Chapter Twelve: Retribution Never Misses Its Mark

Music began to play in Sister Li’s livestream, and Ma Wu listened quietly beside her.

Having just spent so much money, wasn’t it perfect to relax now? Ma Wu frowned slightly, feeling that something about the melody was off. It was clearly a new song, yet for some reason, it felt strangely familiar to him.

He couldn’t figure it out.

When it came to music, Ma Wu was brimming with confidence! He’d loved listening to songs for ages. Although he wasn’t much of a singer, his knowledge of music was extensive—he could be called a walking music library.

Wait a minute, could it be…?

Suddenly struck by a thought, Ma Wu quickly opened his music software to check something.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the competition is almost at its end!” Sister Li was working hard to rally votes.

“If you like me, please help boost my popularity ranking,” she said, subtly adjusting her clothes in a way that left no doubt about her intentions.

“I’ve prepared a new song for everyone as well,” Lin Erke interjected, refusing to be outdone. “I hope you all like it.”

As the livestream drew to a close, everyone was scrambling for votes.

“Obviously my song is better,” Sister Li said arrogantly. “I spent ages preparing it!”

You little upstart, I’ll make sure to outshine you this time! Sister Li began to boast about her creative process and artistic philosophy, leaving Lin Erke somewhat embarrassed.

Her own song had simply been given to her by Ma Wu—how could she possibly claim any creative philosophy?

She sent Ma Wu a private message with a pleading emoji, hoping he would come to her rescue.

“Erke, could you open your mic for me?”

She hadn’t expected Ma Wu to respond with such a request. Puzzled, Lin Erke obediently turned on the mic in her livestream. After all, he was her patron—wanting to say a few words was perfectly reasonable.

“Hello, everyone,” Ma Wu said, and his voice sent waves of excitement through the audience.

Whoa, so this is the rich guy?

Nice voice—must be handsome!

Rich guy, please sponsor me!

The comments were rolling in, but Ma Wu paid them no mind.

“Excuse me, Sister Li,” Ma Wu paused, then continued, “is your song truly original?”

Sister Li, someone’s questioning your song!

Go after him!

Some of Sister Li’s loyal fans were displeased. Who could tolerate their idol being slandered?

“What do you mean by that?” Sister Li’s expression soured. “Are you questioning my abilities?”

“No, no, not at all. It’s just that Sister Li sang so beautifully, I wanted to confirm,” Ma Wu said, rare words of flattery slipping from his lips, his eyes glinting with a hidden light.

Come on, take the bait! I’m waiting for you to fall into my trap.

Sister Li’s expression improved slightly as she responded confidently, “Of course. Everyone knows I’m a talented woman.”

Her fans cheered beneath her.

---

“May I ask a question?” Ma Wu’s tone suddenly turned cold and dangerous as he stared at the screen.

“Why do I feel that a certain section of your song is identical to a segment from ‘Mung Bean’?”

Sister Li barely had time to defend herself before her fans erupted.

How dare you slander Sister Li like this!

Just because you can’t compose doesn’t mean others are plagiarists—have some decency!

Get out of the livestream!

Get out +1

+ID number!

A barrage of aggressive comments flooded the chat, but Ma Wu remained unfazed.

“Everyone, please calm down,” Ma Wu soothed the crowd.

Lin Erke, in her own livestream, was utterly shocked. As someone who often covered songs, how could she not recognize such a classic as ‘Mung Bean’? Hearing Ma Wu’s words, she realized that Sister Li’s song did indeed share similarities.

Could it really be plagiarism?

With this in mind, Lin Erke looked at Ma Wu with newfound admiration. He wasn’t just wealthy—he had genuine musical knowledge!

“Listen to the chorus of Sister Li’s song…” Ma Wu patiently opened his music software, searching out the songs that had been plagiarized.

He played them for all the viewers.

The initially skeptical audience began to pause and search the songs themselves for verification.

“The most egregious part is this!” Ma Wu revealed the decisive evidence.

“The lyrics of this song are copied verbatim from an obscure online singer’s ‘Under the Cherry Blossom Tree’.”

Even those less sensitive to music understood now—they weren’t blind. They’d chosen the wrong side and finally realized it.

Sister Li’s face grew paler with each revelation from Ma Wu.

How could this happen? That song barely had any plays…

How could anyone have found it?!

All thanks to the system—after Ma Wu noticed some repeated musical phrases, he wondered if other parts had been copied too. He promptly spent fifty success points to conduct a thorough check, only to discover such blatant plagiarism.

Not only had she copied many classic songs, she’d even taken work from lesser-known artists, shamelessly claiming it as her own.

Truly shameless.

He’d never been fond of gaudy internet celebrities, and now Ma Wu was even more disgusted by Sister Li.

Of course, some diehard fans continued to support her.

What if Sister Li bought the rights to the song? How do you explain that?

Musical phrases can repeat—who doesn’t have some overlap?

Sister Li, please come out and explain—we’re all behind you!

Yes, explain! Explain +1

Explain +10086

Sister Li moved her lips helplessly, unable to say anything.

She wanted to explain, but how could she? It really was plagiarized!

---

Tears slipped uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes as Sister Li broke down sobbing.

“I’m sorry, everyone. I really did plagiarize.”

She wailed incessantly, telling stories of how hard it was to be a streamer, how much she’d suffered for the competition, and so on.

Ma Wu watched her livestream with a cold smile, silent. He hadn’t expected her to resort to emotional manipulation once exposed.

This woman truly had no shame.

Meanwhile, Lin Erke’s livestream was jubilant.

Ha! She got what she deserved!

Our Erke is the best—pure and genuine.

Daring to enter a competition with plagiarized work—what trash!

Ma Wu frowned slightly, picking up his phone to contact Goldfish TV’s executives. This woman was simply too noisy.

The competition was over anyway—why not ban her immediately?

“You’ve gone too far!”

Lin Erke’s voice suddenly resounded in her livestream, and Ma Wu looked at her, surprised by her anger.

What’s going on?

“How could you plagiarize? Music is sacred!”

“I love music, and I want everyone to love it with me! I want people to enjoy the songs I create!”

“That’s why I chose to become a streamer!”

By the end, Lin Erke’s voice was nearly hoarse with passion.

“People like you don’t deserve to stream!”

Her voice was so intense that even Ma Wu was a little stunned.

Her chest heaved with indignation, and Lin Erke seemed tired.

In truth, Lin Erke’s dream was to become a popular star, but with no money or connections, she could only make a living as a small streamer, hoping to get closer to her dream.

Ma Wu’s lips curled in an approving smile—his Erke was indeed wonderful!

Erke is amazing. I’ll be your fan forever!

Yes, yes, those who plagiarize and disrespect music should be driven out of the entertainment industry!

Kick them out, kick them out!

The audience kept denouncing Sister Li.

As Lin Erke realized what she’d just said, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. What humiliating words—how mortifying!

“So embarrassing!”

“Erke, you’re absolutely right. I support you,” Ma Wu said gently. “I’ll ask Goldfish TV to shut down Sister Li’s livestream right now.”

Having spent tens of millions on gifts, Ma Wu’s requests were swiftly granted; in the next moment, Sister Li’s livestream was taken offline.

Simultaneously, the entire official site announced Sister Li’s ban.

With that, Sister Li was finished. Even if she left Goldfish TV, no other streaming company would take her.

Who would want someone with such a notorious reputation?

The farce’s end marked the conclusion of Goldfish TV’s competition. Lin Erke had gained tremendously from this event.

She not only became Goldfish TV’s new leading lady but also amassed a fanbase rivaling third-rate celebrities. Her reputation for loving music spread far and wide.