Huayu: Starting from the top talent show

Chapter 460 Mr. Hua Guo
On the first day, Viya, Wang Sulong, and the Russian sisters' main task was to promote positive energy by live-streaming sales for local fruit farmers.

The next day, Huang Xiaoming held a special event, and his main task was to establish the personas of Huang Xiaoming and Shen Juan through chatting and storytelling.

For example, Huang Lei mentioned that when his dream was almost canceled, Huang Xiaoming kindly offered to help.

Then, Xiaoming took this opportunity to express his affection for Shen Juan, which dispelled the rumors circulating in the fan circle that Shen Juan had interfered in the marriage of the leader and hyped up Angelababy.

The third day's guest stars were Peng Yuchang's good friend Xu Weizhou, Ren Jialun who became popular at the beginning of the year with "Under the Power", and Tan Songyun who had a fairly good relationship with Zhang Zifeng on a show last year. There was another storytelling segment, with the main selling point being the friendship between young people.

It was the afternoon of April 16th.

After the Mushroom House staff saw off the last group of guests for this recording, it was time for everyone to go home.

Sister Tian flew directly to Beijing.

She felt that she was already much happier than the other players in the league, not only because she could act with Shen Juan, but also because she could record the same variety show with him. So, despite her seemingly carefree attitude, she was actually quite meticulous and knew how to maintain boundaries. She didn't want to go to Qingdao to visit Shen Juan on set and put him through some intense training.

Since there's no way to stop him from continuing to pour fish fry into the pond, she might as well show some magnanimity. This would reduce some unnecessary trouble and make Shen Juan love her even more!
Shen Juan flew directly to Qingdao.

The six-day leave he took affected the entire filming schedule to some extent. Therefore, in order not to delay the wrap-up time and affect subsequent schedules, Shen Juan had no choice but to rush back and return to the crew as soon as possible to make up for the gap left by his absence.

On his way to the airport to board the plane, Shen Juan was chatting sweetly with Tian Jie, who was becoming increasingly affectionate in private, on his phone. He also replied to messages sent by Ikeda Elaiza, Nancy, and Zhu Xudan through different chat apps, skillfully completing the daily tasks of the playboy for the day.

These three women all happened to have their birthdays around these days, and they also received birthday wishes and gifts from him.

In addition, I've been quite free and have not had much work lately, so my mood has been very high.

He wished he could chat with Shen Juan every single moment!
If it weren't for a sense of duty, I would need to be quarantined upon arrival.

They probably all wanted to fly straight to China, kneel before Shen Juan, and beg him to personally make them thick, creamy tea!
Immediately after
Shen Juan started browsing news related to himself again.

With the support of popular CP and global charity performances, "Stuck With U" unsurprisingly topped the charts.

Shen Juan and A-mei's solo fans and CP fans went wild, celebrating the birth of another collaborative single that topped the charts.

[Ariana Grande's 5th number-one single ends in a no-show, and Valverde's 11th number-one single ends in a no-show. This is also their third collaborative number-one single, and all three have ended in a no-show. I declare the Jelena era over; now it's Alexa's golden age! Ariana Grande, turn the world upside down with love!]

What is the world's number one male? Alex Shen!

What is the world's most handsome man? Alex Shen!

I'm tired of writing the character "糊" (hú).

[All of Anna's winning entries were empty wins, because with the stamina of her dishes, it's absolutely impossible to grind out a winning entry.]

[What's most outrageous is that even though your performance on the Billboard charts is already this incredible, your performance on the SpO charts is even more phenomenal!]

[It's been over a year since Blind Light was released, and the daily SpO (SpO) growth is still terrifyingly high. At this rate, it's definitely going to be the number one hit of the streaming era. Wajuan really wasn't lying. Perhaps we'll have to wait a few years to truly and accurately know just how explosive Leviathan's quality is!]

[The people who must be most upset about Alexa's win are Kris Wu's fans. Ariana Grande's accusations of chart manipulation ruined his reputation in the Western music scene, forcing him to slink back to China and sell instant noodles in lower-tier markets. Alex's dunk over him caused him to suffer a social death in front of a global audience. Is it that everyone with the surname A is Kris Wu's nemesis?]

[Kris is like my tired Xingnu, constantly torturing and harassing the big eel is boring, let's talk about Bago instead! So what exactly happened between Bago and me that caused us, who used to interact so frequently and closely on Instagram, to go our separate ways? Could it really be because of a game of Texas Hold'em?]

[Rumor has it that Kun0's chat history with Shen Juan was discovered by Bage. Bage was furious for a moment, but ultimately chose to forgive him. However, he has since broken off all contact with Shen Juan. Shen Juan is quite skilled at "fishing" (a euphemism for cheating on someone), even Kaiwei, Xiaoming, and Mai Chao have been cheated on by him.]

That's too low-down, buddy. Be careful you don't get sued.

"The guests for the next episode are Ju Jingyi and Dilraba," Yangyang Jin suddenly announced, breaking the silence in the car.

Since their parting at the airport in February, she seems to have changed a lot. Not only has she been more proactive and bolder in her interactions with Shen Juan than before, but she also particularly enjoys acting as an oblivious third wheel and talking to him about work when he is chatting intimately with other girls.

But Shen Juan was misunderstood. He was currently reading comments praising him from netizens and was not chatting with other women.

"Yearning for it?"

"What other program could it be?"

Are they coming together?

Yangyang Jin replied calmly, "It's done in batches. The first day it's Ju Jingyi and the cast of 'A Little Reunion,' and the second day it's Dilraba Dilmurat, Will Pan, and Nana Ouyang. 'Longing for You' is currently very popular and can even be exported overseas. I doubt anyone in the entire Chinese entertainment industry wouldn't want to be on this show. If it weren't for Hunan TV being so clear-headed and knowing that you are the absolute core of the show's ratings, and being so strict about the guests, it would probably have turned into 'Happy Camp.'"

“That’s normal. After all, what the audience really wants to see is the interaction between the regular members and the different guest stars, not the guest stars themselves.” Shen Juan turned off her phone screen and looked at her manager: “But I still don’t quite understand how Ju Jingyi got this opportunity? Dilraba is a top star, she is…”

Ju Jingyi hasn't reached her peak of beauty yet, and her breakout role in "Love Emergency" was also criticized, causing her career to lag behind by at least two levels compared to the original timeline.

"In fact, after she left SNH48 to go solo, she had a very unpleasant falling out with her management company. Siba has been trying to prevent her from getting out of control. They not only planted people in her team, but also did not take any action to resist the negative online attacks against her and the mudslinging from her rivals."

"so what?"

"So she wanted to find opportunities to explore other possibilities."

"Then why would you want to come here?"

A female idol who has had zero scandals since her debut, and who even got criticized by the principal on Weibo for not giving face to Wang Sicong (the principal chose a concubine but Ju Jingyi didn't attend), actually went so far as to enter another "devil's den" known in the fan circle as "Wajuan's Harem" and "Chinese Entertainment Johnny's" in order to escape the Siba Park.
Shen Juan was really starting to lose his composure.

Is Siba really that scary?
"It's very simple. There are limited high-quality resources for singers and idols in the Chinese entertainment industry. We have the most. Cheng Xiao is the best example. Moreover, she prefers being an idol to acting." Yangyang Jin had actually added Ju Jingyi on WeChat at the beginning of the month and contacted her privately.

Although she had a vague feeling that she had let a wolf into the house, after all, Ju Jingyi is indeed very good-looking, and Shen Juan, who almost debuted in South Korea, was not so opposed to plastic surgery, as Shen Juan's manager and an important member of Starlink's management, she still had to have the most basic professional ethics.

Do what you believe is right!

Do anything you think will help Shen Juan!
This is her life principle.

"What do you think?"

"After conducting market research, the company discovered that she has many primary and secondary school students as fans. If these fans can be cultivated steadily, they are very likely to be directly converted into core fans with purchasing power after a few years. Therefore, we believe that she has certain development potential and value waiting to be explored."

"But the penalty for breach of contract should be enough to give her a hard time! Does she really want to break the contract and start anew? Besides, it's rare for contract terminations to be amicable. Usually, it's a lose-lose situation. There are very few people like me and Xiao Xiao who have a smooth ending. I even turned down resources for Le Hua in order to terminate the contract."

These days, to prevent artists from squandering resources and then profiting from them, how could a company not have access to their artists' scandals?

The company isn't a shark!
How could we possibly leave no countermeasures?
Moreover, even if there's no real scandal, they can just fabricate something, since outsiders won't question the agency's claims.

For example, Yang Mi and D8, who originally tried to leave Jiaxing, were both treated badly by Jiaxing. When D8's contract with Jiaxing was about to expire, she even had a baby scandal because she refused to renew the contract. When artists face suppression or warnings from "their own people", they can often only keep quiet and pretend to be dead.

It can only be said that there is ultimately a barrier between capital and artists.

Although Starlink is often referred to as the Johnny's Entertainment of China, anyone who wants to rise to the top has to undergo a thorough investigation by the evil Wajuan.

But compared to other companies that prey on people, it can indeed be considered a utopia for many celebrities in the Chinese entertainment industry.

Yangyang Jin raised an eyebrow noncommittally, "Whether she continues to stay in a place that disgusts her and wait and see, or pays the penalty for breach of contract and risks ruining her reputation to change sides, is her own choice."

"Is there anything else to discuss?"

“Deep Green and Glimpse of Us are finished. I’ll send you the single covers that the production team has selected via WeChat later. Take a look when you have time these next couple of days. If you have any better ideas, just let me know and I’ll contact them.”

"Finally, the trailer for the documentary Netflix made for you has been released. You can promote it on Weibo."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work, Yangyang!"

Yangyang Jin originally intended to say some perfunctory polite words as usual, or simply ignore Shen Juan's thanks, but due to some emotion, she did not react at all. She just lowered her head and remained silent for a while before raising her head to look directly at Shen Juan and saying in a very low voice, "Is there a reward?"

Shen Juan was somewhat surprised: "What kind of reward do you want?"

"hug"

Before Yangyang Jin could even say "Give me a hug," she was greeted with a passionate and lingering kiss.

As she was gently enveloped and gradually immersed in sweetness, she suddenly remembered many things, many memories that made her feel happy or blissful.

I remember one day I secretly watched him.

I noticed a very small scar on his hand.

He said he didn't know when it was put up there.

So I became curious.

I'm curious about his childhood.

I was curious about what it looked like when he was chased by the puppy.

I want to watch the movies he likes.

I want to hear the music he likes.

Listen to the story behind each lyric.

Listen to him talk about the lives I wasn't a part of.

As night deepened, Qingdao returned to tranquility.

After finishing work today, Liu Haocun returned to the hotel early, took a shower, and lay on the bed idly to kill time.

My phone is playing the trailer for the documentary "Mr. China," which Netflix released globally today.

Night fell over the massive Shanghai Stadium, where 70,000 fans eagerly awaited their arrival, their cheers and screams echoing through the sky.

The backstage area of ​​the concert was equally crowded and noisy. A group of people surrounded Shen Juan, using the last moments to adjust his costume, hair, and stage equipment. The camera focused on his profile, which showed no expression other than taking a deep breath. Liu Haocun heard him say in an unusually calm tone:

“I once lost my mind in the entertainment industry, just like Vincent van Gogh, who dedicated his life to art and lost his mind in the process. To some extent, that also happened to me. Many things that happened in this industry shattered my former illusions.”

"But fxxk it!"

"When I break one long-standing record after another, when those glittering trophies come to me, when I realize my childhood dream that seemed unattainable, when my fans feel proud and honored to like me, and become better and usher in a better life."

"When my parents, who drive taxis and run flower shops, can live in big houses and no longer have to struggle for a living or worry about their son, when my future wife can be proud of me, and when my children and my descendants want anything they desire, I can provide it."

"Then I'm happy that I lost my mind. I'll be happy and proud to say that I finally lost my mind."

As the words fell, the video switched to behind-the-scenes footage of Shen Juan preparing for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai three years ago.

At the same time, Shen Juan's narration began.

"Early in my career, I participated in a talent show. When the show's director and mentors commented on me, they often gave me high praise. He was a very opinionated and obedient boy. He was a trainee who trained hard and worked tirelessly for his dream. He was a good boy who would bow and thank every staff member." The scene then shifts to Shen Juan on the Victoria's Secret stage, smiling and calmly welcoming the grand scene of the audience standing up and cheering.

"I seem to have become that."

"The person everyone wants me to be."

Then the broadcast switched to a US television studio, where a chorus of negative comments about him came from all walks of life:

"I find Alex Shen really annoying!"

"His viral marketing is insane!"

"I have never hated a singer this much!"

"Who the hell is Alex Shen?"

"His so-called friends are all superficial friends."

"He's too pretentious! He's not real and down-to-earth enough!"

"His ulterior motives and ambition disgust me."

His smile seemed so fake to me!

"He kept changing female companions to expand his harem."

"His music is full of utilitarianism!"

"He's a hypocrite!"

Shen Juan's English name was read aloud again and again, and a barrage of negative comments about him came one after another.

At the same time, a series of red carpet moments and glorious scenes that made fans proud and impressed flashed quickly across the screen, forming a stark contrast and sense of separation with the aggressive remarks against him.

But it soon came to an abrupt end.

Shen Juan was seen wearing a mask and casual clothes, walking on the streets of Shanghai like an ordinary person. As he walked, he said, "Perhaps it was because of the unpleasant and dark experience at the beginning of my career that affected me. For a long time, I was actually trapped by online public opinion and other people's opinions and evaluations of me. Everything I did was actually to gain the respect and recognition of others and to prove that I could do better."

“I think this is what everyone wants, I think this is what the fans want, I think this is what the parents want, so I squeezed every minute and every second of my time to study like crazy, from songwriting to singing to acting, I learned almost everything, just to become a better version of myself.”

“That period made me feel very fulfilled. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing yourself make continuous progress! But at the same time, I felt very empty. I only knew to move forward, but I didn’t know why I was moving forward, what was pushing me forward, or what awaited me ahead. Then I suddenly realized that I was walking on the right path in the wrong way. I had to dismantle the belief system that had driven me to keep learning and improving in the past, and then build a more complete, more reasonable, and more stable belief system!”

The video then switched to the concert venue.

The screams of tens of thousands of fans that ripped through the sky and the breathtaking sea of ​​red created the most magnificent scene. The young man who gave his acceptance speech and held up the trophy at various award ceremonies had a more and more confident smile on his face and his whole demeanor was more and more spirited!

"This is what I think: I must find my life goals and direction, I must find a development model that suits me or a system for realizing my personal value in this world, and then, while walking my own path, become a role model in the hearts of my fans and supporters."

"I can make mistakes."

"But Shen Juan and Alex Shen must be right!"

"The bond I've built with Alovers over the years is the most important treasure of my life!"

The video continues to play Shen Juan's glorious moments and shining moments that will be remembered by Alovers for a long time.

Chinese singer Alex Shen released his second English album, "Leviathan," this Friday.

"Leviathan continues its phenomenal run this week!"

"OMG! Blinding Lights is practically unstoppable! What's happening to this world?"

"He and his Leviathan broke many long-standing records that were previously considered unbreakable."

"He's incredibly talented, elegant, and handsome—Alex is the kind of man who makes you want to scream!"

"He changed the distribution model of the streaming era, and his actions changed popular music in the new century!"

"He personally imbued this album with even more meaning."

"He transformed himself with just two albums, becoming a strong contender for the title of the leading pop superstar of this era!"

"His Leviathan Era tour is sweeping the globe, creating a pop storm in many countries and regions!"

"The Leviathan Era tour has successfully surpassed one billion US dollars in total box office revenue! He has become one with history!"

"Perhaps we are witnessing the birth of a legend. Will the next era belong to Alex Shen?"

“Alex Shen is the music industry.”

The effortless confidence on the Victoria's Secret runway, the NBA halftime show in complete darkness with only a spotlight shining on you, the coronation moments at the AMA, BMA, VMAs and Grammys that make fans' blood boil and tears well up, and the great Leviathan era tour that drives the world into a frenzy.
He stepped onto one stage after another.

He broke one record after another.

He has made history.

He pursued fame and fortune, and his ambitions extended to all corners of the world.

He enjoys pressure and is obsessed with pain.

Behind the brilliance, behind the song.

Beyond everything you know.

All of these things became nourishment that Shen Juan needed to draw from the outside world in his pursuit of legend.

However, the trailer ends by returning to the beginning, echoing Shen Juan's words backstage at the concert.

On the screen, Shen Juan let out a long sigh, adjusted his headset, and continued speaking gently yet firmly:

“I’m so happy to meet my fans, I’m so happy to be on stage and perform for you, I’m so happy that so many fans have spent money to come here to see me. I’m so excited about everything I have, so I just feel so energetic. I still have so much to do.”

"Then about Vincent van Gogh, about the artist, about art and all of everything, I mean I want to paint a picture, a beautiful picture that can be passed down, not only for me and my family, but also for my fans, and I am happy to do it."

"So, going back to the topic we were discussing earlier, I may never have lost my mind from beginning to end."

"For me, it's about regaining my mind; I've been doing the right thing from beginning to end."

The two-minute trailer has ended.

The comment section has exploded.

Seeing "Shen Juan represents the music industry" suddenly brought tears to my eyes. I don't know how much sweat and hardship that young boy with a guitar has endured to get to where he is today. I'm not a perfect fan; I don't know how many awards he's won or how many songs he's released. But I know his love for music will always remain, and my love for him will last a lifetime!

[I'm so glad he finally found that balance point, the balance point when external opinions conflict with his true thoughts and personal opinions. He can finally release his negative emotions and accept his dark side. This boy, who is so positive and loves life, is getting better and better.]

At this very moment, he stands amidst the Milky Way, surrounded by countless stars, becoming the most dazzling person in the world. And all of this is well-deserved; he is the pride of our nation!

[Seeing the path someone has walked is such a powerful experience! Juanjuan, you're amazing, you made me laugh and cry at the same time.]

We won nothing at the Grammys this year.

It's okay, I just need to make a better record.

Don't be discouraged, "Underrated" is already great.

No, I want to make a better one.

[Emotionally overwhelmed, tears streamed down my face the entire time, I just couldn't stop! AlexShen is the music industry!]

Behind the brilliance, behind the song, beyond everything you know, Mr. China, we love you!

[The person I often call a bully in the entertainment industry is actually so kind and gentle. I'm so lucky to have met Shen Juan in this life! Keep going, Juan Juan! We'll always be here for you!]

Shen Juan is not only an idol, but also a symbol of perseverance, faith, and light! He is a gift of this era, and I am honored to have been a part of it. I hope we can continue to walk together in the future.

He was born to be king. No matter how cruel the slander, no matter how fierce the storm, nothing can break this perfect man who was born for the stage, born to receive the envy, jealousy, and adulation of others. He was born to create records and rewrite history; his era has arrived!

Emotions burned fiercely, and images kept flashing through my mind.

Liu Haocun remained stunned for a long time.

As a hater, she was more interested in Shen Juan's negative news, such as his messy love life.

She had only heard about these achievements in her career, but didn't have a very accurate understanding of them.

But as they got to know each other on set, through filming and daily interactions, the distance between them gradually narrowed, and her understanding of him deepened. From strangers who only nodded to each other, they became friends who would discuss fun places and delicious food together in private. She gradually realized that she did indeed have a prejudice against him.

This short, two-minute documentary trailer is a microcosm of his illustrious, golden career.

He's not as bad as other haters make him out to be.

He seems to deserve the praise his fans give him.

He's not a worthless, scumbag!
Therefore, she inevitably felt a little guilty towards Shen Juan.

I feel that I misunderstood him and hurt him.

Although she still doesn't approve of some of Shen Juan's actions.

For example, openly raising fish to have a harem.

But she felt that perhaps she should be nicer to him.

At least I can no longer chat with him with malice and ulterior motives, or steal information from him like before.

After all, this is speaking without any filters or biases.
He is indeed a very, very good person.

She felt that her judgment couldn't be wrong.

　Thank you all for your votes, monthly passes, and subscriptions!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)