When netizens finished reading Gao Fei's rebuttal to He Song's post.
Before the supporters and boycotters could comment.
The State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television (SARFT) was the first to step forward and halt the boycott triggered by film reviews.
"The eleven selected films have undergone strict review by the assessment team, and their content does not pose a threat to reality.
Please be mindful of your online statements, do not use your professional capacity as a state employee to lead public opinion and create disturbances, and do not delve into in-depth analysis of the films!"
Although SARFT's statement did not explicitly name the well-known online film critic He Song, it had already issued him a final warning.
In simple terms, it meant: these films are all well-received, and you, by stirring up public opinion and trying to ban them, are asking for trouble, aren't you?
As soon as SARFT's statement was released, it was immediately pinned to the trending list on the three major social media platforms.
And as netizens were about to comment after reading SARFT's post.
Another official account appeared.
The official account of the highest law enforcement authority in Long Guo was online.
The Dragon Country General Police Department did not issue a statement supporting anyone or rallying behind anyone, but instead released a ten-minute video.
At the beginning of the video was a black background with white subtitles.
"The following video contains non-public, real recorded footage."
The subtitles disappeared, and the video began to play.
The ten-minute compilation consisted of footage of anti-drug officers apprehending criminals on the front lines.
The anti-drug police officers and their voices appearing in the video were all specially processed.
Two of the segments in the video appeared at the end of the movie "Black and White Edge."
In the last two minutes of the video, there was also an interview segment.
The interviewee was only a blurry silhouette, and their voice was also specially processed.
"What is the longest period you have worked undercover?"
"Three years!"
"Can you tell us about your feelings and experiences as an undercover agent?"
As the interviewer's question landed, the former undercover police officer in the darkness fell silent.
After about ten seconds, he finally said, "I no longer wish to recall that period of feelings and experiences.
I can only say that during that time, I had to engage in battles of wits and courage with criminals every day, and I also had to constantly be vigilant about my identity being exposed. I was always on the verge of danger and death."
After speaking, his sigh could be faintly heard, indicating his extreme reluctance to mention his eight years of undercover work.
The interviewer did not press further and changed the topic, asking, "There is a novel online that describes the undercover life of a police officer within a criminal organization. Have you read it?"
"I have!"
"What did you think after reading it?"
"Somewhat realistic, somewhat fictional!"
"Would you mind elaborating a bit?"
The former undercover police officer organized his thoughts for a moment and then said, "The reality is that if any undercover police officer's identity is exposed, they will face inhumane revenge and retaliation from the criminal organization!
The fiction is that the author's content is still too conservative. What every undercover agent has experienced is even more dangerous and brutal than the experiences of the novel's characters."
"If the experiences of undercover agents were promoted in the form of a movie, what impact do you think it would have on real-life undercover agents?"
"None!"
The former undercover police officer shook his head and smiled, "Whether it's a novel or a movie, it's all fictional content.
Besides, the country's efforts to combat illegal substances are immense. Ten years ago, the profession of undercover agents was no longer needed."
The interview video ended here.
The compilation also finished playing.
The ten-minute video was the first time in twenty years that Long Guo had publicly released recorded footage of anti-drug officers.
As soon as it was released, SARFT, which had been at the top of the trending list, was replaced by the General Police Department, followed by SARFT.
Within a minute of the video's release, it was immediately reposted by official accounts of police departments, government agencies, and major well-known newspapers across the country.
Netizens also left comments in the comment section after watching the ten-minute video, expressing their views.
"The movie itself is a tribute to our country's anti-drug police and promotes the rejection of illegal substances. How foolish it is to use movies as a realistic benchmark."
"What that former undercover officer said is right. Novels and movies are fictional. Using reality to coerce and boycott movies is not only foolish but also an act of contrarianism!"
"We only need to remember to cherish life and stay away from illegal substances. This is the original intention and ideal that both the novel and the movie aim to convey."
With SARFT's statement and the General Police Department's release of video footage that had been kept secret for twenty years.
The storm of boycotting the movie finally came to an end.
The previous trending topics were all removed and disappeared, and the related discussion sections were simultaneously closed.
Some netizens, feeling mischievous, wanted to go mock He Song.
But upon clicking on He Song's account homepage, his previous review of "Black and White Edge" had been deleted.
Netizens intended to leave comments on other film reviews, only to find that He Song had not only been silenced by the platform for seven days but also had his comment section closed.
Although SARFT and the General Police Department did not explicitly name He Song or point to the movie "Black and White Edge."
Everyone understood that it was precisely because of the boycott that the two official bodies issued statements and released videos.
In this controversy, "Black and White Edge" reaped immense benefits, making a fortune.
...
In the black car heading to Feihe Film Company.
Jin Qiqi had briefly glanced at SARFT's statement and the video released by the General Police Department when they were stuck in traffic earlier.
She glanced at Gao Fei, who looked extremely pleased, in the rearview mirror and asked, "Boss, you just posted a message to fight back against He Song, and then SARFT and the police department released statements and videos. Could it be that you've connected with some big shot?"
"You've been following me all this time, have you seen me meet with any big shots?"
Gao Fei explained while looking at his phone, "SARFT and the General Police Department made their statements because of He Song's baseless review.
As you know, the eleven films are related to the International Day promotion.
SARFT and the General Police Department can allow all companies to promote their movies, but they absolutely cannot engage in mutual attacks and mudslinging during this period, nor can they use the profession of anti-drug officers to incite public opinion and create conflict.
He Song's review not only involved the highly sensitive profession of anti-drug officers but also used the movie's plot and the public's respect for anti-drug officers to create and guide public opinion. This is a grave offense."
"Listening to your analysis, it makes a lot of sense!"
"Even if He Song's review hadn't smeared 'Black and White Edge' but another company's movie, SARFT and the General Police Department would still have issued a statement."
Gao Fei stopped explaining and used the social media account of Yuanfei Studio to post another message.
"I ask a certain leader from a certain company not to target movies based on personal grudges between you and me.
If you have the guts, let's settle it with movies. Don't resort to underhanded tactics.
If you really want to clash, I can tell you directly that I can crush you and your company in one round.
Remember, I'm not reminding you; I'm issuing you a final notice!"
The post immediately attracted the attention of fans, readers, and moviegoers.
Everyone also understood from the text that He Song was not reviewing the film at the request of his fans but was paid by a certain company boss to smear and target "Black and White Edge."
Fans, knowing it was Gao Fei's post, flooded the comment section asking which company leader it was.
However, he did not answer their questions, interacting briefly in the comment section before logging out.
Jin Qiqi glanced at the mysterious Gao Fei and asked, "Boss, when you left school earlier, your expression wasn't right. Did the negotiation for the entrepreneurship competition not go well?"
"Mm."
"It's just a student entrepreneurship competition, why get so worked up about it?"
"Do you know about the Peking University Alumni Association?"
"Yes! Among the hundreds of business associations in Long Guo, the Peking University Alumni Association ranks among the top. There are countless business magnates who want to join.
However, besides the known requirement of being a Peking University student, the other conditions are very secret, and almost no one knows them."
Finishing her sentence, Gao Fei picked up from where Jin Qiqi left off and said, "To join the Peking University Alumni Association, you must meet two conditions.
One is, as you said, being a Peking University student. The other is that you must win a ranking in the entrepreneurship competition to be admitted!"
Jin Qiqi, being from the capital circle, was well aware of the strength of the Peking University Alumni Association.
The members of the association were all renowned entrepreneurs in Long Guo, and some of them had significant backgrounds and connections.
Two of the "Five Golden Flowers" she had invited to support the movie earlier had fathers who were from the Peking University Alumni Association.
Moreover, she had heard others mention in private that the members of the Peking University Alumni Association were very united.
Whenever a member of the association was suppressed or targeted by outsiders, other members would come to their aid.
Initially, Jin Qiqi thought that Gao Fei's participation in Peking University's entrepreneurship competition was just for fun.
But now, after hearing about the Peking University Alumni Association and its admission criteria, she understood why Gao Fei had been so angry when he left school earlier.
"So, does that mean, Boss, that your negotiation was unsuccessful, and you've completely lost your eligibility to join?"
"It's not that I've lost my eligibility, but it might be a bit more troublesome than joining normally."
Gao Fei didn't elaborate further, and Jin Qiqi didn't ask any more questions. She just needed to do her job well.
The reason he had stubbornly confronted the competition organizer at school and insisted on participating in the competition was that the association could unconditionally assist its members.
Gao Fei still vividly remembered the difficulties Feihe Film Company faced when it was targeted from all sides during the early stages of filming two months ago.
If he hadn't revealed his identity, the situation of being targeted might have continued, and the movie might not even have started filming by now.
Therefore, he had insisted on dealing with those three student representatives and forcing his way into the entrepreneurship competition.
For the next three days.
Gao Fei continued his routine, visiting various cinemas to watch movies with fans and sign autographs and take photos.
After the storm of movie boycotts, "Black and White Edge," as the biggest beneficiary, had a high probability of being selected.
Now, all that remained was to wait for SARFT to compile the data and announce the results.
April 9th.
Gao Fei, a freshman majoring in Software Development in the Computer Science department, finally returned to campus.