Imperial Broadcast

At three o’clock in the afternoon on September 10th, Dragon’s Nest Square, located in the heart of Longmen District, was already a sea of people. The crowd, packed tightly into the plaza that boasted a capacity of one hundred thousand, now made the vast square feel almost cramped.

In front of the stage, throngs of journalists had gathered, raising microphones and cameras high as they waited for Jin Yuchuang’s appearance. Those unable to secure a spot at the front released drones to hover above the plaza, hoping to capture aerial footage. Naturally, each of these drones was equipped with a miniature position shield to prevent sabotage or extortion.

Beyond the plaza, a seemingly endless stream of people still pressed forward. Among them were not only Jin Yuchuang’s fervent fans but also detractors eager to stir up trouble. Even before the conference began, clashes had erupted between the two camps. Despite the best efforts of security and police officers, chaos reigned.

After school, Chen Shang headed straight for the press conference. Though there was still a full hour before it was set to begin, the area was already impenetrable.

Not long after, his phone chimed with a notification: “You said you could get us into the venue through a secret passage—is that true?”

Just a couple of days prior, Chen Shang had managed to infiltrate Jin Yuchuang’s hardcore fan group using an account provided by Black Calis. The group, while small—no more than a hundred members—was made up of the elite among the fans. Their devotion to Jin Yuchuang bordered on religious zeal, and most were from privileged backgrounds; many were daughters of wealthy families.

Chen Shang told them that for a thousand yuan each, he could lead them through a secret tunnel straight to Jin Yuchuang. The payment address, naturally, was Black Calis’s, intended to pay off a recent loan and its exorbitant interest.

A thousand yuan was a trivial sum for these fans. Their only real concern was whether the newcomer was telling the truth.

When Chen Shang arrived at the rendezvous, he found over a hundred young women already waiting for him. Each was dressed to the nines, some in elaborate Lolita dresses or silken Hanfu, as if attending a formal matchmaking event.

Casting a glance over these wild-eyed devotees, Chen Shang strode forward and greeted them, “Hey! Hello, everyone!”

Instantly, their attention fell upon him—a figure in a black overcoat, goggles, and a dust mask. Around his neck hung a small voice modulator, making his voice androgynous and difficult to place.

After all, if they realized he was a man, suspicion would be inevitable.

“You’re ‘the Long String of Letters’?” inquired a Lolita-dressed girl at the front.

“That’s right,” Chen Shang nodded. His group alias was “crnmsmshsa.”

He cleared his throat and asked, “Is everyone here?”

“Form up!” the Lolita girl shouted. At once, the fans arranged themselves into a neat phalanx.

“‘Long String of Letters,’ we have 121 expected, 108 present! Awaiting your instructions!”

Satisfied, Chen Shang waved them on. “Very good. Let’s go!”

In this game, players in the mid-stages could receive a side quest called “Infiltrate Dragon’s Nest Square.” Next to the square stood an abandoned construction site, originally intended for luxury apartments. Within those derelict buildings lay a hidden tunnel leading directly to the center of Dragon’s Nest Square.

Led by Chen Shang, the game’s mastermind, the female fans trudged through the filthy, damp passageways for quite some time before reaching a locked wooden door at the end.

“Long String of Letters, this…” some of the girls began, their doubts surfacing.

Without hesitation, Chen Shang pulled a folding axe from his backpack and hacked furiously at the lock.

With a loud crash, the battered door gave way, revealing a softly lit corridor lined with white tiles.

“Turn left when you exit—you’ll find Jin Yuchuang there,” Chen Shang instructed, gesturing for them to proceed.

In that instant, a terrifying fervor blazed in the girls’ eyes, the very air seeming to warp with heat.

“Charge! Jin is mine!”

“I was here first! There’s no way I’m letting you have him!”

They surged through the doorway in a frenzy, while Chen Shang stepped aside, a serene smile on his lips.

“Black Calis, my part is done. When it’s over, delete this ‘Long String of Letters’ account,” he murmured into his phone.

A voice replied, “Everything’s ready on my end, too.”

“Perfect. Let the festivities begin,” Chen Shang said with a laugh, hanging up and slipping away.

...

Fifteen minutes remained before the press conference. Jin Yuchuang sat exhausted on a sofa, while his makeup artist worked frantically to conceal his dark circles.

Through the compact mirror handed to him by the makeup artist’s third hand, Jin saw his own sallow, weary reflection.

His public image had taken a beating online these past days, with rumors and scandals piling up, driving him to the brink.

“I still think someone’s targeting me,” Jin muttered, rubbing his chin as his right eyelid twitched uncontrollably.

“Targeting us? Who would dare target Han Tide Entertainment?” a company executive asked gravely.

Han Tide had made plenty of enemies, but they adhered to a “no loose ends” policy—there should be no rivals left.

“Our hackers and mercenaries still haven’t traced the account thief,” reported a bespectacled tech officer, tablet in hand. “There are only a handful of hackers in Night Pivot City with that kind of skill, but none have reason to come after us.”

“Exactly. I’ve never crossed any of them,” Jin Yuchuang mused. “And those top-tier hackers always go their own way—they’d never work with our competitors.”

Just then, his manager gently massaged his temples, reassuring him, “Don’t worry, Mr. Jin. When you go onstage, just stick to the script.”

“That’s right, Mr. Jin,” the executive chimed in with a smile. “After this conference, our PR department will publish a few clarifying articles. Whatever monsters or demons are out there, all our problems will be solved.”

“You’re right. It’s time to put an end to this farce!” Jin Yuchuang declared, rising with newfound resolve.

“I still have to attend Brother Xu’s class reunion on Saturday. Let’s finish this here and now!”

At that moment, chaos erupted outside the dressing room.

“What’s going on?” the executive demanded.

“It’s bad! Jin’s fans… they got inside somehow—they’re headed this way!” a security guard burst in, gasping for breath.

In the next instant, Jin Yuchuang saw a horde of brightly dressed girls storming toward his lounge like a swarm of the undead.

“It’s really him! I saw him with my own eyes!”

“Out of the way! Jin is mine!”

The girls charged in with feral energy, surrounding Jin Yuchuang completely.

His manager shielded him, shouting into the earpiece, “Security! Where are you? Get in here! Tell the host to delay the conference by fifteen minutes!”

With that order, half the remaining security at the venue were dispatched backstage, plunging the already disorderly event into further bedlam.

Sensing a major story, the journalists in the hall stirred with excitement.

Among the swirling drones above, one inconspicuous black drone landed onstage, its rotors whirring. It quickly hacked into the Bluetooth speakers on the platform.

A voice rang out: “Ahem, thank you for waiting. This is Jin Yuchuang.”

Journalists snapped to attention, cameras clicking as they trained their lenses on the stage—only to find a small drone, not Jin himself.

Days earlier, Chen Shang had scoured the net for Jin Yuchuang’s audio clips and passed them to Black Calis. With AI processing, Black Calis synthesized a perfect voice mimic, recording a speech in Jin’s voice.

Thus, though the drone spoke with Jin’s timbre, the words were not his.

“I’m a bit tired today, so I’ll keep this brief through this device,” the voice continued, exuding an air of arrogance, as if his absence were perfectly justified.

“In short, today’s event is to clarify some recent misunderstandings…”

The journalists snapped photos in rapid succession, the flashes lighting up the hall. The diminished security, realizing something was amiss, tried to intervene, but the chaos held them back.

After a brief silence, the “Jin Yuchuang” voice resumed:

“I wish to make it clear—the actions of these fans have my tacit approval. I find their opinions insightful, for I am the true number one in the entertainment world!”