### Chapter 350: Micro-battle Royale, Pop Stars Gang Up!
Chapter 350: Micro-battle Royale, Pop Stars Gang Up!
The one to initiate a full-scale offensive first was none other than the fans of Yue Cat.
Even in fan circles, there’s a hierarchy, I tell you.
And for all their aloofness, never being on reality shows and never touching the dirty money, even their rivals had to admit—Gu Yue and Cat were an Internet “clear stream”! Their zero-black-record and high output were legendary!
Under this great tree,
Yue Cat’s fans had quite a reputation online.
While Gu Yue and Cat kept a low profile, their fans sure didn’t!
Before starting, ask how many albums does your brother put out in a year? Have they produced as much as our Yue Light Brothers in just two weeks?
If your brother is so great, he must have very few scandals, no? He mustn’t have been entangled with other female stars? He must be so dedicated, right?
Instead of keeping your brother in check, you’re now busy meddling in my business?
In short—
With these three moves, no opponent’s fan can stand a chance!
Yue Cat fans could stand tall on Weibo, undefeated!
In every super-topic community, Yue Cat fans were akin to walking nightmares!
Not only did they bash, but they excelled at converting others.
After taking down their foes, they’d still sing praise for Yue and Cat.
To promote them, they made witty slogans:
”If you must idolize, idolize Yue and Cat!”
Album release speed rivaling dragon poetry; no more worries about outputs. High beauty quotient combo, gifted beyond belief, and won’t let you down anywhere!
Classical music—extremely niche category; make your classmates at the TikTok traditional song level feel inferior! Must-have for niche music enthusiasts!
No gossips whatsoever; biggest rumor is their group chemistry—assuring unwavering commitment; never crumbling under pressure!
How could such carefree idols even exist?!
Loving Yue and Cat means enjoying it all.
Riding over any traffic star’s fanbase and ruling 360 degrees on all occasions on Weibo!
It’s precisely why—
Yue Cat fans earned a legendary title on Weibo—a Win Party!
People who win everywhere they go.
In fact, today.
Win Parties would face backlash for the first time.
This couldn’t be tolerated!
In a flash,
Yue Cat fans poured out en masse to pelt Ma Wei An’s artwork reviews.
From songs to looks, nothing was spared.
The power of big data shone at this moment.
Blindsided by the attacks, netizens didn’t anticipate this.
That classical duo wielded so much clout!
They retaliated, barging into Yue and Cat’s territory too.
From the Dragon Zither Cup performances to works, to people themselves—they ended up personal attacks in the end.
A cascade of reactions ensued.
Beijing media, newspapers, took notice of the online drama.
Delighted upon realizing the protagonists were Yue Cat and Ma Wei An.
Reporters, PR accounts flooded in like locusts!
Discussing the internet trend of pop v. classical, media started dissecting.
More articles emerged,
【Is classical music out of place? Actually, it has a massive audience!】
【Why is Yue Cat, who held the largest classical concert in April, targeted by pop music circles?】
【Jealousy? Suppression? Why can’t classical music get a fair shake in music circles?】
【Slander! Classical music prides itself—do Yue Cat fans really think pop music lacks depth?】
【…】
Growing media articles and videos on Douyin.
Top, third-rate, AI-dubbed accounts piled on.
Even authoritative official music media joined.
At once—
What initially was just a fan spat between Ma Wei An and Yue Cat.
Might’ve just been another mundane fan war, unrelated to common folk and music enthusiasts.
Driven by media hype and big data manipulation, it escalated!
So many originally non-fan circle individuals, just wanting to peacefully enjoy music, joined the fray.
【Pop music can never surpass the depth of classical music, right?】
【Classical music—the pinnacle of human art—is timeless due to its era-specific composition, no modern music can touch it!】
【Pop music is just catering to the masses. In 200 years, people might remember Lin Tian and Gan Yan Yu, but who will recall Ma Wei An?】
Among the commenters were Yue Cat’s casual fans, plus those passionate about watching music competitions, always supportive of classical music.
Meanwhile, opposing voices roared louder,
【Who cares about depth? I listen for pleasure, not enlightenment, thank you very much!】
【Enough already! The music people like most is the best music, period! You define nothing!】
【I love what I love, who cares?】
【Pop music is today’s music! Without pop music, we’d be nothing!】
【Allow me to enlighten some ignorant souls—if they know anything, international competitions now emphasize pop music! Who matters more?】
Amidst the ongoing media hype and big data manipulation,
Tensions became irreconcilable.
Fans outside Gulongzither Cup joined in, outraged by “Ma Wei An being underestimated.”
If Ma Teachers were treated this way, what did we listen to before?
Exaggerating a bit, half of Mandopop industry bears Ma Wei An’s imprint!
To protect the industry, and our beloved pop music, we must fight back!
This stirred a frenzy.
Many Yue Cat fans felt wronged!
Snake Brother, a long-term Yue Cat fan, vent his frustration through 20 posts straight!
—d*mn it, weren’t you the first to question our Yue and Cat on the underground forums back then, “why 3 million views?”
Now that you’ve rallied allies, you dare say classical fans look down on you??
The internet’s cruelest trick? Facing off when they outnumber and overrule you, yet feigning weakness.
Fan morale plummeted.
Watching Gulongzither Cup, seeing Yue and Cat humiliated.
On internet, facing ridicule from masses.
Then blaming them for bullying…
Brother!
We’re almost at d*ath’s door from suppression!
Calling us bullies?!?!
Snake Brother’s poignant posts resonated a bit in the Yue Cat fanbase, but hardly spread far.
With internet discourse in Tianchao heating up around pop vs. classical,
Reaching levels of savory vs. salty dumplings talk.
Even state media took note.
Eager to promote national music, they planned a special issue.
Once revealed,
The Mandopop industry woke up!
Stars and celebs flooded Weibo comments, joining discussions.
Everyone seized the moment, supporting Ma Wei An against the wave, aiming to catch the spotlight on central TV.
Famous Mandopop diva Teacher Cai stated:
【Don’t waste time on this debate—people like what they like. That’s good enough!】
Top Mandopop star Chen Xun, long-time collaborator, was more aggressive:
【What is with all these newfound classical lovers this year? Never saw it before. Are they for real or just trying to undermine Mandopop?】
Top singer Hua Ming, apparently calm yet sneaky:
【If not for this trending topic, I’d never known there’s still classical being composed—I mean, niche track. Question though: Can music from 2025 really be called classical?】
As more established artists weighed in,
The atmosphere turned overwhelmingly supportive.
【Absolutely! Music should be fun; depth is for books! Forget what type it is!】
【Hear me out, Ma’s “Fourteen Poems” has deeper meaning! Not everyone gets it!】
Fanbase erupted in joy!
Normally feuding Mandopop girl groups united.
Everyone dubbed it “Mandopop’s Most United Day!”
However…
Certain non-aligned characters stood out.
A leading lady, poised to top the ranks as a new Mandopop “empress”.
She had 17 million followers and unparalleled sway in pop land.
Wei Xiaoxiao.
Defying the tide, she posted:
【Wait, wait, discussing and bashing Yue Cat?】
【Some “Hua”s need to shut up first. You’ve had ten years, released plenty, but can’t match Yue Cat’s monthly production?】
【Straight up, YueCat’s output eclipses 99% of Mandopop singers.】
【Don’t tell me Yue can’t write pop. Last month, a rookie from Japan covered Yue’s “One Step Away” as “Love on the Strings”. I’m not kidding, charting for a month now!】
【Mandopop’s current state is everyone’s fault. Using trending hashtags to bash classical while ignoring productivity—shouldn’t we focus on creating instead?】
Hua Ming blew a gasket.
Wei Xiaoxiao singled him out!
‘Ten years, no hit?’
Didn’t they know his albums sold like hotcakes?
Didn’t they realize his concerts sold out?
Didn’t they know how important Mandopop was??
But despite his rage, Hua Ming didn’t reply.
Wei Xiaoxiao was known for her temper.
Child star, deep family roots.
Always bold, never backing down on any show.
Attacking like this fit her persona perfectly!
Dare not provoke! If he fought back, he’d be torn apart.
Worse, this could amplify “ten-year lack of hits” rumors!
So, regardless of feeling wronged, Hua Ming swallowed his pride.
Deeply aggrieved indeed!
Surprisingly,
Wei Xiaoxiao’s 17 million fans swelled after her anti-establishment post!
She hadn’t expected this, venting for Liangtian and Gan Yanyu.
Fans loved it:
【Awesome! Miss Xiaoxiao forever! So cool!!】
【Ha-ha, followed for Miss Xiaoxiao’s bravado, even more admiring!】
【Spot on! What state is Mandopop in to gang up on a dedicated classical composer?】
【Switching from Yue to Cat, completely hooked!】
Wei Xiaoxiao’s influence soared.
True to her outspoken reputation, her words made many Mandopop stars silent.
Most people toned down their responses, fearing Wei Xiaoxiao, especially lesser-known artists.
Getting named by her would be catastrophic for fan volume.
With fewer replies, netizens pondered her words, turning neutral.
Despite active fighters online, the peak was over.
First stage clash between pop and classical music concluded.
Lin Tian watched the social media storm rise, peak, then taper off.
Sighing,
“Still beats the fanbase’s impact.”
Reflecting on his career,
Never seen such online onslaught.
Music scene netizens are genuinely kind-hearted.
Facing off with Ma Wei An, Lin Tian experienced unprecedented Mandopop drama.
Even with Yue and Cat’s clout,
As a mainstream pop artist, Lin Tian could only take it.
But it wasn’t entirely about the scene.
It also boils down to sheer numbers.
With so many opponents, what can a single classical musician fight?
He didn’t expect Wei Xiaoxiao to weigh in.
Back from Japan for a mere week.
Quite loyal.
Maybe he misread her, thinking she spoke out of camaraderie.
Or perhaps her prejudice against pop stars ran deep.
Regardless,
This incident likely made things awkward at the semi-finals.
