Chapter 156: Giving Me a Zero? Who Do You Think You Are?

Listening to Bai Ling’s incisive rebuttal, the crowd was dumbstruck.

They had anticipated that Bai Ling might be dissatisfied or that she might strike back. However, they had assumed that even if she did retaliate, it would be nothing more than a reasonable argument. To actually confront Wang Dagang and challenge him head-on? That seemed impossible.

Yet, they had forgotten one thing. The girl on stage, who appeared so delicate and seemed like no match for Wang Dagang’s aura, was never one to be trifled with. She could not be defined by the typical stereotypes of a woman. When she faced the "under-the-table" rules imposed by that scum Wang Tianhai from Xinghui, she had already mounted a firm resistance. Now, faced with another arrogant bully, how could she possibly swallow her pride?

As the saying goes,忍一时窝囊受气，退一步, 越想越气 (To endure for a moment is to suffer humiliation; to take a step back is to feel only more infuriated). Why should she indulge Wang Dagang?

Thus, Bai Ling fought back without hesitation, using sharp, piercing words to defend her dignity. To everyone present, her actions were undoubtedly shocking—even skin-crawling.

"Damn, how does she dare?"
"Good grief, she didn't just belittle Wang Dagang’s work; she dragged his character through the mud as well."
"This is an incredibly aggressive move."
"Is Bai Ling planning to quit the industry altogether?"

While the audience at the venue was stunned, they were mostly filled with worry. The viewers in the live stream, however, were absolutely ecstatic. They had expected this episode to be just another mundane installment, and they had already felt that Bai Ling’s ability to save the segment with her adaptation was impressive enough. They never imagined there would be such a spectacular war of words.

Most importantly, in the history of the entertainment industry, while there had been instances of contestants arguing with judges, most were simply clowns with inflated egos who lacked real talent. But this time, Bai Ling had been provoked by the judge first, and whether it was her past achievements or her performance on stage today, she held the moral high ground.

Conversely, Wang Dagang was talking nonsense and throwing his weight around, exposing the ugliness of the director circle and showing everyone the vast disparity in the world. The live stream chat exploded.

"Well said, Bai Ling! That trash script—who would want to carve flowers on a pile of dung?"
"Exactly! If she could, I bet she’d rather write her own script than act in Wang Dagang’s garbage."
"It’s already a settled fact that our youth was ruined by bad films; Wang Dagang is just too shameless."
"I don't believe for a second that he doesn't have personal grievances against her."
"I’d heard Wang Dagang was petty, but today is a real eye-opener."
"Honestly, I feel bad for Bai Ling. She improved the script so much, and instead of being grateful, Wang Dagang acts like this—it’s disgusting."
"Brothers, who are you supporting? I’m definitely on Bai Ling’s side."
"Is that even a question? Definitely Bai Ling!"
"Wang Dagang, get lost!"
"Don't make a fool of yourself, Wang Dagang."
"Well said! You’ve spoken my mind."
"That’s how it should be. Don't think everyone is a pushover."
"Do these high-and-mighty directors really think their work is the best in the world? Don't the viewers have more of a say than you?"
"Brother above, that’s not quite right. As a collective, the audience is definitely above the directors, but as individuals, their judgment doesn't mean much. But objectively speaking, Bai Ling did a great job this time, and Wang Dagang is being completely unreasonable."
"Where is the production team? Come out and take the heat! Still staying silent? Just waiting for this to blow up, right?"
"The production team is trash too. How could they let such a script through?"

Clearly, the buzz surrounding the show, combined with Bai Ling’s own popularity, caused the fallout between her and Wang Dagang to trend instantly. The efficiency of the gossiping public is truly astonishing. This trending topic, in turn, caused the show’s viewership to skyrocket.

The atmosphere at the venue mirrored this intensity. After Bai Ling’s remarks, Wang Dagang was trembling with rage.

"Bai Ling, you have a lot of nerve!"
"You really don't hold me, a judge, in any regard at all!"
"I am a director, a writer! What right do you have to speak like this?"
"Are you trying to challenge the authority of all directors?"

Bai Ling sneered, "Don't flatter yourself, Wang Dagang. Can you represent all directors? Have you asked the three directors sitting next to you what they think? Does me scolding you mean I’m scolding them? Are you their son or their father?"

"Stop acting like you’re entitled to respect you haven't earned. With these cheap tricks of yours, you’ve lived all those years in vain. I see the characters you write are so intense and passionate—how come in reality, when it comes to a war of words, you’re so incompetent? Oh, I get it now. Writing is just fantasy, a place for you to indulge your delusions. In reality, your brain speed and speech speed just can't keep up, right?"

"Oh dear, my apologies. I didn't take that into account. Shall I slow down the pace to accommodate you, Comrade Wang, the Giant Baby?"

In her past life, Bai Ling was quite the internet firebrand and had even engaged in direct verbal combat. She had the gift of gab, and she hadn't even unleashed her full potential yet. Wang Dagang, who was usually coddled and pampered, had never encountered a scene like this. He shook with fury. "You!"

He glared at her, "Regardless of anything else, I do not approve of this performance! I am giving you a zero!"

Hearing this, many people at the venue chuckled. Is he a child? Still talking about scores? Who cares about that!

Bai Ling rolled her eyes, giving him a look of utter disdain. "Zero? Are you even qualified to critique my acting? You can't even direct properly or handle a script, yet here you are, putting on an act. Can you even tell the difference between good acting and a terrible performance? Don't make me laugh."