The next day.
The eruption of the Ding Yingyao scandal left many people in shock.
Who could have imagined that Ding Yingyao, once a well-regarded public figure, would suddenly have his reputation collapse overnight?
A flood of negative news broke out all at once—allegations of drug use due to stress, being kept by a wealthy older woman, hiring trolls to maliciously attack others—it was enough to shatter anyone’s worldview.
The internet was in an uproar, especially in Bright Pearl City, where discussions were even more heated. After all, so much effort had been put into promoting him, only for everyone to now be told that he had fallen from grace?
What a joke.
“What’s going on? Wasn’t Ding Yingyao supposed to be a positive role model? How did he crash and burn so suddenly?”
“Yeah, wasn’t he hailed as Bright Pearl City’s pride? What’s the real story here?”
“I heard the truth is different—Ding Yingyao actually crossed some underworld boss and got targeted in retaliation.”
“Seriously?”
“No joke. It happened right at his fan signing event, with tons of fans present. He was taken away on the spot, and no one knows where he is now.”
“What’s even scarier is that those gangsters aren’t sparing his fans either. If you’re a Ding Yingyao supporter, you’re getting ‘cleared out’ too.”
“And if they find out you’ve kept any of his merchandise, you might even get arrested.”
“No way, is it really that dark?”
Some fans who had initially defended Ding Yingyao quietly destroyed their memorabilia after hearing these rumors.
Before the Ding Yingyao scandal could die down, the Wan family quickly issued a public apology and offered compensation. But the backlash was too severe—Wan Supermarket was ultimately forced to suspend operations for restructuring.
Meanwhile, Wanlong Supermarket’s reputation soared because of the incident, but that wasn’t enough.
The next move pushed the hype to its absolute peak.
Liu Yutong didn’t directly help Xue Qian clear his name—that was Xue Qian’s own request.
Instead, she designed a uniquely vengeful strategy for him.
This time, they didn’t go the traditional route of holding a press conference to set the record straight. Instead, they played a game that wouldn’t become popular until years later—a real-life “murder mystery” script.
First, they announced details about Xue Qian’s new album, Ugly Freak, with a limited global release of 100,000 signed copies, available exclusively at Wanlong Supermarket stores. Each person could buy only one copy—or receive one for free with a purchase of 200 yuan or more at Wanlong Club.
Then, they deployed a new wave of paid trolls—far more sophisticated than the low-tier ones before—to spread “rumors” about Xue Qian’s album.
Shocking! Xue Qian’s ‘Ugly Freak’ Album Contains a Hidden Secret! Buyers Are Reporting to the Police!
Using sensationalist headlines like this, they dropped vague hints without giving specifics, instantly grabbing the internet’s attention.
Next came step two: releasing a Wanted Notice across all platforms—Who Is Silencing Xue Qian?
The title cut straight to the point, styled like a crime drama. An old photo of Xue Qian was stamped with the label Banned Artist, accompanied by the caption: Singer Xue Qian Was Blacklisted Without Cause—Who’s Behind It?
Thanks to the earlier hype, this Wanted Notice successfully piqued netizens’ curiosity.
Step three was the interactive puzzle-solving phase—turning fans into “detectives” and making them part of the “revenge plan”!
Buying a signed album would grant you a Decryption Card.
Each card came with a unique code that could be entered on a temporary “Xue Qian’s Revenge Game” microsite—or via text message—to unlock exclusive clues.
The first fans to crack the code would win shopping vouchers worth thousands at Wanlong Supermarket—or even tickets to an Exclusive Xue Qian Secret Concert in the future.
If the shopping vouchers weren’t enticing enough, the concert tickets definitely were.
A secret concert?
No one had ever heard of a celebrity holding something like that before.
Many who saw the prize wondered—was Xue Qian going to perform a striptease for fans?
Or maybe…
Whatever it was, they were rushing to find out!
For gossip-loving entertainment fans, the idea of a celebrity doing something “secret” was irresistible—especially in an era where fan culture was so dominant.
Just like the Wanted Notice script, people were dying to know what was really going on.
Local netizens and fans were the first to act, snapping up albums and hunting for clues.
Then came the fourth and final step.
Every time someone successfully decrypted the full story or uncovered the ultimate clue, it triggered a bombshell revelation.
Each explosive “easter egg” uncovered by fans instantly set the internet ablaze.
For example, a leaked recording of an entertainment executive saying: “If Xue Qian won’t drop his pants, then make him disappear.”
Or other jaw-dropping exposes about industry corruption—all dug up by netizens themselves, making them feel like professional paparazzi.
Even better, every scandalous revelation came with irrefutable evidence, including footage of those involved being hauled away by police.
This “decrypt-expose-confirm-punish” cycle created a perfectly closed-loop “revenge game,” giving participating fans and netizens an unprecedented sense of accomplishment.
It felt like they had personally uncovered the dark truths, exposed them to the world, and even delivered justice to the wrongdoers.
And, of course, they got to enjoy the drama too.
“Oh my god! We actually uncovered the truth!”
“This is way more exciting than a hundred press conferences!”
“So this is how rotten the entertainment industry is…”
“Poor Xue Qian, he almost had to sell himself…”
“I wonder if Xue Qian’s butt is pale…”
“Hey, keep it PG!”
This immersive experience, combined with the tempting rewards, made the album-signing event explode online within days, completely overshadowing the Ding Yingyao scandal and becoming the hottest topic nationwide.
Zhao Tianyi even had lawyers send demand letters based on the “detective fans’” findings, demanding massive compensation from certain individuals and entertainment companies.
They also announced that half the compensation would be donated, while the other half would be rewarded to the fans who cracked the clues.
This move caught the targets completely off guard—even their paid trolls were useless now, leaving them utterly defenseless.
Lin Yu, deputy head of Shangyu Entertainment, hadn’t even left Bright Pearl City yet when Wanlong Club “took care of him.”
Under their special treatment, he spilled countless industry secrets, adding even more explosive material to the “script.”
As the Wanted Notice craze swept the internet, the public finally saw the filthy underbelly of the entertainment industry—igniting a powder keg of outrage that had been building for years.
One by one, artists who had once been oppressed and persecuted began to step forward, speaking out and denouncing their experiences.
Within just 24 hours, topics like the entertainment industry’s hidden rules and scandals swept across the internet.
Xue Qian became an overnight sensation because of it.
However, he was also completely ‘ruined’—his hand was ruined.
At the entrance of a Wanlong Supermarket branch, Xue Qian stared at the mountains of piled-up albums and the endless line of fans waiting for his autograph, his gaze shifting desperately to his manager, Old Wang.
“Old Wang, after the signing session, find me the best orthopedic doctor, you hear?”
