CHAPTER 148: CHAPTER 148: ANOTHER SPECTACULAR COMEBACK BATTLE

The Weibo platform repeatedly suppressed trending topics about Fu Bing and her film.

#FuBingMoneyTree#

This hashtag still went viral because too many netizens were playing with the meme.

Cheng Shuangqing’s team and Lin Yu collaborated on promoting the film, drawing more and more people to the theaters in support of Fu Bing’s movie.

Fu Bing was the most influential figure in the film industry among contemporary stars because her professional abilities and her keen eye for scripts were always recognized.

Everyone was willing to contribute a ticket, or several, to her box office when she started anew.

The movie differed from what initial behind-the-scenes leaks suggested; it wasn’t an adaptation of a true event from Fu Bing’s life.

It was more like the story of a sensitive, frightened woman stepping forward into the crowd, step by step.

Love was not a significant part of it, merely a bright stroke in her otherwise splendid future.

The film’s concept was excellent, breaking free from the current trend of works that were misogynistic, pandered to men, or prioritized romance above all else.

This was the vision everyone believed Fu Bing possessed.

It reflected Fu Bing’s consistently high standards in choosing scripts.

Her own life was filled with complete emotions—familial love, friendship, and romantic love.

Every kind of emotion was present in her, and romantic love, in particular, shone brightly.

When it came, she fully enjoyed it.

When it departed, she didn’t cling to the past.

The netizens loved this carefree attitude.

"Isn’t this the normal attitude a person should have?"

"No offense, but the kind of romance where someone is willing to die for a man or woman, or even sever ties with their family to be with that person—whoever encounters such a person is just plain unlucky!"

"I think if Sister Bing were to play a character who’s desperately in love, with her skills, she could definitely make us believe it."

"She could definitely play it; there’s no doubt about Sister Bing’s acting skills."

"Sister Bing probably wouldn’t go for unconvincing roles or weak scripts."

"The commenter above speaks the truth! I have to take my grandparents, parents, and younger siblings for a second viewing. I initially thought it was the rumored romance film, so I snuck out by myself the first time and didn’t even dare mention it in our family group chat. After watching it, I can confidently shout—We can always trust Sister Bing!"

"..."

The celebrities who had openly supported banning Fu Bing were now grinding their teeth in frustration.

They had hoped to ride the wave of popularity, but now they couldn’t even do so blatantly.

With this film’s success, more renowned directors would undoubtedly be willing to offer Fu Bing scripts and movie deals.

Furthermore, Fu Bing had her own platform, meaning she had a wealth of resources at her disposal.

The more successful the movie became, the more ridiculous their actions against Fu Bing seemed.

Once Fu Bing knew the box office results were decent, she stopped closely monitoring it. Naturally, she hoped for the film’s success.

This was to give Su Junling an explanation. It also served as reassurance for those currently working hard with her, allowing them to focus on their projects with peace of mind.

When the box office reached three billion, Fu Bing and Lai Shenyan simultaneously made a post on Weibo.

Their co-starring short drama, "User Manual for Male and Female Leads," premiered the following day on the Douyu Platform.

The netizens were once again dazzled.

"I was sad thinking Sister Bing had quit acting, but it turns out she’s been quietly working on big things."

"I checked Douyu. Sister Bing and Film Emperor Lai are starring, and Director Su directed it. Isn’t this the most high-profile lineup in the short drama market?"

"Absolutely! Those three could make a movie anytime, you know?"

"Let’s not think about movies for now; Sister Bing’s health hasn’t fully recovered. Film Emperor Lai chose to stand by Sister Bing during her difficult times; how could Sister Bing let Film Emperor Lai remain inactive for long? That’s why she quickly made a comeback to partner with Film Emperor Lai."

"Sister Bing, really, I’m in tears. You make us feel so secure. I’ve already decided: after I graduate, I’m going to work for Sister Bing."

"Sister Bing has two major platforms under her. Sister, which area do you want to work in for her?"

"Actually, I’m a male fan. I studied male nursing, so I can go to Sister Bing’s medical platform and work as a male nurse."

"Wow, a national treasure! Male nurses are really in short supply."

"Brother, from your professional perspective, is Sister Bing’s current health condition good? Although she always tells us she’s fine, how could she recover so quickly after such a severe injury? I’m afraid she’s suffering in ways we don’t know about and isn’t telling us."

"It’s hard for me to say. Sister Bing has top-tier doctors by her side, and she herself is a doctor. I believe she’s working within safe limits. Otherwise, the people around her wouldn’t agree to it."

While netizens were engrossed in discussion, Fu Bing, Lai Shenyan, Su Junling, Wu Shi, Xiaomei, Aunt Ning, Uncle He, Ren Ye, Ren Zhi, Zhang Man, Han Hu, Cheng Shuangqing, Lin Yu, and Yang Ningzheng watched the final cut of their short drama in the villa’s small cinema.

Each episode of the short drama was five minutes long. Ten episodes out of a total of fifty were already completed.

After watching, Su Junling turned on the lights. "What do you think?" he asked.

Fu Bing looked at Lin Yu. "Director Lin, you first," she said.

Lin Yu didn’t hesitate. He confidently took the floor, saying, "The quality is excellent, and the pacing and visual flow are also very good. The short drama market is currently a void for A-listers; hardly anyone is willing to get involved. Your entry will quickly attract significant traffic, and traffic is the most direct form of monetization. Douyu is our own platform, so the data is completely transparent; no one needs to worry about future earnings. However, there’s one thing everyone should be aware of."

Lin Yu glanced at Fu Bing, and after receiving her nod, he continued, "The lifecycle of a short drama is brief. Its income peaks within a month or two of release and then gradually declines, so be mentally prepared for that. I conservatively estimate that the revenue share from this drama could reach between thirty and fifty million. With Sister Bing and Film Emperor Lai’s influence, it could likely be higher; I’m just being relatively conservative. Shooting for half a month and post-production for another half means releasing one or two high-quality works each month. These are significant figures for ordinary artists. For Sister Bing, Film Emperor Lai, and Director Su, it’s a brief relaxation and an experiment. I sincerely look forward to your new works. Whether it’s movies, online dramas, or short dramas, you all genuinely want to create lasting pieces. I also hope I’m fortunate enough to see projects that you yourselves are satisfied with and proud of."

Lin Yu was now comfortable speaking with these A-listers. Having met Sister Bing frequently recently to discuss other collaborations, he had learned many communication skills.

Fu Bing smiled. "Director Lin’s suggestions are very valuable. Film Emperor Lai, what are your thoughts?" she asked.

Lai Shenyan, remnants of laughter from the drama still in his eyes, said, "I found filming this quite interesting; it’s an area I haven’t tried before. If there are good scripts and a solid team, I wouldn’t be averse to participating again. I don’t believe starring in high-quality short dramas or web series diminishes my status; on the contrary, I feel it broadens my perspective in certain ways. However, three or four a year would be sufficient, as I’ll still dedicate most of my time to movies."

Su Junling added, "The shooting rhythm for short dramas differs from that of movies, so I’d need to adjust when switching between these two types of productions. But these are not major issues. We need to do more experiments to lay a foundation for the other teams in the company, providing them with better reference material. That’s the role the three of us play, so Director Lin, you needn’t worry too much. We are very protective of our reputations."

Lin Yu nodded.

All eyes then turned to Fu Bing.