"Are those people out of their minds, bringing their troubles to me!" Su Lin sat in his office, perfectly fine, only to be embroiled in a mess for no reason. He felt so angry just thinking about it.
It turned out that the Tang family, seeing that Tang Jiaojiao was unyielding and refused to listen to them, changed their strategy and decided to target their adopted children.
Su He and the others had experienced her formidable power and knew she was on Tang Jiaojiao's side, so they gave up on trying to manipulate her and went straight for the youngest, Su Lin.
In their eyes, Su Lin was the most guileless and the easiest to bribe.
They always picked on the weakest!
Unfortunately, they overestimated their own abilities or underestimated the unity of the Su family.
How could Su Lin possibly act as their spokesperson and turn his weapons against his own family? Being the sharp-tongued person he was, he refused without a second thought. Thus, the Tang family, to force his compliance, deliberately hired online trolls to smear him. They accused him of plagiarism and presented some so-called evidence.
Plagiarism was an unbearable disgrace for a creative singer.
Su Lin's loyal fans naturally knew this was impossible, so they stood by him. However, there were some uninformed bystanders who blindly followed the trend and began to doubt him.
The haters spewed venom.
"Looking at him, he doesn't seem like he has any real talent. Were all his previous songs ghostwritten?"
"Ran out of inspiration? Started plagiarizing when he couldn't write anymore? Hmph, I knew this would happen!"
"How many idol singers can actually write songs? It's all a constructed persona. It's not surprising to have such a scandal exposed!"
Some went even further, claiming that Su Lin's supposed top-tier status was all bought traffic by the company and the result of him being exploited by higher-ups.
It made him want to curse.
"Boss, don't be angry. This speaker is very expensive..." The assistant looked at his boss's grim expression, afraid he would smash the newly bought equipment.
Su Lin's expression was unpleasant, but still within the realm of tolerance.
He had been in the industry for so many years and was accustomed to facing all sorts of rumors and gossip.
"Have you noted down the accounts of those haters?" he asked.
"Noted down, the lawyer's letters will be sent out soon," the assistant replied. "What kind of people are these, with nothing better to do!"
"They think they're keyboard warriors, playing righteous crusaders! They don't even look at what kind of people they are!"
"Just mindless hate! If you have the guts, reveal your real names! I'd like to see how remarkable you are! Always saying this is bad, that is not good!"
The assistant complained while working.
Su Lin habitually reached for his pocket but found it empty.
Oh, he had been trying to quit smoking recently.
Su Lin used to smoke when he was stressed, but after Su He told him off a few times, he had switched to lollipops.
"Where are my candies?"
"Boss, are you sure you won't get cavities?" The assistant brought over the candy jar, looking quite worried for him. Quitting smoking was good for his health, but eating too much sugar wasn't good either.
Su Lin couldn't worry about that much.
He was feeling agitated and needed something to distract himself.
He unwrapped an apple-flavored lollipop and popped it into his mouth. His mood indeed improved significantly.
No wonder Su He said that eating sweet things makes one feel better; there was some truth to it.
The sweet scent of the candy spread in his mouth. When Su Lin picked up his phone again, he was much calmer. "Send the lawyer's letters, and don't let the mastermind behind this off the hook."
"You mean, someone is deliberately causing trouble behind the scenes?" The assistant's brow furrowed.
Su Lin's reputation had always been good. Unless someone wanted to frame him, it wouldn't have escalated so fiercely, even making it onto several trending topics. Even a previous cast dinner with Han Yutong was dug up, and a false dating scandal was fabricated.
Thinking of Han Yutong, Su Lin hesitated for a moment and sent her a message, asking about her situation.
After all, she had been implicated because of him, so he should show some consideration.
Han Yutong was surprised that Su Lin would message her first and felt incredibly flattered.
She subtly got up and went to the restroom, her face blushing and her heart pounding as she replied. "I'm fine, and you? Um, about the scandal, should we clarify it together?"
Su Lin: No need, the clear will become clearer.
Han Yutong: You don't need to mind what those people say. Your talent is evident to everyone.
She deleted and rewrote several times, unsure of what status she should use to comfort him. In the end, she sent this message in a professional tone, as a former colleague.
Su Lin's reply was concise, just two words: Thank you.
Han Yutong felt a little disheartened.
However, she was already content that Su Lin had contacted her proactively.
Idol, you must keep going!
Han Yutong murmured in her heart.
Then, she logged into her Weibo alt account and actively joined other loyal fans in controlling the comments and reporting the haters. She was very adept at these things. Before her debut, she had been a fan herself.
Su Lin's ability to remain a top-tier celebrity in the entertainment industry for so many years couldn't be shaken by a few haters. He had too many devoted fans, and even many colleagues came out to support him, denouncing the malicious media for fabricating stories and stirring up trouble.
Soon, the plagiarism incident passed.
Moreover, to prove his capabilities, Su Lin quickly released a new single. It was an R&B song, and for the first time, Su Lin incorporated rap. The lyrics were sharp, specifically targeting those keyboard warriors. The rhythm was upbeat, catchy, and thought-provoking. Upon its release, it dominated major music charts and even received an invitation to a foreign music festival, earning an international award nomination.
The slap in the face came swiftly.
Before the trolls could retaliate, the song exploded and went viral. It became extremely difficult to use his work as a point of contention. Thus, Su Lin made a comeback once again, his career reaching new heights, becoming a true international superstar.
This time, the Su family didn't even have a chance to intervene before the situation subsided.
The Tang family, in particular, never expected that the one they considered the weakest would possess such charisma.
What a miscalculation!
Would the Tang family give up just like that? Of course not.
If Su Lin didn't work, they would move on to the next target. After all, they were unwilling to let Tang Jiaojiao go.
*
"Who's the next target?" Tang Sese's sharp fingernails lightly glided over several photographs.
"Su Chen is connected to the Qi family; it's best not to touch him," Tang Ren, who had been getting along well with the Qi family recently, couldn't help but remind her.
Tang Sese tugged at her shawl and silently rolled her eyes. "Do I need you to tell me that?"
Finally, her gaze landed on Su Ying.
Su Ying, a renowned fashion designer and a top domestic fashionista.
"Does this Su Ying have any other backing?" After a series of failures, Tang Sese had to be cautious and dared not underestimate her opponents anymore.
"The Su family is an intellectual family, mostly doctors and researchers. According to the information I've gathered, they don't have any significant background. So, you can go ahead with confidence," Tang Ren said smugly as he downed a glass of wine. "Once we arrange to meet her, I'll talk to her personally."
Tang Sese glanced at her elder brother, not missing the covetous glint in his eyes.