"This era belongs to him," Douyin superstar Quan Mei exclaimed, dazzled by the numbers.
She wasn't the only one blinded by these titanium-level statistics. The figures were ridiculously extravagant.
Weibo and Douyin short video trending lists barely need mentioning. They hadn't dropped since the fifteenth and sixteenth of the first lunar month. Let's look at media reports the following day.
"Chu Zhi's Online Concert Solves Entertainment Industry Mystery" — Qilu News
"Over 15 Million! Chu Zhi's Online Concert Takes the Internet by Storm" — Toutiao
"More Than 440 Million Global Views, Why Is Chu Zhi Attracting Such Attention?" — Xin Xia News
"A Wake-Up Call for All 'Traffic' Stars: Work Is the Only Way" — Guangming Daily
"You Can Always Trust Chu Zhi" — Tencent News
These were just representative samples. The internet was flooded with countless other reports.
Qilu News wrote in a mysterious tone, calling it an unsolved mystery, but the answer was the usual one: why was he so popular.
If you wanted interesting reporting, Tencent News stood out. They bypassed the usual topics and highlighted that no matter how famous Chu Zhi became, he never stopped improving himself, giving fresh insight amid a sea of reports.
In terms of administrative rank, he had the authority of a city-level position. Previously the Fengdu Tourism Ambassador, two years ago he became the Shancheng Tourism Ambassador.
It was also somewhat Fengdu's own fault. Chu Zhi attracted a wave of Little Fruits, and Shancheng provided funds, yet the public facilities and tourist spots were left unrepaired. All money went into promotion instead.
Visitors arrived to find nothing ready. The once-proud haunted mountains were dilapidated and slowly returned to calm.
Many official social media accounts jumped on the trend. There was no choice—without this timing, hardly anyone paid attention. "Chinese Fire Department" seized the opportunity to promote fire safety, for example.
It wasn't random opportunism. Chu Zhi himself was a Fire Safety Promotion Ambassador and a Public Security Image Ambassador.
Nippon China: ［The My Heart Burns concert was amazing! Go go go! Just like Nippon, every time a new experience! #NipponMagicPaintLaunch# Celebrate the concert success! Ten viewers randomly selected from comments will receive 100 square meters of Nippon Magic Paint for free #NipponCelebratesConcert#］
Brands he endorsed also launched giveaway campaigns.
Globally, 440 million views and a peak of 15 million concurrent viewers. The former sounded bigger, but industry insiders and officials knew the true significance.
The Cyberspace Administration immediately launched an investigation to verify the Douyin data. This was not targeted at Chu Zhi personally, but at all celebrity promotions.
Two years ago, the famous "Le Pig Rope" notification, Notice on Further Regulating Online Celebrity Content, was issued by this agency.
The notice simply banned malicious view inflation, comment manipulation, and lowbrow scandal operations.
Even so, Chu Zhi's data was astonishing. After verification, the Cyberspace Administration confirmed it was credible.
Two days after the concert, the front page of People's Daily featured a subheading: "Observing Chu Zhi's Concert Phenomenon Makes Our Entertainment Industry Better."
Yes, this was in print. Not online, not on a platform, but on an actual newspaper.
For context, the main headline was "Seriously Summarize and Apply Successful Reform Experience to Create a New Situation for Military Strengthening Through Reform." Could it compete? Of course not. So the subheading for Chu Zhi carried significant prestige.
Many celebrities have been praised by state media, and some later fell from grace. Some began to feel that such praise didn't guarantee anything.
In truth, state media accounts see a quality song centered on traditional culture and will repost or like it. Whether the singer fails later is not their concern. Investigating is nearly impossible. The entertainment world is full of hidden traps, and even the best "mine-clearers" cannot prevent all problems.
Simply put, online media are easy to post. Actual print newspapers are rarer, but their societal influence is substantial.
To put it plainly: internet likes are from general netizens. Who reads People's Daily? Its audience is largely official and influential.
[Since Chu Zhi's first album in 2017, he pursued EDM and Dubstep, while continuing to study traditional culture.
In 2019, he unleashed a fresh creative approach, drawing from Chinese history and culture.
Instruments like qin, se, pipa; elements from Chinese opera, general's orders, Compendium of Materia Medica, blue-and-white porcelain, and Luoyang Jialan Ji became signature elements.
Chu Zhi essentially pioneered a new era in Chinese pop music.
On the fifth at 20:00, Chu Zhi's online concert My Heart Burns went live, reaching top trending on YouTube, Cafe, Weibo, and other platforms within five minutes.
Four years ago, Chu Zhi made a comeback on variety shows, singing with all his strength, then saying, "Thank you for quietly listening to me sing, thank you, really thank you."
Time passed quickly. From being falsely accused and chased by everyone, Chu Zhi became the top model of "morally upright" traffic stars.
Time magazine called him the first Asian superstar of the 21st century.
Despite sudden fame and improved reputation, Chu Zhi remained humble, always thanking millions of global viewers for attending his concerts.
In six years, he delivered classics such as Against the Light, Drunken Concubine, A Thousand Miles Away, and East Wind Breaks.
He faced hardships, slander, and resisted anti-Chinese capital, yet never gave up.
To Generation Z, Chu Zhi inspired diligence and dedication.
To China's cultural departments, he is a "new business card."
In Russia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and more, he holds strong recognition and influence. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism appointed him as chief consultant, and Chu Zhi has greatly contributed to cultural export.
Still, people wonder: when will his offline concert start?]
Media reports revealed two things: Chu Zhi had been wrongly accused, and he held a hall-level honorary position.
Self-media reposts captured the full text and posted it online, including two images showing Chu Zhi's cultural export efforts.
For example, South Korean embassy data showed that after the release of You Come From the Stars, more South Korean students, especially female, applied to study in China.
National data showed that after Chu Ci · Nine Songs was released, mentions of Hanfu and blue-and-white porcelain online surged, proving tangible achievements. The chief consultant position was well-deserved.
Comments from fans:
Xiaodaoyo: [Chief consultant? I'll ask Brother Jiu, "Who else?"]
Fengyu Xiao Yi Sheng: [Front page subheading of People's Daily... what kind of immortal did I just fangirl over?]
Qinggua: [Morally upright ceiling! Jiu-yé is indeed the ceiling! Proud to be a Little Fruit!]
Gu Chun: [Do you know why Chu Zhi is called Jiu-yé? Because he's six times stronger.]
My Fox Is Not a Cat: [440 million global views, and Brother Jiu even closed tipping, losing at least 100 million.]
NonFettyFettyBibi: [Jiu-yé isn't my favorite, but definitely one of my top idols. Can my main support rise too?]
Fans and casual viewers alike were astonished, and some even suspected NonFettyFettyBibi's main support was Lin Xia.
Some self-media made a short film titled Through Thousand Fortunes, Still a Youth, contrasting Chu Zhi's humble days on I Am a Singer with his current concert.
The edited videos included comment overlays. Once filled with insults, now they overflowed with praise.
This comparison reminded Little Fruits of their idol's past hardships and betrayal.
Perhaps Chu Zhi set the precedent. Now Little Fruits and self-media jumped at every chance to criticize.
It worked in the concert's favor, attracting newly converted fans.
If past state media reports subtly endorsed him, People's Daily's coverage clearly declared: Chu Zhi has official support and can be considered half-official.
"I wonder who dares challenge Brother Jiu now," Wang Yuan said proudly. For a mama fan, the higher the idol's achievements, the greater her own pride.
"Has he ever been blocked before?" Lao Qian asked.
"No. Brother Jiu has upright morals, so he's always been protected by officials. For example, during the Orange Grove Festival, the government fully supported him," Wang Yuan said, then added, "But with the chief consultant position, it's like an ace up his sleeve, you know?"
"Understood," Lao Qian nodded.
The first major project of the year was a huge success. The company was thrilled, and Chu Zhi promised to treat everyone and hand out bonuses. Double the good fortune.
Niu Jiangxue rushed over, panting. "Everyone, put aside what you're doing and listen to me."
Rushing urgently, Niu Jiangxue? Lao Qian, Fei Ge, and the others looked at the brave Niu Niu.
"If we want to enter Hollywood, I've thought of one route," Niu Jiangxue said. "I asked Jiu-yé. He has some knowledge of music composition, so we could take the soundtrack route. Of course, this is Plan B."
"Soundtrack?" Lao Qian felt like there were suddenly two paths. He asked, "Jiu-yé also composes music?"
"Think about it, it makes sense," Wang Yuan said. "Soundtrack is just composition. Consider Brother Jiu's ability in composition."
Everyone knew that for Wang Yuan, it was normal no matter what Chu Zhi could do, but after thinking about it carefully, the reasoning did make sense.
"What's there to be happy about? Trying to make a name in Hollywood through composing, even more than releasing an album directly, is extremely difficult," Fei Ge said, instantly chilling the room. The company's "cold field emperor" title was well deserved.
Fei Ge continued, "Our promotional resources in the United States are limited. Quality steel must be used on the blade's tip. Personally, I think an English album is the main channel to push."
"…"
Niu Jiangxue said, "I understand that standing out in Hollywood with composition is extremely difficult, which is why I call it Plan B. I'm telling everyone so that if an opportunity arises in the future, we don't miss it."
"If that's the case, I have no objections," Fei Ge nodded. "I just don't know Jiu-yé's level in composing yet."
"It should be good," Lao Qian said. "Knowing Jiu-yé's personality, if he isn't confident in something, he won't bring it up."
Those in the group knew that film composers, while not always publicly recognized, held high status within the industry. Famous ones earned respect from even the biggest directors, after all, not every director blindly imitates Quentin Tarantino's style for music.
"I agree with that perspective," Fei Ge said. Chu Zhi's personality ensured careful planning.
Everyone in the company now understood their artist had another potential path.
"Let soundtrack be a secondary approach. I also have a bold idea I want to discuss with Jiu-yé," Niu Jiangxue said.
"What bold idea? Tell me," curious Lao Qian asked.
"Since it's a bold idea, I can't say," Niu Jiangxue replied.
"Now it's getting interesting," Lao Qian said.
"Don't mimic my tone!" Niu Jiangxue snapped.
While Niu Jiangxue and the others chatted, newly joined Li Guixun hadn't joined the group. He was too busy. The success of the online concert wasn't limited to China; it made waves abroad as well.
Japan's Asahi Shimbun, South Korea's Chosun Ilbo, Vietnam's Vietnam Youth Daily, Russia's Izvestia, and other foreign media all commented on the event. It was even more exaggerated than when Professor Bai swept Asia because this time, mainstream media were involved.
To understand why mainstream media spoke up, some explanation of livestream metrics is needed.
"Viewers" are recorded per entry. If a user enters, listens to a song, exits, and re-enters, that counts twice. Switching screens can also count as multiple views.
"Concurrent viewers" counts the number online at a specific time. If not online simultaneously, it doesn't count.
By calculation, at least 60 million people entered Chu Zhi's livestream room.
On a smaller scale, it was a groundbreaking online concert, setting records for live viewership in the celebrity circle.
Why specify the entertainment circle? Last year, the Queen of England's funeral livestream had more viewers.
On a larger scale, an influencer reaching 60 million people is naturally a public opinion leader. High popularity brushes against politics. Mainstream media could not stay silent.
Reports from other Asian countries tried to downplay the hype. Chosun Ilbo's headline read: "Do not indulge excessively in idols. Living in reality requires hard work." In short, Chu Zhi's popularity had reached a level foreign elites even respected.
Did these warnings work?
Chu Zhi's momentum was unstoppable!
Japanese fans: "If idols sell dreams, Ragdoll sells what I have always longed for."
South Korean fans: "Of course I watched the livestream. The only regret is he sang only one Korean song. But as for creating miracles, Professor will create more."
Russian fans: "I only like one foreign singer, and that's him. He conquers Asia with his singing."
Vietnamese fans: "Brother Jiu is the most handsome man in the world. Just his face alone draws millions, let alone his amazing voice. Why all the fuss?"
Indian fans: "Chu Zhi is Brother Jiu. Online they call us Third Brother. This proves that Third Brother is a respectful term for foreigners."
…
The situation became clear: no matter how much others tried to downplay it, fans in every country celebrated joyfully.
Chu Zhi's popularity was so great that even the legendary Eastern superpower noticed, and India developed a small fanbase.
However, numbers were far fewer than in Vietnam. India has a large population, but the number of people able to follow idols is limited.
The Niu Niu team capitalized on this success, releasing The Wind Rises and Yakimochi as singles. The former went on all platforms, the latter released electronically on Japan's iTunes.Music.
Physical albums in Japan and South Korea still held sway partly because copyright was fragmented, making music apps difficult to consolidate. In Japan, iTunes.Music dominates. Upon release, the singles instantly topped daily and weekly charts.
Kreative Company president Obata Yasushi was thrilled. His company booked Chu Zhi for the August Summer Supersonic Music Festival. It was a huge profit, and he could already imagine the event's grand scale.
"It's a pity we're not the first to try this," Obata Yasushi muttered.
Everyone knew that Chu Zhi had participated in the Fuji Outdoor International Rock Music Festival two years ago, leaving a record behind.
As Chu Zhi's influence in Asia grew, the Fuji Music Festival officially began using him as a promotional example.
"One performance, two songs. Yakimochi is really good," Obata Yasushi thought to himself. He began planning the Osaka station lineup. Even though the Osaka festival wouldn't start until mid-August, the tentative invitation list had long been prepared.
Not being able to secure an invite… that was practically impossible.
Obata Yasushi's confidence came from the fact that Summer Supersonic is one of Japan's three major music festivals and also the one with the broadest audience, covering pop, rock, jazz, and more.
Any time there was movement, Sony Music would be the most proactive. After all, when Chu Zhi's EP Slightly Expect the World broke records, they had collaborated. Profit motivates action.
Sony Music sent another invitation to Chu Zhi, proposing collaboration on either an EP or a full album.
The head of the marketing department, Omori Genjin, glanced at today's Asahi Shimbun.
"Popularity is even greater than before," Omori Genjin imagined. That meant more sales, more profit. He felt he could take one more step in his career.
Omori Genjin held the position of executive director and music market director at Sony Music Japan. He had reached the top domestically, but there was room for promotion abroad, in the United States.
Chu Zhi's popularity continued to rise. How could Omori Genjin remain confident? Because he had already called headquarters.
Sony Music is one of the world's four major record companies, along with the famous EMI, Warner, and BMG, meaning headquarters had ample resources in Europe and America.
Everyone could see Chu Zhi wanted to break out of Asia, so Omori Genjin's plan was to use Western promotional resources in exchange for Chu Zhi releasing a Japanese album.
Sony Music even agreed. This truly demonstrated Chu Zhi's influence, leaving Europe and America amazed.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in Japan…
"Matsushika, you can come out now, hurry up." Mrs. Ojima arrived at the attic early in the morning, unlocking the door as she spoke. Her husband had said he would stay closed for two days, which technically ended around ten a.m. today. A mother could only unlock the attic at seven a.m.
As she opened the door, Mrs. Ojima's expression was anxious. Previously, the moment she spoke, Matsushika would respond immediately.
He had some bed sensitivity. Sleeping in a locked attic usually left him restless, but today it was quiet.
Mrs. Ojima opened the attic fully. Without a skylight, it was pitch black. No lights were on. The subtle sounds of small knocks echoed like nervous drumbeats. She called out repeatedly, "Matsushika, are you sleeping?" "Matsushika, have you gotten up yet?"
Familiar with the attic, she switched on the light. Matsushika Ojima leaned against the wall, staring at the ceiling beams, eyes unfocused. He looked like a doll thrown in a trash can, retrieved, and soaked in water.
"What's wrong, Matsushika? Are you feeling unwell?" Mrs. Ojima asked, tense, rushing to touch his forehead.
"Mother, I'm fine. I just feel… very tired," Matsushika Ojima said in a low voice, as if dropping a stone into still water. Ripples formed briefly but quickly vanished.
"Tired? Did you sleep poorly last night?" Mrs. Ojima observed his expression, already suspecting the cause. She deliberately shifted the topic: "If you're tired, come downstairs and eat. Today, Mr. Sawakita made your favorite natto and tamagoyaki."
Ojima Matsushika shook his head, saying he had no appetite.
"Then today I'll take you for a walk in Akihabara," Mrs. Ojima suggested.
Ojima Matsushika's favorite activity was walking in Akihabara with his mother, though chances were rare because she spent her days in business socializing, meeting other executives' wives and high-ranking officials' wives for tea.
He shook his head again, refusing.
Mrs. Ojima panicked, kneeling beside him. "Tell me, is it because you didn't watch Chu Zhi's online concert? You can still watch it online."
Strictly speaking, Ojima Matsushika always felt that living was exhausting. Though slow-witted, he knew he might never gain his father's approval.
Missing his idol's online concert was just the final straw.
Seeing her child unmoved even by his idol, Mrs. Ojima felt her heart squeezed. Fighting back tears, she helped him downstairs.
Perhaps to avoid worrying his mother, Ojima Matsushika ate breakfast simply.
For the next week or two, he didn't venture out, staying in his room except for meals.
Mrs. Ojima tried many methods but couldn't reignite his interest. Anxiety overwhelmed her.
One day, she remembered something her child had excitedly told her before.
"Summer Supersonic Music Festival, Matsushika. Remember? Chu Zhi will participate. You can go see him," Mrs. Ojima said, entering the bedroom and sitting beside his bed.
Ojima Matsushika's lost spark slowly returned. "Yes, Summer Supersonic. I can go see Chu Zhi there."
He jumped from the bed, muttering, "Mother, we can go to Supersonic together and listen to Chu Zhi sing."
Restored to his usual energy, Ojima Matsushika rushed downstairs to contact his friends from the cat café, trying to book tickets in advance.
Seeing him improve, Mrs. Ojima was both happy and sad. Sad because her child's determination to live depended on an outsider.
Luckily, Chu Zhi existed, she thought.
In March, the apprentice magician milestone was achieved. Strictly speaking, Ling Cheng reached twelve points shortly after, arriving at March 8, twenty-five years single.
Single Chu Zhi happily watched his balance rise to twelve coins, deciding not to act impulsively.
The English album post-production was almost complete. He had to finish current tasks first.
"This is too good. Next year, single until twenty-six, I can get seven more coins. Do women have character coins? Definitely not!"
On a joyful day, Chu Zhi treated himself to ice cream at night. Recently, he had endorsed Magnum, and the company sent him a pile of products.
It's best not to eat two ice creams at once, as it could hurt the stomach. Chu Zhi didn't care; with his rare item, a few bites finished them.
"See? Eating two ice creams and finishing this translation shouldn't be too hard," Chu Zhi said.
Then he answered himself, "Not hard, totally fine."
He was currently translating After Long Silence into Japanese and English. Finishing the Japanese version early would satisfy the publisher, Wandering Publisher, whose editors were relentless.
Perhaps because Japanese manga editors are used to delays, every editor knows how to urge authors. Editor Ono, responsible for communicating with Chu Zhi, sent over thirty emails a day with various reminder tactics.
For example: [Huainan-san, have you eaten lunch? Don't overwork on your draft. Eat first, then write.]
It looked like ordinary concern, but it was sent at five a.m. Chu Zhi thought it best to finish the draft quickly.