In broad daylight... for real

After this round of press releases, it became clear who won and who lost.

But it wasn’t over yet.

Along with the press releases came a flood of unflattering photos.

There were plenty of pictures of female celebrities after cosmetic injections, their cheekbones so sharp they might look good on film.

But from certain angles, they looked downright terrifying.

As if anyone couldn’t find the right angle?

Zhuo Gou’s pack of hounds were professionals at this.

Even without the press releases spelling it out, people quickly caught on.

What was healthy beauty? What was soft and radiant? The more you looked, the more pleasing it became.

And what was skeletal thinness? What was skin and bones? The more you looked, the more repulsive it seemed.

The contrast was stark.

Even the haters couldn’t keep calling her legs thick.

Especially since the press releases explained it was all about camera angles—her legs weren’t actually that big. There were even short videos as proof.

So this wave of PR effectively buried the old unflattering photos, making everyone believe they were deliberately shot from bad angles to smear her.

Even if they were thick, now it could all be blamed on the angles.

This round of mudslinging absolutely crushed those female celebrities.

Cao Cheng spared no expense on PR—after all, it wasn’t his money. He went all out.

A million wasn’t enough? Make it two.

Two million wasn’t enough? Make it five.

Five million wasn’t enough? Throw in ten.

Some big-budget movie promotions only cost ten million, yet Fat Fairy’s PR blitz burned through that in one go.

But hey, it was Fat Fairy’s own money.

So why not splash it around?

Splash it until the whole internet knew. Splash it until those female celebrities’ market value plummeted. Splash it until brands started reconsidering whether they should hire the "healthy and beautiful" Fat Fairy instead.

The scariest part?

These same female celebrities had once used their skinniness to mock Fat Fairy’s bulk.

Now Fat Fairy flipped the script—oh, you want to be thin? Fine, let’s make sure everyone knows just how thin you are. No need to change tactics, just use her own curves to stomp on their bony frames.

This precision strike sparked multiple trending debates.

Is thin the ideal?

Or is plump the way to go?

Everyone started weighing in.

But…

The discourse was carefully steered—this so-called "plump" beauty wasn’t about obesity. At most, it meant slightly curvy.

Too much fat would just be gross.

Meanwhile…

After taking the elixir and undergoing marrow cleansing, Fat Fairy became a whole new person.

The human body truly harbors so many impurities.

These toxins accumulate, forming layers of flab on the legs, arms, belly, and elsewhere.

This excess fat doesn’t just make you look bulky.

It also distributes unevenly, weighing down your posture and making it increasingly unflattering over time.

That’s why many people’s figures become downright unsightly as they age.

But after the cleansing…

All those nasty impurities were purged, leaving her body rejuvenated.

Even someone with average genetics would look noticeably better, let alone Fat Fairy, who already had decent proportions.

Her legs weren’t thick anymore.

From any angle, you couldn’t call them big.

Now they were just… luscious.

Cao Cheng studied her for a while, then without hesitation, reached out to test the texture himself…

A little soft.

But not too much.

Good.

Very good.

This frame was now nearly perfect.

"Mmm~~ Not bad, not bad at all."

Cao Cheng circled her, nodding approvingly.

Fat Fairy also felt incredible. After the cleansing, despite some awkward moments—like expelling dark, sludge-like gunk—

Once cleaned up, she felt as if she’d shed twenty pounds. The lightness was intoxicating.

Way better than dancing or gym torture.

Losing weight used to be agony.

"Thank you," Fat Fairy said earnestly.

"Just words?" Cao Cheng smirked.

She rolled her eyes. "Want me to rehearse a scene?"

"Oho~~ Trying to provoke me, huh?"

Cao Cheng laughed. With women, you could never tell when they were being genuine.

"Who’d dare provoke Miracle Young Master? I’ve signed a long-term contract—a slavery contract. From now on, I’m just meat on your chopping block, ready for you to slice and dice," Fat Fairy pouted dramatically.

Who said she couldn’t act?

This was pretty convincing.

SMACK!

Cao Cheng swatted her rear, making her yelp and glare at him, rubbing the stinging spot.

That hadn’t been gentle.

"Enough with the seductive act," Cao Cheng said. "The PR campaign’s started. Make more public appearances lately—show off your best side. Those old rumors will die on their own, and the ‘thick legs’ nonsense won’t be a weak point anymore."

"But if reporters ask tricky questions, don’t back down. Crush them."

"I don’t care if you lose face. Miracle Media’s reputation stays intact."

"…"

What kind of talk was that?

She’d been touched at first—standing her ground, backed by the company, protected by Young Master Cao.

Such a reassuring sentiment.

Then he had to ruin it with that last line.

"Got it, Young Master. I won’t embarrass the company."

"You’d better not. Otherwise, I’ll bench you so fast—that decade-long contract means you’re stuck. Oh, and I’ll give you some extra confidence."

With that, he dragged her into the bedroom.

Extra confidence?

Fat Fairy was puzzled at first, but soon understood.

"This… this is what you meant by confidence?"

"What else? Anyone connected to me can drop my name. Isn’t that confidence?"

"…"

Hard to argue.

Wait—

In broad daylight? Seriously?

While chaos reigned outside…

Inside, the battle raged just as fiercely.

One word summed it up—mayhem.

The entertainment industry was full of spectators. The targeted female celebrities began responding, issuing press releases, playing the victim.

Acting as if they’d done nothing wrong, unfairly dragged into Liu’s smear campaign.

Fans—both organized and spontaneous—clashed in all-out war.

This wasn’t just about a few actresses. Their agencies, their backers, their affiliated stars—the fallout spread wide.

However…

The situation remained contained.

Because Fat Fairy wasn’t the same Fat Fairy anymore.

Those in the know understood: Miracle Media wasn’t targeting the companies or investors behind these actresses—just the actresses themselves.

So their agencies couldn’t intervene directly without risking Miracle Media’s wrath. And nobody wanted that.

Plain and simple—

Nowadays, Miracle Media could blacklist anyone with a word. No legalities needed; just industry shunning was enough.

One statement could get actors barred from major films, dramas, variety shows.

It wouldn’t necessarily end careers, but close.

Once blacklisted, an actor’s future would be limited to trashy productions or low-budget web series.

Big projects? Forget it. Too much uncertainty.

Movies? Even less likely. Who’d risk angering theater chains for one actor?

As for variety shows…

This is especially true.

Any TV station hoping to collaborate with Miracle Media would never risk offending the company by signing artists blacklisted by them.

The momentum... is set!

So,

for now, the online smear campaigns remain within controllable limits. The backing capital and agencies stay out of it, letting the artists fight their own battles.

No matter how heated it gets, it won’t spiral out of control.

This is an unspoken understanding.

One of the unwritten rules.

Once things settle down, the agencies will step in—whether to reconcile or negotiate other terms.

In short, the companies don’t interfere in the artists' squabbles.

Unfortunately, the fans are unaware of this. They charge into the fray, turning everything into chaos.

Some fans even come to Cao Cheng’s side, spewing nonsense.

Clearly, they’ve picked the wrong target.

Cao Cheng’s own fans aren’t afraid to roast him—who wouldn’t they dare to attack? They clap back mercilessly, even targeting other artists...

This wave of drama generates plenty of emotional engagement.

And no shortage of publicity.

Once again, "The Virtuous and the Vile" is trending before its release.

The post-production team is working overtime to finalize the edits and submit it for review, securing the distribution license.

The entire process faces little resistance.

Once everything is ready, negotiations begin with provincial TV stations to settle on a price.

This drama must air on mainstream television.

It’ll also stream online later.

But that’s not all—even before the official release, Cao Cheng has already reached out to international networks, like those in South Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia...

A pan-Asian broadcast.

An export of "propriety, righteousness, integrity, and honor."

Profit isn’t the priority—what matters is the prestige and the emotional impact.

So during post-production, everything from dubbing to subtitles for different regions is meticulously prepared.

The workload has expanded, but with more hands on deck, progress is swift.

Everything is wrapped up in just over a month.

By then, the initial smear campaigns have died down, making way for another promotional push.

"The Virtuous and the Vile" is set to air in twelve countries.

And this is just the beginning.

After its debut, expanding to 120 countries and regions will be a breeze.

This promotional wave also revives Cao Cheng’s earlier remarks about "soft power" and cultural exports.

Naturally, it fuels even more hype.

...

This suddenly puts the director’s team on edge.

They knew Cao Cheng would promote heavily, but this is beyond expectations.

This...

This might be too much for them to handle.

This isn’t just a political intrigue drama—it feels like it’s carrying the weight of a nation’s expectations.

The directors lose sleep for days.

They’re terrified.

Genuinely terrified.

Afraid that if the show doesn’t live up to the hype, they’ll be torn apart by critics.

Truthfully, the series does have some plot holes.

But Cao Cheng had already demanded revisions before filming.

It may not be flawless, but at least there are no glaring logical inconsistencies.

Besides,

to Cao Cheng, the plot twists, the feuds, the bravado—they’re all secondary.

What truly matters for export is the humanity, the propriety, the sense of duty to family and country.

That’s the real message worth spreading.

...

The director’s team approaches Cao Cheng.

They beg him to tone down the promotion.

This level of pressure is crushing them—some even want to reshoot the entire thing.

And it’s not just the directors. The lead actors keep complaining too, second-guessing their performances, asking if they should redo certain scenes.

"This take lacked emotional depth..."

In short,

everyone’s cracking under the pressure.

"Pressure?"

"What pressure?"

"Pressure my ass. You think your stress compares to mine? Suck it up and get back to promoting. If anyone slacks off—whether they’re from Miracle or not—I’ll make sure they regret it."

Cao Cheng shoos them away.

What a joke.

You’re bothering me over this trivial crap?

Don’t you know I need my beauty sleep?

These people are such a nuisance.

I’m handing you a golden opportunity, and you’re too weak to seize it.