Chapter Ninety-Three: "Crackdown" Scheduled for Release, Birthday Banquet Hits the Trending Charts (Extra Chapter with Monthly Ticket)

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“Xiao Lin, busy?” Zu Ming asked with a smile, clearly in a good mood.

“Director Zu, you tell me,” Lin Xing replied hurriedly.

“Well, just now the post-production of ‘Dark Tide Sweep’ was completed, and this drama will be broadcast jointly on the Imperial Capital and Demon City channels. As for the streaming platform, it will be exclusively on Penguin Video…” Zu Ming said with a chuckle.

Lin Xing was a bit taken aback. Normally, the news of an imminent premiere could be passed to the staff, and there would be no need for Zu Ming to call him personally.

Yet Lin Xing listened attentively as Zu Ming continued, then asked, “So, Director Zu, when will it air?”

“January 1st, the grand opening of the year,” Zu Ming said with a smile. “I’m just letting you know. At noon today, a fixed-release trailer for ‘Dark Tide Sweep’ will be published. Are you in the Imperial Capital? If you are, let’s have a drink tonight. Feng Gang is sitting right next to me.”

“Ah Xing, I came to the Imperial Capital for some business, and then the old Zu dragged me to his studio,” Feng Gang said loudly from beside him. “Shall we hang out tonight?”

Lin Xing smiled wryly, “Director Zu, Director Feng, unfortunately, I’m currently filming on Egret Island.”

“On Egret Island?” Feng Gang suddenly realized. “That’s why I haven’t heard from you recently. So you’ve joined the crew?”

Lin Xing nodded slightly. “Yes, I’ve been on set for a while now.”

“Haha, never mind. I was thinking of having old Feng call you to surprise you,” Feng Gang laughed heartily. “Let’s get together next time.”

“Xiao Lin, keep filming. We’ll talk when you’re back in the Imperial Capital,” Zu Ming said a few more words before hanging up.

Lin Xing suddenly understood. No wonder Zu Ming called him personally—it was because of Feng Gang.

Shortly after, Lin Xing received a WeChat message from the staff, repeating that the fixed-release trailer for ‘Dark Tide Sweep’ would be released at noon, along with a copy for him.

Lin Xing replied, “Received!”

At noon, the fixed-release trailer for ‘Dark Tide Sweep’ was officially launched.

“#DarkTideSweepSuperTopic##DarkTideSweepPremiereJanuary1st2024##‘DarkTideSweep’JusticeRisingTrailer#

In the dark corners of Jinghai, evil forces run rampant, oppressing innocent people and stripping away hope. Yet, there is always a group of brave and fearless individuals who stand against tyranny and darkness, fighting for justice.

When evil prevails, where is justice? When the law is trampled, who will uphold it?

‘Dark Tide Sweep,’ based on true events, unfolds a thrilling narrative that portrays the magnificent journey of rooting out organized crime and corruption.

Breaking umbrellas, dismantling webs—where there is evil, it must be eradicated.

Justice will ultimately triumph, and light will finally arrive.

…

This time, the official account of ‘Dark Tide Sweep’ posted a lengthy, inspiring copy along with an extended trailer.

Compared to the first teaser, this super-length trailer introduces all the characters, vividly showcasing the fierce tides of Jinghai.

…

“The sky over Jinghai is too dark; I can no longer tell good from evil. So why should I trust you?”

“Fourteen years, hasn’t the supervision team been here enough times? What was the result? Every time, Jinghai was still named the safest city.”

…

“I don’t care how powerful the forces in Jinghai are. We’re here to investigate. If necessary, we’ll trace back twenty years.”

“Rooting out crime isn’t a dinner party. It’s a life-or-death battle.”

…

“In fourteen years, my beloved mentor died; comrades who protected me and saved my life passed away; my carefully trained apprentices died; even my wife died. I’m left all alone. Do you think I still fear death?”

“I tell you, since I put on this uniform, I was ready to sacrifice for the people at any time. But why have I endured for fourteen years? I want to catch all of you scoundrels.”

…

“Why, though we invested in this project, do we have to give Shen Ming 30%? Why should he get 30%?”

“What are you thinking? That 70% is Shen Ming’s. Whose project in Jinghai doesn’t rely on Shen Ming’s face?”

…

“Godfather, to your death!”

…

The ten-minute extended fixed-release trailer filled everyone with anticipation.

Following that, the entire creative team shared the copy, and Lin Xing reposted it with the script’s wording.

This time, ‘Dark Tide Sweep’ also bought trending spots.

Soon after, the Imperial Capital and Demon City TV stations reposted the official account and wrote their own copies.

Penguin Video followed, though it didn’t repost the official account. Instead, Penguin wrote its own copy and announced that early reservations had opened, tagging the official account.

Only a few days left until January 1.

The grand opening of the year.

‘Dark Tide Sweep’ wouldn’t dare to air on January 1 without solid confidence.

Besides, if the quality wasn’t good enough, the two major satellite TV stations and the streaming platform wouldn’t have given it such a prime slot.

In short, today ‘Dark Tide Sweep’ dominated the charts.

“Wow, this scale is impressive. I’m looking forward to it.”

“With Zu Ming and Liao Qingshan involved, the baseline is guaranteed, not to mention so many veteran actors. The trailer looks really good.”

“I’ve read the original novel. Now that Liao Qingshan is the screenwriter, as long as they follow the original, this drama will be a hit.”

“Exactly. With Zu Ming directing, there’s nothing to worry about. Just hope it airs soon.”

…

The general public’s discussion remained neutral.

From their perspective, ‘Dark Tide Sweep’ has Zu Ming directing, original author Liao Qingshan as screenwriter, and a cast of seasoned actors.

More importantly, this drama doesn’t have any filters. After watching the trailer, many felt it was quite good.

But like before, a different faction was active in the comment section.

“Hey, don’t overthink it. Didn’t you see Lin Xing barely appeared in this trailer?”

“As long as Lin Xing’s in it, I won’t watch. Your hype doesn’t work on me.”

“This is hilarious. I want to see how badly Lin Xing gets beaten.”

“I’ll say it upfront: Lin Xing’s screen time in ‘Dark Tide Sweep’ will be awkward, and the drama will flop because a popular idol will ruin the atmosphere.”

…

What’s stubbornness?

This is stubbornness.

Two-thirds of these negative comments come from Lin Xing’s haters and rival fans.

What’s deeply ingrained bias?

Or perceptions about popular idols?

This is it.

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One-third of the negative comments are from genuine viewers.

They truly think Lin Xing isn’t good. After all, idol stars generally don’t act well. More importantly, the fixed impression of Lin Xing remains, even though he gained popularity through ‘Only Waiting for You.’

But romantic dramas and serious dramas aren’t the same.

Lin Xing indeed lacks the know-how.

So, from the announcement of ‘Dark Tide Sweep’ to its wrap-up, these people kept criticizing.

Then the first teaser was released, and they still criticized.

Now, with the fixed-release trailer out, they continue to complain.

Some even criticize while benefiting from the buzz.

Take ‘Old Wang Watching Films,’ a prominent Weibo influencer. He declared during the wrap-up that Lin Xing would be crushed like Fu Shu by veteran actors.

‘Old Wang Watching Films’ is known for sharp words and never hesitates to confront popular idols. Before Qi Shuai’s scandal, he fought fiercely with Qi Shuai’s fans for hundreds of rounds.

The more battles, the more fans he gained.

Eventually, ‘Old Wang Watching Films’ figured out the secret to traffic: criticize idol fans and their acting skills.

Lin Xing still has considerable popularity, so ‘Old Wang Watching Films’ thought he could ride this wave.

Besides, much of what he said was true.

When the shoot ended, he tried to stir the pot and gained more fans and attention.

There was potential.

After the first teaser came out, he evaluated it directly.

“Lin Xing’s portrayal of Zhou Bo is completely skewed towards madness, which doesn’t fit the original at all. I suggest the crew remove his scenes before the premiere. Lin Xing simply can’t act.”

That Weibo post by ‘Old Wang Watching Films’ garnered over 30,000 shares, with many agreeing.

Many who reposted were Lin Xing’s haters or rival fans.

People didn’t know how Lin Xing actually acted, but it didn’t matter.

As long as someone criticized Lin Xing, they considered themselves friends.

Today, the 10-minute-plus fixed-release trailer showed Lin Xing’s lines only in the very last sentence.

Yes.

No other scenes at all.

This excited ‘Old Wang Watching Films’ immensely.

He posted on Weibo, “Looks like ‘Dark Tide Sweep’ took my advice. I said if they condensed Lin Xing’s screen time, the drama’s quality would improve greatly. Look at this super-long fixed-release trailer. What do you all think?”

He even attached an image quoting his earlier remarks from the first teaser.

It seemed ‘Old Wang Watching Films’ demanded a major cut of Lin Xing’s scenes, and the crew actually did it.

“Hahaha, Old Wang’s awesome. I think the ‘Dark Tide Sweep’ team should pay you for promotion.”

“To be honest, I was advising against Lin Xing joining ‘Dark Tide Sweep.’ Now, this is the right move.”

“Exactly. As long as Lin Xing’s out, I’m willing to support ‘Dark Tide Sweep.’”

“Old Wang is amazing, truly impressive. He got it right.”

“Hahaha, I’m dying laughing. Lin Xing must be so embarrassed this time, seeing his scenes cut out at the premiere.”

…

Many onlookers enthusiastically reposted and expressed excitement.

They were happy when Lin Xing suffered.

Especially fans of Chu Chen, Li Xingchi, Xu Han, Hao Zhi, and others—they joined the fun.

Fan circles hold grudges. Many keep diaries recording who has wronged their idols, waiting for the right moment to retaliate.

Lin Xing, in particular, is seen as a sworn enemy to Xu Han and Hao Zhi’s fans.

‘Old Wang Watching Films’’s Weibo post quickly surpassed 50,000 shares, and the momentum pushed it to the trending list.

Zu Ming’s studio.

Feng Gang was about to go eat with Zu Ming when he saw the post on Weibo and asked, “Old Zu, did you really cut Lin Xing’s scenes?”

Zu Ming looked puzzled. “Why would I cut Lin Xing’s scenes?”

“If you didn’t, then why does the trailer only show one shot of him?” Feng Gang frowned. “Lots of people online say Lin Xing’s scenes were all cut.”

“Nonsense.”

Zu Ming swore under his breath, “Lin Xing’s performance in ‘Dark Tide Sweep’ is excellent. He has several outstanding scenes, so I can’t spoil them early—it would ruin the mystery.”

Feng Gang understood. “I see.”

“What else did you think?”

Zu Ming said somewhat wryly, “I’m telling you, old Feng, aren’t you paying too much attention to Lin Xing?”

“It’s not too much attention. I just want someone like him to go further.”

Feng Gang shook his head. “There are too few people in the entertainment industry as loyal and kind as Lin Xing.”

Sometimes, hardship reveals true hearts. Without trials, you think everyone around you is a friend, but when trouble comes, you see who’s really a person and who’s a ghost.

On Weibo, ‘Old Wang Watching Films’’s post stirred much discussion, but both the ‘Dark Tide Sweep’ crew and Lin Xing ignored it.

There’s no point denying it because marketing accounts have all kinds of slick excuses.

Looking at them is losing.

Throughout the day, online discussion about ‘Dark Tide Sweep’ didn’t lessen; it increased.

In the evening, [Old Zhong] reposted ‘Old Wang Watching Films’’s post, saying, “Sharing for now, let’s see when ‘Dark Tide Sweep’ airs.”

Someone asked Old Zhong which side he took.

Old Zhong replied, “I don’t take sides. I only believe my own eyes. Once it airs, we’ll know. But I do know one thing: Old Wang is definitely talking nonsense.”

“Hahaha, Old Zhong, how can you say you’re neutral?”

“From the first teaser to this fixed-release trailer, Lin Xing’s scenes have indeed been reduced.”

“Upstairs, have you thought this might be normal? In the first trailer, Lin Xing had several tens of seconds out of two minutes. For the second trailer, to keep the mystery, a few seconds is reasonable.”

“That ‘Old Wang Watching Films’ is just a clickbait hound. He criticizes idols but is no stranger to riding their traffic himself.”

…

Thus, the two big influencers clashed online that night.

Lin Xing honestly had no time to care about the online noise.

He was filming night scenes.

Tonight’s scene was on the playground—the opening of the ‘Campus Playground Burial Case,’ where construction workers unearthed bones.

Because of many extras present, filming progressed slowly.

By wrap-up, it was nearly dawn.

Everyone was exhausted, and Lin Xing returned to the hotel with the others.

For actors, filming until three or four in the morning is quite normal.

Back at the hotel, Lin Xing was about to sleep but received a call from director Liu Zhou.

“Teacher Lin, can you come over? There’s a problem with the script,” Liu Zhou said.

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Lin Xing hurried, “Okay, Director Liu, I’m on my way.”

Since they were on the same floor, Lin Xing quickly reached Liu Zhou’s room.

He knocked and entered, feeling confused.

The room was pitch dark, but Wei Fei pushed out a cake from the suite.

“Happy birthday, Teacher Lin!”

At Wei Fei’s words, others applauded enthusiastically.

After nearly twenty days of filming, the crew was genuinely impressed with Lin Xing.

He worked diligently, never asking for special treatment. Even when he had no scenes, he helped the props team and occasionally the lighting crew.

Where does one see such a popular idol?

So, when the crew learned Lin Xing’s birthday was December 7, they planned this day.

They even gave a day off to celebrate.

Everyone had been working hard lately.

“Thank you, thank you, everyone,” Lin Xing said, honestly having forgotten his birthday.

“Teacher Lin, make a wish and blow out the candles,” Liu Zhou smiled.

Wei Fei shouted, “Yes, make a wish, Teacher Lin! Give me my phone—I want to record it.”

Lin Xing made a wish and blew out the candles.

Snap!

Others might have been more reserved, but Wei Fei got carried away, smearing cake all over Lin Xing’s face.

“It’s a birthday; there has to be atmosphere,” Wei Fei laughed.

Everyone then had fun together, followed by a late-night meal to wrap up.

For Lin Xing, this was his first birthday celebrated on set.

In past years, he always spent it in the Imperial Capital.

“Teacher Lin, sorry for smearing the cake on your face just now,” Wei Fei apologized as she left.

Lin Xing chuckled, “Fei, was that Director Liu making you apologize?”

“Yes, old Liu said I went too far with the prank,” Wei Fei admitted. “But I felt that since we’re celebrating on set and have worked together for twenty days, we’re friends now. A polite birthday would be so dull.”

“Yes, Fei, no need to apologize. I think this atmosphere is great,” Lin Xing smiled.

Wei Fei hadn’t had many scenes in the past twenty days, mostly helping with logistics like Ma Wen.

She’s known for loyalty.

When Qiao Jun was betrayed by his ex-wife years ago, Wei Fei defended him fiercely on Weibo and even helped him find a new agency.

Being around such a person is effortless.

They say what they mean.

And Wei Fei isn’t low EQ like Feng Qing, who’s the only one in the industry who is somewhat clueless, protected by his parents.

Speaking of Feng Qing, Lin Xing noticed Feng Qing also reposted the ‘Dark Tide Sweep’ fixed-release trailer on Weibo.

He now even registered his own account with the verified title [Actor].

Still confident.

The next day, December 8, Lin Miao Yin’s wrap-up scene arrived.

Today’s scene was also the last of the ‘Campus Burial Case,’ where Liu Zi Tong changed into her own clothes and cut her hair short.

She was planning to end her life.

For Liu Zi Tong, the past ten years had been painful and unbearable.

So she decided to end it.

Before filming, Liu Zhou confirmed safety measures again since the scene was on the rooftop.

There had been accidents before due to rooftop filming.

“Cut!” Liu Zhou called, marking the wrap for Lin Miao Yin.

Staff had prepared flowers to congratulate her.

On set, Lin Miao Yin shook hands with everyone, enjoying a taste of the lead’s treatment.

She knew this was only because she was riding on Brother Xing’s influence.

“Thank you, Director Liu, thank you Brother Xing, Brother Zhou, and everyone,” Lin Miao Yin said, holding flowers and smiling.

Then came the usual photo sessions.

“Brother Xing, you’re trending again,” Xiao Nan said oddly as she approached. “And you’re trending with Miao Yin.”

Lin Xing was puzzled.

What does that mean?

Why would he be trending with Lin Miao Yin?

…

…

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(End of Chapter)