Chapter 103: Centering on a Rebel (Humbly Asking for Monthly Votes)

"Floor-sweeping" doesn't actually mean sweeping floors; it refers to celebrities visiting the headquarters or branch offices of platforms like Sina Weibo or other video streaming sites to promote their latest dramas.

Originally, this was only done for movies, but later, TV dramas adopted the practice as well. Everything is done for the sake of promotion.

When the cast of "Only Waiting for You" visited Weibo for a floor-sweeping event, they didn't even need Lin Xing; Chu Chen and Li Jingjing were more than enough.

Now, however, for "Anti-Corruption Wave," the veteran actors aren't interested in this kind of "floor-sweeping" activity aimed at younger stars; they would much rather do a live-streamed interview if they need to promote.

A crucial point is that not all artists or drama crews are qualified to perform a "floor-sweep." Some who are willing to pay for the privilege are even rejected by the video platforms.

This time, for the "Anti-Corruption Wave" visit to Sina Weibo, Lin Xing was the only one representing the show. Initially, he had expected someone would accompany him.

Well, never mind. Today, he was on his own.

"Brother Xing, our live stream starts at 10 o'clock. The online hype has already begun, and once we go live, your Weibo profile will display that you are currently streaming..."

On the way to the Sina building, Xiao Nan was briefing Lin Xing on the upcoming live stream.

"So, what's the procedure?" Lin Xing asked.

Xiao Nan replied, "Here is the agenda. They intend for this to be a 'live-streaming floor-sweep.' It’s basically the same as what other artists do—just chat for a bit and complete a few simple tasks. So, it shouldn't deviate much from this outline."

Back when Lin Xing was at his peak, live streaming hadn't really taken off yet; it was still the era of traditional television, so he hadn't really visited Sina much. Later, as the internet grew more sophisticated, video platforms began burning cash to expand, and the rise of live streaming over the last three years meant both films and dramas started using it for promotion.

However, before "Only Waiting for You" aired last year, Lin Xing wasn't qualified to sweep floors. Even after it aired, he still didn't have the standing to do it.

But things are different now.

Lin Xing could even come to the Sina building alone. He has the popularity now; everyone knows that Lin Xing currently commands significant traffic, especially since "Anti-Corruption Wave" began airing and he has been at the center of the most controversy.

Yes, the focal point of the drama isn't really Lin Xing. Casual viewers are currently hooked on the show's increasingly compelling plot and the acting showdown between the three leads. Ren Yi’s struggles, Wang Fei’s hypocrisy, and even Song Wen’s portrayal of a duplicitous top official are all being performed to perfection.

Fans only see what they want to see. They believe Lin Xing was framed by the production crew; they think the character he plays, Zhou Bo, is just too evil, and they want justice for Lin Xing.

But do the casual viewers care?

Many casual viewers, especially those on Douhu, are discussing the plot of "Anti-Corruption Wave" more than anything else. Otherwise, the show wouldn't have received a 9.0 rating upon its premiere.

No, actually, with the developments over the last two days, the rating has now reached 9.2. It has even surpassed Zuo Ming's previous work, "The Path of Power."

Famous film critic "West Wolf" remarked, "Compared to Zuo Ming’s previous show 'The Path of Power,' which focused on the core of 'anti-corruption,' this 'Anti-Corruption Wave' focuses on 'sweeping away black forces.' It tells us for the first time why the 'sweeping away of black forces' needs to be normalized. This is because of the protective umbrellas behind the underworld. If you only sweep away the black forces but don't hit the umbrellas, another criminal force will simply rise up to replace the last one, because the umbrellas are the very soil in which the underworld grows..."

This critique is quite astute. Looking at the past fourteen years in Jinghai, why was Shen Ming allowed to commit every evil deed imaginable while becoming a top taxpayer and a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, even preparing to enter politics? Isn't it because he had Song Wen as his protective umbrella in Jinghai?

Song Wen plays a man who constantly spouts slogans like "Serving the people of Jinghai," "We must not be extravagant and wasteful," and "One must learn to be a person before becoming an official; sometimes a small policy of ours can change the lives of many." He rattles off these empty, grandiose slogans with such ease.

How should I put it? Song Wen’s acting style is "the simple path." When he sits there, he doesn't even need to speak; you feel as though he is one of those leaders we often see on the news. People say Lin Xing’s performance as Zhou Bo doesn't look like acting, but in truth, Song Wen’s performance as the top official doesn't look like acting either.

Because of this, Lin Xing finds the fans' infighting quite laughable. Once you leave the fan bubble, who cares who you are? Even for Lin Xing, not everyone who watches TV knows him, though those watching "Anti-Corruption Wave" might recognize Zhou Bo.

Actors need to rely on their characters to be recognized by the audience, not on trending topics to tell the public who they are. Just look at the Weibo trending list; there are several celebrities who are joked about as having a "permanent subscription" to the list. Everyone sees their names constantly, but no one remembers what they look like or what they’ve done.

That is exactly why he was so desperate to cut ties with his hardcore fans back then. It’s not that Lin Xing doesn't need traffic—he has said before that traffic and acting ability are not mutually exclusive—but he doesn't need toxic traffic, and he certainly doesn't need to exploit his fan base. That is what sets Lin Xing apart from so many others.

For this live stream, Lin Xing needs to add a little more fuel to the fire.

An hour and a half later.

"Teacher Lin, hello. You can call me Xiao Liu. I’m the person in charge of this event."

When Lin Xing arrived at the Sina building, someone was already waiting for him at the entrance to manage the live stream.

"Hello," Lin Xing said with a smile. "How are we starting this?"

"It’s like this, Teacher Lin. We’ll start right here at the front desk, in front of our Sina background wall..."

The man calling himself Xiao Liu held a piece of paper and said, "Then, when we start, we'll have a brief opening statement, just asking if you're familiar with our floor-sweeping events..."

Xiao Liu added, "Teacher Lin, we can't stop the stream once it starts; we have to go all the way to the end. Would you like to review the flow or take a look at the suggested answers?"

"No need." Lin Xing shook his head with a laugh. "Live streaming is meant to be authentic. If I follow a script and recite prepared answers, what does that make me? A marionette?"

"Alright." Xiao Liu smiled. He wasn't just being fussy; during a floor-sweep for an idol drama last month, it was excruciatingly awkward. The answers the actors gave weren't just mismatched; they were completely nonsensical. Sina staff have seen too many celebrities; many who seem talented on screen are actually quite dim in reality.

"Then, Teacher Lin, please get ready. We start in ten minutes." Xiao Liu said, "You use your phone to start the live stream, and we will use our official account on our side as well."

"Oh, we start right here?" Lin Xing asked.

"Yes," Xiao Liu nodded gently.

By this time, a considerable number of people had gathered at the front desk to watch. Every time a star comes for a floor-sweep, it’s a perk for the Sina employees; those who like the celebrity bring photos for autographs.

"Teacher Lin, could you sign one for me?"
"Teacher Lin, I really love you, I've liked you for two years!"
"Teacher Lin, you're so handsome!"

In the blink of an eye, Lin Xing was surrounded. However, since these were all Sina employees, it wasn't too crowded. Many held photos of Lin Xing, while others had pillows they hoped he would sign. Lin Xing began signing immediately.

"Teacher Lin, just sign a few; we’re about to start..." Xiao Liu urged.

"Look at this," Lin Xing joked with a smile. "It’s not that I don't want to sign for everyone, but Xiao Liu told me to just sign a few."

Despite saying that, Lin Xing tried to sign as many as he could. Ten minutes passed in a flash, but Lin Xing still hadn't finished, as the photos kept coming.

"Alright, we'll sign more later. The stream is starting!" Xiao Liu quickly told the other employees, then turned to Lin Xing. "Teacher Lin, you can start your live stream now."

"Sure, let me open it." Lin Xing opened his Weibo. Since he hadn't streamed on Weibo before, he asked, "Do I just tap 'Live'?"

Xiao Liu nodded gently. "Yes."

Lin Xing tapped the button, then realized he had to grant camera and microphone access. As soon as he did, the stream began.

"Oh, so it's started?" Lin Xing hadn't even processed it yet when he saw the comments section scrolling wildly.

"Ahhhhhhh!"
"Hahahaha, he's here, he's here!"
"Damn, why does Xingxing look a bit exaggerated?"
"Did I wake up wrong? What's with this face? Turn off the beauty filter!"

It wasn't just the viewers who were surprised; even Lin Xing was speechless. The default beauty filter was indeed terrifying. He quickly turned it off.

"Hello everyone, I'm Lin Xing. I'm currently at the Sina headquarters." After turning off the filter, he waved at the camera while panning his phone around.

"This is popularity—it's like a sea of people."
"Yeah, I wish I worked at Sina headquarters. Being able to see celebrities every day is so cool."
"Ahhh, hubby, I love you!"

The comments were scrolling too fast for Lin Xing to read. He looked at the camera and then asked Xiao Liu, "What do we do next?"

"Next, you need to take a photo at the front desk, and then you need to..."

"Huh?" Before Xiao Liu could finish, Lin Xing asked with a look of surprise, "Why did my screen go black? Did your Sina site crash again?"

Xiao Liu quickly checked. "Teacher Lin, please try to reconnect. The tax bureau just called out a few celebrities for tax evasion, so the internet just exploded."

"Oh." Lin Xing realized. He didn't ask who it was; after all, there are many who evade taxes, and more importantly, it could happen to anyone. Besides, he was here to stream for Sina; others' tax issues were none of his business. As long as it wasn't him, he was fine.

Twenty seconds later, Lin Xing restarted his stream.

"Damn, the State Taxation Administration just hammered Liang Min and Pang Wei."
"They had to. Fans were shouting that Liang Min didn't evade taxes and saying netizens needed to apologize."
"Yeah, it was almost becoming a case of cyberbullying by netizens."
"Xingxing, you better not be evading taxes!"
"Don't worry, we believe in Xingxing."

Because of the sudden Weibo crash, Lin Xing's stream had been forcibly disconnected. Now that he was back online, the chat was flooded with people discussing the news. Most importantly, many fans were urging Lin Xing not to evade taxes.

"Teacher Lin, were you familiar with our procedure before this?" Xiao Liu tried to get back on track.

"Here, could you hold this phone for me?" Lin Xing said to Xiao Liu. "Don't I have to take photos in a bit?"

"Sure." Xiao Liu was a bit dazed. He felt like Lin Xing wasn't following the script at all.

"Hello everyone, I'm Lin Xing. I play Zhou Bo in 'Anti-Corruption Wave,' and today I'm sweeping the floors at the Sina Weibo headquarters..." Lin Xing ignored Xiao Liu’s prompt because the internet had cut out, and he needed to finish what he was saying. Then he turned to Xiao Liu and said, "I am familiar with the process; I saw the outline you gave me on the way here. So, are we going to experience the work of your editors next?"

Xiao Liu: "???"

"Hahaha, Xingxing is truly as honest as ever."
"The staff didn't do their homework. If they had watched Lin Xing on 'Comedy Must Laugh,' they would know."
"Exactly, I think so too."

The chat was quite happy for now, as the first wave of viewers were mostly rational fans, so there was no abuse or trolling. It was quite pleasant.

"Should I stand here for the photo?" Lin Xing continued to drive the schedule forward.

"Ah, yes, Teacher Lin, you can hold our Sina mascot." Xiao Liu finally snapped back to reality and had someone hand the doll to Lin Xing. Lin Xing held the mascot and made a pose.

The photo session was over.

"This isn't for me?" Lin Xing was about to head off to experience the work of the Sina editors while holding the doll, but a staff member signaled him to put it down. He couldn't help but look startled.

"We'll give it to you after you leave," Xiao Liu said quickly.

"Alright." Lin Xing nodded gently.

"Am I disturbing everyone's work by being here?" Lin Xing asked, noticing that many people in the office had stopped working and were holding up their phones to film him.

"No, no, we're all very happy you're here today," Xiao Liu said with a smile.

"Is that so? Well, it's already 10 o'clock. Let me order takeout for everyone. Let's see how many people there are..." Lin Xing looked at Xiao Nan, who was following him. "Xiao Nan, go and count. I heard the cafeteria here is terrible—even their boss has complained about it."

Xiao Liu: "???"