Chapter 106: It’s My Turn Now—Is the Film Crew Cursed? (Extra Chapter with Vote Request)

The "Lin Xing losing fans" incident raged on Weibo for a full two days. Many extreme fans vowed to teach Lin Xing a lesson. Never underestimate the fighting spirit of fan circles. After the momentum picked up, numerous fans announced their intention to unfollow Lin Xing. In fact, the trending topic "Lin Xing losing fans" never dropped from the hot search list during these days, even surpassing the buzz generated by the airing of "Sweeping the Underworld." The momentum seemed enormous.

Even fans of other top stars fanned the flames, and some top celebrities gleefully thought, "So Lin Xing has his day." Moreover, with the recent episodes of "Sweeping the Underworld," Lin Xing’s character, Zhou Bo, became increasingly detestable, and many viewers’ dislike toward the character extended to the actor himself. "Feeling sorry for Yu Feng," was the common reaction after watching the show daily. After all, Ren Yi’s portrayal of Yu Feng was truly tragic. The second reaction was, "Zhou Bo, you deserve it." Some who were deeply immersed in the storyline even went to Lin Xing’s comment section to scold him.

Under the onslaught of extreme fans, the incitement by other fans, and the widespread condemnation of Zhou Bo’s character, from January 5th to January 8th—three full days—Lin Xing’s extreme fans were seen losing their minds everywhere. They shouted that they would never support Lin Xing again, that they would unfollow him, and that Lin Xing should forget about his immense fortune. Yet, when people checked Lin Xing’s Weibo follower count, it actually increased by 300,000 over those three days.

Yes, Lin Xing’s fan base grew despite the supposed exodus. A bunch of extreme fans ranted for a long time, all aiming to teach Lin Xing a lesson. The scale was so large that even casual onlookers believed it. But when they looked back, they wondered, "Where’s the lost fans?"

"I’m dying laughing; this is the first time I’ve seen fans mass unfollow a star and the star’s followers actually increase afterward."
"Lin Xing’s extreme fans cursed so much, but I don’t even understand what they’re mad about."
"I think Lin Xing didn’t say anything wrong. Regardless, cyberbullying is unacceptable."
"Losing fans? More like gaining 300,000. That’s hilarious."

Previously, everyone thought that because Lin Xing had backstabbed fans during the live stream, extreme fans wouldn’t just listen to him lightly and might even turn against him. That prediction was correct: extreme fans did turn black against him, but it didn’t matter much. Lin Xing remained totally unaffected.

On January 6th, while the extreme fans raged, Lin Xing was interviewed by "Star Face to Face," a show under Tencent, continuing to promote "Sweeping the Underworld." On January 17th, he participated in a live-streamed event organized by Tencent Video featuring the main cast of "Sweeping the Underworld," including Ren Yi, Wang Fei, and Song Wen. During these days, Lin Xing did not return to the "Portrait of a Murder" crew, staying in the capital to promote "Sweeping the Underworld." The "Star Face to Face" episode aired on January 18th at noon, rescheduling other episodes to accommodate it.

The 35-minute interview was hosted by Zhao Fang, a well-known sharp-tongued interviewer often criticized by viewers for low emotional intelligence and rudeness. Yet precisely because of her incisive and pointed style, some celebrities revealed their true thoughts. Zhao naturally asked Lin Xing about his feelings on popularity and followers.

"Don’t you like popularity?"
"Of course, who wouldn’t?"
"Then why offend your fans?"
"I don’t think I offended fans. I just want them to respect me. I’m an adult and a ten-year faded star who knows what I want. I don’t want any fans to use my name to cyberbully others."
"Aren’t you worried about losing followers?"
"No, I’m an actor. I just want audiences to like the roles I play. Whether people like me personally isn’t important."

Throughout the interview, Lin Xing was sincere as ever. He didn’t feel he had done anything wrong; more importantly, he wanted everyone to know his true thoughts. Mutual respect was key. No one liked being bossed around or having their partners cyberbullied. This was a matter of principle.

What Lin Xing didn’t expect was that this interview aired when many onlookers were discussing his rising follower count. Comments flooded in:
"Why do I like Lin Xing? Because he’s sincere and has a clear self-awareness."
"Why are the other two from ‘Star Glory Sea’ sinking but only Lin Xing is fine? Just watch this interview and you’ll understand."
"Many actors want to shake off popularity but don’t want to offend fans. Some even dare not truly embrace their co-stars in scenes to avoid upsetting fans. What kind of actors are these?"
"Lin Xing is truly clear-headed. He says he’s not afraid of losing fans, that he wants mutual respect, that he hopes people only focus on his work, and that he’s been faded for ten years—he’s truly a late bloomer."
"Wait, late bloomer? Lin Xing is only 31—no, 32. He hasn’t even reached his prime as a male actor."

Many online expressed mixed feelings—admiration tinged with complexity, or simply envy. Look at Lin Xing: five years as a top star, then ten years of fading, nearly experiencing the entirety of what others go through in decades, and now he’s making a comeback at just 32. Young and resilient. How many actors at 32 are still struggling? Many have already been blacklisted by that age. It’s enviable.

"How on earth is he still gaining followers?" Li Xingchi nearly roared. The manager shook his head: "It’s normal. This growth might be from zombie fans, but the lost ones are real fans. I heard Bangkok is no longer inviting Lin Xing for filming and promotion."
"Really?" Li Xingchi’s expression changed.
The manager nodded: "Yes. Lin Xing is controversial with his fanbase divided, and the extreme fans are the most combative. I doubt other endorsements will use him for now."
"Alright, then we’ll take on the Bangkok promotional video."
Li Xingchi smiled: "Perfect timing to promote while the momentum’s hot."

"Okay, I’ll talk to the company to help us build some hype." The manager nodded lightly. Li Xingchi laughed. The new manager was much better than Old Li, who always worried about future image and development. Nonsense. Li Xingchi believed in grabbing all the current traffic first. He had taken a loss because of Lin Xing before and wanted to reclaim the lead. Previously, he could only secretly try to slow Lin Xing, but it was useless. Lin Xing never acknowledged him.

The Bangkok promotional video was a great opportunity. As a top star, Lin Xing still had a long way to go. Li Xingchi even planned to buy some hot searches to boost his own traffic and maximize his popularity.

At 3 PM, when Lin Xing just arrived at Egret Island, marketing accounts began leaking rumors. Usually, they never named names to avoid lawsuits, and their reports were often mixed truth and lies. That afternoon, among 20 reports, one said: "A certain popular artist went to a live stream with Wolf Scum but things weren’t good. Although his fans increased, most were zombie fans; he lost real fans. He regrets it now, and some endorsements won’t consider him."

Though unnamed, anyone could tell it was about Lin Xing. Another report claimed Bangkok’s tourism promo originally invited Lin Xing but changed due to his negative image, now inviting others. The truth was unknown, but it fueled excitement among Lin Xing’s extreme fans:
"I told you, he lost more than just us; he lost his fortune."
"Haha, without us boosting his numbers, where will he go?"
"Just want to say he deserves it for what he did."

Back at the hotel, Lin Xing received a call from Sister Dao, who summarized the situation and shook her head: "We really can’t refute this."
"Sister Dao, it’s not important," Lin Xing said casually. "Let people talk. Besides, my drama is airing. Let’s not get distracted."
"Okay, as long as you’re calm," she smiled.
"Of course," Lin Xing said, unfazed by the online chatter.

The entertainment industry is always changing—not just moral standards for stars but all judgments. What never changes is your professional ability. Just like recalling old Hong Kong stars or veteran actors—many had wild pasts but undeniable skills. Now, some fallen stars are all flash with no substance. It’s no wonder audiences reject them.

Why do veteran actors say filming is hard and never get mocked? Because people know they’re serious, willing to do multiple takes, truly hanging on wires, and training hard to perfect their craft. Now? Many use body doubles, don’t learn etiquette for period dramas, and just do the bare minimum, then buy press releases to hype themselves. That won’t last. Audiences increasingly demand quality. In the end, actors compete on talent.

From the start, Lin Xing never planned to rely solely on popularity, so he found the vicious attacks on Weibo amusing. His path is entirely different from those top stars. They pick different roles and directions. Why see me as competition?

What made Lin Xing both laugh and cry was the Bangkok tourism ambassador and promo video controversy. Didn’t anyone there have risk awareness? Actors must always watch public opinion. Why does Bangkok need a tourism ambassador or promotional video? Because tourists have declined. A few years ago, tourists flooded the place; now it’s different.

Lin Xing thought the leaks and analyses were probably from paid trolls. After half an hour of skimming, he stopped—it was a waste of time. As he and Sister Dao said, the airing drama "Sweeping the Underworld" was priority, but the ongoing filming of "Portrait of a Murder" was equally important—Lin Xing’s first leading role. That night, he had a night shoot, so after checking Weibo, he went to rest.

Two hours later, his alarm woke him at 6:30. After freshening up, he had a simple meal with Xiao Nan at the hotel, then returned to the crew.
"Ah Xing, I told you, come during the day tomorrow," Liu Zhou said, surprised. "Go rest now."
"Director Liu, I’ve already taken four days off; I feel bad resting more," Lin Xing smiled. "I’ll do makeup now. If I have scenes tonight, I’ll shoot; if not, I’ll help on set."

After simple makeup, Liu Zhou adjusted the crew’s schedule. They had been filming supporting roles for the past days, but now with Lin Xing back, they needed to catch up on his scenes, especially his scenes with Zhou Wei. Many cases required their cooperation.

"Let’s catch up on Lin’s scenes first. Others, speed up. We continue with the police unit..."
"Where’s the props master? Hurry up and fix the skull here."
"Not enough extras, swap in two more. It’s fine."

The assistant director shouted on set.

Suddenly, Liu Zhou exploded: "What the hell is going on? I’m about to start shooting, and you tell me he’s in jail?"
"Director Liu, it’s not my fault. I checked the schedule with him yesterday and told him his scenes are at 2 PM tomorrow," the casting director said helplessly. "Should we call Manager Ma?"
"For important roles, yes. But this is a guest role. No one calls Manager Ma for that. Not even the village donkey is used like this." Liu Zhou angrily snapped. "Stop standing there. Find a suitable actor now."

"Director Liu, what happened?" Lin Xing approached.
"What can I say? During 'Campus Corpse Case,' the female lead broke a bone slipping in the hotel while showering. Now, for 'Domestic Violence Retaliation,' the male actor got arrested for soliciting prostitutes."
Liu Zhou cursed: "He’d be better off finding a crew member’s spouse. Now we can’t shoot the 'Domestic Violence Retaliation' scene tomorrow..."
Liu Zhou wondered if they hadn’t properly prayed when starting filming—why so many disasters?

"Which role is it?" Lin Xing asked.
"Wang Meng. Not many scenes, but a key role," Liu Zhou nodded. "I told Old Yao to find a replacement. Too bad this isn’t Hengdian, where extras are everywhere."
"I have someone in mind, Director Liu," Lin Xing said, pulling out his phone. "Look at this guy."

He opened "Sweeping the Underworld," fast-forwarding to the Hong Village demolition case, focusing on the meal scene. Lin Xing remembered Jiang Li, a young actor who impressed him. He thought Jiang Li was smart and always prepared.

"He looks quite fitting," Liu Zhou said. "Is he available?"
"I’ll ask." Lin Xing dialed Jiang Li’s number in front of Liu Zhou.

Jiang Li had just returned home.
"Hello, Jiang Li? This is Lin Xing. Hope I’m not disturbing you."
Jiang Li was stunned: "Teacher Lin? No, no, go ahead."
"Are you filming anything now?"
"No, winter’s here, and many crews aren’t hiring."

Though Jiang Li had a highlight scene in "Sweeping the Underworld," the show had just aired a few days ago, so no one remembered him yet. He had been going to various crews but found no good opportunities.

"I’m at Egret Island, filming 'Portrait of a Murder.' There’s a role you might be interested in," Lin Xing said.
Before finishing, Jiang Li answered, "I’m interested."
Who has the luxury to pick roles now?

Lin Xing spoke loud enough for Liu Zhou to hear. Liu Zhou nodded and smiled: "Great. The crew will contact you about details."

After a brief chat, Lin Xing hung up.
"Ah Xing, do you know him well?" Liu Zhou asked.
Lin Xing shook his head, smiling: "Not really. We met during 'Sweeping the Underworld.' He’s observant, helps around the set, even got the full script and memorizes all characters’ lines while watching performances."
He summarized this to Liu Zhou without mentioning that Jiang Li replaced Feng Qing’s part, only saying he was a good actor.

"I see," Liu Zhou said. He saw many such actors yearly—most just hoping for a chance, but few ever get one. The industry’s harsh: from extras to best actor, only one made it in years.

"Sometimes, just working hard isn’t enough without opportunity," Liu Zhou said, then called Old Yao over: "Contact Jiang Li, buy him a nearby flight ticket, and make sure he’s at the crew by tomorrow afternoon."
"Replace that jerk with this guy," Liu Zhou said angrily.

The actor’s lack of self-control wasn’t rare, but either don’t get caught or find other actresses. Many crews have couples; filming lasts months, and actors have needs. Like the current Best Actress Chu Yanna, who falls for each male lead she films with. Directors only care that actors don’t disrupt schedules or ruin the work.

But soliciting prostitutes is unforgivable. Once discovered, the whole project could be cut.

"Damn it, lucky you got caught early," Liu Zhou cursed again.

---

Recommended: Vister Da Pale’s new book, *Retiring at 30? Do You Want to Become Immortal?*

(End of chapter)