Huayu: You were supposed to be a top star, but you've become capital?

The Jaeger-LeCoultre new product appreciation event was held in the atrium of MixC Mall.

Despite it being a weekday afternoon, the atrium and the surrounding corridors on the upper and lower floors were already packed with people who had come after hearing the news.

The weather in Shenzhen in September was still hot, and the indoor air conditioning was strong, but it couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the fans and onlookers.

The brand provided a limited number of seats, so most people stood, holding up their phones, and eagerly awaited their turn.

When the host loudly announced, "Welcome Lin Shen!" the sound almost lifted the transparent dome of the mall, and a barrage of flashes illuminated Lin Shen's composed figure as he walked onto the stage.

Lin Shen smiled and waved to all directions, and the host began to introduce Jaeger-LeCoultre's deep connection with the art of film and the brand's long-standing tradition of supporting film restoration projects.

During the interaction, Lin Shen talked about his understanding of classics and heritage, which coincided with the spirit of Jaeger-LeCoultre's Master Collection.

The brand's senior executives from South China took the stage and unveiled a new watch together with Lin Shen; the process was fast-paced.

While watching the situation from below the stage, Xiao Yang couldn't help but take out his phone again.

In just a short while, Lin Shen's Weibo post had already thrown a boulder into the already boiling pot of public opinion.

On the trending topics list, the hashtags #LinShenSpeaksOut# and #LinShenCatchesPolice# are climbing at an alarming rate, directly landing at the top of the list.

Lin Shen's Weibo comment section completely exploded.

Supporters flocked to the scene:

"Brother Shen has such a strong sense of right and wrong! That's so well said!"

"This is the first time I've so strongly agreed with a celebrity's statement! Zero tolerance for drugs!"

"Salute to the anti-drug heroes! Those who whitewash this, open your eyes and see what lies behind your brother's mistakes!"

"This is the kind of social responsibility celebrities should have! I'm a fan now!"

"I'm tearing up... It's true, some people will never come back."

"I admire Lin Shen for being the first to stand up and say this! The Chinese entertainment industry needs voices like this!"

So-and-so's fans and some so-called "rational and objective" individuals angrily retaliated:

"Lin Shen, have you no shame in trying to ride this wave of popularity? Are you trying to get attention yourself?"

"What are you pretending to be so high and mighty for? Are you the only clean one in the entertainment industry?"

"Adding insult to injury! Our brother has already apologized! What more do you want from him?!"

"The law has already punished them, so why not give them a chance to reform?"

"Mind your own business! You're just an actor, do you really think you're someone important?"

The debate quickly escalated and spread to various forums, online communities, and Douban groups.

Lin Shen's fate quickly attracted the majority of criticism and attention.

More importantly, he stood on the high ground of absolute political correctness and morality, instantly elevating the discussion of whether tainted artists could make a comeback to the level of social justice and collective memory.

Many passersby, media outlets, and even official accounts that were originally neutral or observing began to forward or quote Lin Shen's words.

Lin Shen's remarks, to some extent, set the tone.

An eerie silence reigned within the circle.

If no one publicly stands up to support someone, it's tantamount to suicide.

However, in the short term, few artists dare to publicly agree with Lin Shen. After all, as Lin Shen himself said, this industry is too complicated, and who knows which cloud has a hidden danger?

Lin Shen had just launched a sweeping attack across the entire map; although he hadn't named anyone, the impact was still significant.

Only a very small number of celebrities known for their positive image or who have always had a clear stance secretly liked or retweeted some public welfare Weibo posts to show some kind of silent support.

Xiao Yang was scrolling through his phone, his palms sweating.

She could imagine how many eyes were watching this turmoil, how many people were cursing Lin Shen in their hearts for being "meddlesome" and "arrogant," and how many people were secretly cheering.

Xiao Yang looked up at the stage and saw Lin Shen interacting with the host, his smile warm and his demeanor natural.

Under the spotlight, he shone brightly, seemingly completely unaffected by the media storm he had just ignited.

Xiao Yang suddenly understood.

Brother Shen wasn't unaware of the consequences, nor did he disregard those smooth-talking "rules."

Instead, he stood where he wanted to stand and said what he thought he should say.

As for what happened next?

Looking at Lin Shen's composed figure, Xiao Yang inexplicably felt that perhaps Brother Shen didn't care.

Meanwhile, outside the rehearsal room of Beijing Lucky Media.

Having just finished a boring physical education class, Bai Mengyan rubbed her sore shoulders and slipped to a corner of the corridor, eagerly pulling out her phone.

The moment the screen lit up, the first notification was an update from Lin Shen's official Weibo account, which I had been following closely.

She clicked on it, quickly scanned the Weibo post, and her eyes widened in surprise.

"My goodness, Brother Shen..." Bai Mengyan muttered softly, feeling a surge of intense admiration, as if something had struck her heart. "So cool!"

She didn't think too much about the complicated rules or risks in the industry; she just felt that what Brother Shen said was both righteous and satisfying.

Meanwhile, Bai Mengyan had instinctively switched to her Weibo side account, 【盐汽水沖鸭】, which was full of combat experience, and was eager to enter the battlefield.

Sure enough, the comments section of Shen Ge's Weibo post has become the new epicenter of the storm. Supportive voices are like a tsunami, but the occasional stubborn resistance from fans and paid commentators remains glaringly obvious.

Bai Mengyan pouted, her fingers flying across the keyboard:

"Some apologists might as well donate their eyes; can your brother's tears compare to a hero's blood?"

"A comeback? Ask the police officers who sacrificed their lives if they'd agree! Ask their broken families if they'd agree!"

"A top influencer speaks out, upholding the light of righteousness! Brother Shen is awesome! (voice cracks)"

While she was criticizing, she was also keeping an eye on public opinion.

Unlike the previous battles with the fans of Wu and Lu, this time, the Forest fans were in high spirits. More importantly, a large number of accounts from passersby flooded in, shattering the "give them a chance" rhetoric.

Bai Mengyan felt a surge of satisfaction seeing the overwhelming momentum. "Brother Shen, you're too tough!"

Jia Shikai had already received an urgent call from Xiao Yang. After listening to the brief report, Jia's heart skipped a beat. He quickly opened Weibo, read the content, and then rubbed his temples in frustration.

"That kid!" Jia Shikai scratched his head in frustration, pacing around the office. "He didn't even say hello! Is this something you can just interrupt about?!"

He quickly scanned the comments section and the reposting trends from supporting, opposing, and neutral media outlets. His professional instincts allowed him to instantly assess at least ten potential risks:

Offending certain people in the industry, being labeled as combative, causing unnecessary factionalism, and potentially affecting ongoing collaborations...

"Activate the emergency plan!" Jia Shikai quickly instructed the head of the public relations department.

"Monitor public opinion across all platforms, focusing on rivals and online trolls trying to stir up trouble, prepare several sets of response scripts, and contact a few media outlets and KOLs with whom we have good relationships, ready to respond at any time..."

Before he could finish speaking, his phone vibrated, and a WeChat message from Lin Shen popped up:

"Don't worry about me, just let the company play dead."

Jia Shikai stared at the short line of text, a lump forming in his throat.

Ignore it? Play dead? Easier said than done! You started this powder keg of public opinion, and now that the flames are ignited, you're saying you'll do nothing?

But they also understood Lin Shen's meaning: he didn't want the conflict to escalate to the level of Lucky Film, and wanted to prevent the team and other artists under its management from being dragged into unnecessary trouble.

But feigning death means putting Lin Shen alone in the eye of the storm...

After much hesitation, Jia Shikai gritted his teeth and said to the public relations manager:

"The contingency plan is still in place, and everyone is ready, but... don't move yet. Observe the situation and report any unusual wind direction to me immediately!"

The public relations manager left looking puzzled. Jia Shikai sat back in his chair, forcing himself to stare at the constantly scrolling public opinion data, his brows furrowed in worry.