Comments exploding? 49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGyUBVl47jk
A zombie army of bot accounts invades Vocus, 49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBdqvtNJJi3
and the backend team scrambles to rescue the data on the front lines.
49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb275mlWLKD
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.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUntitsWeoy
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.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgc0OjQ65bX
Several folding tables are crowded with food of every kind.
The director leans back on the sofa to steal some sleep.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEcCwVyB1R
The art lead sits in the corner tearing open a bag of braised snacks.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfM2eczF6iF
As usual, the screenwriter works with a laptop open, fingers tapping lightly across the keyboard, eating while continuing to work.
The atmosphere is quiet—49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCd4PVYZO4
a touch of calm settling in amid the fatigue.
The manager remains seated where he is,49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuklWusZR8D
his lunch box placed in front of him, still unopened.
His gaze rests on a folder,49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSpqWV83mi
his brow gradually knitting without him noticing.
The art lead, heading over to fill a water bottle, catches the change.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1A9yyPZyE
Still holding the straw she’s just pulled free, she bends closer.
“What’s wrong?49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOABvPZs3Mv
If you don’t eat now, it’s going to get cold."
The manager says nothing.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6B9pga0QxF
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…49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8gIm3BNJi
grace6…49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBkhMMc6Pa
Girls in Islamabad…”
Hearing the string of unfamiliar account names, the screenwriter—who had been busy in the corner—leans over as well.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LvaWpmq9x
His eyes sweep the table, his brow slowly lifting.
“Thirteen in total from April 12 to today?49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vIX8dRbUe
And ten of them all on April 16 alone?”
The manager nods.
“Marketing flagged it.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9hkJekzt5
Fanggezi’s comment sections were likely targeted by zombie accounts.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQPAetwKWB
They’ve been flooding posts with random links.”
“At first, marketing thought the metrics were spiking,” he continues,49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38hI4qWfDw
“but it turned out to be fake—pure junk traffic.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2crKwUYAz
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,49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqw0TSsRFeL
but there was nothing there when I clicked in…”
As her words trail off, her gaze drops,49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjksejoEwt
the end of her sentence sinking into something subdued.
“So in reality…49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLumqXkiWIJ
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,49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfpDNSJy8T
one by one, the slow way?”
“For now, all we can do is block them one by one,49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSDp01IH5G
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?49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCABecBxnL
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.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRwFkM7oXKU
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.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCPdT5tQlH
We can’t very well set the entire series behind a paywall49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIxXlAUkLY
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,49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBLQeRsQdR
half stunned, half resigned.
“So marketing basically just got promoted to comment patrol officer—49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx988Pifuq7
the kind that has to be on duty all day.”
She then pats her knee.
“No matter where you are,49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKjwhhaLrb
a office drone is always a office drone…”
The screenwriter rubs at his hair.
“Please, stop.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL82PbtrfHO
You’re making me feel sorry for myself now…”
Watching the two of them spiral through this pitiful little exchange,49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgMhDWel8p
the manager finally can’t help but laugh.
Even his furrowed brow loosens a little.
The comment section has become a battlefield of data,49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0MvcwuWkl
but this office still allows a brief moment to breathe—
someone venting,49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonmMnfNQeR
someone chewing on dried tofu,49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1ldlEnJv5
someone stubbornly guarding a box of cold lunch.
—as long as the food hasn’t been invaded too,49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tnux94RVc
it’s not the end of the world yet.
and then Add to home screen.