Huayu: Starting from the top talent show

Chapter 538 The Alex Craze Sweeps the Globe Again (7k)

As news of the premiere was released and positive feedback from the audience began to flood the internet, the headlines in the entertainment section were almost entirely dominated by "Leviathan Era Tour." Even many influential official media accounts mentioned this concert film, in which the songs were mainly in English.

It's the same principle as the movie "The Matchmaker," which grossed 50 billion yuan worldwide (38 billion yuan in China) before its release.

The extraordinary attention given to Shen Juan's two consecutive film and television works is actually a special situation created by his international influence.

The reason why relevant departments tacitly allowed this film to break through genre restrictions and receive extra traffic support during the National Day holiday, presenting an unconventional resource allocation, is essentially because they regard it as a strategic fulcrum for cultural output in the new era.

After all, during this special period when offline exchanges have been suspended, only by leveraging Shen Juan's formidable global fan base and the influence of his works that have broken into the mainstream can the still nascent Chinese pop culture enter the international arena in a softer and relatively smooth way, and begin to reshape China's international image.

1
"The exposure that Shen Juan's tour generated on overseas social media is equivalent to the total of ten traditional external publicity projects, or even more! So it's hard not to think that it's extraordinary!"

The mainstream media in China are well aware of this.

Overseas distributors are clearly well aware of this as well.

Therefore, in order to better promote this concert movie that countless fans have been looking forward to, in the Asia-Pacific region, from the giant LED screen in Shibuya, Tokyo, playing the special effects clip of the Blind Light Dragon on a loop, to the Myeongdong shopping district in Seoul using several of Leviathan's hit singles as background music in shopping malls, and then to Southeast Asian countries using the gimmick of "The Light of Asia takes you to experience the grandest performance of this century" to package the movie and stimulate ticket sales, the entire marketing and promotion plan has almost taken full advantage of the influence of Shen Juan himself and his works!
Thus, the same things that happened when "The Matchmaker" was released were repeated when "Leviathan Era Tour" was released.

In Japan and South Korea, students who haven't seen the movie might be teased for being outdated, and this social pressure forces many people to buy tickets to see the film.

In the international student community, posting movie ticket stubs on WeChat Moments or social media has become an implicit passport to integrating into the social circle.

What's even more interesting is the chain reaction of news and public opinion.

The Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun described this global phenomenon as "a grand event for the whole world and an enjoyment for all mankind."

Although there were some doubts before, it is now certain that the Japanese truly regard Shen Juan as the pride of Asia.

They genuinely support and admire Shen Juan, the top pop superstar who released a Japanese album as a way of giving back to his Japanese fans!

Japan, as the world's second-largest music market, is actually similar to China, as the world's second-largest film market.

Imagine if a super handsome Hollywood star not only taught himself Chinese to communicate with Chinese fans, but also starred in more than one Chinese film. Even if anti-American sentiment is strong in China right now, many fans would probably think that he is not the same species as other Americans.

This is a prime example of using personal influence and public appeal to forcefully cover international relations and gain favor with the people.

South Korea's Dong-A Ilbo believes that Shen Juan has brought global Gen Z cultural identity and has become a leader for contemporary young people.

South Korean mainstream media have a relatively conservative attitude toward Shen Juan.

After all, the higher his status is in the hearts of South Korean women, the lower his status is in the hearts of South Korean men. Wherever he appears on the South Korean internet, there is bound to be gender antagonism and bloodshed. Therefore, mainstream media generally dare not overly praise Shen Juan, lest they trigger an uncontrollable wave of public opinion.

But we still need to generate traffic.

So there are still plenty of news reports about Shen Juan, just not as much as the hype from Japan.

Singapore's major Chinese-language newspaper, Lianhe Zaobao, called the touring film "an inspiring work during a special time."

Singapore goes without saying.

In order to capitalize on the fan economy of Southeast Asia as much as possible, they even went so far as to subsidize and spend money to invite Shen Juan to hold a tour there.

The Chinese community here also wholeheartedly supports Shen Juan.

Because every step Shen Juan takes on the international stage brings tangible, albeit hidden, benefits to Chinese people operating in Europe and America.

The Los Angeles Times published an article to promote the film's popularity in the United States.

Who could resist an Alex Shen concert?

He is one of the very few singers to have paid for the use of the SoFi stadium's circular giant screen—this expensive, 6500-square-meter Samsung double-sided 4K circular screen (costing over $3-$5 per screen) usually requires artists to pay extra out of their own pockets, all to provide fans with an immersive audio-visual feast with no blind spots. During the Leviathan Era tour, Alex generously covered the screen costs, igniting the Los Angeles night with his ultimate dedication to his fans!

As the melody of "10000 Hours" flowed gently through SoFi, the giant circular screen instantly burst forth with dazzling colored lights and heart-shaped effects, immersing the 70,000 fans in an ultimate romantic dream. He, standing at the center of the stage, effortlessly commanded the entire venue, using his voice and charisma to dominate this top-tier 55 billion dollar stadium. Every move he made proved the absolute dominance of a global superstar.

This performance was not only a musical extravaganza, but also a declaration of love—the Leviathan Era Tour swept the globe, breaking tour box office records (becoming the first global tour in human history to gross over $10 billion), becoming a cultural phenomenon wherever it went, and becoming one of the most influential tours of the 21st century!

At the SoFi Stadium, Alex demonstrated once again that he is not only a young legend who is rewriting the rules of the music scene and driving the development of the industry, but also an artist who cherishes his fans.

Every frame is a snapshot of an era.

This exquisite romance is worth treasuring forever.

On social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter, young people from various countries spontaneously imitated the singing and dancing clips in the video. The trend of covering songs from the album "Leviathan" has returned after a year, and to some extent, it has even formed a group perception that "following Shen Juan is equivalent to following trendy culture".

This led many viewers who were not originally interested in concert movies to follow the trend and go to the cinema for fear of being labeled as out of touch by their friends and the people around them, thus contributing to the film's box office success.

In addition, countless fellow singers, professional music critics, music bloggers, and news media of all sizes, in order to ride this wave of popularity, posted their movie reviews on social media platforms, expressing their support and love for the Leviathan Era tour and for Shen Juan himself.

It can only be said that the significance of the concert film "Leviathan Era Tour" has long transcended the scope of ordinary performing arts works.

Is it because they benefited from the era's dividends?

Maybe.

The special period and special circumstances did indeed provide this film with additional resource support, allowing it to unleash even greater potential.

But the biggest factor contributing to the film's popularity is actually Shen Juan himself and his current achievements and accolades.

As the world's number one crowned during a special period, his significance has long transcended personal achievements and is deeply imprinted with the mark of the times.

This uniqueness also closely connects him to this special period of time made special by loyalty and friendship, binding them together tightly.

This means that whenever someone recalls this period, Shen Juan's name will become a symbol of that era.

Therefore,
How can this not be considered an icon of our time?

A corridor at a movie theater in Hongdae, Seoul, South Korea.

Ning Yizhu was so excited that she was almost losing her mind; even the hand holding the movie ticket was trembling uncontrollably.

Finally, on the eve of my debut, I got to see this movie!
She had been looking forward to this day for almost half a year, and today she was finally able to see Shen Juan's shining figure on the big screen in the movie theater!

Liu Zhimin, standing next to her, had pulled her baseball cap brim down low and covered most of her face with a black mask. Even though it was early autumn with pleasant weather and moderate temperatures, she was wrapped up so tightly that she looked like a bank robber about to rob in the dead of winter, afraid that her features would be seen and she would be "wanted" by the entire internet.

Jin Dongtian was sandwiched in the middle, holding the drinks she had just bought in her left hand and the movie tickets in her right. She would chat with Ning Yizhuo for a bit about her favorite Shen Juan, and then look at the taciturn Liu Zhimin.

Such a significant pressure difference made her secretly chuckle, feeling exceptionally pleased.

The three people, each with their own feelings, stopped in the long, winding ticket line and joined it.

Girls holding various support items lined up all the way to the stairwell, while several well-dressed boys with many friendship bracelets on their wrists were taking pictures of the Leviathan tour merchandise counters with their phones.

"Jimin unnie, look! These items are all limited edition!" Ning Yizhuo's attention was immediately drawn to them.

Liu Zhimin's gaze swept over her reflection in the glass counter, her eyes peeking out from under her hat brim filled with sensitivity and weariness.

Even now, whenever she recalls the moment when her private chat logs with friends, where she was furiously complaining about Shen Juan, were exposed, the thousands upon thousands of abusive private messages flooding in from all over the world still feel like countless needles pricking her fingertips. That sharp, persistent stinging sensation lingers, making even breathing painful.

I should have known better than to criticize Shen Juan in the first place. I should have known better than to cooperate with the company and release those chat logs.
What's this talk of controversy? What's this hype? What's this pre-launch hype?
That's all bullshit!

The buzz has definitely grown.

And it's absolutely explosive!

They successfully dominated major Korean online forums.

But the price is clearly going to be my life!
Those crazy women with their brains all over their heads not only chased after me and berated me every day, but also sent wreaths and razor blades to the company and blocked trucks. Some of them even came downstairs to the company to threaten me face to face, forcing the company to deploy its strongest security force ever during this period!
If this keeps up, I'm really going to go crazy!!!
Those damn bastards!
I heard that there's a ruthless woman named Tian Xiwei in neighboring China who won over Shen Juan despite this level of cyberbullying.

One cannot help but admire this man's bravery.

The problem is that I don't like Shen Juan.

I get absolutely no benefit from being cyberbullied!

All the benefits were divided up by the company and teammates.

Moreover, I am clearly resisting foreign enemies and expelling green cards. My goal is to restore K-pop to its former glory and make it great again!
But these crazy fans who have gone mad from chasing stars and ignore justice actually insulted their own compatriots for the sake of a foreigner!

Such a country, such a people
Is it really worth me transforming into a wolf warrior and protecting her with all my heart?

Seeing Liu Zhimin's absent-minded appearance, Jin Dongtian secretly chuckled for a while, hiding it behind his mask. Then, he subconsciously glanced at the electronic screen above the ticket gate, which was playing movie trailers on a loop. Every time Shen Juan appeared on the screen, the people in line would excitedly burst into gasps.

That stupid woman.
How dare they offend Shen Juan?
idiot!

You'll get what's coming to you!
Our group of four has two green cards, which is insignificant, and one of us offended Shen Juan's fans, ruining our reputation and destined to fail.

Only I was unaffected!
Hahahaha!

I am the true Kami of the new world!
Ning Yizhuo exclaimed "Wow!" as soon as she entered the screening room.

The venue had 600 seats, almost all of which were occupied.

Some fans wore Leviathan Era dolls on their heads, others wore black T-shirts with "Leviathan Era" printed on them, and still others formed teams in advance to wave glow sticks and rehearse before the movie started, doing their best to create a lively atmosphere in the theater.

"This is no different from a concert."

"To be precise, it should be a showcase." "Haha, the number of people definitely makes it seem more like a showcase."

"Will this many people come when we debut?"

"Most definitely!"

"I wonder how many people in Seoul will come to the cinema today for Brother Shen Juan." Ning Yizhuo said with pride and honor.

Jin Dongtian glanced at Liu Zhimin beside him, his tone deliberately playful, and said in a low voice, "Then Zhimin, you'd better hide well. If Shen Juan's fans recognize you at the scene, the consequences won't be as simple as just being finished."

Liu Zhimin paused, suddenly feeling countless gazes sweeping over her hat and mask, trying to see through her true face. Her palms were sweating without her realizing it, so she didn't linger and quickly went to her seat, hiding herself between two fellow trainees.

About five minutes later.
As the lights dimmed and the countdown appeared on the big screen, the entire audience erupted in gasps and screams.

When the countdown ended and the legendary intro appeared on the big screen, the stands were suddenly illuminated by a sea of ​​stars.

Screams and cheers rose and fell.

Ning Yizhuo was so excited that her whole body trembled, while Jin Dongtian curiously opened his mouth slightly, looking astonished.

Of the three who came with a mission, only Liu Zhimin lowered her head with mixed feelings and took out her phone from her hoodie pocket.

The agent's message popped up on the screen:
When filming reaction videos, remember to include the genuine reactions of the fans around you in the shot, and be careful not to film on a large screen without permission.

The reason she came to the cinema today, risking being attacked by fans, was to cooperate with the company's upcoming clarification statement (stating that all the chat records Liu Zhimin had previously complained to her friends about Shen Juan and her senior colleagues were purely malicious fabrications), in order to minimize the negative impact of this matter as much as possible.

Otherwise, why would she come to see Shen Juan's movie?

Otherwise, why would she let herself be a lamb among wolves?
She simply misjudged the situation.

Unexpectedly, Shen Juan became a sharp weapon for Korean women to fight against Korean men in just one year.

This does not mean that she is truly stubborn and headstrong.

Hey~
If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have said those things in the first place.
Liu Zhimin couldn't help but shake her head and sigh inwardly.

But the movie has already started.

So let's focus on our work!
Because she knows very well that wallowing in self-pity is pointless. Her most important task right now is to do her best to clear herself of suspicions of being a hater and to reduce the intensity of the cyberbullying against her by Shen Juan's fans. This is the key to truly getting her out of her predicament and even turning this negative publicity into a foundation of popularity.

So she rallied, turned on her vlog camera, started recording, and began chatting quietly with the two people next to her.

"This level of opening is absolutely amazing!"

"I never tire of listening to 'Late Summer'!"

"How I miss Shen Juan-ge with his guitar!"

"The stage diving design is absolutely amazing!"

"I missed a lot of details when I was there, but now that I'm watching it on the big screen again, I've noticed many of them!"

"I can sing all of these Chinese songs!"

“If you plan to target Chinese fans in the future, you can sing these songs, which are very popular in China.”

"Actually, I already know how to sing 'If I Could.' After watching 'The Matchmaker' last month, I started to learn this song on my own."

"Wow! That's amazing!"

"The details on these dragon scales are absolutely amazing!"

"Is it because the technology isn't yet up to par? How amazing would it be if the audience could see the dragon with their naked eyes?"

"Event Horizon~ It was a must-practice song during our trainee days! It really makes you want to cry every time you hear it."

"Does Jimin unnie like this song too?"

Ning Yizhuo felt disgusted that she was cooperating with Liu Zhimin to clear her name. Shen Juan was so gentle and kind, but she was forced to submit to the company's power and do disgusting things. She felt that she was being disgraceful!
"I like it very much too~ This song gave me a lot of strength during a very difficult period of my life. To be able to write such an emotional and powerful song to say goodbye to fans after my idol dream was shattered, and to call on everyone to look forward and keep moving forward, Shen Juan is really amazing!"

Jin Dongtian almost couldn't help but burst out laughing. How could it be so hard to hold back when Liu Zhimin said those words?
"Oh my! Jimin unnie is also an Alovers?"

"I wouldn't call myself an Alovers, because I rarely participate in fan support activities, but I actually started following Shen Juan oppa's every move as early as last year, including listening to his AS3 album 'Sisyphus' and charity EP 'Winter' released this year as soon as they were released~"

Facing the camera in Ning Yizhuo's hand, Liu Zhimin blinked cutely, her smile looking exceptionally genuine.

The truly skilled swindlers don't lie; every word they say is true. However, by reversing the order and altering the way they express themselves, they piece together fragmented information to create a seemingly undeniably real illusion. This is the legendary montage-style lie.

Liu Zhimin believes that she has only learned the basics so far.

But it should be enough to handle this pace.

Meanwhile, in another cinema in Seoul, singing and the chattering of a group of girls could be heard in the screening room.

Starlink's South Korean branch organized a private event today.

Company representative Min Hee-jin brought all the trainees who were practicing at the company to support her boss's movie.

It is said that in addition to relaxing, it can also broaden their horizons and allow them to experience the stage charm of world-class top artists in advance.

"These Victoria's Secret supermodels have such sexy figures!" Xueyun exclaimed, gazing at the big screen.

"What? Are you envious?" Kim Min-chi teased.

"Aren't you envious of your youthful figure? Your chest is as flat as an iPhone screen, while hers is five or six times bigger than yours!"

"Aren't you one too???"

“I’m at least older than you,” Xueyun retorted stubbornly.

"Hehe~ It's about the same as everyone else." Jin Wenchi felt that she had no chance of breaking through Hongwen's defenses with this level of attack.

On the other side, Zhou Xinyu glanced enviously at Jin Caiyan's incredibly thick front armor that could hold a phone.

"I don't think Tsai-yen would be envious."

After getting to know each other better over this period, they took a shower together in private, so she witnessed her unusually large size firsthand.

That's really unreasonable.
Kim Chae-yeon shook her head with a smile, "I'm envious too. I don't have legs that long! And her body curves are so good!"

Of course, this is just a humble way of putting it.

In fact, she is indeed very proud of the thickness of her front armor, which will likely become a powerful tool for her to navigate the K-pop scene and gain public attention and discussion in the future.

Suddenly, I remembered something and decided to take this opportunity to bring it up: "But Sister Xiaoting, you spent some time at headquarters before, right? What kind of body type are the trainees there? I mean, are they the cute type like Haerin and Danielle, or the sexy type like supermodels?"

Shen Xiaoting thought for a moment and replied, "With my normal body type, I'm neither too cute nor too sexy."

"Does that mean Brother Shen Juan prefers tall and slender types?" Nakamura Ichiyo joined the conversation in broken Korean.

Shen Xiaoting took in everyone's expressions and reactions, then calmly shook her head. "Not really. It's because Senior Cheng Xiao's figure is like Caiyan's, and Senior Zhou Ye's figure is like Haerin and Minji's. Anyway, at least when it comes to figures, Brother Shen Juan is quite philanthropic."

"That's good," Kim Chae-yeon breathed a sigh of relief.

Kim Ji-won's pressure to lose weight also decreased significantly.

After only a few words about women's figures, the stunning intro ended, and Shen Juan took the stage to sing as scheduled.

Everyone's eyes instantly focused on the large screen in front of them, their casual conversations abruptly stopped, and they all became immersed in the music.

It must be said that Shen Juan on stage truly possesses extraordinary charm, appearing more vibrant and three-dimensional than ever before.

Shen Xiaoting became more and more excited and happier as she looked at the photos.

However, it wasn't that she was attracted to Shen Juan.

But
On the grand stage, they shone so brightly and became the focus of attention for all fans and even the whole world.

This is probably what she had dreamed of countless times about, what she would look like standing on the stage after becoming an idol and debuting.

Zhou Xinyu increasingly felt that Shen Juan was like a god! This man is a god!

She's so handsome she's almost driven crazy! She can't even imagine how amazing it would be to have a sweet romance with Shen Juan!

Of course, the premise is not to get targeted by that super-strong delinquent girl called Sister Tian. Anyway, I heard from the fan circle that she is not easy to mess with.
Nakamura Ichiyo felt that she had made the right decision to give up studying abroad and resolutely come to South Korea to become a trainee.

With such an invincible boss leading the way, these little idols will succeed no matter what they do.

Jin Zhiyuan, who frequented various forums and read all kinds of Shen Juan's dream novels, felt that Shen Juan at this moment deserved all the love and attention.

With such an outstanding idol in front of you, it's really hard not to become his dream girl. He is the embodiment of beauty in the world!
Haerin, Danielle, and Wen Xianaier, three underage girls who had never met Shen Juan in person, witnessed his legendary charm once again, understanding why he was called the "amateur killer" by so many fans and netizens, and why Kim Min-chi and senior Xue Yun were so enthusiastic about him.
Because of the lighting, stage design, music, and screams he creates on stage, his performance is truly irresistible.

He does indeed possess the ability to instantly win over most ordinary girls who yearn for romance and have a normal sexual orientation!
(Xue Yun)
(End of this chapter)