Jiang Yue had never heard her name spoken by so many strangers.
"Who is she?"
"Her voice saved my week."
"We still don't even know her real name."
"Why won't she show her face?"
She sat in a dressing room tucked behind the curtains of a voice actor fan panel—her first public event since the Riverlight teaser broke a million listens in five days.
Her performance had been raw. Controlled. Beautiful.
And now, it was time to face the world.
[System Alert: FL Event Flag – Name Pressure Surge (Tier 1)]
Public Curiosity: 91.4%
Risk of Identity Leak: Moderate
Emotional Readiness: Stable
Suggested Action: Reveal Name Strategically – Visual Image Still Withheld
Projected PP Gain (Controlled Reveal): +0.0083
Projected PP Loss (Uncontrolled Leak): -0.0155
Zeyan had made the final call.
Today, she would say her name. Nothing more.
A voice without a face. A name without a story.
Yet.
The auditorium lights dimmed.
Hundreds of fans—many wearing shirts with phrases like "Her Voice, My Strength" and "The Girl Without a Name"—leaned forward as the host walked on stage.
"Today," the host smiled, "we welcome the rising star of SkyInk Media. You've heard her as Mei Lin in Riverlight, the Voice of Spring, and more. But today—she will finally tell us who she is."
Behind the screen, Jiang Yue clutched the mic. Her breathing was even, trained.
The host nodded toward the curtain.
"Miss, what name do you wish the world to know you by?"
Silence.
Then—
"Jiang Yue."
Her voice was soft but clear. No tremble. No shame.
"My name is Jiang Yue."
[System Update: Name Reveal Complete]
PP Gain: +0.008712346
Fanbase Sentiment: 94.2% Positive
Brand Impact: Signature Established
Viral Growth Surge Initiated
Applause erupted in the auditorium. Online, the name Jiang Yue began to trend within minutes.
And then… it happened.
A ping.
From a private account on an obscure entertainment gossip forum.
[Anonymous Upload: "Jiang Yue Past Life – The Failed Stunt Audition"]
Video: Grainy footage of a young Jiang Yue falling during a live audition. Laughter audible in the background. A judge's voice: "This one? She won't last a week."
Caption: "From this to viral? Must be someone's puppet."
[System Alert: Reputational Sabotage Attempt Detected]
Public Sentiment Impact: -0.0031 (Fluctuating)
Suggest Action: Immediate Controlled Response
Options:
A) Silence – Let Fanbase Defend (Risk: Momentum Loss)
B) Personal Statement Clip (Cost: 1.1 BP – High Impact)
C) Leverage ML's Account for Defense Statement (Cost: 0.6 BP – Moderate Impact)
Zeyan was already on it.
He chose Option B.
The clip dropped an hour later.
Jiang Yue sat before a mic. No makeup. Dim light.
"That girl in the video? That was me. I was hungry, broke, and inexperienced.
But I got up.
I didn't quit."
"If I'm someone's puppet, I must've carved my own strings."
[System Update: Clip Viral Surge – 1.2M Views in 3 Hours]
PP Recovery: +0.00493128
New Followers: +78,000
Quote Engagement: "I carved my own strings" becoming tagline
Backstage, Jiang Yue leaned against the wall and let out a breath.
"That was… a lot."
Zeyan approached, two coffees in hand.
"You handled it."
She raised an eyebrow. "Was that your way of saying you're proud?"
"I don't do proud," he said, passing her the drink. "Just results."
But when she turned away, he added—quietly—
"…But yes. That too."
In a penthouse suite not far away, Gu Yuxi stood with a tablet in hand, watching the fan response to Jiang Yue's rebuttal.
"She's climbing too fast," Yuxi muttered. "She's not just lucky. She's smart. And someone's guiding her."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Lu Zeyan… are you planning to rewrite history?"
She dialled a number.
"Activate our original project. I want a direct clash. My girl vs. his. Same launch window."
[System Alert: Rival Project "Voiceline" to Launch Within 3 Weeks]
Genre Overlap: Romance-Drama Audio Series
Lead Actress: Su Cheng (Gu Yuxi's protégé)
Fanbase Clash Probability: 86%
Suggestion: Preemptive Branding Campaign or Collaborative Deflection
Zeyan smirked as he read the report.
"You want war, Gu Yuxi? Fine. You'll get it."