novelraw Chapter 126: One-Click Report! My Mom’s the #1 Superfan!
Chapter 126: One-Click Report! My Mom’s the #1 Superfan!
The female host's voice was clear and articulate, carrying a professional tone of regret.
"...The fantasy blockbuster 'Ninth Heaven,' with a production cost of 800 million, has set a new high in promotional expenses in recent years. However, its opening day box office of 37 million is indeed... significantly lower than market expectations."
The voice from the TV clearly reached Jiang Ci's ears.
He recalled the screenshots Zhao Zhen had sent him,
Those marketing accounts with millions of followers, which had posted nearly identical smear articles at the same time.
He recalled Chen Mo's calm analysis.
"Someone is orchestrating this behind the scenes."
"The timing is perfectly calculated."
"The opponent is not simple... either it's a competing film released in the same period..."
Before, everything was speculation.But now, when the name 'Ninth Heaven' and its disastrous box office data were laid bare on the table,
All the clues instantly connected into a clear line.
It was this.
The biggest competitor in the same release window.
The only S+ grade fantasy blockbuster of the Spring Festival season.
It invested 800 million, yet was utterly crushed by 'Palace Conspiracy' on its very first day of release.
They were desperate.
So, they splashed dirty water onto the most popular character in 'Palace Conspiracy,' onto him.
They tried to use the most vicious and effective means—"nepotism hire," "backdoor dealings"—to strangle the word-of-mouth benefits brought by "General Gu."
This wasn't some personal grudge within the industry at all.
This was a premeditated sniper attack from capital.
Jiang Ci put away his phone, his face showing no ripple of emotion.
He turned, slid open the glass door, and returned to the warm, bright living room.
The clamor in the living room and the news on the TV seemed like two different worlds.
No one noticed anything amiss.
"Xiao Ci, come here, come here! Grandma cut some New Year cake for you!"
Seeing him enter, his grandmother immediately greeted him warmly, shoving a piece of New Year cake into his hand.
"Brother! Come look at this quick!"
His cousin Lin Lin was even faster than their grandmother. She squeezed over again, excitedly holding her phone up to his face.
"My classmate made it! The treasure of our 'General's Mansion'!"
Jiang Ci's gaze fell on the phone screen.
It was a tear-jerking fan-made compilation video.
The creator was clearly skilled, editing together all of General Gu's highlight moments from 'Palace Conspiracy.'
From his stunning debut, riding a horse in white, looking back with a smile.
To the palace scene, the dialogue between ruler and subject, the resolute vow of "forever is now."
To the final, tragic scene on the city wall, covered in blood, beating the war drum, shedding his last tear.
Every shot hit the beat of a sorrowful, majestic ancient-style song.
The scene transitions and emotional progression were of professional quality.
And the most breathtaking part was the overwhelming barrage of comments.
[My general died in the Great Chu he loved most, died just before the dawn he gave his life to protect.]
[He doesn't even have a tombstone of his own, only a few sparse lines in the history books, and an altered ending.]
[This tear isn't a pearl, it's my life!]
[The tears I shed for the general could probably fill a moat.]
[Sisters, stop crying, type 'heartbreak' on the public screen!]
[Heartbreak +1]
[Heartbreak +10086]
The dense barrage of comments threatened to completely drown General Gu's blood-stained face.
Jiang Ci looked at his own dying self in the video.
He looked at those scrolling, heartfelt, tear-inducing comments.
In his mind,
The number in the [Heartbreak Value] column on the system panel was steadily, undeniably ticking upward.
[Ding! Heartbreak Value +1.]
[Ding! Heartbreak Value +2.]
[Ding! Heartbreak Value +1.]
...
The night grew late.
Family members had returned to their rooms to rest, and the living room, noisy all evening, finally quieted down.
Jiang Ci lay on the familiar old bed at his grandmother's house, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
He got up, intending to get a glass of water from the living room.
Just as he opened the door, a faint light shone from the direction of the living room.
Jiang Ci's footsteps halted.
He quietly peeked out.
The main light in the living room wasn't on. Only a small area by the TV cabinet was illuminated by the light of a phone screen.
His mother, Chu Hong, was sitting on the sofa, wearing a pair of reading glasses.
She was slightly hunched over, holding her phone with intense concentration.
One of her fingers was slowly poking at the screen.
She was also muttering something under her breath.
Jiang Ci lightened his steps and silently walked over.
He stood behind his mother and saw what was on her phone screen.
It was a short video.
In the video, a young woman's voice was giving a tutorial.
"Everyone, today I'll teach you a super useful feature: how to report false statements and malicious slander online with one click!"
"First, we open this person's profile. See these three little dots in the top right corner? Yes, tap them!"
"Then select 'Report,' and choose the 'False Information' option..."
Madam Chu Hong listened with rapt attention, like a primary school student listening carefully in class.
Following the steps in the video, she tremblingly opened a page.
Jiang Ci recognized the profile picture on that page at a glance.
It was one of the marketing accounts that had led the smear campaign against him, the same ones Chen Mo had posted in the group chat earlier that evening.
Madam Chu Hong's finger pressed directly on the screen.
"Report Successful."
Four small words popped up.
A look of relieved satisfaction appeared on her face.
Then, she skillfully opened the profile of the next marketing account and repeated the process.
"Mom?"
Jiang Ci called out softly.
Madam Chu Hong's shoulders jerked violently.
She hurriedly tried to hide the phone behind her back.
"Not asleep yet?"
She turned her head, a trace of unnatural fluster on her face.
"Getting old, eyes aren't good, couldn't sleep, so... just casually looking at the phone, playing around."
She mumbled, trying to cover up.
But from the corner of his eye, Jiang Ci had already spotted a small notebook on the sofa beside her.
A most ordinary lined practice notebook, the kind used by primary school students.
The notebook was open.
On it, in crooked handwriting, were recorded a bunch of newly learned terms.
Next to them, neatly annotated in red pen, were explanations.
[Fan Control]
Beside it was an explanation written by his mother in her own words.
—"It means saying lots of good things about my son, pushing all the bad talk down."
[Anti-Slander]
—"If someone says bad things about Xiao Ci, you have to argue back."
[Data Support]
—"Have to check in at Xiao Ci's Weibo super-topic every day."
[Cleanse the Feed]
—"Report all the bad stuff, so everyone only sees the good things."
[Account Cultivation]
—"Have to log into Weibo every day, post more things, give Xiao Ci more likes. That way, when you speak later, you'll have weight and won't be mistaken for a bot."
...
Jiang Ci looked at that notebook.
He understood everything.
In places he didn't know about.
Madam Chu Hong, this middle-aged woman who had to use handwriting input to type,
She was caring for him in her most clumsy way.
Jiang Ci's throat felt clogged with cotton, unable to utter a word.
He didn't expose his mother's little secret.
He just walked over, took the phone from his mother's hand, and gently placed it on the coffee table.
"Mom, it's very late. Go to bed early."
"Looking at the phone all the time is bad for your eyes."