167: Chapter 168 I'm willing, do whatever you want

The surface-level niceties of the entertainment industry still had to be maintained.

Those actresses who had a decent enough surface-level relationship with Leng Ba, or were at least somewhat acquainted, flocked to her Weibo comment section to leave seemingly sincere congratulations, maintaining at least a veneer of harmony.

But for those actresses who had no friendship with her to begin with, or were even potential competitors, the reaction was completely different.

Some simply ignored it, pretending not to see this sensational news.

Others were more subtle and sinister.

Several studios of actresses with large fan bases, whose principals had been dead set on getting the endorsement but failed, quietly began to make their moves.

They didn't say it explicitly, but through the core leaders of their fan support groups, their "big fans," they subtly conveyed sentiments to their followers such as "it's so unfair," "feeling aggrieved for our sister," "Xingchen Technology has poor taste," and "in what way is XX (their own actress) inferior to Leng Ba?"

Very quickly, these guided fans, like lit firecrackers, rushed into the online battlefield.

A portion of them ran to the official Weibo account of Xingchen Technology to make snide, sarcastic remarks:

"Heh, you really have no taste. Passing over our XX, who has so much class and so many works, just to pick a vase?"

"I don't understand your selection criteria. Utterly disappointed!"

"Unfollowed. No matter how good your products are in the future, I won't buy them!"

Another group rushed directly to Leng Ba's Weibo comment section and the trending topic square to start stirring up trouble:

"Resource-peddling shill! Speak up, who's your sugar daddy behind the scenes?"

"Congrats to the shill for landing such a good gig (eye roll)."

"What right does she have? She has no acting skills, all she can do is widen her eyes and pout. What right does she have to represent the Asia-Pacific region?"

"Is the beauty serum from Xingchen Technology failing? Are you starting to go down this route now?"

These comments deliberately ignored Leng Ba's popularity and commercial value, focusing only on attacking her acting skills in an attempt to stigmatize the reason she obtained the endorsement.

Were Leng Ba's fans pushovers?

Their idol had just landed a top-tier resource, and they were in high spirits, feeling triumphant. Seeing someone coming to sling mud, they immediately rolled up their sleeves and entered the fray to fight back:

"Yo, yo, yo, are the jealous hens hopping mad? I can smell the sourness through the screen!"

"Hilarious, you say you won't buy it? As if you could even get your hands on it! Don't you see it sold out in seconds on the official website? Do you think they'll miss you?"

"Our Ba-Ba is just beautiful, just popular, and just favored by the brand! Are you mad? Hope it kills you!"

"Fans of certain celebrities really have shameless, oversized faces. Your idol would love to be a 'resource-peddling shill,' but does she have the fate for it?"

"Endorsements are about commercial value and brand image fit. What does it have to do with your idol's so-called acting skills?"

For a time, several related trending topics on Weibo turned into a battlefield of fans versus haters. Fans from all sides traded blows, tearing into each other relentlessly, and the heat remained high.

This storm, sparked by a single endorsement, showed no signs of subsiding. Instead, it pushed Leng Ba and Xingchen Technology into the center of an even more turbulent wave of public opinion.

Leng Ba scrolled through her phone, looking at those hideous, attacking comments. Her originally joyful mood was cast in shadow, and her little mouth pouted unconsciously.

Jiang Jing walked over to her side, took away her phone, and ruffled her hair. "Why are you looking at this? It's just impotent rage. The more they act like this, the more it proves that the resource you've obtained has made them jealous to the point of madness."

"But they're saying such terrible things..." Leng Ba said, feeling aggrieved.

"They're just clowns, why bother caring?" Jiang Jing's tone was indifferent, yet carried an unquestionable strength. "You only need to know that the position you are standing in right now is one that many people couldn't reach even if they tried their absolute best. Enjoy your victory; leave the rest to the company."

His words seemed to have a magical quality, putting Leng Ba much more at ease.

That's right, she had Jiang Jing, she had Xingchen Technology, what was there to be afraid of!

Jiang Jing opened WeChat directly, found Jiang Yan's chat box, and typed quickly with his fingers:

"Ignore those noisy, brain-dead fan comments online. Just carry on with what you're doing. If it's annoying to look at, just issue an announcement."

"Write the announcement like this: Ms. Leng Ba has a great image and temperament, and is deeply appreciated by our company (emphasis: me). Furthermore, she has a good relationship with our company (me), so we have granted her the Asia-Pacific spokesperson qualification. It's as simple as that."

On the other end of the phone, Jiang Yan was handling this sudden PR situation. Seeing the boss's instructions, especially that "me" emphasized in parentheses, she couldn't help but let out a "pfft" of laughter, quickly covering her mouth.

This wasn't a PR announcement! This was clearly the boss himself entering the fray, using the most straightforward way to back Leng Ba up!

"Understood, Mr. Jiang, I'll get right on it."

Jiang Yan suppressed her laughter and immediately followed Jiang Jing's meaning, wording it herself. Very soon, she used the official Weibo account of Xingchen Technology to post a new announcement:

"Explanation regarding the choice of brand spokesperson: Ms. Leng Ba has a beautiful appearance and outstanding temperament. She is deeply appreciated by our company (@Jiang Jing), and has a good relationship with our company (@Jiang Jing) with pleasant communication. Therefore, we have granted her the Asia-Pacific region spokesperson qualification for the 'huanyan beauty serum' series. It's as simple as that."

Once this Weibo post came out, the fans from both sides, who had been arguing incessantly, and the onlookers were all stunned!

This... what kind of move is this?!

Shouldn't normal PR be standard official jargon like "after multi-faceted investigation, careful evaluation, and believing her image is highly compatible with the brand"?

But this announcement from Xingchen Technology!

Translated, it basically means:

"Why choose Leng Ba? Because she's beautiful!"

"Because I (the boss) like her!"

"Because I (the boss) have a good relationship with her!"

"That's how it's decided! Any problems?"

Simple and brutal.

This wasn't an explanation at all; it was a naked declaration: I gave the opportunity, the reason is that I feel like it, do whatever you want!

After a brief silence, the Weibo comment section exploded instantly!

"Hahahaha hahahaha! I'm fucking laughing so hard! Xingchen Technology, you really know how to do PR!"

"Holy shit! Awesome! This response is so hardcore! 'It's as simple as that,' hahahaha!"

"Translation: I chose her, I feel like it, none of your business?"

"@Jiang Jing — Boss is mighty! I love this personality! Just so real!"

"Can you feel it? This is the power and willfulness of capital! (doge)"

"Leng Ba: The boss is backing me up hard, just so confident!"

Countless onlookers were amused by this unconventional response, bending over with laughter, and all expressed that they loved to see it.

Quite a few artists in the industry also laughed dumbfoundedly when they saw this Weibo post, shaking their heads and sighing:

"I'm convinced. It's true that if you have the strength, you can do whatever you want."

"This Mr. Jiang... is truly an interesting person. He doesn't care at all about what the outside world thinks."

"I envy Leng Ba. This backing is too solid."

Bystanders who were originally a bit worried for Leng Ba were amused after seeing this announcement, and instead developed a bit of good will towards Xingchen Technology and Jiang Jing.

This kind of straightforward style—'I have money and products, so I'm awesome, I won't play fake games with you'—was inexplicably refreshing!