Thirty minutes before Jiang Ling posted on Weibo.
Dong Haisheng, who rarely used Weibo, also made a rare statement in support: "Miss Jiang Ling is the most talented and spirited actress I've ever met. Her five seconds of performance are worth fifteen million yuan!"
As soon as this post was published, the entire internet was in an uproar.
Sky-high remuneration was a sensitive topic in the industry.
Had Dong Haisheng gone mad?
How dared he publicly support Jiang Ling receiving such a high salary at this critical juncture?
The film and television industry also had a hierarchy.
Those who filmed TV dramas were inferior to those who filmed movies.
This was because TV dramas were judged by ratings, and ratings were too easily falsified.
Movies were different; they were judged by box office revenue, a vote of real money from the audience. Even with occasional cases of box office manipulation, it was still better than TV series with hundreds of billions of views and inflated ratings.
Furthermore, it was said that "condensation is essence."
TV dramas were long epics with enough content and episodes for foreshadowing.
Movies were short, ranging from eighty to ninety minutes to two to three hours. To perform a story well in such a short time undoubtedly tested the director's guidance more.
Dong Haisheng, as a top-tier director in the film industry, held a position few could match. Even top celebrities would not dare to act presumptuously in front of him.
Yet, such a prominent figure was now on Weibo supporting Jiang Ling. Was the situation not chaotic enough?
While netizens were angry, they were also puzzled.
Dong Haisheng and Jiang Ling had always had little interaction. It was rumored that a few years ago, he had publicly criticized traffic stars and did not hesitate to name Jiang Ling, using her as a negative example.
Logically, with no interaction between the two, why would he support Jiang Ling so much?
Could it be that Dong Haisheng was the one who offered Jiang Ling the fifteen million yuan salary?
Dong Haisheng's involvement further fanned the flames of public opinion online.
An Qiuyan, who was staying in the apartment bought by Shen Mingjue, was laughing with delight.
You little bitch Jiang Ling, this is your downfall!
For stealing my man, for ruining my happiness.
This is just an appetizer; the real show is yet to come. Just you wait.
Liu Tian'er, who had clashed with Jiang Ling over voice acting issues, was also happy to add insult to injury when Jiang Ling was being criticized again.
She immediately incited her fans to fuel the fire and launch a series of attacks.
Although the public opinion was fierce, Jiang Ling was no longer the Jiang Ling of the past.
Now, not only did she have a massive fan base, but she also had the powerful backing of Liuyun Media.
Liuyun Media had signed Jiang Ling at great expense because they valued her commercial potential.
The facts proved that Ge Ying had not misjudged her. In less than half a year since signing, Jiang Ling had brought in hundreds of millions of yuan in profit to the company through advertising endorsements.
This earning capacity far surpassed many so-called top-tier young male stars.
Capital pursued profit, and money flowed where it was.
Unless Jiang Ling actively courted disaster by violating red lines, the company would protect her from any amount of negative news.
Wasn't it just about damage control?
It was simple; their agency was best at whitewashing and smearing.
The paid trolls they heavily invested in were not just for show.
Jiang Ling's fans, seeing their idol demand fifteen million yuan for just five seconds of acting, were initially furious, then filled with heartache.
She, a weak woman, had to earn more money to protect herself in the cutthroat entertainment industry.
After all, actors had a limited career span, so they should earn as much as they could.