Starlet Taotie Chapter 16
Chapter 16 Pretty Satisfying
Although Jiang Tao had changed the lines, after discussing it with the screenwriter, Tang Haisheng felt her version fit the scene even better than what had originally been written in the script. In the end, they decided not to change it back and kept her rendition instead.
There were still a few additional shots left to film afterward.
Standing by the table, Jiang Tao took a sip of the fish head tofu soup, and her entire aura shifted instantly. Her performance remained astonishingly steady throughout.
Instead, it was Huang Hao who ended up NG-ing several times.
From his initial unwillingness to accept it, he gradually resigned himself by the end and completely gave up struggling.
Was Jiang Tao even human?!
Such an emotionally intense performance, yet she did not make a single mistake. Every take she delivered was just as emotionally charged and full as the last.
That kind of ability—
Huang Hao had only ever seen it once before, in his idol, the film emperor Shen Zhiyan.
And yet this caliber of acting was appearing in nothing more than a supporting female role.
What a waste!
Tang Haisheng shared the exact same thought.
Originally, he had only invited Jiang Tao out of gratitude for a favor. Who would have thought that not only would she bring in Shi Wenqing as a consultant, she would also contribute such incredible acting skills.
If the script had not already been finalized, Tang Haisheng privately would have truly wanted to give her a few more scenes.
After filming wrapped, he made a phone call to his old friend’s son.
“Zhilan, if I remember correctly, your fantasy web drama is still missing an important female antagonist. I’ve got an actress here who I think would suit the role perfectly. How about you meet her sometime?”
…
After hanging up, Zhou Zhilan sighed.
“What’s wrong? You look troubled.” A long, slender hand pulled out the chair across from him before its owner sat down gracefully. His voice was low and mellow, like the finest vintage wine.
“Zhiyan ge!!” Zhou Zhilan immediately lit up in surprise. “When did you get here?”
“Just now.” Shen Zhiyan smiled faintly. “You were on the phone, so I didn’t interrupt.”
At the mention of the call, Zhou Zhilan looked thoroughly distressed.
Ever since his last web drama became a huge hit, he had been receiving endless calls and WeChat messages every single day from people trying to push actors or investments onto him.
Other people were one thing, but Tang Haisheng was an elder who had watched him grow up. Zhou Zhilan truly could not bring himself to reject him outright.
However, while he couldn't, someone else certainly could!
For example, the main investor of this web drama: Shen Zhiyan.
So Zhou Zhilan deliberately let out a heavy sigh. “My dear ge, you’d never guess who just called me!”
Shen Zhiyan merely looked at him with a smile, offering no response.
Zhou Zhilan: “...”
Forget it. With his level of acting, he really should not embarrass himself in front of his ge.
So he revealed the answer directly. “It was Uncle Tang. I have no idea who’s so capable that they actually managed to reach me through him. And I can’t exactly refuse Uncle Tang’s request either... sigh!”
Something flickered in Shen Zhiyan’s thoughts. “Director Tang Haisheng?”
“Yeah!”
“Then I might know who he was recommending,” Shen Zhiyan remarked.
Zhou Zhilan froze. “How do you know?”
“We had a meal together.” Shen Zhiyan recalled the young woman who had somehow managed to make him eat half a bowl of rice and said casually, “Since I’m free anyway, how about I make a guest appearance in your drama?”
“Holy shit! Are you serious?!” Zhou Zhilan scrambled to pull out his phone and started recording. “Ge! Say that again!”
The smile on Shen Zhiyan’s face deepened. “Afraid I’m lying to you?”
Zhou Zhilan awkwardly put away his phone. “Not exactly. It’s just that no matter how much I begged you before, you refused every time. So why the sudden change of attitude now?”
“Aren’t investors always this willful?” Shen Zhiyan replied calmly.
Zhou Zhilan: “...”
That actually made so much sense that I have nothing left to argue against.
…
Friday arrived in the blink of an eye, and countless viewers were already waiting in front of their computers and phones early, anxiously anticipating the premiere of the first episode of ‘Our Village’.
At exactly 8 PM the first episode went live.
The viewer count backstage skyrocketed past ten million almost instantly.
【My baby Xibai is so handsome!!】
【Xia Xia, mommy’s here~~~】
【Le Hui, Le Hui, bright as day!】
Aside from the fans cheering for their idols, even more of the bullet comments were:
【It’s finally here!!!】
【Tbh, I’m just here for the kneeling sheeps】
【Same here】
【+10086*】
(TLN: In Chinese web lingo, +1 means ‘me two’, +2 is ‘me three’, and so on)
The opening still maintained the same slow and leisurely pace as previous seasons, but this time, the audience retention was unexpectedly strong.
Twenty minutes passed, and not only did the viewer count not drop, it actually continued rising instead.
When Director Zou announced the three tasks, just like in the preview, the other guests chose repairing the roof and catching chickens, leaving the final task of herding sheep to Jiang Tao.
The production team used a short animated segment to briefly explain Jiang Tao’s task.
On screen:
Jiang Tao pondered for a moment before asking, “If I complete my task, can dinner be mutton?”
Right on cue, the camera cut to the flock of sheep on the hillside.
As though sensing something, the sheep suddenly became slightly restless.
【HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA】
【As expected of Jiang jie! The foodie persona never collapses lolololol】
【Sheep: I thought you came to herd me, but turns out you actually want to eat me [tremble][tremble]】
As Jiang Tao walked up the hillside, the bullet comments instantly became restless as well.
【It’s here, it’s here! Legendary scene incoming!!】
【Rubbing hands in anticipation.jpg】
【If this turns out to be some fake Approaching Science nonsense, I’m giving the show one star!!】
Under the gaze of countless expectant viewers Jiang Tao stood before the flock of sheep. She did not make a move, nor did she use any special equipment.
Yet the sheep huddled tightly together, bleating in terror.
Even through the screen, viewers could practically feel the fear and despair radiating from them.
In the end one sheep could no longer withstand it and dropped to its knees with a plop!
Then came the second. The third...
The entire flock knelt neatly at Jiang Tao’s feet as though paying homage to its king.
The scene was unbelievably spectacular.
The bullet comments fell silent for a brief moment before exploding into a frenzy.
【!!!】
【!!!!】
【What the hell, this is ridiculous!!!】
【Guys, I’m reporting this! It’s gotta be one of these two: animals can’t cultivate after the founding of the nation[1] or she’s a runaway criminal from Azkaban!】
Right after that, something even more outrageous happened.
Jiang Tao used the handle of the whip to draw a circle on the ground.
And just like that, the entire flock stayed obediently inside the circle.
【???】
【What the hell! Is THAT how a whip is supposed to be used?!】
【My worldview of over twenty years has just been shattered!】
【These sheep have gained too much sentience!】
【Does anyone remember that little snake from ‘Over Here!’??】
【Even though Jiang jie literally didn’t do anything, I somehow still felt a terrifying aura from her [doge]】
【Books say animals are the most sensitive. Maybe they sensed something we humans can’t perceive [doge]】
【Honestly, ever since ‘Over Here!’, I already felt Jiang jie wasn’t an ordinary person [doge]】
【Jiang jie, confess already. Are you an ancient divine beast that gained sentience, or an alien who infiltrated Earth? [doge]】
【No no no, Jiang jie is actually at the very top of the food chain! [doge]】
The netizens joked and spammed memes across the bullet comments.
What they did not know was that they had actually come dangerously close to guessing the truth—only for the [doge] meme to cover it right back up.
After that, the free-range chickens that had chased Yang Zhen and the other two around in utter chaos became unbelievably obedient under Jiang Tao’s command, to the point that they did not even seem like the same species anymore.
When she told them to line up, they lined up.
When she told them to lay eggs, they laid eggs.
The netizens: once you come to terms with it, it's actually pretty satisfying to watch…
【Hurry up and let her eat already!!!】
【My poor baby Tao Tao came on this show and can’t even get enough food! Does the production team even have a conscience?!】
【Why are you stealing snacks from my baby girl?! Can’t you go trade for food yourself?!】
The viewer count soared higher and higher, and along with it came one trending topic after another.
#JiangTaoTopOfTheFoodChain#
#OurVillage#
#JiangTaoOurVillage#
…
Han Ziheng sat there with a dark expression, neurotically refreshing the trending searches over and over again, torturing himself as he watched Jiang Tao continue climbing higher and higher.
Jiang Tao!
Again with Jiang Tao!
He had already stumbled because of Jiang Tao time and time again.
He could not even handle something this minor. Yingxue must be terribly disappointed in him by now.
At the thought of Su Yingxue, his mood darkened further. She had not sent him a single message in an entire week.
Han Ziheng gritted his teeth and took the initiative to send her a WeChat message:【Yingxue, don’t worry. This time, I’ll definitely drive Jiang Tao out of the entertainment industry!】
A long while later, a special ringtone sounded.
Han Ziheng hurriedly picked up the call.
From the other end came a soft and sweet voice. “Zhiheng ge ge.”
Han Ziheng’s expression immediately softened. “Yingxue, I miss you so much.”
“Me too,” Su Yingxue said worriedly. “Zhiheng ge ge, I’m really worried about you...”
Han Ziheng was deeply moved. “Yingxue...”
“Actually, about that matter...” She paused, seeming to force her voice into sounding brighter. “I really don’t mind it anymore, so don’t let it affect you too… Jiang Tao... she didn’t really do anything. The entertainment industry is just like this. I’m already used to it.”
Han Ziheng’s heart practically shattered listening to her.
His Yingxue was the kindest and purest girl in the world. Jiang Tao had bullied her to this extent, yet because she was worried about causing trouble for him, she chose to endure it silently.
But even if Yingxue could endure it, how could he possibly swallow this down?!
Jiang Tao!
He chewed on the name with vicious hatred.
Since you refuse to know your place and obediently leave the entertainment industry, then don’t blame me for not holding back anymore!
.
.
.
TL Note: She’s such a two-faced bitch 🤮
Footnote:
[1] "Animals are Banned from Cultivating After the Founding of the Nation (建国后不许成精)" is a Chinese internet catchphrase that originally meant "animals are not allowed to cultivate after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949." It is frequently used humorously to describe animals that behave in surprisingly intelligent or human-like ways, as if they have gained sentience. Over time, the usage of the phrase has expanded beyond animals to include other things as well.
The term originated from a list of rumored regulations supposedly issued by China's National Radio and Television Administration (formerly SARFT) that circulated online in 2014. These alleged rules included restrictions on overseas dramas, bans on celebrities hosting health shows, limits on how many stations could air a single drama, requirements for patriotic programming, crackdowns on extramarital affairs, a rule allowing teen romance in campus films but forbidding successful relationships, and the now-famous seventh rule: "Animals are Banned from Cultivating After the Founding of the Nation." Although insiders later denied that such a specific ban ever existed, the denial did little to stop the seventh rule from spreading widely and becoming deeply embedded in internet culture.
