The incident could have had a greater impact if it had festered online for a few more days.
Now, its effect was significantly diminished.
This forced them to quickly find influencers and others online to help amplify the issue.
Directors Wang and Li were stunned when they heard that Qi Yu had hired influencers, big V accounts, and several other random individuals specifically to smear them.
They weren't unfamiliar with such tactics; they had only heard of them or seen others employ them. Witnessing their own crew use such a strategy firsthand was truly surprising.
"Actually, I don't think it's necessary to go this far," Director Wang said awkwardly. "Since Wang Lili dares to confront us head-on, it proves she has President Huo's support. We can simply investigate the matter clearly and then release all the surveillance footage of Wang Lili's actions in the desert area of the set, along with witnesses. That way, how can Wang Lili still argue?"
Director Li nodded. He had wanted to do this from the beginning, but no one supported him, nor did anyone suggest it. Director Li had felt that as an assistant director, he didn't have the right to bring it up and should just do his job obediently and collect his pay. That's why he had remained silent.
Now that Director Wang had brought it up, Director Li chimed in with his agreement.
"Nono, no," Qi Yu, having spent too much time in modern society, even started using English. "Director Wang, I understand what you mean, and your approach is certainly the most correct. But have you considered that doing so would make it less interesting? Some people deliberately smear you online or push you relentlessly, not because they want an explanation from you. No one wants to hear your explanation. These people are just venting their frustrations. You don't need to put yourself in a position of explaining yourself just because someone is unhappy."
As Qi Yu spoke, her gaze was incredibly detached, giving Director Wang the impression that she was like a deity, not an ordinary mortal.
Director Wang remained silent for a long time before finally asking Qi Yu, "If that's the case, has the plan already started? Are people already smearing us?"
Director Wang's mood was truly delicate as he asked this.
He had never imagined in his life that he would one day have to ask such a question to an investor.
"I just paid those influencers, big V accounts, and anti-fans five minutes ago, and it's already started. Look, Wang Lili, that comment section, which was already like stagnant water with little attention, is now exploding again."
Many influencers began to publicly support Wang Lili, expressing sympathy for her and claiming the crew was being excessive. Some even attempted to personally attack Directors Wang and Li.
However, because they had received advance warning, Directors Wang and Li had already closed their comment sections.
Therefore, even if many people wanted to personally attack Directors Wang and Li, they couldn't do anything to them as long as the two directors weren't online.
Directors Wang and Li stopped paying attention to the online matters and continued to immerse themselves in filming.
Perhaps it was because Qi Yu had revised the xianxia script, making the plot more logical, and all the actors were feeling inspired and working together. As a result, filming concluded half a month ahead of schedule.
After filming wrapped up, the drama quickly entered the review stage, and the production team prepared for the wrap-up party.
It was only at this point that Qi Yu allowed Directors Wang and Li to lift the comment section ban and publicly announce all of Wang Lili's actions during the filming period.
"This world is so convenient, isn't it? We even have surveillance cameras. Look how clear this footage is; it's much more effective than our magic spells," Si Qing said, scrolling through videos on her phone with a sigh.
The influencers and big V accounts that had been smearing the crew before immediately shifted their focus, clarifying for the crew and reposting the videos released by Directors Wang and Li.
That evening, Wang Lili was once again trending on hot searches.
However, this time she was trending for negative reasons.
[Wang Lili Publicly Throws Tantrums, Angrily Confronts Director and Extras.]
[Wang Lili Throws Tantrums, Refuses to Film with Supporting Actors.]
[Wang Lili Curses Director, Throws a Fit on Set.]
[Wang Lili's Secret Sugar Daddy.]
Four or five trending topics appeared consecutively, each marked with "Explosive."
Consequently, the netizens who had previously joined Wang Lili in cursing the crew immediately turned their cannons, redirecting all the ammunition that was aimed at the crew towards Wang Lili.
The more enthusiastically they had praised Wang Lili in her comment section before, the more viciously they now cursed her:
[I see it clearly now. Wang Lili is a complete scumbag. She claimed the crew deliberately excluded her and that they replaced her as the female lead, but did anyone even look at what she did? If I were Director Wang, I wouldn't want Wang Lili either. She's too arrogant.]
[Yes, Wang Lili is too arrogant. Even if she's a top-tier actress, she shouldn't be verbally abusing extras like that. We're all actors. Even if your status is higher, you shouldn't act like this. Is it that difficult to film with others? Why do you act so wronged? If you feel so wronged, why be an actress? Wouldn't it be better to be a wife to your sugar daddy?]
[Exactly, especially this woman, she's so manipulative. Directors Wang and Li didn't say anything, they just terminated the contract and paid the penalty. But this woman actually posted on Weibo claiming she was wronged. If Directors Wang and Li hadn't released all the surveillance footage, we would still be in the dark.]
[An actress like this is so unprofessional. She deserves to be blacklisted.]
At this moment, Wang Lili was in the shower, completely oblivious to her phone, thinking that her plan to smear the crew had failed.
However, her phone kept buzzing incessantly, forcing Wang Lili to pause the water and step out wrapped in a towel.
She wiped her hands with a hint of confusion and picked up her phone, wondering who was constantly sending her messages. When she opened it, she saw thousands of private messages on Weibo.
And many people had tagged her.
Wang Lili looked confused. She opened and examined them carefully, and then her face gradually turned pale.
She had originally thought that Directors Wang and Li, out of respect for President Huo, wouldn't dare to release the footage.
That's why she had impulsively said those things online, wanting her fans to help curse the unscrupulous crew and vent her anger.
She never expected that Directors Wang and Li would actually dare to broadcast the filming footage.
Wang Lili started to panic, unsure of what to do. Just then, President Huo called.