Gangster to Idol

"That won't cut it," Cain snarled, his voice laced with venom. "That thief will just steal it again, like a parasite feeding off my hard work."

"You know you've copied from others too, right?" Fifi reminded him, her tone even.

"Yeah, but I always give credit where it's due. This guy didn't just steal from me — he wiped out my video like it never existed. He's going to pay for that."

Fifi sighed, realizing Cain had a point. "So, what's the plan now?"

Cain stared intently at Fifi, his gaze burning with revenge. "The only thing we can do — is for you to identify this guy and give me his real name."

Fifi looked him dead in the eyes, her expression blank. "NO. Who knows what you'll do once you have his real identity."

Cain forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I'm just going to have a little chat with him. Man to man."

"I don't believe you even for a second. But maybe we could try reaching out to him," Fifi suggested, though her tone was far from convinced.

Cain raised an eyebrow, his voice laced with sarcasm. "What would talking do? Haven't you said this isn't the first time he's done this? Plenty of others have already filed complaints against him, but look at where he is now — more followers, more views, no consequences!"

Fifi grumbled under her breath, her frustration matching Cain's. "You do have a point."

"I always have a point. Now, give me that identity, and I'll take care of it," Cain said, his voice carrying the weight of finality.

Fifi hesitated, her fingers hovering over the screen. She knew Cain was serious — too serious. But in the pit of her stomach, she felt an unease she couldn't shake.

Despite everything, she couldn't shake the unsettling thought of how far Cain might go to reclaim what was his.

A gangster seeking revenge? That was a dangerous path, and she knew it could only end in disaster. Definitely not the best decision to tell him the man's identity.

Fifi sighed, then met Cain's intense gaze. "Listen here, a content creator with millions of followers has the money, influence, and die-hard fans to bury you without anyone even noticing. Beating him up won't solve anything — it'll only make things worse, especially for you."

Cain took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Alright, so what do you suggest we do?"

"The best response? Keep posting. Don't stop."

Cain raised an eyebrow, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "He'll just copy it again."

"Then flood the platform with content," Fifi suggested, a sly smile forming on her lips. "Post so much in a single day that even BuzzVid can't take down all your videos. Then there's no way that Rhythm Thief can copy everything in such a short time."

Cain's eyes lit up, and he smacked his fist into his palm. "Now that's a plan."

Fifi smiled, though her expression was still tight. "Exactly. Let's show that Rhythmic Phantom that he might copy one video, but he can't keep up with a hundred."

Cain deadpanned, "I can't make a hundred videos in one day."

"I know, genius. It's just an expression! Get to work already!"

Cain powered through the day, cranking out five videos before finally calling it quits.

=======

The next morning, Cain and Fifi eagerly checked the videos. They were stunned to see that they had garnered over fifty thousand views to each one of his videos, and to their relief, none of the videos had been taken down.

Cain's follower count also jumped by twenty thousand overnight — not bad at all, considering he'd only started a little over a month ago.

But their excitement quickly soured as they scrolled through the comments, their smiles fading into scowls.

[User1: C.C. is just copying what's trending. Nothing original here. 🙄

User2: Everyone knows that Rhythmic Phantom started this. C.C. is just following hid lead. Even the dance moves are similar.

User 3: This guy has no originality. Just a copycat trying to ride the wave. Like all of you here, losers!

User 4: Hair styling and dancing are only popular now because of Rhythmic Phantom. C.C. should give credit where it's due and tag him as the original creator! ]

Cain's face twisted in frustration. If he could reach through the screen and punch the people behind those comments, he probably would have done it in a heartbeat.

"Stop taking it out on your laptop," Fifi warned. "You can't afford to replace it after splurging on all the sound equipment and those instruments."

"It's you who said to buy them! Those things cost a fortune!" Cain snapped back, his irritation evident. Fifi flicked his forehead, her expression stern.

"No matter what happens, even if the world's falling apart, you need to stay calm. That's one of the most important qualities of an idol."

Cain rubbed his forehead, grumbling, "Everything's important to you. You even complain about how I breathe because it's too loud."

Fifi ignored him. "This isn't looking good. Any dance video you post now will just be dismissed as copying Rhythmic Phantom. He's already set the trend, and you'll just be labeled a copycat."

Cain bit his thumb, staring at his screen intently like the answer was there. "How am I supposed to reverse this? I created those moves first, but now I'm the one being called a copycat. This is beyond frustrating."

Fifi huffed a chuckle, her tone tinged with irony. "Welcome to the world of idols."

Cain took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. This was a brutal world, that was certain. He thought about the money he'd invested in sound systems, instruments, and upgrading his wardrobe — all part of his attempt to break into the idol world in short possible amount of time.

The loaned cash their client had withdrawn through CROSS was still unpaid, and those funds were off-limits — earmarked for renovating the gang's HQ and ensuring his crew stayed fed and well-supplied.

Right now, he was broke, all his savings used up, adding to his list of problems.

Cain buried his face in his hands, letting out a low groan. "I hate this idol life."

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