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Cui Zhengzhi was sleeping soundly.
For more than half a month, he had been traveling non-stop across different cities, tirelessly promoting his album. His daily schedule was packed to the brim, leaving him both physically and mentally drained. He desperately needed a good rest.
Now that "Provocative" had finally been officially released online and its sales numbers looked promising, he could finally relax. At last, a chance to recharge before tackling his next round of work.
It wasn't until 9 a.m. that he finally woke up.
Stretching indulgently, Cui Zhengzhi threw on a coat and headed to the bathroom to freshen up.
With no scheduled promotions in the morning, he could afford to take his time.
"Sis!"
After washing up, he sat down at his desk in the outer room and powered on his computer.
At the same time, he called out to his sister. "I'm up. What's for breakfast?"
As his computer booted up, Cui Zhengzhi impatiently clicked through, eager to check the sales figures for his album. He also planned to browse a few blogs, see what people were saying, and— of course— stir up any kind of engagement.
Unbuttoning his shirt slightly to reveal a hint of his chest, he positioned himself for a couple of selfies. A well-placed emotional caption would do wonders. His fans would eat it up, flooding the comments with heart emojis and declarations of support.
Naturally, he wouldn't forget to throw in a subtle jab at his competitors— nothing too obvious, just a playful dig, carefully worded to be sharp yet amusing.
A practiced smile spread across his face.
His fans called it the "angel's smile," a signature look he had perfected after thousands of selfies. By now, it was second nature, even when no one was watching.
"Coming!"
Just as his desktop was fully loaded, his sister, Cui Xiuyin, walked in carrying a breakfast tray. "You were sleeping so soundly that I didn't want to wake you. You must be exhausted after these past few days. I made your favorite— abalone porridge. It's been simmering for two hours."
Feeling refreshed and in a good mood, Cui Zhengzhi smiled. "Just leave it here. I'll check my sales first."
"Uh…"
Cui Xiuyin hesitated for a moment before placing the tray down. "Maybe eat first? You can check later."
Cui Zhengzhi immediately sensed something was off. He frowned. "What's wrong?"
His sister forced a smile. "Nothing. Just eat your breakfast."
"No way."
He shook his head. "There's definitely something going on."
A thought struck him. "Is it my album sales? Are the numbers bad?"
Cui Xiuyin quickly reassured him, "No! Your sales are higher than Lu Chen's!"
That doesn't make sense.
Cui Zhengzhi wasn't stupid. "Provocative" outperforming Lu Chen's album was expected— so why would she need to emphasize it?
His sister's expression only made him more suspicious.
Instead of pressing her further, he grabbed his mouse, opened his browser, and swiftly logged into WeChat Music.
The homepage loaded, and the first thing he saw was the weekly sales chart. "Provocative" was sitting comfortably at the top.
Despite only being released on Tuesday night, the album was performing exceptionally well. In just 14 hours, it had sold 47,852 copies!
Nearly 50,000 copies in half a day— an undeniable hit!
In the domestic market, WeChat Music had the highest volume of legal downloads. An album selling 100,000 copies was considered a hit, while 300,000 meant it was a certified blockbuster. With this momentum, hitting 300,000 was well within reach.
A relieved smile spread across his face.
This was a false alarm.
But the next second, his smile froze, his expression stiffening as if he had turned to stone.
Because right below "Provocative" on the chart was Lu Chen's album, "My Old Classmate," with 40,970 copies sold!
The gap was less than 7,000 copies!
How is this possible?!
Cui Zhengzhi blinked hard and rubbed his eyes, half convinced he was seeing things.
In his estimation, Lu Chen's album selling 20,000 copies on day one would have already been impressive. If it had moved just 10,000, that would have been totally normal. But over 40,000 in just 14 hours? That was completely unexpected!
A sudden realization hit him. His expression darkened. "How many copies did the company buy for me?"
Buying chart positions was nothing new in the industry. To manufacture the illusion of a hit, entertainment companies often bulk-purchased copies of an artist's album in the first few days after release, chalking it up as a marketing expense.
Since actual money changed hands, music platforms generally turned a blind eye to the practice. Even the Midrange Association, the governing body for music sales rankings, tacitly accepted it as an unspoken industry rule.
Here's the revised version with smoother readability, natural industry jargon, and an engaging flow while preserving the essence of the original:
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Buying chart positions wasn't cheap. It cost 5 yuan per album sale, so spending a few hundred thousand to secure a gold record was standard practice. Anything more, and you'd just be throwing money away.
There were different strategies to game the charts—some pushed all their numbers on the first day or within the crucial 72-hour window, while others spread them out over a week or ten days for a more "organic" climb.
Take the newly released albums from Zou Bei and Ling Xiaoxiao—they clearly bought their numbers. Otherwise, how could Ling Xiaoxiao, with her third-rate talent, move over 50,000 units in just three days?
Cui Zhengzhi was signed with Orange Field Entertainment, a company infamous for its deep pockets. They had already poured over a million into promoting his album—of course, they'd allocate a budget for buying sales too.
Cui Xiuyin fell silent.
A surge of unchecked fury suddenly hit Cui Zhengzhi, snapping his last thread of rationality.
Bang!
He slammed his palm against the table, his voice sharp and demanding. "Talk!"
Cui Xiuyin flinched before muttering, "Ten thousand."
Ten thousand!
Cui Zhengzhi's expression twisted.
If they had bought 10,000 sales, that meant the real numbers for 'Provocative' were under 40,000.
And if Lu Chen hadn't bought any, then that meant… he had lost to him on the first day!
Cui Xiuyin quickly added, "Lu Chen must have bought sales too— there's no way his numbers could be that high! It's impossible!"
Was that really the case?
Even Cui Xiuyin didn't sound too convinced.
Unlike Cui Zhengzhi, Lu Chen was an independent artist—no major label, no corporate backing. He ran a tiny studio on a shoestring budget and didn't even believe in aggressive promotions. How could he afford to manipulate sales?
If he really wanted to beat Cui Zhengzhi out of sheer spite, how much would that cost him?
Was Lu Chen that reckless?
But Cui Zhengzhi latched onto that idea like a lifeline. "Exactly! He 'must' have bought sales!"
How else could his numbers be higher?
There was no way Lu Chen hadn't done it. He 'had' to have done it!
—
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Lu Chen had just finished a workout at the creative park when his phone rang.
"No way," he said, frowning. "Why would I buy sales? I'm not stupid enough to burn money like that."
It was Chen Jianhao, the bar owner, calling to ask if Lu Chen had spent money to boost his numbers on WeChat Music. Lu Chen shut that rumor down instantly.
What a joke!
He wanted to 'earn' money from this album and, at the very least cover his production costs. Why the hell would he waste cash inflating numbers?
If he had that kind of money, he'd invest it in marketing— ten times more effective than buying fake sales!
Chen Jianhao chuckled over the line. "I believe you, but not everyone does. People have been calling me about it, so I figured I'd ask. No worries."
With that, he hung up.
"Hey—"
Lu Chen wanted to say more, but the call had already ended. He sighed, stuffing his phone back into his pocket.
Still… something about this felt 'good.'
A grin spread across his face as he headed toward his office building.
As soon as he stepped inside, he was greeted by his entire team— his sister, Lu Xi, and his friends, including Li Mubai— all lined up with wide smiles.
Lu Chen blinked. "What's going on?"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three confetti cannons went off at the same time. Li Feiyu, Chen Xiang, and Li Mubai had fired them in sync, sending colorful streamers soaring before cascading down around him.
Lu Chen laughed. "Seriously, what 'is' this?"
Li Mubai threw his arms around him in a bear hug.
"Brother Chen, congratulations! Your album is killing it!"
Lu Chen grinned, asking, "How's it selling?"
Since "My Old Classmate" premiered last night, he hadn't checked the sales figures. His focus had been on live streaming for Whale TV and updating his blog.
Even this morning, Lu Chen hadn't powered up his computer; he'd opted for a workout instead.
With a resilient mindset, Lu Chen wasn't overly concerned about whether sales soared or faltered, or if he could break even. Success or failure, he had given it his all, leaving no room for regrets. Still, hearing the good news now made him genuinely happy.
"Who wouldn't be thrilled about making money?" Lu Xi grinned. "Everyone's been waiting for you to celebrate. Feiyu even dashed to the supermarket for confetti cannons to give you a hero's welcome!"
"Thanks, everyone," Lu Chen replied with a smile.
Since Chen Jianhao's call earlier, he'd had a feeling, now confirmed: "My Old Classmate" was a hit.
"It's not just good, it's a smash hit!" Li Mubai exclaimed eagerly, pulling Lu Chen over to his computer screen. "Look!"
There it was on the WeChat Music weekly sales chart— just below Cui Zhengzhi's album, "My Old Classmate" which had sold 41,137 copies already!
Over 40,000 copies in less than 24 hours meant undeniable success. With such momentum, hitting the 300,000 mark was within reach. If achieved, total revenue would hit 2.4 million, with a 50% share yielding 1.2 million. Even after deducting sales tax and production costs, there would still be at least 600,000 in profit.
While it might not seem like much, for independent artists selling albums online, just breaking even on promotional costs was a feat. Even stars like Tan Hong and Chen Fei'er often struggled to turn a profit due to high production and promotional expenses.
Achieving tens of thousands in online sales was truly exceptional—certainly cause for celebration.
Taking a deep breath, Lu Chen let the joy sink in.
After all the hard work, it was finally time to reap the rewards.
(End of Chapter)