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

Chapter 325 The Detective Koike, with His Own Crazy and Mischievous Buff
"Holy crap? A new song?!"

"@Ikeno, you've finally remembered you're also a singer, haven't you?"

"Get out of here, you fan club maggots! Stop polluting my eyes, okay? I'm just a passerby, but I like Ikeno's songs."

"+1, I was just observing, but when I saw this hashtag, I knew Ikeno had become sensible. Let's help him scold the haters."

"Haha, this is hilarious. It's really just random people. Everyone under this hashtag is a random person."

"At this moment, the public's opinion of a popular celebrity is fully revealed."

"..."

Public appeal is a common topic in the entertainment industry and is considered one of the most important "indicators" for an artist's career development.

Like most popular celebrities, they have very poor public image, but because they have a lot of die-hard fans, the fan base is relatively young, with simple thinking and strong execution and spending power, they can create such a huge buzz.

There's a saying that goes, "If you have 100,000 die-hard fans, you're a top star in the Chinese entertainment industry."

The number here is 100,000, which is both a joke and a statement of fact.

Many veteran actors who are not particularly good-looking or young, but are in their prime, rely on their public image as the core of their careers. It is precisely because of this public image that their careers have been able to develop and progress.

Therefore, "since ancient times," popularity and public goodwill seem to be two attributes that cannot be obtained at the same time.

Ikeno used to be more focused on traffic.

Because no matter what, given his status and appearance... unless he suddenly skips twenty years of hard work and reaches his fifties overnight, no matter how good his acting is, people will still label him as a "young heartthrob."

But Chi Ye never thought that "traffic" was a derogatory term, because when the term first appeared, it was neutral. Moreover, he is a person who values ​​practical benefits. No matter what he is like now, he has indeed benefited a lot from the traffic dividend.

If eating from a bowl and then cursing your mother after putting it down demonstrates one's "nobility," Chi Ye feels he would rather be a true villain.

At this moment, having experienced various controversies this year, his popularity has declined, but in terms of public image... especially his public image related to music, it is overwhelmingly superior to all his competitors.

Yes, it can't be called a clear lead – they've never been on the same level, so how can it be considered "leading"?
At this critical juncture, amidst a flurry of negative press, the news of Ikeno's new song has instantly attracted the attention of countless casual observers.

Countless fans began to "come back to life" on the spot.

One second they were vehemently criticizing Chi Ye for harming people with his popularity, causing a terrible atmosphere on Weibo for the past few months, with arguments everywhere. The next second they immediately changed their tune, shouting: "I'm a fan, don't shoot, we're on the same side!"

The scene was quite "shocking," leaving the teams behind the press releases completely bewildered.

"...Is Chi Yeji really that popular?"

Backstage rehearsal for the gala.

Xiao Zhan's manager frowned, feeling that he might have underestimated him... To be precise, it was because Chi Ye hadn't sung for so long that everyone had almost forgotten that he was still a singer.

After "Blue and White Porcelain," Ikeno's singing career has reached a new high point. To be honest, many competitors subconsciously ignore this aspect, and even when buying articles, they don't mention it at all, automatically depriving her of it.

It's not that they're arrogant, it's just that in this area... they really can't beat Ikeno. Five Golden Melody Awards have already cemented their status, and to surpass Ikeno in this aspect... it feels like there's no hope in this lifetime.

"This just proves that we were on the right path!"

Hunan TV's marketing director clapped his hands, saying, "Look, everyone, there have been people clamoring for Qianrui to give up his music career... Look how 'blank' this market is!" (The four-character team that "replaced" Chi Ye's spot on Hunan TV is mentioned.)

"Even Penguin and Xiao Zhan know to seize this opportunity to market and take advantage of Chi Ye, while we stupidly want to give up... The person who made this suggestion is either stupid or malicious."

Everyone fell silent upon hearing this.

"Uh... could it be that he suddenly dropped this news on purpose? Did he hear about what other galas were up to and wanted to steal the spotlight?"

One person stepped forward.

Four words raised an eyebrow slightly: "Judging from their previous style, it definitely is."

"Whether it is or not, it has nothing to do with us. Our focus is still on movies. 'The Martian' is what we need to pay attention to..."

As they were talking, the assistant, who had been looking down at public opinion, suddenly looked up and said, "Ikeno is trending again."

"Ok?"

"again?"

Everyone was startled.

……

When news of Ikeno's new song broke, fans across the internet were in a state of New Year's celebration. Logically speaking, this level of popularity is hard to be diverted by other things—unless, the person in question herself becomes a trending topic.

This time, it's Ikeno's explosive trending topic, and it's also related to the Blue Dragon Film Awards.

When Ikeno appeared on the red carpet at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, the rumors that had been circulating among various domestic marketing accounts (especially those targeting domesticated celebrities) about Ikeno's "cold reception in Korea" were dispelled the moment he stepped onto the red carpet.

You ask why it didn't collapse on its own?
The usual fan shouts and media photos don't count. After Ikeno appeared this time, four or five female fans broke through the security line on the red carpet and almost forcibly kissed him!
Yes, Chi Ye, who is known as the god of chaos in the Chinese entertainment industry, can still cause trouble even when he goes abroad and walks the red carpet. If he hadn't learned a few tricks from Teacher Shi, he would probably be showing up at the film festival with a pout today.

The scene was extremely chaotic, with countless South Korean female fans crying and screaming, repeatedly saying "Oppa Seumida" in a way that was "heart-wrenching".

Reuters videos taken from various angles and by different passersby were transmitted back to mainland China, and Weibo was momentarily silent.

Then, they all exploded.

"Ikeno! It's him again!"

"Is she alright? That was terrifying. I heard from Chinese fans at the scene that a girl even forced Ikeno to kiss her with a knife. My God..."

"???"

"Really? That's outrageous."

"It's authentic. It seems the organizers have even called the police. There's a video of a Korean man grilling people at the scene."

"...Wow, is this really Asia's top star?"

"This is more than just being a top star. I'm really scared. I can't believe how much psychological pressure he must be under. If it were me, I'd probably go crazy."

"Indeed, someone previously revealed that when Ikeno Tsuyoshi arrived in Korea, some sasaeng fans bribed hotel staff to hide in the bathroom and ambush him... I don't even want to think about what would happen if it was a malicious person."

"@Those in China who market themselves as top celebrities every day, come and see what true topness is."

"Hilarious, stop watching. Coconut released a song and it dominated the trending topics. What do those people trying to piggyback on his success have to offer? And those who switch allegiances, stop being so pathetic. Can't celebrities have friends their whole lives? Are they all just showing off because they're repressed?"

"..."

Just as Ikeno's team predicted before attending the film festival, as long as Ikeno himself went to South Korea and showed the true situation there, even just a few clips would be enough to greatly improve Ikeno's public image.

Of course, the rumors circulating online are true, and the actors weren't hired by Ikeno's team... because he's not so depraved as to use his own words as leverage; that would be too low.

At this moment, at the Qinglong Film Festival.

The chaotic atmosphere gradually subsided, and some debris remained on the red carpet, which was cleaned up by the cleaning staff. The red carpet process continued, but the scene that had just occurred was still lingering in everyone's minds.

This caused many big names in the audience who were not familiar with Ikeno to frequently look towards the inner area and towards a seat near the front.

Further along, several actresses were chatting. "Did you hear? There was some trouble on the red carpet just now."

"Another crazy fan. Sigh, being an idol is tough."

"Idols are no match for actors; they're blinded by this false prosperity every day."

"You can't say that. Ikeno is not just an idol; he's also an actor. Don't forget, he was also nominated for Best Actor today."

"..."

Those who can participate in the Blue Dragon Film Awards are basically actors, and the actors in South Korea are quite different from those in China. More accurately, it is the difference between the entertainment industry in China and South Korea.

In the Chinese entertainment industry, celebrities and internet celebrities are highly respected, but in the Korean entertainment industry, there is a very clear hierarchy of contempt.

Among them, actors are the highest-ranking, while idols are basically ranked at the bottom, even lower than variety show personalities, which shows the "strict hierarchy" here.

As for Ikeno, he is clearly a "monster" that is almost non-existent in the Korean entertainment industry. He has both extremely high popularity and amazing acting skills... It seems that there is really no such "double-talented" person in China.

"Weiwei, you and he are both Chinese, why don't you go over and say hello?"

In the crowd, a big-name actress with long, flowing hair, who looked like a top-tier artificial human, joked with her companion.

Her companion had a round face, but her features were delicate and she had a touch of heroism. She was Tang Wei, an "international film queen" who was highly popular in China and whose status was no less than that of Ling Bingbing.

For some reason, she has now given up the domestic market and focused on the Korean entertainment industry. She currently holds a very high status and is doing very well.

Hearing his companion's teasing, Tang Wei glanced back at Chi Ye's direction, then looked away and shook his head: "We're not that close."

Her companion glanced at her and noticed that Tang Wei's expression was indifferent, indicating that she really had no contact with Chi Ye.

"That's a pity. I was hoping you could introduce us."

It's a pity about his companion.

Tang Wei looked at her with surprise: "Why do you know him?"

"I don't do anything... I just think he's pretty handsome, haha."

"Hehe." Tang Wei shook his head.

"I heard that he wrote a song, a song with lyrics and music by himself."

At this moment, another male star said with a smile, "It's a piece written for the singer who came with him."

"Ah? Really?"

Once inside, everyone basically stops looking at their phones, because the cameras are constantly pointed at their faces. To avoid being caught, many celebrities are very careful about this.

The Korean entertainment industry is indeed a bit "stricter".

"Yes, I just heard about it too."

The male celebrity said, "It seems to be a Korean song."

"?"

Everyone was stunned again.

Korean songs?
Lyrics?

Tang Wei was taken aback, wondering, "He probably didn't know Korean before..."

"I heard they studied it for a few days."

The male star paused, then sighed: "How should I put it... I'm kind of looking forward to it."

Tang Wei remained silent, because the meaning behind the male star's words was quite clear. There was no malice in them, but they were indeed somewhat sarcastic.

—Ikeno's achievements in the Chinese music scene are certainly not comparable to those in mainland China or Taiwan.

Because of the different cultural environments of the two sides, and because the people here have an inexplicable pettiness, I heard that Chi Ye learned Korean for a few days and then wrote lyrics and composed music for Korean songs... Even if he accepted the invitation from the organizer, he shouldn't be so perfunctory, right?

You should at least show some basic respect, right?
"...What is he thinking? Isn't this just asking for trouble?"

Tang Wei frowned inwardly, feeling that this young man from a foreign land was even more eccentric than she had heard from her girlfriends in mainland China.

……

at the same time.

"A Korean song? Are you sure?!"

“Look carefully at the previous announcement, it says so.”

"I thought it was fake, that marketing accounts were deliberately trying to gain attention, it was too outrageous... I didn't expect it to be real."

Backstage.

Xiao Zhan's team received the news, and his agent confirmed it several times before looking completely bewildered: "Holy crap... is it that serious? Aren't you afraid of it backfiring?"

"what happened?"

Xiao Zhan looked at his manager: "Why are you making such a fuss?"

"...Ikeno's new song is a gimmick. He wrote the lyrics and music himself, but it's not his song. It's a song written for Stevie... in Korean."

Xiao Zhan was stunned: "Ah."

"Oh, what? This...this is an opportunity."

The agent, who desperately wanted to be Coco, was initially shocked by the unbelievable news, but after a moment's realization, she immediately understood that this was a golden opportunity.

I thought Ikeno wouldn't mess up his music again, but... why are you handing me a knife yourself?!
If I don't take this opportunity to stab you in the back, I'd really be letting down all that traffic in the market.

Xiao Zhan was still puzzled, and muttered in shock, "I can understand the English, but how does he write the Korean words?"

How does he write lyrics?
Even if someone has musical talent and can write it, can it be considered a high-quality work?
News travels fast within the industry. While those outside the industry were still passionately arguing, the Blue Dragon Film Festival and various media outlets in mainland China had already received accurate information.

Everyone had the same reaction as Xiao Zhan's team, not understanding what Chi Ye was trying to do.

Actually, everyone can see now that Ikeno is probably using this opportunity to promote someone...

After all, Stevie Wonder had always been by his side, and this taciturn female boxer, who only knew how to sing and didn't do anything else strange, was quite famous in the Chinese entertainment industry.

But... isn't praising someone like this a bit too unrestrained?

Is this an attempt to challenge one's limits?
Sister Pliers, who was also at the TV station rehearsing for the gala, was a little puzzled. She didn't think Ikeno was unrestrained; she just felt...

How long has it been since you wrote a song for me? And now that you've just "come back," your "first time" is with Stevie Wonder?
That's fine... but you didn't tell me you were going to release a song?

By North!

(End of this chapter)