Huoshaoyun isn't the only music streaming platform in Qinzhou, nor is it the sole venue for "Xiaochou".(Will use this instead of "Eliminate sorrow")
Naturally, Zhao Yu isn't the only listener compelled to share "Xiaochou" with his friends after hearing it.
Such spontaneous sharing might not have the immediate impact of the initial platform push, but it's more enduring and powerful, spreading from person to person.
Thanks to these efforts across various channels, a significant number of people quickly noticed a newcomer named "Xiaochou" climbing into the top 200 of the season chart within just a few hours of release.
Even Lin Zhibai himself was unaware of this.
That's because Lin Zhibai went to bed early.
Having experienced three years of torment, he knew the value of good health. Even though he had recovered, he had developed a firm commitment to maintaining his health. As the old saying goes, "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."
The Next Morning
Six o'clock in the morning, Lin Zhibai woke up. He thought he was the first one awake in the house, but he didn't know that someone else had beaten him to it—Lin Xi.
Lin Xi woke up before six, not because of an alarm, but due to the pressure of her work performance!
There were promotions for "Xiaochou" on the homepages of major music players. Even one night was enough for a small segment of Qinzhou's population to notice the song. Lin Xi was eager to see the initial market response.
Though it had only been less than ten hours since the song's release, Lin Xi hoped it had already entered the top 200 of the season chart, which would indicate great potential and allow her to request more promotional resources from her company.
Feeling slightly impatient, Lin Xi consoled herself, reminding that one night wasn't enough to gauge the song's success. Still, she couldn't resist checking Huoshaoyun and the promotional banner that remained on the homepage.
Despite the early hour, the brightness of her phone screen was a bit overwhelming. Squinting, Lin Xi read the download count.
Song: Xiaochou
Downloads: 237,065
At first, Lin Xi thought the song had garnered over 20,000 downloads in ten hours—a respectable number for a newcomer without prior promotion. But then, she recounted the zeros.
"Ten thousand... one hundred thousand... oh my god!"
She realized the song had over 230,000 downloads! In shock, Lin Xi started jumping on her bed, her excitement uncontainable.
Hearing faint screams from next door, Lin Zhibai wondered if they had a rooster. Checking Huoshaoyun on his phone, he saw that "Xiaochou" had over 200,000 downloads. He thought that was good, right?
Unaware of the significance, Lin Zhibai understood the reaction only after Lin Xi burst into his room, expressing her gratitude dramatically.
"Is it doing well?" he asked.
Lin Xi, elated, explained, "For a new song by a newcomer to break into the top 200 within one night and get over 200,000 downloads, it's only a matter of time before it becomes a hit!"
Lin Zhibai, relieved, simply smiled.
Lin Xi, noticing her brother's calmness, lamented that they should have waited until the start of the next month to release it. Doing so would have given the song a better chance of climbing higher on the charts.
"It's okay," Lin Zhibai reassured her. "I didn't want to wait."
He preferred to release the song early to gain reputation points quickly. With reputation points, he could acquire more good songs from the system.
Lin Xi, still upset, left the room, torn between excitement and regret.
Industry Reaction
By 8:30 AM, Lin Xi was glued to her office computer, watching the season rankings. Despite her exhaustion, the rising numbers kept her awake.
Downloads:300,000 ---> 320,000 --->350,000 ---->390,000
The speed at which the numbers were climbing was staggering. The song was approaching the top 100!
Other companies in the industry, especially smaller ones with songs in the top 100, began noticing "Xiaochou."
"Strange," someone remarked. "I was ranked 183, but now I'm 184."
"You must have been overtaken," another suggested.
"Damn it, I was monitoring the competition closely."
"Check again."
"Oh my god, is this a new song from Shinhwa?"
"Wait, it was released yesterday?"
"Newcomer? New song?"
The Impact
A young songwriter who had reached 150th place on the season chart felt the sting as he refreshed the page, watching "Xiaochou" climb higher. His singer partner could only watch in envy as their ranking fell.
"This is it" the songwriter exclaimed, pointing at the screen. "Xiaochou!"
"Its heading for the top 100!"