Marry a female star at a bargain price

Zhang Bo's instigation stirred up immense resentment on the scene.

The more than three hundred villagers were all glaring and furious, looking as if they shared Zhang Bo's hatred and were determined to tear Lin Xiao apart alive.

Lin Xiao was stunned.

This war of words is quite something! The two sides are going back and forth, and the situation on the scene is like a pinball, switching back and forth between the two sides.

The person Yu Yaojun sent this time is a real talent!
Lin Xiao couldn't help but give the man in front of him a thumbs up.

This kid may not look impressive, but he's got some skills. Since he came in, he's used a number of sophisticated tactics, including stirring up trouble, exaggerating, and sowing discord. He's got all these villagers on his heels, like a nose ring seller.

After Lin Xiao dismantled all his underhanded tricks, the kid was not defeated. Instead, he became more courageous and unleashed his ultimate weapon: "moral blackmail."

That's a really powerful move.

What seemed like an unreasonable tantrum actually struck right at Lin Xiao's weak point, leaving him no way to avoid it.

After all, what Zhang Bo said was true.

As the mayor of Xingguang Town, Lin Xiao brought his wife to variety shows and released new songs. Although these were all normal work activities carried out under the authorization of the Nanzhou Province government, he easily made tens of millions of yuan, which all went into his own pocket.

Was this money obtained legally and compliantly? Of course it was!

However, these days, whoever has money is destined to be morally blackmailed.

Especially since Lin Xiao's money was indeed earned in Starlight Town, no matter how reasonable, legal, or compliant you are, or how talented and gifted you are, it's still not acceptable for you to deposit all of that money into your own account!
Xingguang Town is a remote and impoverished town with 8,000 permanent residents and 20,000 registered residents. More than half of them have only recently been lifted out of poverty and are just able to have a hot meal.

And you, as the town mayor, easily pocketed tens of millions!
This money has become your original sin, and no matter how you try to explain, you won't gain anything!
This move can be considered Yu Yaofa's killer move.

With this trick in hand, it's no wonder he dared to openly arrange for people to be on-site and blatantly incite the villagers to cause trouble.

He was certain that Lin Xiao would be completely bound by this moral blackmail, leaving him with no power to fight back or retreat.

This is truly a fatal blow.

If there's no doubt, Lin Xiao is dead.

After all, the entire scene at the house selection event was broadcast live from multiple angles by several internet celebrities who were just there for the fun.

Yes, the scene included not only town government staff and villagers from various villages, but also several online celebrities trying to ride the wave of popularity.

These internet celebrities have been around ever since Lin Xiao became famous after appearing on a variety show.

Before National Day, in order to block him, they guarded the town government gate from morning to night almost every day, blocking him so that he could not enter and exit normally and could only half hide. The dignified town mayor was made to look like a fugitive.

To deal with these online celebrities, Lin Xiao took a drastic measure and became a guest on a live-streaming session selling oranges in the town.

This appearance led to a three-hour online debate with netizens.

During this time, no matter how private the questions asked by netizens were, he answered them all without reservation, satisfying the curiosity and fascination of the entire internet.

Since the person in question has spoken out, the videos spread by marketing accounts and internet celebrities based on rumors and hearsay naturally lost their attention.

The area in front of the town government building was quiet for a while.

Now that the navel orange sales season is over, "Back to the Married Life" has also come to an end.

Lin Xiao's public appearances have all been shut down, and the buzz surrounding him and Han Xixi has gradually died down. However, internet celebrities have sensed the shift in the trend and feel that they have found an opportunity to continue riding the wave of popularity and creating buzz.

As a result, these internet celebrities who used to wait for customers at the town government gate every day have sprung up again like weeds in the spring breeze.

Today's selection of houses for the merger of villages and towns is a major annual event for Xingguang Town.

As the town mayor, Lin Xiao will definitely attend.

The online celebrities, having taken notice of the news, naturally arrived at the scene early to wait. Even though the town and the police station had set up a checkpoint in advance to strictly prohibit unauthorized personnel from entering, these people still managed to sneak in.

Lin Xiao had no idea how they got in.

I just have to say: to become an internet celebrity, you really have to be pretty good at it, willing to go all out and have plenty of dirty tricks up your sleeve!
These people initially just secretly recorded videos.

Seeing Lin Xiao and the troublemaker Zhang Bo going head-to-head and locked in a fierce battle, the internet celebrities were so excited that their hands were shaking. They thought that today's trip was really worthwhile. They immediately set up a stand, turned on the lights, and started a live broadcast.

At this point, the staff could no longer stop them.

Because Lin Xiao is at a disadvantage in public opinion, the more he is prevented from filming, the more guilty he appears, and the greater the controversy he will face online.

Therefore, although the officials and police officers on site were nervous, they could only let them take photos, record videos, and provide explanations.

Hundreds of thousands of netizens flocked to the various live streaming channels, practically riding on the power lines.

After understanding the cause and effect, the various self-proclaimed experts began to express their "insights" and argued fiercely.

"I think this person is right, Lin Xiao should pay for it!"

"Although I'm a huge fan of 'Rebirth,' to be fair, Lin Xiao, as the town mayor, taking on variety shows is what I call illegal part-time work, isn't it?"

"He's recording variety shows on the side, I just don't believe it hasn't affected his work at all!"

"That's what you call wanting both things at once! He's gained fame and money, and he's not letting go of opportunities and achievements to climb the official ladder. He's really something!"

“He made so much money recording variety shows in the town, and he himself admitted that the inspiration for the song ‘Rice Fragrance’ came from the countryside. Shouldn’t he take out some money to share with the villagers and let these poor people have some soup?”

"What a load of rubbish! They earned their money through their own abilities, why should they share it with others?"

"Good heavens, are you guys serious about saying we should split the money?"

"Lin Xiao recording a variety show is such a big deal, it must have been approved by the higher authorities. You guys keep saying it's an illegal part-time job, are you kidding me?"

"No! Isn't the exposure that 'Rebirth' brings to Starlight Town more valuable than direct donations?"

"Didn't you watch Director Lu's interview? He himself said that he had to fight tooth and nail to get Lin Xiao and his wife to agree. In other words, even if the show isn't filmed in Xingguang Town, it won't stop the couple from making money!"

"Exactly, get this straight, okay? It's not that Lin Xiao made money in Starlight Town, it's that he made money and also made Starlight Town famous!"

"Do rich people deserve to die? With some people's values, you deserve to be poor your whole lives!"

"..."

Before Lin Xiao himself could even speak, the comments section was already in an uproar, with people even more excited than he was.

In the current public opinion climate, opinions supporting and opposing Lin Xiao are roughly evenly split.

This situation is very bad.

After all, Lin Xiao received praise and support from the central government's official media last month, which swept away the influence of various negative opinions, and his and Han Xixi's reputation has remained bright and positive ever since.

As "Rebirth" came to an end, the online popularity of the young couple gradually faded.

However, the decline in public opinion is still largely due to positive sentiments.

Lin Xiao's image has become an outstanding positive role model for contemporary youth who is ambitious, talented, kind, brave, and resolute.

Such an incredible persona was ruined by Zhang Bo's few words, leaving him in a state of mixed reputation.

Enough to see.

No matter how upright, kind, or righteous you are.

If you have money, you're considered part of the bourgeoisie, and it's difficult for ordinary people to understand and support you.

Lin Xiao's situation is even more special.

In terms of wealth, he is a rich bourgeois, but in terms of status, he should be a proletarian public servant who serves the people.

These two extremely contradictory identities coexist in him.

This means that it will be difficult for netizens and passersby to form a unified opinion about him, and even anyone's attitude towards him can easily change. The trigger for this change depends on which of his two labels—assets and proletarians—is revealed and dominates.

Now, under Zhang Bo's impassioned moral blackmail...

It's clear that Lin Xiao is no longer just Mayor Lin or a musician; he's now a "rich man" standing on the opposite side of everyone else.

To be honest, given this class antagonism, he can still get half the support in the live stream.

That's enough to prove his immense personal charm!
If it were someone else, no matter how highly they were praised before, their downfall would be an easy thing to do!

……

Lin Xiao was completely unaware of the uproar online. Standing on the stage, he felt a mixture of calm and unease—not nervousness or fear, but rather a sense of relief that, by a twist of fate, he had made thorough preparations for today.

Otherwise, with Zhang Bo's help, he might have truly suffered a crushing defeat.

Fortunately, he knew he was going to win today.

present.

Faced with Zhang Bo's provocative gaze and the eager attention of hundreds of thousands of netizens in the live broadcast room.

After a moment of silence, Lin Xiao finally smiled calmly and spoke: "Brother, do you know that what you just said was moral blackmail?"

Zhang Bo had anticipated this answer.

He had assumed that the renowned Mayor Lin would be a formidable opponent, a god with three heads and six arms.

I didn't expect... that's all?
Zhang Bo was confident he would win today!
"Whatever you say goes!" Zhang Bo shrugged, looking indifferent.

So what if they resort to moral blackmail? As long as the villagers hate Mayor Lin and resolutely oppose the merger of villages and towns, that's all that matters.

Then one's goal has been achieved.

Lin Xiao smiled and said, "Actually, it's no problem for me to pay for all the expenses of Phase II of Xincun Garden. It's not a difficult thing..."

Before he could finish speaking, the villagers below and the viewers in the live stream all gasped in shock.

Even Zhang Bo's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting him to say that.

That's over ten million!
Even if Lin Xiao is rich, he wouldn't just throw away more than ten million, right?
“But I definitely won’t pay for it!” Lin Xiao added.

Zhang Bo: ? ? ?
Well, so you're just showing off here. I knew it!

Zhang Bo burst into laughter: "Mayor Lin, anyone can talk big. Do you think that just because you say a few words, everyone will believe you again and think you are a good mayor who cares about the country and the people?"

Lin Xiao shrugged: "What everyone thinks is none of my business. But since this gentleman has asked this question on behalf of the villagers, I might as well patiently explain why I won't pay for it!"

Zhang Bo crossed his arms, a smug smile on his face, his expression saying, "Let's see what kind of nonsense you can come up with."

Lin Xiao ignored him and said directly, "First of all, I agree with what you just said. My money was earned in Xingguang Town, so I should contribute to Xingguang Town. So here's the question: since the entire Xingguang Town has a share in this money, shouldn't it be the villagers who participated in the village merger project who benefit?"
"I'm making this decision today: I'll cover the housing costs for these 420 households in the second phase. Everyone's happy, and this project can proceed smoothly. But what about the others? What about the villagers who don't need to participate in the village-town merger, and the more than 3,000 residents living in the town? What will happen to them?"
"Isn't that unfair to them? Should I then distribute the subsidy based on the housing selection fee per person? What about those who are registered in Xingguang Town but don't actually live here? Xingguang Town has a registered population of 20,000. Even if each person receives 1,000, that's still 20 million."

"But the cost of choosing a house isn't just one thousand, it's over twenty thousand per person! That means if I want to be this 'good guy,' I'd have to shell out at least four hundred million. Sir, you just went through all that math for me, so do you think I've actually earned four hundred million?"

These words left Zhang Bo speechless.

Even a fool could tell that Lin Xiao couldn't possibly have earned 4 million; that's an astronomical figure!
For a moment, he was truly speechless after being confronted with Mayor Lin's explanation.

Seeing that he had nothing to say, Lin Xiao continued with a smile: "Secondly, I am standing here today as the mayor of Xingguang Town to speak with everyone. The work of merging villages and towns is a national policy, and it is not only being promoted in Xingguang Town, but also in many remote towns and villages."

"I won't go into the significance of this policy. Yes, I'm a big celebrity, I'm rich, and if the public doesn't understand or support me, I can use my own money to help alleviate their worries. If everyone is happy, I can complete my work smoothly, and maybe I can even get an excellent rating in the annual assessment."

"But think about it, if I really did that, wouldn't it be very unfair to other township cadres who are also working on merging villages and towns? You, Lin Xiao, have an advantage, you've become famous, you've become a good person, and the work is progressing in no time. But other town mayors are also working hard, trying to gain the understanding and support of the masses, and trying their best to complete this work, but they face many difficulties because they don't have an advantage."

"That's fine. The key issue is that when the time comes, villagers from other places will definitely say, 'The mayor of Xingguang Town can give us houses for free out of his own pocket, why can't we?' Well, I'll be seen as a backstabber of our competitors. Tell me, should I do something like this?"

His long-winded speech failed to elicit any response from the audience.

However, he received understanding and support from netizens during the live stream.

"That makes sense!"

"That's so true! It's not scarcity that's the problem, but inequality!"

"Exactly! If you want to do good deeds, you have to share the benefits equally. If these people take the credit, the others will definitely be unhappy!"

"Sigh, it's hard to be a good person!"

"I really didn't expect these two angles; it suddenly makes perfect sense!"

"Tsk tsk, he's definitely got the makings of an official!"

"Now I believe that Lin Xiao got his position as town mayor through his own abilities, not by taking advantage of his father-in-law, the mayor!"

"I'm very impressed with Lin Xiao!"

"Tch, after all that talk, he just doesn't want to pay!"

"..."

The atmosphere at the scene changed slightly.

The villagers, who had been so arrogant just moments before, all calmed down.

Sensing the change in the situation, Zhang Bo grew anxious and shouted, "Mayor Lin, you don't need to say such polite things. When it comes to bureaucratic jargon, I, a mere commoner, certainly can't win against you. I won't listen to what you have to say; I only care about the result—are you going to give the money to everyone or not?!"

With that one sentence, the villagers' attention was drawn back to the main topic.

The glares in everyone's eyes turned venomous again.

No matter how reasonable Lin Xiao's words were, the people on the scene were all poor and needing no energy or time to empathize with the townspeople and other cadres. They only cared about whether they could gain an advantage or benefit today.

As a result, hundreds of eyes on the scene were all fixed on Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao remained unperturbed and smiled calmly.

"You only care about the result, right?" he asked Zhang Bo in return.

"Yes, results are all that matter!"

"very good!"

Lin Xiao suddenly spoke sharply, his smile now showing a hint of determination, "I'll give you the result! The result is—no money, not a single penny can be paid!!"

His words shocked the entire audience.

Zhang Bo was stunned.

I thought Mayor Lin had been rambling on for so long that he wouldn't make any definitive statements, but it seems he's going to keep going back and forth like this.

Unexpectedly, he completely blocked his own path forward.

For a moment, Zhang Bo didn't know whether to be astonished or to burst into laughter.

However, before he could react, Lin Xiao dropped a second bombshell.

Do you know why we have no money?

Lin Xiao grinned mischievously and pressed on with more questions.

Zhang Bo was stunned and shook his head blankly.

Lin Xiao laughed loudly: "Because all the money was donated—the Nanzhou Province Rural Primary School Art Education Fund, which my wife, Ms. Han Xixi, and I jointly established! My wife is the chairperson, responsible for the specific operation. All the proceeds from our work on 'A Longing for Married Life,' as well as all my copyright income from the past year, and my wife Han Xixi's recent endorsement and performance income, totaling 4300 million yuan, have all been invested in this fund for art education work in rural primary schools in Nanzhou Province!"

A few words, yet they were a wake-up call.

The millions of viewers who flocked to the live stream were all stunned.

All those words can be summed up in two phrases that flooded social media: "Holy crap!" and "Awesome!"
Everyone present was stunned, including Zhang Bo.

Looking at everyone's expressions, Lin Xiao felt only one thing: awesome!

Although this whole setup cost over 4000 million, the price was indeed quite high.

but……

What's the point of living if not to show off a little?

Today's big investment came at a higher price, which is normal. But for the talented Lin, it's just a drop in the bucket!

"Anyway, I had a great time today, absolutely fantastic!!"

Lin Xiao felt enlightened and extremely pleased.

His face, however, was all smiles, and he seemed completely unfazed, as if throwing away more than 40 million was as insignificant as a drizzle.

He pushed up his glasses, tilted his head to look at Zhang Bo, and asked with a blank expression:

"Brother, do you have any more questions?!" (End of Chapter)