Chapter 100: Wasn't it agreed that we would insult Lin Xing? Why are you starting to insult me instead?

Fans and casual viewers are not necessarily rivals, but they will never be on the same path.

Since the first six episodes of *Sweeping Black Waves* premiered, many casual viewers have genuinely felt that the show is excellent, and many believe Lin Xing’s performance is quite impressive. Even people like Jia Dong, who previously thought Lin Xing would drop the ball or even ruin the show’s atmosphere, quickly began to apologize upon realizing how well he performed. They apologized to Lin Xing. Although this didn't become a major topic, many believe Lin Xing exceeded everyone's expectations.

In this show, Lin Xing did not falter in the slightest—a fact that caught many off guard. Even Lao Zhong, who had previously praised Lin Xing, did not expect him to portray a character so detestable that the audience would grind their teeth in hatred.

In the drama *Only Waiting For You*, Lin Xing’s screen time in the first six episodes was limited, yet many fell in love with his character, Du Fei. He played a domineering CEO who wasn't "greasy" at all, and he completely eclipsed Chu Chen. At that time, not just the netizens, but even Lao Zhong felt that Lin Xing only stood out because of the contrast provided by Chu Chen. More importantly, because his screen time was short, people found him all the more compelling—it left them wanting more. Since Lin Xing wasn't the lead, there was no pressure for him to carry the show; even if *Only Waiting For You* had flopped, no one would have blamed Lin Xing—they would only have blamed Chu Chen and Li Jingjing. Furthermore, as a special guest star, the audience had fewer expectations of him. Consequently, Lin Xing delivered a perfect performance as the multi-dimensional, flesh-and-blood character Du Fei, making him an instant favorite.

However, in *Sweeping Black Waves*, from the moment he appeared in the first six episodes, viewers didn't just love him—they absolutely loathed him. Everyone knew beforehand that Lin Xing was playing a villain, but no one expected him to inhabit the role so deeply, making it so incredibly infuriating. Some even remarked, "Someone check on him; I really don't think this is acting."

Lao Zhong had just taken a look. There were more and more people cursing Lin Xing on Weibo. For many netizens, the character is the actor. If you play a villain, they will curse you. It’s like actresses who play "the other woman" or actors who play domestic abusers—their comment sections are often flooded with abuse.

It was already midnight. *Sweeping Black Waves* had only been on the streaming platform for two hours, but discussions about it on Weibo were skyrocketing. It wasn't just about Lin Xing; there was Ren Yi’s portrayal of Yu Feng, with people lamenting how tragic he was, living as a lone wolf for fourteen years. Others discussed the inspection team, wondering if there was a mole among Feng Wei and his team, and who that might be. Then there was Cao Xiang’s character, Xia Feng, whose demeanor made it impossible to tell if he was good or evil. Since Cao Xiang had previously played a drug lord, many suspected he was a villain, too. Additionally, there was Song Wen’s character, the seemingly refined head of the Jinghai municipal government, who scolded officials for not serving the people while keeping a mistress at home, ignored by his own wife. In short, the sheer volume of information in these first six episodes was equivalent to twenty episodes of many other dramas.

Those who loved the plot were busy discussing it. As for Lao Zhong, she felt Lin Xing was being treated unfairly. Before the show began, people cursed him for being unable to act well. Now that it had aired, people were cursing him for acting too well. Lao Zhong hadn't made a definitive judgment after the first two episodes; she wanted to wait until the sixth before evaluating, as some shows start strong and then collapse. She was worried *Sweeping Black Waves* might follow that path, and even more worried that Lin Xing’s character, Zhou Bo, would lose his depth.

After finishing the first six episodes, Lao Zhong was pleasantly surprised. She posted a review titled "Rarely Have I Seen Such a Villain in Film and Television." She first praised the tight pacing, well-rounded characters, and rapid rhythm of the first six episodes, noting it as a work of high quality. Then, she focused on Zhou Bo, arguing that *Sweeping Black Waves* avoided the cliché of giving villains a "reason" for their evil—as if their crimes were solely due to their environment. *Sweeping Black Waves* was different. Zhou Bo was a villain from the start, but he hid it. To fit in, he would laugh off the ridicule from his cousins and neighbors, all while keeping a mental tally of every slight. That’s why, when he threatened President Wu, he brought up their childhood. "Bastard." Everyone who had called him that was punished.

Lao Zhong concluded: "I believe Lin Xing’s understanding of Zhou Bo is incredibly thorough. In my heart, he has moved beyond the 'idol' label. He is an actor."

"Holy cow, Lao Zhong gave Lin Xing such high praise??"
"To the user above, it’s not that Lao Zhong gave him high praise, it’s that Lin Xing’s performance in *Sweeping Black Waves* is damn terrifying."
"Who can say otherwise? On the first day of the New Year, I was actually scared by Lin Xing’s character."
"It’s not the character that scared me, it’s reality, because people like that truly exist."

Lao Zhong’s review spread rapidly. She wasn't a minor influencer like Jia Dong; her reviews easily garnered over ten thousand reposts because she didn't take kickbacks and remained neutral. People trusted her. Besides Weibo, discussions were heating up on Bilibili, where people had already started editing clips of Lin Xing, titling them: "Outlaw."

The next day, the buzz around *Sweeping Black Waves* intensified.
#HowDidYouPlayAnOutlawInsteadOfAClassySuitWearingThug#
#LinXingSmilesAndYourFateIsSealed#
...
Lin Xing’s smile was trending, as Zhou Bo would always smile right before killing, plotting against, or punishing someone. That smile was his disguise, and Lin Xing had perfectly captured it.

"I admit I spoke too loudly about Lin Xing before; now, please, Lin Xing, stop smiling."
"I really thought he wouldn't do well, but I never expected him to be this unexpectedly good."
"I must have woken up wrong; I'm actually seeing everyone praise Lin Xing’s acting."
"Lin Xing’s breakthrough is quite impressive; I think he deserves the praise."

***

Casual viewers felt the same as Lao Zhong. On the day the show premiered, they had doubted Lin Xing, and even after seeing the trailers, they hadn't believed he could pull it off. Often, trailers and the actual show are two different things. Even Fu Shu and Feng Qing, who were on set, hadn't thought much of his acting.

But after the premiere, Fu Shu checked Weibo and saw nothing but praise. He didn't think it was because Lin Xing’s acting was good; he assumed his agency had bought the trending topics. "They're willing to spend," he thought, and stopped paying attention. But when he checked again the next morning, he was stunned. The topics about Lin Xing were dominating, and the level of engagement clearly wasn't something money could manufacture.

Fu Shu decided to re-watch the first six episodes. He hadn't actually watched the show after filming, and he hadn't watched the premiere either. He had only been a guest star, hoping to learn from the veterans. He had convinced himself that he had finally shed his "greasy" acting style and that with his limited screen time, he could provide the audience with a fresh perspective. Plus, with Lin Xing and Feng Qing as a baseline, he figured he wouldn't be mocked again.

But after watching: "Are you kidding me? This is supposed to be on par with Feng Qing?? This is supposed to be equal to Feng Qing??" Fu Shu wanted to curse. He knew Feng Qing’s acting; it was, at best, slightly better than other idol actors—but not by much.

The director, Zu Ming, had intentionally left out Lin Xing’s most brilliant scenes from the trailers to surprise the audience, because Lin Xing’s Zhou Bo was completely different from the original novel. In the book, Zhou Bo was passive, becoming a villain gradually. But Lin Xing’s version was proactive. "Why should I be trampled on?" "I'm sick of being bullied." "If being a good person means getting beaten, then I won't be a good person." "If I can avoid being bullied by being a dog, what’s wrong with that?"

"No wonder he didn't care when I tried to give him advice," Fu Shu thought. "I thought he was just arrogant and clueless, but he was actually confident." Fu Shu decided to get closer to Lin Xing the next time they met.

Meanwhile, "Knife Sister" (Lin Xing’s manager) laughed as she received a call from Lin Xing: "It really wasn't the company that bought the praise. Besides, the company couldn't afford this much praise even if we wanted to." She had been very worried, fearing that if Lin Xing failed, the internet would tear him apart. But her team was ecstatic—people weren't criticizing his acting; they were terrified by how good it was. It was a massive success. The step Lin Xing had taken had paid off. From idol to acting powerhouse—she had thought it would take time, but one role had nearly done it.

At noon, the ratings data for *Sweeping Black Waves* was updated, hitting a new high. But the ratings were just the beginning. The high ratings proved the cast could carry the show. However, Knife Sister decided not to promote Lin Xing as the sole reason for the ratings, as that could backfire. Instead, she kept the focus on Lin Xing breaking out of the idol circle.

But his fans weren't happy. "The *Fashion Men* magazine I have doesn't feel the same anymore. I loved his suit-wearing look and his sweet smile, but now it just feels creepy." "It is creepy. I can't believe he took this role after *Only Waiting For You*." "I'm happy his acting is recognized, but I'm angry he had to play such a character to prove it."

Lin Xing’s fan base was enormous, and even if he tried to distance himself from the "idol" label, he couldn't fully sever those ties. Some extremist fans were furious and decided to vent in Knife Sister’s comment section, blaming the agency for the script choices and claiming he would lose fans. They even brigaded Lin Xing’s own comments, begging him to "wake up" and "remember where his strengths lie."

Knife Sister’s team monitored the situation closely, preparing to manage the narrative. "Keep an eye on any movement," she instructed.

By evening, after a full day of discussions and short clips circulating, the anticipation for *Sweeping Black Waves* had reached a fever pitch. That night, episodes 7 and 8 were set to air, focusing on the Hong Village demolition case.

When the show started at 10:00 PM, Feng Qing, who played Wang Qing, tuned in. He was shocked to see the barrage of comments criticizing his performance. "Who is the actor playing Wang Qing? Why is he acting like such an idiot?" "His acting is just terrible." "He feels so out of place."

Feng Qing tried to defend himself in the comments, but the backlash only grew. He wasn't just being outshone by Lin Xing; the audience felt his acting was the worst in the entire show. As the episodes progressed, revealing how Zhou Bo used drugs to control people and how he had orchestrated multiple deaths, the audience’s anger toward the character turned into genuine praise for Lin Xing’s terrifying performance.

By the end of the night, Feng Qing was questioning his own reality. He had been praised his whole life, and now he was being publicly humiliated. He couldn't understand why the audience was praising Lin Xing’s "good acting" while tearing his "bad acting" apart.

Unbeknownst to him, the extremist fans were now so angry that they were beginning to target the production team itself, blaming them for the direction of the show. Knife Sister’s team braced themselves for the chaos.