What Should I Do if My Best Friend Is a Green Tea? [Transmigrated Into a Book]

Jiang Tao hurried to the meeting room after finishing his costume photo shoot.

Wu Liao's assistant set up a screen projection showing the content of the recent smear campaign on social media. The source of the smear was several marketing accounts simultaneously leaking that Jiang Tao took a liking to Qin Li on the variety show "Travel," and they hit it off immediately, inviting him to star in "The Bottom Line."

However, before the contract was signed, Starshine intervened, ostensibly investing in Jiang Tao but actually aiming to promote the newcomer Shen Xinghe!

Paparazzi also captured images of Shen Xinghe meeting Zhou Qingyu at the Starshine building, as well as photos of Zhou Qingyu's assistant, Little Meng, helping Shen Xinghe's mother transfer hospitals, clearly showing a close relationship between Shen Xinghe and Zhou Qingyu, suggesting nepotism at Starshine! Once the news broke, Qin Li's fans were furious.

"Brother has worked hard and dedicated so many classic roles in five years of his career, why replace him?!"

"No connections, no rights, brother is too pitiful!"

"Where did Shen Xinghe, this unknown, come from? So he's the prince of Starshine, brought in with capital, right?"

"The entertainment industry is being ruined by such people! Can the ugly not enter the entertainment circle!"

Marketing accounts also leaked the scripts of the first three episodes of "The Bottom Line," and Qin Li's fans, based on the character design of the male lead Xiang Fei, photoshopped pictures of Qin Li in a uniform and posted them on trending searches.

"Brother looks so handsome!"

(This is the destined Xiang Fei!)

"Is Jiang Tao blind, ignoring such a perfect Xiang Fei to promote some capitalist ugly kid!"

"No information found on Shen Xinghe, huh? A pure newcomer? Can such a person act? Can they perform in serious drama?"

"Probably just a pretty boy kept by Zhou Qingyu! Zhou Qingyu is so disgusting! Jiang Tao, what happened to not being swayed by capital this time? What happened to sticking to your principles this time?"

Jiang Tao, seeing the comments on the projection, was furious.

"Bullshit! What are these people fabricating? Shen Xinghe is the male lead I chose! Qin Li's image doesn't fit Xiang Fei at all!"

Shen Xinghe, following behind Jiang Tao, saw the abusive comments on the screen and lowered his head, saying nothing.

Wu Liao's assistant muttered softly, "Actually, saying it's nepotism isn't wrong, right? Didn't the lady insist on investing in 'The Bottom Line' and pushing for Shen Xinghe as the male lead?" Jiang Tao cursed, "What do you know! That's not the truth, Shen Xinghe was my first choice!"

The assistant was innocent; he didn't know about this.

Wu Liao explained, "Director Jiang, you didn't announce it officially before, even we didn't know the details. But since Shen Xinghe was originally the chosen male lead, just clarify it directly!"

They were being judged by a few sneaky photos, this kind of PR, just a statement explaining it would suffice.

Just then, Xiao Yu walked into the meeting room.

"It's too late to issue a statement now."

Xiao Yu opened her phone, clicked on a marketing account's latest Weibo post, which linked to a recording—

"Ms. Zhou wouldn't invest in 'The Bottom Line' for nothing, right? There weren't any other conditions?"

"Of course, there were conditions. Investments don't come that easily." "Another insertion? Who? The female lead? I already told Zhou Qingyu, she's not suitable for the female lead in 'The Bottom Line'!"

"The only condition Xingyao put forward was that Shen Xinghe must be the male lead in 'The Bottom Line,'" Jiang Tao's eyes widened in shock. Wasn't this the conversation he had with Xiao Yu back in Hengcheng? At that time, they were only focused on the investment, never expecting someone to secretly record their conversation.

Jiang Tao was furious, "That's not what I meant at the time!"

Xiao Yu helplessly responded, "The speaker means no harm but the listeners take it to heart. This recording has gone viral online."

If the previous photos were mere speculations, this conversation now served as concrete evidence of "Shen Xinghe, the Crown Prince of Xingyao." Even the absurd rumor of "Zhou Qingyu keeping Shen Xinghe" seemed credible now.

"Some big shot analyzed the audio track; there were three people speaking in the recording, one Xiao Yu, one Jiang Tao, ha, there's your solid proof. Both Director Jiang and Editor Xiao admitted to stuffing the cast!"

"Zhou Qingyu should just stick to variety shows, why disrupt the film and TV market?""One person desperately requests Qin Li for the male lead role! Qin Li deserves it!" "Qin Li is truly the most suitable lead for Xiang Fei!"

With the recording adding fuel to the fire, Qin Li's fans became even more fervent, pushing several hashtags to the top of the trending searches. It was the weekend, and many onlookers joined in, further escalating the topics' popularity.

For a time, Shen Xinghe and 'The Bottom Line' were plagued by negative trending searches. Wu Liao found himself in a difficult position; now that the recording was out, even though they had no initial intention of usurping the lead role, the audience had already formed a prejudiced view that there was something amiss with 'The Bottom Line.' For a drama like 'The Bottom Line,' public opinion was crucial. A bad start in public opinion could lead to significant criticism upon release.

Wu Liao pulled out his phone, "First, contact Weibo to take down the trending searches!"

Yan Xi grabbed Wu Liao's hand, "Why take them down? Isn't this free publicity?"

Initially, Jiang Tao had set the investment for 'The Bottom Line' at thirty million, referring to the production costs. However, in film and TV investments, publicity usually accounts for at least one-third of the budget, meaning 'The Bottom Line' would need to allocate an additional ten million for marketing. But this was nearly impossible for 'The Bottom Line.'

Yan Xi counted, "Fifty trending searches on Weibo, with two of the top ten being negative about 'The Bottom Line' and Shen Xinghe, and even one at the end slamming Zhou Qingyu."

"Three trending searches, that's worth over a million!" Yan Xi nodded in satisfaction. Wu Liao frowned, "Is this considered publicity? Now netizens are going to Douban to rate 'The Bottom Line' poorly!"

Yan Xi shrugged, "Do you think they'll stop rating it poorly if we remove the trending searches? Not to mention, removing a trending search is more expensive than getting on it. Right now, it's mainly Qin Li's fans who are giving 'The Bottom Line' low ratings, whether we remove the trending searches or not, they'll continue to do so."

Wu Liao understood Yan Xi's point. If previously Shen Xinghe and Qin Li had no conflicts, this incident had now created one, making their fans natural enemies.

"Then what can we do?" Wu Liao asked.

When a marketing account leaks negative news, the first thing to do is contact Weibo to remove the trending search, then issue a statement to explain. This is standard PR practice, and Wu Liao couldn't think of any other way.

Yan Xi said, "Doesn't Director Jiang have the audition video of Shen Xinghe?" "We do..." Jiang Tao hesitated, "but that video doesn't have a timestamp, can we still use it to confirm that I originally cast Shen Xinghe as the male lead?" Yan Xi blinked, "Why not? Back in Country F, you showed me and Qingyu that video."

Jiang Tao paused, his eyes slowly widening.

Yes, he had shown that video to Yan Xi!

And the show "Journey" was live-streamed—there must be a record!

But soon, Jiang Tao faced another dilemma, "To prevent plot leaks, when I showed you the video, I had the PD handle it, they didn’t film the content of the video..." Yan Xi remembered this too, at the time she and Zhou Qingyu watched the video, the two PDs had changed angles, the camera facing the back of the phone, not capturing the video content. However—

"Having that experience is enough," Yan Xi calmly stated, "As for that video, we saw it on the variety show, we don't need to say anything, the netizens will figure it out themselves."

Wu Liao was puzzled, "How will they find out?"

Yan Xi smiled, "Just set a hook, and the fish will bite themselves!" A second-tier male artist being usurped is not big news in the entertainment industry. But linking Zhou Qingyu with sponsoring a young star, coupled with the popularity of "Journey" and Jiang Tao's reputation, kept the related trending searches about "Baseline" high.

At this point, any related news didn't need money, marketing accounts were willing to leak it.

Marketing accounts not only need to make money but maintaining their account's popularity and continuously attracting new followers is also crucial.

Entertainment Dog Brother is a well-known marketing account. Previously, someone approached him to leak news about Qin Li being usurped, but he refused because the offer was too low.

He originally thought it was a trivial matter, but then the other party had photos and recordings! One revelation led to another, significantly heating up the gossip!

Dog Brother was furious inside! He missed out on the exclusive news, and netizens were going to other marketing accounts for their gossip fix, leaving him unnoticed!

Just then, someone messaged Entertainment Dog Brother—【Dog Brother! I'm a staff member at Starshine, I just recorded Qin Li's original audition video!】

【Heavens! The male lead Jiang Tao originally found was Qin Li!

The sender shared the audition video.

The video was a copy, somewhat blurry, and the faces were unclear. But because the script for the first three episodes had leaked, Dog Brother, following the script, could tell that this video was indeed the audition clip for the male lead Xiang Fei in "Baseline"!

This was fresh gossip!

Although he didn't get the exclusive on Qin Li being usurped, being able to release the audition video still made it exclusive news for him!

Gou Ge was thrilled, double-checking the audition content and confirming that the video clip was indeed from the script of "The Bottom Line." He immediately posted on Weibo, tagging relevant trending topics!

At that time, netizens were still hotly debating the casting issues, and Gou Ge's revelation undoubtedly gave Qin Li's fans a much-needed boost. "It's my brother's audition footage!"

"Although the video is blurry, it can't hide my brother's handsomeness!" "Qin Li is so good, why would Jiang Tao agree to replace him with someone from Xingyao? Is he blind?"

"The movements in the video are so crisp! Can't imagine how good it would be if it were made into a drama!"

"Jiang Tao! Choosing capital over talent is your loss! You will regret it!"

The audition video of "Qin Li" spread widely.

In the entertainment industry, video revelations are the most persuasive. Now, with Qin Li's fans being so passionate, this video further cements the idea that Qin Li was robbed of the leading role.

The fans spared no effort in praising the protagonist's performance in the video, just to prove that Qin Li was better than Shen Xinghe.

Jiang Tao, watching the online public opinion, was shocked, "Are these fans blind? The person in the video is Shen Xinghe!"

Yan Xi said, "But with the previous issue of the leading role being snatched and the misdirection by the leaker, even if the video is blurry, everyone is predisposed to believe that the protagonist of the video is Qin Li."

"They've been praising him for a long time, but in reality, they are also praising Shen Xinghe." This was exactly the effect Yan Xi wanted.

There were also fans who, after seeing this video, recalled a segment from the variety show "Travel" where Jiang Tao showed Yan Xi and Zhou Qingyu the audition video. "Sisters! The audition clip that Zhou Qingyu saw during the 'Travel' variety show was this one! So Jiang Tao had already collaborated with Qin Li back then?" "I searched again for the expressions of Zhou Qingyu and Yan Xi when they watched the video, both were amazed, which proves my Qin Li's acting skills!" "Sisters! There's a master on Bilibili who pulled the audio track, although the audition content wasn't filmed at the time, they recorded the live sound! The master compared the two audio tracks, and they match, proving that the video exposed today is the same one!" "So the original male lead was really my brother, and he was actually replaced by a nobody!"

"Wuwuwu, I feel so sorry for my brother!"

"Please bring Xiang Fei back to Qin Li!"

"Yes! Qin Li is the most suitable Xiang Fei! Jiang Tao, don't be swayed by capital anymore!"

Strawberry Entertainment Meeting Room

Not only Xingyao but also the heads of Strawberry Network and Qin Li's manager, Xu Qiang, were paying attention to the online public opinion.

Initially, when Qin Li wanted to hire trolls to slander Shen Xinghe, Xu Qiang had reservations. He knew Jiang Tao was very stubborn, and even if the online support was overwhelmingly in favor of Qin Li, Jiang Tao might not change the cast.

Since Starshine had already invested in "The Bottom Line," it was becoming difficult for Qin Li to land the lead role. Surprisingly, not long after purchasing some trending searches, the head of Strawberry Network contacted Xu Qiang, mentioning that Strawberry Network had invested in a new drama, a serious one, and they were considering Qin Li for the lead role!

Indeed, buying influence through online armies proved useful. This strategy helped Qin Li solidify and expand his fanbase, as fans created compilation videos of his roles, attracting many new followers. This was why Strawberry Network was keen on having him as the lead. "Where's Qin Li?"

Xu Qiang attended the meeting at Strawberry Entertainment alone, as Qin Li couldn't make it. Xu Qiang said, "Qin Li had some matters to attend to today, and as his agent, I represent him fully in all decisions."

The head nodded, his laptop screen still lit with news of "The Bottom Line" trending on searches.

"It's a pity not to invest in 'The Bottom Line,'" the head sighed, sharing Qin Li's enthusiasm for the project. Xu Qiang, curious, asked, "Do you think Starshine might pull out due to pressure? Their online reputation is suffering, and continuing the investment might not make much sense." "You make a good point," the head pondered, "I could have someone contact Starshine. If they're pulling out, we could step in." He looked at the online discussions, "With things having escalated this far, it's very likely that Starshine will withdraw."

Xu Qiang's eyes sparkled, "If that happens, then the lead role..." The head chuckled, "If we take over, the lead is definitely Qin Li! He's so popular, how could we not cast him! But, it's also thanks to your audition video, which was excellent. Without that video, Starshine might have held on, but now, their withdrawal seems much more likely."

Xu Qiang beamed with pride, "Exactly, because of that video, Qin Li's fanbase has grown significantly..."

Suddenly, Xu Qiang's expression froze, "But we didn't release that video! Qin Li never auditioned for 'The Bottom Line'!"

In an instant, the head turned pale, "If Qin Li didn't audition, then who is in that video?!"

As time passed, and with the efforts of Qin Li's fans and the online army, every search term related to "The Bottom Line" featured Qin Li's audition video, which was heavily liked and shared to top trending spots.

Netizens overwhelmingly sympathized with Qin Li, believing he had been robbed of the role. Photos, recordings, audition videos... it seemed impossible to overturn the narrative now.

At five in the afternoon, the official account of "The Bottom Line" got verified and posted its first tweet—a high-definition audition video of the lead actor, Xiang Fei. Instantly, fans flooded into the video—

"Can't wait! Finally, we get to see Qin Li's stunning looks in high definition!" "Even the blurry audition video had me hooked, I must watch this one a hundred times!"

"The chosen one, Xiang Fei! Qin Li deserves this!"

But when the person in the video clearly appeared, everyone was baffled. "This isn't Qin Li, is it?"

[The video is labeled "Shen Xinghe's Audition Tape." Wow, is this Shen Xinghe? The obscure actor sponsored by Zhou Qingyu?]

[Holy smokes! That expression from Shen Xinghe just now was insane! Totally loving it!][This guy is so handsome! The bad-boy type, you rarely see this in showbiz!][Oh my, watching Shen Xinghe struggle with whether he's involved in drug trafficking has me all twisted up too...]

[Wait, isn't this video the same as the previously leaked "Qin Li Audition Tape"?]

[Definitely the same! The lighting, angle, and actions are identical, the earlier one is definitely Shen Xinghe's audition tape!]

[So it turns out this audition was for Shen Xinghe, not Qin Li! So, Shen Xinghe had already auditioned for "The Bottom Line" before filming "The Journey"? How could he then snatch Qin Li's role?]

Fans are confused, netizens are puzzled, everyone seems a bit lost.

But then, a rather sensible netizen steps in to clarify the logic—[Passerby here, not a fan of Qin Li or Shen Xinghe, but I've been following this drama from the start, here's my take: Shen Xinghe did not steal Qin Li's role! First off, the previously leaked audition tape and this new one are the same, no doubt about it. It's so obvious, one is just blurrier than the other, no technical proof needed.]

[Next, we need to pin down the timing of Shen Xinghe's audition. Since he's the protagonist of this audition tape, and based on the audio tracks pulled by some experts before, it's clear that Shen Xinghe had auditioned before Jiang Tao showed Zhou Qingyu the audition tape on the variety show.]

[Also, if you watch the first episode of "The Journey," you'll see that Qin Li and Jiang Tao don't know each other; they even introduce themselves when they meet.][Shen Xinghe had already auditioned before the variety show, while Qin Li only met Jiang Tao during the show. Isn't it obvious that Shen Xinghe was involved with "The Bottom Line" first? Moreover, on the stretch Lincoln, Jiang Tao himself said, "I've found my male lead, a perfect fit for the script, I'm confident in my work!" Known fact: Jiang Tao and Qin Li had only met a day before, while Shen Xinghe had already completed his audition. Clearly, Shen Xinghe was Jiang Tao's choice for the lead from the start!][Whoa! What a twist!]

[I was just helping Qin Li's fans bash Shen Xinghe, turns out I was the clown!]

[But seriously, Shen Xinghe was amazing in that audition! If it were up to me, I'd pick Shen Xinghe as the lead too!]

Later, another netizen leaked: [Heard that Jiang Tao got scammed by investors on the variety show, and if they didn't start shooting soon, the deposit would be lost. Strawberry Net was willing to invest, but they thought Shen Xinghe wasn't famous enough, so they chose Qin Li as the lead.][Later, Zhou Qingyu found out about this and, having seen Shen Xinghe's audition, thought he performed well, so she decided to invest in "The Bottom Line" and keep Shen Xinghe as the lead!]

[So that's the real story, huh?]

"I think that's only fair, who doesn't know Zhou Qingyu likes Pei Yubai? It's not like she would easily fall for someone else, right? LOL" "So in the recording, Xiao Yu said that the producers insisted the male lead must be Shen Xinghe, because Zhou Qingyu had seen his audition video!" "Zhou Qingyu actually helping the underdog? Didn't see that coming!"

"I've always thought the young lady was a good person~"

"If that's the case, then Qin Li is really disgusting, isn't he? Stealing the lead role from Shen Xinghe and now playing the victim?"

"Hmph! The classic case of the thief crying 'stop thief'!"

"So disgusting! What a mess!"

After the high-definition audition video was released, public opinion flipped.

Of course, the explosive revelation on the Strawberry Net was orchestrated by Yan Xi, and other details like the audio track of the audition video and the time of the audition were dug up by netizens themselves.

There's an interesting aspect to entertainment industry scandals: the scoops dug up by netizens themselves are often juicier than those directly leaked by marketing accounts.

Suddenly, the reputation of "The Bottom Line" was reversed, and both the official Weibo of "The Bottom Line" and Shen Xinghe's account gained a lot of followers.

Jiang Tao, looking at the new followers on the official Weibo of "The Bottom Line," couldn't stop smiling. The paid trolls had definitely lost this round. They were supposed to guide public opinion, but their engagement was low and they didn't spend much money. With such a small investment, they had generated a lot of buzz, much better than the millions Jiang Tao had spent on marketing before!

A hit before it even aired, this was a good sign!

And with several trending topics on Weibo, everyone now knew that Jiang Tao was serious about making good dramas, and his next work would be "The Bottom Line," which was free publicity! As for the script leak, just three episodes, it wasn't a big deal! Meanwhile, Shen Xinghe, stunned, looked at his own Weibo.

He hadn't had a Weibo account before, but had registered one this morning at the suggestion of Wu Liao when they were taking promotional photos.

His Weibo had only a few followers, all staff from "The Bottom Line." Shen Xinghe had also posted his first Weibo, a photo of a sunrise, the morning sun rising, painting the sky brilliant gold. This post had received no likes or comments.

After trending on Weibo for "stealing roles," Shen Xinghe's notifications finally showed a red dot, then a second, and a third...

All were harsh criticisms.

They were not only harsh to him but also insulted his parents and even photoshopped his obituary.

Shen Xinghe glanced at it and turned off his phone.

Entering the entertainment industry meant being prepared for this. Shen Xinghe had previously played a villain in just a few scenes, but he was thoroughly bad and had been criticized by viewers for a long time. Shen Xinghe was worried about his mother, who would often be more upset by these comments than he was.

Fortunately, he had contacted a caregiver who promised to keep his mother away from her phone.

Just now, reminded by Jiang Tao, Shen Xinghe had turned on his phone again. The notifications screen showed 99+ messages, and his Weibo was lagging. Shen Xinghe cautiously opened the comments...

[Ahhhhhh!]

(He's so handsome! I want to have his babies!)

[I'm totally hooked! That audition video was absolutely bewitching!][Just saw Shen Xinghe's official photo in his uniform on the fan forum, and it's so tempting!!!]

(How can such a handsome actor not be famous? It's unjust!)

The previous insults were no longer visible, as new comments had covered everything. Shen Xinghe looked at the comments on his Weibo and chuckled softly.