The Most Popular Comedian

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At 2:30 in the morning, the original author of “The Traveler in Plain Clothing,” Xun Guang, posted on Weibo.

@Xun Guangv: This drama has too many additional scenes. I have to catch a flight tomorrow, so I’ll stop here for now. I’m exhausted. [Images attached]

The images showed several densely written pages of script, but the specific content was unclear. Two strands of hair were artfully placed on the paper to emphasize the feeling of being truly “exhausted.”

Xun Guang’s late-night post initially didn’t receive much attention, with only a few night owls commenting underneath:

“Big sis, take care, get some rest early.”

“What does adding scenes mean? Wasn’t it said that the original story wouldn’t be altered?”

“Adding scenes doesn’t necessarily mean changing the original story; it could be about enriching certain plotlines. We’ll have to wait for the author’s response to know what’s going on.”

At this point, only a few fans were sporadically sharing and commenting on the post, and the heat hadn’t picked up. It wasn’t until the next morning that more fans of the show and the original book noticed Xun Guang’s Weibo post and started speculating about the changes in the TV adaptation.

…

This Weibo post truly exploded in popularity at exactly 9:00 AM.

Almost simultaneously, as if it had been coordinated, over twenty brand accounts followed Xun Guang. Then, more than forty certified accounts of wealthy individuals (often referred to as rich second-generation or “富二代” in Chinese) reposted her Weibo. The scene was spectacular, and their captions were unified:

“Who has the audacity to add scenes for themselves in ‘Journey in Plain Robe’?”

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Netizens who clicked on these accounts were stunned to find that all these certified users were from the entertainment industry’s elite circle!

Comments under Xun Guang’s Weibo instantly blew up:

“OMG, OMG! What’s going on?”

“Are these certified accounts real? I’m shocked!”

“Yes, they are real. That ‘嗷嗷鹿鸣’ is the heir of the Luei Appliances brand, the biggest sponsor of ‘Treasure Hunt’!”

“Over forty identical captions and more than twenty brands suddenly following Xun Guang! Something big must have happened! Otherwise, such a massive wave wouldn’t have occurred!”

…

It wasn’t until observant netizens connected the dots between “Yu Rao joining the cast” and “Xun Guang changing the script” that the situation became clear. Yu Rao’s fans wanted to lash out but were afraid of hitting too close to home. After much hesitation, some fans couldn’t hold back and jumped into the fray:

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“My brother Yu Rao wouldn’t appreciate you altering the script. Don’t try to piggyback on his popularity!”

“It’s just an internet rumor. They didn’t say our brother Yu Rao is joining the cast. Why drag my brother into it? Besides, isn’t a screenwriter supposed to adjust the script? These people are just making a fuss over nothing!”

“Trash screenwriter, daring to piggyback on my brother Yu Rao with just a few hundred thousand followers? ‘Journey in Plain Clothing’ was unheard of before this!”

Yu Rao’s fans vented their frustration, but Xun Guang’s fans, along with fans of “Journey in Plain Robe,” were silently waiting for her to land.

At this moment, it was a little past 10:00 AM. The entire cast and crew of “Journey in Plain Robes” were still on the plane, collectively in flight mode, distancing themselves from the turmoil of the mundane world.

Yu Rao’s fans had stirred up trouble, drawing in Xun Guang’s book fans and the drama’s fans.

The team behind Yu Rao, still embroiled in the Weibo war, was nearly driven to the point of disconnecting from the internet.

Yu Rao’s manager made one call after another, trying to hire online influencers, control public opinion, and even buy marketing accounts. However, the speed at which the situation was escalating couldn’t be matched by their efforts to control it. Frustrated, Yu Rao kicked the coffee table.

“Bang!”

He couldn’t understand why the carefully prepared public opinion had backfired in just one night.

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—

On the plane, Rong Yuheng was curled up in his seat, catching up on some sleep.

Wen Zhecheng sat beside him, covering him with a blanket and reaching his long arm around to quietly “nurture” the little hamster.

Xun Guang sat across the aisle from them, casually flipping through the script. It was densely filled with text, just like the image she had posted in the early morning.

But if one looked closely, they could see gaps between paragraphs, with words written in strong, powerful strokes that depicted the most exquisite of scenes:

“As if time had suddenly slowed down, the foolish Yu Rao unsheathed his sword and thrust it towards the burly man on the other side. His wise face was filled with an unstoppable confidence, as if he didn’t even know who he was—truly a rare sight in the mortal realm!

In the next moment, the burly man on the other side swung his curved blade, piercing the air. Panicking, Yu Rao shouted, ‘What are you trying to do?’

The burly man licked his lips and said, ‘I’m here to make a sacrifice, using your family photos and the currency of the heavens and earth!'”

Qian Xinlei returned from the restroom and, passing by Xun Guang’s seat, faintly sensed an extraordinary aura emanating from the pages of the script. He couldn’t help but furrow his brow and glance at her, “Why did you make so many changes to the script?”

Xun Guang calmly closed the pages of the script, “I corrected some typos.”

Qian Xinlei, “…”

Across the aisle, Wen Zhecheng, with a meaningful look, glanced down at the little bundle sleeping in his arms.

Wen Zhecheng vaguely remembered that this guy had once claimed that he signed the contract just to buy time, and his excuse was “correcting typos.”

Thinking of this, Wen Zhecheng couldn’t help but cast a guarded glance at Xun Guang. No, he had to be more interesting than Xun Guang, or else he would eventually become a boring tool.

The flight from K City to C City would take about three to four hours. Rong Yuheng woke up from his nap and looked at the dark stain on Wen Zhecheng’s chest.

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Wen Zhecheng had been so kind as to offer him a glass of water. He had drooled quite a bit.

Rong Yuheng, “…”

His owner was really interesting!

After gazing at the water stain for a while, Rong Yuheng nonchalantly took the glass of water and took a sip before asking, “What time is it?”

Wen Zhecheng wore a watch and promptly answered with a sense of accomplishment, “It’s almost eleven.”

Rong Yuheng pinched his pinky finger and looked up at the cabin ceiling, his tone serene, “It should be about time.”

“Time for what?”

“For the backlash of public opinion.”

He calculated the time, and Weibo was undoubtedly in chaos by now. Yu Rao’s PR team was probably spending money on buying water armies and controlling the narrative while frantically calling the drama crew to clarify.

Unfortunately, they had all turned off their phones.

Thinking of this, Rong Yuheng felt relieved. The frustration he had previously felt from Yu Rao’s subtle digs had eased considerably.

He looked smug as he nuzzled up against Wen Zhecheng, showing off his considerable worth, “Well, Owner? Is your little hamster well-connected enough?”

Over forty golden V accounts were quite impressive!

Wen Zhecheng, his voice filled with a mix of sweetness and jealousy, replied, “Indeed, my little hamster is well-connected enough to have friends all over the world.”

Rong Yuheng had been able to pick up Wen Zhecheng’s brainwaves ever since he awakened. Hearing this, he immediately snuggled up to his owner with a triumphant smile.

“I don’t want friends all over the world; I want an exclusive owner.”

Sigh… Wen Zhecheng was momentarily overwhelmed by a surge of excitement. Suppressing the rising curve of his lips, he affectionately pulled Rong Yuheng closer, “You have an exclusive owner.”

A raised voice reached them from the front row, and Qu Youhe suddenly turned his head from his seat, “Zhecheng, where does it itch?”

The sweet bubble between the two main pets was instantly burst.

After a while, Wen Zhecheng cleared his throat and said, “It itches in the heart.”

—

The inexplicable little episode quickly passed, and the two of them returned to discussing Weibo.

They had both lost access to their own Weibo accounts, so they couldn’t directly participate in the exciting counterattack.

Fortunately, Rong Yuheng had friends in high places on the platform. Even though he no longer had an account, he still had this group of clever buddies. Over forty V accounts combined had a much larger reach than his alone.

In Daoism, it was said that “when things reach their extreme, they reverse,” and “borrowing strength to exert strength.” This principle applied in reality as well.

Rong Yuheng’s idea was simple: just as he had used Yu Rao’s subtle digs and publicity to push himself onto the hot search before, he could now use the same principle to cut off Yu Rao’s escape route.

Wen Zhecheng, sitting beside him, peeled an orange for him. The refreshing scent of citrus dispelled the slight dizziness Rong Yuheng was feeling.

“This time, our little hamster has worked hard. We called so many friends from the Daoist path to support us.”

“Ah…” Rong Yuheng opened his mouth, enjoying Wen Zhecheng’s feeding, and didn’t even move his hands. He looked just like a lazy hamster. “It wasn’t hard at all. You also made an effort, and you invited Chacha to share melons with everyone. The heat will definitely explode this time.”

Wen Zhecheng suddenly stopped peeling the orange, as if he had thought of something. He fell silent for a moment and then let out a meaningful, “Hmm,” before continuing, “It will explode… and it will shake.”

Rong Yuheng didn’t notice the brief pause and continued with admiration, “Awesome!”

Wen Zhecheng had juice in his hand, so he playfully nudged Rong Yuheng’s head, saying, “You have over forty accounts, while I only have two. Our little hamster is the real powerhouse.”

Rong Yuheng, enjoying Wen Zhecheng’s praise, responded happily, “Hmm-hmm.”

Then, he suddenly paused for a second and asked, “…Two accounts?”

He turned to Wen Zhecheng and inquired, “Aside from Chacha, did you invite any other friends?”

Wen Zhecheng hesitated for a moment before replying, “They’re not exactly friends.”

Rong Yuheng was curious and asked, “Then who are they? Did you invite Teacher Qiao Tan? Teacher Song Tang? Su-ge?”

Wen Zhecheng shook his head, “No.”

Rong Yuheng playfully nudged him with his elbow, “Come on, don’t keep me in suspense. Who’s the other account?”

Wen Zhecheng glanced at Rong Yuheng and his dark pupils sparkled with a mix of mischief and satisfaction. Then, he leaned closer to Rong Yuheng’s ear, half-nervous and half-proud, and whispered:

“I hacked my dad’s account…”

Author’s Note: Wen Zhecheng (secretly delighted): Kiddo, I’m raising you with my dad’s account!

Big White Goose: Honk??

Hamster: … (Genuine shock)

P.S. This chapter is a common practice in the entertainment industry, please don’t take it as a cue for real life.