The More Tragic I Act, the Stronger I Get — My Fans Beg Me to Stop Killing Off My Roles-Chapter 165: More Work Again?!

In the conference room of Spark Media, Lin Wan was deploying the second wave of the public opinion offensive.

She planned to link the concept of "surgical-style acting" with major schools of thought in film history, firmly seating Jiang Ci on the throne of "founding father."

Right at that moment, the conference room door was rudely shoved open.

The Public Relations Director's face was flushed red as he rushed in, phone in hand, stammering and barely able to get his words out.

"Sister Wan! It's stopped!"

His shout brought the bustling chatter in the room to an abrupt halt.

"What's stopped?" Lin Wan's brows knitted together.

"The paid posters! The smear articles! They're all fucking gone!"

The Public Relations Director's voice was hoarse from shouting, his finger trembling uncontrollably as he pointed at his phone screen.

"Ten minutes! Just ten minutes! All the negative stuff about Jiang Ci online has been completely wiped clean!"

A flicker of astonishment passed through Lin Wan's eyes.

She strode over to the computer and refreshed the page.

On Weibo, those vicious curses and attacks from before had indeed vanished without a trace.

Only neutral discussions about "surgical-style acting" and fans' celebratory posts remained.

"We won? Just like that?"

"Holy shit! Sister Wan's 'suicide bomber' move just blew the other side into surrender?"

"Ten years in the industry and I've never seen a cleanup this thorough! Did the other side's internet get cut?"

The young staff members roared out, someone even throwing their proposal into the air. The office erupted into a frenzy.

Everyone felt this was a public relations miracle created by Lin Wan's "divine move."

Only Lin Wan herself leaned back into her chair, her fingertips tapping rhythmlessly on the desk as she fell into deep thought.

Something wasn't right.

This was far too strange.

Her strategy was one of delay and transformation, a war of attrition. It was absolutely impossible for an opponent who had invested millions to surrender so completely in such a short time. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

This wasn't a rout. It felt more like a well-trained strategic retreat.

Why did they withdraw?

Unless... while digging deep into Jiang Ci's background, they slammed headfirst into an iron wall that could shatter them to pieces.

Saturday, 5:00 PM sharp.

A signal instantly blanketed the entire internet.

Across all major platforms, from app splash screens to video pre-roll ads, to social media feeds.

The advertisement for "Lang Feng" menswear, with an unyielding, aggressive posture, occupied everyone's screen.

In the frame.

The background was a sun-drenched, warm office.

Jiang Ci wore a well-tailored casual suit, holding a cup of coffee from which white steam gently rose.

He lifted his gaze to the camera, the corner of his mouth curling into a faint, almost imperceptible arc.

That arc held no joy, only the exhaustion left after something has burned out completely.

Yet, within his eyes, there lay a gentle, fragile galaxy of starlight.

The next second, a line of advertising copy materialized in the center of the screen.

[This, is an embrace for the strivers.]

In that moment, the clamor before countless screens fell silent.

Netizens who had been fiercely debating just seconds ago whether "Jiang Ci was a lunatic" fell quiet.

Those white-collar workers struggling in cubicles late at night, hustling through the urban jungle, their hearts long since weary, also fell silent upon seeing the ad.

A wordless understanding precisely pierced the softest part deep within their hearts.

So... you get me.

#Surgical-styleActing#, this hashtag completely transformed from a derided label into a cultural phenomenon.

"Holy crap! I finally understand what 'surgical-style acting' means! That's not a smile! He's using one expression to dissect all the facades and hardships of adulthood!"

"This ad is legendary! I'm a grown man, and it made my eyes well up."

"Lang Feng's gamble paid off! *This* is sophistication! *This* is the kind of ad adults should watch!"

The tide of public opinion turned with an unstoppable momentum.

Students from major art academies began seriously discussing this nascent acting concept in their classes and papers.

The smile Jiang Ci wore just before crashing into the wall in his graduation play was replayed repeatedly, subjected to frame-by-frame comparison with the "heartbreak smile" from the advertisement.

The frenzy of public opinion brought astonishing commercial returns.

Twelve hours after the ad went live.

Sales on the "Lang Feng" official online store skyrocketed by three hundred percent.

Every item of clothing Jiang Ci wore in the ad sold out completely. Notices about emergency restocks plastered the homepage.

Director Wang triumphantly personally called Lin Wan, immediately finalizing an exclusive, in-depth collaboration for the next quarter, with all promotional resources fully committed to Jiang Ci.

Hanging up the phone, Lin Wan gazed out the window.

Though she still hadn't figured out the real reason for the opponent's retreat, the outcome was good.

They had won this battle in an almost absurdly decisive manner.

And at the very eye of the storm, Jiang Ci himself, remained completely oblivious to everything happening outside.

Over the past few days, he had studied the script for "The Lurker" inside and out.

The numerous scenes of torture, betrayal, and heartbreaking separations within it had provided him with a rich supply of "BE nourishment."

At this moment, he was in a state of saturation from over-consuming this energy.

He sat lazily cross-legged on the hotel carpet, unusually not pondering the details of the next torture scene.

He held a tablet, searching online for new tragic films, planning to change his "palate."

Sun Zhou, beside him, was gesticulating excitedly, practically ready to do a backflip on the spot.

"Bro! You're on fire! You're completely on fire!"

"'Surgical-style acting'! You're now the founding ancestor of this school!"

"And that Lang Feng ad! The whole internet is praising it! Director Wang over there is making a killing!"

Jiang Ci let out an "Oh."

His attention was captured by an obscure Eastern European black-and-white film.

The synopsis read: A man spends his life hunting down his wife's murderer, only to discover in the end that the killer was his younger self.

Not bad.

This one had a high BE concentration, and the structure was clever.

He silently added the film to his watchlist, preparing to study the performance method for this kind of "self-destructive" tragedy.

Right then, his private phone rang.

An unfamiliar number.

Jiang Ci casually answered.

"Hello."

A somewhat familiar male voice came from the other end.

"Jiang Ci? It's Gu Huai."

Gu Huai?

Jiang Ci thought for a moment and remembered.

The male lead of "Three Lifetimes Tribulation," and also one of its investors.

That powerhouse actor who always looked at him with a strange gaze on set.

"Brother Huai, hello," Jiang Ci replied politely.

After a few perfunctory pleasantries, Gu Huai got straight to the point.

"Oh, right, I forgot to notify you."

"'Three Lifetimes Tribulation' has passed censorship."

"It's already scheduled for release in July, during the summer movie season."

Hearing this news, Jiang Ci immediately began calculating in his heart.

Summer movie season.

The main movie-going demographic would be students.

By then, the ending where Immortal Lord Chu Wuchen "defies the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder for his beloved, his soul scattering to the winds" should allow him to harvest a fresh wave of Heartbreak Value.

Just as Jiang Ci was silently calculating the potential gains, Gu Huai's voice sounded again, carrying a note of seriousness.

"I have a new script in my hands."

Gu Huai's voice came clearly through the receiver.

"I feel this role was made for you."