I have a persona specifically for acting.

With the help of the cheap internet trolls, Han Zhi’s fame became even more overwhelming.

What initially started as a fan frenzy composed of casual viewers turned into something commercialized once the trolls got involved. Xu Zhu didn’t care about the man named Han Zhi, but she wanted to use his girlfriend’s fans to severely undermine her stepsister’s reputation. The more Han Zhi’s fans, the better; the more irrational and combative they were, the more damaging they would be to Tong Zhao.

Seeing the internet trolls she deployed stirring up trouble on Tong Zhao’s Weibo, Xu Zhu felt a sense of satisfaction.

Life was truly wonderful.

Just imagine, if at this moment another female star of the same age as Tong Zhao were in the spotlight, Xu Zhu would have to consider whether helping her might create a potential competitor.

But Han Zhi was a man.

No matter how much he was promoted, he wouldn’t become a stumbling block for Xu Zhu’s rise.

How could things be so perfect?

Xu Zhu felt like she was almost becoming a fan of Han Zhi.

With the paid trolls creating a buzz, Han Zhi managed to attract a huge amount of attention and traffic with just one episode of the variety show. His fans firmly believed that their idol was exceptional, with a bright future of boundless opportunities, and that Tong Zhao didn’t deserve him!

At the same time, within the production team of *King of the Sea*, they were discussing changes to the filming format with the guests.

There are two types of formats for instinct-based variety shows.

One is live broadcasting, like *Countdown 72 Hours*, and the other involves filming a set number of episodes in advance and then airing them, as is the case now. The former requires higher technical standards and is relatively more costly. *King of the Sea* only had Tong Zhao as a celebrity guest and was following a path of building reputation through a small-scale approach, but once the show aired, everything changed.

The viewership ratings soared from silver to gold.

The scenes of the two “Kings of the Sea” confronting each other were incredibly captivating. With additional marketing and hype, the show’s viewership even rose to platinum levels.

Wei Zekai asked, “Wasn’t the plan to proceed steadily? Does the live format need approval? Will it be timely?”

He had only a vague understanding of the entertainment industry and invested in *King of the Sea* primarily because of his good friend.

“Our show’s ratings have reached platinum level!” the director reminded him.

Wei Zekai hesitated, “So, what’s the difference?”

At this point, the director became excited.

“In terms of viewership ratings, black iron, bronze, and silver are one level, gold is average, and mainstream variety shows and dramas that are considered good quality in the industry are usually gold level… Platinum, diamond, and emerald are in a different league altogether.

“Reaching platinum ratings means we’ve hit the threshold for being nominated for annual awards. Sponsorships… before, we had to beg for them, but now it’s their turn to seek us out. With the audience loving the show, everything is falling into place! The show is starting to make money!”

According to the data captured from the backstage, Tong Zhao was credited with the primary achievement.

In reality, Han Zhi’s mysterious rise to fame was the main reason.

But since they are the same person, it meant Tong Zhao’s success was compounded. There was no more to be rewarded, only admiration.

As a result, the entire production team praised her endlessly, both internally and externally. Outsiders wanted to dig up some dirt on Tong Zhao, but given her “true self” displayed on the show, which showed she was not only far from a saint but also quite scheming, they only ended up being showered with praise and flattery, no matter how much they inquired.

Firstly, Tong Zhao’s contributions were indeed significant.

Secondly, her easygoing nature and high level of cooperation.

“I always said that inviting Tong Zhao was a stroke of luck for you, Director. The show making money was only a matter of time; otherwise, would I have joined?”

The director passionately praised Tong Zhao, and Wei Zekai’s eyes lit up. He put his arm around the director’s shoulder, and they became quite friendly.

He had only understood the part about “starting to make money.”

The project he invested in was starting to make money!

Tong Zhao was amazing!

The two hit it off immediately, and while hugging each other, they boasted, “Well, I think we don’t need any more sponsors. I have cooperation agreements with several companies, so I’ll take the lead. As for me, Wei Zekai, I may lack in other areas, but I’m never short of money!”

The director, though average in filming skills, was top-notch in handling relationships and skillfully made Wei Zekai very happy.

Not only did he agree to additional investment, but he also forgot about the matter of the production team turning him into a small dog.

With platinum-level ratings enhancing the show’s prestige and Wei Zekai’s generous support, the approval for live broadcasting was quickly granted. The *King of the Sea* production team hurriedly posted on Weibo to announce the good news.

@King of the Sea:

[Episode 3 will start airing in a live format under the emotional classification in instinct-based variety shows. The success of the show is closely tied to everyone’s support, and we hope it continues to improve! PS: After the guest adjustments, filming will start tomorrow morning at 7 AM. The edited version will be released later. Users who purchased the live viewing rights can download it for free using the same ID, without needing to make another purchase.]

This announcement struck like a thunderbolt, and the comments on Weibo were filled with anticipation.

[Really? We can now admire the sister’s beautiful face anytime, anywhere!]

[I checked, and *King of the Sea* has reached platinum level. Tong Zhao truly is a star-making machine. I remember the episodes of *The Ming Emperor’s Chronicles* that saw a surge in viewership also had her appearances, right?]

The program’s rating level is publicly accessible, and netizens came back to congratulate.

Only Han Zhi’s fans started making sour comments.

[Some fans are too good at controlling the narrative. Are all the credits really due to her?]

[Please check the number of search terms. Han Zhi related to the show is also doing well. Our brother is low-key and doesn’t seek credit, but that doesn’t mean he should be invisible, okay?]

[The official account tagged all the guests but not Han Zhi. Please treat Han Zhi fairly.]

Fans are particularly sensitive to differential treatment.

Generally speaking, due to the large number of onlookers under the official Weibo account, the two fan groups did not directly clash but each made sour remarks in their own comment sections. Han Zhi’s fans felt that the production team was harsh on Han Zhi to promote Tong Zhao and expressed their sympathy:

[Yes, before the broadcast, Tong Zhao’s appeal was indeed needed, and we don’t deny that she should be thanked. I only learned about *King of the Sea* because of her. But now that Han Zhi has demonstrated his value, can’t the production team give him fair treatment? We’re not asking for special treatment, just fairness.]

[Is it possible that Han Zhi doesn’t use Weibo…]

[Are there really people who don’t use Weibo these days?]

Tong Zhao’s fans, on the other hand, were relatively rational but still felt sorry for her from a different perspective:

[She put in so much effort to make the show a success, and yet she’s still being criticized. The princess is so unlucky.]

[It’s like tearing down the bridge after crossing it—very frustrating.]

[Have you noticed that there seems to be constant media manipulation to incite our fans to argue with those of others? Focus on your own side; who knows, by the end of the show, that person might become our brother-in-law.]

At this point, both sides were feeling a bit deflated.

The production team noticed the situation and was about to seek Tong Zhao’s opinion on whether to reveal Han Zhi’s identity in advance to prevent any further misinformation or deceitful behavior toward fans.

Before the director could make a decision, another issue arose.

Originally, male guest Lu Yiqi was released on bail for drunk driving, and upon seeing the show’s success and Han Zhi, who had replaced him, becoming extremely popular, he was dumbfounded. He was just a minor internet celebrity and had admitted his mistake in drunk driving, accepting missing out on a golden opportunity. But after seeing the rhythm brought by Xu Zhu’s hired trolls, claiming that Han Zhi had million-dollar endorsement deals waiting…

Without a manager to stop him and having no peanuts at home, Lu Yiqi, having drunk a bit too much, got emotional and started a live broadcast on Weibo to complain.

His popularity was low, but alcohol made him particularly bold. The topics he discussed were trending, and fans and curious netizens flocked to his livestream, pushing his small broadcast to the top ten in real-time trending.

“Yes, it’s my fault that I drank and drove. I accept the criticism; alcohol is truly not a good thing.”

“Can’t I have a day or two? Seeing the person who replaced me being so popular makes me really upset.”

“Stop criticizing me. I know I have flaws, but who is completely clean?”

“I was the one caught on the day of filming. Holographic variety shows are filmed for 24 hours straight. Every guest had to go through a medical examination and submit it for approval. It’s fine if someone is temporarily absent, but not if someone is added last minute. I really don’t know what methods the production team used to add a new person at the last moment.”

When people are distressed, their thinking can become skewed.

Lu Yiqi became increasingly frustrated as he spoke, even adding conspiracy theories: “I had prepared to apologize for delaying the shoot, but then Xiao Zhang told me everything was still going as planned… Illegal methods? I don’t think so. I just feel… they must have wanted to replace me all along! They just didn’t tell me.”

“Look at the recent hot searches. The person who replaced me has a much stronger background than I do.”

“I’m not confused. The person simply doesn’t exist. Damn it.”

Lu Yiqi was taking it simply; he just couldn’t accept it.

Xu Zhu’s cheap hired trolls were eager to hype up Han Zhi, wishing he would become a top star by the end of the show.

Fans hadn’t started dreaming yet, but Lu Yiqi’s mentality had already collapsed.

The most painful part was not having had the opportunity; it was that he could have had it.

Lu Yiqi believed he could have been in that position too.

Fans of Han Zhi, who were mentioned in the live broadcast, flooded into the stream, took screenshots, and posted them in the comments. They made a collage with Han Zhi’s picture and wrote five big words: “[You can’t do it],” and “[Even without you, our brother is still popular].” Some fans also quoted Yang Li’s famous saying, “They look so ordinary, but they can be so confident,” to emphasize their main point—“You don’t deserve it.”

The competition with Tong Zhao’s fans was seen as positive and constructive.

It was really embarrassing to be overshadowed by an internet celebrity like Lu Yiqi, who relied on beauty filters to look handsome and was just riding the coattails of the show’s success.

The fans who were swept up by the hype from hired trolls felt that their idol was about to break out of Asia and looked down on Lu Yiqi, rejecting any association or comparison.

This wasn’t really an issue initially.

But someone pointed out a crucial detail—

Even with a fast approval process for adding people to the variety show, it would still take a day or two.

This is common knowledge in the industry.

So why does “Sea King Kill” have special privileges?

This isn’t the first time someone has been bold enough to make such a move; at that time, the show’s production team chose to remove the temporary guest to maintain the overall situation. Delving deeper, if there were any dirty dealings, the show would have to keep adjusting and striving for survival.

Han Zhi’s recent popularity is undeniable, but his small fans weren’t delusional enough to think the production team would sacrifice the bigger picture for him, and they were immediately panicked.

Xu Zhu’s hired trolls didn’t provide after-sales service and weren’t genuinely interested in promoting Han Zhi.

It would be better if “Sea King Kill” failed altogether; Xu Zhu would be willing to abstain from meat for a year in exchange for Tong Zhao’s failure. She would be delighted if Tong Zhao’s career ended abruptly.

But that was just wishful thinking.

How could this be related to Tong Zhao?

She wasn’t the one breaking the law; if Han Zhi were removed, she would only be consolidating her achievements, which would actually benefit her.

However, just as Han Zhi’s younger fans were anxiously in tears, like headless flies, someone they hadn’t even considered stepped forward.

@TongZhaoV:

“I guarantee that Han Zhi’s appearance in ‘Sea King Kill’ is compliant with all regulations.”

@Lu Yiqi only got one thing right: if he hadn’t been so clueless, Han Zhi wouldn’t have appeared at all.