Occupying the Territory of Public Opinion (Continued)

Of course, Si Ming thinks it's better to serve later. Don't you see in cooking competitions, the one who serves first almost always loses? That in itself is a sign.

"Playing these low-level tricks again? I really don't understand. Why not just have a fair and square competition?"

Si Shuiyun sat down next to Si Ming and said with a hint of disdain.

"I honestly spent money to create public opinion, without bribery, abuse of power, coercion, or violence. How is that considered dishonest? The other side could have used those same methods too, and I didn't stop them. This is a fair and square campaign of public opinion and psychological warfare. When you fight someone, don't you also engage in a mental battle?"

"Since it's a theatrical performance, we shouldn't focus on things outside the stage; the outcome should be determined solely by the performance and the story. That's what makes it fair."

Si Ming scoffed. "Naive talk. Stage performances have props, and the props made by the richer party are undoubtedly more exquisite. Isn't that unfair? A good story needs a good script. Many theater troupes buy their scripts from others instead of creating them themselves. The richer, more powerful, and more connected party can undoubtedly get better scripts. Isn't that unfair? If we follow your standards, then both teams should be given the same start-up capital, the same number of performers, and the same script. Only then can we barely guarantee a fair performance."

Back during the Chinese Civil War, the Kuomintang) made similar remarks. "If you're so capable, let's fight on the battlefield and compete in terms of equipment and numbers. What kind of heroes are those who engage in propaganda and public opinion outside the battlefield? It's despicable, shameless, and utterly shameless."

Even more shameless, the Communist Army actually piloted Gundams!

Si Shuiyun was speechless after being confronted, and could only force a defense. "Anyway, it's wrong of you not to put your heart into the performance."

Si Ming let her off the hook and changed the subject, asking, "Why are you here? Don't you need to take care of Si Jingyu?"

"I also want to stay by Miss's side and take care of her, but she said she must send a representative to avoid any misunderstanding about the Si Clan's attitude. Sigh, I'm so worried about Miss's safety. What if something happens? Has she had dinner? What if an assassin takes the opportunity to attack? I'm so anxious! Why hasn't the show started yet? I wish it would end soon so I can get back to Miss's side!"

As they spoke, the lights changed and melodious classical music began to play. Everyone knew this meant the play was about to begin, so they immediately fell silent.

On the stage, a man and a woman appeared. The woman held a sword to the man's neck, as if she was about to cut him down, while the man seemed oblivious, sitting under a big tree reading a book as if nothing was wrong.

The female swordsman asked in confusion, "You're not a monster?"

The man in Baiyi retorted, "Do I look like a monster to you?"

"They don't look like humans, but just because someone looks like a human doesn't mean they are human. Humans can look like monsters, and monsters can look like humans."

"I'm not a monster, but I don't know if I'm even human. Are you going to attack me?"

The female swordsman sheathed her sword and said coldly, "I only kill demons."

Si Ming stroked his chin, inwardly praising the Heavenly Dream Drama Troupe. As expected of the previous champion, they were truly skilled. With a simple opening, they had already created suspense and captivated the audience, making them curious about the man's identity and why the female swordsman was so determined to hunt down the monster. They couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

As the performance progressed, the audience gradually came to understand the story's background setting.

The female swordsman was a martial artist of commoner origin who fell in love with the city lord's son. Because of her background, the city lord presented her with four tests, promising to agree to their marriage if she passed them.

In short, it's a story that subverts expectations.

The usual plot involves a commoner man who has to complete one impossible task after another to win the princess's favor. However, this story reverses the roles of men and women, with the woman pursuing the man instead of the man pursuing the woman. This novelty immediately captured the audience's interest.

As the story unfolds, the female swordsman uses her extraordinary martial arts skills to complete two trials in succession, but encounters a problem when facing the third trial, a trial that cannot be completed by force.

Just when the female swordswoman was at a loss, the Baiyi man who appeared in the first scene stepped forward and easily solved the problem using his intelligence. After learning the female swordswoman's goal, he offered to lend her a hand.

So the two set off together, with some heartwarming, funny, and touching moments interspersed along the way, quickly deepening their relationship. At the same time, the story clearly portrays a female swordsman who is highly skilled in martial arts but not good with words, and who is cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and a Baiyi warm man who is skilled in dance, resourceful, gentle and considerate.

The audience was captivated by the storyline of the male and female leads, feeling that they were a match made in heaven. Even Si Shuiyun couldn't help but say, "Is the female lead stupid? Compared to the city lord's son who looks down on her background, the male lead, who is clearly willing to wander the world with her, is the better match. Their personalities complement each other perfectly. Hurry up and confess!"

Si Ming thought to himself: What the hell is this? The city lord's son hasn't even appeared yet, and he's already choosing to forgive him?

As the story progresses to the fourth trial, the female swordsman is seriously injured while slaying a snow monster. The man in Baiyi carries her on his back, desperately trying to keep going. In the midst of heavy snowfall, their journey becomes increasingly difficult, and they may perish in the snowfield at any moment.

The female swordsman urged the man to give up, "Beyond this snow mountain is another snow mountain. How many snow mountains can you carry me over?"

The man said firmly, "I'll carry you until I die, I'll definitely bring you back to him!"

The female audience members were moved to tears by this scene, and they silently wiped away their tears with handkerchiefs.

Si Ming couldn't help but complain, "Am I the only one who finds this strange? A man risking his life to send his Beauty to another man's side—what a noble virtue! Could it be that the next scene will feature a flute performance?"

Si Shuiyun said disdainfully, "He does this because he has a broad mind. The male protagonist's love is selfless. He doesn't impose his feelings on the female protagonist. That's true care. Don't use your selfish and narrow-minded view to judge the heart of a gentleman."

Si Ming was speechless after being confronted, because he realized that many of the male audience members were also moved. He could only admit that perhaps there were differences in their values. Thinking about it, it made sense. Different countries have different social atmospheres, and even within the same country, different eras have different social values, let alone different worlds.

As the plot unfolds, the city lord's son finally appears. This second male lead is certainly not a despicable villain. He possesses a charm equal to, yet different from, that of the Baiyi male lead. He is handsome, highly skilled in martial arts, courageous, and resourceful. He is also the type who is cold on the outside but warm on the inside, but his strong style earns him the deep respect of his subordinates. Most importantly, he is devoted to the female lead, and in his eyes, all other women are just seductive sluts, unmoved by any attempts to seduce them.

Si Ming couldn't help but think to himself, "The domineering CEO is here too. It seems that even in different worlds, the ideal man in a woman's heart is the same: either a domineering CEO or a considerate and warm-hearted man."

The charm of the city lord's son made some female viewers who thought the female protagonist should be with the man in Baiyi waver, as if they had become the female protagonist, unsure which type of male god to choose, constantly swaying between the two.

Si Ming glanced at the time and said, "It's about time; a turning point is approaching."

While there's no such thing as a Hollywood golden rule, excellent screenwriters know that plots must be full of twists and turns; a straightforward narrative can easily become boring. There's a famous saying in the film industry: if the protagonist is happy, the audience will be unhappy.

To please the audience, the main character has to be sacrificed.

So, after a sweet love triangle, the "caring and warm-hearted man's" inhuman identity is exposed. The city lord denounces him as a monster and, in the name of his ancestors, demands that the "domineering president" kill him. The "domineering president" is a good person and doesn't want to deal with his love rival in this way, so he secretly lets him go.

The city lord had long known his son's character, so he laid an ambush and personally eliminated the demon. However, he fell into a trap and was outmaneuvered and killed by the "caring and warm-hearted man."

At this point, the relationship between the two male characters became irreconcilable antagonism, and the female protagonist was also caught in a dilemma.

"Kill him, come with me, and we'll get married tonight!"

The domineering CEO led his troops to surround the female swordsman and the considerate man, issued an ultimatum, and threw a red veil at the female swordsman.

"... I'm sorry, this veil is too heavy."

The female swordsman ultimately decided to fight her way out with the caring and warm-hearted man, and thus the story entered its most exciting action sequence.

After a fierce battle, both the female swordsman and the domineering CEO were severely injured. The caring and warm-hearted man carried the female swordsman on his back and fled in panic, eventually hiding in a Daoist temple.