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

Chapter 313 My Sassy Girlfriend

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"Ikeno...Ikeno posted on Weibo."

"Huh?" Jin Xia was taken aback: "What did Teacher Chi... post?"

Honey Sister had already realized what was happening and followed the prompts to enter the Weibo interface. Then the screen refreshed, and immediately popped up the latest Weibo post by Chi Ye, which had been quickly tagged as "the person involved".

It's very short, just one sentence:

[Thank you to the Hong Kong Film Awards committee for their recognition. Good films need good teams. @Shuqi asked me about my future film plans, so I'd like to take this opportunity to announce the team and title of my new film. I hope everyone will pay close attention.]

Almost without a break, while Sister Honey was still in a daze and subconsciously refreshing the page, another Weibo post marked "just now" was freshly published.

[Hello everyone, this is the official Weibo account for my next movie @My Sassy Girl.]

Then comes the third one:

[Hello everyone, this is the female lead in my next movie, @JinXia.]

Honey Sister: "?!!"

Jin Xia: “…”

Onlookers: “!!!”

The most toxic fans of Ikeno: "!!!!"

Friends and enemies in the industry: "It's over, Ikeno has gone mad."

Yes, three consecutive Weibo posts, all posted on his main account. He is the only top-tier celebrity in the Chinese entertainment industry to post three Weibo posts in a short period of time without any gaps in popularity. These three Weibo posts were posted at this particular time and juncture.

One post thanked the Best Actor award, another announced his new movie, and yet another... announced the female lead of his new movie.

Prior to this, neither Jin Xia, nor Sister Mi, nor even the core team of the studio were very clear about this so-called "My Sassy Girl" project.

Even Coco had only heard that Ikeno wanted to collaborate with Jin Xia on a movie, but nothing was confirmed yet, and she didn't even know the name.

in other words…

This project, the movie title "My Sassy Girl," didn't exist a second ago, but it came out a second ago.

— "Parachuted".

One of the parties involved was unaware this summer, Ikeno Company was unaware, and even their closest comrades were unaware…

A name destined to explode in the industry tonight, who might not have even been in Ikeno's short-term career plans just a moment ago...

Why did he do this?

Is he crazy?

He's really gone mad.

"He's 'risking his life'! If I'm not mistaken, he's going head-to-head with his own fan base?!"

The marketing team of the four-character team was dumbfounded, staring blankly at Chi Ye's three Weibo posts, their minds buzzing, feeling an extremely unreal and surreal feeling—as everyone knows, the Chinese entertainment industry has always liked to pander to fans, and that's where the most traffic comes from.

This is the first time in all these years that he has ever seen someone so subservient to fans.

and…

Ikeno is a fault-top current!

His foundation, everything he has, and all the benefits he has gained, almost all started and developed around this huge base, and he has maintained this situation up to the present, and perhaps even a second ago.

After winning the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor, his career transition was a success, but clearly, no one would give up such a large piece of the pie.

But Ikeno gave up.

Without warning, abruptly, without much psychological process or struggle, in the instant of the terrifyingly large backlash of traffic, perhaps there really is... no, there must be some people behind the scenes fanning the flames—those who reacted quickly have already begun to bribe Chi Ye's big fans, adding fuel to the fire of this overwhelming top-tier celebrity's "backlash".

He did not let the situation continue to develop. Before the public opinion event reached its peak and before he was completely targeted by "hundreds of millions" this summer, he chose to "give up".

—The power imbalance in the Chinese entertainment industry may be about to change hands starting today.

A new generation of talent may not emerge, but Ikeno may no longer be the "only one" in the Chinese entertainment industry.

More top influencers will emerge, and more investors will enter the fray to aggressively devour the large market gaps he "voluntarily" relinquished.

Compared to the Ji Heming house collapse incident, this is more than a level higher.
"...He really likes Jin Xia."

Zhu Yaolin received the news from the back office and looked at the scene with a complicated expression—the Weibo server was experiencing a slight lag, but fortunately it hadn't crashed yet.

But if Ikeno goes on a rampage, his fans might really go "crazy" too.

"I used to think he was pretty smart, but I never expected him to give up traffic for such a trivial matter... It's ridiculous."

The agent next to him frowned and shook his head: "With him like this, he won't get scolded this summer; everyone will scold him instead."

"Scolding is too lenient; I'm afraid there won't be any more pool faults in the future."

The other person sighed, and suddenly felt a strange sense of sadness.

To be fair, in the years since Chi Ye became a top-tier celebrity, the landscape of traffic in the Chinese entertainment industry and those of them who work in marketing and traffic have indeed felt a very different atmosphere.

For example, almost all popular celebrities in the Chinese entertainment industry are now adopting a "dual-engine" business model.

The style of Yu Yan and Ji Heming, which focused solely on traffic and ignored the quality of the work, aiming only to make money without putting in the effort, has evolved into a core strategy of letting the work speak for itself and driving traffic with excellent works.

The entire younger generation of artists in the Chinese entertainment industry, including those in the traffic circle, are being passively changed because of this trend—why is it "passive"?
With the success of Ikeno as a precedent, the competition is fierce. Young actors without substantial works can no longer rely on good looks and so-called fashion sense to gain recognition.

To put it bluntly, advertisers don't recognize it, big companies don't recognize it, and variety shows, TV dramas, and movies—no one inside or outside the industry recognizes it anymore.

Why have there been so few breakout stars in recent years?

Why have contemporary and historical romance dramas flopped and lost popularity in recent years?
Because of a lack of scripts and works, ordinary young actors and actresses simply cannot become famous—the only one to become famous, Xiao Zhan, also relied on his works.

Five years ago, this situation would have been unthinkable, because back then, Yu Yan and Ji Heming only needed a marketing gimmick, along with their own faces, to enjoy the treatment of top-tier celebrities in China, including top-tier announcements.

Therefore, many people in the industry now "hate" Chi Ye. They hate that he changed the atmosphere, making it difficult for everyone to make a living. Those who slack off and give up are having a hard time, while young actors and actresses are working hard and honing their acting skills and scripts.

However, ordinary entertainment industry workers and even audiences are quite satisfied with the current atmosphere within the industry, which is at least much better than in previous years.

For members of Zhu Yaolin's team and various marketing accounts, they have long been accustomed to putting Chi Ye's name first in every press release, and then bringing in Huasheng, who paid for marketing, to attract traffic or elevate his status by clashing with others.

Now, suddenly seeing Ikeno "cut off his own arm" and "blow up a truck," it's hard not to feel a strong sense of loss and regret—we've really gotten used to it. It's only been about two years, but Ikeno's popularity and aura seem to have lasted much longer than Yu Yan's before. Speaking of Yu Yan… Yu Yan should be very happy now, right?

……

Inside a bar in the capital city.

The booths were filled with trendy young men and women, some of whom were dancing wildly to the DJ music, freely twisting their young, hormone-filled bodies.

This is one of the high-end bars in Beijing, and it's a popular spot for trendsetters, internet celebrities, and aspiring actors.

Yu Yan sat in a corner booth, wearing a very low-key baseball cap, looked at Weibo for a while, and then put down her phone.

"What's wrong? Are you so happy you don't know what to say?"

Across from him, Chen Huo, who was very close to him, grinned and clicked his tongue in amazement: "But we really should have a drink about this. If we don't, we'll be letting him down for stepping on you to get to the top back then."

Yu Yan looked up, but her eyes didn't show the happiness and excitement I expected; instead, they seemed quite calm: "What's there to be happy about?"

"?"

Chen Huo asked in surprise: "Don't you have any thoughts about this situation? He's practically self-destructing, buddy. For a top-tier celebrity to do something like this is worse than a house collapsing. He's like a truck that's self-destructed. You might even be able to regain your fan base tonight."

"...It would be a lie to say I'm not happy at all."

Yu Yan remained silent for a long time before looking at the swaying dance hall with a complicated expression: "But thinking about it carefully, it's normal for the leadership to change every few years."

"I actually admire him quite a bit."

"?"

Chen Huo was dumbfounded: "Huh? Say that again?"

Yu Yan's expression was serious: "I'm not kidding... Others may not be able to feel it, but I know... For someone in his position to make such a choice so quickly... it's really rare... He's quite a man, yeah."

Chen Huo's gaze had changed, turning horrified: "You... Xiao Yan, have you gone mad from all this?"

Yu Yan was downcast and shook his head: "I really think so, brother. You don't know, I actually... sigh, if it were me, I might make the same choice as him in this situation."

Chen Huo frowned as he looked at his "younger brother".

At the peak of his career, many people said that Yu Yan was part of the Yue Na system or the Penguin system. In fact, at the peak of his career, he was surrounded by "relatives" who tried to curry favor with him. But in reality, he only had a few best friends.

Chen Huo, Deng Yang, and several other guests who had previously participated in a wildly popular national variety show.

Among them, Deng Yang is currently the most influential and powerful person in the circle of friends. He is one of the six middle-aged men, along with Wu Jing and Shen Bin. Although he is ranked relatively low, he is indeed a super big shot.

Deng Yang is just getting older and has become more laid-back; he's one of the more low-key of the six.

As for Chen Huo, he can only be considered a second-tier celebrity now. He is also middle-aged and just makes a living by selling products through online influencers.

These friends were all very dissatisfied with Yu Yan's situation, so naturally they didn't like Chi Ye, especially Chen Huo, who was closest to Yu Yan and Deng Yang, and whose Weibo profile picture is still a photo of the three of them.

So, seeing Yu Yan like this, he was very worried and frowned: "What's wrong with you? Is there a problem in your relationship with your girlfriend lately?"

"No."

Yu Yan didn't explain further.

He just wanted to say that everything Chi Ye was doing now was something he had promised his girlfriend, but unfortunately... before he could make it official, it was as if his position had been stolen. After that, Yu Yan basically fell into a state of depression and stagnation.

In recent years, he has gained weight, and his once-proud face has become much more matronly. Looking back on the past, and on the time when his strongest rival "self-destructed" right in front of him...

The complexities in my heart are truly indescribable to outsiders.

"That's how traffic works." He pointed to himself: "Look at me, appearance is the most important thing. He's in his thirties this year. Even if he continues to maintain this, how long can it last?"

"It's better to cut the Gordian knot quickly. I've liked him since before he became famous, and I still like him now. It's good that the two of them are together. Without the hype, there will naturally be no more disputes."

"...I think I should call Old Deng. This is too scary."

Chen Huo didn't understand and decided to call his older brother tonight and give Xiao Yan a good talking-to—seize this opportunity, lose some weight. You and Chi Ye are about the same age, and you're still in your prime. This is the perfect time for you to return to your peak!
……

The Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony ended, and Ikeno did not attend the banquet.

He left the venue amidst the complex and strange gazes of everyone present.

On the way back to the hotel, Ikeno's expression didn't change much, and he didn't seem depressed at all. He even hummed a little tune when he looked down at his phone occasionally.

Coco was very quiet beside me, her little face expressionless.

The driver was one of their own, and there was also a producer from "All the Way to the Flowers" in the car.

PD dared not speak, because he felt the atmosphere in the carriage was too suffocating... afraid that if he said the wrong thing, he would be "thrown" into Victoria Harbour.

A few more minutes passed before Chi Ye finally looked up, put away his phone, and looked at Coco, who was standing silently with her arms crossed, staring straight ahead.

Her phone kept ringing, but she didn't answer it, not even turning it off or hanging up.

Chi Ye glanced at the little girl and suddenly said, "Alright, don't be angry."

"I am not angry."

"See, you're still pretending with me?"

Chino was a little speechless: "It's not that I don't want to discuss it with you, I just feel that this was going to happen sooner or later, so why keep 'torturing' each other?"

“…Brother Chi”.

Coco turned around and looked at Chi Ye: "I know I'm just an employee, and I know you won't listen to me on many things... but I think we're not only superior and subordinate, but also friends and business partners, right?"

Ikeno paused, then nodded seriously: "Yes."

Coco is a very special girl to him. In some ways, she is even more "exceptional" than the Empress Dowager, because there are many things that Jin Xia doesn't know that Coco knows.

Also because Coco was the first "friend" who abandoned everything and walked with him all the way.

When he came into this world, the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was not his mother... but Coco.

Ahem... that's a bit ambiguous, but it's true.

"I don't dare to be angry with you, and I know my place. I just... I just feel like you don't trust me. Do I look like the kind of person who would let Xiaxia get scolded just to keep your traffic stable?"

(End of this chapter)