Perfect Superstar.

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Sky Forum stands as one of the largest BBS platforms in the country, with a staggering 150 million registered users.

Often referred to as the "online home for global Chinese," the forum encompasses nine major sections, including news and current affairs, societal perspectives, film and TV discussions, casual chats, literature and books, fashion trends, emotional support, and more, all divided into over 50 subcategories.

Among these, subsections like international outlook, domestic perspectives, entertainment gossip, and quirky news have gained particular popularity, with active user bases reaching into the hundreds of thousands or even millions. 

Established two decades ago, Sky Forum has been a witness to countless viral internet events and has played a role in the rise of many online celebrities.

Consequently, the forum has also become a vital battleground for online marketing and PR campaigns.

The post that Wang Jiashi clicked on was a critique of The Strongest Singer, arguing that the title was misleading. It was published in the entertainment gossip section and authored by someone using the username "Stray Cat." This post had already garnered over a million clicks, making it a trending topic.

"Stray Cat" was a well-known figure in the entertainment section of Sky Forum, their identity cloaked in mystery— no one knew their gender or profession. They were known for sharing juicy tidbits about the entertainment industry, from celebrity scandals to behind-the-scenes drama.

For example, they would expose a star's affair, an idol's rants against fans, or a celebrity's alleged involvement in dubious activities.

Stray Cat's posts were characterized by their substance. The information they provided was typically credible, rarely sensationalized or fabricated. As a result, they were seen as a guiding light in the entertainment section.

This particular post quickly climbed to the top of the section within hours of being published, amassing over 10,000 replies— a remarkable feat for a Monday morning.

In the post, Stray Cat criticized the currently airing variety show The Strongest Singer on Xiangnan Satellite TV, focusing on the controversy surrounding Lu Chen, a contestant who had been eliminated during the preliminary round.

Lu Chen, a 22-year-old male, was a vagabond singer in Beijing, known for performing at bars in Houhai.

This scant information meant little to most people. In a city of over 30 million residents, at least 10 million are "Beijing drifters." Anonymous vagabond singers in areas like Houhai and Sanlitun are a dime a dozen— you could probably hit a few with a thrown brick.

But Stray Cat highlighted another side of Lu Chen:

He was the songwriter behind Wandering Band's three hits— In Spring, Reason to Be Strong, and I Want A Family- which made him a remarkably talented pop music composer!

'What? Never heard of these songs?' Then you're out of touch. Go check the official website of the Chinese Original Music Charts.

'In Spring' had held the top spot in the charts for the third and fourth weeks of July. Meanwhile, 'Reason to Be Strong' was ranked 7th, and 'I Want A Family' was 12th. The album 'In Spring' by Wandering Band had climbed to 2nd place on the weekly album popularity chart.

For a debut album with only five songs, achieving such high rankings on the original music charts was extraordinary. Clearly, their success was inseparable from the brilliance of Lu Chen's compositions.

Yet this exceptional songwriter was eliminated during the preliminary round of The Strongest Singer? What an absolute joke!

Stray Cat emphasized that Lu Chen wasn't just a talented composer; he was also a skilled performer, making it highly unlikely that he would have been eliminated due to poor performance.

To substantiate this, Stray Cat included two video links from Uvision.

The first was a highlight reel of Lu Chen's performance in the qualifiers for Singing China. The second was a live stream video where Lu Chen secured the top spot in the competition's round of 32-to-16.

Moreover, all the songs Lu Chen performed in these competitions were his original works!

Stray Cat commented: "We often say that the creative force in domestic music is declining, with idol stars primarily covering and mimicking Western, Japanese, and South Korean pop music. Talented songwriters are becoming increasingly rare.

But in reality, new talent emerges in every generation. Outstanding songwriters do exist— they just lack opportunities.

The Strongest Singer should have been the ideal stage for Lu Chen to showcase his talent. However, due to malicious suppression by certain individuals, he was forced to seek recognition in Singing China. It's truly a sad and pitiful situation!"

"This is also a tragedy for the domestic pop music scene."

Stray Cat concluded the post by stating that they had no personal ties to Lu Chen and were not paid to write this exposé.

They simply felt compelled to act after being deeply moved by Lu Chen's songs.

Stray Cat's favorite two songs? 'In Spring' by Wandering Band and 'My Old Classmate' by Lu Chen.

The lengthy post detailed Lu Chen's elimination from The Strongest Singer provided a heartfelt analysis of 'In Spring', and strongly criticized the current state of domestic pop music.

What's more, the claims were well-supported with videos and evidence!

At the end of the post, Stray Cat added: "The Strongest Singer? Lu Chen is at least three streets ahead of Ling Xiaoxiao!"

It took Wang Jiashi over half an hour to finish reading the post, including watching the two livestream videos. He read it carefully and even browsed through many of the comments.

The post had an overwhelming number of replies, with new comments pouring in rapidly.

"Another publicity stunt?"

"Orz, this is a post from the Stray Cat deity. I'm backing it!"

"Haha, is Xiangnan TV about to go head-to-head with Capital City TV? It's been a long time coming."

"This is interesting. I'm curious who's suppressing new talent."

"'In Spring'? Aaahhh, it's my favorite song lately! I looped it dozens of times last night!"

"I've heard 'In Spring'. I never expected it to be written by someone my age. I thought it was an original by Wandering Band."

"I watched Singing China's top-32 round. Lu Chen's songs were amazing. I support him!"

"Stray Cat Strikes Again: The Jianghu is Stirred Once More!"

"I like Ling Xiaoxiao. Is that okay?"

"Juicy material..."

Sky Forum is a mix of all kinds of people, and the responses to posts are equally diverse— some are curious, others skeptical, and many are supportive.

Wang Jiashi agreed deeply with Stray Cat's understanding and appreciation of 'In Spring'. He also believed that the song's composer, Lu Chen, was an exceptionally talented songwriter.

Taking into account Lu Chen's performance on Singing China, calling him an outstanding singer was not an exaggeration in the slightest.

However, it was hard for Wang Jiashi to imagine that a song like In Spring could be written by a 22-year-old. It shattered the preconceived image he had of Lu Chen in his mind.

As for the supposed behind-the-scenes suppression of Lu Chen, Wang Jiashi found it less interesting.

Stray Cat, after all, was rumored to be a marketing account. While some of their gossip posts were accurate, others seemed like deliberate hype. Even as someone in the entertainment industry, Wang Jiashi couldn't always tell fact from fiction.

But when it came to 'In Spring', the song itself spoke volumes.

There was so much Wang Jiashi wanted to express about it.

He closed the webpage, opened his work software, and typed the title "In Spring."

He began writing:

"I just returned from a vacation abroad, still struggling with jet lag, and came to the office today.

Then I heard a song called 'In Spring'.

I imagine many people have heard this song, have their own impressions and feelings about it, and don't need me to elaborate further. Listening to the song is enough.

But some thoughts were stuck in my chest, and I couldn't let them go. I had to share them with others, which is why I'm writing this.

This seems like a song for the 'bourgeois' crowd at first glance. It reflects on the struggles of youth—the kind of youth filled with hardship and being overlooked—through the eyes of someone who has 'credit cards,' a 'princess at home,' and a house with '24-hour hot water.'

Through its lyrics, one can see it all. In Spring's lyrics are not complex; they follow a simple three-part structure. The first two verses recount the struggles and joy of the past, while the third verse laments the current state—less hardship but more confusion and melancholy. The climax captures worries about the future and reflections on life's ultimate destination.

What moved me deeply was the overwhelming emotion infused into this song!"

...

The entire morning, Wang Jiashi worked on this article.

He wrote and rewrote, polished each word, and revised some paragraphs seven or eight times before he was satisfied. Even though it was just a short article of around a thousand words, he found it challenging to craft.

As he tapped on his keyboard, he poured his own emotions into every line of text.

The only sound in the small room was the tap-tap-tap of the keyboard.

Meanwhile, the Sky Forum post titled "The Strongest Singer? Let's Uncover Why Lu Chen, the Composer of In Spring, Was Eliminated!" was reposted by Stray Cat on their blog.

Though Stray Cat wasn't a top influencer on the Waves Blog platform, they tagged several high-profile entertainment industry bloggers, prompting these influencers—each with hundreds of thousands or even millions of followers—to like and share the post.

It was the first working day after the weekend, a time when office workers and white-collar professionals were busy with their routines. As a result, the post initially spread slowly, garnering only a modest number of shares.

But by lunchtime, the repost count spiked dramatically, jumping from dozens to over 5,000. Comments surpassed 3,000, turning it into a minor trending topic.

Yet this was only the beginning— like a brewing storm, the winds were just starting to stir.

(End of Chapter)