Chapter Ten: Lin Ze Throws His Weight Around

At this moment, pulling out investment was clearly intended to stoke the flames of the plagiarism controversy surrounding Lin Ze.

Lin Ze had clashed with Zhang Yang, and his remarkable creative talent had come to the fore. With Zhang Huai's shrewd eye, sharpened by years in the industry, it was obvious from the moment Lin Ze revealed his gifts that he was not someone his son could compete against.

Since that was the case, it was better to destroy Lin Ze before he gained a foothold.

Lin Ze came from an ordinary middle-class family. Su Zitan’s company was respectable, but in the entertainment world, it wasn’t enough to protect Lin Ze.

Lin Ze pondered for a moment. “How did Director Zhang react?”

“Director Zhang was so anxious he yanked off his wig. He’s frantically calling every investor he knows,” Wang Xue replied. She paused. “But… no one’s willing to invest. You’re too much in the spotlight right now. If it turns out you really did plagiarize, the ten million investment would go up in smoke.”

Lin Ze exhaled, relieved. “Is that all? I thought Director Zhang wouldn’t let us participate anymore.”

“?”

A question mark seemed to float beside Wang Xue’s head. “Are you sure you understand the situation…?”

“I do. Crystal clear.”

Lin Ze’s phone lay between him and Su Zitan, who had also overheard everything. The Zitan Chronicle couldn’t muster that much liquid capital right now, but there was someone who could.

As for that so-called piano master, Jack…

‘Afterwards’ hadn’t been out long; Lin Ze was curious what kind of work Jack would use to accuse him of plagiarism.

“No need to worry. It’s a small matter. Sister Wang, tell Director Zhang to relax—I’ll handle it.”

“Ah?” Wang Xue was stunned, and Lin Ze hung up.

“Let’s go find somewhere quiet to respond,” Lin Ze said, tossing his empty lemon tea into the trash.

…

“The time is now! The time is now!”

Lin Ze was mired in a plagiarism scandal.

Zhang Yang, brimming with excitement, anonymously sent the video of Lin Ze hitting someone to a slew of influencer bloggers.

These bloggers, masters of chasing traffic, edited the video immediately.

In the video, Lin Ze appeared arrogant, as if the words “diva behavior” were stamped on his face.

With Lin Ze’s current popularity, the video shot straight up the trending charts, and a second hot topic emerged.

“Lin Ze acts like a diva in the restroom, forcing a fellow artist to slap himself and apologize.”

…

The two wandered the streets, then ducked into a karaoke booth, buying ninety minutes of privacy.

Lin Ze had just picked up his phone when he saw the latest trending topic.

Sure enough, Wang Lei had filmed the incident in the restroom.

“What’s this? Clinging to a wealthy woman, buying hype, and now his work is plagiarized?”

“He’s barely famous and already acting like a diva?”

“There were rumors he mocked other artists on the show—I didn’t expect him to be so vile in private. He must be banned!”

“‘Our Love’—I heard the investors pulled out because of Lin Ze. One rotten apple spoils the whole barrel.”

“Check his other songs—see whose work he stole next.”

Lin Ze had expected these comments. Public opinion is always a sharp blade against celebrities.

He played the piece called ‘Memory,’ frowning as he listened.

As he suspected, it had only been two days since ‘Afterwards’ was released. This piece was cobbled together solely to frame him—an outright patchwork.

Lin Ze shook his head. The Zhangs’ methods were disgustingly dirty.

If they insisted on playing this way, they couldn’t blame him for fighting fire with fire.

“All right,” Su Zitan said, already messaging her powerful connections.

“I’m going live now. I’ll say a few words,” Lin Ze announced, starting his stream and sharing the link on Weibo.

“If you’re a brother, come eat some juicy drama.”

His fans were amused; the title eased their nerves.

They rushed into the livestream, seeing Lin Ze seated in a typical mall karaoke booth.

“Brother Lin, are you singing today?”

Lin Ze spotted the comment and responded, “Not today. I’ve just arrived in Sichuan, and tomorrow I’ll join the variety show.”

“Oh, didn’t the investors pull out? Did your wife invest?” someone asked.

With fewer viewers, Lin Ze could read every comment and answer them directly.

“No, whatever money I have is barely enough for him. He’s a star—he spends a lot,” Su Zitan said cheerfully.

Lin Ze looked up. “All right, I’ve set the mute words. When the trolls arrive, they’ll be silenced for a year.”

The viewer count skyrocketed.

“Lin Ze plagiarized! Disgraced artist! Ban him!” someone typed.

Their comment was instantly muted for three hundred sixty-five days.

Lin Ze shook his head, a little regretful.

“See? He won’t even call me Brother Lin.”

“……”

“Haha!”

“Brother Lin is at it again.”

With more viewers, Lin Ze cleared his throat.

“I started the stream today just to talk with everyone.”

“This whole drama—remember to use your brains. Don’t believe everything you hear.”

Lin Ze shrugged, looking innocent.

“They think I have no backing, so they don’t dare say much openly. But I’m honest, aren’t I?”

A flood of question marks streamed across the screen.

“Let’s talk about the plagiarism.”

“Everyone, listen to that piano piece. Most of you aren’t musicians, but if you’ve studied music, you can tell—it’s just a patchwork.”

Lin Ze even marked the timestamps: “Forty-eight seconds, two minutes thirty-five seconds, five minutes ten seconds.”

“A true master, blending three pieces together and processing them so most people won’t notice.”

“Two masterpieces and my ‘Afterwards.’” Lin Ze shook his head.

After Lin Ze’s comments, some musicians listened and returned.

A barrage of question marks filled the screen.

“Brother Lin is impressive!”

“What do you mean, anyone who studied music would notice? Maybe you’re overestimating us, Brother Lin.”

“Honestly, I wouldn’t have noticed if you hadn’t pointed it out!”

Lin Ze waved his hand, a little proud.

“Keep it low-key.”

“As for the show, let’s just say—the investors used this as an excuse to pull out, exposing plagiarism and withdrawing investment in perfect coordination.”

The sarcasm in Lin Ze’s tone was clear, and many viewers began searching for who the investors were.

“But don’t worry, the show will air as usual,” Su Zitan said mysteriously. “If they pull out, someone else will invest.”

Zhang Huai was watching the stream and happened to see this. He sneered.

You dare say anything, kid?

I’d like to see who dares invest at a time like this!