"Do those people have some kind of terminal illness, picking a fight with me!" Su Lin sat comfortably in his office, only to be embroiled in trouble for no reason. He felt so angry just thinking about it.
It turned out that after the Tang family found Tang Jiaojiao to be unyielding and unwilling to listen to them, they changed their strategy and decided to target their adopted children.
Su He and the others had already experienced her formidable nature and knew she was on Tang Jiaojiao's side. Thus, they gave up on trying to manipulate her and went directly for the youngest, Su Lin.
In their eyes, Su Lin was the least cunning 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 a spokesperson for them, turning his spear against his own kin? Being his usual sharp-tongued self, he refused without a second thought. Consequently, the Tang family, in an attempt to force his compliance, deliberately hired online trolls to smear him, accusing him of plagiarism and presenting some so-called evidence.
Plagiarism was an unbearable humiliation for a singer-songwriter.
Su Lin's loyal fans naturally knew this was impossible and stood by him. However, some uninformed passersby were swayed by the mob mentality and began to doubt him.
The haters spewed venom with all their might, saying anything and everything.
"Looking at him, he doesn't seem like someone with real talent. Were his previous songs ghostwritten?"
"He's run out of ideas and resorted to plagiarism? Ha, I knew this would happen!"
"How many idol singers actually write songs? It's all just a persona. It's not surprising at all that such a scandal has broken out!"
Some even went as far as to claim that Su Lin's so-called top-tier status was fabricated by the company buying traffic, and a result of him being sexually exploited by higher-ups.
It made one want to curse.
"Boss, please don't be angry. This speaker is very expensive..." The assistant watched his boss's grim expression, afraid he might smash the newly purchased equipment.
Su Lin's expression was dark, but still within a tolerable range.
Having debuted for so many years, he was accustomed to facing all sorts of rumors and gossip.
"Have the accounts of those haters been noted down?" he asked.
"They have been. The lawyer's letters will be sent out shortly," the assistant replied. "What kind of people are these, with nothing better to do!"
"They think they're keyboard warriors dispensing justice! They don't even consider what kind of people they are!"
"All they do is blindly attack! If they're so capable, why don't they reveal their real names! I'd like to see what remarkable individuals they are! Always criticizing this and that!"
The assistant complained as he worked.
Su Lin habitually reached for his pocket, only to find it empty.
Oh, he had been trying to quit smoking recently.
When Su Lin felt stressed, he used to smoke. After Su He spoke to him 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 candy wasn't ideal either.
Su Lin couldn't afford to worry about that.
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 could improve one's mood. It was quite true.
The sweet fragrance of the candy bloomed in his mouth. When Su Lin picked up his phone again, he had become calm. "Send the lawyer's letters, and don't let the mastermind get away with it."
"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 intended to frame him, it wouldn't have escalated to this extent, even trending on hot searches. Even a previous gathering with Han Yutong at the film set was dug up, and a fabricated romance rumor was concocted.
Thinking of Han Yutong, Su Lin hesitated for a moment and sent her a message, inquiring about her situation.
After all, she had been implicated because of him, so he should offer her some consideration.
Han Yutong was surprised that Su Lin would message her, and felt flattered.
She quietly got up and went to the restroom, her heart pounding, and replied, "I'm fine, are you? Also, about the rumors, do we need to clarify them together?"
Su Lin: No need, the innocent will be vindicated.
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 stance to take to comfort him. In the end, she sent a message as a former colleague in a business-like tone.
Su Lin's reply was brief, just a thank you.
Han Yutong felt a little dejected.
However, she was content that Su Lin had reached out to her.
"Idol, keep up the good work!" Han Yutong silently cheered.
Then, she logged into her secondary Weibo account and actively joined other loyal fans in controlling comments and reporting haters. She was very adept at these tasks. Before her debut, she had also 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 toppled by a few haters. He had too many die-hard fans, and even some peers came out to support him, denouncing irresponsible media for fabricating stories and inciting public opinion.
Soon, the plagiarism incident passed.
Furthermore, to prove his talent, Su Lin quickly released a new single. It was an R&B song where Su Lin tried rapping for the first time. The lyrics were sharp, directly targeting those keyboard warriors. The rhythm was upbeat, catchy, and thought-provoking. Upon its release, it dominated all major music charts and even received an invitation to a foreign music festival, earning a nomination for an international award.
The face-slap came that swiftly.
Before the trolls could counter-attack, the song became a massive hit. It became particularly unconvincing to use his work as a basis for criticism. Thus, Su Lin staged another comeback, his career reaching new heights, solidifying his status as a true international superstar.
This time, the situation subsided before the Su family even had a chance to intervene.
The Tang family was even more surprised that the one they perceived as the weakest possessed 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 determined not to let Tang Jiaojiao off the hook.
*
"Who is the next target?" Tang Sese's sharp fingernails gently glided over a few photographs.
"Su Chen is connected to the Qi family. It's best not to touch him," Tang Ren, who had been in close contact with the Qi family recently, couldn't help but remind her.
Tang Sese tugged at the shawl on her shoulders and silently rolled her eyes. "Do I need you to tell me?"
Ultimately, she set her sights on Su Ying.
Su Ying, a renowned fashion designer and a top fashion influencer in the country.
"Does this Su Ying have any other backing?" After a series of setbacks, Tang Sese had to be cautious and dared not underestimate her opponents anymore.
"The Su family are intellectuals; most of them are doctors or researchers. According to the information I've gathered, they don't have any significant background. You can proceed with confidence," Tang Ren boasted, downing a glass of wine. "Once we get the person out, I'll negotiate with her personally."
Tang Sese glanced at her elder brother, not missing the covetous look in his eyes.