Universe Infinite Canteen

"So, just how bad was Angie's singing before? If she sang a bit better, she would've been slammed for lip-syncing." Ma Lu chuckled.

"No, that's not it. Sister An Qi's singing isn't considered bad among singers; it's just not that that that outstanding. And whether someone is lip-syncing or not isn't judged by human ears,"

"Then how is it judged?"

"Post-production software," Ma Youyou explained to Ma Lu. "Originally, these softwares were used for tuning singers' voices, but now some people use them to analyze whether a singer is lip-syncing.

"To put it simply, if a singer's live pitch is consistently precise and stable, exactly like in the album, it's almost certain they're lip-syncing because humans aren't machines; it's impossible to be 100% accurate."

"I see," Ma Lu realized. "Then, I really am to blame for this. What's Angie saying now?"

"Her agent issued a statement saying she definitely didn't lip-sync, but those familiar with the entertainment industry know these statements are no different from waste paper. Some artists still release statements through their studios an hour before being caught, claiming they've done nothing illegal.

"They'll also send fiercely worded lawyer letters to those 'spreading rumors', and even after being caught, their studios and agencies try to manage public relations, playing a game of 'hide the truth as long as possible'...

"Wait, am I going off-topic? Anyway, such statements are meaningless, no, not meaningless, they are for die-hard fans to see. As long as the die-hard fans believe, the foundation remains. But the important thing is Sister An Qi herself has yet to respond."

"Also, among the general fans, due to the damning video, the overwhelming view is that Sister An Qi lip-synced, and some even suspect the other four members of love&five are not clean, leading to some of love&five's fans starting to unfollow."

"Of course, if it was just that, it wouldn't be a big deal. After all, love&five has a large enough fan base that a small reduction doesn't matter much. But as this incident ferments, it has also affected some sponsors.

"The sponsors who have signed agreements are worried that the negative publicity from this incident will affect their brands, while those who were planning to sign with Angie or love&five are now hesitating."

Ma Youyou explained all this in one breath, only to see Ma Lu picking through things on the table before asking, "What do you want to drink? Coke, Fanta, or tea?"

"Um, Fanta."

"Here," Ma Lu handed over a can of Fanta. "I didn't realize you knew so much about the entertainment industry."

"Uh... because I'm a fan of love&five." Ma Youyou took the Fanta.

"I remember you said you came from the future, so you should know the outcome of this incident," Ma Lu remarked.

"Ah, no, it's not like that. Our planes are not exactly the same, and because of my interference, things have already changed. Old... Old Boss, you didn't answer the question wrongly in the restaurant the other day, which displeased Sister An Qi, and then you even got tickets to the concert.

"And if you hadn't gotten those concert tickets, we wouldn't have gone to the performance, and this incident wouldn't have happened..."

"Is that so? Time, truly is a mysterious and unpredictable thing," Ma Lu mused.

"Now is not the time to talk about such things, Miss Angie is in trouble..." Ma Youyou said urgently.

"Calm down, it's a small issue," Ma Lu picked up his phone. "I'll ask where she is now..."

"She has an event in City B this afternoon and flew over at noon."

"You really are a dedicated fan. Well, that makes it easier, saves me the trouble. I'll send her a Singer's Sandwich later," Ma Lu suggested.

"Eh?" Ma Youyou was surprised. "Did you not listen to what I just said? It's precisely because of that sandwich that she's in trouble."

"So, we'll have to solve it with another sandwich. This is what they call 'settling a dispute requires the person who tied the bell to untie it,'" said Ma Lu.

"I don't think that's how the proverb is supposed to be used."

"Since Angie was accused of lip-syncing because of the Singer's Sandwich, why not eat another one, and then invite that granny who supposedly caught her red-handed to verify that she didn't lip-sync on the spot? Oh right, this could also stir up some excitement among the live streaming fans."

"Ah, that doesn't sound too good, does it?" Ma Youyou always felt there was something odd about this. Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire

"What's not good about it?" Ma Lu leaned back on the sofa, crossing his legs.

"It just seems like the person who made the video is a bit pitiful."

"Whose side are you on? Aren't you a fan of love&five? Besides, Angie wasn't lip-syncing to begin with," Ma Lu said.

"She was simply empowered by the Singer's Sandwich to unleash her full potential as a singer, just like athletes who break world records in the swimming pool by wearing high-tech swimsuits, following the advancement of technology. They too deserve high praise."

"Uh..."

"Plus, the fans that night made a killing. They saw just how amazing their idol was in peak condition. I remember a lot of people at the venue were moved to tears by the end."

"Um..."

Ma Lu scratched his neck while tapping on his phone with the other hand.

"If you really feel sorry for the guy who 'nailed' Angie, then this face-to-face opportunity is perfect for Angie to turn a foe into a friend and also show off her generosity, winning over some more neutral fans."

"Sounds like it could be pretty good."

"Right? I just sent a message to Angie, and she thinks so too. She's probably posting on Weibo now."

Ma Youyou opened Weibo and, sure enough, saw a new post from Angie.

She was inviting the blogger who 'proved' her lip-syncing to meet face-to-face tonight. She would sing the songs from the concert again, provide round-trip plane tickets, cover all food and lodging in City B, and the meeting would be live-streamed.

The moment this message was released, it blew up the internet, shooting up to the top of the trending searches in less than two minutes.

Other celebrities had previously responded to unfavorable news, but Angie was the first to do so with such confidence. Now, not only fans and detractors, but also the casual onlookers were intrigued.

The quickest responses came from the heads of various live streaming platforms, who immediately contacted Angie's agent, hoping the live stream could be broadcast on their platforms.

Competing platforms followed suit, each throwing out bids to snatch up the explosive traffic.

Meanwhile, the instigator of the whole situation was sitting down to a bowl of noodles with Ma Youyou.

Disease-Clearing Soup Noodles, as the name implies, require a crystal-clear broth.

The simplest way to make it would, of course, be to cook the noodles in plain water, but that would turn them into bland noodles, and naturally wouldn't taste good.

But Old Wang's Disease-Clearing Soup Noodles, with a Deliciousness Index of four stars, couldn't possibly be made with just water. Besides the medicinal herbs Ma Lu brought back this time, it also had Windwalker Suburban Wolf Bone simmered in it.