“I trust you!”

“Huh?” Before Tangning could see the person clearly, a few other people stood up and said, “We also trust you.”

“Us too!”

Soon, the entire theater was standing up expressing their thoughts.

“Previously, due to the media’s manipulation, we lost a great actress because you were forced to retreat and no longer act. One year later, we are faced with a similar situation; everything seems so familiar. I’m afraid that if I choose the wrong side again, we will end up losing a great producer as well!”

A film critic walked over to Tangning and stretched out his hand.

Tangning froze for a moment before she also stretched out her hand.

“I don’t know if you convinced everyone else. But...you definitely convinced me!”

“Thank you,” Tangning’s eyes slowly turned red.

A moment later, the theater erupted into an applause.

“You’ve also convinced me!”

“Me too!”

At that moment, Tangning stood up, looked at the audience and gave a sincere bow, “Your acknowledgment means a lot to me.”

“If Qiao Sen sees this in heaven, he will definitely be relieved!”

“The film is truly impressive!”

“I’m not sure what everyone else thinks, but, as soon as the giant ant appeared in the first scene, I began to wonder if those were the special effects that supposedly came from Hollywood. But, as I watched further, I realized that it wasn’t...”

“I’m saying this because I’ve worked with the post-production team in Hollywood before.”

Everyone was shocked by this film critic’s words.

“In the past, I’ve been very critical towards domestically produced films because I really wanted to see the industry improve. So, I’m sorry, even without the rumors, I still would have entered this theater with doubt. But, after I finished watching your film, I suddenly felt like crying...”

“You’ve made me feel deeply ashamed.”

“We are the same, we both want the film industry to grow. But, while I’ve simply been judging everyone, you actually went ahead and proactively did something.”

“You went from a model to an actress with no prior experience. Whereas, I went to Hollywood for so many years with no intention of ever producing my own movie, because I was too afraid.”

“You make me feel so ashamed.”

Tangning shook her head, “You’re being too kind!”

“If the public continues to criticize you over unwarranted filth and it has something to do with filming, I will definitely be the first to step out and speak for you. And, of course, I’ll continue to keep my eye on you. When your film is officially released, I will take my entire family to the theater to watch it. That’s all I want to say for today!”

After speaking, the 40-something-year-old man turned around and left. But, as he left, someone noticed him wiping a tear from his eye.

Afterwards, people began to investigate who this man was and discovered he had indeed worked in Hollywood for many years. He had even appeared on Time Magazine in the past!

Either way, the audience in the test screening felt a sense of relief. Even though their emotions were still hyped up by the film, they at least knew that ‘The Ant Queen’ wasn’t a disappointment – that Tangning wasn’t a disappointment.

A little while later, the theater cleared out...

A crowd of reporters were already gathered outside, waiting to hear everyone ridicule Tangning.

So, as soon as someone stepped out, they immediately surrounded them.

Of course, the film critic that had just had a heartfelt conversation with Tangning was amongst those being surrounded, “Since you’ve watched the film now, could you express your thoughts regarding the rumor that Tangning lied about the film being domestically produced?”

“What’s wrong with her saying that it was domestically produced?” the man asked.

“A top class special effects technician already proved that she was lying. He said that Tangning...”

“Top class? How long has he been in the industry?” the man asked. “Tell him, if he has the guts to stand in front of me and tell me that he’s top class, then I’ll answer your question.”

“Are you trying to say that Tangning didn’t lie?”

“What reason would she have to lie? Is she lacking in popularity or is she lacking in box office sales?”

“Well...”

“Young lady, as a reporter, you should be positive and give Tangning more praise, rather than constantly looking for gossip,” the man said before he left. But, the reporter was confused by the man’s response.

At that time, the reporters were still unaware of who they had just questioned.

All they knew was, the people that they thought would come out of the theater with complaints, did not react as expected.

So, while Tangning’s rumors were at its peak, the test screening for ‘The Ant Queen’ came to an end.

However, no one stepped out to review the film. Was it good or not?

Everyone simply had a secretive look on their face. Did this mean that the film was horrible?

No...

Because a few lucky fans that got to join the test screening revealed, “My Ning is f*cken awesome! This was truly the best sci-fi film I’ve ever watched. After the film was finished, a film critic that previously worked in Hollywood even praised Tangning.”

“It was sooo good! My Ning is the best!”

However, fans had always been biased, so, people following the story believed they were exaggerating. All the talk about Hollywood and praises from a film critic were just lies made for bragging.

Who could trust the words of a fan?

If their idol told them to die, they would even do it, so their words naturally couldn’t be trusted.

“That’s enough. Even if Tangning eats sh*t, her fans would still say it’s great!”

“These people are bragging too much! Their words sound extremely exaggerated!”

“I bet it’s nothing good! Aren’t people saying that Hollywood helped with the post-production? If that’s the case, then why don’t I go watch a true Hollywood film instead?”

Online, a lot of people ridiculed the reviews from Tangning’s fans. This made them furious.

However, not too long later, the first proper review for ‘The Ant Queen’ appeared online.

It seemed, the truth wasn’t that no one wanted to provide a review. They simply needed some time to discuss it properly. Otherwise, they would feel like they wasted Tangning’s persistence and effort as well as the film’s magnificence!

“I must admit that ‘The Ant Queen’ is the best domestic sci-fi film. If you don’t agree, then keep your mouth shut!”

“Why did I choose to respond so many hours after the event ended? It’s because I didn’t feel like what I wrote was sincere enough. I’m sorry to the staff of ‘The Ant Queen, especially Qiao Sen, who passed away because of this!”

“So, after returning home, I sat in a daze in front of the computer for a long time. I’m sure the majority of people that saw this film also felt the same way!”

“Before watching ‘The Ant Queen’, I actually felt a complex mix of feelings. With the added scandal that Tangning was lying and she was using Hollywood to help with her special effects, I actually thought it was over, that the film was definitely a flop...”

“But, after I watched it, I ended up giving myself a face slap!”