The blind selection round proved particularly shocking when "One Leaf Knows Autumn," the creator of "Blooming Life," mutually selected Yang Chaoyue. To make matters worse, they were assigned the exceptionally challenging theme of composing a song praising China.
Throughout the ranking promotions for composers, lyricists, and other creative roles, contestants had explored every human emotion and desire imaginable. Yet, not a single Diamond-tier or lower-ranked creator had ever produced a song about China.
Their excuse? "The topic is too grand; we wouldn't dare take such liberties."
With this double whammy of difficulty and controversy, audience complaints grew louder.
Their sentiment mirrored that of the live audience, who suspected either blatant manipulation by the production team or that Yang Chaoyue had been invited solely to torture everyone's ears.
Some even joked that having host Meng Yan fill in would improve their chances of success.
As viewer outrage intensified, a trending topic quickly emerged: "If you were paired with Yang Chaoyue as a musical partner, how deep would your psychological scars be?"
The usual filler trends—"Meng Yan is so beautiful" and "Brother looks so cool with a microphone"—were forgettable. Such fleeting entries typically vanished from the top 50 trending lists like morning mist.
It was highly likely that the management companies had paid for the positive social media trends, but they hadn't spent much—just enough to make a token gesture.
In the control room monitoring the viewership ratings, Shen Tao asked again, "What's the viewership increase? Besides the average rating, find the peak and lowest ratings as well!"
The staff quickly compiled the data, carefully reviewed it, and reported, "The current viewership increase is 0.11%. The average rating remains at 0.42%. The peak rating occurred during Yang Chaoyue and Teacher Ye's first meeting inside the Square Box, reaching 0.65%. The lowest rating was during Wang Lingkai's opening performance, at 0.32%."
Shen Tao examined the data sheet. The peak rating had already exceeded his and Director Zhang's initial projections. Reaching 0.65% meant they had broken through nine million concurrent viewers.
Instructing the staff to continue monitoring, Shen Tao immediately took the current viewership data to Director Zhang's office to share the good news.
When Shen Tao announced the peak rating, Director Zhang stubbed out his cigarette.
"It seems like the chemistry between One Leaf Knows Autumn and Yang Chaoyue really resonated with viewers. They might be the key to breaking our ratings records. For the second episode, let's pull some strings and pair them up again!"
"Huh?" Shen Tao thought this felt a bit contrived.
But he understood Director Zhang's reasoning perfectly. Wasting such a ratings goldmine would be a colossal mistake.
"What about Zhang Yanzhuo?"
"He's doing okay. From a quick glance, his ratings are hovering around 0.4%."
"Pair him with Li Yuanjie again next episode. That guy was still bitter about losing last time, right? Let them clash again. If it works, we'll try to keep them together for the second half of the season."
Director Zhang lit a cigarette, his eyes gleaming with calculation. To him, these performers were merely tools—useful only if they brought him high ratings.
Does anyone really believe I created this show to reform the industry or champion behind-the-scenes talents like composers and lyricists?
Don't be naive.
After the first half of the episode aired, there was a fifteen-minute commercial break. When the show resumed, the real competition began.
When Yang Chaoyue was chosen as the first performer, the viewership experienced a small surge.
Just when everyone had given up on her, her rendition of "Chinese" stunned viewers across the nation.
The top trending hashtag: "You're telling me that's Yang Chaoyue?!"
Not only did social media explode, but short video platforms like Doukuai were immediately flooded with clips of Yang Chaoyue's "Chinese" performance. Within a short time, these videos amassed over ten million views.
Fueled by celebrity endorsements and platform promotion, the song spread like wildfire.
This performance propelled the show's ratings to new heights, peaking at 0.81%—equivalent to over eleven million viewers.
It became the highest-rated variety show of the night, dethroning all the established veterans. The average viewership surged to 0.55%.
The executives at Tomato TV were beaming. With such potential, breaking the 1% mark seemed within reach!
As a result, they generously increased the budget for I Am a Creator.
For Yang Chaoyue, her remarkable comeback had captivated audiences, and fans flooded online platforms, clamoring for the official audio release of "Chinese."
Just when it seemed the show would end on a high note, Zhang Yanzhuo suddenly declared during the creators' peer review segment that integrating tongue twisters into hip-hop was fundamentally incompatible, dismissing tongue twisters as "low-class trash."
This sparked widespread outrage.
Zhang Yanzhuo's disparaging remarks about tongue twisters immediately trended online, with Director Zhang even paying to amplify the backlash.
The strategy was simple: the more viewers hated Zhang Yanzhuo—the more their teeth itched with loathing—the more likely they were to tune in to the next episode. With Zhang Yanzhuo still in the show, the production team was confident viewership wouldn't wane.
Some might wonder, "If you despise someone, why not just stop watching? Why would you endure their performances?"
That's where they'd be wrong. Think about those who despise the original Idol Audition center but still constantly circulate memes about him. Sure, they might claim they're mocking him, but isn't that exactly what Zhang Yanzhuo is doing now? Riding the waves of infamy?
The Entertainment Circle thrives on both praise and criticism; the true tragedy is being forgotten.
Zhang Yanzhuo's paid promotion was a blatant bid for fame, but he went overboard.
As previously mentioned, these industry players care only about ratings and profits. He completely forgot that "Chinese" is a positive song celebrating Chinese culture, and that tongue twisters have been an integral part of that culture for centuries.
Its lively rhythm and playful humor highlight the aesthetic and educational value of traditional Chinese culture.
Yanzhuo dismissed it as "low-end." A singer who fails to appreciate a song's deeper meaning, focusing instead on superficial elements, is truly disappointing.
It might have been manageable if the controversy hadn't trended. Instead, it soared into the top five trending topics.
Tongue twisters are an integral part of traditional culture. The Cultural Association's official account issued a critique, drawing the attention of state media. While praising "Chinese," they specifically called out Singer Zhang by name.
Though brief, these criticisms swiftly led to punishment. The Artists Association banned Zhang Yanzhuo and his management company from performing for three months and fined them 5,000 yuan, sending a clear warning to others.
A cautionary tale indeed!
Director Zhang had finally hit a brick wall. His ignorance and recklessness had left him utterly devastated, as if he'd lost a beloved parent.
His plan to capitalize on negative publicity had backfired spectacularly. With Zhang Yanzhuo banned from performing, he naturally couldn't participate in the next episode of the show. The director's carefully crafted scheme for infamy had crumbled into dust.