Comments exploding? 121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwl6oCDWeo
A zombie army of bot accounts invades Vocus, 121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB83RCVoMuZ
and the backend team scrambles to rescue the data on the front lines.
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cHBX5jTYX
Today is once again a preparation day ahead of filming Episode Sixteen of The Hidden Moon and the Sea of Dawn.
The crew spends the morning shooting a few simple locked-off shots.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi4Rd9EhAgf
Progress is unusually smooth, and by noon they finally have a moment to catch their breath.
The office fills with the warmth of boxed lunches and the faint hum of the air conditioner.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡolSClM0ymx
Several folding tables are crowded with food of every kind.
The director leans back on the sofa to steal some sleep.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNGPCRB0DO
The art lead sits in the corner tearing open a bag of braised snacks.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNyfF5b5Mu
As usual, the screenwriter works with a laptop open, fingers tapping lightly across the keyboard, eating while continuing to work.
The atmosphere is quiet—121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXn0iw17kAa
a touch of calm settling in amid the fatigue.
The manager remains seated where he is,121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGNNL4gXwF
his lunch box placed in front of him, still unopened.
His gaze rests on a folder,121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiW5laYtGd
his brow gradually knitting without him noticing.
The art lead, heading over to fill a water bottle, catches the change.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxSEPcU9jZM
Still holding the straw she’s just pulled free, she bends closer.
“What’s wrong?121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFaXLXGibv
If you don’t eat now, it’s going to get cold."
The manager says nothing.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdu4k8RDzoW
He flips to a page of documents and hands it over directly.
The art lead lowers her gaze to take a look, then pauses.
“Blocked accounts? Fifteen…121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo1YIpvC2P4
grace6…121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDldgpluHu
Girls in Islamabad…”
Hearing the string of unfamiliar account names, the screenwriter—who had been busy in the corner—leans over as well.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKEBnWkz3CZ
His eyes sweep the table, his brow slowly lifting.
“Thirteen in total from April 12 to today?121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjlbRT8B0g
And ten of them all on April 16 alone?”
The manager nods.
“Marketing flagged it.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxR2vZeI0XS
Fanggezi’s comment sections were likely targeted by zombie accounts.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCyRSJx4wK
They’ve been flooding posts with random links.”
“At first, marketing thought the metrics were spiking,” he continues,121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPiJbbTFoe
“but it turned out to be fake—pure junk traffic.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5iD29cqSk8
It even interfered with backend analysis.”
The art lead lets out a quiet “Oh,” as if everything suddenly clicks into place.
“No wonder I noticed the comment count change a few days ago,121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQNntDbFMb
but there was nothing there when I clicked in…”
As her words trail off, her gaze drops,121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUmyshxG3x
the end of her sentence sinking into something subdued.
“So in reality…121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyK6IFHAcw6
our actual audience comments are zero, huh…”
The screenwriter squints and laughs softly, as if he’d guessed it all along.
“So right now, it’s just manual blocking,121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgddjL9sIG
one by one, the slow way?”
“For now, all we can do is block them one by one,121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbK4Y0huoOJ
while reminding readers not to click suspicious links.”
The manager closes the folder, tapping his knuckles against it twice.
“They said even the official accounts got hit.”
“Huh?121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKAUwDji2L
Even the Vocus platform itself was hit?”
The screenwriter looks genuinely taken aback.
“Then why isn’t the tech team stepping in?”
“At this stage, the most straightforward approach is still account blocking.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFgBxxIJSm
Once an account is blocked, its related comments are hidden as well.”
“There aren’t any other methods available right now.”
The manager shrugs.
"Because Vocus only offers two comment-permission options—free or paid.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2ClRGtG0W
We can’t very well set the entire series behind a paywall121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡySEWuZ94Ei
just to deal with a bunch of zombie accounts."
“...Huh…”
The art lead tilts her head and takes a sip from a paper cup with barely any water left,121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpG6QONkUXn
half stunned, half resigned.
“So marketing basically just got promoted to comment patrol officer—121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7iV4RST3H
the kind that has to be on duty all day.”
She then pats her knee.
“No matter where you are,121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxSwIV0GEjY
a office drone is always a office drone…”
The screenwriter rubs at his hair.
“Please, stop.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9D1fbTvHuo
You’re making me feel sorry for myself now…”
Watching the two of them spiral through this pitiful little exchange,121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc00xHgTEhW
the manager finally can’t help but laugh.
Even his furrowed brow loosens a little.
The comment section has become a battlefield of data,121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsmgYYmIZg
but this office still allows a brief moment to breathe—
someone venting,121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GDqlOO5Ah
someone chewing on dried tofu,121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPBH4fhs8k
someone stubbornly guarding a box of cold lunch.
—as long as the food hasn’t been invaded too,121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJQrE9wKVi
it’s not the end of the world yet.
and then Add to home screen.