C15 Great Victory

In the heart of Beijing's entertainment media district, the lights were still ablaze, despite the late hour of midnight.

"Our sales performance has taken a nosedive compared to this time last year. The root of the problem is your inability to dig up any sensational news. If we see another drop in next month's figures, you're all out of here!" the chief editor thundered, his temper flaring for the third time that day.

The dawn of the internet age had shaken the foundations of traditional media, paving the way for the meteoric rise of new media giants that commanded massive online traffic.

Timeliness was the new currency for internet media. To capture the public's attention, news had to be published before any other outlet got the scoop.

Consequently, working the night shift had become the norm in the media industry.

"Chief editor, I've got a hot story!" An intern approached, script in hand, hoping to break the tension.

The chief editor, still seething, snatched the script, skimmed it briefly, and then tossed it into the trash bin. He bellowed at the intern, "I asked for explosive news! Is there something wrong with your hearing? Two rich kids showing off their wealth on a live stream is hardly groundbreaking!"

The room tensed, with everyone silently rooting for the intern, whose job hung by a thread.

"Chief editor, please, take another look. One of these rich kids is none other than Deng Yiming, the nation's heartthrob!" she insisted, returning the script to his desk.

"Deng Yiming? With his family's wealth, who would be foolish enough to challenge him in a spending war? That's just asking for trouble," many thought, dismissing the news as trivial. Everyone knew that going up against a super-wealthy scion like Deng was a losing battle.

But the unfolding events would take a turn that no one anticipated.

"Chief, Deng Yiming lost," the intern whispered.

In the deep of night, Deng Yiming stood atop the pinnacle of Solaris' Trade Tower A, his gaze sweeping over the glittering expanse of the capital. His emotions were a whirlwind of complexity.

"Mr. Deng, take a look at this," his assistant said, handing him a tablet. The screen displayed the homepage of an entertainment site.

The headline image featured Ami, heavily made-up, alongside a girl of natural beauty, with the letters "PK" prominently displayed between them.

Deng Yiming instantly recognized the girl in the photo—it was Lee Fei'er.

Looming behind Ami and Lee Fei'er were silhouettes.

The figure behind Ami was unmistakably the nation's darling, Deng Yiming, identifiable with just a toe's tap.

The silhouette behind Lee Fei'er, however, was obscured by a cartoon character, clearly indicating that even the publishing media were clueless about the mysterious individual's identity.

What infuriated Deng Yiming was the stark contrast in the images: Lee Fei'er's photo radiated charm and beauty, while Ami's was a bleak, black-and-white image, painting a picture of defeat.

The headline added insult to injury: "Super Streamer Ami Bows Out in Disgrace, Nation's Sweetheart Faces Waterloo!"

The Deng family's influence was vast, deterring most media from daring to use Deng Yiming's name directly. Yet the term "nation's sweetheart" was pointed enough that anyone could easily connect the dots to him.

Feeling a mix of annoyance and agitation, Deng Yiming swiped his screen, only to be confronted with another provocative headline: "Mystery Tycoon Targets Super Wealthy Heir, Nation's Sweetheart Suffers First Defeat!"

"Once an Internet Queen, Now a Fallen Star: After Crushing Defeat, Her Reign Ends!"

"From Start to Finish, Her Bold Declarations Have Turned to Laughter!"

Online media outlets were quick to dissect the event from every angle, sensationalizing a minor incident to capture the public's attention.

Deng Yiming couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief. He recalled a rock legend who once yearned for the spotlight but never quite made it, even when linked with an international star, he still settled for second place in the trending searches.

Now, in the entertainment industry's chilliest season, this trivial episode involving Deng Yiming had skyrocketed to the top of the trending charts.

Over the past few years, Deng Yiming's meteoric rise had been accompanied by a barrage of brash statements across the web.

The public was captivated by this super wealthy heir, who had unwittingly become a symbol of affluence.

Many were eager to witness a mogul surpass Deng Yiming in wealth, yet such a figure had been conspicuously absent—until now.

With the mysterious mogul's victory over Deng Yiming, the public's curiosity was piqued.

It was reminiscent of the era of the Basketball God, Jordan, when at the height of his powers, the question wasn't whether Jordan would win, but who, if anyone, could topple the king of the court.

Thus, even a minor setback for the God of Basketball would be blown out of proportion by the media, as if a single loss meant squandering an entire fortune.

But everyone knows that Jordan is always Jordan, the invincible deity of the court.

"Have you figured out who's backing Lee Fei'er?" Deng Yiming asked, his face dark with concern.

In his elevated position, Deng Yiming was well aware that conflicts among the elite were often non-existent, merely media fabrications and fan sensationalism that turned molehills into mountains.

Yet, Deng Yiming had invested considerable time in grooming Ami and was not about to concede defeat. He needed to reclaim his standing.

"No progress. We only know the person is from Spalding," his subordinate reported.

"Spalding?" Deng Yiming scoffed. "What's happening in Spalding lately?"

"The Rescould Pavilion in Spalding is having its grand opening tomorrow," the subordinate informed him.

"Rescould Pavilion!" Deng Yiming's eyes sparkled with anticipation. The Pavilion was Drefank Group's flagship luxury residence, and its openings always drew the crème de la crème. Surely, he would find his answers there. "Make the arrangements. I'll be in Spalding tomorrow for the Rescould Pavilion ribbon-cutting ceremony."

At four in the morning, Lee Fei'er finally wrapped up her day's live stream.

As she lay in bed, the surreal reality washed over her. In just thirty minutes, she had raked in millions in tips, skyrocketing to a net worth of nine million and amassing millions of fans and followers.

It was clear that after tonight, Lee Fei'er was poised to join the ranks of Anill Live's elite streamers.

And all this was thanks to the largesse of a mysterious benefactor.

"Who could this enigmatic patron be?" Lee Fei'er pondered, her mind racing. As a financial investor, she had rubbed shoulders with many a tycoon, yet few had the means or the motive to be so generous.

But despite her efforts, Lee Fei'er couldn't pinpoint any likely suspects.

In her everyday life and work, Lee Fei'er was careful to maintain her good name. Despite her dealings with numerous wealthy individuals, she never engaged in any romantic entanglements with anyone, ensuring that no one was tempted to shower her with riches.

"Spalding City?" Lee Fei'er noted that Yu was located in Spalding City from the information she had on her.

For Lee Fei'er, a southern beauty, the northern Spalding City was completely unfamiliar territory.

Filled with questions, Lee Fei'er eventually drifted off to sleep, only to be plagued by a nightmarish dream. In it, she saw three thousand thriving scenes, all of which turned out to be mere mirages. The so-called enigmatic tycoon and the millions of followers were nothing but figments of her imagination.

Upon waking, Lee Fei'er quickly logged into her Anill Live streaming account to review her statistics, and only after confirming everything was as it should be did she breathe a sigh of relief.

Amidst her anxiety, Lee Fei'er endured the most interminable night of her life, even though dawn was just two hours away.

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