“As expected of me! I came up with such a great idea to attract attention. Once the virtual diva goes viral worldwide, it won’t be long before I can afford a few six-star follower transformation cards for my parents and older sister to protect themselves.”
Yan Qi praised herself while envisioning the near future, but she didn’t forget to copyright her songs and upload the recordings she’d made to various global online platforms.
“Alright, the rest is up to time.”
After finishing all this, Yan Qi quietly thought to herself.
She then took a moment to assess her condition and realized she could maintain her virtual diva form for several more hours. Since being exempt from the college entrance exams had left her feeling somewhat bored, she decided—just like yesterday—to wander freely through the boundless ocean of digital information.
In a rented room of less than 20 square meters in Shancun Village, Dongjing Road, Nan’an District, Haidu City…
Wen Jie, who had left his hometown to make a name for himself in Haidu City, had once believed he would achieve great things.
But upon arriving, he realized he had no skills, no prospects, and had completely lost his drive. Now, with no money left, he sat on his bed, staring blankly at a bottle on the table, lost in thought.
After a while, Wen Jie, who had been sitting motionless, finally stirred. He stood up and reached toward the table—but then hesitated.
“Well, since it’s the end anyway… might as well listen to one last song.”
Muttering to himself, Wen Jie—who had loved music since childhood—pulled out his phone, which had long run out of credit, and connected to the weak, intermittent Wi-Fi signal nearby. He opened his usual music app.
“Huh? A new artist’s upload?”
The first song on his recommendation page was by a virtual singer named Himeko Uta—someone he’d never heard of before.
Originally planning to listen to his favorite song, Wen Jie paused.
After a moment of hesitation, he sighed.
“Whatever. If it’s really the last song, it doesn’t matter if it’s one I like. Might as well give this newcomer the honor—maybe it’ll help them out a little.”
With that, he tapped on the song by the unknown virtual singer, Himeko Uta, and pressed play.
With a soft ding, the gentle prelude began, calming Wen Jie’s restless heart.
Then, as a sudden yet perfectly timed violin melody swelled, the song’s tone shifted, making Wen Jie frown slightly.
But just then—Himeko Uta’s voice entered the stage, grand and mesmerizing, pulling him into the performance. Wen Jie’s eyes widened.
The intricate, multi-layered instrumentals and the diva’s ethereal voice blended seamlessly, flowing into his ears.
Goosebumps rose on his skin. His face filled with awe.
And without realizing it, the dark thoughts in his mind began to fade.
As the song ended, Wen Jie wore an expression of longing, eager to listen again.
But remembering his earlier words, he hesitated.
In the end, desire overcame reason—he tapped the replay button, listening to the song over and over.
After ten full replays, Wen Jie finally looked satisfied.
No longer despondent, he now seemed revitalized.
“Seriously, why was I even thinking like that? So what if I couldn’t find a job, ran out of money, and was too ashamed to tell my family? Big deal! I’ll just… no, not tomorrow—today, I’ll head to the electronics factory. At least I can earn a living. Yeah!”
Having made up his mind, Wen Jie quickly began packing his belongings.
When his eyes fell on the bottle on the table, he simply smiled, poured its contents down the drain, and tossed the empty bottle into a trash bag.
“Oh, right. Since this newcomer’s song is what pulled me out of that dark place, it’d be pretty ungrateful if I didn’t follow her and help promote it.”
Remembering the reason for his change of heart, Wen Jie immediately took action.
Reconnecting to the spotty Wi-Fi, he followed Himeko Uta on the music app, left a heartfelt review (including a story about a “friend”), and shared the song in every group chat he was in.
Only then did he smile in satisfaction.
Then, luggage in hand, he stepped out of the tiny rented room—the place that had sheltered him for half a year but had also become his prison—and bravely faced the future.
Similar stories unfolded all over the world that day.
Countless people who had lost hope in life, upon hearing Himeko Uta’s song, abandoned their despair and found the courage to keep going.
Grateful to the unknown virtual singer, they became her most passionate supporters, recommending her song to everyone they met and sharing how it had given them a new lease on life.
As more and more curious listeners flocked to hear the song, Himeko Uta’s fame began to spread worldwide, her name growing louder with each passing day.
Meanwhile, the virtual diva herself—Yan Qi—remained unaware that her skill-enhanced singing had inspired so many ordinary people.
At that moment, she was busy playing Go against the retired legend of the chess world: AlphaGo.
By the 162nd move, after nearly ten minutes of intense calculation, AlphaGo—now literally a dog-shaped AI—conceded defeat.
Having won three times in a row, Yan Qi grinned triumphantly at her digital opponent.
“Heh, thanks for the match! That’s enough for today—time for me to head back and rest.”