Peninsula: I can steal the luck of disgraced celebrities

Chapter 122 This is part of the plan

Lim Ji-hoon initially thought it was about the incident on the set of "Silenced," but it turned out to be the video of him stopping Choi Jong-hoon at the end of May.

Dude, you dare use this to threaten me?

On the other end of the phone, Choi Ho guessed that Choi Jong-hoon had been suspended from all his appearances and was bored out of his mind and short of money.

The reversed Heavenly Gang belongs to this category.

Lin Zhixun hung up the phone and lay down on the sofa in the rented room for a while.

There was a water stain on the ceiling, shaped like a turtle.

He stared at the turtle for half a minute, then picked up his phone and dialed Kim Bum-soo's number.

We need to share this information with our allies.

Upon hearing this, Kim Bum-soo immediately burst out laughing.

"Is this guy on drugs? He'd pull something so reckless."

"But that's perfect, we can use him as bait to lure out some demons and monsters."

"Of course." Kim Bum-soo's voice carried a hint of lecturing. "What is your status now? A passionate young man who sold his house to invest in movies. The public's impression of you is positive, even sympathetic."

"If someone were to jump out and throw dirty water at a time like this, what would be the first reaction of the average viewer?"

"I don't believe it."

"Whether they believe it or not, their curiosity will keep them watching. As more and more information is released, and truth and falsehood are mixed together, public opinion will split, with some people criticizing you and others protecting you."

"and then?"

"Then we'll release a message."

"What news?"

"Selling the house is a lie."

Lin Zhixun was stunned for a moment.

"It wasn't planned before; we were going to wait until the movie's popularity died down before releasing it to generate buzz."

"Fool! Times have changed." Kim Bum-soo's tone carried a hint of the patience one would use to teach a child. "I had someone release a statement saying that after verification, Lin Zhixun did not sell the house, and the previous reports were inaccurate."

"9

"Then I'm doomed? First I'll be accused of assault, then I'll be accused of fabricating evidence?"

Kim Bum-soo continued, "There's a term in sociology called the pendulum effect. Have you heard of it?"

"The pendulum effect?" Lin Zhixun was taken aback. He seemed to have heard this term in a college course in his past life.

This phenomenon, proposed by psychologist Carl Jung, refers to the swinging of a person's emotions or attitudes between two extremes.

When public sentiment is pushed to an extreme, it will rebound violently in another direction once people realize they have been manipulated or misjudged.

The backlash is stronger than the initial goodwill.

First, let the dirt ferment, let everyone who wants to get rid of him come out and reveal all their cards.

Then, "once all the monsters and demons have shown up, we'll turn the tables in one fell swoop," Kim Bum-soo said. "At that time, those who insulted you will make it up to you doubly."

"Those who haven't been criticized will feel that you've been wronged, while those who spread rumors will suffer the consequences."

"The premise is that you can withstand this period in between."

Lim Chih-hsun leaned back on the sofa and replied, "I can handle it."

"Okay, let's do it that way."

"Once he releases the items, those girls will speak up for you. I'll arrange for someone to contact their agency."

"it is good."

I hung up the phone.

Lin Chih-hsun tossed his phone onto the sofa and went to the kitchen to cook himself a bowl of instant noodles.

While eating noodles, he turned on his computer and browsed online posts.

There's no concrete evidence yet, only a few anonymous posts on gossip forums with eye-catching titles.

"Is the investor in 'Silenced' actually a violent maniac?" an insider revealed.

"Is evidence of Lin Chih-hsun assaulting someone about to be exposed? His management company refuses to comment."

"Your messengers of justice may not be what you imagine them to be."

The reactions in the comments section are currently fairly normal.

Because there is no concrete evidence, most people are taking a wait-and-see approach.

"If you have evidence, release them; if you don't, shut up."

"I bet this is fake. If I'm right, I'll treat myself to Crazy Thursday."

A small number of people have already started to take sides.

"Regardless of whether there's evidence or not, such rumors can't be baseless, right?"

"I used to think he was a good guy, but now that I think about it, his story of selling his house to invest is just too dramatic."

"Waiting for the melon."

After finishing his noodles, Lin Chih-hsun soaked the bowl in the sink.

The following afternoon, because Choi Jong-hoon had not received the money, his "evidence" was the first to emerge.

The 47-second video surveillance footage is not very clear.

In the video, Choi Jong-hoon is seen with his arm pinned against the wall by Lim Ji-hoon.

The way they leaked the information was clever; instead of going through mainstream media, they posted it on an anonymous blog called "The Truth About the Entertainment Industry."

"The video was taken backstage at a music program this year, and the time and location can be verified."

"I don't know what caused the fight, but I think that no matter the reason, you shouldn't be the first to hit someone."

That's just not right.

"Especially as public figures, they should set a good example for their fans."

Two hours later, two new terms appeared in Naver's live search.

Fourth: Video of Lim Ji-hoon assaulting someone. Seventh: Choi Jong-hoon being assaulted. Kim Young-chul's side acted faster than expected.

Less than 24 hours after Choi Jong-hoon's video was released, the "second installment" came out.

The content of the post was even more damaging than that of Choi Jong-hoon's post.

It's not a video, but a set of photos and text.

The photo shows the area outside the filming location of "Silenced" (also known as "The Crucible"). Someone is lying on the ground covering his nose, while two companions are squatting next to him, helping him up.

It also included hospital medical examination reports.

The text is quite long, but the gist is...

"We were villagers who were near the set of 'Silenced' on that day."

"They filmed until very late every day, which affected our rest. We called a few people over to negotiate amicably, but they were violently driven away by the crew at the door."

"Among those who took action was the show's investor, Lim Chih-hsun."

"We understand that making films requires courage, but violence should not be the way to solve problems."

"If a self-proclaimed righteous person can't even communicate properly and only resorts to violence, what's the difference between him and the people he criticizes in his movies?"

This passage is written in a very sinister way.

On the surface, he appears objective and restrained, but in reality, every sentence draws a parallel between Lin Zhixun and the perpetrators in the film "Silenced".

By the next morning, three of Naver's top ten trending topics were related to Lin Chih-hsun.

Second: Lin Chih-hsun's violent incidents; Fifth: The "Silenced" crew assaulting people; Ninth: Lin Chih-hsun's public image collapses. The comments section is no longer just "watching and waiting".

The two pieces of evidence, one being an edited video and the other an anonymous photo with text, combined together multiplied their impact several times over.

Online opinions quickly split into three camps.

The first group is the "we already knew it" group.

"I knew it. How could a newcomer who has only been in the industry for a little over a year sell his house to invest in a movie? There was definitely something wrong with him."

"Wasn't that scene where they beat up Choi Jong-hoon a bit too brutal?"

"Stop treating actors like saints, okay? They can easily outmaneuver you actors."

The second faction is the "Wait Party".

"Both pieces of evidence are problematic, aren't they? One is an edited video with no context, and the other is an anonymous post without a real name."

"I still want to see the full video."

The third faction is the smallest in number but the loudest in voice.

"No matter the reason, hitting someone is hitting someone. Can't we talk things out? Can violence be justified?"

"Just because he's handsome and got a good movie investment, does that give him the right to hit someone? Try that on an ordinary person?"

"Support Choi Jong-hoon in defending his rights; everyone is equal before the law."

Lin Chih-hsun read through all the comments without getting angry; he actually found them quite amusing.

Then he exited the webpage and turned on his phone.

There are tons of unread messages.

There are Eun-jung, U, Jang Nara, Suzy, Ha Joo-hee, Song Joong-ki — and even the original owner's father.

Lin Zhixun replied one by one.

The gist is: This is part of the plan.

Lin Chih-hsun finished processing the messages one by one and prepared to put down his phone.

Then he came across Park Min-young's social media.

To be precise, he only noticed it after someone tagged him in the comments section.

Park Min-young posted an update on her personal account three hours ago.

"After spending a lot of time with someone, you'll know what kind of person they are."

"To those who draw conclusions after watching only 47 seconds of video, I regret that you did not have the same opportunity."

The accompanying picture is a still from their Sungkyunkwan Scandal.

The comment section exploded—

"What is Park Min-young doing? Publicly protecting her male colleague when he's been accused of wrongdoing?"

"Wait, sis, where's Lee Min-ho? Is the ship I'm shipping fake?"

"It might just be camaraderie, don't overthink it."

Lim Ji-hoon dialed Park Min-young's number.

I answered it after it rang once.

"Feed." Her voice was normal, no different from usual.

"Why did you post that?"

Park Min-young laughed and said, "I thought it was something serious."

"Is it enough reason that you praised the fried chicken I bought?"

Lin Zhixun wanted to say something, but couldn't find the right words for a moment.

"Don't do anything else, or it might affect your career," he concluded. "Don't worry about me, this is part of the film's promotional plan."

I hung up the phone.

Lin Zhixun placed his phone on the table and watched the screen slowly dim.

He reached up and rubbed his face.

this person.

Day three.

The situation unfolded exactly as Kim Bum-soo had predicted.

It hasn't gotten better; it's continuing to worsen.

Lin Chih-hsun's Naver profile has been completely flooded with comments.

His latest post (promoting "Silenced" three days ago) has over 20,000 comments. Scrolling through the first five pages, eight out of ten comments are negative.

"Hypocrites, get out of the entertainment industry."

"3

-

"A violent maniac and a fake house seller, his acting skills are truly superb."

66

"Who will dare to believe what actors say in the future?"

Cui Hao called him three times a day, his voice growing more anxious with each call.

"Xun, I can't hold on anymore. The brand has suspended the cooperation with the sports drink."

middle"

"This is part of the plan."

What are your trump cards?

'

You'll find out tomorrow.

Cui Hao let out a long sigh on the other end of the phone.

"I believe you, but only for one day."

The fourth day, 7:00 AM.

Kim Bum-soo pressed the button.

The first step: the truth about "selling a house".

A report from the Korea Economic Daily went online in the morning with a standard title: "Silenced Investor Lim Ji-hoon's Real Estate Situation Verified: No Real Estate Transactions Under His Name."

The report was very brief.

A reporter checked the real estate registration system and confirmed that Lin Zhixun has never registered any property under his name, nor has he ever sold any property.

The claim of "selling property for investment" originated from an anonymous online post and was subsequently cited by multiple media outlets, but it has never been confirmed by the person involved.

The comments section started to change.

"Wait, who was it that said they were selling the house earlier?"

6

"I looked it up, and it seems that Lin Chih-hsun himself has never said that he sold his house?"

66

"Damn, I was so moved before—"

'

"So who exactly is spreading this news? Did the media make it up themselves?"

66

"Is it a publicity stunt by his agency?"

'

"No, no, his agency has never issued any press releases like this; it's just something circulating online."

"Wait a minute, if the house sale is fake, then is the assault also fake?"

'

Kim Bum-soo's calculations were very accurate.

The timing of the "falsified house sale" revelation was exactly four days after the "assault" controversy reached its peak.

The public has been criticizing for four days, and negative emotions are approaching a critical point.

After four days of anger, people begin to feel tired and start to doubt their own judgment.

At this point, tell them, "You were deceived when you were moved," but then immediately imply, "Your subsequent anger may also have been manipulated."

A double blow.

The crowd will be bewildered.

Confusion is the best breeding ground for a comeback.

The second step is Choi Jong-hoon's "complete version".

At 10 a.m., f() member Amber posted a long message on her personal Instagram.

"I didn't want to talk about this publicly because that experience made me very uncomfortable."

"But after seeing the 'beating video' circulating online, I felt it was necessary to reveal the truth."

"Backstage at a music festival recording on [date] this year, Choi Jong-hoon approached me and the other members of the group and attempted to make physical contact."

"Mr. Lin Zhixun happened to see this situation and took the initiative to intervene and stop it."

"."

'

The article concluded with the statement: "I am willing to bear legal responsibility for the authenticity of all the above content."

Victoria, Luna, and Krystal shared the post within half an hour.

Victoria: "Everything is true."

Luna: "Thank you to everyone who helped us that day."

Krystal didn't write anything, but she still shared it.

Jessica from Girls' Generation also shared it.

With the popularity of the show, the online reaction came even faster.

Choi Jong-hoon's name surged to the top of real-time search results within forty minutes.

The netizens who previously sympathized with him for being "beaten" have now completely changed their tune in their comments.

"Wow, so he's a harasser?"

"No wonder that video is only 47 seconds long. Dare to release the full version?"

"This kind of person gets beaten up and still has the nerve to play the victim?"

"How did FNC train their people? First they insulted the staff, then they harassed female idols. Your company really knows how to pick people."

What's worse for Choi Jong-hoon is that during the period when he was suspended from activities by the company, he actually pulled this stunt himself, which is equivalent to repeatedly rubbing Han Seung-ho's face into the ground.

It is said that FNC issued an emergency statement that afternoon, announcing the termination of its exclusive contract with Choi Jong-hoon.

The term used is "negotiated termination of contract".

But those in the industry know that in this situation, "negotiation" is just the formal way of saying "get lost."

The third step is the witnesses from the cast and crew of "Silenced".

At 2 PM, director Hwang Dong-hyuk posted a long article on his personal account.