Ah, the trouble of happiness. As the producer of I Am a Singer-Songwriter, Che Lun found himself experiencing exactly that. After all, "The Seventh Chapter of the Night" was brilliant. But what should the episode be titled?
Should it be Fated Second Battle: Chu Zhi vs. Jo Kwon? Or maybe A Song That Surpasses Chrysanthemum Terrace?
While Che Lun pondered, his assistant, Xiao Tang, was more concerned with something else. Jo Kwon had signed a contract with the show for 100 million RMB over twelve episodes. That meant he was guaranteed a spot in the finals, even without winning.
Though the full payment wasn't made at once, the initial installment had already been transferred. And now Jo Kwon had been eliminated…
That Korean star was an idiot. Got utterly crushed by "Chrysanthemum Terrace" and still refused to accept it. What was the point of slamming his head against the wall?
"Producer Che, what do we do?" asked Xiao Tang nervously.
"We need to think carefully about how to handle the publicity," Che Lun replied automatically.
What did that even mean? Xiao Tang was confused. He pressed further. "Producer Che, I mean Jo Kwon…"
Why hadn't Che Lun stopped him beforehand? Why allow Jo Kwon to challenge at all?
Because Che Lun had predicted this from the start. He might not be a good guy, but as someone who had clawed his way up to a high-level position at iQIYI, he certainly wasn't naive.
"Li Zhun is getting eliminated in this round too. According to our challenge rules, we can't eliminate two contestants at once. We'll let the 300 live audience members vote on who stays," said Che Lun. Everything was going according to plan.
Brilliant. Xiao Tang suddenly realized how much he still had to learn. In terms of popularity, Zhao Quan clearly outshone Li Zhun. Letting the audience choose meant they could keep Zhao without breaking the rules. It was a win-win.
The final match of this episode was Zhu Xinyue versus Liang Zhengwen. Maybe inspired by Chu Zhi, Liang put up a strong fight. His song wasn't as good as Zhu's in terms of composition, but his stage presence and vocal technique evened the score.
Zhu: 47 votes.
Liang: 54 votes.
A close match. Liang barely scraped a win.
"Liang Zhengwen's technique is still as refined as ever, but this song felt too similar to one of his signature pieces. Meanwhile, Chu's 'Seventh Chapter of the Night' completely flipped our expectations for a rap track," said the critic Yan Geshi with deliberate precision.
"Zhu Xinyue clenched her fist slightly. She's clearly not satisfied with the result," Yu Lan noted.
"Old Nine… really? Fails a suicide attempt and comes back a freak of nature?"
Yu Lan's view of Chu Zhi had shifted. What began as envy had turned into calm respect. He wasn't dumb. Anyone could tell that "Chrysanthemum Terrace" and "The Seventh Chapter of the Night" were on another level, both in artistry and innovation.
So, Yu Lan redirected his jealousy—from Chu Zhi to Zhao Quan. After all, compared to Chu, Zhao had been utterly crushed.
"No wonder people call them 'stick heads.' Charging into a fight they can't win? Just feeding the other guy's popularity."
"The myth of Korean dominance is cracking. Once hailed as unstoppable across Asia, now they're just a stepping stone. Utter fools."
"This episode will push Old Nine's popularity even higher," Yu Lan muttered. Even without elimination, back-to-back defeats killed any sense of rivalry.
Back in the 70s, Andy Warhol famously said, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." The internet era proves him right again.
In showbiz, popularity doesn't just come from quality work. Variety shows are often the real booster. Think of how Angelababy blew up. Chu Zhi had both—strong work and variety exposure. A double-edged sword.
The manipulated elimination choice between Li Zhun and Zhao Quan was just a public rescue operation. Predictably, Zhao Quan survived with a landslide vote, entering Episode 9.
Broadcast: [Congratulations to contestant Zhao Quan, advancing thanks to audience support.]
Congratulations? Zhao Quan only felt humiliated. Since debuting with GZ Group in Korea, his career had been smooth sailing—even gaining popularity in the US. And now, in little old China, he'd been crushed twice.
"Next time, Chu Zhi… next time I'll win. This stage wasn't fair," Zhao told himself.
After the match, it was time for the traditional hotpot chat session. Chu Zhi used the chance to replenish his carbs.
It was already 9:30 PM. The sky was dark. The city had drowned out the stars, leaving only a few scattered pinpricks in the Beijing night.
Chu Zhi made his way to the parking garage. He thought someone might ask about the meaning behind "The Seventh Chapter of the Night." He had even prepared a reply involving the Bible and so on. But no one brought it up.
Nearby, the Japanese singer Koguchi Yoshihiro once again invited him to a late-night snack. Chu Zhi's stomach was too full, so he politely declined—unlocking an achievement: "Declined an industry invitation." He needed just three more to reach his goal of ten.
"Mr. Chu, let's be friends," said a rapper who usually kept to himself. Surprisingly, he approached Chu Zhi during the recording session.
Koguchi, listening with the help of a translator, smirked inwardly. Classic tactic. He'd seen this one before.
"Mr. Chu, can I add you on WeChat so we can connect more?" the rapper asked.
"Of course. I actually wanted your contact last round, but you looked hard to approach," Chu Zhi replied.
"Really?" The rapper looked pleased.
"I could feel the sincerity in your performances yesterday and today," said Chu.
The rapper felt the warmth in his words, not realizing that Chu Zhi had never actually answered whether he was being truthful.
This was one of Chu's subtle conversational tricks—using sincere words to redirect without answering directly. It sounded like he was engaging with the rapper's feelings, but he was actually talking about something else entirely.
"Cough, I'm not actually that unapproachable. It's just that in the last two rounds, I ran into this really enthusiastic young contestant. I'm normally pretty outgoing, but his energy kind of smothered my own," the rapper explained.
He didn't know why he cared so much about how Chu Zhi perceived him. Normally, he didn't give a damn about what fans or the media thought.
"I see," Chu nodded in understanding.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, they swapped contact info and went their separate ways.
"Killing a gun with a bullet." Chu glanced at the rapper's WeChat name. Hmm. Not bad. It had attitude.
"Sweet dreams," he said as he dropped Koguchi off at his hotel.
"You too, Mr. Chu. Rest well," Koguchi replied. He had caught a ride just to spend more time with Chu.
At 9:30 PM, Chu Zhi's schedule still wasn't done. He headed to a Dior haute couture dinner in a luxury van. The venue was packed with influencers, celebrities, and the rich and powerful.
As a brand ambassador, he was obligated to attend any dinner rated P4 and above. Surprisingly, many influencers had somehow wrangled invitations and were there just to be seen.
Most of them came from Xiaohongshu, swarming around celebrities and tycoons for selfies.
Meng Na was one of them—a top beauty and fashion influencer on Xiaohongshu with over three million followers.
On most platforms, three million might put you in the middle tier. But on Xiaohongshu, where fan engagement is higher, one follower there is worth five on Douyin in terms of revenue. Sometimes more.
"That's Chu Zhi! Meng Na, you were right, he really came. Biggest name here tonight," whispered Xiao La.
"Of course he's here. He's the face of Dior's Rebel Men's Fragrance. Attendance is a must," Meng Na replied, eyeing the man who had instantly become the center of attention the moment he entered.
Even with other ambassadors and brand friends in the room, all eyes followed Chu Zhi.
A quick breakdown for luxury branding:
Level 1: Full-line ambassador
Level 2: Product line ambassador
Level 3: Series ambassador
Level 4: Product-specific ambassador
Terms like "brand ambassador," "image representative," and "brand friend" are well-known in the industry, so no need to explain further. Chu Zhi was currently a Level 3 ambassador in the China region. Not the top rank, but his pay rate was definitely high.
Meng Na had plans. She intended to use her looks to make something happen with Chu Zhi…