I have a persona specifically for acting.

No one expected Tong Zhao to step up and speak out.

At first glance, her post on Weibo seemed to be a clarification for the show.

But upon closer inspection, it carried more weight in protecting Han Zhi.

Since her debut, she had never publicly argued with anyone or engaged in drama. Her fans didn’t expect her to suddenly show her true colors and throw a jab at Lu Siqi. Han Zhi’s fans were also touched by how she stood up for him. Just as both fanbases were ready to rally behind her with cheers and support, they simultaneously began to think in the same direction—

Wait, could they really be dating?

After exiting the filming pod and regaining their memories, there was a high chance the two of them genuinely liked each other.

Amid the brewing undercurrents, the production team of “Sea King Kill” belatedly released some behind-the-scenes footage, along with an approval document.

With an official document, things became clearer!

Han Zhi’s fans’ eyes lit up; whether their idol was being backed by strong connections or was a legal figure, the former seemed much better.

However, some observant fans clicked to read the text more carefully and became even more puzzled.

The approval document wasn’t the “Long-term Instinct Film Crew Declaration” but rather the “Instinct Film Dissociative Identity Declaration (Supplementary)”…

Most casual viewers and fans don’t bother reading the text carefully. Instead, they chose to click on the easier-to-understand behind-the-scenes footage.

After a brief buffering period, the first thing that came up was an exclamation filled with shock and a strong curse:

“Damn it—Lu Siqi got thrown in jail? For what? Overusing beauty filters?”

In the busy backstage area of the “Sea King Kill” production, the entire crew had gathered, methodically adjusting the equipment. Through the monitoring window, you could see the filming pods lit with breathing lights and some of the waiting guests. Although the camera was a bit shaky and there was no timestamp, viewers quickly figured out from the rich visual information that this was shot right before “Sea King Kill” was about to start filming.

Upon hearing the news from the staff, the director’s face changed dramatically.

“Oh no, he really can’t make it? Messing with our plans like this, what the [bleep], has he [bleeped—] himself? We already have few enough guests, and now we’re missing one entirely. What does the contract say—can we sue him for damages?”

“That’s not the main issue. The problem is that the filming pod we rented can’t be rescheduled.”

“If we wait for him, we’ll have to rent the pod again. If we proceed without him, the result definitely won’t be good.”

“I’m really fed up with this!”

When they learned that Lu Siqi had been caught drunk driving and sustained minor injuries, making it impossible for him to arrive at the filming site today, several core members started cursing. Even though the curses were bleeped out, their unanimous angry expressions made it clear to uninformed viewers just how much trouble Lu Siqi had caused everyone.

The viewers who initially wanted to criticize the production team also felt their anger subside a bit after seeing this.

This was truly an unexpected disaster for them.

The cost of a holographic filming pod is extremely high, not to mention the medical team on standby. With all the layers of approvals, it involves a lot of personal connections, money, and time, none of which can be wasted. Who among the working class hasn’t encountered this situation? After working hard to prepare everything, only to have it ruined by some idiot, leaving everyone stuck between a rock and a hard place.

What could they do?

As the background music filled with intense, heavy drumbeats, the sense of urgency spread throughout the backstage.

“I have a suggestion,” the modeler suddenly spoke up, “I think it might be the only solution right now. But if it fails, it could make things worse for the show, and she might not agree to it…”

“Stop keeping us in suspense! Just tell us already!”

The director urged him on.

However, the behind-the-scenes footage didn’t show the modeler’s explanation. Instead, the camera cut to the director, looking tense as he walked from backstage to the filming room, glancing around for someone. At this moment, Tong Zhao arrived on set.

The director quietly explained to her why the guest was absent.

Then he got to the most crucial part: “We could create another male model for you, as if you have the ability to change gender with this Sea King card in the variety show.”

At this point, the viewers’ eyes widened in shock.

Oh my god, this plot twist is mind-blowing!

Even casual onlookers without a stake in the matter were stunned, let alone the fans from both sides, who were so bewildered that they even forgot to control the comments. If they were whales, the ocean would surely echo with a resounding chorus of “What the hell!” bouncing back and forth like a “What the hell!” plaza.

The behind-the-scenes footage continued.

Tong Zhao agreed to this outrageous request and even rejected the production team’s original conservative suggestion of “one person with two genders.” In the initial plan, they only wanted to create a male model for her without splitting her consciousness, which would have been safer for her.

Just like how Wei Zekai could transform into a dog and wouldn’t appear in human and dog form at the same time, the male and female versions of Tong Zhao wouldn’t either. It was simply giving her the ability to switch identities and perform as both.

Tong Zhao willingly chose to bear a heavier burden by splitting her consciousness into two.

That’s how Han Zhi came to be.

The behind-the-scenes footage recorded the birth of “Han Zhi” in fast-forward mode. He was created from a scanned projection of Tong Zhao’s imagination. Such a split consciousness act, like that of Sun Wukong duplicating himself, couldn’t simply be generated by forcing a random model into existence. A person’s self-awareness is a highly sensitive thing; if a model were forcibly created and Tong Zhao’s consciousness shoved into it, the version of her appearing in the instinct-based variety show would constantly question her own existence.

The higher the compatibility, the more natural it appears, and the more it resembles a genuinely real person.

Like the previous movie King who played two roles himself, it was the clever use of character settings that blended the points of self-doubt into the narrative conflicts.

Yet Han Zhi, this hastily made creation, somehow achieved 100% compatibility with Tong Zhao’s “true self.”

When the modeling was completed and half of Tong Zhao’s consciousness was infused, the originally fast-forwarded playback suddenly slowed down.

The process of inserting a guest into the instinctive variety show often resembles scenes from an infinite-stream novel, appearing in places that wouldn’t raise suspicion. This time was no exception. Han Zhi, neatly dressed, slowly opened his eyes in a high-end hotel elevator, and in that instant, his flawlessly handsome face was endowed with a soul.

Those gentle, melancholic eyes became the initial attraction for countless fans.

The astonished exclamations of “What the hell?” suddenly fell silent.

In the short behind-the-scenes video, viewers witnessed the birth of Han Zhi—a mistake born of an unexpected twist of fate. He does not truly exist, yet the moments that moved them were very real.

Being a fan is inherently both an illusory and very real experience.

Fans feel joy and pain for their idol’s achievements and setbacks. A person who they will never have any real-life relationship with becomes one of the most intimate and important presences in their hearts, truly reaching the point of “Others laugh at me for being too crazy, I laugh at them for not seeing through it.”

Girls have long been accustomed to what’s fake.

The persona is crafted through marketing, and the face might be surgically enhanced.

It doesn’t matter; their love is real—pure, passionate, and sincere.

To outsiders, stars are the moon, and fans are the sun.

When fans look at their idols, there is a light in their eyes.

Thus, these devoted followers lift them up to the pedestal, gilding them with a shining aura.

The ending of the behind-the-scenes video shows a Vlog that Han Zhi filmed after learning about his origin, unaffected by the identity card.

Accompanied by the sound of mechanical keyboard clicks, a line of text appears at the bottom:

[Room decor personally chosen by “Han Zhi”]

The show’s production team always treated Han Zhi as an independent person, respecting his will.

This small detail made his fans feel a bit better.

After all, just a few minutes ago, they believed they were fans of a living, breathing person.

The spacious room’s layout is simple yet avoids a cold minimalist style. The colors are subtle and elegant, with small potted plants adding green touches. Han Zhi, sitting in an ergonomic chair, relaxedly adjusted the camera and gave a gentle smile to the screen: “Hello, I’m Han Zhi.”

This smile was so familiar—it was the very smile that captivated them at first glance!

Han Zhi was wearing a linen-colored trench coat over a beige T-shirt and sweater, giving off a more casual, everyday vibe compared to his appearance on the show.

The indoor light fell on his handsome face, softening his sharp features.

“How should I put this?” he mused with a gentle smile. “I just found out that I’m actually a person without a past. All the background and identity I had in ‘King of the Sea’ were created by the show’s scriptwriters.”

These should have been heartbreaking words, yet Han Zhi’s voice carried a thick sense of amusement, a bit of indifference and resignation. While others might see him as suffering, he didn’t feel that way and even found it quite fun:

“Now my memory is completely empty—oh, except for the part that belongs to Tong Zhao. Actually, I think it’s quite nice. Compared to false memories, this clean and straightforward feeling is better. I don’t need to possess too much.”

It’s hard to imagine that such a calm and composed “true self” could be hidden within Tong Zhao’s mind.

Some handsome guys look stunning when silent, but the moment they start expressing their views, you wish they were mute.

Han Zhi isn’t that kind of handsome guy.

Fans, in fact, want to hear more from him.

Even when talking about big issues, he speaks with a calm and gentle tone. When describing trivial details, he does so with a soft charm and delight. One can imagine that if such a person truly existed, whether as a lover or a friend, he could make an ordinary, mundane life sparkle.

Recently, Han Zhi’s rapid rise to fame has made his fanbase increasingly aggressive.

In some shady entertainment companies, this is a goldmine.

The younger and more irrational the fans are, the easier it is to exploit them for profit.

Once the “fan-pitting” game starts, there’s no turning back.

Unless the idol themselves steps in to stop it.

But when the idol themselves is just a puppet controlled by capital, or if they seek to profit from it, why would they speak up? Or rather, those who sign contracts and become products at the end of the assembly line have already had their vocal cords removed.

However, Han Zhi has no such concerns.

He said, “In the real world, the only people I have a real connection with are probably you all, who have recently gathered around me because you like me. Fame comes quickly and goes quickly; soon, you will forget about me.”

Han Zhi took off his glasses, his poetic eyes filled with a gentle, unspoken sentiment.

“However, I hope that in the short time you like me, you won’t be affected by negative emotions.”

“If you love me, then love purely.”

“Don’t neglect your family, friends, studies, or life because of your fondness for me. I hope that through your feelings for me, you can draw positive energy… When you don’t feel like memorizing vocabulary, think of me. When you don’t feel like living anymore, think of how I would feel sad.”

With his distinctly jointed hand, Han Zhi gently pulled open the collar of his coat, as if opening up his heart: “See, I am not a living person. I have unlimited time to love every person who loves me. How does that saying go? ‘Brother only has you.’ Yes, that’s right. So, before you love me, love yourself a bit more.”

He joked about his identity and revealed a smile as if he had thought of something pleasant.

When Han Zhi isn’t smiling, that face is almost too perfect—so handsome it borders on cold.

But when he smiles, the glacier melts in an instant.

“If I can add a touch of color to your life, that would be an honor. I am very happy.”

When the video ended, it automatically transitioned to the next one.

Only tearful fans were left behind.