Chapter 121: The Promotional Video Released, A Decisive Showdown!

Although this Weibo post didn't tag anyone, everyone understood exactly what it meant. The internet instantly erupted into a frenzy.

"I heard this Wu Qian and that Zhang Yang are close friends. Birds of a feather flock together; I bet this Wu Qian isn't any better."

"Brother Wu Qian is so loyal and righteous! You must take revenge for our Zhang Yang!"

"Is the person above sick? Why are you still fan-girling over Zhang Yang at a time like this? Do you not know who is worth supporting and who isn't?"

Another war of words broke out online, but there was no doubt that the conflict had once again sent the popularity of both men soaring. Many other celebrities who relied on traffic for their fame were now full of complaints. Why did everyone who got involved with Lin Ze suddenly gain so much traffic? Could the launch of new products between two companies even spark such a massive surge in engagement? The main issue was that they couldn't just shamelessly ride the trend; doing so would ruin their reputation with the general public. Lin Ze was currently a magnet for wealth; they really needed to find a way to get a piece of the action.

The two men's popularity remained at an all-time high. The next day, even the news of a verbal spat between a young internet idol and a veteran actor couldn't compete with Lin Ze and Wu Qian.

The following day, the film crew gathered together. As soon as they met, Ji Chen ran up to Lin Ze and held out his hand, as if to shake it. Lin Ze extended his hand with a look of suspicion, but to his surprise, Ji Chen grabbed his wrist and mockingly slapped his own face with Lin Ze’s hand. He then jerked his head violently to the side and stumbled to the ground.

"Ah! Assault! Lin Ze is assaulting people!"

"..." Lin Ze’s mouth twitched.

Lin Chunshui, pulling Su Zishan along, laughed until she was shaking.

"Brother Ji..." Lin Ze sighed. "I actually brought a USB drive today that I intended to give to you." He pulled a flash drive from his hand and tossed it up and down. "Oh, never mind. I think I'll just sell it instead."

"Don't!" Ji Chen scrambled up from the ground and grabbed Lin Ze’s hand. "Brother, Brother Lin, you are my brother!" With a beaming smile, Ji Chen took the drive from Lin Ze and draped an arm over his shoulder. "Good brother, just let me know if you need anything in the future. As long as I can help, I’m there."

"There is actually one thing..." Lin Ze said with a smile.

Zhao Funing, Chen Weiguo, and the others had arrived one by one. Surrounded by his own people, Lin Ze spoke plainly. "Zhang Yang of Donghuang Entertainment has fallen, and they are desperate to push someone new to take his place. Their company specializes mostly in songs. This song... just release it the moment they are ready to make their comeback."

Lin Ze’s words left the surrounding group silent for a moment. It took them a few seconds to realize they weren't filming a show and there were no cameras around.

"That's ruthless, Little Lin. You're not giving them any way out," Pei Xue said with an appreciative nod. "I reckon that once you release this song, even if Donghuang Entertainment uses their remaining resources to push a new talent, they will never return to their former glory."

Chen Weiguo was also moved. Chang Zheng felt the same; his boss was truly a force to be reckoned with.

Director Zhang saw that everyone had arrived and ushered them into the small cinema. In this film, Chang Zheng had shown surprising acting talent. After only a few pointers from Zhao Funing, his performance had become quite impressive. It captured the transition from the innocence of student days to the struggles of life in society. The two characters had poured their youth into that song, and even Baozi, the lackey played by Lin Ze, had been moved to tears by it, yet it still wasn't enough for them to advance. It was as if, in reality, people only ever cared about the results, and no one cared how hard you had worked during the process.

After watching, everyone felt a sense of melancholy. Outside the theater, Director Zhang hesitated before approaching Lin Ze. "Actually, I feel like this song you wrote is what saved your short film. Without it, the film would have barely passed, but with it..."

"This short film could be rated a ninety."

Lin Ze nodded. "That's true. Actually, everyone's youth is more or less the same; there are many similar plots in films like this."

"But this film was originally intended to promote this song, after all."

Lin Ze understood that Director Zhang said this because he had expressed many times that he wanted to enter the film and television industry. The director wanted to warn him not to take the industry too lightly.

"Don't worry, I understand."

Director Zhang nodded. "Actually, back in the day, I was focused on the film industry, and I even had a chance to make a name for myself early on, but unfortunately..."

"Even though you look like a man with a story, I don't really want to ask about it right now," Lin Ze said, putting an arm around the director’s shoulder and laughing heartily.

Director Zhang was left with a belly full of words he couldn't say, and his expression naturally soured.

"It's fine," Lin Ze stopped laughing. "When the opportunity arises, I'll write you a script so you can return to the industry and wash away your shame."

"...Fine, then I'll have to hope your scriptwriting is as good as your songwriting."

At six in the evening, the promotional videos for both companies were released simultaneously. To decide whether to buy the clothes, people naturally wanted to see what they looked like and how they appeared on camera. Driven by curiosity, everyone clicked on the videos.

In the one-minute clip, Su Zishan and Lin Ze wore the clothes in a way that made them look completely unaffordable. There was even a scene of the two kissing under the sunset, which sent their "shippers" into a frenzy. The viewers watched the people, then the clothes. Finally, they hesitantly clicked to see the price.

Huh? It wasn't expensive! It was the price of normal, everyday clothing! Why wouldn't they buy it? Unfortunately, sales hadn't started yet.

The "Lotus Moon" collection from Zishan Records would be released in a limited run of ten thousand sets at midnight tomorrow. They would have to grab one when the time came. Satisfied, everyone exited the pages.

Now, it was time to see how Wu Qian’s side fared. They flooded into the promotional video for Huaxia Clothings.

As soon as the video started, a loud DJ track blasted. Wu Qian was swinging the prayer beads around his neck, bobbing his head rhythmically. This lasted for only three seconds before it cut to the next shot. Wu Qian was walking in a "don't recognize anyone" strut while wearing the traditional Chinese-style outfit. He had several large thumb rings on his fingers and launched into a rapid-fire freestyle rap at the camera.

"Yo! Yo! Look at this clothing, wide and baggy, just like this song, loud and catchy! Today! The clothes! Go on sale! I am! Very! Happy..."

The scene cut again to a flashy, neon-lit club, with Wu Qian standing behind a DJ deck, frantically mixing music.