Huayu: Starting from the top talent show

Chapter 530 Commissioner Shen of the Tax Bureau

Since its release, the post-screening promotional efforts for "The Matchmaker," which is dedicated to reaching the entire Asia-Pacific region, have never stopped.

Thanks to Shen Juan's visionary foresight and the influence he gained from numerous well-known brands, he had the publishers replicate almost all the effective marketing strategies that had been proven successful in the market in later generations.

The overall marketing effort is even more exaggerated than that of "Better Days," which called on the whole society to pay attention to school bullying last year!
On September 19th, the 26th day of its release, "The Matchmaker" finally broke the 35 billion yuan mark at the Chinese mainland box office, becoming the fifth highest-grossing Chinese film in history. It is slowly moving toward the 38 billion yuan predicted by Miaoyan with a daily box office of 25 million yuan on weekdays and 45 million yuan on weekends.

With the addition of the 1 billion yuan box office of "Cry Me a Sad River" two years ago, the 3 billion yuan box office of "Better Days" last year, and the 25 billion yuan box office of "The Eight Hundred" this year, Shen Juan's total personal film box office data has naturally broken through the 10 billion yuan mark, making him another actor with 10 billion yuan in box office!

Moreover, apart from "The Eight Hundred," all the others are lead roles, so there is no suspicion of them trying to ride the coattails of others to break the 10 billion yuan box office mark like Du Jiang and Ou Hao.

It has a very high gold content!
Although the reference sample is still a bit small.

Shen Juan has only starred in four theatrical films so far in his career, and "An Elephant Sitting Still," which was nominated for an award, was never released.

But with such an astonishing total amount of data, he could easily crush all the junior students and most of the mid-level students.

After all, there were only seven male actors with a combined box office of over 10 billion yuan before.

They are Wu Jing, Huang Bo, Deng Chao, Zhang Yi, Shen Teng, Ou Hao, and Du Jiang, plus the newcomer Shen Juan, making a total of eight.

Ou Hao and Du Jiang were also there to make up the numbers.

Even though Shen Juan's main profession isn't acting, it's like a singer crossing over into acting and outshining a whole host of professional actors.

It's really hard for fans not to feel proud, and it's also hard for Shen Juan not to put in the effort to market himself and add some star power.

Therefore, with the extensive marketing and hype from the public relations team, many people have started discussing the box office performance of Chinese actors.

【截止至2020年9月19日，华国电影历史上一共出现了八位出演电影累计收获百亿票房的男演员，他们分别是：165亿的吴惊、133亿的黄博、118亿的杜江、117亿的张毅、110亿的欧豪、108亿的沈藤、106亿的邓朝以及刚刚突破百亿大关位列其中的沈倦，理性分析哪位演员的电影票房含金量更高？】

There are quite a few replies to this question.

Some presented objective data analysis and sought to be truthful, some made comparisons and criticisms, and some took the opportunity to attack celebrities they disliked.

[If I had made more patriotic films last year, my total box office would probably be second only to Wolf Warrior.]

[No way. Shen Juan only had a few seconds of screen time in "The Eight Hundred"? Although the character is very eye-catching, it's not enough to include this in the box office figures.]

[Other people's cameos count, so why can't mine? Is it just because his tour grossed a billion dollars?]

[I think to judge an actor's box office value, you need to look at their solo box office performance. Only solo performance can accurately reflect their box office appeal. So, I just looked at the box office performance of these eight actors: Wu Jing 125 billion, Huang Bo 55 billion, Du Jiang 0, Zhang Yi 36 billion, Ou Hao basically 0, Shen Teng 58 billion, Deng Chao 93 billion, and Shen Juan 75 billion, which is still growing. So, without a doubt, Deng Chao, Wu Jing, and Shen Juan have the most valuable box office performance! And among them, Shen Juan is the most stable, with 75 billion from three films. Even the worst film, "Better Than Death," has a minimum guarantee of 1 billion, which just shows how huge his fan base is!]

[Awesome! Now you, Emperor Tien, are completely unrivaled! Your 75 billion yuan box office as the lead actor is more than all the actors born in the 90s combined!]

[Before praising Shen Juan, can you take a look at the national popularity of other middle-aged actors? They are people who can create new tracks for themselves. Although Shen Juan's data is impressive now, the sample size is too small. It's hard to say whether he can continue to produce high-quality work. Don't rush to criticize one and praise the other. Let's wait until he stars in a movie of a different genre before you start talking nonsense, okay?]

[Seriously?! Is Shen Juan's popularity lower than theirs or what? Do you really think of him as one of those low-profile celebrities his age?]

[What did Hengheng do to you? I, Heng, am also 187cm tall, have been on the 100 Hottest Items list, own top-tier jewelry brands, have box office success, a Porsche title, a loaned LV endorsement, hip-hop works, and have fans hyping me up. In every aspect, I'm no worse than you, Juan! Sister Juan, don't underestimate the heroes of the world; this is simply outrageous!]

[I, Lay, am also working hard for my dreams. We're all part of China, and when we're abroad, we're all part of the Chinese nation's strength. There's no need for infighting.]

Who the hell is following your Chinese power?

[Those who maliciously incite conflict should have their entire family executed first!]

In fact, as things have developed to this point, Shen Juan's attitude and goals toward the profession of artist have become quite clear.

Everyone has witnessed it.

That is to become a well-rounded, multi-talented artist.

He not only aims to break through in the singing field.

There is also a gap in the acting field.

Just like he said in the documentary before.
In this world, in this industry.

He was deeply inspired by great people.

He wanted to be one of them.

What he truly pursued was greatness.

(Statistical data from 2021)

On the 21st, after the start of filming for "You Are My Glory", Shen Juan took leave for the first time and boarded a flight to Beijing to participate in the recording of CCTV's National Day special program "Chinese Dream, Ode to the Motherland".

Considering Shen Juan's unparalleled value and unique status as a calling card, the gala director and relevant departments, after several meetings and discussions, finally decided to break the previous rules and allow Shen Juan to take on three stages and sing praises to three social issues that are of national concern.

The two songs are "Thousands of Miles" and "Joining Hands to Achieve a Happy and Prosperous Life" and "Great Unity of Ethnic Minorities in Western Xinjiang". This new song fits the National Day Gala's positioning of "uniting national sentiments and demonstrating patriotism". As its influence gradually increases, Shen Juan will inevitably be used more in terms of maintaining stability and construction at the political level.

The song "The Nameless Man," part of the poverty alleviation segment, received high praise for its realistic portrayal of ordinary people "gritting their teeth and persevering in life." Its core message of "tenacity, struggle, and love for life" also resonates with the National Day gala's central theme of "paying tribute to every nameless builder of the motherland."

So when Shen Juan confirmed his acceptance of the invitation, the gala director and relevant departments immediately listed this song as a must-sing piece for him.

The chapter on righteousness and compassion, "Ordinary Angels," serves the same reason as above, and its main purpose is also to pay tribute to those nameless medical workers.

It can only be said that the global benefit performance initiated by Shen Juan and Taylor in conjunction with the WHO had a tremendous impact.

Not only did it break down some prejudices and greatly reduce the negative emotions of foreigners towards China, the place where the righteousness broke out, but it also broke the filter people had previously viewed of Europe and America by showing Shen Juan sitting on equal footing with and even slightly overshadowing those big-name European and American stars, thus cultivating a correct sense of national self-confidence.

What is correct?

Of course, this is about demystifying Europe and America, but not to the point of overdoing it.

We acknowledge the advanced aspects of things without being stubborn.

Learn from the mistakes and lessons made in areas where things went wrong.

It wouldn't be as idiotic as blindly praising a diode or a small rainbow, which directly turns into blindly criticizing it.

Of course, it doesn't matter if ordinary people are a little mindless.

Anyway, it doesn't affect the overall situation, and may even be beneficial to society.

But those who truly get things done should never do that.

Arrogance is the root cause of human progress.

Shen Juan was often attacked by some extreme pro-Guo groups for his thoughts and opinions, who angrily accused him of worshipping foreign things and fawning over foreigners.

But he had no regrets and never bothered to pay any attention.

Because we are not the same kind of people.

Mutual understanding and respect are naturally out of the question.

Arrived at CCTV Headquarters Studio One.

He first gave an interview to state media in the lounge.

He answered several questions that the audience found interesting.

"I was very nervous and excited because I heard that this was the first time I had to perform three programs. I am also very grateful to the director and the leaders of the relevant departments for recognizing me. I will do my best to bring you beautiful songs and wonderful performances and celebrate this sacred festival with you."

"I probably won't have a holiday this National Day. I still have a film to shoot. Yes, it's Glory. So I wish everyone a very happy holiday in advance. And fans don't need to worry about my health or the intensity of my work. I'm in good health. I chose the jobs myself, so there's no need to worry."

Do you prefer Mid-Autumn Festival or National Day?

"It seems that Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day fall on the same day this year, right? I like it! I don't dislike any public holiday."

"Do you prefer cats or dogs? I have both cats and dogs at home, so I'll choose to be fair; I like both."

"What songs have you been listening to lately? I was just listening to Fahai's old song, 'Thinkin' Bout You,' on my way here."

"New album? I only released AS3 four months ago. Isn't it a bit much to be urging me to release a new album now? Haha, just kidding. Of course I'm happy that fans care about my development and creation, but it is indeed too early. I will let everyone know as soon as there is any news. How about I keep it a secret for now?"

Then he followed the staff to meet his stage partner for the day, where friends from Xinjiang had been waiting for a long time.

"The ethnic costumes are quite beautiful."

"Right!" Dilraba said with a sweet smile.

Although her team kept telling her not to share the stage with Gulnazar, lest Gulnazar find an opportunity to further exploit and belittle her.

And even she herself doesn't really like Naza.

After all, few people are magnanimous enough to be friends with their rivals, especially rivals who frequently smear and belittle her appearance.

But then again
This is Shen Juan's show!
Isn't appearing in the same frame as Shen Juan, interacting with Shen Juan on stage, and dancing for him exactly what she's always wanted?
So she quickly made up her mind.

They quickly found a clear path forward.

Shen Juan allows me to ignore all negative factors.

He is the answer to all problems!

"So, is it the person who's pretty or the clothes?" Naza had just sold cola with Shen Juan a few days ago, and now was the time when Qingyu was most excited and confident. Naturally, she wanted to show off in front of Dilireba, her long-time rival and fellow villager with whom she had a long-standing "love-hate" relationship.

But winning the female competition feels so good!
And if you can win, why not compete?
Only those who can't win will call for a ban on female competition!

But Shen Juan didn't give him any face at all.

"Clothes, of course."

"???" Naza was dumbfounded.

"So you think you're so beautiful that you can surpass the traditional culture of your own people?" Shen Juan teased further.

"of course not!"

"Isn't that okay?"

Ignoring Nazha, who was blushing rapidly and seemed to want to flee, and Dilraba, who was trying hard to control her expression and not laugh, Shen Juan then greeted two other colleagues he wasn't very familiar with, with a very polite and courteous smile, all under the watchful eyes of multiple cameras.

"Sister Ya Ya, it's been a long time."

"Teacher Reyizha, it's a pleasure to meet you."

These two women, one Xibe and one Kazakh, together with the two Uyghur girls born in 92, form the all-star lineup of "Thousands of Miles" from western Xinjiang. They danced as backup dancers for Shen Juan, a Han Chinese. Just like when Shen Juan stood between Cheng Long and Chen Weiting, two Hong Kongers, at the 19 Spring Festival Gala, it all had a special meaning.

Tong Liya, who had met Shen Juan a few times at an event, looked at him with a face full of satisfaction: "You have really brought a lot of honor to us Chinese people overseas in the past two years! I remember when I first met you, you looked a bit green and immature. I didn't expect you to mature so quickly."

Shen Juan chuckled and shrugged, saying with a hint of helplessness, "Being immature won't work. Even if you don't intend to represent China overseas, they'll still see you as one. When I first went there to develop my career at the end of 17, many media outlets were used to calling me 'Chinese boy,' not by my name." Tong Liya nodded gently, her eyes filled with understanding: "That's true. After all, there are still too few of us going abroad. Whether you like it or not, in the eyes of foreigners, you represent the group behind you. Every word and action is being watched, so you have to be careful at all times to avoid bringing shame to the country."

"Moreover, some media outlets over there operate in a ridiculous way. They use Alex for positive news and Chinese boy for negative news."

"You must have had a really tough time."

"Actually, it's not too bad, not as hard as I imagined."

“They’re calling you by Guo Jia’s name directly now. Aren’t you tired with all that pressure?” Reyizha asked, somewhat surprised.

Shen Juan shook his head and said with a relaxed smile, "Because I found that I actually adapt quite well to the entertainment industry environment there."

He was young and impetuous, chasing fame and fortune, and was extremely competitive.

He usually loves to compete and fight with others.

Compared to the straightforward American entertainment industry, the pursuit of superficial stability in the Chinese entertainment industry has actually limited his development in terms of personality and nature.

So in a sense, Shen Juan was not deliberately suppressing himself; he was actually releasing his most authentic self.

The most important aspect of the hip-hop spirit, "real," is perfectly embodied in him, a man known as a "traitor to the hip-hop scene"!
Recording from 2 PM to 6 PM, Shen Juan finally completed the recording of three stages in a row, meeting both quality and quantity requirements.

After being invited to Na Ying's house for a lively dinner, which he hadn't seen in a long time, it was already past eight o'clock in the evening. Instead of going back to Fanyue 108 to rest, Shen Juan went to Xincheng International, another upscale community near Guomao that he had recently bought, to meet a junior schoolmate he hadn't seen for a while.

Around nine o'clock, Shen Juan, carrying a large bag of late-night snacks, opened the door and entered the residence he had just bought in the name of the company last month.

(This is a random apartment I found; the video on Bilibili is titled "New City International: Top Floor Duplex with Large Terrace and CBD View")
Hearing the noise, Shen Yujie quickly ran from the living room to the entryway in her slippers, and Shen Juan handed her the bag he was carrying.

I just bought a few things.

Wow~ I didn't even have to say anything, and my senior already knew to bring me late-night snacks, including my favorite crayfish!

He really cares about me!

Happy!
But
"We bought so much. Can we finish it all?" Shen Yujie asked blankly, holding a bag full of food.

"I've already eaten, this is for you."

"???"

"What? Can't finish it?"

Shen Yujie was silent for a moment, then complained somewhat speechlessly, "Senior, as a celebrity, I think you should know that female artists in our industry all have small appetites, right? Or are you treating me like a pig? Or do you want to fatten me up so that netizens will laugh at me? So that I can never leave you?"

"You make it sound like I'm a master of PUA."

"Don't you know how, senior?"

This time, it was Shen Juan's turn to remain silent.

Do you think I'm using PUA on you?

"You don't have it, but the final result is the same."

Shen Yujie stopped and turned around to look at Shen Juan. She blinked her clear, bright eyes, her gaze serious. Then she smiled slightly and said, "You just naturally expressed your thoughts, but I couldn't help but feel that it was true. Then I was unconsciously led astray by you. Maybe it's because I'm young and inexperienced. Anyway, if you want to lie to me, senior, it's very easy for you to do so."

Shen Juan couldn't help but chuckle as he explained, "Actually, it's easy to be exposed when you lie. Sometimes, you can only fool people by telling the truth."

Shen Yujie nodded thoughtfully, "No wonder the senior is so honest about being a jerk; there's a theoretical basis for everything."

"Ultimately, it's because he's handsome enough."

"That's too superficial and absolute! Looks are definitely a plus, but a person's personality and inner qualities are also very important! If your personality is terrible and boring, I wouldn't like you this much." Shen Yujie felt that at most 50% of the reason she liked Shen Juan was because of his good looks.

"But good looks are a prerequisite. If you're not good-looking, many people don't even qualify to be explored in depth."

Shen Yujie wanted to speak up in rebuttal, but after thinking for a long time, she couldn't find the right words and could only sigh in silence.

This damn society that values ​​appearance!
Luckily, I'm pretty good-looking, hehe~
Passing through the entryway, you arrive at the spacious living room.

Shen Juan went straight to the sofa, then lay down and leisurely played on his phone. On his desktop, there were many unread messages from various chat apps for different countries and regions that needed to be dealt with promptly. For example, Quan Enbi would be turning 25 next week, and he had recently increased the frequency of his chats with her.

There's nothing I can do; that's how many friends I have.

In order to create more emotional value and connection within a limited time, we must pursue a more cost-effective approach.

Shen Yujie, meanwhile, took her late-night snack to the restaurant next door.

Although she would rather spend time with her senior, she had already bought the late-night snacks, so she had to eat some anyway.

After all, we can't waste the senior's good intentions!

Moreover, she also had her own little schemes.

Some little surprises can only be created by avoiding Shen Juan.

And so, Shen Yujie quickly finished her midnight snack, and then returned to the living room with the hamburger she had made.

Shen Juan looked up at her, "Finished eating?"

Shen Yujie shook her head and then nodded.

"I didn't finish eating, but I'm full."

"Are you finding it a little hard to get used to living alone in a big house lately?" Shen Juan said, putting down his phone and opening his arms.

"Of course I'm not used to it! It's a full 520 square meters, two floors, and has such a big terrace, and it's so high up! Sometimes I'm even scared to walk out of the room alone at night!" Shen Yujie naturally threw herself into Shen Juan's arms, silently breathing in his pleasant fragrance and feeling his familiar body temperature and touch.

"Don't worry, the security in this community is very good."

Shen Yujie finally couldn't help but roll her eyes for the first time today, "Senior, when did you become so straight-laced?"

"If I weren't a bit of a straight man, would I see you rolling your eyes?" Shen Juan lowered his head slightly and gently rubbed his nose against hers.

Shen Yujie was instantly touched by this intimate gesture that often appeared in her dreams. She squinted her eyes happily, her whole body going limp: "Senior...do you really like watching people roll their eyes?"

"Liking something only happens at certain specific times."

Xiao Shen, no longer innocent, understood instantly.

Then said nothing.

She secretly noted down Shen Juan's preferences in her mind, planning to use them in practice tonight to make her senior happy!
"By the way, haven't Wanda and Bao Bao moved in yet?"

"Bao Bao is still filming in Hengdian and will only wrap up at the end of the month. Wan Da is also packing her luggage and plans to move over at the end of the month."

"Then this house won't be lively for another week."

"Yes, as long as there are many people living there, it will be lively."

This top-floor duplex has four rooms, and Shen Juan originally planned to let the four sisters, Bao Bao, Xiao Shen, Wan Da, and Xiao Dan, live in it.

Xiao Hu said she was going to live with her two roommates.

But perhaps Bao Bao came up with an idea, saying that they should reserve a room for Shen Juan so that they would have a reason to let him come often.

In short, the three, who belonged to different camps but had a deep bond and shared a common goal, formed a team.

Poor Xiao Dan was excluded just like that.

Of course, this is a good thing.

To avoid the situation where Shen Juan comes here to throw a party in the future, and this woman has to eavesdrop alone, it's best to keep her out of sight and out of mind.

They then chatted casually about the recording of today's National Day Gala. Suddenly, Shen Yujie remembered something, and her eyes lit up.

She quickly picked up the hamburger she had just put aside and handed it to Shen Juan, "This is a hamburger I made myself, want to try it?"

"Why did you suddenly start learning this?" Shen Juan reached out and took it, looking up at her with a gentle smile.

"Isn't it just because I'm bored at home alone?"

"Oh~" Shen Juan deliberately dragged out the tone, his voice tinged with amusement, then opened his mouth and took a big bite, chewing it seriously.

"Um... when you get to the middle of your meal, you can chew a little more slowly." Shen Yujie looked a little nervous.

Upon hearing this, Shen Juan deliberately sped up his chewing, raised an eyebrow at her, and said with a mischievous grin, "I'll just chew and swallow quickly!"

"Just eat properly, don't make a mess."

Seeing that Shen Juan had finished the entire hamburger in no time without any expression or reaction, Shen Yujie, worried about her senior's health, quickly asked in a low voice, "Hey, senior, do you think there's anything strange about this?"

Shen Juan pretended to rub his stomach, "I feel a little full. It would be even better if I could have an iced cola now!"

He paused, then deliberately added, "By the way, do you have Coca-Cola? I only drink the brands I endorse."

"Besides wanting to drink Coke," Shen Yujie asked anxiously, frowning, "do you have any discomfort in your throat or chest?"

Shen Juan teased her deliberately, "Do you have some secret you're not telling me? Or did you prepare a surprise for me?"

"The secrets and surprises might all be inside you." Shen Yujie lowered her head, feeling both sad and guilty, her voice growing softer and softer.

"It's also possible that I have it." Shen Juan looked at her adorable, dejected appearance and finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He then opened his palm, revealing the crumpled little note, and leaned close to her, smiling as he read aloud: "You should cherish someone who loves you as much as I do~"

Shen Yujie was stunned for a moment, and then her face turned bright red. She couldn't help but clench her little fist and gently punch his arm, complaining with a strong sense of coquetry, "You saw it all and you still teased me! Do you think it's funny to see me looking so scared? Senior, that's a bit too perverse of you!"

"Funny? Quite the opposite, I just find it cute."

"Isn't she adorably silly?" Shen Yujie had that self-destructive, world-destroying feeling that comes with a broken temper after a bout of anger.

"Cute is already a very high compliment for me."

Xiao Shen couldn't help but pout: "You're just trying to coax me again."

Shen Juan poked her cheek: "Is it okay?"

Xiao Shen couldn't help but laugh: "It's a bit difficult."

"So what now?" Shen Juan suddenly leaned forward, the two so close they could feel each other's warm breath.

(End of this chapter)