Chapter 121: Love Variety Show Strategy System (39)

At 11:30 PM, a staff member knocked on Xie Yang's door.

"Sister Xie, Director Cen wants to see you."

Xie Yang had long since fallen asleep. Being rudely awakened, she yawned, squeezing out a few tears:

"What could possibly be so important that it has to be discussed in the middle of the night? Can't it wait until tomorrow morning?"

"..."

They were so anxious about the trending search that they couldn't sleep, yet the person involved was sound asleep?

As expected of Sister Xie, she really is thick-skinned!

"You were already asleep?"

Seeing Xie Yang come downstairs wearing a loose T-shirt over her silk camisole nightdress, her long hair draped over her shoulders and her eyes bleary with sleep—clearly just dug out from under the covers—the director was astonished:

"So your phone wasn't reachable because you weren't in contact with anyone, but because you were asleep? You haven't seen the trending search online? You, you really are thick-skinned!"

"..."

"Here, this popped up a few minutes ago. Originally, this is your private matter, and it's useless for the show production team to intervene.

But Teacher Lu just came over and said this is someone deliberately trying to sabotage you. He contacted his agent to release some promotional photos and behind-the-scenes shots for his new drama to help divert some of the traffic for you.

But the marketing accounts and internet trolls the other party hired are massive. Unless a topic more explosive than this is exposed, it will be very hard to suppress.

See if you want to contact Coach Guo and announce your entry into the National Team ahead of schedule?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Yang took the phone handed over by the director and saw a topic that had rapidly climbed to the top of the trending list over a dozen minutes ago, with a deep red "Explosive" tag at the end—#Xie Yang illegitimate daughter#

Without needing to click on it, Xie Yang knew what the content was.

But it was a fact, so reporting the marketing accounts would be useless unless she threw money at it to have it taken down.

Yet, her entire net worth combined didn't even reach five figures, and the 500,000 remuneration for the Love Variety Show could only be collected after filming finished.

No money to throw at it, what to do?

The standard operation is what the director said—expose a more explosive topic to divert public attention.

But she didn't want to disturb the coach and the others so late.

"My background isn't something I can choose; if everyone loves to talk, let them talk."

"That's not how you put it. You are a public figure now, after all. Whether it's for the current Love Variety Show or joining the National Team for world-class competitions in the future, the less of this kind of negative news, the better."

Director Cen thought more long-term. Although there is a saying that "the innocent clear themselves," if you let people splash dirty water on you, over time, even explanations won't make things clear.

There are always many discordant voices that pop up out of nowhere. If you don't resolve them, the negative impact will only grow.

"Then I will contact the coach tomorrow morning."

"It will be too late by tomorrow!" Director Cen was anxious on her behalf. "Midnight to 1:00 AM is when the number of online users is highest. Clarifying or pulling up another topic at this time has the best effect. Once this window passes, the effect will be greatly diminished. This is no small matter!"

Xie Yang thought about it seriously and felt that she really should inform the coach as soon as possible.

After all, her family background wasn't exactly glorious, and her political vetting might get flagged.

"My phone is in my room; I'll contact them once I go back."

"Alright, as long as you have a plan in mind."

Just as she was about to go upstairs, she ran into Fu Yichen, who was coming down to get water.

As they brushed past each other, she heard Fu Yichen's deep voice: "If you need my help, just say the word."

Xie Yang was slightly stunned, then reacted; it seemed he had also seen the trending search. She smiled and nodded: "Okay, thank you, Brother Fu."

Going up to the second floor, she saw Zhou Hanqing at the top of the stairs again.

He had wet hair and was leaning against the wooden railing, seemingly waiting for her.

Seeing her walk up, he straightened his body and took a few steps toward her.

The tip of his nose caught the faint scent of lavender on her, but he had no heart for that at the moment.

His gaze swept over her face, and seeing that her expression was clear and there were no traces of her having cried at all, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm fine." Xie Yang was somewhat helpless.

"What do you need me to do? Can I have it taken down?"

His clear, cold voice was like a cold spring in the deep mountains.

"You don't need to do anything."

Xie Yang told him to quickly dismiss the idea of throwing money to take down the trending search; why go against money?

"Really don't need to?" His deep gaze looked at her earnestly.

Xie Yang nodded affirmatively: "Really don't need to. What you need to do is dry your hair and go to sleep immediately."

"Okay."

Watching Xie Yang enter her room, he then turned and went upstairs.

Although she said she didn't need to take down the trending search, he still notified his agent to hire a batch of internet trolls to control the narrative.

After returning to her room, Xie Yang contacted Coach Guo:

"Coach, I'm very sorry to disturb you so late. I don't know if you've seen the trending search. The situation written about my family background is true, but everything else is groundless. If my background is exposed, will it affect our team's image? If..."

"No impact. Those are things from the previous generation; it has nothing to do with you. Who can choose their own parents?"

Coach Guo interrupted her:

"Although the process hasn't been completed yet, you are already a member of our team. Contact me in time if anything happens.

I'll go urge them again tomorrow morning to finish the process as soon as possible so we can announce it.

Pay less attention to those messy comments outside; it's not good for your mood to read them. If you have that free time, go run more or lift some dumbbells.

It's too late today. Tomorrow I'll set a training plan for you and have Xiaoying send it to you. You follow that and train. Once you return to the team, I'll arrange it systematically for you..."

Coach Guo settled her nerves with just a few words.

Finally, he asked: "Is there anything else?"

"That's all, just this matter, thank you, Coach."

"What are you thanking me for? It's my duty. If there's nothing else, go to sleep early. Today was a special case; if I catch you sleeping past eleven o'clock next time, see if I don't punish you all!"

"..."

After hanging up the phone and just getting ready to sleep, Xie Yang received a message from Liu Ying:

【Don't be afraid, Junior Sister, the sisters and I are discussing posting on social media simultaneously to tear that clickbait account apart.】

Xie Yang's mouth twitched, and she hurriedly replied: 【No need! I don't even plan on posting myself. The coach told us to sleep early, otherwise, she'll punish us.】

【It's fine, I can hold up even if I don't nap for a few days occasionally.】

【... So the punishment for staying up late is no nap?】

【That's not all, there's also extra training.】

【...】

Then what are you dawdling for, sister? If you don't sleep now, you'll spend all of tomorrow in training.

Xie Yang felt tired just thinking about it for them.

She lay down on the bed, and before long, she was hugging her quilt and sleeping soundly.

The bloody storm on the internet raged until two in the morning before it finally died down.

It wasn't because the netizens went to sleep, but because the clickbait account behind this trending topic had been banned.

Half an hour ago, the comment section gradually went off-track, with the topic shifting from #Xie Yang is actually the Xie Family's illegitimate daughter# to #The wealthy circle is truly chaotic#.

Since we're going to scold, let's scold everyone!

How unfair would it be to only scold Xie Yang?

How boring would it be to only expose Xie Yang?

If we're going to expose, let's expose everyone! If we're going to scold, let's scold everyone!

Let's all hurt each other together!

Which wealthy, prominent family doesn't have an illegitimate daughter or son? This kind of thing is all too common.

But being exposed and ending up on the trending list to be judged by others is what makes people unhappy.

Especially those illegitimate children of wealthy families who had just been recognized and brought back into the family; they were so angered by some of the comments in this trending topic that they nearly spat out a mouthful of old blood.

Did they want to be illegitimate sons or daughters when they were born?

Who asked for their opinion when they were born?

Instead of attacking their fathers who were driven by their lower instincts, or their mothers who were love-struck or gold-diggers, why are they here attacking them?

They are truly sick!