Cassius never expected a simple fan celebration to blow up into domestic haters calling him a traitor.
He scrolled through the comments. Most of the venom was coming from fan accounts of other young idols. Their stars had been overshadowed by Cassius trending and his fan spaces blowing up, so they came over to his page to stir shit.
Their logic was brutally simple: working in Hollywood = not loving your country. Making money overseas = helping foreigners empty pockets.
In reality, for Hollywood imports the studio only takes about twenty-five percent of the box office. The rest stays right here—split between theaters, chains, and distributors.
But netizens don't care about the business breakdown.
The old saying goes: outsiders will never be as good as your own.
Cassius stayed quiet for a moment.
It reminded him of the whispers he used to hear back when he first arrived in Hollywood, standing in line at the supermarket.
"Background extra!"
"No future!"
"Forgot where he came from!"
Now that he was actually successful, those quiet jabs had turned into loud public accusations.
Still, he knew the smartest move was to stay cool. These comments were domestic noise—they barely touched his Hollywood career.
The real damage was to his genuine fans. The ones who had cheered for him, bought tickets, and celebrated every win.
He could ignore the hate himself, but he wasn't about to let the people who actually backed him get dragged through the mud.
His success was built on their real support.
Cassius decided it was time to do something.
He walked back into the living room, turned on the TV, and started flipping channels. A tech news segment was replaying Apple's recent fall product launch. The host was going on about the new, thinner, lighter iPhone 5 with its bigger screen. The phone was selling like crazy worldwide, especially in China—pure status symbol.
A thought hit him.
If the haters wanted to say he was out there making money for foreigners, then he'd let them watch exactly how he spent it.
He called Rob and gave him instructions.
"Buy 1,000 iPhone 5s, 200 latest iPads, and 100 iPod Touches."
Rob sounded stunned. "You mind telling me what this is for?"
Cassius explained the backlash and his plan: a massive giveaway for every domestic fan who bought a ticket to The Hunger Games through official platforms and kept their stub. One thousand phones, two hundred tablets, one hundred music players—all as prizes.
Rob sucked in a sharp breath. "That's a huge budget, and the logistics are a nightmare—verifying tickets, preventing fraud…"
"Budget comes out of the new money I just made. Figure out the complicated parts. Hire pros to build a proper system. We can hook into the ticketing platforms' data or set up strict verification."
Cassius paused, then added, "My fans celebrated me and got attacked for it. I can't fight every troll, but I can thank the people who actually showed up and supported the movie. I want them to know I see it and I remember."
He wasn't just doing damage control.
This was real appreciation.
"And one more thing," Cassius continued. "I'm launching a long-term charity project called Rural Film Quest. I'll personally put in two million dollars to start. The goal is to buy mobile film equipment, put together volunteer teams, and bring free movie screenings to remote villages in China where theaters don't reach—especially for kids and locals who've never had the chance."
"No restrictions on what we show—great films, classic foreign movies, animations, documentaries… anything positive that opens eyes and sparks imagination."
"Movies are powerful. They shouldn't only belong to big cities or people who can afford tickets."
"I want more kids, no matter where they're born, to see that light on the screen and dream bigger. This isn't about nationality or culture. It's about giving everyone a shot."
There was a long silence on Rob's end.
Then his voice came back, thick with respect. "I get it. I'll hand this over to Lionsgate's new China team. They just opened their office there and have the manpower to make it happen properly."
When Cassius hung up, he let out a long breath.
The giveaway was the immediate response to the current drama.
The Rural Film Quest was the bigger, longer play.
Together they would warm his real fans, shut down the worst of the hate, and actually do something meaningful.
He suddenly remembered his dad in his previous life, riding an old bike to take him to watch outdoor movies at the village crossroads. Back then he didn't understand what movies meant—he just knew those nights with his dad felt like magic.
Cassius logged into Weibo and wrote a long post.
He didn't rant or play the victim card about how hard it was to make it overseas. He simply stated his actions:
"I'm an actor. Born in China, now working in Hollywood. My job is to give every role my best and tell every story honestly. The Hunger Games is a global team effort. Its success belongs to everyone who worked on it and every audience member who showed up. I'm deeply grateful for the massive support from viewers. That support is a big reason I keep pushing forward.
"Arguing about where someone works or who they like shouldn't define their loyalty. Movies are a universal language. A good story can touch anyone. I love film, and I hope more people get to enjoy the joy and thoughts it brings.
"Today I'm announcing two things:
1. As thanks to every domestic viewer who bought a ticket for The Hunger Games, I'm hosting a giveaway. Details in the attached image (full rules, how to enter, verification process, and notarized info). One thousand iPhone 5s, two hundred iPads, and one hundred iPod Touches—consider it a small token of appreciation.
2. I will personally fund the launch of the Rural Film Quest charity project, dedicated to bringing free film screenings to children and residents in remote villages. More details coming soon.
"Thank you for all the goodwill. May the light of film reach more corners."
The moment he posted, Weibo exploded.
His fans, who had been feeling attacked and frustrated, lost it in the best way:
"Holy shit! A thousand iPhone 5s?! Cassius is a legend!"
"I'm actually crying. We didn't support you for nothing!"
"Responding to hate with real giveaways and starting a charity? This is next-level class."
"Those haters' faces must be burning right now. What have you done besides type on a keyboard? Cassius is out here doing actual good!"
"The Rural Film Quest is so meaningful. I want to sign up as a volunteer!"
The narrative flipped almost instantly.
Real, tangible rewards and genuine goodwill hit way harder than any defense ever could.
Even neutral bystanders chimed in:
"Whether I'm a fan or not, this move earns my respect. Putting real money back into the audience and into charity beats empty talk by a mile."
"To the people throwing shade—have your idols ever given away a thousand phones or dropped two million dollars on charity?"
The original hate threads and snarky comments got buried under waves of "I want to win" and "Support the charity." They suddenly looked small and pathetic.
The haters clearly hadn't expected Cassius to flip the table with cash and positive action. For a moment they were left without a new angle.
Half an hour after the post, Rob called again.
"Bro, I just got off the phone with Kevin Sanders, Lionsgate's Senior VP of International Distribution."
Rob sounded wired. "They're very interested in your Weibo statement!"
Cassius was looking up info on rural film projection setups. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it right.
When he heard Rob, he was a little confused.
Rob explained: "Lionsgate was blown away by the scale of what you're doing—especially the Rural Film Quest. They see it not just as smart PR but as forward-thinking brand building with real positive impact."
"They just opened their China office. They want in."
Cassius raised an eyebrow. "How?"
"Sponsorship!" Rob said. "Lionsgate is willing to fully fund the fan giveaway—including all 1,000 phones, tablets, and the initial equipment and operating costs for the Rural Film Quest. They're framing it as thanks for your outstanding contribution to The Hunger Games and as a commitment to their key markets."
Cassius was quiet for a few seconds, processing.
Lionsgate had moved fast and the math made sense for them.
"What do they want in return?"
"Conditions are reasonable," Rob said. "They want co-branding on all promo materials—'Honorary Support from Lionsgate' alongside your name. They also want priority content supply rights for the Rural Film Quest for the next three years—meaning they can recommend their catalog, but you keep final say on what actually gets screened. Free of charge, of course."
"And if the project grows into bigger commercial possibilities later, they get first negotiation rights."
Rob added, "Kevin made a point of saying they're not trying to take control. They want to be a sponsor and content partner, not the boss. They're keeping the tone respectful."
Cassius thought it over.
From a business standpoint, it was a win-win.
He could save a huge chunk of cash to invest elsewhere or pour deeper into the charity.
Lionsgate's involvement would give the project more stable resources and professional support from day one.
For them, it was low-cost, high-reward brand marketing and social responsibility in China—plus it tied their biggest new star even closer to the studio for sequels and beyond.
The conditions didn't cross any lines he cared about. He would still control the project.
There was also a hidden benefit Rob didn't know about: having a major Hollywood studio as a partner would make the giveaway and charity much smoother to run in China. Outside hands that might want to interfere would think twice.
"I'm okay with it, but I have a few conditions of my own," Cassius said firmly. "My personal name stays front and center in all publicity—Lionsgate is the supporter."
"They can provide a recommended list of films, but the final screening choices have to be made by the project team based on local needs and cultural fit. No forcing unsuitable titles."
"Full financial transparency—dedicated account for Lionsgate's funds, with regular public summaries."
"No problem," Rob replied immediately. "I'll make those core terms and get back to Kevin."
Lionsgate moved at lightning speed.
Less than forty-eight hours later, a draft sponsorship memo landed in Rob's inbox. The terms matched Cassius's requirements.
At the same time, Lionsgate's official China Weibo account posted a statement:
"We are incredibly proud of the extraordinary success of The Hunger Games, made possible by the enormous enthusiasm of audiences worldwide—especially in China.
"We have learned about the fan appreciation giveaway and the Rural Film Quest charity project initiated by our lead actor, Cassius. We are deeply moved. As thanks for his outstanding contribution to the film and to demonstrate our long-term commitment to this important market, Lionsgate is proud to fully sponsor and support these initiatives.
"Movies have the power to connect people. We look forward to working with Cassius to bring that light to even more corners. #TheHungerGames #Lionsgate"
The backlash that had been bubbling died almost overnight.
What started as online drama ended with Cassius turning it into one of the biggest, most talked-about positive moments of the year.
And the Rural Film Quest? That was just getting started.