Chapter 5 Ticket Scalpers

• In Maverick's predictions about the future, the exposure of the scandal led to a rapid collapse of Joshua's image. Not only were offline ticket sales affected, but even online ticketing channels suffered severe blows, with very few tickets sold.
• No one knew if Joshua's concert would still take place as scheduled. The organizers did not provide a clear answer and merely did some damage control.
• Everyone's money was hard-earned. What if they bought tickets and the concert couldn't be held?
• Therefore, even Joshua's die-hard fans who trusted him dared not purchase tickets.
• In this situation, ticket prices plummeted within just an hour.
• By ten o'clock today, when the tickets officially went on sale, the price of the average seats had plummeted from initially one thousand per ticket to just one hundred.
• Such a scenario was extremely rare in the entertainment industry. It was obvious to anyone that someone was deliberately targeting Joshua.
• In fact, the situation would indeed take a major turn the next morning.
• And this was precisely why Maverick had come to the stadium today!
• In my prediction, the lowest price for mid-row seats would drop to a hundred bucks. I have less than a hundred thousand on hand, so I can only buy around nine hundred and seventy tickets, Maverick thought to himself.
• Since it was Joshua's first concert, there was a lot of buzz. Joshua was already very famous, so over twenty thousand tickets were available for this concert. Nine hundred and seventy tickets amounted to less than one-twentieth of the total.
• Should I take this opportunity to help Howard? That guy is probably still sweating bullets.
• Recalling the look of lingering fear on Howard's face, Maverick chuckled before dialing Howard's number again.
• “Mave, what's up?”
• Howard seemed to be eating, his tone relaxed.
• “Hey, Howard, want to make some money?” Maverick chuckled.
• “Huh?”
• Howard spat out whatever he was eating. “Maverick, you got a deal?”
• For some reason, after the incident with Oceanic Network, Howard had developed a special trust in Maverick.
• “Bring some cash and meet me at Primo Stadium,” Maverick said before hanging up.
• He glanced at the ticket hall in the distance, where it was already crowded with people lining up, their queue stretching endlessly out of sight.
• “As expected of a top-tier singer, even the offline draw is so strong,” Maverick remarked, feeling a bit envious.
• Who hasn't dreamt of becoming a star?
• Vanity was innate; it just varied in intensity from person to person.
• Maverick had once dreamed of becoming a star himself. After all, considering his looks and education, he was quite outstanding.
• Unfortunately, while dreams were wonderful, reality was cruel.
• If it weren't for Sebastian giving him a hand, he might still be the scumbag everyone despised!
• Maverick downloaded Twitter and started monitoring the trending topics.
• Joshua's solo concert was ranked second.
• By nine o'clock, Joshua's shocking scandal had also made it to the trending list. It was quickly followed by several scandals.
• By nine twenty, eight out of the top twenty trending lists were about Joshua. They ranged from allegations of his inappropriate behavior toward young girls, his public smoking, and accusations of lip-syncing during performances.
• They were all scandals.
• Even though Maverick was confident in his ability to predict the future, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he saw what unfolded.
• “Indeed, it didn't let me down!”
• What puzzled Maverick was that the long line remained as calm as before, seemingly oblivious to what was trending on Twitter.
• By the time it was nine twenty-five, Maverick had gradually started to feel anxious. Suddenly, someone from the crowd reacted.
• It was a young man carrying a backpack swearing, “F*ck!”
• Holding his phone, he widened his eyes in disbelief and said, “How could this happen? Joshua lip-syncing... and molesting underage girls? How is that possible?!”
• The young man's voice was loud, relaying his disbelief. Everyone around heard him clearly.
• “What the heck are you talking about?”
• “How dare you slander my idol? Believe me, I won't hesitate to hit you.”
• “How could Joshua molest underage girls? He's the most upright male star. I absolutely don't believe it...”
• “No, you guys need to check Twitter right away!”
• A commotion ensued. Soon, everyone was aware of it. They went to Twitter and focused on the trending topics.
• Sure enough, several posts about Joshua's scandals were glaringly displayed, accompanied by several photos.
• One of them showed Joshua sleeping with a girl who appeared to be around twelve or thirteen in a hotel room.
• Many verified accounts joined the discussion, commenting on Joshua's various scandals. Some even claimed to have provided background music for Joshua, proving his lip-syncing.
• The evidence was overwhelming!
• “So he's this kind of person?”
• “F*ck it, I must have been blind. I actually treated him as my idol!”
• “A top-tier male singer, resorting to lip-syncing? Why bother buying his concert tickets? Listening to the radio would have been a better choice than coming here!”
• “My belief is shattered...”
• The long line dispersed with a loud noise, curses echoing all around. Even those who weren't fans or didn't follow the entertainment industry were curious about what had happened.
• Inside the ticket office, the previously haughty ticket seller was now wearing a baffled expression.
• He was very proud to help sell tickets for Joshua offline, especially as he watched the line grow longer and longer. He felt a strong sense of achievement and superiority as if he were Joshua himself.
• Who would have thought that the bustling ticket hall would be empty in the blink of an eye?
• At the same time, in the ephemeral world of the internet, another piece of news made it to the trending list: Joshua's concert might be canceled. Upon seeing this post, Maverick revealed a faint smile. He stood up and dusted himself off before walking to the approaching Howard.
• “Mave, what is it? You remembered your old pal, huh? All my past kindness toward you wasn't in vain after all!” Howard said with a beaming smile.
• “There.”
• Maverick nodded toward the ticket hall. “Tickets for Joshua's concert.”
• Howard's smile faltered, and he nearly tripped.
• “Mave, you're not joking with me, are you?”
• Howard stared at him incredulously. “I already found out on my way here. Joshua has been revealed to be involved in various scandals. The concert probably won't happen, and you still want to buy his tickets?”
• “Not only do I want to buy, but I also want to drag you along.” Maverick laughed.
• “Goodbye!”
• Howard was about to turn around and leave.
• He thought there was some good deal, but it turns out Maverick was just acting as a ticket scalper!
• The term “ticket scalper” might not sound very pleasant, but it was not exactly demeaning either. The real question was, whose ticket scalper are you supposed to be?
• With Joshua's reputation in tatters, buying tickets and being a ticket scalper for his concert was useless.
• “Howard, it's now or never.” Maverick's voice came from behind.