The More Tragic I Act, the Stronger I Get — My Fans Beg Me to Stop Killing Off My Roles-Chapter 54: Back on the Trending List Again?
Sister Fang continued talking on the other end, analyzing Lin Wan as one of those famously overprotective people, which effectively strapped Jiang Ci to a rocket and paved him a path to the stars.
Su Qingying listened, replied calmly with "Got it," and then hung up.
Silence fell over the apartment again.
She opened her laptop, her long fingers tapping on the keyboard as she typed the four words Spark Media.
To be honest, she knew Lin Wan was a top-tier screenwriter, and that Lin Wan had personally contacted her for that supporting female role in Palace Conspiracy. But she really had no idea that Lin Wan was backed by a media company.
Search results popped up quickly.
Spark Media, a small but high-quality "boutique workshop" centered around screenwriters, renowned in the industry for producing top-notch original scripts.
Su Qingying understood immediately.
Lin Wan's target was never to manufacture a hollow, trending celebrity.
When Su Qingying was on the Palace Conspiracy set, she had heard the story of how Lin Wan had instantly "chosen" Jiang Ci, and had even revised parts of the script for him.
Lin Wan was clearing every possible obstacle for the "chosen one" of her character.
At that moment, Su Qingying's academic interest in Jiang Ci only deepened.
Almost at the same time, the official announcement Weibo just posted by Spark Media saw its comment section quickly flooded by fans and onlookers who smelled something exciting.
But the first bomb to detonate wasn't the comments, it was the likes list.
The first user avatar to like the post was—Gu Huai.
That top star who rarely promoted himself on social media, the powerhouse actor who would only repost his film promotions without a single word, had liked an announcement for a newcomer.
A few minutes later, while people were still speculating whether Gu Huai had simply slipped, Su Qingying's golden verified avatar also appeared in the likes list.
Far away on the Three Lifetimes Tribulation set, Qiao Xinran was bored, scrolling her phone. When the Weibo reposted crazily by many marketing accounts landed on her homepage, she froze.
The photo was of a face she knew all too well. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎
Under the announcement copy were those two glaring like avatars.
Gu Huai.
Su Qingying.
A tangled mix of jealousy and fierce possessiveness instantly overran her rationality.
Why?
He was clearly the one I spotted first!
Qiao Xinran, almost instinctively and in a move that felt like staking a claim, slammed her thumb down on the like button.
Three top-tier stars from different fields—the movie emperor, the movie empress, and a current popular young actress—all publicly backing a newcomer who had only trended twice before.
This could no longer be explained away as a slip of the finger.
The hashtag Who Is Jiang Ci once again surged to number three on the trending list with a speed ordinary people couldn't comprehend.
At this moment, the eye of the storm: Dorm Room 404.
Jiang Ci no longer needed Zhao Zhen to instruct him.
He was drenched in sweat, lying on a yoga mat and continuing his plank, completely unaware of the external commotion.
His phone buzzed on the table, but he treated it like a spam message from the carrier and couldn't be bothered.
However, Zhao Zhen and Chen Mo's phones exploded first.
The two were lying on the bed, one scrolling short videos, the other reading electronic papers; the dorm was peaceful.
Suddenly, a Weibo push notification popped up on Zhao Zhen's phone.
"What the—!"
He let out a shout and smacked his phone onto his face.
Chen Mo was startled and snorted in annoyance, "Who are you screaming at? Never seen a handsome guy before?"
Zhao Zhen, nursing his sore nose, fumbled to pick up the phone and was completely dazed.
He stared at the screen, then snapped his head toward the sweat-soaked, trembling Jiang Ci on the floor.
Then he looked back at the phone.
Then he looked at Jiang Ci again.
He repeated this cycle three times.
"No… this can't be…."
Zhao Zhen's hands trembled as he shoved the phone screen at Chen Mo, his whole body shaking and his words tangled, "Mo—Mozi… look! Is this our Ci-ge? Am I hallucinating?"
Chen Mo took the phone casually, still muttering, "Much ado about nothing, can you not see aliens or something… ha!"
The last words turned into an astonished shout.
He pushed his glasses up and stared at the trending list's crimson "Explosive" tag, at the two big characters Jiang Ci below it, and at that face in the attached photo so familiar it was unbearable. He felt like he would split apart.
He knew Ci-ge was impressive, but he hadn't imagined this level of impressive!
He twisted his stiff neck and, alongside Zhao Zhen, fixed their gaze on the groaning Jiang Ci on the floor as if staring at a prehistoric creature.
"According to the agenda-setting theory in communication studies, for a complete newcomer to top the trending list from zero exposure, it would require coordination among at least three top PR firms and promotional spending of no less than an eight-figure sum…"
Chen Mo grabbed the bed rail, his lips trembling as he launched into his academic analysis, "This… this defies logic! This contravenes basic public opinion ecology!"
Zhao Zhen couldn't absorb any of the analysis.
He tumbled off the bed and, shoes forgotten, barefooted, raced to Jiang Ci and shook the phone in front of him.
His voice, high and thin from shock, trembled.
"Ci—Ci-ge… stop training! Something huge happened! You—you—you're trending again! It's exploded!"
Jiang Ci, already gasping and feeling like his core muscles were about to quit, was interrupted by Zhao Zhen and immediately lost momentum. He collapsed onto the mat in a star shape, exhausted and with his eyes rolling.
"Trending for what," he croaked, waving a tired hand, "Can I trend because my plank form was too perfect?"
"No, look for yourself!"
Jiang Ci hauled himself up with difficulty and took the phone Zhao Zhen shoved at him.
[ Spark Media V: Very pleased to join hands with you to begin a new chapter. Welcome our new family member @Jiang Ci. ]
The post included a publicity still of Jiang Ci, the exact photo of him as the young general in Palace Conspiracy.
Jiang Ci's mind froze for a second.
Didn't Lin Wan say she would announce his signing after Palace Conspiracy's official scheduling?
He instinctively scrolled down to see the comment section's reactions.
Then he saw the like list, those IDs so bright they dazzled the eyes.
Gu Huai.
Well, Brother Huai is the male lead in Three Lifetimes Tribulation, and Jiang Ci was the fourth male; they had chatted amiably on set—an encouraging like was normal.
Su Qingying.
Huh? The movie empress was involved too? But she had done this before.
Qiao Xinran.
???
Why was this beginner fisherwoman here as well?
Jiang Ci's brain completely spiraled into chaos.
