Chapter 27: The Flickering Barrage—Let the Bullets Fly for a While

However, it was a pity. Ever since she crossed over, Bai Ling had been indulging in the joys of idleness. The few times she had felt a surge of ambition were always when others had provoked trouble first. So, she truly couldn’t recall many names. But it didn’t matter; even if she couldn’t remember, as long as she followed the prescribed path, Bai Ling figured she wouldn’t have much to do with them.

At this moment, the barrage of comments on the screen shifted once again.

“It’s starting, it’s starting!”

“Wen Yan was the top performer last time—did she pick Bai Ling?”

“Probably, the showrunners have confirmed it, Bai Ling is up this round.”

“Those two are such a good match—big sister and little sister, wow…”

“Sis, you’re really blazing a whole new trail here.”

“But I have to admit, they really do look good together. I’m about to start shipping them.”

Seeing that people were starting to pair her up with Wen Yan as a couple, Bai Ling was utterly speechless.

“How unlucky!”

But what left her even more exasperated was the army of trolls from Starshine. Taking advantage of this moment, they kept throwing mud, insisting Bai Ling would definitely seize this opportunity to steal the spotlight. Those masquerading as Lin Yubai’s fans kept piling on, and for a while their comments drowned out everyone else.

Especially when Wen Yan spoke up, expressing her wish to invite Teacher Lin Yubai on stage. The whole barrage exploded!

Clearly, the manipulation was working. Even those who usually kept out of the fray began to voice their opinions.

“What the hell, really?”

“Wen Yan truly wanted to invite Lin Yubai, so what’s with Bai Ling?”

“Is she really snatching resources?”

“Oh, this!”

“I used to have a good impression of Bai Ling, but now I’m turning against her!”

“Hmph, it was clearly supposed to be our Yubai’s spot—why her?”

“I object, I protest, I’m boycotting this show!”

“Tsk!”

Bai Ling let out a soft laugh.

She couldn’t help but marvel: most people are quite shrewd in reality, yet online, they’re so easily led astray, so quick to make foolish mistakes.

But it didn’t matter—Lin Yubai would handle it.

When the camera turned to Lin Yubai, he immediately began to decline, and as the director cut rapidly between shots, the focus finally landed on Bai Ling. With just a few camera angles and lines, the earlier wave of negative comments was instantly halved.

“Oh, so Yubai gave up the spot voluntarily?”

“But why, why would he do that?”

“Looks like I may have misjudged someone.”

“Wait, why give up?”

“I take back what I said before…”

Everyone knew to let the dust settle before jumping to conclusions, yet most simply couldn’t wait. Of course, there were still plenty of stubborn voices.

“I heard Lin Yubai was promised this role ages ago—that’s why he was invited.”

“Exactly, Bai Ling is just a latecomer.”

“On the surface, Lin Yubai yielded the opportunity, but who understands the grievances he’s suffering in private!”

“I still protest! I refuse!”

Of course, this kind of rhetoric only came from die-hard fans or professional trolls—practically no one else cared. Besides, who really thinks virtual protests in the comment section are effective?

The negotiations Bai Ling had with the production team never made it into the broadcast due to time constraints.

Now, it was almost time for the performance.

At this point, not just those who had been eagerly anticipating it, but even Bai Ling herself felt a rush of excitement. She had never seen herself perform before, after all.

Soon, on stage, the six who were supposed to be the protagonists—Wen Yan and the others—were now relegated to supporting roles. The center of the stage was left entirely for Bai Ling’s solo dance.

The moment Bai Ling appeared in her ancient costume, everyone held their breath.

Those still boycotting the show or Bai Ling were instantly drowned out by a tidal wave of new comments.

“Damn, I thought the promo images were photoshopped—turns out she’s just as stunning in real life.”

“If it weren’t for the stage being so obviously modern, I’d suspect Bai Ling actually traveled here from ancient times.”

“I’m reminded of those disastrous attempts at period costume drama actresses—now this is what real historical styling looks like.”

“I suggest she just becomes an actress—why bother with being an idol? There’s no future in it!”

“Exactly! Even if Bai Ling couldn’t act at all, just standing there would be a feast for the eyes.”

“My dreams tonight are set—sis, I’m coming for you!”

“As long as she looks this good, I’ll let her worldview be guided by her looks.”

“With her looks alone, I wouldn’t care if some big shot was backing her—it’d only mean the industry truly understands me.”

“Exactly! What people hate isn’t someone with connections—what we hate is those who have all the opportunities but lack looks, talent, or singing ability and only pollute our screens!”

“Well said!”

In an instant, the trolls hired by Starshine were rendered completely powerless.

Inside the Starshine offices, Wang Tianhai and Zhou Tai had been planning to sit back and watch Bai Ling’s reputation crash. Their scheme was to spread rumors and manipulate public opinion once the show ended, ensuring Bai Ling’s efforts came to nothing.

But when they saw the barrage flooded with praise, Wang Tianhai and Zhou Tai were so furious they nearly ground their molars to dust.

“Damn it!”

“These netizens—so muddle-headed, so infuriating!”

Wang Tianhai was trembling in rage.

At this moment, Zhou Tai offered, “President Wang, is it possible that people from Spring and Autumn Studios are also using bots?”

“Let’s wait—after Bai Ling’s performance, if she’s terrible, or even just mediocre, our backup plan could still work.”

Wang Tianhai calmed himself, nodded at Zhou Tai’s words.

“You’ve gotten pretty clever lately. That’s exactly what I was thinking!”

“No rush, the performance is about to start!”

The two of them kept their eyes glued to the screen.

The music began—a fairly popular ancient-style song, so familiar it had little distinctiveness. When Wen Yan and the others started singing, everyone found it utterly unremarkable. Whether their singing was good or bad was obvious at a glance.

But they weren’t the focus.

When Bai Ling drew her prop sword and began her dance, Wang Tianhai and Zhou Tai both sucked in a sharp breath.

“Oh no…”

Their entire plan was ruined!

It took only an instant for them to realize it, because even people who knew nothing about martial arts, historical aesthetics, or performance could see it clearly.

Bai Ling’s performance on stage was nothing short of breathtaking.

Soft as the wind stirring willows, swift as the thunder twanging a bowstring.

Sword flowers shimmered, a fleeting glimpse as if in a dream.