Mysterious Assistant of the Washed-Up Queen

His stunt completely unsettled everyone else.

That very night, more than a dozen singers haphazardly emerged, claiming they weren't so-and-so, and then began to latch onto the trending topic through convoluted means.

The online community was shocked. There were initially only six singers announced, but now more than a dozen had appeared. Who was real, and who was fake?

The program team's staff, who were already working overtime, were ecstatic.

They had just received preliminary statistics from Lemon TV: the ratings were around 0.9. This was quite good in the mobile internet era, though not enough for a blockbuster or a phenomenal success, and not even sufficient to be called a major hit.

But a mild success was definite. Most shows were considered impressive if they passed 0.6, which was the passing mark. Over 1 was considered a hit, over 1.5 a blockbuster, and ratings over 2 were absolutely phenomenal.

Although it stood at 0.9, this was only the first episode. With low public awareness and no established reputation, such a performance wasn't bad at all.

With such high popularity now, it went without saying that the next episode definitely had the potential to be a major hit; they practically had it in the palm of their hands.

How could they not be happy? If the program became a major hit or even a blockbuster, the bonuses alone would be substantial. Besides, both Lemon TV and Unlimited Entertainment were known for their generous compensation.

Naturally, while some were happy, others were sad.

This was especially true for those record companies releasing albums.

For the past few days, their executives had started looking unhappy. It was rumored that a certain 'fresh face' idol had even smashed an electric guitar in the company.

All because this unexpectedly popular program had foiled their freshly adjusted marketing strategy.

But these were minor issues. These colossal record companies each held massive marketing resources.

A mere reality show; it couldn't stir up much.

And indeed, this proved to be true. Aside from the first day, when an on-the-fly adjustment allowed 'King of Mask Singer' to promote for a full day, from the second day onward, trending searches and numerous entertainment sections and marketing accounts were all filled with reports about various singers' new albums.

Those paid marketing accounts tried every trick in the book. The content they produced was diverse, but invariably full of praise.

Some dug up artists' pasts, some created highlight reels, some evoked nostalgia, and others played on emotions.

All in all, for two full days, the internet was filled with all sorts of content from various parties, and fan groups similarly rushed around, fighting to boost their idols' video popularity.

Unfortunately, the good times didn't last. By the evening of the third day—today—coinciding with the premiere broadcast of 'King of Mask Singer,' this marketing wave abruptly ceased as if the internet connection had been severed.

It wasn't that they had stopped; rather, the show's popularity completely overshadowed their efforts.

Even if people scrolled past such content, no one paid attention. Naturally, it faded away, like hot water poured on snow, leaving no trace.

Especially since the verbal sparring between Zhang Jingyao and Big Dragon had almost become an internet meme, these albums stood no chance of maintaining any traction.

"Hurry! Find more people! We're working overtime tonight; we must hype this up!"

"By tomorrow morning, I want information about our latest album to flood the internet!"

"What? Asleep? What are you sleeping for? Offer more money! Make them write promotional copy and produce videos overnight! Suppress that damned mask program!"

Fuming, executives at each company began frantically forcing their employees to work overtime on public relations.

Just think of all the money invested! If this doesn't succeed, this year's financial report will look terrible.

If the financial report looks bad, the shareholders will be grim. The boss will naturally be in a foul mood, and we executives will be the first to get chewed out—maybe even fired!

They had always been the ones controlling all sorts of marketing resources, calling the shots and twisting narratives.

When had they ever been so passive?

It was just a small reality show, after all. No matter how popular it gets, can't we just suppress it?

Although this promotional cycle had been plagued by unexpected incidents, it was still within their control. With their experience, they were fully capable of handling it.

Indeed, after they worked hard all night, the buzz finally died down.

It was unclear whether the netizens had all gone to bed or if the companies were genuinely that effective. Regardless, by the next morning, seven or eight of the top ten trending topics were about new albums from various companies' stars.

Unlike that reality show—a nobody that naturally needed to be crushed—these record companies were all peers and comparably powerful. They couldn't easily suppress each other at this point. It wasn't a do-or-die situation, so everyone tacitly pulled back, maintained the status quo, and decided to take things slowly.

What remained to be seen were the tactics each would employ next.

Competing with industry peers is nothing new; winning or losing is a gentleman's contest. But letting some unheard-of, upstart program leave us disgraced—what kind of mess is that?

The top-level executives reviewed the overnight results, nodded in satisfaction, and finally let everyone go home to rest.

The employees were also relieved. Glancing at the dark red sky and the scattered lights outside the window, they lamented inwardly, The city at three in the morning sure is uninspiring.

One by one, exhausted, they left the building, grabbed a late-night meal, and went straight home to sleep. Their bosses had considerately told them they didn't need to come in until after eleven AM, assuming they would sleep late.

A new day began. The morning rush hour started busily, and as office workers awoke, the internet gradually came alive.

"Hey? How come no one is discussing 'King of Mask Singer' anymore? Wasn't it pretty lively last night?"