But he couldn't. His social media accounts were firmly controlled by the company. He didn't even have a channel to speak out.
Amy's call came quickly, her tone colder and more formulaic than ever before: "Lin Chen, you've seen the situation online, haven't you? The company is handling it urgently. Before your official account releases a clarification statement, you are absolutely, positively, not allowed to make any statements publicly! This is a death order! Otherwise, you will bear the consequences!"
Lin Chen quickly saw the so-called "clarification statement." It was a carefully worded but evasive statement released by Xingyao Entertainment's official Weibo account. The statement denied "false rumors" such as "being kept by a sugar daddy," emphasizing that Lin Chen had always "focused on music and adhered to the duties of an artist," and stated that the company "reserved the right to pursue legal action" against "malicious rumors and defamation." Below the statement were several "work photos" of Lin Chen practicing diligently in the training room and performing earnestly on stage, attempting to portray him as "hardworking and dedicated."
This bland statement seemed so pale and powerless in the face of the surging tide of negativity. Instead, it seemed more like a confirmation of "protesting too much." The comment section was still flooded with insults, with some even mocking Xingyao's "awkward attempt to cover it up."
What chilled Lin Chen even more was that he felt completely abandoned by the company. Aside from that innocuous statement, Xingyao Entertainment didn't seem to have invested any real resources in countering the public opinion backlash. The obviously fabricated chat logs weren't technically verified, the anonymous "whistleblowers" weren't investigated, the trending topics weren't removed… All signs indicated that the company tacitly approved, and might even… be happy about it?
He remembered Chen Kai's words, remembered Su Yuqing's warning. This wasn't some accidental public opinion storm; it was a meticulously planned "massacre"! The goal was to completely destroy his public image, to plunge him into an abyss of no return! Because of his previous "disobedience," because he might have glimpsed some secrets, he became a problem that needed to be "dealt with."
Sure enough, that afternoon, several previously agreed-upon business collaborations and program invitations were all terminated. Amy, expressionless, informed him that all subsequent schedules were suspended indefinitely.
He had been effectively "frozen out."
Standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows of his apartment, looking down at the still bustling world below, Lin Chen felt a chilling cold. The vicious words online, like countless poisoned daggers, pierced him through the screen, leaving him riddled with wounds. The "musical prodigy" image he had painstakingly cultivated (or rather, forced to accept) collapsed overnight. His dreams, his future, seemed to have vanished in this dark tide.
He knew this wasn't just a blow to his career; it was a severe warning and punishment from Lu Tianyu and Xingyao Entertainment. They were telling him in this way: We can elevate you to the heavens, and we can crush you into the mud. Without us, you are nothing, only utterly disgraced.
The online tide of negativity surged, attempting to completely engulf him.
Faced with this catastrophic disaster, could he still grasp at that fragile straw called "hope"?