Chapter 129: The Blade-Wielding Guard, Fengxian Requests a Duel!

December, the end of the year is approaching.

Two months have passed, yet the friction between Su Mu and Lin Haoming has not diminished in the slightest. Fans continue to engage in heated comparisons wherever comments are allowed. Although the fervor has cooled down somewhat compared to before, the air remains thick with tension.

Of course, the primary reason for this is the upcoming release of several Lunar New Year films, and Lin Haoming happens to be in one of them. It is an adaptation of a popular work by Dong Xuefei, which gives his fans yet another tool to use for comparison.

[Comment Section:
Haoming has already joined the set for Teacher Dong Xuefei’s "Love Elegy." I ask you, who else is there in this year’s Lunar New Year lineup!
Didn’t Su Mu give a bold response before? Give us some news then. Don't tell me he hasn't even landed a role for next year?
Might as well let Su Mu’s fans know—remember this: our idol’s previous film grossed 400 million; this year is guaranteed to be a breakthrough!
Haha, the difficulty level has gone up. I can’t wait to see how this "undefeated" guy finally meets his match!]

Comments like these are abundant. At first, the fans could refute them, but as time went on, they grew weary. After all, Su Mu really hadn't revealed any news about a new project in the past two months. No one knew what he was going to film next, or if he was truly entering the Lunar New Year battle at the end of next year.

At a time like this, everyone thought of "Black Material King," the gossip commando. They all swarmed their accounts, leaving frantic messages, begging the Black Material King to leak some news and see what Su Mu had been up to lately.

Inside a rented apartment, Sun Liaojun and his two young assistants were slurping down rice noodles, checking the engagement on the Black Material King account. Both Xiao Li and Xiao Zhang were brimming with excitement. They never expected that the rivalry between two celebrities' fanbases would eventually funnel so much traffic to their own account.

Of course, ultimately, they had Su Mu to thank. Ever since their encounter at the cemetery, Sun Liaojun had changed his strategy. He stopped staking out studios and simply rented a small place in Galaxy City, preparing for a long-term battle.

To be honest, the aftermath of the cemetery visit still lingered. He had many nightmares, dreaming that Su Mu invited him over for a visit, then gifted him a small house, saying, "We’re neighbors now, come over often..."

As for Xiao Li and Xiao Zhang, who had been traumatized by Master Zhu, they had spent several days questioning their existence. It took Sun Liaojun painting even bigger pictures of the future to temporarily steady the troops. Their food quality had started to improve.

Xiao Li: "Boss, you aren't lying to us, are you?"
Xiao Zhang: "Can you really lead us to the good life?"
Sun Liaojun pointed at the snail noodles: "Isn't this delicious? Isn't this broth spicy enough?"
"..."
"..."

Sun Liaojun put down his chopsticks and looked at the two speechless assistants, speaking with gravity: "It’s not just big talk. You two need to think about it—is a place like Su Mu’s studio somewhere an average person can just walk into? Without some achievements or a 'pledge of allegiance,' how could you possibly get in?"
Xiao Li: "What kind of pledge?"
Xiao Zhang: "What kind of achievements?"
Sun Liaojun pointed at the computer: "Look, Su Mu’s fans have all come over to leave comments. I ask you, what do we do now?"
Xiao Zhang: "Leak some news."
Xiao Li: "But can that be called a pledge?"

Sun Liaojun smiled: "The news has to be leaked, but it absolutely cannot be done simply. Aside from giving the fans an answer, we must also take this opportunity to help Su Mu gain the upper hand in this controversy, and ensure the buzz lasts alongside Lin Haoming’s new film until after the New Year. That would be a true success."

Xiao Li: "Boss is mighty!"
Xiao Zhang: "I don't quite get it, but it sounds awesome."
Sun Liaojun: "Damn..."

After the meal, Sun Liaojun personally drafted the post. Back at the cemetery, he had promised Su Mu that he would repay the favor of giving the Black Material King a way to make a living. Naturally, he wouldn't stand idly by this time.

Based on his professional insight, Lin Haoming definitely employed "water army" bots. Though not massive, there was certainly an element of manipulation involved. The public isn't a group of mindless fools with nothing to do, fighting in groups online all day. Any gossip that manages to persist for a month is considered a long cycle.

The fact that the controversy between Su Mu and Lin Haoming had lasted this long meant that someone wanted to keep the heat alive. And who benefits more from that? Naturally, Lin Haoming. First, he held the absolute upper hand in this dispute. With his works and box office results, he was more convincing compared to Su Mu. Second, Lin Haoming’s new Lunar New Year film, "Love Elegy," was hitting theaters in February or March. Competing in the same period were Director Gu An’s "Donglin Riots" and Wu Dongsheng’s comedy "Millennium." Both directors were just as famous as Dong Xuefei, if not more so.

So, the best way for Lin Haoming to remain competitive was to keep the buzz going until the end of the Lunar New Year season. And the situation with Su Mu was the perfect tool. As long as Su Mu couldn't produce work or box office results, he could maintain the upper hand. Why wouldn't he take advantage of that?

The beneficiary is often the true mastermind. This is an old trick in the trade of gossip mongers. The methods are endless, but they all boil down to the same thing. Sun Liaojun could see through it with a single glance.

After thinking for a long time, he still didn't tap on the keyboard. Finally, he took out his phone and sent a WeChat message to Su Mu, explaining his analysis. He had added Su Mu back at the cemetery, though he had never dared to message him before. But this time, he felt he should consult him before taking action. Years of experience told him that no matter how good an agent you are, you must await instructions from your superior before acting, or things could easily go wrong. Sun Liaojun had always been cautious.

Before long, Su Mu replied.
[Su Mu: Holy crap, Little Jun-jun, you’re good! Professional, I like it! What are you waiting for? Go get 'em!!!]
[Sun Liaojun: ...]

Sun Liaojun’s face darkened, his mouth twitching a few times. A truly silencing way to address someone. An unexpected sentence structure. What the hell is "Little Jun-jun," brother! I’m a fierce general in the gossip circle, don't I have any dignity?

This couldn't help but remind him of Su Mu’s endless talking outside the cemetery gates. It was like a nightmare. Shaking it off, Sun Liaojun regained his focus. Since he had Su Mu’s approval, there was no need for hesitation. Playing with operations, are we? Then I, the sharp-tongued guard, the Black Material King, will play along with you.

Clatter, clatter—the draft began to take shape.

...

Early the next morning, before anyone could react, a new trending topic shot up: "The Black Material King's Fifth Issue is out!"

Usually, updates from gossip accounts only attract a few casual onlookers. But the Black Material King was different. He was leaking news about Su Mu.

[Black Material King V: Deep Dive into Su Mu, Part Five:
Several new dramas finalized for next year,
65 million in two years, the highest record for a domestic car manufacturer endorsement.
Remaining calm and unhurried in the face of immense pressure.
Before entering the Lunar New Year, he’s filming a new project by Director Xu Jiang!
Contract endorsements are raking in the cash.
I ask you, who is the winner and who is the loser?]

...

Once the fifth issue of the Black Material King’s report dropped, the internet completely exploded. It seemed like he had said something trivial, but if you analyzed it carefully... Yes, fans loved to analyze things. And the result was: "Holy cow!"

It was truly something. After all, despite Sun Liaojun's attempts to veil the news, it was still quite transparent. One look told you how much content was hidden within. Su Mu’s fans, who had been silent for days, began to celebrate wildly online.

[Comments:
Holy crap! Su Mu hasn't said a word, yet he’s been doing so much business?
Ahhh! Su Mu is my god! Did you see the first sentence of the Black Material King? "Several new dramas finalized for next year"! Note, it’s "several"!
Hmph, I ask the fans of a certain Haoming, who said my idol had no work?
65 million in endorsement records—I just want to know, no matter how high his box office is, is Lin Haoming’s paycheck even half of my Su Mu’s? Is it?!
Wait!!! There’s a project before the Lunar New Year film! By Xu Jiang???
Holy shit! Don't tell me he’s picking up the project from that guy who got locked up?
My god!!!]

Sun Liaojun’s copy was very clever. He didn't say exactly how many projects Su Mu had. By saying "several," it was ambiguous—people could guess more or less. He intentionally left them guessing, driving them crazy. He provided the endorsement figure to prove Su Mu's strength, fueling people's confidence in his upcoming roles.

Finally, he closed with a bombshell. In truth, if the news of him taking over Xu Jiang's project had been leaked without any setup, it would have caused a stir, as the previous actor’s imprisonment was already a massive scandal. But now that Sun Liaojun had layered it with the other news, the explosive impact was compounded.

In just half a day, Su Mu’s trending topic climbed back to the top, surpassing Lin Haoming. Many people had been following Lin Haoming’s new Lunar New Year film, but suddenly, the entire focus shifted.

"Su Mu is playing for real!"
"Damn, I knew he wasn't just being arrogant for show!"
"So much money? That’s infuriating, haha!"
"The key is he took over Xu Jiang’s project. Damn, he’s so confident!"
"Yeah, and he still has time to film another one in between. He’s truly the man!"
"Can't wait!"

By now, the casual netizens were all completely hooked.

...

Beijing, Film and Television Base.

Lin Haoming had just finished a scene and received praise from Dong Xuefei. He was in a great mood. Then, he checked his WeChat and saw someone had forwarded him the Black Material King’s report.

The next second, his face changed... Not only was his buzz and the comments overshadowed, but—what the hell, a 65 million endorsement? He hadn’t made that much in all his films combined. What was the point of having a high box office? The money didn't go into his pockets. Compared to this, his composure crumbled...

PS: Thank you all for your encouragement and support! I'll work hard to update more! ( )