The Martial Artist Turned Movie Mogul-Chapter 1012 - 1011. Truly deserved reputation!

"...Don’t ask me, I don’t know either—"

Tang Shu inserted the last silver needle into the other person’s arm. After waiting briefly, she removed most of the needles.

"Alright, wait five more minutes before taking out the remaining needles. The Gu Insects in their bodies won’t relapse for the next three days. During that time, just give them glucose drips to maintain their basic intake."

"Got it."

Tang Shu stood up briskly, and as she turned around, she met three identical looks of admiration. Their eyes were brimming with so much anticipation that it was almost overflowing.

Master Qin had naturally noticed the three’s reactions as well. He shook his head with a sigh, feeling both gratified and somewhat bittersweet.

The gratification came from seeing a future star of traditional Chinese medicine, while the bitterness stemmed from the fact that none of his own disciples could compare—they were utterly defeated by this young girl.

Of course, perhaps he should include himself in that category too. Just the thought of it felt exhausting.

***

At noon, Tang Shu removed her white lab coat and exited the laboratory, heading straight towards the back of the base’s mountain. In no time, she spotted someone dressed in full camouflage.

The other person was armed from head to toe, blending seamlessly into the desolate surroundings despite standing right there. It was all too easy to overlook his presence.

"Here? Put this on first."

He tossed her a dirt-streaked, tattered coat. Yes, a coat. The kind that was riddled with countless frayed threads and looked like it belonged to a beggar.

Also dressed in camouflage, Tang Shu reached out to catch it and draped the coat over herself, completing her disguise before standing opposite him.

"Today, you’re finally looking the part."

Shan Jiang gave Tang Shu a once-over and chuckled lightly, satisfaction flickering in his eyes. Heaven knew how tormenting the last three and a half days of training had been for him. Originally, he had thought it would be easy to mentor a fellow professional—after all, Tang Shu was a sharpshooter. But reality proved otherwise.

And it was all because of Tang Shu’s naturally commanding presence, which made her impossible to overlook!

For someone specializing in long-range attacks and disguise, his role required mastering the art of concealing his presence to the point where he became invisible to everyone. Yet applying this standard to Tang Shu was practically mission impossible.

She was born to stand out!

Concealing her aura was something she could manage decently, but presence was a different beast entirely. In Tang Shu’s case, it was even more pronounced, and only after the past three days had they begun to see the faintest signs of progress.

How on earth did I think three days ago that this would be an easy gig?

Shan Jiang wanted nothing more than to time-travel and slap some sense into his arrogant former self.

Tang Shu, on the other hand, had no idea her instructor had been silently lamenting several times over the past few seconds. She merely found the look in her new colleague’s eyes oddly complicated.

"What is it? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing. Follow me."

With a swift turn, Shan Jiang headed towards a barren mountain peak in the distance. Tang Shu quickly followed suit. Half an hour later, the two of them settled at an optimal position, lying in wait silently.

***

[Feng Yan spotted at the airport]

[Feng Yan warmly welcomed by a sea of loyal fans]

[Feng Yan reveals she’s taken on a new role, calling it a challenge]

...

It had been five days since this international star’s return to the country, and the internet was essentially dominated by Feng Yan, the former Top Actress. At least half of the trending topics in the top 10 were about her, showcasing her overwhelming popularity.

"Xiao Yanyan is finally back; I’m about to cry from how moved I am..."

"I’ve already cried my eyes out, okay? Word is that the loyal fans who showed up at the airport were all sobbing like noodles. Tsk, the scene was incredibly spectacular."

"Our long-absent goddess has finally decided to return; I couldn’t be happier!"

"Looking forward to the new drama. Supposedly, it’s a female-centric story. I can’t wait, squeeee~~~"

"Looking forward to the new drama +1"

"..."

While netizens were still cheering for Feng Yan, Tang Shu, this rising Young Leading Actress who had been making waves for the past two years, was inevitably brought into comparisons. From facial features and physique to awards, someone even compiled a detailed table to contrast the two.

Unsurprisingly, Tang Shu became the target of attacks from some of Feng Yan’s loyal fans, with her Best Actress win being repeatedly criticized.

Seizing the opportunity, many entertainment reporters interviewed this year’s newly crowned Best Actress, bombarding her with sharp questions about her thoughts on defeating Tang Shu.

On the other hand, Tang Shu’s loyal fans were the calmest bunch online. Instead of reacting irrationally, they quietly waited for something.

That quiet persisted until the end of January, when the "Typhoon" production team and Director Xie both posted a message on Weibo simultaneously.

"Typhoon won three awards at the recent film ceremony: Best Screenplay, Best Score, and Best Actress for Tang Shu. Regarding recent media doubts about the awards, the production team responds as follows..."

The theme of this Weibo post exceeded everyone’s expectations, and its sheer length was even more astonishing. Beyond directly addressing the main point, it also detailed the rules of the film evaluation process and the votes of the five nominees.

At the same time, the judges’ scores and written feedback for each role were meticulously provided. To protect identities, the judges’ names were encrypted, but everything else was transparent and easy to understand.

"Holy crap, how on earth did they even get such detailed evaluations?!"

"Director Xie really is extraordinary! For them to even post this, it must’ve been approved by the association, right?"

"Of course it was approved. Being questioned so much, how could they not push back? If they didn’t defend themselves now, it’d be more than just Tang Shu getting dragged—people would be targeting the entire association too!"

"Is that the point, though? Is that the freaking point? Are you guys all missing it? Look at Tang Shu’s public vote numbers!!!"

"Ranking first in public votes is normal—Tang Shu’s fanbase is huge. But the fact that public votes account for only 15% of the final score is unexpected."

"That’s a small percentage! It’s nowhere near as overblown as those rumors made it seem. Among the five nominees, the differences in this category are minimal."

"The key is the judges’ scores and comments. It’s clear Tang Shu outperformed everyone by a lot."

"Case solved. This award is well-deserved!"

Netizens meticulously read through each judge’s written comments. These professionals not only highlighted each actor’s strengths in their performance but also pointed out shortcomings in role interpretation, all with a commendably fair tone.

"This is the most insightful feedback I’ve ever read about a role—every comment resonates with me."

"The real Best Actress of Typhoon is absolutely Xiao Qi, no doubt about it! The character is not only well-rounded but also profoundly tragic, which is exactly why she’s unforgettable."

"The judges are brutal, too. They didn’t sugarcoat Tang Shu’s flaws, though those few issues are practically negligible."