Chapter 573: Hello Director Qi, Xu Ya Jun Is Stunned!

The drama "In the Name of the People" has already aired more than half its episodes, and its popularity is sky‑high.

It can be said that it is definitely the hottest drama of the year.

People like Hou Yong, Xu Ya Jun, Zhang Zhijian, Wu Gang and others all got a burst of fame.

That evening, Xu Ya Jun drove to a friends' gathering, and as soon as he entered the main road he ran into a massive traffic jam.

"What's going on?" Xu Ya Jun rolled down his window to look, but the traffic ahead was completely motionless.

At that moment, a traffic police officer on a motorcycle rode up slowly, tapping each car window and saying, "There's an accident ahead; please wait patiently."

When the officer reached Xu Ya Jun's car, he froze for a moment and said, "Yo, isn't this Director Qi?"

Xu Ya Jun was momentarily taken aback: "What?"

"Qi Tong Wei!" the officer took off his sunglasses, exclaiming excitedly, "I watch 'In the Name of the People' every day; you acted brilliantly!"

Xu Ya Jun finally understood and replied, half‑laughing, half‑crying, "Thanks, but I'm not any kind of director…"

"Got it, got it," the officer said with a smile, waving his hand, "Teacher Xu, may we take a photo? My wife really likes you!"

Before Xu Ya Jun could answer, the drivers of the nearby cars, hearing the commotion, stuck their heads out one by one:

"Whoa, it's really Director Qi!!!"

"Teacher Xu! Sign one for me!"

"I want one too, I want one too!"

"Director Qi, have you finally been promoted to Vice Governor or not?"

In the blink of an eye, Xu Ya Jun was surrounded by enthusiastic fans.

Good fellow!

This completely left Xu Ya Jun at a loss.

In his decades‑long acting career, this is still his first time.

"Everyone, I'm still on my way…" Xu Ya Jun said with a helpless smile, yet he still obliged everyone's requests.

Seeing this, the officer simply kept order: "Everyone line up, don't waste Teacher Xu's time!"

After signing the last autograph, Xu Ya Jun got back into his car when his phone rang; it was a friend calling.

"Old Xu, where are you? We've been waiting for you!"

"Don't even mention it," Xu Ya Jun said with a wry smile, "the crowd recognized me, and I ended up being Director Qi for a moment stuck in traffic."

From the other end came his friend's laughter: "Haha, you acted so well, everyone likes you!"

He hung up, and Xu Ya Jun watched the slowly moving traffic ahead, shaking his head and laughing.

The explosive popularity of "In the Name of the People" even caught the main cast off guard.

The incident was also posted online.

It quickly went viral.

It turned out that during the earlier traffic jam, a video of a big brother taking a photo with Xu Ya Jun was uploaded, with the caption describing how the main road jam met Director Qi and the officer kept order on site.

The hashtag #Qi Ting Zhang Real Version# quickly surged to the trending list, and netizens debated endlessly.

"Suggest checking this officer—maybe he was promoted by Director Qi /dog head/"

"Am I the only one who noticed Teacher Xu's expression? Three parts helpless, seven parts pampered—just like me being forced to work overtime!"

"The after‑effects of this drama are huge; now whenever I see someone in a suit I suspect they're from Han Dong Province /cover face/"

"Teacher Xu: I'm playing the villain, why are you all so enthusiastic? Audience: It doesn't matter, as long as he's cool it's fine!"

"Hahaha, even the traffic officer calls him Director Qi!"

"6666!"

"Recognition from the official side!"

"......"

On the other side.

In the "In the Name of the People" group chat.

Everyone is chatting there too.

As the drama exploded in popularity, they too have been recognized by strangers to varying degrees.

For example, Wu Gang's portrayal of Li Da Kang, Zhang Zhijian's portrayal of Gao Secretary, and so on.

Wu Gang: "Yesterday at the vegetable market, a crowd of old men and women recognized me and even asked about the sequel of 'In the Name of the People'~"

Seeing this, Zhang Zhijian instantly replied: "Old Wu, that's nothing. Yesterday I went to the gym, and the personal trainer insisted on giving me a free lesson, saying Secretary Gao needs to train more to spar intellectually and bravely with the youngsters..."

Hou Yong posted a video: "Look at the supermarket downstairs from my house; they printed my noodle‑eating still and hung it on the checkout counter! #Zhao Dehan's Signature Fried Sauce Noodles Hot Selling#"

Everyone who saw Hou Yong's video laughed uncontrollably.

At this moment, Hu Jing chimed in: "I'm at the beauty salon now, and the technician keeps asking me, 'Director Gao, how do you keep your skin so well‑maintained?' I'm like:???"

The group chat instantly filled with endless "hahaha".

Later, someone (unknown) screenshot the chat and posted it on Weibo, and the hashtag #In the Name of the People Cast's Versailles‑style Complaints# trended again...

That night, at Lin Mo's house.

Re Ba curled up on the sofa scrolling Weibo, then burst out laughing: "Honey, look! The 'In the Name of the People' crew just hit the trending list!"

Lin Mo, holding Nuan Nuan and nursing her, turned to look and said, "Isn't that normal? The drama is now a nationwide binge‑watch."

"No, that's not it," Re Ba turned her phone toward him, "Look, Teacher Xu was called Director Qi by the traffic officer, and Wu Gang was sent celery at the market—so funny!"

"What what? Let me see!" Song Wanwan, just out of the shower, also ran over and squeezed next to Re Ba; as she watched, she laughed herself off the sofa, "Hahaha, Teacher Hou's Zhao Dehan‑style fried sauce noodles are just too hilarious!"

Nuan Nuan, attracted by her aunt's laughter, wriggled in Lin Mo's arms, pointing a tiny finger at the phone.

"You want to watch too?" Lin Mo pulled his daughter closer, "This is a TV drama the grown‑ups act in; when Nuan Nuan grows up, dad will take you to act too, okay?"

Re Ba scrolled through the comment section, and her eyes lit up: "Hey, there's a netizen @you here, saying they hope Director Lin will also make a realistic‑theme drama like this."

Lin Mo smiled: "Such material is hard to come by. 'In the Name of the People' became a hit—not just because the script is solid, but more importantly because of the actors' performances."

As they were chatting, Lin Mo's phone suddenly rang with a video call notification.

He took it out, saw it, and smilingly said to Re Ba: "It's Mom calling."

After answering the video call, Lin Mo's mother's face immediately appeared on the screen: "Son, have you eaten? Where's Nuan Nuan?"

"Mom, we've already eaten." Lin Mo turned the phone toward Nuan Nuan in his arms: "Nuan Nuan, look who this is."

Seeing her grandmother, Nuan Nuan immediately waved her little hands excitedly, babbling.

Since they often video chat, Re Ba also teaches Xiao Jiahuo to recognize people.

"Oh my sweet granddaughter!" Lin Mama laughed so hard she could barely close her mouth on the other side of the screen: "I've missed you so much, Grandma!"

At that moment, Lin Mo's father also came over: "Nuan Nuan, call Grandpa!"

Nuan Nuan tilted her little head, her face beaming with happiness.

"Aunt, Uncle," Song Wanwan called sweetly, leaning toward the phone and waving.

"Wanwan, your dad was still mentioning you yesterday, saying this girl doesn't come home even on vacation." Lin Mo's mother laughed, her eyes narrowing into slits.

Song Wanwan stuck out her tongue: "I'm just studying with my brother~"

"Study well! Study well!" Lin Mo's father nodded on the other end of the video call.

Re Ba also came over, smiling and greeting: "Mom and Dad, how have you been lately?"

"Doing great!" Lin Mo's mother said with a smile: "We're planning to go to Mo Du the day after tomorrow to see you, and bring some local specialties for Nuan Nuan."

Lin Mo nodded: "Sure, I'll go to the airport to pick you up then."

After hanging up the video call, Re Ba picked up Nuan Nuan and gently rocked her: "Nuan Nuan, Grandma and Grandpa will be coming to see you in two days! Are you happy?"

Xiao Jiahuo nodded as if half-understanding, and clapped his hands.