Chapter 119: Breaking the Pattern, All About Contrast, Preserving the Persona

The Spring Festival movie season has always been a battleground for burning cash. Aside from the "Bear and Sheep War" film series, which requires no promotional spending, the marketing budgets for most other films start in the hundreds of millions.

Every year, there are sacrificial lambs in the Spring Festival slot. Yet, many films still clamor to squeeze into it. Because everyone believes they won't be the sacrificial lamb and hopes to become the biggest winner, the number of films in the Spring Festival season is always staggering.

This year, there were five major blockbusters. "Operation Fishing," however, could only be considered a mid-tier film. Many felt it was destined to be a sacrificial lamb; although it was produced by the well-known director Huang Sha, he was not the one directing it. The director was Wang Jun, and this was his debut feature, for which he also served as the lead screenwriter. New directors and new screenwriters are rarely trusted. Moreover, the leads of "Operation Fishing" were not traffic stars or major box office draws—they were skilled actors, but box office performance is always unpredictable. Last year, for instance, a film filled with veteran actors failed to reach even two million in box office revenue.

Therefore, the true advantage of "Operation Fishing" lay not in its actors, but in its subject matter. Telecommunications fraud had been filmed before, but never with great success. Thus, the production team decided to focus on their marketing strategy. Furthermore, news reports about telecommunications fraud had been increasing over the past two years, including stories of people being abused and having their organs harvested in Southeast Asian countries. Regardless of the truth behind these rumors, the panic was real. Capitalizing on this, they planned to base their marketing on these real-life cases to expose the reality behind "telecommunications fraud."

Originally, the team was just starting to consider how to handle the promotion for their preview screenings, never expecting to be hit by a stroke of luck. Compared to the other blockbusters, their budget was far from sufficient, so they had to spend every cent strategically. And then, prosperity fell from the sky. They never imagined that a promotional video for Thailand (Sawasdee) would turn into an anti-fraud awareness campaign.

To be fair, the marketing team of "Operation Fishing" never intended to ride the coattails of that Thailand promotional video, as it could easily alienate the public. In any marketing campaign, one must respect the audience—neither acting superior nor deceiving them without limits. But who could have predicted that the fans of Li Xingchi, Xu Han, and Hao Zhi would be so explosive? By 11 o'clock, "Operation Fishing" was trending on social media without them even trying. At this point, if the marketing team did nothing, they might as well quit. The cast and crew immediately held a meeting to adjust their promotional strategy for the preview screenings on the 4th. They were determined not to let the "assist" from Li Xingchi and the others go to waste.

At the same time, at Zheng Zhou’s studio:
"Ah Xing, you were right not to take that Thailand promotional video job," Ren Yi said with a laugh when he saw Lin Xing. "I've been 'eating melons' (following the drama) for an hour."
"I was doing the same on the road just now," Lin Xing replied.
Guan Peng added, "Those guys keep trying to leech off your heat, Xing; do they even look in the mirror to see if they're worthy?"

Clearly, even stars follow the gossip. Ren Yi preferred to lurk, but Guan Peng, ever since he became popular again through "Let's Farm," had transformed into a Weibo enthusiast. As others had noted, having once fallen into obscurity and now resurfacing, Guan Peng cherished his popularity all the more and never wanted to lose it. In this regard, Guan Peng and Hong Fei were quite similar—grasping at every bit of popularity they could.

During the recording of the finale of "Let's Farm," Guan Peng, Hong Fei, and Lin Xing had a deep conversation. Lin Xing could understand them, but he chose to walk his own path. Facts proved that while the paths of Guan Peng and Hong Fei were correct, Lin Xing’s path was equally valid. However, Guan Peng still had reservations about some of Lin Xing's choices, especially the web drama "Portrait of a Crime."

"Ah Xing, when is 'Portrait of a Crime' scheduled for release?" Guan Peng asked.
"Brother Guan, it only wrapped filming a few days ago. How could it be that fast?" Lin Xing said, laughing helplessly.
"That's not necessarily true. If I were the producer, I’d have the post-production team working overtime to release it while you're at the peak of your popularity," Guan Peng shook his head.
"Old Guan is right about that," Minnie said as she entered. She had heard Guan Peng's comment and laughed, "Just like how I interviewed Ah Xing yesterday, but I'm planning to release that episode on the 5th."
"Wait, Xiao Mi, you're releasing yesterday's episode so quickly?" Zheng Zhou asked, frowning as he walked in.
Minnie smiled, "Yes, after filming yesterday, I held an emergency meeting, and we're having the post-production team work overtime to get it out."
"In that case, we need to do some re-recording," Zheng Zhou thought for a moment. "Otherwise, it will be inconsistent."
Minnie was stunned, then realized, "Okay, I'll tell my team to come over for a re-shoot."
"No need, just use the recording here, and we'll send it to your post-production team after we finish," Zheng Zhou said. He was always more comprehensive in his planning. Otherwise, if they had recorded at Zheng Zhou’s studio yesterday, but then were shown meeting at the studio today saying they were "about to leave," the continuity would be ruined.

"Okay, thank you, Brother Zhou," Minnie thanked him.
"Enough, don't be so polite. Let's just focus on doing a good job with the show," Zheng Zhou said with a smile. "Everyone, sit down. Let me explain the recording situation..."

Today was the first recording of "Depart Immediately." As the guests arrived at the studio, they chatted about the show's original intent, just as Zheng Zhou had described: the show was all about going with the flow. They weren't here to be exhausted by competition, and the show wouldn't force them into impossible tasks just to make a fool of themselves. More importantly, many viewers were growing tired of the existing competitive variety shows that relied on repetitive gimmicks like ripping name tags or guessing songs.

Last year, Luo Yuan, a frequent variety show participant, complained, "I'm never doing a mystery-solving show again. Do you know how hard it is? I’d solve the mystery instantly, but the director would think it was too easy and make me act out how difficult it was to solve." Only someone like Luo Yuan dared to complain like that; anyone else would have been blacklisted. But this was the norm in variety shows—many scenes were recorded over and over for effect, so the guests were essentially master actors.

Zheng Zhou, however, preferred to let the actors improvise within a framework. That was why he invited Minnie, Lu Hui, Zhou Le, and Guan Peng—they all had excellent control over the stage. They would ensure the show never became dull or awkward.

Half an hour later, the official recording began.
"Is this it?" Minnie laughed. "Shouldn't we say an opening line?"
"Opening line?" Lu Hui said, "Sister Mi, do a self-introduction..."
"Alright, welcome to 'Tonight's Drama'..." Minnie stood up, then suddenly laughed, "Sorry, sorry, I'm used to saying that."
"Xiao Mi, this show is called 'Depart Immediately.' You'll be fined for getting that wrong," Zheng Zhou said with a kind smile, like a teacher.
"My fault, my fault. Let's do it again. Remember to cut this part out..." Minnie stood up again, "Hello everyone, welcome to 'Depart Immediately.' I'm Minnie. Let me introduce our members: Zheng Zhou, Lu Hui, Zhou Le, Guan Peng..."

As Minnie introduced them, the camera panned to each person.
"And for our first episode, we've invited several guests, including Lin Xing..."
Before Minnie could finish, Ren Yi suddenly shouted, "Xiao Mi, that introduction is wrong."
"Huh?" Minnie looked at Ren Yi, "Brother Yi, what's wrong?"
"I'm the lead," Ren Yi quoted a line from "Protagonist and Supporting Role." "Shouldn't you start with me?"
"Brother Yi, this is a variety show, let's skip the debate over billing," Minnie teased.
"Brother Yi, let it go..." Lu Hui also signaled for Ren Yi to calm down.
"That won't do. It's a matter of principle," Ren Yi continued, "I'm telling you, if you don't put me first, I'm not filming."
"If you don't want to film, then don't," Lin Xing chimed in. "Brother Yi, this is a variety show, why are you arguing over billing? Besides, I don't think Sister Mi's introduction is a problem. It's perfectly normal for me to be ranked first. In terms of traffic, I'm not targeting you, but who had more traffic than me in 'Sweeping the Dark Waves'?"

This was, of course, part of the show's script, but Ren Yi and Lin Xing were improvising. They had to come up with their own lines. When the episode aired, the audience would see the scene where they received their "task."

The recording continued.
"How was that? Did we act like it?" Just as Ren Yi was about to "quit" and Lin Xing was ready to let him, Ren Yi suddenly laughed, "Was it too exaggerated?"
"Brother Yi, this is a variety show, not a TV drama. You acted like a big boss, of course it was fake," Lin Xing laughed. "Didn't you see Brother Guan holding back his laughter?"
Guan Peng burst into laughter, "I actually thought it was real at first, but then Ren Yi cracked a smile..."
Five minutes earlier, there had been a shot where Ren Yi had indeed smirked.

Guan Peng continued, "Once he smirked, I knew it was fake."
"Brother Guan, you see clearly. I was just thinking, even if Old Ren doesn't give me face, why is Ah Xing suddenly not giving me face either..." Zheng Zhou kept up the act, "Director, can you tell me in advance next time you plan a task?"

In "Depart Immediately," the director was just a tool; Zheng Zhou controlled the show, and the director merely voiced Zheng Zhou's ideas. In the conference room, the director stated that since the show was called "Depart Immediately," it meant everything was done on the spot—there were no scripts or pre-planned ideas.
Hearing this, Zhou Le asked, "Director, don't tell me we're leaving right now."
"Yes," the director nodded gently. "Our next stop is Tan Province. We'll revisit the filming locations of 'Sweeping the Dark Waves'..."

Everything went according to the "script." And so, everyone set off for Tan Province that day. The cameras followed them as they rushed to prepare.
"It's too sudden. I'm not ready, and we're leaving today?" Guan Peng said to the camera, "This is the only variety show that has ever caught me off guard."
Lu Hui added, "I thought today was just a meeting, and now we're leaving immediately..."
Lin Xing cooperated, saying, "Director, I'm still recording Sister Mi's show outside."
Minnie said, "Ah Xing, let's go, we'll finish recording the show after this."

"Depart Immediately" was divided into several groups, each following a guest, blending reality with performance. By 3:00 PM, the group arrived in Tan Province, where their hotel had already been arranged. Lin Xing then asked, "Can I go to Dafeng Mountain?"
The others chimed in, asking about Dafeng Mountain.
"Why don't we all go to Dafeng Mountain?" Zheng Zhou laughed, "Director, didn't you say we have no route? Can we go see Dafeng Mountain?"
"Yes," the director said. "Then let's head straight to Dafeng Mountain. We'll stay there tonight."
Minnie beamed, "Let's hold a bonfire party tonight; we still have time."
Lu Hui said excitedly, "I think that's a great idea. The weather is perfect for a bonfire party in the winter..."

Thus, the group drove to Dafeng Mountain. By the time they arrived, it was night. Their accommodation was not a hotel, but a farmhouse arranged by the production team the day before—a place where they could cook their own meals and start their own fires. Since it was supposed to be a leisurely life, they had to show it to the audience. Of course, "Depart Immediately" was anti-trope; they weren't showing a relaxing life, but rather chaos.

For example, they had to cook dinner that night. Starting a fire and cooking was fine for Lin Xing, who had cooked often while at Dafeng Mountain, but for Zheng Zhou, Lu Hui, Zhou Le, Minnie, Guan Peng, Ren Yi, and Cao Xiang, it was a disaster.
"Director, I don't think this is reasonable. We just got here and we don't know this place at all. How can we be expected to cook?" Guan Peng protested.
Zheng Zhou followed up, "Exactly, Director. How about we get something ready-made tonight, and tomorrow, once we're familiar with the place, we'll cook for ourselves?"
The director pretended to think about it and said, "Okay."
Everyone cheered.

After dinner, they held a bonfire party. Far from the hustle and bustle of the city, everyone felt it was a wonderful night. The next day, Lin Xing woke up early, as was his habit. Last night, everyone had enjoyed themselves; due to filming, no one drank alcohol, and they wrapped up at 9:00 PM. Today, they were going to visit the school on Dafeng Mountain.

"It's not far from the school, so we can eat at the school cafeteria. I've already called the principal..." Lin Xing said with a smile.
On the way, they chatted casually. Minnie said, "It's been about fifteen years since I was here. I recorded a show with Ah Xing at Dafeng Mountain back then. I was talking to him about it during yesterday's interview; time flies, sixteen years in the blink of an eye..."
Lin Xing laughed, "Sister Mi, we said sixteen years yesterday."
"Right, right, sixteen years. Time really flies," Minnie said.

When they arrived at the school, they ate in the cafeteria. Even though they were celebrities, the children didn't scream or make a fuss. Most of them weren't obsessed with stars; they were focused on changing their lives through education. Some even ate quickly while memorizing their textbooks, racing against time—especially the high school seniors.
"Principal, isn't this bad for their health?" Zheng Zhou asked, frowning. "They eat so fast, and why are they memorizing while they eat?"
The principal shook his head, "It's fine. For them, there's only one path: study hard and get out."
Zheng Zhou said "Oh" and stopped talking. Only Wu Jun among the other artists said, "These kids are indeed working very hard, and they really only have this one path."

For the wealthy, education isn't the only path; their children have the luxury of making mistakes. Others in different industries can pass their businesses down for generations. But for the children of the poor, only hard study remains. Zheng Zhou, Minnie, and Ren Yi, who were at the top of the entertainment industry, couldn't fully comprehend this—their children went to elite schools and didn't need to struggle for grades.

After eating, Lin Xing, led by the principal, saw the library and new air conditioners donated by "Dima Electric."
"We really must thank Ah Xing and Dima Electric. Because of you, the children don't have to freeze this year, and we also thank the country for waiving most of our electricity fees..." The principal was truly eloquent.

Lin Xing and the others recorded at Dafeng Mountain for three days. They tried cooking together, which resulted in complete chaos—Zheng Zhou tried to stir-fry potatoes but didn't cook them through. Lin Xing, sticking to the principle of not wasting food, turned the ingredients into a big pot stew. In the winter, a bowl of that stew was truly delicious.

On the fourth day, "Depart Immediately" left Dafeng Mountain to revisit the filming locations of "Sweeping the Dark Waves," while Lin Xing returned to the capital.
Indeed, it was January 4th, and Lin Xing was to attend the preview screening of "Operation Fishing."
"Ah Xing, over here..." Hong Fei said, smiling at Lin Xing and Guan Peng. "Thank you both for your hard work."
Lin Xing and Guan Peng had left the variety show together to attend the screening.
"What hard work?" Lin Xing laughed. "Brother Hong, you're being too formal."
Guan Peng added, "Alright, Old Hong, don't worry about us, go do your thing."
With the preview screening underway, the cast and crew were inevitably going to be interviewed. Lin Xing and Guan Peng put on their masks and went to their seats. The audience consisted mostly of celebrities and film critics. This screening was not open to the public; everyone was invited. This was standard practice—before a premiere or preview, industry insiders are invited to watch and then praise the film. "Operation Fishing" was no exception. Knowing they weren't a blockbuster, they invited as many celebrities as possible, hoping to use their influence to promote the film.

At 9:00, the film began. At 11:45, it ended. There were no post-credits scenes, and the lights came on as the end theme played.
Clap, clap, clap!
The audience began to applaud. Then came the sharing session.
Xiao Ming, a well-known director, stood up first: "This film is good, high completion, I like it very much. Wishing it a big box office."
Very perfunctory.
Then came other actors, screenwriters, and singers. They all said essentially the same thing: the film is great, wishing it a big box office. For half an hour, nearly 40 people shared their thoughts.

"Teacher Lin, why don't you say a few words?" Lin Xing was surprised when director Wang Jun called on him. He had been wearing a mask and sitting in an inconspicuous corner, so few had noticed him. As he stood up, many people looked at him.
"He really is quite handsome," some film critics thought. In the entertainment industry, handsome men are not rare, but being called handsome sixteen years ago and still being considered handsome today is rare. Lin Xing was one of them; the rest were all artists over sixty. Lin Xing was only 32.

"Hello, Director, hello everyone..." Lin Xing took the microphone and stood up. "I think this film is very good. I really liked the three-line narrative structure, especially the story of how the old man was defrauded and how the programmer was gradually 'butchered'..."
Well, well. Some people looked at Lin Xing in surprise. Everyone knew this was a preview screening and that no one had seen the film beforehand. Yet, Lin Xing’s summary of the plot was incredibly precise.
The film detailed how the old man was defrauded—his data had been compromised, and the scammers immediately laundered the money. It also showed how the programmer, initially quite clever, was undone by his own overconfidence and dragged into becoming a gambler. Gamblers are often full of lies, trusting no one, and the film captured this perfectly. The third line followed the scammers abroad; although the city was fictional, everyone knew it was Thailand.

Finally, Lin Xing said, "I hope those who have elderly family members will take them to see this film, and even those who think they won't be deceived should watch it. See what a 'pig-butchering plate' is. See why these people can deceive us. Anti-fraud awareness is a long and arduous road. I hope everyone will never be deceived, and I hope for a world without fraud."

Lin Xing didn't waste a single word; he didn't even use polite filler. He truly felt "Operation Fishing" was a good film. The director had researched real cases and didn't turn telecommunications fraud into a romance story—which had happened before, where the scammer and victim fall in love, which is complete nonsense. In Lin Xing's view, these scammers are cold-blooded, cruel, and devoid of humanity, and "Operation Fishing" portrayed that perfectly. Hong Fei, who played a villain, performed the role of the number two scammer remarkably well.

Lin Xing finished by praising the director and actors. It had been five minutes. He hadn't tried to steal the spotlight or topics; he simply thought the film was good and deserved promotion. But both the audience and director Wang Jun were surprised. People had heard that Lin Xing had shed his "illiterate" persona, but seeing is believing.

Two hours later, Lin Xing was trending.
"Damn, I want to see this film now. I trust what Lin Xing says."
"Exactly, Lin Xing has always been promoting anti-fraud knowledge. If he thinks we should take our elders to see it, then I definitely will."
"Yes, I'm going to watch it to prevent my family from being scammed."

Many people were persuaded to watch the film after hearing Lin Xing's anti-fraud tips. More importantly, if anyone else had said it, people might have thought it was exaggerated, but they trusted Lin Xing. Some even joked that he was becoming an "Anti-Fraud Ambassador."

As the preview screenings continued across ten cities, audience feedback began to pour in. "I'm sweating after watching 'Operation Fishing.' It's the first time I've felt so sick to my stomach watching a movie about telecom fraud."
"Yes, previous films were too mild. This one is genuinely bloody."
"I'm terrified to go abroad now. Who said it was safe?"
"Safety depends on the person, but I agree, that Thailand promotional video is a no-go."

This was the benefit of preview screenings—as long as the word-of-mouth is good, there's no problem. Now, the first wave of feedback was very positive. Meanwhile, because of the buzz around "Operation Fishing," people began to turn their anger toward Li Xingchi. They felt Li Xingchi, Xu Han, and Hao Zhi were truly despicable.
"Fans, don't bother defending them. After watching 'Operation Fishing,' I think Li Xingchi is even more of a jerk."
"I know it's just a movie, but I looked it up, and there are so many real cases. And you guys are still promoting us to go play there?"
"Funny, truly funny. I'll just say Lin Xing is the real one."

The next day, the latest episode of "A Day Trip with Minnie" aired on YiKan Video. Because Lin Xing was trending, the show's popularity soared.
"Hahaha, Lin Xing's persona is truly solid."
"Who would have thought Lin Xing would be so remarkably honest?"
"I think he's great. I didn't expect him to be this genuine."
"This is the most comfortable interview I've ever watched."
"Honestly, Lin Xing is keeping it balanced, and he's even promoting 'Operation Fishing' on this show."
"Not only that, he's been promoting anti-fraud knowledge the whole time."

As Minnie predicted, the episode was generating huge buzz. This was partly due to Lin Xing's popularity and partly due to the content. Many guests in interviews are usually stiff, afraid to be themselves for fear of ruining their image. But Lin Xing was different. He wasn't afraid of his image collapsing; he kept telling Minnie he was just an ordinary person who worried and made mistakes, but he knew how to manage those feelings. He didn't spout chicken soup; he just let everyone know he was a regular guy. Even when it came to acting, he didn't deny wanting to play the lead, but he emphasized that he preferred reading the script first. In the end, he didn't forget to promote anti-fraud awareness once more. Compared to Li Xingchi, Xu Han, and Hao Zhi, the difference in quality was night and day.

The next day, the 6th, Minnie added an extra version—a bonus edition—which covered Lin Xing’s upcoming variety show. This was his first variety show since "Sweeping the Dark Waves."
"Damn, this looks good! It's the show I wanted, and it's related to 'Sweeping the Dark Waves'."
"Yes, I think it looks great. I don't know about others, but I'm looking forward to this."
"With Zheng Zhou and Minnie, just because of those two, I think this show is worth waiting for."

"A Day Trip with Minnie" helped Lin Xing gain more favorable reviews. The honesty he showed in the interview resonated with the audience. And it was pure timing—after the reputation of Li Xingchi, Xu Han, and Hao Zhi collapsed, and their extreme fans made things worse, "Operation Fishing" trended. Lin Xing had caught that wave. Then, his comments at the preview screening added to his reputation. Finally, the interview show helped promote "Depart Immediately," which was also being edited and released in real-time.

Before the first episode aired, Lin Xing promoted it on his Weibo. He didn't use the uniform script everyone else was using because he felt it was a bit awkward. Instead, he wrote his own, staying true to his honest persona. He hoped everyone would watch the show, not be too anxious or rushed, and find a balance between work and life. He hoped everyone would have a good 2024. Safe, healthy, and happy—that was enough. Since the Spring Festival wasn't as exciting as it used to be, many people felt like watching a variety show was a better option.

And so, during the Spring Festival, the show aired right on time.