Chapter 5: Don’t Speak to Me—I Find It Disgusting

Within a single day, Li Deshou faced scandal three times over, yet at this moment, he had no time to be angry.

A fallen top star is still a top star. Although the haters were unwilling to continue supporting Xu Qingfeng, they did not hesitate to throw some sharp barbs his way.

The curse words that had assured Li Deshou’s victory just yesterday now became his death knell.

After more than an hour of circulation, Xu Qingfeng’s Weibo apology surged uncontrollably in popularity.

In just ninety minutes, Xu Qingfeng’s apology post surpassed sixty million views, with over two hundred thousand people discussing it.

Among them were Xu Qingfeng’s original fans, bandwagon haters, and other companies stirring the pot.

Xu Qingfeng’s downfall was good news for everyone; if Zhang Hongbo also fell, it would be a double blessing.

In panic and confusion, Li Deshou initiated damage control.

Having Xu Qingfeng clarify the situation personally was the best option; if they could get him to appear within an hour, the damage could be minimized. Yet, they couldn’t even find him.

“Activate public relations measures immediately.”

“Understood, President Li.”

Starlight Entertainment, experienced veterans in the entertainment industry, quickly launched their first round of PR against Xu Qingfeng’s revelations.

The only truly damaging accusation was tax evasion; the rest were mere trivialities.

Whether it was fan manipulation or casual hookups, Zhang Hongbo’s fans already knew what kind of person he was.

Once Starlight took action, Xu Qingfeng’s Weibo heat plummeted, and most of the original hot comments were deleted.

Soon after, more dark secrets about Xu Qingfeng were exposed.

Controlling and deleting comments alongside releasing counter-dirt is the entertainment industry’s standard tactic against low-level scandals.

Before long, Zhang Hongbo’s fan base posted clarifications and launched attacks on Xu Qingfeng.

Most netizens, lacking critical thinking, believed whatever they heard, rapidly shifting the tide of opinion.

Zhang Hongbo’s brainless fans, along with his former haters, left nothing but curses under Xu Qingfeng’s Weibo.

“Xu Qingfeng has clearly lost his mind and is biting everyone indiscriminately.”

“Understandable — when you fall, you try to drag others down with you.”

“This guy’s a total clown, like a mad dog biting anyone it sees.”

“Desperate for fame and completely unhinged.”

Before Zhang Hongbo and Li Deshou could speak up, netizens had already deemed the case settled.

Xu Qingfeng was branded as a “mad dog,” “attention seeker,” and “clown.”

Despite being seasoned in the industry's filth, Xu Qingfeng was infuriated by the foolish netizens.

Just as he picked up the keyboard, ready to strike back, Zhang Hongbo finally acted.

More than two hours after Xu Qingfeng’s post, public opinion completely reversed, and the outcome was sealed.

Zhang Hongbo posted: “Today, while filming on the set of ‘Brilliant Days,’ I only just discovered someone’s ‘accusations’ against me. Honestly, I’m baffled—I can’t fathom why he would slander me. After some understanding, I realize this is a call to raise awareness about depression and bipolar disorder patients.”

Surprisingly, many bought Zhang Hongbo’s explanation.

After all, it’s hard to imagine anyone but a bipolar patient pulling such stunts.

Indeed, following his post, a flood of netizens rushed to Xu Qingfeng’s Weibo, offering guides on treating bipolar disorder.

“Get treatment; don’t stop your medication.”

“Don’t give up on therapy.”

“Bro, even if you’re sick, don’t pick on Zhang Hongbo—he’s not a vet.”

Zhang Hongbo’s partner, Miao Qing, also emerged to show support, sharing his triumphs and defeats.

“I know you’re anxious, but try not to be. Healing your mind is what truly matters.”

Miao Qing’s devoted followers joined in, unleashing a barrage on Xu Qingfeng.

Watching a crowd chase and insult him, Xu Qingfeng laughed out of sheer frustration.

With his “black material” insight activated and now positioned as a victim, Xu Qingfeng got out of bed and opened his computer to fight back.

【Some people really have no brains and only know how to bark along.】

【Tonight, no one escapes reckoning. Let’s start with Zhang Hongbo.】

【Honestly, Mr. Bo is impressive—flubbing lines on set, mispronouncing three out of four words in an idiom, yet his tax evasion is precise down to eight decimal places. I suggest we add a unit of measure named after him: “one Bo = 160 million.” If you earn 100,000 a year, you’d have to work from the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the 21st century to save that much.】

【One minute he can’t recite simple numbers, the next he splits 160 million in earnings into 2,000 contracts. Is your intelligence Schrödinger’s? Sometimes it’s there; other times, it’s zero?】

【Mr. Bo truly embodies “taking from the people, using for the few.” The zeros in his bank account could circle the Earth thrice, yet he plays hide-and-seek with the tax bureau. I propose a “Best Tax Magician” award and a training camp—better than acting, right? I already have students lined up.】

【@Miao Qing, come to class. Look at you and then at Mr. Bo. Years of fussing and only 45 million in tax evasion? Pathetic! I’m worried for you! Learn more, and make it quick with tax evasion.】

【As for you, you need brain treatment. What kind of scum dares to come out and accuse me?】

【I can’t figure out how your cyberpunk face, spending 360 out of 365 days a year in plastic surgery, dares to do this. Is it your master’s orders?】

【You’re the entertainment industry’s public bus—more time in bed than eating, endlessly fulfilling master’s tasks, yet pretending to be pure before fans. Must be tough.】

【You and Zhang Hongbo are a perfect match—one can’t act but can evade taxes; the other can’t act but spreads legs. Truly a rotten fish paired with a bad shrimp, a turtle paired with a green bean.】

【Don’t talk to me—I’m disgusted.】

【And you, Li Shou, aren’t you afraid of dying on the bus you take every day? What, you’re not? Right, three seconds a day isn’t much; the quality’s lacking, but the quantity makes up for it.】

【Your kidney function is like Starlight Entertainment’s cash flow: apparently sustainable, but actually a strategic loss.】

【I suggest you work for an archaeology team. If it can solve your problems, archaeology will make a qualitative leap, since every time you handle something, it’s like an artifact unearthed—gone as soon as it appears.】

【Many have come to me today—some blocking my way, some warning me to watch out, some threatening me not to speak recklessly. Laughable. Is this the entertainment industry or the underworld?】

【I hereby report the above to @MetroTaxation and @MetroSecurity.】

【Threaten me? Your daddy’s not scared! Everything I said is true. If anyone dares threaten me again, they’ll taste the iron fist of justice.】

Beneath the Weibo post, Xu Qingfeng released undeniable proof for the first time: evidence of Zhang Hongbo and Miao Qing’s tax evasion and the yin-yang contracts orchestrated by Starlight Entertainment.

As one wave subsided, another surged—the public outcry escalated anew.