Chapter 17
The audience’s reaction said it all.
There was no doubt who had won the composition battle.
The livestream chat scrolled furiously.
[Nothing more to say. Meng Yuansheng, you’re amazing!!!]
[Ahhh! Who would have thought such a great song would debut on a talent show stage?]
[I’m about to cry! For years, I’ve been stuck in my past relationship, unable to move on. This song gave me courage. Let the bad memories stay at the bottom of the sea—I’m swimming up! I’m going to find the sunlight!]
*
Shen Yu’s fingers rested lightly on the guitar strings, his heart still racing.
It had been a long time since he’d experienced the thrill of performing like this.
This song reminded him of the first time he had heard a song that had inspired him to pursue music as his life’s path.
He looked at Meng Yuansheng with a warm expression. “This is a wonderful song. If you ever want to release it as a single or on an album, let me know. My label has the best production team and recording studio.”
Shen Yu’s fans were no longer surprised but looked smug, as if to say, We knew this would happen.
As soon as Meng Yuansheng started singing, they’d realized that Shen Yu, with his character, would never let such a talent slip away.
Meng Yuansheng was a little taken aback by the offer but no longer the timid person he once was. Gu Xingshi’s belief in him had given him the confidence he needed.
He lifted his head, meeting Shen Yu’s gaze without flinching. “Thank you. I’ll think about it.”
Shen Yu gave him an approving pat on the shoulder, then took the host’s microphone. “For this round, my choice is Meng Yuansheng.”
Without another glance at Jiang Mo, he returned to his seat.
Shen Yu’s words hit the stage like a thunderclap.
The production team had worried that a public vote from the mentors might create tension, so they’d intended to let a professional panel and the audience decide instead.
But Shen Yu’s blunt declaration left Jiang Mo with no dignity to save.
Jiang Mo’s fans were outraged, subtly bashing both Shen Yu and Meng Yuansheng.
But Shen’s fans weren’t having it; they flooded the chat with: [For this round, I choose Meng Yuansheng.]
This drove Jiang Mo’s fans into a frenzy.
Inside, Jiang Mo was burning with resentment.
How could this have happened?!
This was an outcome he hadn’t anticipated.
His emotions were a confusing mix.
There was regret—regret that he had failed to recognize Meng Yuansheng’s talent, regret that he hadn’t been more careful and allowed Meng to catch him cheating. If not for that, with Meng’s devotion, all these great songs would be his.
And there was anger—anger at Meng Yuansheng for joining the show, for challenging him, and for putting him in this embarrassing situation.
He glared at Meng Yuansheng, only to see him suddenly smirk.
Confident, proud, full of energy.
Jiang Mo froze.
The gem he had discarded as worthless had brushed away the dust, and now it was starting to shine with unmatched brilliance.
No!
No!
A wave of panic and jealousy surged within Jiang Mo, and he blurted out, “No! This song isn’t yours! You don’t know how to write songs!”
If he couldn’t have written it, then there was no way Meng Yuansheng had. He wouldn’t believe it!
This song had to be plagiarized or ghostwritten by someone else!
Yes!!
That had to be it!
Jiang Mo’s face contorted as he looked at Meng Yuansheng, the handsome face now twisted in rage.
Meng Yuansheng let out a soft laugh, his voice tinged with both calmness and a hint of pity. “Mentor Jiang, are you accusing me of plagiarizing your song?”
Before Jiang Mo could respond, the chat had already erupted.
[OMG! Jiang Mo actually has the nerve to accuse Meng Yuansheng of plagiarism?! He chose the challenge topic himself! Meng Yuansheng didn’t even leave the stage; everyone watched him write the song. How could he have stolen it? What, did he read Jiang Mo’s mind?]
[Hahaha! Are you saying Jiang Mo’s head could produce a song this moving? His entire discography couldn’t add up to “Raging Sea.” He couldn’t have written something like this in a million years.]
[Now it makes sense why Jiang Mo accused a young trainee of plagiarism online—it was all jealousy! He smeared him just because he couldn’t match his talent. Truly disgusting.]
[If anyone still thinks Meng Yuansheng plagiarized, they’re either a blind Jiang Mo stan, or just plain brainless—or both. Take your pick.]
*
Meanwhile, in the audience, Yin Hefeng stared in shock at the unfolding scene. “President Gu, you were right—this really was a show worth watching!”
“But you’re awfully calm!” he added with a chuckle. “To be honest, seeing how sure of yourself you were, I almost thought you knew in advance what topic Jiang Mo would pick, hahaha…”
Gu Xing merely smiled, saying nothing.
In fact, Yin Hefeng wasn’t entirely wrong.
Gu Xingshi hadn’t predicted the topic—but he had predicted Jiang Mo’s character.
After discovering that Jiang Mo had secretly taken Meng Yuansheng’s lyrics and passed them off as his own, Gu Xingshi had recalled an apt analogy: when you see one cockroach, it’s likely there are hundreds more hidden.
Jiang Mo may have once had talent.
But after he started stealing Meng Yuansheng’s lyrics, he enjoyed being lauded as a “creative genius” and “master lyricist”—even gaining a golden connection in Shen Yu.
Once Jiang Mo tasted that kind of success, would he still push himself to create?
Gu Xingshi didn’t think so.
So he’d consulted his gossip system, and sure enough, it revealed that Jiang Mo had a few ghostwriters on the side. He’d also stolen songs from some lesser-known creators who’d submitted their work to him, threatening them into silence when they tried to speak up.
Jiang Mo had kept these actions well-hidden—even Meng Yuansheng hadn’t known, though he had noticed that Jiang Mo’s style seemed inconsistent. But it hadn’t crossed his mind that Jiang Mo would stoop so low.
It wasn’t until Gu Xiangshi told him the truth that Meng Yuansheng understood, and the realization stung.
Meng Yuansheng had once secretly studied composition, hoping to surprise Jiang Mo by drawing closer to him.
But he’d never had the confidence to show anyone his work. In hindsight, that was probably a good thing.
Over the years, Jiang Mo had scarcely written anything original. Any talent he once had was likely long gone.
And he was greedy and paranoid.
By giving Jiang Mo control over the challenge topic, Meng Yuansheng knew he’d be tempted to cheat despite the risks.
Since Jiang Mo had asked Meng Yuansheng to write lyrics for him before, Meng Yuansheng knew all his songs.
And to be extra cautious, Meng Yuansheng had even suggested including lyrics in the challenge, further narrowing Jiang Mo’s options.
In the end, Meng Yuansheng was certain Jiang Mo would choose “the sea” as the theme.
With that in mind, he’d written his new song, Raging Sea, two days before the show began.
Of course, there was always the chance that Jiang Mo would resist the temptation and let someone else pick the topic.
That would have only raised Gu Xingshi’s opinion of him.
And for Meng Yuansheng, it would simply mean an honorable competition.
Because when it came to fair competition, he was never afraid.
In the end, talent conquers all slander.
Unfortunately, Jiang Mo’s choice had played right into their expectations.
*
The events onstage quickly spread across the internet.
Social media was buzzing with excitement.
#MengYuanshengChallengesJiangMo
#MengYuansheng_RagingSea
#ShenYu: “ForThisRoundIChooseMengYuansheng”
#MengYuanshengSaysJiangMoSlanderedHimForPlagiarism
[Listening to Raging Sea, I got goosebumps. Jiang Mo has released tons of songs, but even all of them together can’t compare to Raging Sea. How does he have the nerve to accuse Meng Yuansheng of plagiarism?]
[As a loyal fan of Shengsheng, tonight has been incredible! The other day, trolls were all over the place attacking anyone who stood up for him—I even cried out of frustration a few times. But now, look! Shengsheng’s personally shut down the haters. I just checked the trolls’ profiles and they’re all deleting their tweets, hahaha! Anyone else feeling this sweet satisfaction?]
[Totally! The best thing is that he’s so talented, he doesn’t even need his fans to step up—he can handle the haters himself! It’s pure happiness every day.]
[Why does Jiang Mo keep targeting Meng Yuansheng? Thinking about it, maybe it wasn’t Meng Yuansheng who plagiarized at all but Jiang Mo himself? And now he’s overcompensating out of guilt?]
It wasn’t long before this tweet was pushed to the top of the trending list.
[This person’s a prophet! So on point!]
Meanwhile, users unfamiliar with the drama scrambled for information.
[What happened? Can someone explain?]
A helpful user shared a link: [Gossip System #10086 just posted—check it out!]
Clicking in, users were met with a provocative teaser:
[Looking for an assistant? Someone who will plagiarize your work, send trolls after you, and ruin your reputation?]
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