Phoenix Rising: From Heartache to Heroism

Chapter 348 Rivalries and Scandals



Hattie was worried that Violeta would steal her spotlight!

No, that couldn't happen-she was determined to win the Best New Actress Award, and her mom would help her achieve that.

On set, Tracy was filming.

News of Violeta's scandal quickly reached their ears.

Tracy was in the makeup room, scrolling through the trendy search online, especially enjoying the comments accusing Violeta of having a sugar daddy. She used a secondary account to like all those comments.

Some people might get popular quickly, but they can also fade just as fast, she thought.

Popularity is a double-edged sword.

If Violeta couldn't handle the heat, she'd cool off quickly!

Meanwhile, like Hattie, Zelena recognised Zoren as the man in the car from the trendy search.

They all knew each other from college, and Zelena was incredibly familiar with Violeta.

Violeta, backed by the White family, wouldn't be desperate enough to seek a sugar daddy.

The fact that Zoren was seen in the same car likely meant they were just out for dinner, and the paparazzi caught them.

She pondered quietly. Zelena knew that Violeta's trendy search would probably be cleared up soon and wouldn't pose much of a threat.

However, Zelena remembered that 'The Moon Belongs to You' was set to be released soon.

She quickly checked Facebook and found the official announcement for the release of 'The Moon Belongs to You' in fourth place on the trendy search.

She knew Hattie was probably eager to bring down Violeta.

Zelena wanted to bring her down, but her drama, 'Spring Isn't Blooming,' wasn't finished yet.

Since Hattie abandoned her, Zelena's attempt to sabotage Violeta wasn't working out. Zelena thought it was better to bring Hattie down along with Violeta.

Zelena quickly contacted NetSpin Agency to manipulate the trendy search, aiming to create a negative buzz for 'The Moon Belongs to You'.

Before the show's popularity could rise, she wanted to label it as 'cheesy' and 'trying to look hip and youthful' so that viewers would approach it with a biased perspective.

Youth idol dramas often have polarised reviews.

These kinds of romance shows are usually targeted at college students, so many adults find them overly sweet and off-putting.

If the lead actors had mediocre acting skills, the show could quickly be criticised as 'cheesy' online.

Zelena seized this opportunity and vigorously pushed the narrative online.

In the evening, at 8 PM, 'The Moon Belongs to You' premiered.

A large number of fans tuned in to watch.

Unlike 'The Quiet Ode,' which released all episodes

simultaneously, 'The Moon Belongs to You' started with two episodes on local TV and then continued with one new episode per day. With a total of thirty-two episodes, it would take nearly a month to finish.

Naturally, this approach wasn't as impactful as the all-at-once release of 'The Quiet Ode.'

However, there were still many positive reviews online. Hattie and Jacques had done a lot of promotional work on Facebook.

Jacques, in particular, hoped for the show to be a hit, so his marketing was very effective.

Many fans on short video platforms shared clips of Jacques looking handsome in the scene, which got a lot of likes.

For youth idol dramas, a handsome male lead is a significant draw. Since the primary audience for this drama was female, Jacques's follower count surged much more than Hattie's.

At first, it seemed like the reviews were overwhelmingly positive.

But unexpectedly, someone started sharing unflattering screenshots from the show the following afternoon. People began criticising the lead actors for their cheesy and unwatchable performances.

The online buzz quickly shifted, and Jacques's reputation took a hit.

On the other hand, Hattie's Facebook followers continued to rise.

Typically, positive reviews benefit both leads, while negative reviews impact both.

But now, it seemed like the criticism was all directed at Jacques while Hattie's popularity grew.

Something was clearly off!Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Jacques's team immediately suspected Hattie's team might be behind the sabotage.

Most of Hattie's followers on Facebook are fake accounts she purchased herself.

Seeing 'The Moon Belongs to You' gaining some traction and Jacques becoming the biggest winner, she couldn't just stand by and let that happen!

At the very least, she couldn't have her numbers look pathetic, so she got her team to buy followers for her.

But no matter how much she planned, she never expected the tides to turn so quickly.

Even before Jacques' popularity exploded, public opinion had already shifted!

People started criticising their acting as cheesy and trying to look hip and youthful.

When she realised it was too late to stop the follower-buying, she had to watch her follower count shoot up artificially.

This misunderstanding caused a rift between their teams.

Online gossip was everywhere.

Hattie was furious, throwing a cup in

the lounge. "What is Jacques' team doing? Why aren't they shutting down the online criticism

the

immediately? Is he out of his mind, acting so intensely? It's not just audience; even I'm sick of it"

Her assistant picked up the cup from the floor. "Hattie, maybe they didn't expect the backlash to happen so quickly."