Anime Production, Starting with Healing the Audience

The entire article was a point-by-point refutation of his previous posts, and the other party directly called him out for meddling in other people's business.

This explosive statement almost made Yang He pass out from anger.

"We're all civilized people, can't you use more civilized language?

After all these years of compulsory education, all you learned was how to curse?!"

Seeing the countless comments under this post, Yang He was furious.

Yang He paced back and forth in his office, completely enraged.

That post, which was trending number one, was practically calling him out by name. How could he stand for this!

After a long while, Yang He edited another post and published it on Weibo.

"A certain creator is utterly shameless, actually hiring internet trolls to confuse the public!"

After posting this, Yang He picked up the phone without a second word.

"Hello, Mr. Zhang, this is Yang He."

Yang He sat on the sofa, crossing his legs, and spoke slowly into his phone: "Yes, I want to be on the trending list again. You name the price."

"Mhm... Okay."

"Pleasure doing business with you!"

After hanging up, a cold smile played on Yang He's lips.

Hiring internet trolls?

You think you're the only one who can hire internet trolls? What you're doing now is something I mastered ages ago.

Trying to go head-to-head with me by hiring trolls is simply childish and foolish!

Yang He imagined Fang Zheng's furious reaction, humming a triumphant tune as he picked up his phone and dialed again.

"This time, I'll give you five hundred thousand. I have only one request: make Fang Zheng a public enemy online. If you can't accomplish this, you can forget about working as an internet troll."

After hanging up, Yang He felt completely relaxed.

He got up and poured himself a glass of red wine, a smile on his face.

Once you've experienced the convenience of money, it's hard to let go. This feeling is truly addictive.

He recalled how he had painstakingly used the popularity of anime to create hype to grab attention before, but almost ended up failing miserably.

And now? He didn't need to rack his brain to piggyback on trends. All he had to do was make two phone calls, buy a trending topic, and hire some internet trolls, and everything would be settled.

This was the power of money!

Yang He took a sip of wine, sitting on the sofa in a state of blissful intoxication.

He loved this feeling.

"Heh heh, big news!"

While Yang He was lost in his own world in his office, he didn't notice someone wearing a mask stealthily leaving the office door, their footsteps hurried.

"Hey Reporter Liang, weren't you here to interview our Professor Yang?"

"Ah? Hey, hey, hey, the interview is over, it's over." The person called Reporter Liang was the one who had just left Yang He's office in a hurry.

He had interviewed Yang He a few times before. Yang He, being a 'professor' eager for fame, never refused interviews from reporters.

And his assistant naturally knew Yang He's personality. Plus, this Reporter Liang was an old acquaintance, so he let him in without informing Yang He.

"I have to get back to my article, so I won't chat anymore. Bye!"

"Take care, Reporter Liang. Remember to describe our professor more!"

Reporter Liang nodded in agreement, but inwardly he sneered.

"Of course, I'll describe him more. This is big news, and it would be a disservice to my profession not to elaborate!"

Not long after, Shanghai Entertainment Quarterly officially published an article online, with a rather interesting title.

"You Actually Hired Internet Trolls, and More Than Me! (Audio Recording Attached)"

Shanghai Entertainment Quarterly wasn't a particularly well-known newspaper, but at this critical juncture, with Fang Zheng being vilified online, the words 'internet trolls' were always eye-catching.

Soon, this report from Shanghai Entertainment Quarterly was dug up by interested parties and reposted on various forums and social media platforms.

"Pfft hahaha~ I'm dying of laughter, how can Professor Yang be so dramatic~!"

"Professor Yang: Fang Zheng, how dare you hire internet trolls, and more than me?!"

"The one upstairs, speak more if you have something to say, it's got that vibe!"

"Oh no, even internet trolls have levels now, quick, summon the Buddha!"

In an instant, the report about Yang He from Shanghai Entertainment Quarterly was ridiculed by netizens, especially since it included Yang He's audio recording, making the report's authenticity unquestionable.

Seizing this opportunity, the popularity of Shanghai Entertainment Quarterly skyrocketed, and the company's executives were ecstatic.

As for Reporter Liang, the biggest contributor, he naturally received his due rewards and promotions, reaching the pinnacle of his career.

On the internet, when many of Fang Zheng's fans saw the report, they were overjoyed.

Yang He actually thought they were paid trolls??

Many busybodies forwarded the report to the A Company forum, and some even went to Weibo to constantly @ Fang Zheng, urging him to come out and see.

When Fang Zheng received this news, he found it somewhat amusing and exasperating. He didn't pay much attention to things on the internet.

As he himself said, until the officials made a statement, their so-called online flame wars were just child's play, completely meaningless.

However, seeing how quickly the situation had reversed, Fang Zheng suddenly had the illusion of, "I haven't even exerted myself, and you've already fallen."

"Director Fang, your fans have really gone to great lengths for you~"

Zhang Siyu walked into Fang Zheng's office with a smile. Seeing Fang Zheng staring at the computer with a mixture of amusement and exasperation, she teased him.

She wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but she felt that the relationship between Fang Zheng and his fans was very peculiar.

This subtle relationship was unlike that between any public figure and their fans. If you called them die-hard fans, they always liked to argue with Fang Zheng, often threatening to come to Shanghai's Qinghui Building to "show their concern" for Fang Zheng.

If you called them anti-fans, every time Fang Zheng had an event, these fans would come to support him, even spontaneously promoting him.

Zhang Siyu could never quite understand the relationship between Fang Zheng and his fans. Take this incident, for example. From beginning to end, Fang Zheng hadn't made any statements online.

Except for subtly playing favorites during the forum battles, A Company hadn't participated in anything outside of that.

The result was that Fang Zheng's fans, on their own, had carved out a bloody path online, showing a spirit of debating scholars.

Finally, Shanghai Entertainment Quarterly delivered a fatal blow to Yang He, and with the help of his fans, Fang Zheng completed a complete comeback from a desperate situation.

From start to finish, Fang Zheng's role was almost zero; it was entirely his fans who organized and fought.

Zhang Siyu looked at the rather calm Fang Zheng and shook her head with amusement.

Just as she had said, Fang Zheng's fans truly worried themselves sick over him. Zhang Siyu even had a feeling that the fans' attitude towards Fang Zheng was very much like an old father towards his child.

We can fight, but if outsiders dare to touch a single hair of our kid, then it's unacceptable!

She recalled that before, due to "Akame ga Kill!", Fang Zheng had been heavily criticized by fans, with many hot-tempered individuals threatening to come to Shanghai to demand an explanation.

But as soon as Yang He appeared, these fans immediately turned their guns, uniting against the common enemy.

Their actions were synchronized and their movements orderly, as if they had planned it all in advance, which was astonishing.

Hearing Zhang Siyu's words, Fang Zheng smiled and shook his head, saying, "These fans truly exceed my imagination."

Having such a group of fans, Fang Zheng felt he could puff out his chest and feel proud for a while.

Across the entire internet, there probably wasn't another group of fans like this~

"Since the fans have spoken out, we can't let them do all that work for nothing."

Fang Zheng tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Alright, have someone compile a list of all the fans who participated in this event, and reward them with a one-month membership."

Upon hearing Fang Zheng's words, Zhang Siyu nodded in agreement.

Although rewarding so many fans with a month of membership would cause the company to lose a significant amount of profit, it was important to repay kindness.

When they were targeted by the entire internet, these lovely fans stood up and shielded them from the storm. A one-month membership reward, to be honest, felt a bit insufficient.

But unfortunately, the company's operations required funds. If they added more rewards, it could worsen the company's already precarious financial situation.

"Also, compile a list of these fans' accounts. To commemorate their contributions to A Company, I've decided to give them a special title."

"A title?"

Zhang Siyu was a little confused. She didn't understand what Fang Zheng meant.

"Yes, a title!"

Fang Zheng already had a good idea in mind: to add a special title to these fans' accounts.

Although it wasn't a tangible reward, it was at least a symbol of status.

A Company was just starting out. As Fang Zheng's anime works increased in the future, A Company's reputation would grow, and its user base would expand.

And these fans, as users who had supported A Company from the beginning, as the earliest supporters, he wanted to give them an honor that belonged only to them.

Fang Zheng explained his idea in detail to Zhang Siyu, which made her eyes light up.

Everyone has a desire to compare themselves to others. If others have something, you want it too. If you have something that others don't, it becomes a symbol of status.