The Entertainment Industry’s Reverse Word Magic

(The female lead’s setup won’t change, but everything else might.) Yu Momo is a koi carp who has cultivated for a thousand years. She must fulfill a thousand human wishes to qualify for the koi realm’s college entrance exam: leaping over the Dragon Gate! But she’s black, so she can only make wishes come true in the opposite way. She spent years getting nowhere, until the 21st century, when humans started making all sorts of weird wishes. They even started saying things like “reverse jinxing is the deadliest.” Her master told her the opportunity had finally come, and sent her to the human world to hit her KPIs. ※ A universally mocked, terrible movie was released. Only one blogger, “Black Koi Koi,” went around enthusiastically praising it. She even claimed that, whether or not the film made 2 billion or 3 billion, it would at least break even. Instead, it lost so much money it couldn’t even keep its clothes on. Netizens lined up to ask: “Does your face hurt?” Before long, another heartfelt, low-budget film came out. Fans enthusiastically recommended it. Only Black Koi Koi said, “This film is doomed to flop. I bet it’ll only stay in theaters for one day!” Instead, it became a huge hit, topped the box office, and had its run extended by 50 days. Netizens lined up to ask: “So much for a one-day run.” There were countless similar incidents. Black Koi Koi always managed to firmly oppose the crowd and the truth, and netizens made a habit of checking in to mock her. Finally, one day, everyone realized something was off: This woman seemed to be wrong about everything she said! That was terrifying! Catching a blade with bare hands every single time was a major power! Then the comments under Black Koi Koi’s Weibo changed completely: Sis, please jinx my idol. Wish that he’ll flop so hard he hits the earth’s core! Sis, please say I’ll fail every exam! Please wish that I’ll be broke for the rest of my life! Please wish I’ll gain a ton of weight! Please wish that I’ll stay single! Even the bigwigs from every industry couldn’t sit still. They all sent Black Koi Koi private messages: Hey, are you there? Do you think our movie’s definitely going to flop? Do you think this property development will be impossible to sell? Do you think our company’s new product will die before it gets off the ground? Unable to take the constant pestering, Black Koi Koi posted: “Repost this koi and all your wishes will come true.” Everyone mindlessly reposted it, and then... Sis! Please take back your blessing! Black Koi Koi posted again: “Repost this black koi and nothing will go your way.” Everyone was terrified. Such a dreadful blessing: should they repost it or not? [2021.7.12] Theme: Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise, and blessings may conceal misfortune