Compared to those self-media marketing accounts, Sina News still had a shred of integrity, though not much.
At least they didn't just post a random picture and make up the rest. Instead, they cut up and twisted real words. The reporter interviewed the Straits Olympic Sports Center, where a staff member said, "This place could've hosted Chu Zhi's concert, but for various reasons, it was canceled."
Earlier in the piece, the staff clarified it had been decided over half a year ago. Later, they explained the reason was that the venue was too small.
From Cai Jia's despair and Cen Yixin's wailing, you could tell just how devastating this was for countless Little Fruits.
"Wuu wuu, the 8th anniversary concert… I've been waiting since junior high, and now I'm about to graduate college. It's really over."
"I've worked for three years, saved up for two, because I knew floor tickets would be insanely expensive. I guessed how it would start, but never expected this ending."
"My sister's wish won't come true."
"But I'm also relieved. Since the concert's canceled, Xiao Jiu can finally rest. I actually laughed through my tears when I thought of that."
"Wait, is it canceled or postponed? Jiu-yé isn't feeling well, so he can't perform on schedule. Let him rest. We can just hold it later, right?"
The comments kept coming.
"Ahhh, the bastard who shot Jiu-yé deserves to die!" Wang Zexun raged. If there'd been a free computer in front of him, he'd have smashed it with a punch.
Unfortunately, the only one nearby was his expensive gaming rig, so he could only seethe helplessly. What comforted him was reading the reposted news from self-media: apparently the attacker, that professor, had broken his leg in prison while quarrying stone.
"Not sure if this is real though…" He went straight to the Associated Press website. As the biggest American news agency, their site was accessible in China without a VPN.
Of course, there was no Chinese version, so he had to use a translation app. On the mobile site, the top headlines were: [Trending News], [Mass Protests], [Opposition to 6G Construction], [NFL Playoffs].
"Lawsuit: Las Vegas Strip Resort accused of supplier abuse." (1 hour ago)
"FBI: We'll release members of [Gray Organization] back to their home country." (3 hours ago)
"Rikers Island Prison warden confirms: Robert, mastermind of the shooting case, suffered a serious fracture in his left leg. Previously, his right hand had also been injured from mishandling machinery." (Yesterday)
…
Justice served. Wang Zexun's mood lifted a little. But the moment he thought about the concert's cancellation, sadness crept back in. He was Ai Yu's cousin, and they'd been close since childhood. More precisely, Ai Yu never had a generation gap with him, and they always got along.
After his cousin passed away, he often thought of her. Coincidentally, just like her, he'd become a Little Fruits fan, though he was a career fan type.
Born after 2005, Wang Zexun was a hardcore gamer who'd never chased stars before. He admired Lee Woo-hyeok, a South Korean LCK mid-laner known as the "Mid Lane Demon King," whose plays always blew his mind.
Before every match, Lee Woo-hyeok would say, "Demon King bless me." Everyone wondered who he meant by Demon King.
It wasn't until a post-match interview that the mystery was solved.
"It's Mr. Chu Zhi. Only Mr. Chu Zhi deserves to be called the Demon King."
The host asked, "So you're a fan of Mr. Chu Zhi?"
"All my friends are. What young person in Seoul hasn't fallen under the Professor's charm?"
In League of Legends, Lee Woo-hyeok was a god of slaughter. But when it came to Chu Zhi, he turned into a starstruck fanboy.
Impressive, right?
That's what made Wang Zexun start looking into him. The more he learned, the more he felt Chu Zhi's dominance in the music industry.
As a Little Fruits fan, once he heard about the 2025 8th anniversary concert, he started saving up his allowance and even took on paid boosting jobs to earn extra.
It wasn't just for himself. He also wanted to fulfill Ai Yu's wish, since she'd looked forward to the concert so much. But now that it was canceled, everything was gone.
His phone buzzed. A Weibo notification popped up from one of his "special follow" accounts. He only followed three this way: "LCK Lee Woo-hyeok," "Eat a Big Orange," and "Aiguo Entertainment." The new post was from his idol's company, and the moment he read it, he practically leapt up like a monkey.
Aiguo Entertainment: ["Meeting Chu" World Tour officially begins! Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou presales start at 8 p.m. tonight. #ChuZhiWorldTour #EightYearsPromise#]
The company announced it plainly: the 8th anniversary concert was happening after all!
#ChuZhiWorldTour
#EightYearsPromise
Unsurprisingly, this became the hottest topic online. Sina News, which had twisted things earlier, reacted calmly like an old veteran of internet storms. They deleted their previous post and swiftly published a new one: "What's he done in eight years to captivate countless souls?"
Two hot topics dominated the internet. The second was obvious. The first came from a short video Chu Zhi released through Douyin's official account.
Years ago, he'd been Douyin's Chief Review Officer, basically its spokesperson, and had registered the official account then. His online concert had also been streamed from there. Even though he barely updated, his follower count only climbed. With over 40 million fans, he still held a solid top-ten spot on Douyin (7th or 8th place).
Douyin wasn't like Weibo, where Chu Zhi's numbers were untouchable. On Weibo, all the young idols scrambled below his ceiling, even the wild ones like Zhou Yiyu wouldn't dare buy fake followers to try surpassing him. But on Douyin, influencers and e-commerce streamers didn't care about such things. They'd happily overtake him, and within a couple years, Chu Zhi might even be pushed out of the top ten.
Anyway, back to the point. The official account posted a video titled "Eight Years Later, We're Still Here."
Chu Zhi stood in front of the camera. This was his first public appearance since being injured. Aside from being thinner and a bit pale, he seemed fine.
"I don't really know what to say. Between me and the Little Fruits, I don't need to explain anything. You all know what I want to say. It's already been eight years since I debuted. I've made some achievements in this industry.
Back then, I was only nineteen, clueless, chasing a star dream that might've been unrealistic. But luckily, I had all of you. Over the years, a lot's happened. You saved me, and I became a pillar for many of you."
The video then rolled through thousands of messages from fans:
[When my parents divorced and my best friend drifted away, the world felt so empty. Supporting Xiao Jiu didn't feel like chasing a star, it felt like he was my anchor.]
[I only started liking brother Jiu because my ex-girlfriend did. Now she's gone, but he hasn't changed.]
[When Jiu-yé was in a coma, I was terrified, like the sky was collapsing. Two years earlier, my husband had a terrible accident at work. I had two kids to raise and endless responsibilities. I cried from exhaustion so many times. Looking back, it was the darkest period of my life, but Jiu-yé's songs got me through it. That's why he has to make it.]
[After giving birth, I had postpartum depression. I couldn't sleep for nights, and more than once I thought of drowning my baby while bathing her. But Xiao Jiu's songs gave me hope. Listening to him, I could finally sleep. I've recovered now, but I still need his songs every night.]
…
Just from the first half, you could imagine how fans reacted. On Douyin, it broke a million likes faster than any video before.
And that was only the beginning.