The Martial Artist Turned Movie Mogul

"Speaking of it, don't you think Shelter and Tang Shu's fan benefits always somehow look the same? Once, the gifts were even identical."

"Holy shit, now that you mention it—you're right! This is terrifying upon closer thought!"

"Confirmed, admin must either be a criminal investigations major or got two brains."

...

The moment Weibo was back in normal operation, Shen Yan from Starshine Media immediately checked the changes on his boss's account, only to discover something shocking: both Shelter and the actor Tang Shu's follower counts had surpassed one billion simultaneously.

"What the hell... Are they all insane?"

It hadn't even been a whole day! Which celebrity or influencer could gain followers like this? Did they eat some kind of Popeye's spinach or what?! Also, are we sure Weibo's backend didn't glitch during the reboot?

Shen Yan felt his poor heart couldn't take it, refreshing the page over and over as the numbers on the site increased at a very peculiar rate.

It was confirmed—his eyes had no issues.

"Sister Luo, we're screwed. Our boss is now officially a traffic star."

Wasn't it agreed we were going to slowly transition into being a 'serious actor'? Every single time they trended, our IT department worked like dogs to suppress the heat. Turns out, the last three years of effort have been for nothing?

Such bad sportsmanship!

Sister Luo quickly walked over to them and stared at the data for a long time, her expression beyond words.

As a top-notch manager with high expectations, she had always aimed to nurture a serious, skilled actor...

"Inform Tang Shu... no, forget it. Log in to the account and share the news about the premiere of 'Cloud Gate Wind and Cloud' to help with the crew's promotions."

Shen Yan and Xiao Li clearly detected a tinge of helplessness in her voice.

"Got it, Sister Luo. I'll go share it right now."

"Go do your jobs. What are you staring at me for?"

"..." We're just worried you'll get so mad at the boss that you'll end up sick.

Shen Yan met Luo Lin's sharp glare and instantly dared not say a word. Terrifying!

Luo Lin snorted coldly, spun around, and strode back to her office. On the surface, her face was expressionless, but inside, she was screaming in all sorts of ways.

Tang Shu, you just wait. Once your graduate exam is over in two weeks, if I don't line up four or five projects for you, my last name isn't Luo!

***

In the final month of this year, 'Cloud Gate Wind and Cloud' finally aired.

The 32-episode drama was released at a pace of two episodes per day. Under Director Zheng's meticulous requirements, every single shot was refined to perfection. The limited number of episodes made the storytelling even more compact.

Netizens expressed that they struggled to keep up with the plot...

"Oh no, I couldn't figure out what's going on. Is this show really this much of a brain-twister?"

"Half of the characters appeared in the first episode, one after another. Just looking at their titles was dizzying."

"The last time I felt like this was while watching 'Corridor Pavilion'... Mom, my brain isn't working again!"

"Second viewing, definitely need a second viewing. I feel like I missed so many details."

"Feng Yan is so badass. This lead character feels so powerful. Tang Shu is stunning. Just seeing her in fancy robes sitting there... I could watch for an entire day!"

In an increasingly competitive drama industry, grand, intense worldbuilding and tightly woven plots were slowly becoming the trend. If a story's editing condensed things so that every shot served a purpose, then the drama was already halfway to success.

Releasing right at the year's end, 'Cloud Gate Wind and Cloud' was undoubtedly a standout.

During the cast's promotional activities, Feng Yan and the others began to realize something: this drama was sure to be a top contender at this year's award ceremony!

"Don't worry just yet. Both of this year's hit dramas are yours. Best Actress is basically in your pocket."

At Vast Entertainment, the manager attempted to comfort Feng Yan, whose expression wasn't great. But the individual in question remained irritable.

"Of course it's mine. I just didn't expect Tang Shu's character to be edited so brilliantly."

Indeed, the Female Lead No.2, Lu Xiangxuan, was absolutely stunning. It was one thing to be draped in luxurious costumes and exude elegance at every move, but on top of that, this character was a hidden martial arts prodigy. The first scene of her drawing a sword had sent the entire internet into a frenzy.

What pissed her off even more was how well Director Zheng played his promotional cards. Short snippets of behind-the-scenes footage would drop periodically on short-video platforms, and in those, Tang Shu's action sequences were even better than what made it into the show. The views had long surpassed any reasonable figure.

"Even if her performance was outstanding, the most she'd win is Best Supporting Actress..."

The manager, originally wanting to add further consolation, fell silent halfway through. After all, the drama industry was fiercely competitive and the award jury often took balance into account. A single drama wouldn't typically win both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress accolades.

Saying anything more would only backfire, especially since her artist's expression now looked worse than before.

Feng Yan snorted coldly. "Luo Lin sure won the jackpot, recruiting such a talent."

"..."

You could say that again. There's no one else in the circle like Tang Shu. She's got the looks, the acting chops, and to top it all off, a solid background. Any attempt at knocking her down was futile—like trying to move a mountain.

She could turn even an absolute deadlock into a winning position. After working so many years in the industry, this manager had never seen anything quite like her.

"Feng Yan, I think there's something a bit uncanny about Tang Shu. Maybe we should prioritize having a good relationship with her."

"You're asking me to curry favor with her? To bow down to her?"

Feng Yan stared in disbelief. "No way!"

She's just some young kid with a bit of background and skill. Feng Yan had clawed her way through the industry for over ten years to reach her current position—why should she lower herself for some rookie?

"Then what do you want? Don't forget, she's also Shelter. Tang Shu's got influence far beyond just the entertainment world."

Thinking of Luo Lin's smug face, Feng Yan ground her teeth. "There'll come a time..."

***

Online, the hype surrounding Shelter and Tang Shu was gradually cooling down, but the person herself felt as though her life had been plunged into chaos.

Because she had become "famous" at Imperial Capital Medical University. No matter where she went, she was met with classmates' "strange" stares.

"Shushu, I can't take this anymore, wuwuwu~~~ Can I apply to stop eating lunch with you?"

Cheng Ranran clutched her bag of textbooks, trembling pitifully.

"Look at those gazes—some resentful, some admiring. They're practically a cocktail of pain and pleasure~~~"

Tang Shu, receiving an even heavier bombardment of stares, rubbed her temples in frustration. "Don't even think about it. Aren't we good friends? If we are, then stick with me!"

"You just had to open a verified account, fine—but why on earth did you have to make such top-tier herbs? And even increase their efficacy! Do you realize you've single-handedly tortured all of us medical students from freshmen all the way to Ph.D. candidates?"

There's no one in the entire pipeline—graduates or prospective students—who could escape it!

Previously, when Tang Shu moved around campus as an actor, her presence in this academically elite environment was just about acceptable. Occasionally, people would glance at her out of curiosity, gossip a bit, and move on.

Now, she was practically a walking, talking medical textbook—one that could ambush them at any moment with additional coursework!