Chapter 41
Jiang Jianyue was a well-known content creator in the TV and film section on a video platform, “C-Station,” famous for her unique commentary style. In addition to her humorous critiques, she occasionally accepted sponsored content.
But Jiang Jianyue had principles. Even with paid partnerships, she pointed out both pros and cons without mercy—her blunt honesty made her popular with viewers, though it was a bit of a love-hate relationship for the industry.
One day, while going through her business emails, she came across a sponsorship request. They wanted her to promote a costume mystery drama called Secrets of the Six Doors.
Jiang Jianyue squinted at the title.
She remembered this drama—it had appeared out of nowhere and suddenly flooded the internet with ads a few weeks ago. The marketing was aggressive, with trending hashtags and promos all over social media. This viral-style marketing tactic was already wearing thin.
She had joked with other content creators recently that they’d likely get a lot of material for future roast videos from this series, as even the title reeked of low-budget mediocrity.
So, she was intrigued. Who had the audacity to approach her for a sponsorship?
Curious, Jiang replied that while she could accept the partnership, she’d still maintain her usual fairness and objectivity. Surprisingly, the team agreed immediately, even paying the advance deposit as though they were afraid she’d back out.
Jiang Jianyue: ???
Was this really the marketing team? Could it be someone with a grudge trying to sabotage the series?
Her curiosity grew. Since the premiere was at 8:00 PM, she decided to check out the trailer.
The trailer began with a lively scene of Ming dynasty street life, filled with intricate set details and lively market stalls. Though it was only a few seconds long, it instantly immersed her in the era with its realism and attention to detail.
Jiang Jianyue felt a slight stir of interest.
The music picked up, and a rough-looking man burst out of an alleyway with a woman in a red martial outfit chasing him. “Stop right there!” she called.
The frame paused briefly, showing her name: Rong Yu.
The chase was filled with action and near-misses, and just as she was about to catch him, the fugitive noticed a horse tied up nearby. If he managed to mount it, the woman would be left in the dust.
At that moment, the camera panned to an elegantly dressed young nobleman watching from a nearby teahouse. With a warm smile, he held a fan in one hand. The screen displayed his name: Yu Changyan.
In the next moment, he casually tossed a string of copper coins into the air, which scattered between the fugitive and the horse. A crowd of bystanders surged forward, scrambling to collect the coins, blocking the man’s escape route.
Rong Yu’s face lit up as she reached out to grab him.
Realizing he had no way out, the fugitive tried to grab a child as a hostage. But just as he extended his hand, a sword sheath suddenly appeared, blocking him with a firm smack. A man dressed in black with a steely expression stepped in to face him.
The screen froze again, showing his name: Xiao Nanyuan.
Xiao Nanyuan, highly skilled in martial arts, evaded the attacker’s quicklime powder by leaning back, dodging it just in time, but this allowed the man a moment to flee.
However, before he could savor his escape, a net suddenly dropped from above, entangling him completely. Rong Yu swiftly tied him up and gave a playful bow to the approaching Yu Changyan and Xiao Nanyuan, saying, “Thanks for letting me take the win.”
Yu Changyan smiled and waved his fan, amused, while Xiao Nanyuan sighed in mild exasperation.
In just a minute, the preview delivered a complete mini-scene that established the distinct personalities of each main character.
Jiang Jianyu instinctively straightened up in her seat.
She had a feeling this series might not be the low-quality drama she’d expected.
The scene shifted, showing the three protagonists donning constable uniforms for the Six Doors Division as they prepared to investigate the murder of an imperial official. Tension and suspense grew as swift camera cuts blended action with the story’s main plot. The music created an immersive atmosphere, with moments of humor interspersed, giving viewers a brief respite before quickly pulling them back into the thrill of the mystery.
Finally, the music stopped, and a sharp blade sliced through the air, splattering blood onto the Six Doors Division sign. As the background dimmed, the words “Six Doors Division” emerged boldly, with blood forming the word “Secrets” beneath it, completing the title: Secrets of the Six Doors.
Jiang Jianyu exhaled slowly.
She hadn’t expected a three-minute trailer to pack in so much—so many intriguing details and just the right mix of suspense and humor.
Her curiosity about the show grew exponentially, and she only hoped the series would live up to the trailer. If the show could sustain the quality of the preview, it was sure to be a hit.
She quickly sent a message to her friends: [Anyone interested in watching Secrets of the Six Doors tonight? It actually looks promising.]
Friend 1: [Hahaha, are you organizing a binge-watching party for video creators? Wait, this series—is it really that bad?]
Realizing her words might be misleading, Jiang quickly clarified: [Not in a ‘bad’ way—I just watched the trailer, and it looks really well-done.]
Friend 1: [???!]
Friend 2: [Secrets of the Six Doors? And ‘really well-done’? Did someone put a spell on you?]
Seeing how skeptical they were, Jiang decided to drop the trailer into the group chat.
A few moments later:
Friend 1: [Whoa! Actually… this does look pretty good—I mean that in a positive way.]
Friend 2: [The trailer is solid, but there are plenty of cases where a great trailer leads to a terrible show. I’m skeptical, but count me in for tonight’s watch.]
Friend 3: [Count me in too!]
Friend 4: [I have no idea what you all are raving about, but I’m free tonight, so I’m in too!]
*
Soon, eight o’clock arrived, and Jiang Jianyu opened the Sweet Orange Video app, clicking into the first episode of Secrets of the Six Doors.
The story began with a chilling nursery rhyme whispered around the town’s streets and alleys. That same night, a Ministry of Justice inspector was found dead in his home, his body bearing marks that eerily matched the imagery in the rhyme. Shortly afterward, an assistant director from the Bureau of Communications and a supervisor from the Censorate met similar fates. In less than a month, three court officials had died, each without apparent connection to the others, except in one detail: their ranks were progressively higher.
Starting with a ninth-rank inspector, followed by an eighth-rank official, and then a seventh-rank inspector. If this pattern continued, would the next victim be a sixth-rank official?
The capital was in an uproar, and the Emperor, troubled by the turmoil, handed the case over to the Six Doors Division.
This was where the protagonist, Xiao Nanyuan, finally made his entrance. With his strong martial arts skills and unyielding integrity, Xiao Nanyuan had a good reputation among his peers, though no one wanted to partner with him. He was a single-minded workaholic, often roughing it and known for his stubbornness, which made him exhausting to work with.
Xiao Nanyuan had long grown used to working alone, and he didn’t mind. While investigating the case, however, he crossed paths with the fiery and quick-witted heroine, Rong Yu, and the two formed a reluctant alliance.
Rong Yu, though impulsive on the surface, was remarkably observant and skilled at spotting hidden clues. As they worked together, Rong Yu realized that Xiao Nanyuan’s rigid personality left him vulnerable to teasing, which she delighted in. Together, they followed the clues to a bandit stronghold.
The two infiltrated the hideout, only to find a wealthy young man, blindfolded and bound in a woodshed. The moment Jiang Jianyu saw him, she recognized him as Yu Changyan from the trailer.
For reasons she couldn’t quite explain, she found herself most intrigued by him, despite his character seeming less sharply defined than Rong Yu and Xiao Nanyuan.
As expected, Xiao Nanyuan and Rong Yu freed Yu Changyan, who explained that he was the son of a wealthy local family, abducted by bandits on his way home after a family ritual, and awaiting his family’s ransom.
After rescuing Yu Changyan, the two continued their investigation. Soon, the trail led them to the Hundred Treasures Guild in the city. However, the guild’s doors only opened to those with wealth, and both Xiao Nanyuan and Rong Yu were practically penniless.
Just then, Yu Changyan made a grand reappearance, flashing his gilded fan as two large chests of silver were brought in for him.
And there, the first episode ended. Jiang Jianyu, enthralled, clicked straight into the next.
A few hours later, Jiang Jianyu had finished all four debut episodes, feeling thrilled yet craving more. She found herself wanting to shake the Sweet Orange Video app to spill out the remaining episodes.
It was only then that she remembered the group chat. Opening it, she was startled by the hundreds of unread messages that had flooded in over the past few hours.
[It’s amazing! The acting, the costumes, the set design—and, most of all, the story! Oh my god, that twist had me breathless! This is the suspense drama I’ve been dying for!]
[Rong Yu is my goddess! Smart and gorgeous! Finally, a heroine who isn’t just there to cause trouble while the hero solves everything. Her observational skills are amazing! Plus, the entire storyline is so logically pieced together—it respects the audience’s intelligence!]
[Jiang Hanjing’s acting is impressive. He really has that righteous hero aura. But honestly, the one who surprised me the most was Yu Changyan! The way he entered with those silver chests and his fan… I’m so smitten!]
[I looked up the actor—his name is Qin Wen, apparently a newcomer. This is his first role!]
[What?! A debut role with acting like this? He’s got serious potential!]
*
As Jiang Jianyu scrolled through the messages, she saw that the praise for Secrets of the Six Doors was nearly unanimous. A few viewers raised questions, but only about certain plot points or historical settings, which turned out to be surprisingly accurate upon fact-checking.
Jiang Jianyu quickly dropped a message in the chat before closing it to focus on her script.
She typed out thousands of words in praise, before realizing her entire script was essentially glowing with compliments.
Of course, the series wasn’t perfect. If she really wanted to, she could pick out some flaws.
But was there any point in doing so?
As a film critique creator on the platform, Jiang Jianyu’s criticisms were certainly entertaining, but they also revealed her deep disappointment with the quality of domestic dramas over the years.
While Secrets of the Six Doors had its flaws, they were overshadowed by its solid script and genuine production values.
Jiang hesitated for only a moment before making her decision.
She wouldn’t change a thing; she’d record as-is.
Recording, dubbing, editing… she worked through the night, and when she finally finished, she hit upload and went straight to sleep, completely unaware of the stir her video would soon cause.
*
As one of the top content creators in the film critique section, Jiang Jianyu’s uploads attracted her fanbase almost instantly.
[Jiang is surprisingly active lately! Let me take a look… emmm… yep, it’s a sponsored review.]
[Haha, sponsored content is great—I love it when companies pay just to get roasted.]
[Wait a second… something’s off. We’re six minutes in, and she’s still praising it? Did someone hack her account?]
[Roasts turning into forced praise? Seriously?]
[Sigh, even Jiang Jianyu has fallen… the last pure corner of the film critique section is no more.]
[@Jiang Jianyu, I followed you because you spoke the truth. This isn’t interesting at all. Unsubscribing.]
[You always said you’d never compromise for a sponsored deal; I used to admire that. Guess money talks. Shame on you!]
[Okay, I know it’s a paid review, but honestly, the plot actually sounds kind of interesting. I think I want to check it out…]
[I’m tempted. Should I test it out?]
[It’s been twenty minutes—any brave souls here to report back?]
[Okay, I gotta say it… this drama is actually pretty good! Anyway, gotta get back to watching.]
[Is this for real? Not bots, right?]
[Not bots! This drama is genuinely good, just overshadowed by its title. The plot is gripping, full of twists and turns—the only downside is there aren’t enough episodes! I wish I could binge it all in one go!]
[You’re a level-six account; I trust you. I’m going to check it out too!]
*
Beyond Jiang Jianyu, other creators in the film review section also tuned in, though without her intensity. Many took to Twitter to share their thoughts, sparking a wave of buzz. Fans who had watched Secrets of the Six Doors and those who hadn’t yet clashed over the quality of the series.
Soon, hashtags like #SecretsOfTheSixDoorsIsGood, #AMisleadingTitleForAGreatShow, and #YuChangyanIsHandsome dominated the trending list. Countless people were intrigued and started watching, and Sweet Orange Video’s traffic skyrocketed.
Jin Shiheng yawned as he entered the office. After staying up late to watch a game, he had barely slept. As he walked in, he suddenly remembered he had forgotten something important. Then, spotting the Secrets of the Six Doors poster in the hallway, it hit him—last night had been the show’s premiere. He felt a twinge of regret but quickly brushed it off.
After all, he had prepared meticulously to ensure its failure.
While all the advertising resources had indeed been allocated as per A-grade specifications, he had made subtle tweaks. First, he’d chosen a clunky marketing approach. He’d also selected one or two brutally honest creators to review the show, hoping they’d trash it and sink its reputation. Finally, for last night’s premiere trending topics, he bought the cheapest, most awkward ad placements that would obviously look like bot-driven engagement.
If anyone investigated, it would be clear the show’s promotional strategy was full of holes. But if the drama flopped as expected, the blame would fall on the project itself and the person who had signed off on it—Sun Hongfei.
Sun would likely face demotion, a pay cut, and a loss of Gu Xingshi’s trust. With that opening, Jin planned to swoop in and replace him. With his attentiveness, Gu Xingshi would soon forget about Sun. With Gu as his new backer, Jin saw himself climbing up to higher positions and reaping all the rewards.
Jin Shiheng had thought through every angle, confident that his plan was flawless. The only thing that could ruin it was if Secrets of the Six Doors turned out to be so incredibly good that it shattered all expectations.
The thought had briefly given him pause, but he dismissed it, remembering the dreadfully uninspired project proposal.
Could a show based on that proposal possibly turn out well?
Assured, he clicked on Weibo, humming a tune—only for his eyes to widen as the top trending topic caught his attention: #SecretsOfTheSixDoorsIsGood
When he opened the tag, he didn’t find the awkward, bot-generated praises he’d anticipated. Instead, he saw post after post of heartfelt, genuine reviews. These praises were far from mechanical; they were detailed, thoughtful reactions.
“Have these bots lost their minds?”
He angrily opened the WeChat conversation with the head of the bot operation, sending a screenshot with a scathing message: [Didn’t we post this last night? Who changed the timing, and since when did I order such an expensive package?]
Bot Operator: [??]
Bot Operator: [Boss, I posted exactly as you asked last night. This new post has nothing to do with me.]
Now it was Jin Shiheng’s turn to be dumbfounded.
If he didn’t do it, then where did all these posts come from?
The bot operator messaged again: [Boss, have you considered it might just be actual viewers discussing it and getting it trending on their own?]
Jin Shiheng: [???]
He hurriedly clicked on the trending tag and scrolled through each post. The further he read, the colder he felt. Despite only four episodes being out, the comments were full of enthusiastic analysis and requests for more episodes. The show was being treated like a breakout hit!
Before he could process his shock, he heard cheers coming from the data department. Apparently, Secrets of the Six Doors was trending with record-breaking engagement, and they were preparing to report the good news.
Jin Shiheng felt his heart sink.
Oh…
He suddenly realized that the show’s success was thanks in large part to his own efforts. His plan to ruin it had backfired spectacularly. If his meddling came to light, Director Pang would never forgive him.
At that thought, a cold dread settled over him.
Meanwhile, Wen Yue looked at the latest Secrets of the Six Doors performance data on his desk, feeling a mix of emotions.
Sweet Orange Video had been having a rough patch lately. Since their project director had been poached by Xingmao Media, he had taken not only his own projects but also leaked some of Sweet Orange’s promotional plans, resulting in several of their shows being targeted and underperforming.
But Secrets of the Six Doors had single-handedly salvaged their losses.
Unexpected success was always welcome, yet Wen Yue couldn’t help but remember he’d initially requested D-grade resources for the show. So how did it end up with A-grade?
Tang Ling was equally puzzled. He knew Sun Hongfei to be a careful worker and wouldn’t expect him to make such an elementary error. So, he went to find Sun, who explained that he had initially approved the D-grade resources but had later received another document from the marketing department asking for a signature to correct a “format error.” He noticed everything was the same except for the “D” being changed to an “A” and signed off, thinking it had been his own mistake.
Tang Ling listened to Sun’s explanation, feeling exasperated. “And why would you just assume it was my mistake?”
“Well, of course!” Sun Hongfei said confidently. “I mean, considering the whole thing with Gu Xingshi and Wen—” He was about to blurt out, with Gu Xingshi and Wen Yue’s relationship, it would be unreasonable not to give an A-grade.
He quickly remembered Tang Ling’s past warning not to speak out of turn and awkwardly changed course, saying, “I mean, considering how much Gu has backed this show, and with its quality so high, not giving it an A would just be… wrong.”
Tang Ling: ?
Although he felt that Sun Hongfei’s choice of idioms was a bit off, Tang Ling didn’t think too much about it. Still, what Sun Hongfei mentioned made him take note. “I’ll investigate this matter further,” he said.
Sun Hongfei, pleased that his quick thinking had kept him from being exposed, breathed a sigh of relief. Then, as if he had just remembered something, he handed a printed document to Tang Ling.
Tang Ling looked at it, surprised. “What’s this?”
Sun Hongfei explained, “While I was keeping an eye on Secrets of the Six Doors‘s promotional strategies, I noticed some issues. On the surface, everything seemed fine, but there are some odd inconsistencies if you look closely.”
Tang Ling was pleasantly surprised at Sun Hongfei’s level of diligence and responsibility. He accepted the document, saying, “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure President Wen gets this report.”
Sun Hongfei straightened up with pride, thinking, I was right! Sticking with Gu Xingshi pays off.
Tang Ling brought the information to Wen Yue, who was more than satisfied. He had already been looking for an opportunity to deal with Pang Zhongcheng, but Pang, though not particularly skilled, was slippery and backed by a network of influential family members, making it difficult to confront him directly.
But now, Pang had handed him a perfect opportunity.
Tang Ling quickly traced the issues back to Jin Shiheng, who, desperate to keep his job, ended up selling out his own boss.
With solid evidence and Jin Shiheng’s testimony, Pang Zhongcheng was forced to resign. As for Jin Shiheng, he kept his job but was demoted, moving from his private office to a desk in the open cubicles.
To make matters worse, he heard rumors that with Pang Zhongcheng’s departure, the VP position had opened up, and department heads could compete for it. Surprisingly, the top contender was rumored to be Sun Hongfei.
Word had spread about his close ties with Tang Ling, and it was now widely believed that SWen Yue was Sun Hongfei’s true confidant.
The only one who knew the truth—Jin Shiheng—was beside himself with frustration. He wanted to shout out that Wen Yue wasn’t Sun Hongfei’s confidant but had simply lucked into cozying up to the right people.
But there was no way he would reveal such a shortcut to getting ahead.
So Jin Shiheng had to endure his jealousy, feigning congratulations to Sun Hongfei while secretly vowing to himself that he would somehow gain Gu’s favor.
*
Sweet Orange Video was filled with good cheer, but things were less rosy for Ning Tianyou at Xingmao Media.
Recently, he had been delighted with his success in luring away Wen Yue’s project director, which had caused a string of setbacks for Sweet Orange and let Ning revel in his apparent victory.
Then along came Secrets of the Six Doors, flipping the situation in an instant.
He had his people investigate and, sure enough, Gu Xingshi was behind it again!
He even knew about the earlier funding withdrawal from Secrets of the Six Doors, which had caused quite a stir in the investment community.
Who would have thought that Wen Yue would step in and pick it up? Wen Yue was certainly willing to invest in his “boyfriend,” splurging on yacht trips and now pouring money into an investment that could easily flop.
The more Ning thought about it, the angrier he became.
At a charity gala, he spotted Wen Yue and, without a second thought, picked up his wine glass and approached, seething with resentment.
Everyone knew about the recent clash between Xingmao and Sweet Orange, which Wen Yue had ultimately turned around with a surprising maneuver. In retaliation, Wen had also dealt Ning a harsh blow in the financial markets, a blow that still sent shivers down Ning’s spine.
Now, the two were about to meet face-to-face in a public setting, guaranteeing a good show for the onlookers.
Wen Yue, however, remained calm, lifting his gaze just slightly. The natural authority in his look alone was enough to make Ning halt in his tracks.
Even before Wen Yue spoke, Ning had already lost the battle.
Seething but afraid to act out, Ning resorted to a backhanded comment. “You’re very fortunate, Wen Yue. No wonder you don’t bother with us anymore—you’ve got a hidden treasure at home.”
Wen Yue: “??”
What nonsense is he talking about?
Is he actually losing it from all these setbacks?
Thank you for the update