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

Chapter 342 The Ultimate Asian Husband, I'll Kneel First in Respect

As the saying goes, a leopard can't change its spots.

Pliers can't change the pressure.

The phrase "the male lead's name is listed after the dog's" was just as damaging to Pliers as it was to Ikeno sitting shirtless next to her. It was exactly what Pliers wanted, and Pliers almost turned into clamps.

"You're really looking down on people! Is our Sister Shi that kind of person?"

The agent chuckled and casually said, "Then the promotional poster should also be on a separate page, and it should be the first one."

"Ok, Ok……"

The agent of CoolCinema was overjoyed.

"What can I do!"

Pliers snapped out of her daze and immediately realized that this was a sugar-coated bullet from Cool Shadow. If she took it, how would she face Chi Ye later?

As for why she, a female artist who is neither a member of Ikeno's company nor a relative of Ikeno, should consider "facing" Ikeno... don't ask, the answer is what Sister Pliers herself admits.

Furthermore, the immense success of "Goblin" has allowed her to maintain her current arrogant demeanor and turn her dreams into reality (i.e., dominate the entire Chinese entertainment industry). Ikeno has generously shared his knowledge with her, making him a true mentor to her.

Shi Jinwei considered herself a grateful person, so even faced with such an epic temptation, she could only refuse with tears in her eyes.

"This is not up for discussion. You guys need to hurry up, the event is about to start."

Pliers turned around haughtily, ready to urge the makeup artist in the team.

"Okay, Sister Shi."

The makeup artist from the event nodded and quickened his pace.

"...By the way, did the event organizers invite Sheng Ning today as well?"

Pliers suddenly remembered something and asked.

"Yes, Sister Shi."

The event organizers nodded.

Shi Jinwei said calmly, "Suppress."

"……no problem!"

The person in charge of the event gritted his teeth and nodded vigorously.

You are Zhao Luohe, you are the female lead in "Goblin," whatever you say is right...

"This is truly overwhelming, making one forget the meaning of heaven and earth."

The agent, watching from the side, couldn't help but mentally complain. Then, he looked up at the Cool Film agent beside him, who was equally dumbfounded and hesitant to speak: "You heard everything? It's not that we don't want to cooperate... Let's leave it at that for now."

"Can……"

"Let me show you the way."

The agent glanced at Shi Jinwei and lowered his voice: "Going to Chi Ye will be more effective than coming to us."

agent:"???"

I wanted to collaborate with Shi Jinwei, but even contacting her directly didn't work. Now you're telling me that contacting Chi Ye is more effective than contacting her in person?
How could I be so...

Fine, it seems Chi Ye is the master and Shi Jinwei is just a "dog". Damn it, I spit on him!

The agent cursed inwardly and lamented inwardly.

The new commander sent from headquarters... seems to be really incompetent!

……

Just as Sister Pliers had already begun to reap the benefits of "Goblin," and was even taking more and more until she was completely oblivious to the world around her.

On the other hand, as the plot of "Goblin" unfolds and the popularity accumulated by daily updates grows, Ikeno, a top star who has experienced a "rise" before, is also expected to usher in his second "rise".

First, let's look at his Weibo followers.

After several controversies, Chi Ye's Weibo followers did indeed suffer a severe loss, and these were all active followers.

It's not just the number of fans on paper; the number of people checking in and participating in the Super Topic, which was once known as the most popular in the Chinese entertainment industry, has also plummeted. From once being the most popular and active in the industry, it has fallen to fourth or fifth place.

Originally, based on the established norms and new patterns that the Chinese entertainment industry has explored over the years, Chi Ye might never have another chance to reach the top.

However, this "lack of opportunity" turned into a "nightmare" when, just one week after "Goblin" aired, its record was broken.

On the 6th, Chi Ye's Weibo followers increased to over 7000 million, not only returning to his peak but also far exceeding it. In just one week, he gained at least tens of millions of active followers across the entire network.

The activity and popularity of the super topic, as well as the number of sign-ins, have long since jumped back to the top from the initial fifth place, and are now far ahead of Xiao Zhan in second place.

In contrast, the CP super topic of Chi Ye and Shi Jinwei has risen rapidly. Just as popular as #ChiPanXiaYu# was back then, the current #YeQiangWei# CP is just as bizarre.

The hype is growing stronger every day, and the number of CP fans is increasing day by day. The number of new fans is not just in the Chinese entertainment industry, but across Asia and Southeast Asia.

As for the recent "fan exodus," they also have something to say.

"I was young and didn't know any better back then."

"I don't believe there are people in this world who dislike Uncle Zhao Ji."

"I feel so sorry for Luo He, my little darling. Weiwei is simply the chosen one, Zhao Luo He! Wild Rose Weiwei is the best!"

"If there are still people who don't use Wild Rose, I'll really be heartbroken."

"Ikeno is a man whose face is his only asset, while other male stars are like fast food. The real husband is Ikeno."

"My husband loves me!"

"Can you stop your baseless attacks, you haters? He's the only top-tier idol in the history of Chinese entertainment, the top idol drama star in the history of modern idol dramas, with 'My Love from the Star' and 'Goblin'—I declare Chi Ye the god of idol dramas!"

"You don't understand the face of the gods."

"These haters are really outrageous! Some people are even saying that Yezi is in a relationship... Please, has it been officially announced? Yezi and Jin Xia have never admitted it themselves, so please don't get involved."

"If marriage can end in divorce, what's wrong with dating? A high-quality idol like Ikeno should be a huge boon to the audience."

"In the history of the Chinese entertainment industry over the years, all the so-called top stars lined up together are no match for a single hair of Ikeno."

"...!"

Some fans who had previously turned against their idols the most changed their tune after "Goblin" aired. It wasn't that they didn't care about Ikeno's relationship, but rather... they were really superficial.

The entertainment industry is also superficial; it's an industry that heavily judges people by their looks and their work.

The phrase "judging by appearance" is both literal and not, because the "face" in the Chinese entertainment industry has a completely different meaning from the "face" in the common understanding.

The first meaning is that being handsome or beautiful gives you more opportunities than others. The second meaning is... if you really can't win in terms of looks, then the filter of the characters in the work is your best, and only, "sky-high" opportunity.

There are many such examples in history. Someone who was clearly unattractive could become famous overnight just because they played a character with a super-powerful, tragic, and beautiful persona. In some cases, they could even benefit from the positive image of a single role for a lifetime. Understanding this, when you look at Chi Ye, you'll find that he's basically already in a state where he has all the advantages of being a top star.

His face is flawless; it's the kind of face that would make even someone as discerning as Jin Xia, a self-proclaimed "face-obsessed" person, take notice and feel a stirring of romantic feelings.

Character filters…

Professor Chi and the Goblin Uncle are both classic characters that have left their mark on the history of idol dramas.

Not to mention his other representative works... To be honest, in terms of the depth and foundation of his works, Ikeno has long since crushed the popular celebrities in the Chinese entertainment industry.

It cannot be said that the two are not at the same level, nor are they the same species.

Of course, those controversies will have some impact on Ikeno to some extent, but his works are simply too good, especially works by top-tier creators like "Goblin". After this battle, it will be very difficult for his rivals to effectively "encircle and suppress" him in this regard.

On the 8th.

After "Goblin" was suspended for two days, iQiyi, in order to digest this huge, unimaginable profit (in order to scam more members and make more money), shamelessly learned the outrageous scheduling method of its neighbor, Kuaishou.

However, this does not affect the current popularity of "Goblin" in China, nor does it affect the various accusations against Ikeno that have been made, or the advertisers that have unilaterally canceled their cooperation with Ikeno, who have used the "collapse" criteria to criticize him.

It was the same meeting room.

Many advertisers and brand ambassadors sat there, each with a different expression on their face—some were annoyed, some were expressionless, and some were anxious.

Some are like still, undisturbed wells.

For example, Dior.

Dior was the first top luxury brand that Ikeno collaborated with, so early that they can be considered "founding fathers." They were the first to extend an olive branch to Ikeno when "Loop" ended airing.

The subsequent drama "My Love from the Star" was an even bigger surprise, directly defying public opinion to create a global brand ambassador for Ikeno.

There's only one in the world. From now on, when people in the fashion industry or ordinary consumers mention Dior, they'll think of Ikeno. And when they see Ikeno's stunningly beautiful face, they'll think of Dior.

Dior was very satisfied with the conditions and status of this spokesperson.

Especially in terms of image, it appeals to both East and West, being both high-class and down-to-earth.

The sophistication lies in the elegance of Ikeno's facial features, while the commoner aspect lies in... Regardless of one's aesthetic preferences, upon seeing him, everyone's aesthetic sense will be surprisingly consistent and unified, leading to praise: "Damn, he's got a face that's awesome."

The cooperative treatment, which was comparable to that of a loving father, remained as stable as a rock until the first "collapse" of the Ikeno Academy Awards.

At that time, other brands, especially top luxury brands like Cartier, had already begun to regret their decision and were dissatisfied with Ikeno's sudden "mishap," so they joined forces to pressure Ikeno to resign.

Only Dior remained inactive at that time... Although they were also dissatisfied, it was because they had worked so well with Ikeno before, and the contract they signed had long exceeded the normal short-term contracts between top luxury brands and artists in the market, and was a long-term contract of up to three years.

The contract has just been signed, so there's no way to take it too seriously.

Then, in the recent case of Ikeno's real "collapse," Dior finally couldn't sit still anymore. The head of the company, who had tried to protect Ikeno several times and felt that there was no need to follow the example of other manufacturers, was directly removed.

Dior was just about to make a move.

Ok…

The change didn't happen because the senior executive they replaced was too high-ranking, being the top executive in the Asian region. This inevitably led to various internal struggles and turmoil, making them more than half a step behind other manufacturers in terms of time.

Just when they finally decided to take action and "sacrifice family for the greater good"... "Goblin" aired.

You say, why don't you just collapse peacefully and be perfectly fine?
Why are they airing "Goblin" all of a sudden?!

That would make us look awkward, stupid, and idiotic, you know?
Fortunately, apart from insiders, few people knew about Dior's actions. Although Ikeno's team was aware of these things, Dior's actions were so slow that they never had any conflict with Ikeno's team from beginning to end.

From a purely collaborative perspective, Dior was truly the only major manufacturer to successfully "choose sides" throughout the entire process.

—Who says that slow movements don't count?
A gentleman judges by actions, not intentions. I'm just asking you whether we've given our full support or not, and that's it!
answer me!
So at this moment, the Dior agent, who was almost instantly reinstated—having been dismissed in the morning and back in the evening—was feeling extremely comfortable and secretly pleased.

He glanced at his anxious colleagues around him, who were waiting for their "fate" to arrive, and suddenly curled his lip and smiled disdainfully: "Heh."

"?"

Although the people around didn't dare to say it outright, their eyes all conveyed the same message: "What the hell are you talking about?"

It's just that you're slow enough to get away with it... If your internal processes were any faster and you didn't have so many cumbersome "rules," you'd probably be stuck here in jail with us right now.

Why is it that such a serious drawback as chronic illness can be considered an "advantage"?
Vomited.

Cartier, who was also an old friend, wasn't intimidated by Dior at all and politely remarked, "Damn, you guys are really lucky."

agent:"?"

He is Asian and understands Chinese, but not completely; he doesn't quite understand things like level 10 listening comprehension.

So he was puzzled: "Please be more civilized. We are all decent people. Don't talk about such sensitive issues in public."

Everyone: "..."

"Hey, how much are you prepared to spend this time to appease President Chi?"

Another person approached; he was an agent from a major snack manufacturer who had come to "apologize."

Dior glanced at him, smiled slightly, and offered no comment.

Cartier said, "It's alright, we're also prepared to compete for the global brand ambassadorship."

"what?"

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned.

"Global brand ambassador... Dude, are you kidding me?"

After a long while, one of them reacted, looking shocked: "You guys aren't going to stay?"

As mentioned before, each luxury brand can only have one global brand ambassador. When Dior gave Ikeno its global brand ambassadorship, Cartier and other luxury brands never considered him again and instead replaced him with an ambassador of a lower rank.

The fact that two major luxury brands simultaneously chose the same celebrity as their global brand ambassador...

It's not that it doesn't exist, it's that it's simply impossible.

After all, every luxury brand has its own heritage and prestige, and they would never lower their status within or outside the industry because of a single person.

Cartier waved their hands repeatedly, saying, "It's just competition, just competition."

Upon hearing this, everyone basically understood his idea, but they were not optimistic about it.

It's common knowledge inside and outside the industry that Dior and Ikeno's contract hasn't expired yet... Originally, they thought Cartier was really going to take sides this time, but now it seems... they really do want to take sides, giving Ikeno a global brand ambassadorship for a Chinese artist, the highest level of treatment, which is indeed the greatest sincerity.

But... I got up a little late.

Everyone says that Dior's reaction to the Ikeno incident was always a beat too slow... But now, who is the really slow one?

If we don't produce a record-breaking money-making king today, it will be impossible to achieve our goal.

(End of this chapter)