Huayu: Starting from the top talent show

Chapter 576 is considered the ultimate weapon of war.
The end of the year is approaching.

The events surrounding Xiao Zhan crossing a fire pit and Shen Juan thanking fans and shedding tears after a long time at the Tencent Video All Star Awards continue to generate buzz and spread.

First, under the call of a major fan, millions of active fans announced that they would uninstall Tencent Video and uploaded screenshots to Weibo, which garnered widespread support.

Then, other major companies like iQiyi, Youku, Tencent Video, and Mango TV also stepped up their efforts, taking advantage of the situation to kick Tencent while it was down, and trying to take advantage of the chaos to overthrow Tencent.

Back in December 2020, Tencent Video only had 120 million paid subscribers, while the other three major streaming platforms, iQiyi, Youku, and Mango TV, had 100 million, an estimated 70 million, and 36 million subscribers respectively. This meant that iQiyi only needed to release a few exclusive hit dramas and variety shows to have a chance to surpass Tencent Video.

For example, when "The Storm" was exclusively broadcast on iQiyi, iQiyi's membership reached an all-time high of 1.29 million.

Once a major news event centered around Shen Juan goes viral, it may not necessarily be less popular than a viral hit.

Therefore, Tao would not easily miss such a good opportunity to challenge Tencent and generate traffic for itself.

So their public relations department started to step in.

The press releases produced in batches by the joint outsourcing company precisely hit the point of controversy, pointing out that "Tencent is suspected of monopolizing the industry and treating artists outside the company unfairly." The content amplified the anger, stating that "allowing Xiao Zhan to make a strong comeback in a controversial manner is a blatant insult to all artists who uphold the bottom line of the industry!"
Although Shen Juan wasn't mentioned, every sentence was about him.

The words are full of targeting and inflammatory rhetoric.

They are determined to take advantage of the positive public opinion (the angry little spring roll and Shen Juan's casual fans) to seize more market share and overtake Tencent in one fell swoop.

Then they spent money to hire a bunch of marketing accounts to help everyone, including new fans, relive the major events about Xiao Zhan at the beginning of the year.

Of course, Ahri also put in a lot of effort.

After all, Cool Factory also has ambitions.

After all, Ahri owns the neck.

Cool Factory will clear all obstacles from your neck.

Therefore, all sorts of true and false rumors about Xiao Zhan are circulating.

Although the clarification came quite quickly.

Peter Pan also worked very hard, running around everywhere.

But its reputation is already completely ruined.

Moreover, considering that repeated clarifications at this time will only amplify the heat of the incident and make those things that were originally intended to be concealed known to everyone, to put it bluntly, this is like you poisoning someone and then getting a sexually transmitted disease that you are too embarrassed to say. You are both the victim and the perpetrator, which is a very contradictory feeling.

So after much deliberation, Tencent decided to give it the cold shoulder.

Just like at the beginning of the year, let Xiao Zhan, who was treated like a rat crossing the street, continue to lie low until the drama airs, and then come out to work.

As for this artificial Red Ocean?
Let's just pretend nothing happened.

To avoid being seized upon by other major companies and attacked relentlessly, who would think they were taking advantage of their home field to bully Shen Juan, the pride of the nation.

More importantly, many self-media marketing accounts have started to repost Shen Juan's battle against the Milk Dragon on Twitter and his promotion of national prestige, bringing everyone back to the classic. If we still "stubbornly resist" at this time, we may even provoke a wider range of lower-tier markets.

At that point, it's likely that a major bloodbath will occur.

Therefore, Tencent had no choice but to back down and admit defeat.

It can only be said that at this stage, although Shen Juan does not act in mainstream films or shout slogans, he has already been associated with the patriotic mainstream ideology. Just like criticizing Wolf Warrior 2 for not being good would lead to Wolf Warrior fans accusing him of being unpatriotic, any unfair behavior towards Shen Juan could be elevated by public opinion to the rare level of expulsion from the country.

He doesn't need to take action.

Because there are plenty of people who help him.

He doesn't need to be angry.

Because there are plenty of people who are angry on his behalf.

He doesn't even need to make a statement.

Because silence is the best attitude.

This punch contained 50 units of internal energy!

Who can stop them? Who dares to stop them?
You criticize Shen Juan? You're just a rare breed!
Those who buy rare items should be severely punished!
Jolin is like this, and so is Kris!

So Tencent's top management was furious and held a meeting overnight, ultimately purging a group of executives who had sided with Xiao Zhan or were simply scapegoats.

Then the official Weibo account quickly issued a statement to distance itself from these "bad apples" and shift all the blame to these senior temporary workers.

Then he published a long article praising and fawning over Shen Juan.

You know, Alex is my brother. He's incredibly strong, and we've had many great times together.

Our collaboration with him, "You Are My Glory," is currently in the crucial post-production stage, with all work progressing smoothly. We will provide timely updates on the latest developments of the series, and we look forward to witnessing its release together. We also urge everyone to view industry trends rationally and focus on high-quality content.
Finally, he found Shen Juan and apologized to him privately.

There were too many people outside just now, bro.

I'm kneeling down to you, brother.

Is it possible for us to work together again in the future?

We really like your Starlink self-produced "Fifty Kilometers of Peach Blossom Village", so we've decided to increase the price by another 20% to get it.

What? Our asking price was already the highest?

Hey! You're so straightforward, bro. Since you've said that, what else is there to say? I'll just give you a 30% raise, and that'll be it!
We'll also arrange resources for the sisters-in-law, since our Tencent's traditional business development team happens to have a few freed-up slots!
Ugh! Why should I say thank you?

We should be thanking you!
So, brother, you see?
Could you ask your fans to stop for a while?

To put it bluntly, it's all a misunderstanding.

We dealt with or even demoted all the people in charge of managing and preparing for this year's Tencent Video All Star Awards and those who sided with Xiao.

After all, as you know, once a company grows bigger and stronger, there will be many different opinions within the company, and it's impossible for everyone to always be on the same page.

We've been working very hard to get rid of the internal worms!

Huh? You can't even control your fans?

Sigh. Okay then.

Ultimately, it was my fault; I made you suffer.

The price increase and business resources that Brother just promised will still be implemented. I still hope we can cooperate again in the future.

After exchanging pleasantries, I hung up the phone.

Shen Juan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The reason for refusing to write an article to defend Tencent is simple: the self-produced variety shows "Explosive Stage" and "Detective Detective" that Starlink will launch next year have already been purchased by Tao at a premium.

The purpose was to prevent Shen Juan from posting anything and to maintain neutrality.

To put it bluntly, we have now entered a fierce stage of capital competition, and Shen Juan is caught in the middle, so he doesn't need to take sides.

As long as you can benefit from both sides, that's fine.

Moreover, he has the support of the national government, so he doesn't need to worry about being purged by these major companies.

This reminds one of Michael Jackson, who was born in the United States and became a singer; for him, it was both a blessing and a curse.

Fortunately, they were able to achieve legendary status through a mature music industry system; unfortunately, they could not escape the drain of capital and the onslaught of public opinion.

But Shen Juan's situation was completely different.

Although he was born in China, a country with a relatively weak capacity for cultural export and even subjected to some degree of suppression, he has been able to receive protection from relevant departments precisely because of his irreplaceable value and scarcity. This has allowed him to be completely free from the coercion and persecution of capital, enabling him to walk more steadily and prudently than his predecessors.

After all, Shen Juan is arguably the only grassroots voice in China at present that has the ability to effectively export culture.

Moreover, as the saying goes, to repel external aggression, one must first pacify internal strife.

This comes at a crucial stage as the music market gradually recovers after the pandemic, the international public opinion environment is being rebuilt, and the production of a new album is underway.

Guo Jia will clear away all internal obstacles for him.

We absolutely will not let our own people hold him back!
To this end, at the beginning of the month, they even purged a group of professional trolls who were relentlessly attacking Shen Juan, and issued a statement claiming that they were foreign forces. They took this opportunity to create a positive image for Shen Juan and used patriotic sentiment to reduce the public's bandwagon attacks on Shen Juan, thus making him invincible in terms of public opinion.

All I can say is that he was given an imperial sword and a yellow jacket bestowed by the emperor.

This guy is such a supermodel in the Chinese entertainment industry!

That's how they act—doing whatever they want and running rampant!
The date is December 25th, Christmas Day.

Shen Juan's two previously produced Japanese singles were released in different formats, meeting with his long-awaiting fans.

"Horizon" was released directly.

"One Last Kiss" was released along with the final trailer for the animated film "EVA: Resurrection 3 - End".

Those who listened to the song immediately flocked to various social media platforms and online forums to share their impressions.

[When I first encountered Shen Juanjun, I didn't feel anything, because I had already met my own Alex.] [This song is the kind that even outsiders would be amazed upon first hearing. Shen Juanjun is truly, truly amazing!]

[I heard that the inspiration for the song OLK came from a melody that Shen Juanjun suddenly came up with during his first visit to the Louvre Museum in Paris.]

[Our EVA is doing well now, even benefiting from Shen Juan's popularity. But I have a feeling that if this song is too effective at attracting attention, people might only know about the Louvre and the Mona Lisa, and no one will remember what EVA said.]

[Many people in the comments section are using tired old jokes about the Louvre, which is not good. The Louvre is located on the north bank of the Seine in the heart of Paris, France, and is considered one of the world's four major museums. Construction began in 1204 as a royal palace, housing 50 French kings and queens. It is one of the most precious collections of French classicism. The first time I visited the Louvre, I didn't have any particular feelings because I already knew what my Mona Lisa would be like.]

The reason Shen Juanjun created the song "Horizon" was because after the university sports meet was canceled this year due to loyalty, his fans sent him a private message. Deeply moved, Shen Juanjun wanted to do something for these high school students who could have competed, and thus the song was born.

[Although the beginning was so sad, I felt like I regained the courage and strength to keep going by the end. Perhaps it's because Shen Juansang also graduated from university not long ago. He really understands us young people, no wonder he's so beloved.]

[That hurts so much! Shen Juanjun's emotional expression is so delicate! And it's a completely different style from his English songs. How can this man switch between them so smoothly?!]

We probably all like Shen Juan because of the blend of many qualities he exudes. He's incredibly hardworking, passionate, gentle, and sincere. We'll never know just how much effort he put in to get to where he is today.

【Shen Juanjun, you must be happy! I don't care what you want—attention, the spotlight, or your obsession with the stage. I don't care what your personality is really like, whether it's as we see it or if you have a hidden side… I want all your wishes to come true. I hope all your tears from now on will be tears of joy. From now on, let's only shed tears of happiness, okay?】

Without exception, they all received high praise.

In addition, many YouTube music bloggers quickly created song analysis videos in order to get the first traffic, breaking down the arrangement and lyrics to understand Shen Juan from various dimensions. They couldn't help but marvel at how a Chinese singer could grasp the emotions of a Japanese song so accurately. Shen Juan has truly broken down language barriers and become a national idol across borders.

Even NHK specifically mentioned this phenomenon, stating that in 2020, the demand for high-quality music among young people in Japan surged, and Shen Juan's works are becoming a new link for cross-cultural exchange.

So it can be said that after the "Love and Friendship" incident, young people all over Japan are looking forward to Shen Juan, the Chinese singer. To some extent, he has completely integrated into or even subverted the "exclusive" Japanese market (exclusive overall, but not among young people), and has become a legendary artist with explosive popularity in China.

(Unit: Japanese Yen. It's perfectly normal for Japanese and Korean celebrities to envy and be jealous of Chinese celebrities, because the income gap is really huge.)
Following that, Oricon, Japan's most authoritative music chart, released its annual ranking of music sales trends for 2020.

In the album charts, Shen Juan's "Morpho" sold 201.7 million copies during the period (total sales of 371 million), beating Kenshi Yonezu's fifth album "STRAY SHEEP" which sold 156.3 million copies, and won the album of the year for the first time on the chart.

At the same time, these two albums are also the only two works this year to break the million-sales mark despite various debuffs.

With this, "Morpho" successfully surpassed Utada Hikaru's third best-selling album of his career, "Deep River," and entered the top ten of the all-time album sales charts in the Japanese music scene.

It's worth mentioning that the top nine albums are all older albums released in the year 2000. The number one album is Utada Hikaru's groundbreaking "First Love" with 8.6 million copies sold. Utada Hikaru was in contact with Starlink around this time, and she wanted to use Starlink's resources and influence to challenge North America again—the place she dreamed of going.

The top-ranked artist in the overall sales rankings is Shen Juan, whose sales reached 247.2 billion yen, setting a new record. The works that made a huge contribution to the sales figures were the English album "Sisyphus" released in May and his first Japanese album "Morpho" released at the end of last year.

(The Morpho butterfly was released last December, so the Oricon annual chart only counts the sales of the first week, and the remaining data are included in this year's figures.)
The news caused an uproar.

Excited fans compiled a list of Shen Juan's explosive records and amazing achievements in the Japanese music scene, and passersby exclaimed upon seeing it: "This year, all the music apps I opened were his songs, he truly deserves the championship." "I never thought a Chinese singer could be this popular in Japan. There shouldn't be any young people who don't know him."

Yes, there is no young person who doesn't know Shen Juan.

Unless he comes from the countryside and encounters trendy classmates who mock him as a country bumpkin and suffer a different kind of school bullying.

A senior judge from the Japan Record Association admitted in a media interview: "This is not only the first time that a foreign singer from outside Japan has topped the Oricon annual chart, but it also heralds a major change in the Japanese music scene. The achievement of 247.2 billion yen is truly astonishing. It is an encouragement and impetus for all Japanese singers."

"Whether we acknowledge it or not, Shen Juan's sudden emergence is indeed rewriting the neon music scene in the new era."

Japanese mainstream media provided comprehensive coverage of this historic moment, completely disregarding the feelings of those in China who oppose Chinese racist groups.

For example, the Asahi Shimbun ran a story titled "Chinese singer Shen Juan rewrites half a century of Oricon history," detailing his journey from debut to the top, and concluding by claiming that some people are destined to rewrite the times, so when they appear, we should not rebel, but rather obey and accept them.

There are even extreme groups that believe that this is the prelude to the Yellow race's challenge to the modern white order!
My buddy immediately saw Shen Juan as the chosen one.

They say this is the ultimate weapon that the Wong race has spent half a century of national destiny to cultivate and nurture. While it's true that he sings in English, and to some extent it can be seen as an extension of Western popular culture, he can indeed use his skin color and race to shake the long-standing cultural hegemony of the United States and fulfill their unfinished dream.

As for a complete overthrow?

That's a matter for the whole group.

Individuals cannot solve group problems.

So it's best to leave it to future generations.

We should trust the wisdom of future generations.

In any case, Shen Juan has done everything he could so far, within the limits of the times and his own abilities.

He has laid the foundation for Asian artists, and all East Asians should support everything he does in the Western world!
It can only be said that while the chuunibyou spirit of doujinshi was burning brightly, the entire Japanese music scene also clearly realized:

Shen Juan's rise to the top was not accidental, but a signal that an Asian singer with yellow skin has broken through market barriers with his strength.

If things really develop in the direction they envisioned, then future generations might refer to Shen Juan, who was active in the 2020s, as...
The entity that ushered in a new era.

(Oricon Sales Ranking for 2020)

Then, on the evening of the 25th, Beijing time.

The fourth episode of "Fourtry 2", which Shen Juan previously participated in recording in Chengdu, was updated on iQiyi on time.

Coupled with the third episode released last week, many fans and netizens immediately joined the discussion after watching it.

[Jiu Min! My husband was so handsome the moment he appeared, and the way he comforted Kong Xueer was exactly the scene I had always imagined.]

[Kong Xueer's little schemes are so obvious! She said she was nervous and afraid of holding the team back, but it turns out she had already memorized all the information. Throughout the recording, she kept stealing glances at Shen Juan, and when their eyes met, she would hurriedly look away. This contrast is so cute, I'm actually kind of shipping her! But honestly, with Shen Juan carrying her, she got an absurd amount of screen time this episode. Her resources after debuting are really good. As a former contestant, I'm extremely envious!]

【Seriously? Are all Taiwanese girls this approachable? Oynn immediately tried to hug Shen Juan, interrupted him the whole time during dinner, and even brought up Shen Juan when getting her ears pierced. Her simp tendencies are just too obvious! It's making me uncomfortable, I feel physically uncomfortable.】

[Shen Juan's visit to the store caused sales to break records! Customers were making impulse purchases and even lining up for photos, it was hilarious! His sales power is incredible! I thought a business-themed variety show would be boring, but Shen Juan's appearance was high-energy, I didn't want to fast-forward! I'm begging Shen Juan to appear on more variety shows, he's so entertaining!]

[Sasha's "boss" was so sweet! Her eyes were full of stars! I've already compiled a collection of all 177 "boss" calls she made in these two episodes, and I plan to listen to it on repeat before bed tonight. Seeing them together is so good for my eyes, I'm totally shipping them, hahaha!]

[Speaking of which, Dasha Taran was probably a nobody before meeting you, right? This adds another piece of solid evidence that she's a "nobody killer." It feels like she's talked to Shen; she could brag about it for a lifetime. It's like a badge of honor! I support SJ in doing more for non-native people and giving fans more perks. I can't even imagine how comfortable it would be to do it with him!]

After reading the comment, Dashataran felt a little smug, so she typed a reply with a smile: "I've tried it, it's very comfortable."

Then she put down her phone, smiled brightly, and nestled into Shen Juan's arms as he looked at his phone on the sofa, her movements natural and intimate.

"what happened?"

Shen Juan temporarily suspended the South Korean pollack fishing plan and focused on the Russian sturgeon that had crossed the sea to live in China.

"Boss, the two episodes where you were a guest on The Rap of China are now online, and lots of people are praising you!"

"how about you?"

"me?"

“I think you must have received plenty of compliments.” Shen Juan raised his hand and ruffled her hair, adjusting her position slightly so she could lie more comfortably in his arms. He then teased her with a smile, using fan language: “After all, in your fans’ eyes, you’re the face of Starlink! The chosen beauty, Dasha Taran.”

"The boss is exaggerating. I think I'm just benefiting from my race. There are so few Russian girls living in China, so they think I'm pretty."

Over the years since Dasha Taran signed with Starlink and entered the entertainment industry, she has seen too many beautiful women, so she is very humble.

"That's a bit like Versailles, isn't it?"

"I learned it all from the boss!"

"When did I teach you any of this?"

Dasha Taran looked up into Shen Juan's eyes, then blinked playfully and gently. Her tone was serious and determined as she replied earnestly, "No need to teach me, I can learn on my own! Watching the boss's materials every day, or chatting with the boss on WeChat, can all become my learning materials."

Shen Juan exclaimed in surprise, "You're really trying too hard to improve!"

"Learning is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall behind!" Dashataran used a proverb she had recently learned, with a touch of pride.

"Alright, you're right. I'd like to see what you'll achieve by self-studying." Shen Juan chuckled.

Dasha Taran snuggled closer to him, resting her chin on his chest, and said in a half-coquettish, half-serious tone, "Then you'd better prepare more learning materials for me, like chatting with me more, or taking me along to the next event. I promise I won't cause any trouble, and I can even help carry your bags and things!"

"Are you thinking of switching careers to become an assistant?"

"I'd be willing to do anything as long as I can be by the boss's side!"

"Then you should just stick to being an entertainer and make money for me."

"Okay~ I'll do whatever you say, boss!"

As she spoke, Dasha Taran suddenly remembered something else: "By the way, boss, didn't you plan to recruit more online celebrities? I happen to know a group of girls from my hometown in Eastern Europe. They are all very beautiful and work very hard. If possible, I think recruiting them can also make money for the company."

"Is there a problem with her background and identity?" Shen Juan frowned slightly, clearly influenced by the negative reputation of Eastern European women.

"Don't worry, boss, I will never bring any tainted girls to our company! I know everything about their family backgrounds and past experiences, they are absolutely reliable!" Dasha Taran patted her chest and made her guarantee, looking very excited, with a strange sense of triumph, like Lao Song finally closing a deal.

"Alright then, you can handle it as you see fit. But I have to remind you, your field is already nearing saturation, so I suggest you don't recruit too many people, or it'll become a breeding ground for venomous insects." If everyone takes the recruitment route and praises China in various ways, even if they are good-looking and have great figures, everyone will get tired of it.

"Okay, boss! I'll keep that in mind!"

After receiving Shen Juan's affirmation, Dasha Talan was so happy she almost jumped for joy. She couldn't help but let out a dragon's roar in her heart. She felt that with the boss's words, the matter of recruiting fellow villagers to expand the fishpond Maomei Gang was now secure, and she was one step closer to the "Eastern European Godmother" position she had been longing for.

That very night, he invited his live-in partner Angelina to join him, and took Shen Juan to experience a tunnel warfare game with a distinctly Eastern European flavor.

The taxes that had accumulated over many days were all paid in one go!

(End of this chapter)