Chapter 158: Forget This Show—There’s No Need to Film It! Withdrawing from the Competition Sets the Entertainment Industry Ablaze!
Backstage, the director had already begun to leave the control room, intending to come out front to handle the crisis.
However, at this moment, Bai Ling was not about to give him that chance.
Having spoken so much, she felt her mouth dry and her throat parched.
She immediately looked around and declared, “The production team is negligent, and some of the judges are unfair.”
“For me, this show has lost all meaning.”
“It's better not to record this episode at all.”
“Today, I’m withdrawing from the competition!”
With that, Bai Ling removed all her equipment without hesitation and strode toward the back.
Her figure was crisp and decisive, leaving no room for hesitation.
Wang Dagang shouted angrily, “Bai Ling, you’re causing trouble and you think you can just run away?”
Bai Ling turned around. “Run away?”
“What a joke.”
“I am withdrawing with dignity!”
Wang Dagang sneered, “Such pretty words!”
“Think it over carefully. Once you walk away, no one will want to cast you anymore!”
“Your acting career will be over!”
Bai Ling was already too weary to roll her eyes.
“Why do you still think so highly of yourself?”
“Have you thought it through? I was originally a singer.”
“An actor? A screenwriter?”
“I’m just crossing over.”
“If even a crossover can fix your script, aren’t you ashamed?”
Everyone was barely able to hold back their laughter.
Why on earth did Wang Dagang have to provoke Bai Ling? Hadn’t he been humiliated enough?
They suspected Wang Dagang might have some hidden flaws.
And to be honest, Bai Ling’s stance was genuinely impressive.
Though everyone knew this would likely bring her many troubles in the future, they truly admired her.
Without any desire to argue further with Wang Dagang, Bai Ling left the scene with grace, leaving everyone staring at each other in stunned silence.
The production team was in chaos, and the show’s director was raging with fury.
This live broadcast had all the hype, yet was utterly empty!
---
This live broadcast incident was likely to trigger a series of repercussions.
Wang Dagang watched Bai Ling’s retreating figure for a long moment before finally grunting, “We’ll see about that!”
Beside him, Zhuge Tianguang glanced around.
“I’ve thought it over. I probably won’t have time to participate in the show for a while.”
“After this episode, I might temporarily resign from my role as a judge.”
Hearing this, everyone was dumbfounded again.
In truth, resigning as a judge or director could have been discussed privately with the production team.
A simple announcement afterward would have sufficed.
It wasn’t a big deal.
But Zhuge Tianguang said it openly, in front of everyone, even the live audience—essentially backing Bai Ling.
Considering Zhuge Ming had worked with Bai Ling before and Zhuge Tianguang had always admired her, this behavior made sense.
Yet Wang Dagang couldn’t accept it.
“Teacher Zhuge, you too?”
Zhuge Tianguang chuckled lightly. “What, Director Wang, are you going to get mad at me as well?”
“Are you clear about your position?”
One sentence left Wang Dagang speechless.
He could suppress those actors and speak arrogantly to Bai Ling.
But Zhuge Tianguang was different; the Zhuge family was well-respected in the industry.
Even when dealing with capital, there were clear hierarchies.
Wang Dagang’s earlier actions were essentially a rebuttal of Zhuge Tianguang’s praise of Bai Ling.
If it came to a fight, Zhuge Tianguang could easily overpower Wang Dagang.
Already humiliated enough today, Wang Dagang had no reason to dig his own grave.
He could only sit down begrudgingly.
The show went on, but whether director, actors, or viewers in the live chat, no one’s attention remained on the program.
Soon, viewers began to leave the live stream in droves.
They migrated to various social media platforms.
Some discussed, others shared.
By the time this episode of “I Am the Actor” ended, the live audience had dropped to around five million.
This was worse than at the start of the broadcast, marking the lowest point in several episodes.
Needless to say, the production team and director’s mood exploded.
Even without reading the comments or social media discussions, they knew the show’s reputation was shaken.
---
Of course, they were clearly overestimating their own importance.
Compared to the war of words between Bai Ling and Wang Dagang, the show’s reputation was hardly the main concern.
“Bai Ling is so brave!”
“Anyone with eyes can see that Bai Ling’s performance was excellent. This time, I support her.”
“Wang Dagang is not easy to deal with. I heard right after the show ended, he tried to blacklist Bai Ling.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Blacklist? He doesn’t have that power.”
“I wonder how Bai Ling’s agency will respond.”
“If she withdraws from this episode, will it really have no impact?”
“I was watching the show for Bai Ling. Now that she’s been driven away, I don’t want to watch anymore.”
“Honestly, the later episodes reveal more flaws—too many disadvantages, unfairness, and injustice. It’s no fun.”
“Yeah, not just Bai Ling, but many other actors performed well but can’t get good roles or high scores.”
“No high scores means no good scripts, no good roles, and then the scores get even lower. It’s a vicious cycle.”
“We all know how brutal the competition in entertainment is, but this is a show claiming to judge by talent. Yet even a rising star like Bai Ling has been pushed to this point.”
“Directors like Wang Dagang are not few. There have been many conflicts, but few like the one with Bai Ling.”
“Bai Ling’s personality is different from most artists. She’s very brave.”
“Yeah. If she weren’t brave, she might have given in to the casting couch and never become who she is today.”
“Let’s boycott directors and artists like Wang Dagang. The entertainment industry doesn’t need these parasites.”
“Exactly, the entertainment industry doesn’t need these parasites!”
“Director Zhuge is so courageous, openly supporting Bai Ling.”
“Yeah, Wang Dagang must be furious. He can’t do anything to Teacher Zhuge Tianguang.”
“Honestly, he’s just a bully who picks on the weak.”
“I feel like his attacks on Bai Ling are mainly to gain attention. His new drama is about to be released.”
“That’s very likely. He probably never liked Bai Ling and wants to drag her down.”
“Such tactics are truly despicable.”
“I hope Bai Ling can get through this.”
From public opinion, Bai Ling actually had substantial support.
This was thanks to the “live broadcast”!
Many people witnessed the entire process firsthand, and some even recorded the full live stream and uploaded it online.
Without malicious editing, the right and wrong were clear for all to judge.
(The End of this chapter)