Memories 6

In the dimly lit noodle shop, Jiang Chuangu and Xiao Mei sat in a corner. To express her gratitude for taking care of him during this time, Xiao Mei specially treated him to a bowl of tomato and egg noodles.

Since the two had nothing in common, they barely spoke during the meal. Lin Chaoying, leaning on the table, said boredly, "How can you two not say a single word?"

After finishing his meal in silence, Jiang Chuan Gu wiped his mouth briefly and said, "Actually, the person who initially wanted to help you wasn't me, it was my friend. She overheard you arguing with Lei Zi and came back to tell me."

Xiao Mei nodded and asked, "Should we ask him to come down and have something to eat with us?"

Jiang Chuan Gu glanced at Lin Chao Ying and said, "She's been a bit busy lately. I'll introduce her to you when I have the chance."

When Lin Chaoying first came to Jiang Chuangu's side, she could sense that he deliberately ignored her because he was not used to it. The longer they spent together, the more she realized that Jiang Chuangu's behavior and words gradually began to imply to those around him that he had a secret friend.

Xiao Mei quickly finished eating, took out her phone, placed it on the table, and showed several chat windows, saying, "When I first entered the industry, I met two friends who joined Lei Zi's film crews the year before last and last year, respectively, and were assaulted..."

Jiang Chuangu opened the chat history, which was filled with his friend's breakdown and Xiao Meidi's anger. He asked, "Do you have any evidence? Surveillance footage or... something else?"

Xiao Mei sighed and said, "There's only surveillance footage, but my friend was drunk, and the two of them walked in arm in arm."

Lin Chaoying retorted, "So what? If a man and a woman enter a room together and the man doesn't come out all night, doesn't that prove something?"

Jiang Chuan Gu smoothed things over and asked, "Even strangers who aren't really close wouldn't stay in a room all night, would they?"

Xiao Mei put her phone away, looking utterly helpless, and said, "My friend is a guy!"

"Huh?" Jiang Chuan Gu and Lin Chao Ying were surprised at the same time.

Lei Zi is bisexual! The two felt even more disgusted when they thought of that face!

Xiao Mei was someone the director met by chance and was directly recruited into the crew. Only after joining the crew did she discover that Lei Zi was also there. So, on the day of the reading session, the two had a fierce argument. He Ji thought it was a personal grudge between the two and reminded Lei Zi not to argue with the actors and affect their performance.

Lei Zi, naturally unable to control his lower body, would occasionally flirt with the female extras in the crew. Xiao Mei discovered this, and being an impatient person, they almost got into a fight in the heavy rain. Later, Jiang Chuangu got involved, making Lei Zi resent Xiao Mei even more.

Lin Chaoying said, "Ask her, I have a way. Do you want to ruin his reputation?"

After Jiang Chuan Gu relayed the information, Xiao Mei's eyes lit up instantly, and she asked, "What method?"

Lin Chaoying said, "So where is your bottom line when you and your friends go all out?"

Xiao Mei said with a firm look in her eyes, "If I meet someone like this, I'm willing to risk everything!"

Through Jiang Chuan Gu's words, it was as if they were having a conversation across time and space. Xiao Mei sensitively sensed that there seemed to be another person behind the man in front of her.

Lin Chaoying's idea is simple: use public opinion to force the police to intervene and the entire industry to boycott the case. Controlling every link in this process is very important, and every accusation must be aimed at the core issue.

Sometimes she wondered if she might have been an agent in her previous life, otherwise she would be so familiar with the ways of the entertainment industry!

The first step in spreading gossip was to use real, juicy gossip to reach the widest possible audience through friends within the industry. After discussing it, they chose a few top-tier, low-profile stories that wouldn't cause a stir. For example, one story mentioned a male actor privately expressing his strong dislike for southern-style rice dumplings; another mentioned a female top star who was among the first to arrive on set to learn, and the director wasn't used to her presence before she arrived; Lin Chaoying was mentioned with the codenames Jiang Chuangu and Xiao Mei, claiming they were good friends; finally, they told a story about a certain assistant director on a certain set who was bisexual and forced new male and female actors…

To maximize her reach and capture the most attention from passersby, Lin Chaoying chose to use widely used chat software like WeChat and QQ, sharing her content in a private domain.

Jiang Chuan Gu used his position as a staff member to buy phone cards, create new SIM cards, and contact small companies that specialized in spreading rumors. In less than a day, the comment sections of all the short video platforms were almost entirely filled with requests for gossip.

The second step Lin Chaoying took was to target Weibo, the platform with the largest fan base. She instructed Jiang Chuangu to contact another company behind the scenes to buy attention and push the topic to the top of the trending searches. Because many fans of the new actors would be afraid and worried about taking responsibility, they would naturally flock to the topic and start discussing it.

The specific production team and actors were not identified during the process, so no capital was involved, and the hype lasted for about three days.

The third and most crucial step required one of Xiao Mei's friends to step forward, either by posting a message or a video on Weibo. Xiao Mei initially wanted to step forward, but her friend, who had already left the entertainment industry, felt it was more appropriate for her to do so and volunteered to take the hit.

Lin Chaoying and Jiang Chuan Gu meticulously refined the wording of the article, aiming to resonate with young people through a complete timeline, compelling evidence, and, most importantly, a humorous expression that found joy in hardship.

After the 1,500-word real-name report was posted, it instantly went viral on Weibo. Jiang Chuan Gu quickly bribed a group of expensive marketing accounts with a large number of followers and began to spread the message across the entire internet.

This incident caused a huge uproar, and netizens quickly dug up Lei Zi's real name, ID number, phone number, and the film crew he currently works for, along with a series of other private information, causing his profile picture to circulate all over the internet.

At this point, Lin Chaoying and Jiang Chuan Gu discovered that some widely circulated marketing videos featuring the production team had disappeared. They suspected that the investors behind them didn't want to protect Lei Zi, but wanted to preserve the production team's reputation, fearing it would negatively impact future publicity.

During this time, Jiang Chuan Gu tentatively inquired about He Ji's thoughts while filming and discovered that he was an art fanatic. Apart from the content of the work, he was too lazy to care about what the rest of the people below him were doing. As long as the work could be completed, successfully released, and his art could be seen by people, He Ji didn't care about anyone else.

Given this, Lin Chaoying came up with a new idea: to have Jiang Chuangu contact all the marketing accounts they had previously purchased and immediately remove the videos. Then, the marketing accounts would imply in other videos or comment sections that the videos had been taken down by the capital, thus igniting netizens' resistance against the capital.

This step escalated the situation again, causing the director's comment section to be flooded with "boycott" messages. Meanwhile, Jiang Chuan Gu, using his main Weibo account, retweeted a post from Xiao Mei's friend, offering no opinion but simply expressing support. His fans began retweeting, liking, and commenting, actively speaking out on the matter.

The most speechless thing was that ATW-7's teammates, Zhao Yuanfan and Qi Zeren, posted on Weibo to pour oil, subtly mocking Jiang Chuan Gu for taking away their resources.

Things suddenly turned into a fan war...

Lin Chaoying was so angry that her soul almost left her body...

Fortunately, the groundwork laid beforehand was long and wide enough, otherwise the wind direction would have really changed.

Xiao Mei obediently endured it for a week, but she didn't expect to see Lei Zi on set again. That night, she posted on Weibo the video of Lei Zi's foul language in the hotel room that day, as well as the complete video of her hitting him. She wrote: "If this kind of scum continues to work on set, the film and television industry is really doomed. Even if it's a breach of contract, I will no longer participate in 'Birds Have a Nest'."

He Ji was devastated for several days. After seeing the news of her boycott, he immediately announced on Weibo that he would fire Lei Zi and never use him again.

He Ji didn't like Xiao Mei that much, but there were only a few scenes left and he couldn't afford to waste time. Xiao Mei was also the most suitable second female lead in his mind.

In the end, Lei Zi was taken away by the police, but was only detained for a month due to insufficient evidence. However, Lei Zi's photos were turned into various memes and jokes and spread on online platforms, and his personal information was posted everywhere, making it impossible for him to work in the entertainment industry again.

For those who were hurt, this punishment was less than the weight of a feather, but it was the best solution they could think of.

After filming wrapped up, at the celebration banquet that evening, Xiao Mei happily took out a photo with her boyfriend and showed it off, saying, "This is my boyfriend, Wang Ge. He's super good to me! We're getting our marriage certificate next year. I've thought about it and realized that my personality isn't suited for the entertainment industry. So, after we come back from our hometown, I plan to continue my exams and become a performance teacher."

Jiangchuan Tani looked at the photo of the two happily cuddling and sent his blessings, saying, "If I have the opportunity, I hope to attend your wedding."

Xiao Mei laughed and said, "But your appearance fee is too high! I don't have the money to hire you!"

Jiang Chuan Gu's alcohol tolerance was average; after just a couple of sips, his face turned completely red. He waved his hand dismissively and said, "Don't worry! I won't take your money! I'll give you a big red envelope!"

Xiao Mei raised her glass, downed it in one gulp with gusto, and asked, "Jiang Chuan Gu, the friend you mentioned helped me this time too, right? I really want to meet him! To thank him!"

"Hmm..." Jiang Chuan Gu hesitated for a moment, then pointed to the air beside him and said, "What if I told you she's always been here, but you just can't see her?"

Xiao Mei paused for a few seconds, then laughed at him, "Are you drunk?"

Lin Chaoying deliberately waved her hand at Xiao Mei, saying in a daze, "Didn't expect that, did you? Hehe, I've been here all along~"

Suddenly, Xiao Mei reached out to the air and said jokingly, "Hello!"

Lin Chaoying's heart skipped a beat. The tension of being discovered, seen, and recognized filled her with an unprecedented excitement. Looking at the outstretched hand representing friendliness, she reached out her own, but just as she was about to grasp it, a transparent shape passed right through the other person...

Xiao Mei thought she was drunk, but she actually felt a breeze on her palm, so she asked seriously, "Holy crap! Is she a man or a woman?"

Seeing Lin Chaoying's excited expression, Jiang Chuan Gu replied, "It's a girl named Lin Chaoying." He added, "She likes you very much!"

"No wonder!" Xiao Mei was very accepting and suddenly realized, "I was wondering how anyone could have heard me arguing with Lei Zi that day when there was no one around. So that's how it is. Where did you meet him?"

Jiang Chuan Gu, his face flushed, stared at Lin Chao Ying's location, his eyes full of laughter, and said, "She fell from the sky when I was in pain and confused!"

Xiao Mei said, "Then you are very lucky."

Jiangchuan Gu replied: "Of course."

Xiao Mei and Jiang Chuangu shared a secret. The next day, after they sobered up, they tacitly avoided mentioning it. They were both busy with work afterward and never saw each other again.

After the release of the film "Birds Have a Nest," it won numerous awards, and Jiang Chuan Gu won the Best New Actor Award for his role as Mai Zi. His career began to soar, leading him to even bigger platforms...

He was 22 years old that year.

Backstage, Lin Chaoying, who hadn't seen Xiao Mei for two years, happily asked Jiang Chuan Gu to convey the news of the film's award to her. Unfortunately, she didn't receive a reply from Xiao Mei.

At that time, she thought it was because they had gone down different paths and their fate had run its course.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Mei had already been sacrificed to the river god, becoming a female corpse floating on the Qingluo River...

—End of flashback—