With that, Lin Chudong immediately stepped down from the stage, grabbed Deng Siqing's hand, and strode out of the venue.
The audience was left dumbfounded. Big Fei's poem was unmistakably insulting.
Especially the line "eyes growing on his ass"—wasn't that a direct jab at the award judges?
"Awesome, awesome! What a legendary moment! Big Fei never disappoints! He told them off perfectly!"
"I said it earlier—Zhou Shifang is several tiers below Big Fei when it comes to poetry."
"I live for Big Fei's rants. So satisfying."
"Don't talk nonsense! When did Big Fei insult anyone? The poem is titled 'Ode to a Needle.' He's just describing a needle. Which line is an insult?"
"Right, right, no flaws. Not a single person mentioned, yet every line is an insult."
"Big Fei is really my internet voice of reason. These judges are so hypocritical, playing favorites and judging people by their clothes instead of their character. That description is spot on."
"He straight-up refused to accept this worthless award."
"It doesn't matter. In my heart, Big Fei's *The Three-Body Problem* is already the number one science fiction novel."
"..."
Xiao Ting watched this scene, utterly dumbfounded.
Her mouth hung open, and she couldn't speak for a long time.
"Big Fei's just... too much..."
Her roommate across the room said, "This is just standard Big Fei behavior. You'll get used to it."
Xiao Ting, still stunned, opened a video site and started searching for Big Fei's most famous moments.
After more than an hour, she opened QQ and searched for Big Fei fan groups. She found one with the group leader "Little Bench."
She clicked "Apply to Join" and entered four characters as her remark:
"Big Fei Diehard Fan"
***
After leaving the science museum, Deng Siqing covered her mouth and laughed. "You were totally cursing just now, weren't you?"
Lin Chudong replied, "Not at all. It was just a regular poem. If they overthink it, that's their problem."
Deng Siqing chuckled. "You're such a troublemaker."
For some reason, even though they hadn't won any awards, she felt happier than if they had.
"Why didn't you take the trophy? It was free!"
Lin Chudong said, "You love smashing trophies so much, I'm afraid you'll take it home and smash it."
Deng Siqing playfully punched him. "Are you teasing me?"
When they returned home, Cheng Huanhuan was already waiting for them. The finals were tomorrow, and they needed to rehearse.
Another day of being the third wheel.
Fortunately, this time she wasn't alone. Xie Yujun was also there.
After sending him their location, Xie Yujun arrived at Deng Siqing's house, and the three of them began rehearsing.
Walking into Sister Deng's house, Xie Yujun felt a surge of emotion. He never imagined in his life that he would one day be at Deng Siqing's house, rehearsing a skit with Big Fei.
Life really is full of ups and downs.
***
After Lin Chudong's departure, the science museum descended into chaos.
Hu Xiaoxu's face was ashen. With so many industry peers, leaders, and Rabbit Video's live stream crew present, he had been thoroughly humiliated.
Even a long-eared creature could tell Big Fei's poem was a direct attack on the judges. He'd heard rumors about Big Fei before, but had dismissed them.
Now he'd seen it for himself.
Zhou Shifang's expression was also grim. Big Fei had gone too far, daring to insult Chief Editor Hu. He might as well kiss his career in this industry goodbye.
*Wait, he wasn't in this industry to begin with.*
Zhou Shifang clenched his fist. Big Fei's repeated provocations had pushed his patience to its limit.
If Big Fei wanted to burn bridges, he'd gladly help!
The live-streamed show recording was tomorrow night, wasn't it?
If verbal sparring wasn't enough, it was time for some *physical* persuasion!
Zhou Shifang pulled out his phone and scrolled through his WeChat contacts until he found someone named Didi Proxy Gaming.
This was a shady character he knew, rumored to be a ruthless enforcer.
"Brother Big Bull, I need your help with something..."
***
After rehearsal, Xie Yujun returned to his hotel alone.
Cheng Huanhuan was about to leave too, but Lin Chudong offered a polite suggestion.
"It's so late, Sister Huan. Why don't you stay? We have to go to the station together tomorrow anyway."
Cheng Huanhuan paused, then replied, "Alright."
Deng Siqing rolled her eyes. *It was just a polite offer. Why are you taking it seriously?*
At 8 p.m., the three of them settled on the sofa with some snacks to watch *Bright Sword*.
Deng Siqing sat in the middle, with Lin Chudong and Cheng Huanhuan on either side.
Sister Deng's sofa was long. Lin Chudong and Deng Siqing sat on one side, while Cheng Huanhuan sat on the other, leaving a meter-wide gap between them.
During the opening credits, Lin Chudong's hands grew restless.
First, he clasped Deng Siqing's small hand. Then, he shifted down and rested his head on her shoulder.
He whispered in her ear, "Are your lips still dry?"
Deng Siqing blushed and whispered back, "Huanhuan is still here!"
"Just a little bit will do," Lin Chudong replied.
Deng Siqing grabbed a pajama top from the sofa, stepped to the side, and threw it over Cheng Huanhuan's head.
Cheng Huanhuan looked utterly bewildered. "What are you doing?"
When he pulled the pajama top down, he saw the two of them kissing shamelessly. His lips twitched.
*This is too much!*
*Kiss all you want, but why cover my head?*
***
"Is anyone in there? I'm Zhao Gang, Political Commissar of the Independent Regiment of the Eighth Route Army!"
In the fire-ravaged room, Wei Monk's face lit up with joy.
"Commander, it's Political Commissar Zhao!" Li Yunlong said weakly. "Tell him I'm Li Yunlong, Regimental Commander of the Independent Regiment, and I have a report. Have him come in!"
***
"Just finished two more episodes. Feeling so empty now."
"This guy really nailed Li Yunlong's swagger. Even our old Li had moments like this."
"Those two episodes were so intense. I almost cried when the cavalry company died."
"This is the spirit of Bright Sword! This is what soldiers are made of!"
"This show is so well-made—realistic and thrilling. If it were that other guy, Li Zhilin, he'd be tearing Japanese devils apart with his bare hands."
"Exactly! That other show is just idol drama. How can idols ever get hurt?"
"Breaking news: Bright Sword's Douban score is already 9.6!"
"Ugh, I missed the cavalry company scene. I had to rush to the bathroom."
"Don't worry, you can catch the rerun on Rabbit Video tomorrow."
"Looks like I'll have to get a Rabbit Video subscription after all."
***
Rabbit Video.
Lu Duoduo and Ji Tienan stared at the data, their eyes wide with excitement. The download count had reached 120 million!
In just two days, the app had gained an additional 20 million downloads and nearly 2,000 new members. The conversion rate was astonishingly high, and all the purchases had come from the *Bright Sword* interface.
This one drama had brought a massive surge of traffic to their platform!
"Duoduo, how are the ad clicks doing these past two days?" Ji Tienan asked.
"The data is excellent. I estimate we'll reach SSS-level by tomorrow, and we're on track to surpass *Reset*!"
Ji Tienan nodded. "How much is our revenue share with Big Fei and the team?"
"After the past two days' settlements, it should be around 300,000."
Ji Tienan nodded. At this rate, their first month's share could easily reach tens of millions, perhaps even tens of millions.
Lu Duoduo was equally thrilled. She had secured the partnership with Big Fei as a fan, and if she ended up giving him millions per month, she'd be too embarrassed to face him.
Now, Rabbit Video's downloads were skyrocketing, and earning millions per day in revenue was just around the corner.
Moreover, *Bright Sword* had twice the number of episodes as *Reset*, so the profits would be even higher.
Big Fei had already recouped his production costs through broadcast revenue alone. The revenue from Rabbit Video would be pure profit for them.
Lu Duoduo immediately contacted Brother Fei to share the good news.
Lin Chudong was satisfied with the results. He was waiting for Yang Han to rank on the Goddess Ranking, which would bring even greater traffic to Rabbit Video.
*Bright Sword* had risen, and nothing could stop its momentum.
***
Xiao Zhi Entertainment.
Li Zhilin stood in the president's office, his face ashen, and said, "President Wu, we've run into *Bright Sword* this time. We just got unlucky."
"What if we try some publicity stunts?"
President Wu tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, pondered for a moment, and said, "That's our only option now."
"What about Liu Yanyan, our female lead?"
Li Zhilin frowned. "President Wu, Liu Yanyan isn't very cooperative. She might not agree to our publicity plan."
President Wu smiled faintly. "We don't necessarily need her agreement for the publicity."
"Find some stills of you two together."
***
At 4 PM, a major scandal broke on Weibo.
The female lead of *True Colors of the Anti-Japanese War 2*, Liu Yanyan, was accused of seducing Li Zhilin to advance her career.
The revelation, initially posted by a small, anonymous account, was immediately amplified by major marketing accounts.
Three photos were included: the first showed Li Zhilin and Liu Yanyan on the set of the drama, with Liu Yanyan leaning in close to him in a fawning pose.
The second captured them entering a hotel together.
The third was a WeChat screenshot showing a conversation where Liu Yanyan asked Li Zhilin to help her get on a variety show.
The news exploded across the internet.
Li Zhilin already had a substantial following, and this kind of gender-based drama topic drew the attention of the entire web.
Liu Yanyan was immediately subjected to a barrage of online abuse, her Weibo comment section flooded with vicious insults.
The comments were filled with the most vile and hateful language.
Half an hour later, Liu Yanyan appeared at Xiao Zhi Entertainment.
Sitting in President Wu's office, her face was pale and strained.
"President Wu, what is the meaning of this?"
Liu Yanyan was a second-tier actress, not as famous as Li Zhilin, but still well-known.
This incident had a devastating impact on her. She was now too afraid to face reporters, her agent's phone was ringing off the hook, and several endorsements were on the verge of being canceled.
The worst part was that it was all a lie!
Those still photos weren't candid shots. Her fawning over Li Zhilin was purely for the sake of the plot—it was a scene that had been cut and never aired.
The second photo, showing them entering a hotel together, was even more absurd. They were all staying at the same hotel; entering one after another was perfectly normal.
She'd even entered a hotel with the director before. It should have been an innocent photo, but someone with ulterior motives had cropped it and twisted it into something that looked like an affair.
As for the third image, the WeChat screenshot, it was completely fabricated.
Anyone could create two WeChat accounts, use the same avatar, and type out a few messages before taking a screenshot. It cost virtually nothing to make.
Wasn't this just an attempt to ruin her?
"A false rumor targeting a woman is the most devastating." President Wu stood up, his face also flushed with anger. "I want to know who's behind this too. My phone's been ringing off the hook, and there are several reporters waiting outside right now."
To be fair, President Wu's acting was quite impressive, at least better than Li Zhilin's. Seeing how anxious he was, Liu Yanyan's expression softened slightly.
"President Wu, these stills clearly came from an insider. It must be someone from your crew. You owe me an explanation."
"Hundreds of people come and go from the set every day," President Wu replied. "I really don't know who took them. Now that the news is out, I'll have Zhilin clarify everything immediately."
"But since the news is already out, let's use this opportunity to generate some buzz. We'll spread the clarification out over a week. Have your team release a press release tomorrow, and we'll follow up in a couple of days."
"This will boost the drama's popularity."
Liu Yanyan, having been thoroughly deceived, felt her anger subside considerably when she heard President Wu's seemingly sincere explanation.
"President Wu, what should we do now?"
President Wu smiled faintly. "Let's ignore it for now. We'll address it once the buzz has died down."
While this strategy would indeed increase the drama's popularity, it would deal a devastating blow to Liu Yanyan's acting career.
Even if a clarification was issued later, the stain would forever follow her.
*This little girl still can't outplay an old fox.*
The incident immediately sent the drama's popularity soaring.
Li Zhilin finally breathed a sigh of relief. The traffic that had been suppressed by Lin Chudong was finally flowing back.
***
The next afternoon, Lin Chudong, Cheng Huanhuan, and Xie Yujun began preparing backstage.
This time, the host for the live broadcast was Deng Siqing. For the finals, they always brought in a more prominent host.
Qiu Chengdong watched them rehearse several times and finally felt relieved.
"Big Fei, your act is perfect. Get some rest. I'll call you before the opening."
Lin Chudong nodded and scrolled through short videos on his phone. The recording of yesterday's broadcast had gone viral.
Big Fei's line, "eyes in your ass, only recognizing fancy clothes and not people," had become the new standard for online insults.
This time, he hadn't just cursed Zhou Shifang; he'd also attacked the judges of the Aurora Sci-Fi Award.
The public overwhelmingly praised this latest round of verbal abuse.
Now, the real drama was all about Big Fei. Ordinary flame wars were boring; only his involvement could produce truly classic lines.
And you couldn't even fault Big Fei. He'd clearly spoken in metaphors—a needle—without directly insulting anyone.
If you felt personally targeted, that was your own problem.
Xie Yujun said, "Sister Huan, I'm still not quite comfortable with a couple of parts. Could you run through them with me again?"
Cheng Huanhuan nodded. "Sure."
The two left the dressing room, leaving Lin Chudong alone.
***
Outside the TV station, two burly men stood with four subordinates a short distance away. These men were well-known in the underworld as the Niu Brothers.
Oldest Bull lit a cigarette and glanced at his watch. "Let's wait two more minutes before going in."
"Why do we need to pick a time to beat someone up, Big Brother?" Second Niu asked.
Oldest Bull's eyes glinted with cunning. "That's what the client instructed. Apparently, the target is a big star who's about to go live."
"We don't need to go too hard—just enough to stop the broadcast."
Second Niu rubbed his hands together, his voice tinged with excitement. "Big Brother, I'm a little thrilled! I've never beaten up a celebrity before."
"This place has tight security, though. How are we going to get in?"
Oldest Bull checked the time again. He tossed his cigarette butt to the ground and crushed it under his heel. "Leave that to me. Stick close."
Oldest Bull led the way, carrying a ladder horizontally with Second Niu.
When they reached the entrance, a security guard eyed them and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"We're electricians," Oldest Bull replied. "Do you know where Big Fei's studio is?"
The guard pointed inside. "Studio Four. Go ahead."
***
The show had already begun live on stage.
With only three teams competing today, after host Deng Siqing finished her introductory remarks, the first team took the stage.
Wang Shuai's mime performance remained remarkably consistent. While technically impressive, the audience was growing a bit weary.
Having been placed first, Wang Shuai was confident in his outcome. He knew he'd be the third-place finisher, leaving the other two teams to vie for the championship. As for who would win, he couldn't say.
Big Fei's talent was undeniable, with several of his previous works having been massive hits. But the Ant Team also had their strengths—who knew if they had a hidden masterpiece up their sleeves?
Knowing he was destined for elimination, Wang Shuai actually performed with remarkable ease.
After the first team's performance, sponsor activities were interspersed, with each contestant drawing a prize for the audience after their act.
Then, the second team, the Ant Team, took the stage.
Qiu Chengdong called on the walkie-talkie, "Big Fei, you guys can come backstage to prepare."
Cheng Huanhuan and Xie Yujun were already ready. Seeing only the two of them, Qiu Chengdong asked, "Where's Big Fei?"
"He's in the lounge, on his way here now. He'll be here in a moment."
"Big Fei, time's almost up. Hurry up," Qiu Chengdong barked into the walkie-talkie.
"Got it, Director Qiu," Lin Chudong replied from the lounge. He stood up, ready to leave.
Suddenly, the lounge door burst open with a bang.
Lin Chudong frowned. *Are there really such clueless people at CCTV?*
Oldest Bull and Second Niu strode in, tossing a ladder across the doorway. Behind them, four burly men blocked the exit.
Lin Chudong froze. *These guys are up to no good.*
He glanced at his watch. The performance was about to start. If these guys caused trouble, they'd delay the live broadcast.
Oldest Bull raised a thick finger and pointed at Lin Chudong. "You're Big Fei, right? Squat down, cover your head, and protect your skull. Don't want to crack it before the show."
Lin Chudong's brow furrowed. "Who are you looking for?"
"We're looking for Big Fei."
Lin Chudong walked to the door and pointed to the nameplate. "You're looking for Big Fei. What's that got to do with me, Lin Chudong?"
The Niu Brothers stared at the three large characters on the door: "Lin Chudong."
"Ah, my mistake. Wrong door."
Lin Chudong patted Oldest Bull's shoulder. "No problem."
He then slipped through the crowd and hurried toward the stage.
-----------------------
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