Chapter 120: Reality, Awkwardness, Counterattack, and Choosing a Wife (Requesting Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)

Peace. Health. Happiness.

These are the New Year wishes for many, and the most sincere blessings from the majority. In the hearts of the people, the Spring Festival marks the true beginning of the year, and the Lantern Festival signals its official end. However, for the working class, the grind often resumes on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year.

Because of this, the variety show *Depart Immediately* only aired one episode during the Spring Festival, yet the response was quite impressive. Both the program's core philosophy and its execution were well-received. After all, this is an S-plus-tier variety show. To put it simply, with Zheng Zhou, Minnie, Lu Hui, and Zhou Le as permanent guests, the rating could never be lower than S. Furthermore, the first episode featured the leads of the 2024 blockbuster hit *Sweeping the Dark Storm*, which naturally maximized expectations from the start.

The show followed a "slow variety" format but bucked the trend. Instead of pretending that rural life is a dream, it told the audience that while life sometimes requires slowing down, that doesn't mean the idyllic life people yearn for is actually perfect. Many rural variety shows are riddled with fakeness; whether it is the permanent or guest stars, they claim to be living a rustic life, yet they stay in modern houses equipped with every electrical appliance imaginable. It’s as if they are living in a utopia. They don't need to do farm work, nor do they need to cook for themselves; everything is seemingly arranged for them. They just sit around a table, eating, chatting, and sighing, "The pace of life is too fast now; we need to slow down."

Wouldn't you agree that’s quite annoying? This is precisely why audiences are becoming increasingly uninterested in these so-called slow variety shows. The essence of a reality show lies in two things: "reality" and "show." But now, they are neither "real" nor is the "show" entertaining. The guests don't even want to pretend; they just want to enjoy themselves while lecturing the audience. Aside from inviting traffic-driven stars and having their fan bases control the comments, these shows are utterly meaningless.

Precisely because of this, when Zheng Zhou created *Depart Immediately*, he kept two points in mind at all times. First, "reality." There is a script, but the actors must have room for improvisation. Everything must be grounded—even cooking must involve interaction between the actors and the locals. Second, "show." That goes without saying; if a variety show lacks a "show" element, it will definitely flop.

This is where Zheng Zhou is clever. He made *Depart Immediately* a slow variety show, yet it is completely different from previous rural life programs. He knows what the audience likes to watch. In fact, the success of *Let’s Farm* gave Zheng Zhou some inspiration. Farming—what is there to watch? Yet, *Let’s Farm* relied on the atmosphere of farm life—real harvesting, cooking, raising animals, and building greenhouses—to immerse the audience. If they could do it, why couldn't *Depart Immediately*?

The highlights of the first episode were built on the unexpected, yet even this "unexpected" was scripted, albeit seamlessly. Especially the cooking segment. Unlike other shows that skip the grocery shopping entirely, focusing only on the stars cooking or deliberately showing them failing to appear "clumsy" for laughs—often wasting a whole table of food—this show was different. If audiences were to take that seriously, the stars would be blasted. A few years ago, a talent show by Little Deer Video required buying milk to scan bottle caps for votes, leading fans to dump the milk after scanning. When public outcry arose, fans retorted, "I have money, what's it to you if I buy milk and dump it?" The show was promptly taken off the air. You can waste food, but you cannot stand up and justify it by saying you have money.

*Depart Immediately* detailed the process of the stars preparing ingredients. They went to the roadside to buy vegetables and chatted with vendors because they needed to understand the prices. At the very least, this showed the audience a slice of "reality." When cooking, although the stars didn't do a great job, Lin Xing ended up making a big pot of stew. Meanwhile, the screen displayed slogans advising against wasting food. When it comes to being cautious, Zheng Zhou is a professional.

"This is a truly good variety show. Zheng Zhou is still capable."
"Exactly, with Zheng Zhou and Minnie in control, the show isn't boring at all."
"The main thing is that I was really worried at the start that this would turn into another interview show."
"Right, hahaha. Either way, the first episode is interesting."

After the first episode ended, because of the positive response and audience buzz, Zheng Zhou held a livestream. The stream featured six people: Zheng Zhou, Minnie, Lu Hui, Zhou Le, Guan Peng, and Lin Xing. Ren Yi was on vacation abroad, and Cao Xiang was busy filming on set. Lin Xing represented the cast of *Sweeping the Dark Storm*. They mainly chatted about their feelings while recording *Depart Immediately*. Zheng Zhou mentioned some behind-the-scenes tidbits, noting that they were worried about what would happen if they cooked poorly, and it was Lin Xing who solved the problem with his big-pot stew. Lu Hui laughed, "I knew Teacher Lin was good at cooking, but I didn't expect it to be this good."

The 40-minute stream didn't talk too much about *Depart Immediately*. After all, it was only the first episode; if they revealed everything now, what would they talk about later? However, Zheng Zhou and Minnie assured everyone that the upcoming episodes would be even more exciting. Lin Xing was very cooperative during the stream, and Zheng Zhou and Minnie gave him plenty of face, proactively mentioning his web drama *Portrait of a Killer*. After all, that was Lin Xing's only upcoming project. There was no deep discussion about the web drama *Evil Child* because no one cared. It wasn't that they couldn't promote it; the screenwriter of *Evil Child*, Ting Hai, had posted a photo with Lin Xing on his social media when they first met, but besides some exclamations, nothing much was said. Speaking of which, the treatment *Evil Child* was getting was currently even worse than *Portrait of a Killer*.

Lin Xing had been in contact with Ma Wen, Liu Zhou, and Wang Yi during the Spring Festival. He knew that *Portrait of a Killer* was undergoing overtime post-production. They didn't even rest during the holiday, working alongside the post-production staff to get the show released as soon as possible. Before the Spring Festival, when Li Xingchi, Xu Han, and Hao Zhi were filming promotional clips, *Portrait of a Killer* had also released a trailer, as it contained elements of telecom fraud. But there was no helping it; the production team had little budget for promotion, and everyone’s attention during the Spring Festival was on movies. Essentially, the only source of promotion for *Portrait of a Killer* was Lin Xing himself.

Lin Xing understood why Ma Wen and the others were in such a hurry. On one hand, they had been preparing for this drama for so long—Wang Yi had spent three years polishing the script—and they didn't want any mishaps. The rating for *Portrait of a Killer* was already low; if a lead actor got into trouble, they wouldn't even have the money to replace them. On the other hand, everyone knows that if a show doesn't air, anything can happen.

While the creators of *Depart Immediately* were streaming, Lin Xing just took the opportunity to promote it a bit and asked everyone to look forward to it. That was all. Currently, the public was not exactly "looking forward" to *Portrait of a Killer*; most felt it wasn't particularly interesting. Some even discussed, "I don't understand why Lin Xing wants to film a crime-themed web drama."

During the Spring Festival, the official *Portrait of a Killer* account posted a set of photos tagging the leads: Lin Xing, Zhou Wei, Lu Quan, Ning Rong, Li Chuang, and Wei Fei. "Happy New Year, hope to see you soon!" The post featured a nine-grid collage. The leads of the episodic arcs weren't tagged, clearly because the production team planned to promote them sequentially. *Portrait of a Killer* bought some heat for this Weibo post, and with the actors' retweets, the share count hit 25,000, with Lin Xing contributing about 20,000.

*Portrait of a Killer* was in an awkward position. You could say it had a "talented cast + traffic" lineup, but the talented actors weren't "explosive" enough; they were mostly mid-tier. Furthermore, Lin Xing was the only traffic star, but he seemed set on the "acting" path. Thus, it was neither a traffic show nor a pure acting showcase. Especially given the limitations of the crime genre, not to mention the public, even the industry didn't think this web drama would spark much interest.

Crime genres have been limited for years; they are either cliché or turned into romantic idol dramas. You can't expect many surprises from a web drama. If it's a professional crime drama, can it compare to the brilliant ones from twenty years ago? If it's a romance, what's the point? If it were after *Just Waiting for You*, people might still enjoy seeing Lin Xing play a domineering CEO, but now that he had just played Zhou Bo, you want him to go back to idol romances? This was another reason people weren't interested in *Portrait of a Killer*.

Of course, the industry thought the same. When you become famous for a role, you get offers for similar ones. When *Just Waiting for You* was airing, Knife Sister mostly received scripts for domineering CEOs. Now that *Sweeping the Dark Storm* was a hit, she mostly received scripts for villains. This wasn't unique to Lin Xing; many actors go through this. Otherwise, why do we always see the same women playing "the other woman" and men playing "scumbags"? It’s because those are the scripts they are given.

In this regard, Lin Xing was actually quite lucky. When 90% of the scripts were for CEOs, he chose *Portrait of a Killer*; when 90% were for villains like Zhou Bo, he chose *Evil Child*. As he told Knife Sister, "Before, I had no choice. Now, I just want to choose what I believe is right when I have the option." Whether it was *Portrait of a Killer* or *Evil Child*, Lin Xing was quite confident in both.

On the other hand, while Lin Xing's dramas were pending, Zheng Zhou felt that his direction for *Depart Immediately* was correct, so he prepared to continue filming the episodes at Dafeng Mountain. As for the updates, *Depart Immediately* got off to a flying start on February 10, the first day of the Spring Festival. On February 12, the creators held their livestream, and on February 17, the second episode aired, quickly going viral.

On February 24, the Lantern Festival, the third episode aired. The five permanent creators—Zheng Zhou, Minnie, Lu Hui, Zhou Le, and Guan Peng—had been recording at Dafeng Mountain for three episodes and were having a great time. Despite constant mishaps, it was valuable for its authenticity, with very little trace of a script. The filming at Dafeng Mountain spanned six episodes, and on February 29, the fifth day after the Lantern Festival, the last episode was officially completed.

On the last day of February, guests like Ren Yi, Lin Xing, and Cao Xiang wrapped up their filming. That evening, everyone had an outdoor barbecue to celebrate.

"Ah Xing, what are your plans next?" Zheng Zhou invited him, "In my opinion, why don't you just become a permanent guest on our show?"
"Brother Zhou, I'd love to, but I have to meet a production team in a few days," Lin Xing said with a laugh. "I really don't have the time."

Ren Yi shook his head. "It's the last day of February; everyone has to get back to work. I think Ah Xing should film more movies this year and do fewer variety shows."
"Ren Yi, do you think Ah Xing is like you?" Guan Peng said with a bitter smile. "Ah Xing only has two dramas; he has no backlog at all. Plus, we don't know the situation with his new drama. If he doesn't do variety shows, I think he will be quickly forgotten by the audience."

Cao Xiang nodded gently. "Brother Guan is right. When we don't have dramas to film, we can only rely on variety shows to maintain attention. Aren't many young actors the same? If they don't do variety shows, who would discover them?"
"Brother Guan, Brother Xiang, I don't think you need to worry about Brother Xing," Xu Rong said. "Brother Xing won't be forgotten by the audience just because of his face."

"If you don't have a constant stream of work, it's easy to be forgotten," Ren Yi countered. "Xu Rong, you're too young. If relying on your face worked long-term, Ah Xing wouldn't have been out of the limelight for ten years. Look at Wang Fei and Song Wen from our previous drama; as soon as they had no work for a while, the audience naturally forgot them."

Zheng Zhou said, "I think you're all being too one-sided. Why can't variety shows and film/television be two legs to walk on?" He paused and laughed, "Given the frequency with which Ah Xing does variety shows, he is far from making the audience tired of him. On the contrary, many audiences like him. Since that's the case, why not do both?"

In the entertainment industry, you could be red-hot today and ignored tomorrow. It's a place where miracles are created, but those who are eliminated, those who toil their whole lives without a chance, those whose buildings have collapsed—no one cares about them.

The next day, as the six of them—Lin Xing, Ren Yi, Cao Xiang, Wu Jun, Xu Rong, and Zhao Lili—finished recording, the cameras captured their departure, leaving a hook for the audience: who would be invited next time, and what would they do? That was no longer Lin Xing’s concern.

At 11 AM, Lin Xing arrived in the capital.
"You might as well not go back yet," Ren Yi said with a smile. "How about this, I'll call Old Kong, and the three of us will have lunch. I haven't seen him in a while."
"Sure." Lin Xing also had something to discuss with Kong Tian.

Ren Yi dialed Kong Tian’s number. "Where are you? At the studio? Okay, I'm with Ah Xing. We just got back. Let's grab a drink at noon? No outsiders, just me, Ah Xing, and Cao Xiang..."

Kong Tian’s efficiency was truly high. Before the New Year, when Lin Xing visited his studio to discuss the *Evil Child* role, he suggested Kong Tian build a kitchen. Kong Tian said he’d build a kitchen *and* an outdoor barbecue area. He did exactly that. Since it was cold and rainy in the capital, Ren Yi suggested hotpot.

"We have things to do this afternoon, let's drink less," Kong Tian said, having prepared everything.
"You do your thing, Cao Xiang and I will drink," Ren Yi said.
Cao Xiang quickly added, "I have things to do too; I have to get on set tonight."
"Fine, I'll drink with Ah Xing," Ren Yi said to Lin Xing. "Ah Xing, don't tell me you have something to do too?"
"I'm free," Lin Xing laughed, "but Brother Yi, I can't handle white liquor."
"It's fine, just keep me company."

They started drinking and chatting. When the topic of Kong Tian's stubbornness came up—how he couldn't tolerate any "sand" in his eyes and was often abandoned by production crews because they didn't want a "father" figure on set—Kong Tian smiled. "I'm changing. This year I thought a lot. As long as it's not a matter of principle, I'll control my temper."
"Oh, give it a rest," Ren Yi retorted. "You've said that a hundred times."

Kong Tian asked, "Ah Xing, has there been any communication from the *Evil Child* side?"
"Should be soon. I'm meeting the creators tomorrow to discuss the start date," Lin Xing said. "Honestly, I'm getting a bit impatient too."
"Wait, what's going on?" Ren Yi looked at them, frowning. "Don't tell me you two are working together?"
"Indeed, I have to thank Ah Xing for this opportunity..." Kong Tian explained.

The hotpot lasted until 2:30 PM. Kong Tian left to teach his students, and Cao Xiang left at 4:30 PM.
"Brother Yi, still drinking?" Lin Xing asked. "How about some tea?"
"It's fine, you drink tea, I'll drink," Ren Yi said. "But Ah Xing, thank you for what you did for Kong Tian."
Lin Xing was amused. "Brother Yi, why are you thanking me for that?"
"Old Kong is very proud. He doesn't go to class reunions, and when we introduce him to roles, he either turns them down or things end unpleasantly... The industry is realistic. Opportunities aren't easy to get."

Lin Xing smiled. "Brother Yi, you don't need to thank me. We all know what Brother Kong is like. I just introduced him; whether it works out depends on his own ability."

By 8 PM, Kong Tian had returned to find Ren Yi drunk. "Ah Xing, I'll have Ren Yi sleep here; I have the space. I won't send you off; don't you have to go to Panda Video tomorrow?"
"Right." Lin Xing nodded.

Outside, his assistant Xiao Nan and the driver were waiting.
"Didn't I say you didn't need to come?" Lin Xing said as he got into the car.
"Knife Sister was worried and called me. You're being followed by paparazzi a lot now; it wouldn't be good if some female star wanted to use your heat..." Xiao Nan explained.

Lin Xing said nothing more. He could feel that he was being followed more and more. Compared to when he was "out of the limelight" and had no value, he was now worth a trending search for any paparazzi.

Back home, Lin Xing took a hot bath and checked the news. "Lin Xing has finished recording *Depart Immediately* and returned to the capital to dine with friends." The efficiency of the paparazzi was indeed high. The video of him returning had already been posted online.

"No way, is *Depart Immediately* not going to have Lin Xing anymore? I really like him on that show."
"Yeah, he seems sincere and talented."
"Talented? He just knows how to cook."
"Damn, isn't knowing how to cook enough?"

Internet celebrity "Old Wang," who had been blacklisted by *Fishing Action* and other traffic-heavy films, was watching this with a sneer. He had been waiting for a chance to spray Lin Xing. He saw that Lin Xing’s influence and popularity seemed to be declining based on the data. "Without the extreme fans and the data-manipulating teams, your heat is far less than before." He planned to release a video on March 15—"Consumer Rights Day"—to "expose" him.

Lin Xing, however, didn't think much of it. The next morning, he headed to Panda Video. He met with Deng Ying, Ting Sheng, and Lan Lei.
"Teacher Lin..." Ting Sheng was excited.
Deng Ying gestured for Lin Xing to sit. "Teacher Lin, there are two roles not yet finalized. We'd like to hear your opinion." He took out two resumes with a strange expression. "Take a look. These are the female roles. Which one would you like to play your wife?"