Huayu 2021: Isn’t he in the technology field?

Chapter 459 Thirteen's smugness, the invisible hand

Time quietly arrived at April 11th.

10 PM.

In the master bedroom of the Pan-Ocean Family Mansion, only a dim bedside lamp casts a soft glow.

Zhao Jinmai was fast asleep.

She lay on her side, facing the spot where Jiang Qing had just been lying, her breathing shallow and even.

The faintly visible fair collarbone, the slender arms exposed to the air, and the lingering ambiguous atmosphere in the air all suggest that some unspeakable intimate interaction had taken place here not long ago.

Jiang Qing looked down at her serene face with a gentle expression.

He gently pulled the thin blanket back up, which she had unconsciously kicked off slightly, and carefully tucked it in to make sure she wouldn't catch a cold.

After doing all this, she carefully lifted the blanket on her side, and stepped barefoot onto the soft carpet without making a sound.

Jiang Qing glanced back at the girl who was still fast asleep on the bed, then turned around, gently opened the bedroom door and walked out, closing the door slightly behind her.

The study is located diagonally opposite the master bedroom.

He pushed open the door and entered, without turning on the main light, but instead switched on the simple metal-framed desk lamp on the desk. The warm white light instantly dispelled a small patch of darkness, enveloping the desk area.

Jiang Qing casually placed her phone screen-up on the table and sat down in the large leather armchair.

He leaned back slightly, his gaze not fixed on the phone screen, but rather casually falling on the empty space in front of him, as if talking to himself.

"What's the situation now?"

Almost the instant he finished speaking, the phone screen on the desk lit up.

There was no unlock screen, no app icons; the screen resembled a deep lake, rippling with concentric circles of dark blue waves.

Immediately afterwards, a cartoonish character, about the size of a palm, dressed in a virtual golf caddy outfit, wearing a baseball cap, and holding a mini golf club, popped out from the center of the ripples, accompanied by a lighthearted background sound effect, and nimbly stood in the center of the screen.

It is naturally thirteen.

It first shaded its forehead with its hand in a serious manner, looked around, and then looked at Jiang Qing, opening its mouth in an extremely exaggerated aria, the electronically synthesized voice perfectly simulating a rich range of emotions.

"Oh! Great Dr. Jiang! You've finally remembered your loyal, hardworking, and pioneering Thirteen who paved the way for you in the online world!"

It placed one hand on its chest and made a bowing gesture, with the brim of its hat almost touching the screen.

"The situation... is indeed not very pleasant! Some people are lurking in the shadows, wielding their dirty little hoes, trying to uproot the lovely little flowers in Ms. Chen Duling's path forward!"

It immediately straightened its small body, put one hand on its hip, and proudly waved the mini golf club in the other, its chin held high.

"However! Don't worry at all! Your omnipotent Thirteen has already taken care of everything at the speed of light! Those cockroaches in the dark corners have been flattened by me with my righteous slippers!"

Jiang Qing looked at the smug, dramatic little caddie on the screen and helplessly rubbed her temples.

"Get to the point, stop beating around the bush."

This little thing has lived too long.

Thirteen immediately stopped being silly. Although his chibi-style face didn't show many facial expressions, his posture became noticeably more serious.

It cleared its throat and began its report in a clearer, faster voice.

"Okay, BOSS. Regarding the numerous false accusations and malicious smears against Ms. Chen Duling that have recently appeared online, the source has been identified. It was indeed authorized by her and carried out by the head of the publicity department of Huanyu Film and Television under her command, through a third-party online troll company."

"Complete evidence, including relevant transaction records, chat logs, and screenshots of fund flows, was sent in batches to the private email addresses and backends of several influential entertainment gossip bloggers and veteran entertainment reporters on Weibo platform through multiple anonymous and untraceable IP addresses 32 minutes ago. Currently, the related topics #YuZhengHuanYuWaterArmy# and #ChangYueJinMingFemaleSecondFemaleShowSmearInsiderStory# have successfully climbed to the top of the trending search list, ranking seventh and twelfth respectively, and the popularity is still rising."

"At the same time, in accordance with your implicit instruction to provide appropriate assistance, I have simultaneously increased the algorithm recommendation weight of high-quality fan-made videos related to the characters Ye Bingshang and Tianhuan of Miss Chen Duling on short video platforms such as Douyin and Bilibili. As of now, the total number of views of related videos has increased by 327%, and the proportion of positive comments in the bullet comments and comment sections has increased to 89.3%."

As he finished reporting, Thirteen unconsciously straightened his small frame again, and his tone once more carried a hint of barely suppressed smugness.

"Boss, what do you think of my move? Wasn't it clean, efficient, and a masterful execution?"

It covered its chest with both hands, its big, cute eyes blinking repeatedly, signaling its desire for praise.

"In addition, I also have a archive of seventeen undisclosed accusations against Yu Zheng and his company over the past five years, involving tax evasion, contract disputes, unfair competition, etc., with complete supporting evidence. Should I select a few sensational ones to add fuel to the fire and let him experience firsthand what it means to be famous?"

Jiang Qing listened quietly, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the smooth tabletop a few times, producing a soft "tap-tap" sound.

Only a desk lamp was on in the study, and most of his face was hidden in shadow, making it impossible to see his expression.

After a moment's hesitation, he shook his head.

"Let's leave it at that for now. The evidence has been presented, and public opinion has taken hold. Let's see how Yu Zheng and Huanyu react. As for those dirt on us, let's leave them for now."

"Understood! The data has been archived and encrypted, ready to be deployed at any time!"

Thirteen immediately responded and even gave a proper salute.

"Alright, if there's nothing else, go play by yourself."

Jiang Qing waved her hand.

"Alright! Goodnight, boss! Wishing you... well, although it's almost midnight, I still wish you a pleasant spiritual world!"

Thirteen responded playfully, and the Q-version caddie image on the screen instantly blurred, turning into a stream of flashing blue data, which disappeared with a "poof" like fireworks.

The phone screen then went dark, returning to its original black state.

The study fell silent again, with only the steady glow of the desk lamp remaining.

Jiang Qing watched as Thirteen disappeared from the screen, then shook her head with a smile.

He stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.

Outside the window, the night sky is dazzling, and the distant lights stretch out like stars scattered across the earth, outlining the city's undulating skyline.

There was no moon in the night sky, only a few scattered stars dotting the dark blue backdrop.

Jiang Qing's gaze fell on the shimmering lights in the distance, her eyes deep and thoughtful.

The reason why Thirteen was asked to take action lies in the drama itself, "The Long Moon Shines Bright".

Although when I first learned that Chen Duling had taken on this role, I had analyzed the script and character data and predicted that the villainous second female lead she played would be very memorable and have a charming contrast. I thought that the probability of her character becoming popular after the series aired might even be higher than that of the female lead.

But he didn't expect the effect to be so significant and the popularity so high.

This kind of overshadowing at the character level directly touched the sensitive nerves of Bai Lu's fan base, who is the absolute female lead, as well as Huanyu Film & Television, the company behind her.

Since its premiere, the streaming platform Kuzi Video has certainly given "The Long Moon Shines Brightly" a grand reception.

The online and offline promotion was extensive, with advertisements appearing everywhere, including subway and bus stop signs and giant screens in the city center. The video's homepage also consistently occupied a prime spot in the recommendation section, making the pre-launch hype incredibly powerful.

The first day's broadcast data certainly justified the investment. Multiple third-party data platforms, such as Yunhe and Lighthouse, showed that it set a new record for effective viewership of online drama premieres in the past two years, making it a resounding success.

However, high attention also means more scrutiny.

On the first day of its premiere, the male lead, Luo Yunxi, became a trending topic on social media because of his overly thin appearance in the drama. He was forced to personally respond by asking for a weight-gain diet online in an attempt to defuse the awkward situation.

Immediately afterwards, questions arose about the significant cuts to the scenes of the second male lead, Deng Wei, and the second female lead, Chen Duling.

In particular, some of Chen Duling's fans have compiled detailed statistics on the actual screen time of the main characters in the first eight episodes, and found that Chen Duling, as an important supporting actress, had a total screen time of less than twenty minutes.

This discovery immediately sparked strong dissatisfaction among fans, as well as some drama fans and CP fans, who flocked to the official Weibo comment section of the drama to question the production team about why the editing was done in this way, resulting in the fragmentation of the characters' storylines.

Meanwhile, fans of the female lead, Bai Lu, also expressed their dissatisfaction, believing that some of their idol's highlights and key plot points in the drama had been cut out, and they also joined the army of criticizing the official Weibo account.

A few days ago, the comment section of the official Weibo account of "The Long Moon Shines Bright" was a chaotic and lively scene.

More importantly, before the series even aired, Chen Duling had already garnered a lot of positive reviews with several exquisite and outstanding promotional photos.

After the series officially aired, although Ye Bingshang and Tian Huan, whom she played, were villains with unlikable character designs, her beautiful appearance, complex personality layers, and the crazy beauty she displayed in certain plots left a very deep impression on the audience.

Especially on Bilibili, all sorts of fan-made videos about her character, including edits, costume changes, and acting analysis, have sprung up like mushrooms after rain, with viewership soaring.

In contrast, the female lead Bai Lu's appearance and overall look in the drama received criticism and skepticism from some viewers.

This stark contrast further fueled the discontent among Egret fans.

The friction between fans quickly escalated, from initial complaints about the editing of the plot to attacks on the actors themselves.

Some of Bai Lu's radical fans have begun to systematically post negative comments about Chen Duling on various social media platforms, smearing her in every way, from her acting skills and appearance to her past experiences.

Although Chen Duling's fan base is not as large as Bai Lu's, the drama is currently airing and the character she plays has indeed attracted the favor of many casual viewers.

With the support of these casual fans, the online public opinion did not completely lose momentum for a time.

Just as the fans of both sides were arguing fiercely, Huanyu Film & Television couldn't sit still any longer.

Yu Zheng personally instructed the company's publicity department to take action, using resources to bribe a professional online troll team to begin releasing a large number of carefully crafted smear articles online.

These press releases contained a mix of truth and falsehood, exaggerating and distorting some of Chen Duling's past words and actions, and even fabricating facts to accuse her of "adding scenes," "bringing investment to the production," and "inciting fans to cause trouble," among other unfounded charges.

In a short time, the number of negative topics related to Chen Duling surged, and a flood of malicious comments followed.

Jiang Qing has been spending the last few days with Zhao Jinmai, enjoying a rare moment of leisure, and hasn't paid much attention to the turmoil in the entertainment industry.

However, he had already instructed Thirteen to pay attention to online public opinion related to Chen Duling.

After detecting the aggressive and clearly abnormal black tide, Thirteen judged that something was wrong and immediately activated the emergency procedure. Following the pre-set instructions, he quickly collected evidence and chose an appropriate time to make it public.

And so, the scene just now unfolded. Jiang Qing gazed at the night view outside the window, a touch of melancholy in her eyes.

He recalled that not long ago when they were filming "Keep Running" in Lin'an, Chen Duling and Bai Lu got along quite well. The natural interaction between the two showed that they had a good personal relationship and regarded each other as true friends.

However, when it comes to specific interests, such as the broadcast effect of the drama, the popularity of the character, and the reaction of fans—real factors that affect the development of their acting careers—even if it is not their own will, their respective positions and the will of the companies behind them are enough to create an invisible barrier between them.

This is the reality of the entertainment industry, a place rife with fame and fortune.

Often, we are not in control of our own lives.

Meanwhile, in the virtual world of the internet, a huge uproar was caused by the bombshell dropped by Thirteen.

On Weibo, the hashtags #YuZhengHuanYuWaterArmy# and #TheInsiderStoryOfTheFemaleSecondFemaleSideInChangYueJinMingBeingSmeared# are rising in popularity at an alarming rate.

Clicking into the topic, the few Weibo posts ranked in the top of the trending list were published by the entertainment bloggers who received the anonymous submissions.

They posted screenshots of chat logs, transfer records, and task details of the online marketing company, some of which were blurred but the key information was clearly identifiable.

In the screenshots, Huanyu Entertainment's publicity staff and the head of the online trolls discussed how to launch a precise attack on Chen Duling, how to fabricate negative information, how to guide public opinion, and even the price and KPI requirements for each negative post.

The proof is like a mountain!

Immediately, netizens were outraged.

"My God! This is so disgusting! They're blatantly hiring online trolls to smear people?"

"To be honest, I'm not surprised at all that Yu Zheng did this."

“I heard that Bailu also wanted to leave his company, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it because of the favor he received in the early days.”

"To be honest, I think Bailu has helped him make a lot of money, and he has almost repaid the debt of gratitude."

"As expected of Yu Zheng, her methods are as despicable as ever!"

"Is Huanyu Entertainment getting anxious because Chen Duling's character is becoming popular? They're resorting to underhanded tactics because they can't compete head-on?"

"I feel so sorry for Dudu. She's just trying to act, and she has to be treated like this."

"Does Bailu know that its own company is being so despicable? It feels a bit shameful."

"Where are those haters who were jumping around so much before? Come out and show yourselves? Doesn't your face hurt?"

"Doesn't this count as commercial defamation? Shouldn't we call the police?"

"Yu Zheng is a cancer in the entertainment industry..."

Netizens are discussing the matter extensively, with most expressing their disgust at this underhanded behavior.

Many people in the industry who were already dissatisfied with Zheng's big mouth and Huanyu's style of doing things, or their rivals who had clashed with them, also took the opportunity to join in, openly or covertly forwarding and commenting, making sarcastic remarks, and kicking him when he was down.

Having been in the industry for many years, Yu Zheng has offended quite a few people. Now that he has the opportunity, many people are naturally happy to step on him and vent their anger.

Online public opinion is almost unanimously in favor of the other side.

Meanwhile, in a high-end residential community.

Yu Zheng, wearing a bathrobe and with disheveled hair, paced anxiously back and forth in the spacious living room.

The phone screen he was clutching tightly in his hand displayed the Weibo trending topics page. The two glaring hashtags were like two red-hot iron bars, making his eyelids twitch.

"Damn it! What happened?! How did these things get out of here?!"

He abruptly stopped, growled at his phone screen, veins bulging on his forehead, his face flushed red with anger and unknown fear.

He repeatedly looked through the exposed chat screenshots, and the more he looked, the colder his heart became.

These records are so detailed that they even include communication details known only to key personnel, making it impossible to deny.

"What is that online marketing company doing?! Didn't they say it was absolutely safe?! Useless! A bunch of useless trash!"

He angrily slammed his phone onto the sofa next to him, his chest heaving violently.

A sense of impending doom washed over me.

If this matter is not handled properly, not only will Huanyu Film & Television's reputation suffer a severe blow, but he himself will likely get into trouble and may even face legal risks.

He had to immediately find a way to handle the crisis, contact the platform to remove the trending topic, send a lawyer's letter to warn the bloggers who spread the message, and even... he might have to find a way to communicate with Chen Duling.
The thought of having to bow down to that actress he had previously disregarded made Yu Zheng feel suffocated.

But he knew even better that in the face of irrefutable evidence, stubbornly resisting would only lead to a more miserable death.

He scratched his head in frustration and began frantically dialing his subordinates' numbers, his voice shrill with urgency.

"Quickly! No matter what method you use, get this trending topic down!"

"Contact our legal department! Draft a lawyer's letter immediately! Say those screenshots are fake and malicious defamation!"

"Also... try to contact someone at Chen Duling's studio and sound them out..."

Just as the internet was in an uproar and Yu Zheng was in a state of utter distress.

In a high-end hotel room in a mountain city.

Chen Duling had just finished a day of advertising shooting, took a hot shower, and was sitting on a single sofa by the window in her pajamas.

She didn't turn on the main light, but instead used the soft light from the floor lamp next to her to look down at the tablet in her hand.

The screen displayed the evidence on Weibo that Yu Zheng had hired online trolls to smear her, along with the surging comments below.

She looked very carefully, watching the trending Weibo posts and highly praised comments slowly scroll across the screen.

Her pretty face showed no obvious expression; there was neither the joy of being exonerated nor the resentment towards her own fate.

But in those usually rational and clear-headed eyes, a complex light flickered slightly at this moment.

She is not a fool.

The fact that the matter has escalated to such a great extent and that such detailed evidence has been suddenly exposed suggests that there is an invisible hand pulling the strings behind the scenes.

She knew very well who this hand belonged to.

There would be no one else but him.

Only he has the ability and... motivation to do so.

An indescribable emotion welled up inside me.

She was grateful, grateful that he had come to her aid when she was in trouble and had cleared her name in such a powerful way.

But more than anything, it's a deep sense of entanglement.

She had clearly made up her mind to stay away from him, draw a clear line, and start a new life.

But he always forcefully intervened in her world in a way she couldn't ignore, reminding her of the tangled and complicated entanglement between them.

Last time in Lin'an, I even...

As she thought of certain images, she quickly shook her head, trying to shake those embarrassing moments out of her mind.

"call……"

He let out a long sigh.

Chen Duling put down her tablet, leaned back into the soft sofa, and gently massaged her throbbing temples with her fingertips.

She closed her eyes, but Jiang Qing's face, which always wore a gentle smile yet whose true thoughts were impossible to discern, involuntarily appeared in her mind.

Should we...give him a call?
At least say thank you?
The moment the thought popped into her head, it quickly entwined her heart like a vine.

She picked up her phone from the small table next to her, tapped to unlock it, and hovered her fingertip over the familiar number, but hesitated to press it.

What should I say when I call?
What else can I say besides thank you?
Ask him why he helped him?

When asked how he obtained this evidence,
and then?
Various thoughts swirled and collided in her mind, making her feel agitated.

She remained in the position of preparing to dial for a long, long time. The night outside the window grew deeper and deeper, and the room was so quiet that only her own breathing could be heard.

Finally, the slender index finger slowly moved away.

She turned off the phone screen and put it back on the small table.

As if he had exhausted all his strength, he took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

Let's wait and see.

Let's see how things develop.

Let’s talk tomorrow.

She told herself that.

However, the turmoil in my heart caused by him could not be easily quelled by simply saying "we'll talk about it tomorrow."

She turned her head and looked out the window, but her eyes were somewhat empty and unfocused.

Perhaps some things are better said face to face.

(End of this chapter)