Who said this top flow is crazy! This top flow is awesome!

Chapter 192 South Korea's Asian Hurricane Sweeps Southeast Asia

Inside the villa.

"My uncle is here too."

After Ikeno entered, he immediately spotted Jinming in the crowd, who had a sour face.

Hearing Ikeno's "surprised" voice, Jinming's face darkened even more. He snorted and said nothing.

"Jinming, watch your attitude."

His wife whispered a reprimand: "The child is greeting you; have some manners."

Jinming: “?”

Now you're bringing up manners with me?
They're all a bunch of greedy and treacherous "scoundrels"!
He gritted his teeth and said calmly, "Nice to meet you. How have you been?"

Chi Ye was taken aback: "Uncle is still so cultured."

"Leave him."

This year, leading Ikeno, she introduced her to the others in the house: "This is Ikeno... um... take off your mask and hat, everyone's home now, it's so hot... let the elders see you."

Chi Ye looked slightly awkward upon hearing this and glanced at the old lady.

To everyone's surprise, the old lady had already rushed to Jinming's wife's side, calling out in a coquettish voice, "Auntie, I didn't lie to you, did I? It really makes money!"

Auntie's eyes narrowed into slits with laughter as she hugged Jin Xia, saying, "Yes, yes, thank you, Xia Xia."

This summer, she ran up to Jin Laosan again and said, "Third Uncle, you should thank me."

Jin Laosan: "..."

He turned to look at Chi Ye, examined him carefully for a moment, and nodded: "Not bad, young man."

Jin Xia: “?”

She didn't care, and was even happier. She ran over to another elder and said, "Auntie, Teacher Chi said your furniture is very useful. He forwarded your official account's new product promotion on Weibo."

“I know that Ikeno is a good kid.”

The more Auntie looked at Chi Ye, the more satisfied she became. She whispered her opinion: "Xiaxia, you have such good taste... um... better than your aunt."

This summer, a smile played on her lips as she suddenly noticed Jin Ming's gloomy face. She paused, having initially not wanted to talk to her uncle, but seeing how "pitiful" he looked...

"Uncle," the old lady said, coming to Jinming's side, "you should hate me."

Jinming: “???”

"Hahaha."

The elders around her laughed when they saw her like this.

Chino was also secretly amazed—was this the true value of the old lady in the "family"?
She is indeed the "apple of everyone's eye," and "lawless."

"The main reason I invited Chi Ye over is because of a film project... Everyone made a lot of money this time, so let's not be stingy. The kid's career is on the rise right now, so let's lend a hand if we can..."

This year, his true intentions have been revealed: "Of course, I'm not talking about helping me. You all know... my company is doing very well lately, but I want to help Chi Ye, so I'd like to collaborate with him on a film project..."

As she spoke, she glanced at Aunt Jin, who had just spoken ill of her, trying to save face: "Also, let me clarify something first: I was there when Xiaxia and Chi Ye met, so my judgment is still pretty good..."

Everyone: "..."

……

"Ikeno said that if Yu Yan is involved, then he can't be. What do you think..."

The rehearsal site for the event where Shi Jinwei was located.

Pliers Sister was still staring at WeChat, grinding her teeth and cursing Chi Ye.

Meanwhile, the event organizer had already received the message from Ikeno, and hesitantly reported it to the investors.

"...Why bother? Sigh."

The investor representative was a South Korean woman, and this event was originally a top-tier fashion show co-organized by Chinese and South Korean capital.

This show is very high-class, basically a home turf for top Korean celebrities, and it looks down on the so-called "top celebrities" in the Chinese entertainment industry—except for Yu Yan.

Yu Yan is different because he is not only a top star in the Chinese entertainment industry, but also a former top star in the Korean entertainment industry.

Although he has long since returned to China, his influence in South Korea remains. He can be considered the only top star in both China and South Korea in the Chinese entertainment industry, which is the capital that allows him to "stand out from the crowd".

Among the male celebrities in the Chinese entertainment industry, the organizers have only invited Yu Yan in previous years, and this time was no exception.

嗏

The appearance of "My Love from the Star" disrupted their plans.

While no one in mainland China, or even the Chinese entertainment industry, is aware of this yet, she knows that as the seventh episode of "My Love from the Star" aired in mainland China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taipei, and even Southeast Asian regions such as Singapore and Thailand were experiencing a similar "My Love from the Star" craze.

Just like how popular Korean dramas used to be broadcast and could be watched on Korean drama TV in China.

Currently, multiple 4K high-definition versions of "My Love from the Star" have been released across Asia.

Similar to the mainland Chinese entertainment industry, "My Love from the Star" became an instant hit upon its release.

Although it couldn't be broadcast on television due to the lack of prior copyright cooperation, "My Love from the Star" has already become incredibly popular on social media, trending topics, and Douyin (TikTok) across various regions and countries in Asia.

The name "Professor Chi" dominated the charts for a long time, even in South Korea, Taipei, Hong Kong, and other regions with deep ties to mainland China, overshadowing the top celebrities in their respective regions/countries and giving him a commanding lead.

—The current state of the entertainment industry in China is so outrageous that the entertainment industry and reality in other Asian regions are just as outrageous!
The storm of "My Love from the Star" has finally swept across South Korea, Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore...

Like a spark, it instantly ignited the entire Asian continent.

And with this storm, the names of Ikeno and Jin Xia appeared in the eyes of audiences in multiple regions/countries for the first time.

#SummerWhispersByThePool# appeared like a "hurricane wave," landing at number one.

In this situation... what can the event organizers do?
"Has Yu Yan responded?"

The investor's representative asked.

"...No response yet." The person in charge looked at the investor representative: "But he's always had a good relationship with us, and he's a long-term partner, you see..."

"He said that if Yu Yan is there, then he won't be there either, so let's just leave Yu Yan out."

The investor representative paused, then sighed, "He's riding high right now. He's at his peak. Everyone who comes here has to bow down. We have to acknowledge him."

The person in charge had mixed feelings, a sense of indescribable regret and sadness.

Yes, she is not only the person in charge, she is also Yu Yan's friend, and... a fan.

But, as the investor representative said.

During the peak of the popularity of "My Love from the Star", Ikeno's peak period has arrived, and no one can deny his current status.

Because no one can resist hard-earned money and influence.

……

"Is it really that serious? It's either me or him?!"

That day, Shi Jinwei learned of the event organizer's final decision. Shocked, she looked at the joke on WeChat, "Can you suppress the title?"... and suddenly felt a sense of estrangement.

Ikeno seems to no longer be the "familiar" Ikeno she once was...

Although she had become accustomed to the "My Love from the Star" phenomenon and the "My Love from the Star" phenomenon created by both inside and outside the industry, she still felt like she was in a different world when it truly affected the industry and herself.

It's either me or him...

Look how arrogant he is!
And... what makes them so special this summer?!

With Professor Chi's huge success, the actress who plays Cheon Song-yi, his "female lead," who had been out of the spotlight for almost two years and was thought by the industry to be replaced by the more popular 00s actresses, suddenly became one of Asia's top female stars.

It climbed over her head, climbed over Shang Youshu's head, and even... Sheng Ning can't stand up to its sharp edge now.

Why... just because of a modern romance drama? Just because... Ikeno collaborated with him once?
Has she worked as hard as I have these past two years? She's just a lazybones!

"Sheng Ning's deals with several top luxury brands have all fallen through. The items worn by Cheon Song-yi are too popular; no one can resist them… Also, there's Chi Ge… It seems like Teacher Chi has started dealing with them too…"

Pliers Sister asked instinctively, "Start what?"

The assistant glanced at her: "Starting to snatch Yu Yan away... hmm... seems even more ruthless than just snatching someone away..."

Shi Jin was slightly taken aback: "Even more ruthless than intercepting someone's bid?" How ruthless would that be?
……

Ikeno's words, "It's either me or him," eventually spread throughout the industry.

The "Asian storm" also spread to South Korea, Taipei, Singapore, and other places.

The first to react were not Yu Yan's team and domestic entertainment capital, nor top luxury brands, but rather—Dior, Master Kong, L'Oréal, Xtep, Junlebao Yogurt, and other existing brand ambassadors of Chi Ye!

There is actually a "faction" division here.

For example, L'Oréal Men Expert signed Ikeno later, and the contract still has more than half a year left before it expires, so they are not in such a hurry as some of the other endorsement partners.

Of course, it's just that we're not in a rush, but we definitely are.

As for the other companies, especially those whose contracts are about to expire, such as Master Kong, Xtep, and Junlebao, they have gone through a series of experiences in the past few days, from confusion to surprise, then from surprise to regret, and finally, regret turned into heart-wrenching pain—they didn't sign more contracts!

Why didn't they sign more Ikeno back then?
Because of the instability of popular celebrities, endorsements for major brands in the Chinese entertainment industry are usually quick contracts, one year at a time, with very few long-term contracts.

For example, all of Ikeno's current endorsements are short-term contracts, none of them lasting more than a year.

So, when the manufacturers saw that "My Love from the Star" was a hit, they were complacent. But when they realized something was wrong, they were stunned. Later, they regretted it. After "My Love from the Star" aired, all of Ikeno's endorsements were sold out overnight.

The manufacturers' production lines are practically smoking, but they still can't keep up with the speed and intensity of Ikeno's fans buying things!
—You can explode, but I didn't tell you to explode like this!

The senior executive at Master Kong who was in charge of liaising with Ikeno was stunned and immediately called Ikeno.

"Mr. Chi... it's me... oh yes, the endorsement contract is about to expire, isn't it? We've been working together quite well, and the renewal... the FMCG deal is already done, right?... No problem, for beverages... Coca-Cola..."

He hung up the phone, met the hopeful gazes of the crowd, and shook his head with a wry smile: "No, the price is too high, the competition is too fierce... it's unlikely to continue."

"Ugh."

"If I had known it would turn out like this... I should have signed a five-year contract in the first place!"

"...It's all your fault. Think back carefully, wasn't your attitude towards Ikeno wrong back then?"

"No, I really didn't. I was just giving him a normal reminder... I didn't!"

The contact person was on the verge of tears: "I never imagined he would suddenly become this famous!"

Everyone: "..."

"Coca-Cola contacted him?" An executive frowned. "I remember Coca-Cola contacted Yu Yan before, right?"

"It's either him or me, haven't you heard that saying?" The contact person sighed, "I don't know how many of Yu Yan's endorsements will be taken away."

……

Endorsements by fast-moving consumer goods brands, national brands, and even the world's top luxury brands, which are highly valued both inside and outside the industry, have always been the most important standard for measuring a celebrity's earning power, status in the industry, and whether they are truly popular.

For example, Ji Heming, the former king of endorsements in the Chinese entertainment industry, had no works or strength, but relied on his looks and fashion endorsements to somehow surpass Chu Hanzhou.

Yu Yan actually has just as many endorsements as Lao Ji, and the coverage is wider and the quality is higher.

From top luxury brands to everyday consumer goods, and then to digital products and automobiles, covering all aspects of life from clothing and food to housing and transportation, they maintain their popularity and sophistication without sacrificing their high-end image, while also making a killing. They have it all.

To put it bluntly, Yu Yan is the textbook and "founding father" of the era of traffic-driven entertainment and monetization through traffic endorsements in the Chinese entertainment industry.

Other top celebrities, including Ji Heming, all followed his example and walked the path he had taken.

He is currently at the peak of his career, holding two of the world's top luxury brand ambassadorships. Note that these are not just brand friends/ambassadors, but the highest titles: global ambassadors, brand image ambassadors covering Asia and the Americas—the highest level of treatment a luxury brand can offer.

This is roughly four levels higher than the Dior Sauvage fragrance line that Ikeno is currently endorsing.

If we include lower-tier regional and luxury brand endorsements... there are too many to count.

In addition, he has countless national-level endorsements in the fields of fast-moving consumer goods, clothing, and daily chemicals, most of which are top-level titles of global brand ambassadors.

There are over 20 in total, each one extremely valuable, resources that other young actors could only dream of in their entire lives.

But this time, not only did someone dare to dream of it, they actually "snatched" it away.

Well... to be precise, it wasn't stealing, because Ikeno only spoke and didn't actively contact those brands at all; they were the ones who "voluntarily licked" his boots.

Coca-Cola, Pepsi, KFC, Wahaha, and Uni-President, among other fast-moving consumer goods.

Louis Vuitton (LV), Chanel, Saint Laurent, Gucci, and… Bulgari and other world-renowned luxury fashion brands.

There are also digital electronic applications such as Huawei, JD.com, and Baidu Maps…

They are all brands that are either currently collaborating with Yu Yan but whose collaborations are about to expire, or that were preparing to discuss collaborations with Yu Yan but changed their minds.

In addition, there are top luxury brands such as Burberry, Versace, Armani, Prada, and Cartier that have no connection with Yu Yan and have never even sought a spokesperson in the Chinese entertainment industry.

That day, they gathered at Chiye Studio. Amidst the polite greetings, they looked at the scene in front of them, which brought together almost 80% of the world's luxury brands and big names, and secretly frowned, feeling wary—oh no, is the competition this fierce?

If I had known, I should have had the higher-ups come in person.

The Bulgari representative sighed inwardly—their collaboration with Yu Yan was still some time away, but… that didn’t stop them from contacting Chi Ye ahead of time to seamlessly transition into a “spokesperson” role.

I just don't know... whether Chi Ye still remembers what happened before... Well, to think about it from another angle, although they chose Yu Yan back then, before they met Yu Yan, they were the ones who "had the foresight" to choose Chi Ye, who was still a nobody at the time!

Can we "balance the merits and demerits"?
Hmm... Speaking of "a discerning eye"... why didn't Dior, one of the top three luxury brands, come?

They are the true first luxury brand ambassadors for Ikeno, even though it's just a perfume line, they are truly "loyal subjects of the emperor".

Could it be... that the "Big Three" are too high-class and can't lower themselves to their level?

The Bulgari executive grumbled inwardly to relieve the pressure.

Wow.

The door was suddenly pushed open, and everyone saw a middle-aged Asian man being brought out by Coco.

—Head of Dior Asia Pacific

All the representatives who knew the middle-aged man were taken aback, and then their hearts skipped a beat.

Damn, so you were already here a while ago?!
It’s over.

When the LV representative saw this, he felt a chill run down his spine.

—The three most recognized giants in the luxury market: Dior, Chanel, and LV.

The Big Three represent the pinnacle of luxury. Of course, some argue that Hermès is above the Big Five, but... since Hermès has yet to have a brand ambassador, it is not included in the calculation.

LV was previously a die-hard fan of Ji Heming, and like Bulgari, he also chose Yu Yan over Chi Ye when faced with the choice.

Originally, their visit was somewhat intended to betray Yu Yan, but unexpectedly...

That son of a bitch, Dior, he's a fucking bastard!
The Dior representative glanced disdainfully at the room full of "small fry," especially at the sullen face of LV's "old friend," and almost burst out laughing.

I thought to myself, what is our relationship with Ikeno? What is your relationship?
That was a relationship where they had the idea of ​​renewing Ikeno's contract long before "My Love from the Star" aired!
Moreover, in terms of "sincerity" alone, no one can compare to them - this time they gave Chi Ye an unprecedented "five-step jump" record in the history of the Chinese entertainment industry, directly rising from the original "Sauvage Fragrance Series" spokesperson to the global brand spokesperson.

Yes, Dior's first Chinese global ambassador.

Endorsing all products of one of the three top luxury giants, including but not limited to cosmetics, perfumes, ready-to-wear...the entire line, is a treatment of unparalleled prestige.

With this, what makes you think you can compete with me?!
……

Yue Na, in a reception room.

"Did they all go?"

Despite trying her best to control her emotions and expressions, Yu Yan's voice still carried a hint of anger and trembled: "Some brands haven't even reached the end of their cooperation agreements with us yet. Aren't they afraid of breaching their contracts?!"

"...I went to about half of them, and they were all about to expire or were in contact with brands. There were still brands that 'chosen' you."

Looking at his slightly thin chin, the agent felt a pang of heartache mixed with an indescribable sense of loss.

When "My Love from the Star" aired, Yu Yan lost ten pounds in a week. Now, hearing that things that originally belonged to him have been "snatched away," Yu Yan finally understands what real pain is—the pain of being robbed.

He used to never worry about anyone taking these things from him, because... in the Chinese entertainment industry and the Korean entertainment industry, there was only one "him".

He sometimes even feels annoyed and looks down on most of the endorsements, thinking that they are dispensable and that he is already too famous to need to prove himself.

But... now, he finally understands the existence of an "opponent".

Yes, it seems he has a "rival".

He doesn't seem to be the only one anymore.

(End of this chapter)