owing Su Chen a song download." Many who had previously made that claim actually went to download and listen to this latest track. "Owing Su Chen a song download" was no longer just a meme; it had turned into concrete action. By 8:00 PM on January 15th, the download count for "Courage" surpassed 1.8 million.

This data was simply heaven-defying! By this time, feedback from the first wave of listeners had started to pour in.

"A truly wonderful song. The more I listen, the more addictive it gets. I've had it on loop all day and am only writing this review now. This song captures the courage of a young girl throwing herself into love recklessly; it's very moving. Highly recommended!"
"Unrequited love requires courage, confessing requires courage. If you like someone, you must be brave enough to express it!"
"One must be brave at least once in life, casting aside all hesitations to do what one truly wants to do!"
"After so many years, Xu Shuang's singing can still capture the heart just as it always did..."

The praise was overwhelming! Touched by the music, netizens began promoting the song on their social media, sharing their own stories.

"I came to work in 1999 and met a girl. The moment I saw her, I knew she was my type. We always found excuses to chat. We were so innocent and thin-skinned back then; we knew each other for two years and never even held hands, until her family arranged a marriage for her..."
"We were stuck in a state of ambiguity, hesitant only because of the uncertainty of the future, waiting for them to give a definitive look..."
"To be honest, when I heard this song, my instinct was to run away because I didn't dare face my heart. Back then, I chose to let go, but I still couldn't overcome the inner torment. I owe someone three words..."

Every listener is different, and so is their interpretation of a song; the emotions touched are unique to each person. Yet, it is undeniable that a song capable of reaching into the depths of the soul is, without a doubt, a great one. By 12:00 PM on January 16th, "Courage" had surpassed 2.5 million downloads, just touching the tail end of the January Popularity Chart at 10th place. Meanwhile, major influencer accounts under the Star Orange Entertainment channel began to exert their influence.

"FlowersLoveSinging": Keep your heart calm, don't be trapped by affection, fear not the future, and dwell not on the past! We truly all need "Courage" to face the rumors and gossip!
"SellingEmotions": When we were young, we were always indifferent, only to be heartbroken at the end. As we grow mature, we avoid the naive hurts, but we also miss the "Courage" we had at the beginning.
"LittleOne": This is the first time in many years a song has moved me to tears. Nothing is more damaging than words, so we must be firm with each other and give one another enough "Courage" to face everything!

With the momentum of the entire web, by 12:00 PM on January 18th, the download count for "Courage" exceeded 4.6 million. It climbed directly to 3rd place on the January Popularity Chart, leaving many songs released at the beginning of the month far behind. It was an absolute sweep! Meanwhile, the dozen-plus songs from Dynasty Entertainment had not even reached the threshold of the chart. The winner had been decided!

For a time, the buzz surrounding Xu Shuang on the internet reached an unprecedented height. In the era of self-media traffic, the constant truth is that whoever has the heat gets the attention. Thus, even unrelated bloggers began to hop on the trend to praise her.

"Genius singer Xu Shuang returns, proving her status with one song!"
"If there truly are gifted singers in this world, Xu Shuang must be one of them!"
"Five years without a release, and she hits her peak upon return. I am very much looking forward to seeing where this song ends up."

The excellent word-of-mouth, the inherent traffic-driving power of Xu Shuang and Su Chen, and the strong promotion by internet influencers brought a steady stream of traffic to "Courage." Everyone was waiting with bated breath, anticipating Xu Shuang being "crowned a legend."

On January 20th, six days after its release on TianTian Music, "Courage" finally broke through all obstacles and surged to the number one spot on the January Popularity Chart. As of 10:18 PM on January 20th, the download count for "Courage" crossed 7.4 million, surpassing the second-place figure of 7.28 million. The entire web was shaken! Music industry singers, in particular, found such results unbelievable. Comparing this to their own experiences of releasing songs, they felt a sense of being left in the dust.

Was it the power of Su Chen's song, or the brilliance of Xu Shuang's performance? Many couldn't help but ask themselves this question. If it were them, would they have achieved such results with Su Chen's track? The answer remained unknown. But one thing was undeniable: this duo had crushed the pride of every singer participating in the January Popularity Chart.