Chapter Fifty-Two: Where There Is Competition, There Are Victims—Even Veteran Actors Are Not Exempt

Since July, after the scandal involving Wu Yao, Lin Xing’s unexpected resurgence has been met with a relentless wave of online hostility, most of it aimed at preventing her from becoming even more popular. As time went on, the negativity surrounding “Farming with the Stars” and “Waiting Only for You” intensified. However, Lin Xing had already taken legal action against her detractors, and even Li Xingchi’s side had pushed their manager forward to take the blame. The message was clear: punish one to warn a hundred. As a result, many of those who had been targeting Lin Xing hurriedly deleted their posts overnight.

In theory, there were still people out there looking to criticize Lin Xing, but as long as they didn’t cross the line, neither Lin Xing nor Sister Dao cared enough to react—it simply wasn’t worth the effort. Yet tonight, Sister Dao suddenly called Lin Xing with a special warning. What did that mean?

“It’s not just the trolls this time—someone is coming after us directly,” she explained with a wry smile. “But it’s nothing major. I just wanted to let you know in advance in case it affects your mood. As I said, leave matters outside to me.”

“Alright,” Lin Xing replied, smiling as well. “Thanks for your hard work, Sister Dao.”

“It’s nothing. If you really feel grateful, then try not to be so laid-back in the future.” Sister Dao laughed. “A manager fears not hard work, but the lack of it.”

She meant what she said. Lately, Sister Dao had been full of fighting spirit. For the past ten years, Lin Xing had been almost too calm and unfazed by the industry, and Sister Dao had feared she’d never change. Who would have thought that a streak of good fortune would come so suddenly, one after another?

After hanging up, Sister Dao recalled Lin Xing’s words: “A stream does not vie to be first, but strives to flow unceasingly.” She believed them to be true. But how many people can truly keep working, honing their craft during times of obscurity, without arrogance or impatience?

Lin Xing had done just that. Over the past decade, apart from her charity work, she had devoted herself to mastering her skills, never withdrawing from the stage of the entertainment world. And now, opportunity had arrived, and she soared like a great roc riding the wind. Sister Dao was more convinced than ever that Lin Xing would go even further. Now that Lin Xing wanted to step out of her comfort zone, Sister Dao was determined to accompany her.

All Lin Xing had to do was focus on being a good actress. Everything else was Sister Dao’s responsibility.

…

On Weibo, the well-known “King of Scoops” posted a sensational piece of gossip. He claimed to have received a private message, which he shared with the caption, “No way, seriously?”

The message read: “King, I have some inside info for you. The highly anticipated ‘Sweeping Black Waves’ project has already been infiltrated by a popular idol. Not only did they get in, but one of the major roles has already been given to them. If you don’t believe me, wait a couple of days for the official announcement.”

“What the hell, are you kidding me??”

“Damn, I was really looking forward to ‘Sweeping Black Waves,’ and now another idol’s muscled in??”

…

The “King of Scoops” set the internet abuzz, and soon other marketing accounts joined in, each with their own “exclusive” rumors. Everyone spoke in riddles, never naming names, but the implication was clear: a popular idol had landed a leading role in “Sweeping Black Waves”—classic case of capital interference.

At first, the rumor was just that an idol had snagged a substantial part, but it quickly escalated to claims that the idol was now starring in the show. Everyone in the industry knew “Sweeping Black Waves” was a prime opportunity, and although the cast hadn’t been announced, no one expected a traffic-driven celebrity to join the project. After all, everyone knew Zhu Ming’s reputation—he was famously strict, earning the nickname “Tyrant on Set.”

“I always thought Zhu Ming could never be swayed by capital, but now I see I was wrong.”

“Damn it, hasn’t capital force-fed us enough garbage these past years? Uglies being propped up as beauties, talentless hacks praised for their ‘explosive’ performances?”

“I just don’t get it—why can’t these idols stick to romance, fantasy, or idol dramas? Why do they have to mess with serious works too?”

“Screw this, I’m not planning on watching ‘Sweeping Black Waves’ now.”

…

When Lin Xing returned to her villa and saw the news online, everything became clear. To have such a rumor break just as “Sweeping Black Waves” was about to announce its cast was obviously a deliberate attack on her. No wonder Sister Dao had warned her in advance—this was not the right time to offer any explanation.

It all boiled down to this: the audience had suffered under the reign of “idol traffic” for far too long, as well as the heavy hand of capital. Viewers had been force-fed mediocrity for years. At this point, even if you claim to be different, no one believes you. If an idol appears in a film, casual viewers immediately tune out, leaving only the fans behind to drown out criticism and celebrate.

So before “Sweeping Black Waves” had even made its official announcement, the rumor alone was enough to enrage the general public. Because they believed it.

That’s right. No one thought it was a baseless rumor—everyone assumed an idol would do something like this, and capital would force it through.

Just like Qi Shuai, who once played a leading role in a serious drama despite being wooden as a board, and then had the nerve to claim in interviews he was truly immersed in his role—and even won Best Actor for it. Imagine how disgusted the audience must have felt. And now that Qi Shuai’s career has imploded, here comes another one?

No wonder the audience was fed up. In the blink of an eye, “Sweeping Black Waves” shot up the trending charts. There were definitely forces at work behind the scenes, but it also showed how much the general public now despised idol actors. Many viewers just wanted to enjoy a serious drama—why did idols have to intrude even there?

How could anyone stand it?

So the backlash turned toward “Sweeping Black Waves” itself, with many people flooding the show’s official account: “We don’t want idol actors.”

Meanwhile, Sister Dao had already mobilized the operations and PR teams. She might not know exactly who was targeting Lin Xing, but it was obvious someone felt threatened. Someone’s interests had been disturbed.

In the entertainment industry, it’s not just idol actors who fight for roles—even veteran actors can be ruthless. There’s only so much space, and competition means there will always be casualties. From the looks of things, someone was unhappy about Lin Xing landing the role of Zhou Bo.

“Right, push out all of Lin Xing’s positive stories—but don’t make it too obvious,” Sister Dao instructed the PR and operations departments. Her goal was to reassure the “Sweeping Black Waves” production team and, above all, send a clear message:

Lin Xing is not like those other idol actors.

She brings genuine public goodwill.

…

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