Gao Fei’s self-detonation once again startled Ye family’s grandfather and grandson.
They both assumed foreign hackers had tampered with the systems of the three major social platforms, causing Gao Fei to disappear from the internet.
This led to the false news of his blacklisting spreading through all chat groups.
But who could have guessed that the foreign hacker who tampered with the systems was him.
Coming back to his senses, Ye Sucheng looked at Gao Fei with confusion and asked, “Xiao Gao, you hacked into the social platforms and erased hot searches and keywords related to yourself. What was the purpose of doing this?”
“Fear of death!”
“Fear of death?”
Old Master Ye stared at him, stunned. “Having hot searches means popularity. Every actor and artist wishes to be on hot searches every day.
Why is it that for you, it’s like facing impending doom? Could being on hot searches endanger your life?”
“Grandpa, usually being on hot searches is a good thing.
But it’s different now. Being on hot searches is like being on a death list. The more popular you are, the more likely you are to die!”
Seeing Gao Fei wanting to continue, Ye Sucheng quickly sent his granddaughter out to buy food and drinks.
The drunken Xiao Gao didn’t hold back. With a hiccup, he spilled all the secrets he had seen on Wang He’s phone.
From the voting for the “Most Anticipated Films” to the hired assassinations of celebrities on the list, Gao Fei roughly explained it all.
Listening to the secrets of the entertainment industry, Ye Sucheng’s expression shifted from shock to horror, and finally to coldness.
Although he held a high position and rarely heard industry secrets, he knew that certain companies would stop at nothing for profit.
But he never expected that competition for profits would escalate to threats against life.
Gao Fei took a drink and continued with a slurred tongue, “Master Ye, Sixth Master, you are insiders, but you don’t know the darkness within this circle.
The reason I blacklisted myself is because next month is the selection for the propaganda film for International Day.
Currently, I, Gao Fei, have the highest popularity, so I will definitely be on that selection list, and will inevitably become a target for sabotage by various companies.
Even with support from people in the military and the Beijing police, it’s easier to dodge an open attack than a hidden arrow.
If someone quietly throws a bomb into the film set, or replaces real props with fake ones, I will sooner or later meet the same fate as those murdered celebrities.”
Sixth Master frowned, pinching his wine glass with two fingers, and looked at Ye Sucheng beside him. “It seems that the entertainment industry in Longguo has become the biggest tumor in another system!”
Old Master Ye nodded silently, then asked Gao Fei, who was slumped in his chair, “Xiao Gao, how did you know that the selection for the propaganda film for International Day would be held at the end of March?”
“Master Ye, I was one of the last to know. It’s been circulating in the industry since before the New Year!”
With the topic opened up, Gao Fei continued, “The hot searches now are all about film companies exposing each other’s scandals. Do you know why?”
The two old gentlemen shook their heads simultaneously.
“Because of the new selection rules.
The new rules stipulate that all shortlisted films must be released in cinemas, and the top ten films will be selected based on box office statistics.
Therefore, every company is hyping up their films that are still in production, wanting to gain the maximum attention and traffic when the films are released.”
After hearing the reason for the chaotic battle on the hot search list.
Ye Sucheng’s face turned cold. He hadn’t expected that before the new rules were even announced externally, all companies had already received the news.
At this moment, he realized that not only the entertainment industry needed rectification, but there were also major hidden dangers within the system itself.
To solve the current chaos in the entertainment industry, the source of internal leaks had to be cut off.
The two old gentlemen had wanted to inquire about other secrets in the entertainment industry.
But Xiao Gao, unable to withstand the alcohol, had already fallen asleep on the table.
While Gao Fei was recounting the secrets of the entertainment industry.
On the internet, the "Most Anticipated Films" list was released.
As soon as the list came out, within an hour, its popularity broke through 100 million, approaching 200 million.
It even directly dominated the top spot on the hot searches of the three major social platforms.
Because terms related to Feihe Film and Television and others were technically hidden by Gao Fei.
Therefore, neither he nor Feihe Film and Television appeared on the list.
Topping the list was Huanqiu Film and Television, with the film "Walking With You," starring Zhu Dong/Male and Xu Qin/Female.
At second place was Lingxi Film and Television, with the film "Gunshots Ring Out," starring Wei Ran/Male and Li Xiaoran/Female.
The top ten were all well-known domestic film and television companies, and the actors were all first-tier domestic stars.
After statistics were compiled, the anticipation for each film on the list had already exceeded ten million.
…
At ten o’clock in the evening, Hangzhou Film and Television Base.
Huanqiu Film and Television's crew for "Walking With You" finished their night shoot. Everyone gathered for a late-night snack, preparing for the next night’s filming.
Not long after everyone finished their late-night snack, all the crew members suffered from food poisoning.
The two lead actors in the film foamed at the mouth and were immediately rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment.
Shenzhen, Lingxi Film and Television’s crew for "Gunshots Ring Out."
Dozens of people from the entire crew were working through the night, filming the car chase scene in the movie.
When filming the scene where the lead actors and supporting actors were racing and aiming prop guns at each other in a show of combat.
The vehicle, which was supposed to be controlled by remote, suddenly lost control, and the lead actor’s car sped out.
CRASH!
A huge impact sound echoed on the street.
Everyone in the crew was terrified and quickly had the medical staff on set check for injuries, while simultaneously calling for an ambulance.
A moment later, an ambulance arrived at the scene and sped towards the hospital with the lead actor.
That night, not only did the crews of Huanqiu Film and Television and Lingxi Film and Television experience accidents.
The crews of the other eight films on the list also experienced various unexpected accidents on set.
Some crews had electrical fires, while others were harassed by hooligans during a drunken spree…
Crews in various locations experienced different accidents that night.
The films on the list also saw their rankings constantly changing with the new information exposed by paparazzi.
After a night passed.
The internet, which had been suppressed and quieted, became lively again due to the accidents in the film crews.
Apart from the top-ranked "Most Anticipated Films" on hot search, the rest were all hot news about celebrities suffering accidents.
Beijing Administration of Radio and Television.
Before dawn, Ye Sucheng had already arrived at his office in the administration.
Following Gao Fei’s secret revelations from yesterday, he was also paying attention to the hot news online.
Last night, accidents occurred in the top ten crews on the list. He was already aware of this and, like the young netizens, was following the latest gossip from paparazzi.
At eight o’clock, the list was updated.
Yesterday’s top ten films had all been replaced, except for the lead actors who were still filming.
Looking at the new films on the list, Ye Sucheng knew in his heart that these rankings were obtained by various companies using despicable means to compete for popularity.
“Director Ye, all department directors and staff members have arrived in the conference room.”
The secretary knocked on the open office door and said from outside.
Ye Sucheng glanced at the hot search news on his computer and instructed, “Copy screenshots of the hot news above. They will be needed in the meeting!”
“Yes, Director Ye!”
Five minutes later, in the conference room on the second floor.
The Deputy Director, directors, and staff members of the Administration were all whispering amongst themselves.
Everyone was discussing whether the sudden general meeting called by Director Ye meant any positional changes.
Ye Sucheng walked in, and everyone immediately stopped their discussions.
CRASH!
The door closed, and the meeting officially began.
Ye Sucheng, sitting in the center of the podium, scanned the entire staff of the administration below and said with a smile, “Colleagues, today marks one year and one month since I was transferred to the Administration, and it is the first time I have convened a general meeting.
Today’s meeting is very simple. It is to discuss some unsavory news in the entertainment industry.
And also, the violations by some personnel within the department who, despite knowing about the confidentiality agreement, risked leaking confidential information to outsiders.”
As his voice fell, a ripple of shock went through everyone’s hearts.
Several directors sitting in the front row, their teacup-holding hands trembled. They lowered their heads, avoiding the sharp gaze from the podium.
Previous directors would take about an hour to conduct a general meeting.
But Ye Sucheng, who had only been transferred for a year, shortened the meeting to half an hour.
The half-hour meeting ended. The conference room was deathly silent, with everyone wearing different expressions.
Several directors in the front row wanted to argue, but were interrupted by the opening of the conference room door.
Disciplinary inspection personnel in uniform, full of integrity, entered.
The directors sitting in the front row felt their legs go weak and slumped in their chairs.
That morning, nearly half of the staff at the Administration of Radio and Television were gone.
Ye Sucheng looked at the statistical list on the document and sighed helplessly, muttering to himself, “Too many蛀虫 (vermin/corrupt elements) have caused the chaos in the entertainment industry. It’s time for it to become clear!”
Due to the significant impact, the news from the Administration did not spread outwards.
However, some industry moguls outside had already sensed something unusual.
Initially, the "Most Anticipated Films" voting was closed.
The hot search list of popular selections also disappeared simultaneously.
Next, the top fifty on the hot search list, any new films related to the International Day propaganda film, also disappeared.
The hot news of the actors who were hospitalized due to accidents last night did not disappear, but were all consolidated into one hot search.
Now, the hot search lists on the three platforms were filled with political news, livelihood news, and scientific research and military news.
The hot news on the list was not like before, with hot searches full of scandals and hot news about celebrities.
After rectifying the online hot searches.
The three platforms simultaneously received official fines.
They were fined 500,000 Longguo each for not promptly curbing public opinion and for condoning unverified voting.
As the social platforms were fined and the entertainment atmosphere on the hot search list was corrected, the Administration of Radio and Television also posted on their social media accounts.
“Due to certain reasons, the selection of the propaganda film for International Day will be conducted offline. All film and television companies are requested to submit sample films to the Administration before March 28th.
After the review, the Administration will announce the shortlisted films to the public.
The selection rules previously circulated externally are not the decisions of the Administration. In the future, any rules will be promulgated by the Administration online and offline.
In addition, a reminder, if actors and artists with poor conduct or prior criminal records appear in the sample films, they will not pass this review.”
This statement immediately caused a huge stir in the entertainment industry.
The Administration’s announcement, ostensibly for the International Day propaganda film.
Secretly, it was a major cleanup of the entertainment industry. Any problematic artists would be blacklisted in the future and disappear from public view.
The hungover Gao Fei, upon waking up, also saw the announcement from the Administration.
He simply sighed that the Administration had finally taken action to rectify China's entertainment industry.
He never imagined that the great shock today was all caused by his drunken ramblings and complaints last night, which had stirred up such a storm in the entertainment industry.
When Gao Fei woke up in the hotel, ready to start simulating the role of a film emperor in the system, there was a sudden knock on the door outside.
“Knocking so early in the morning, could it be a sasaeng fan?”
He mumbled and walked out of the bedroom.
The moment he opened the door, Gao Fei was stunned, looking at the neatly dressed official personnel outside, he was dumbfounded.
“Hello, Mr. Gao Fei, I am Pan Hongsheng from the Ministry of State Security. Please put on your clothes and come with us!”