Playing the victim and feigning distress, while difficult, requires a certain skill.
Despite their shamelessness, Jiang Jianguo’s family was still quite resourceful.
Seeing that Jiang Tianbao wasn’t as severely ill as portrayed, approaching Jiang Ling directly to play the victim might not elicit much sympathy from the vast online audience.
To solve this problem, they had to resort to one of the four great arts: makeup.
After some careful preparation, Jiang Tianbao, who had a healthy complexion, was transformed into a gaunt figure with sunken eyes, a vacant stare, and a deathly pale face devoid of any color. He looked like a candle in the wind, about to be extinguished at any moment.
Before they started formulating their plan, Jiang Tianbao had attempted to call Jiang Ling, hoping to stir her sibling affection.
After all, extorting money through emotional manipulation was a one-time transaction; once it was done, it was over.
If they could move Jiang Ling with sibling affection, the initial gains might not be significant, but it would be a steady stream of benefits.
A steady stream was naturally better than draining the pond to catch the fish.
However, he had still underestimated Jiang Ling’s ironclad resolve.
When he called, the only response Jiang Tianbao received was one word: “Scram!”
Jiang Tianbao’s face contorted with rage, his teeth grinding.
That damned unprofitable burden, daring to speak to him in such a tone.
Hmph, did she think she could escape him and their parents by acting like this?
Heh, naive!
After the moral blackmail had failed last time, Jiang Jianguo, after much contemplation, specifically sought out a media outlet named ‘Black Heart Heart’ for assistance.
Black Heart Heart was the most shameless and unscrupulous media outlet in the industry, reporting news solely based on attention and clicks, disregarding any criticism they might face.
In fact, the more the audience cursed them, the happier they became.
In this era of information explosion, traffic was king. It was like with celebrities; they didn’t fear being criticized, only being ignored. Being infamous was still a form of fame.
Precisely because they were so brazen, this media outlet often broke more attention-grabbing news, attracting a segment of the audience that craved excitement.
Seeing Jiang Tianbao appear as if he was at death’s door, begging for help, and involving Jiang Ling, a queen of traffic who frequently trended, Black Heart Heart immediately saw an opportunity for sensationalism.
Even though this angle was extremely negative and likely to draw criticism from Jiang Ling’s numerous fans, they didn't care at all.
Making money wasn't shameful; what was the harm in being cursed at a few times?
Thus, Black Heart Heart immediately dispatched a team, armed with cameras and equipment, to get to work.
As for Jiang Jianguo’s side, due to Zhang Lian’s previous actions, netizens had already developed a strong aversion to her. If she were to appear again, it might backfire.
However, both husband and wife worried that Jiang Tianbao alone might be too weak to withstand Jiang Ling’s aura. So, they arranged for Zhang Lian’s sister and brother-in-law, Jiang Tianbao’s aunt and uncle, to come and help.
The aunt and uncle were also greedy. Knowing that Jiang Ling, as a top-tier actress, had immense income, they figured that if they could latch onto her, they wouldn't have to worry about food and drink for the rest of their lives.
Therefore, the aunt and uncle bought high-speed rail tickets overnight and headed to Shanghai to provide support.
Because Jiang Jianguo and Zhang Lian had previously disguised themselves as cleaners to sneak in, Jiang Ling’s residential community had tightened security.
Furthermore, Jiang Ling hadn't taken on any roles recently and had been staying at home watching dramas. She ordered groceries and meals online, which the security guards would then bring in for her, leaving them with no opportunity to act.