How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 160's timeframe is indeed a bit too cramped.
Of all roads, dead ends are the easiest to travel.

Because of low traffic volume, minimal interference, and localized convenience.

However, this is based on the premise of 'incomplete functionality and lack of security'.

Fast, but high-risk.

In many people's eyes, Wang Yao is a reckless young man who is heading down a dead end.

In the eyes of his e-commerce peers, this guy’s “unprovoked provocation” of Alibaba, and his creation of a Taobao boss after the Taobao Girl, is clearly an attempt to drag the giant into the fray and fight against him. His goal is most likely to become famous by standing on the shoulders of giants.

This method is not accepted by many people, who feel that although it seems to be effective quickly, it is bound to be short-lived, and that it is a haphazard and ineffective approach that will ultimately lead to failure.

The success of "Fairy Robe" has made its peers in the entertainment industry green with envy, because in this industry, no matter how strong the capital behind you is, you can't be considered a true professional without a hit work.

In the entertainment industry, a hit work is very important. Whether you are a director, actor, or screenwriter, it is like creating a treasure trove. Therefore, there is a saying in the entertainment industry that one can become famous overnight and live off that fame for a lifetime, as long as you don't collapse.

However, if your breakthrough work is one that succeeded by 'breaking the rules' or 'belittling competitors', then you will be met with hostility from the entire industry.

After all, what matters in life isn't fighting and killing, but rather understanding human relationships and social dynamics.

If you want to succeed in a certain circle, the first thing you need to do is integrate into it and make more friends; otherwise, you'll be stuck in a dead end.

"Fairy Robe" committed a major taboo in the eyes of its peers: it used the high standards of a TV drama to produce a variety show.

This is like a group of chefs who, to save time, tacitly agree not to put eggs in their fried rice for customers. But then a new chef comes along and not only puts eggs in the rice but also ham. What are the customers supposed to think after they finish eating?

How am I supposed to go back and eat fried rice without eggs in the future?

It's not that China lacks capable directors or post-production staff; it's just that everyone tacitly agrees not to waste their energy on that part. After all, why bother standing up when you can make money lying down?
Moreover, audiences' tastes can become quite discerning!

Just like technological products should be developed incrementally, with small improvements each year, so that companies can make substantial profits and the industry can develop steadily. If all the good technologies are released to consumers at once, wouldn't that spoil them?

However, the emergence of "Fairy Robe" has effectively raised the standard of Chinese variety shows. Others may choose not to change, but those with a brain know very well that even if they don't change now, once the audience gets used to the production level of "Fairy Robe," they will feel that other works are perfunctory when they look back.

More importantly, advertisers don't care about program quality; they only care about ratings and conversion rates. The online-to-e-commerce sales model of "Fairy Robe" immediately attracted everyone's attention.

The team that reacted the most strongly was the production team of their competitor, the show "If You Are the One".

The high ratings for "Fairy Robe" yesterday's premiere were built on the fact that it stole their viewers, and it will definitely steal another wave of viewers today.

As the TV station that was the first to deal with Tianhuo.com, the show's initial explosive popularity was due to the use of Ma Ruo. If it weren't for Wang Yao's reverse operation, Ma Ruo would have basically been a victim of the show.

Even though Ma Ruo later became a ratings guarantee for the show with her "BMW rich lady" persona and diligently performed her duties during filming, the "If You Are the One" production team still did not take the initiative to offer her improved treatment.

It's obvious they didn't take Tianhuo seriously, especially after He Ming disappeared. The person in charge of Jiangsu TV hardly contacted Wang Yao at all. The last time they contacted him was when Ma Ruo's contract expired and she didn't plan to renew it, so the director Wang Gang called to inquire.

However, his words were condescending, and he believed that it was "If You Are the One" that made Ma Ruo famous. Wang Yao's reply was also very polite, saying that the audience should be a little tired of Ma Ruo's character value, and anyway, there is a newcomer, Feng Jiao, to take over.

Wang Gang accepted this statement, after all, Feng Jiao was also one of Wang Yao's main promoted artists, and in terms of qualifications, Feng Jiao was more likely to become popular than Ma Ruo. The May 5.1st episode of "If You Are the One" was also Feng Jiao's debut.

They even spent a lot of money to buy traffic for Feng Jiao. Although she didn't make it onto the trending search list, she was featured on various entertainment portals.

He originally thought Wang Yao would cooperate with the show and give him a big surprise.

But to my utter surprise, the joy turned into a shock.

When did Tianhuo Media start preparing its own variety show? What gives them the right to do so?
When Wang Gang found out that the team behind "Fairy Robe" was actually Tianhuo, he felt a bit overwhelmed. In his memory, Tianhuo was just an artist management, publicity and promotion company. When did they become capable of producing programs?

Moreover, the mystery guest who visited the set in the first episode was Ma Ruo, who had just terminated her contract. She even used "If You Are the One" to gain a lot of traffic through hype, which made him feel more and more that Wang Yao was doing it on purpose.

They deliberately swapped Ma Ruo, who had high traffic and was strongly associated with "If You Are the One," to drive traffic to "Fairy Robe."

Then they passed it on to the newcomer Feng Jiao so they could help promote it.

That guy is really cunning; he's using us, the "If You Are the One" team, as easy targets.
As the current "number one" person in Chinese variety shows, Wang Gang could not tolerate such grievances, but naturally he would not seek an explanation from Wang Yao; he would wait for the other party to take the initiative to admit his mistake.

So that night.

A post appeared on Tianya (a Chinese online forum) claiming to be from a staff member of "If You Are the One," revealing many program categories, the most attention-grabbing of which was Ma Ruo.

The post alleges that Ma Ruo was just an ordinary amateur model before, and that her "rich woman" persona was fabricated. The post also included many old photos of Ma Ruo taken by Meishe, accusing her of having plastic surgery, working as a hostess, and having a chaotic private life.

Incidentally, it was also revealed that Ma Ruo and Feng Jiao are both backed by the same company, and now they're starting to promote Feng Jiao.

The revelation was shared on various social media platforms the next day, and the trending topic "Ma Ruo is a fake rich woman" suddenly appeared on the trending topics lists of major social media platforms, causing a huge stir.

Ma Ruo originally had a lot of haters, but she suppressed them by treating people to meals and giving out freebies in the early stages. But now these people finally have a reason to vent. So Ma Ruo, who was originally an obscure internet celebrity, had no right to be on the trending topics of the World Expo and "Fairy Clothes" but she accidentally caused a stir.

After waking up and seeing the trending topic, Wang Yao couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "That move by the other party was truly ingenious!"

By exploiting Ma Ruo's core controversy over flaunting wealth, the program aims to fuel netizens' resentment towards the rich. With just a little push, it can generate massive traffic, and by involving Feng Jiao, it's all contributing to the viewership of tonight's "If You Are the One" program.

It's clear that Feng Jiao will become the dumping ground for all the negative publicity surrounding the show "If You Are the One." The production team can easily edit her footage to compare her with other female guests, making her the scapegoat for all the negative publicity and facilitating the creation of trending topics.

Because viewers will transfer their hostility towards Ma Ruo to her, which will also have some negative impact on the currently airing drama "Fairy Robe". At least under this influence, "Fairy Robe" will basically not use Ma Ruo as a regular guest, otherwise it will definitely be criticized.

Although Ma Ruo's participation or not will not have a significant impact on the show, this move is indeed quite disgusting.

The other party is a master at generating negative traffic.

Wang Yao knew without a doubt that it was "If You Are the One" that was behind it. Although the whistleblower claimed to be an insider of the show, all the revelations had little impact on the program. The main negative publicity was directed at the guests. In fact, the revelation might even attract some viewers who wanted to verify the authenticity of the revelation to watch the show.

The ratings for tonight's "If You Are the One" are definitely going to be high.

"Mr. Wang, what should we do?" Wang Yao had just arrived at the company when he found Ma Ru squatting anxiously at the office door. She was probably still half asleep when her agent told her the bad news that she had been targeted by a malicious attack.

"That's great news." Wang Yao smiled and patted her shoulder, making her a cup of soy milk. "After several months, you're finally trending again."

"Whoever wants this trending topic can have it. The 'If You Are the One' program team is disgusting. They tried to ruin me last time, and they still want to ruin me even after my contract ended! Do they think I'm made of clay?" Ever since Ma Ruo became famous, Wang Yao has enrolled them in a lot of courses to improve their mental resilience.

However, a person's fundamental personality is difficult to change in a short period of time, and they are still prone to getting carried away.

“If someone goes to such lengths for you, it means you still have value. Besides, when did you ever say you were a rich woman? Isn’t it just the production team and netizens who say that?” Wang Yao asked with a smile.

Ma Ruo was stunned for a moment upon hearing this.

Yes, I didn't create this "rich woman" persona myself.

"So, if it wasn't you who said it, why are you taking it personally?" Wang Yao asked again.

"Oh right, what am I being coy about? They're the ones who should be coy. If they push me too far, I'll expose the whole program script even if it costs me millions. It's not like I can't afford to pay!" Ma Ruo suddenly realized.

Things are different now. Before, she didn't dare to show her teeth because she had no money or capital, but now she has entered the ranks of those earning millions a year, and she still has the right to fight to the death for a moment of pride. That's what change is.

"So, what kind of problem is this?" Wang Yao laughed.

"Won't that have a negative impact on the 'Fairy Robe' program? I should have known better than to join in the fun." Ma Ruo felt a little guilty.

Actually, after experiencing the first wave of smear campaigns, she had already developed immunity to negative rumors. After all, she had weathered such a huge storm, so this little bit of negative news was nothing. The only thing that worried her was the potential impact on "Fairy Robe".

"You don't need to worry about that at all. If the show is affected by just one guest like you, then the show might as well not be made." Wang Yao shook his head dismissively. "But this is indeed a good thing. Now that you've signed an artist contract, it's time to consider the issue of career transition."

Ma Ruo's current business positioning is somewhere between an internet celebrity and a model, but due to her lack of professional skills and talent, it would be a clear disadvantage for her to pursue an acting career like Zhao Yihuan. So even without this trending topic, Wang Yao wanted to find an opportunity to talk to her. "I don't have any ideas, I'll listen to whatever you say, Mr. Wang. You won't let me down," Ma Ruo said with a simple smile.

"What are your own thoughts?" Wang Yao asked.

“I used to have some ideas, but as I became more famous, I realized that my previous ideas were a bit naive and inappropriate. I’ve thought about it seriously and I’m not suited to be an actor or singer. I just don’t have the talent. Now I’m thinking of just making some money honestly, and I’m even considering transitioning to behind-the-scenes work.” Ma Ruo sighed.

She had been considering a career change for some time, enrolling in some acting and singing classes, but eventually discovered that this path was much more difficult than she had imagined.

"I remember you used to be a luxury goods sales associate?" Wang Yao asked.

"I worked there for two months, but I was fired because of poor performance. It was just a little hobby out of vanity at the time," Ma Ruo said somewhat embarrassedly.

“As long as it doesn’t affect others, vanity isn’t a bad thing. So how about this, if you really want to transition to behind-the-scenes work, I have a business I can give you in a while, related to luxury goods. You can study more about the relevant professional knowledge recently.” Wang Yao thought for a moment.

"As long as I can maintain this income, I'll be content." Ma Ruo was delighted to hear this.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely earn more than I do now. Of course, it will be more hard work, but I shouldn't get trending on social media or get criticized." Wang Yao smiled.

"Then I'll leave it to Mr. Wang." Ma Ruo inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't worry about the trending topics, I'll handle it." Wang Yao nodded.

Such one-sided revelations cannot last long without a response. In any case, since Ma Ruo has decided to move behind the scenes, she is in no hurry to deal with it.

I also want to see how much they've invested and how many people actually want "Fairy Robe" to die.

Wang Yao had the e-commerce department compile the sales figures for the brands sponsoring "Fairy Robes" within 12 hours, and finally produced a report on the first broadcast's sales of tens of millions, thanking all the sponsoring brands and publishing it on several mainstream social media platforms.

Currently, all major internet companies are competing in the Weibo arena. In March, NetEase joined, followed by Tencent and Sohu in April. The number of users on these Weibo platforms is estimated to be close to 100 million, which means that a quarter of all internet users are surfing the web on Weibo.

To boost traffic, Pig Farm even offered Wang Yao a signing fee of 1000 million yuan per year to join their platform, since Wang Yao is now considered an absolute top influencer by all male netizens. However, Wang Yao did not accept the offer.

According to Sina's second-quarter forecast, registered users reached 50 million. After surpassing 1.0 million in February, the number nearly tripled in just three months. Moreover, user engagement time is approaching that of established forums like Tianya, indicating that Chinese social media has fully transitioned from the earliest 1.0 BBS era, through the 2.0 SNS and blog era, and entered the 3.0 microblog era.

Wang Yao's e-commerce operation services mainly revolve around the Weibo social media platform, basically covering all brand-verified accounts.

The news that the premiere of "Fairy Robe" boosted e-commerce sales by tens of millions immediately pushed the Weibo accounts of Zhu, Qi, and Sou to the top of the trending searches. This news would drive discussion on the platforms, and even if Wang Yao did not buy anything, they would actively boost traffic.

As the leader, Jiulang did not give Wang Yao any face.

Wang Yao couldn't remember who sent him data, but he remembered perfectly who didn't.

But it doesn't matter, this report isn't for the general public, but for brands and e-commerce users.

Wang Gang, the director of "If You Are the One," waited all day, but the trending topics were all covered, and he didn't receive any response from Tianhuo or Ma Ruo, which made him a little frustrated.

Is it because the trending topics aren't high enough? Or is the scandal not controversial enough?
It wasn't until 9 p.m., when both programs started airing, that Wang Gang felt a little better. Seeing that the peak viewership had dropped back to 3%, at least the money spent on trending topics hadn't been wasted.

"What were the ratings for 'Fairy Robes'?" Wang Gang asked the assistant director after the program ended at 10 o'clock.

"2%." The assistant director confirmed several times before uttering a number that silenced everyone.

"Lower than I expected, it seems the public opinion is having an effect." Wang Gang choked for a moment, trying to console himself.

2%!

This is already a top-rated variety show. If it can maintain this level of success, it will be one of the top three shows this year!

"Director Wang, two advertisers aren't planning to invest in the next installment," the assistant director reported another piece of bad news.

"What's the reason?" Wang Gang asked, frowning.

"They say the conversion isn't working, but I think we might have to switch to 'Fairy Robe'," the assistant director said in a deep voice.

"These two sponsorships aren't a problem; there are plenty of advertisers lining up." Wang Gang paused for a moment, then said dismissively.

He naturally also noticed the news that the premiere of "Fairy Robe" had sold over ten million copies that afternoon.

What an unfamiliar combination!

Variety shows directly boost sales; you might mistake them for TV shopping programs if you didn't know better.

"Do you think we should also connect with some e-commerce clients?" Wang Gang turned and asked again.

"That might be difficult, and sales figures fluctuate, while viewership ratings are stable," the assistant director cautioned.

Advertising exposure is equivalent to a base salary with no responsibility; if you follow the example of "Fairy Robe," then it becomes a base salary with responsibility.

“That’s true. At worst, we can prepare a similar program. There are so many clothing and beauty brands in China.” Wang Gang nodded, but the more he thought about it, the more indignant he became.

I couldn't resist calling Wang Yao.

"Congratulations, Mr. Wang! I heard that 'Fairy Robe' has broken the 2% viewership mark? You really are a silent hero who makes a big splash when you finally do," Wang Gang said, feigning a hearty congratulation.

"Thank you for your support, Director Wang. We are just one of the partners, and it is indeed unexpected that we have achieved this result. However, we still can't compare with 'If You Are the One,' and there is still a lot to learn," Wang Yao said modestly.

“We’re all family. Litchi TV and Tianhuo have always been partners. Why didn’t they think of collaborating with us back then?” Wang Gang said with a smile. He is not only the chief planner but also an internal manager at the station.

"Actually, I sent you a demo back then, but we didn't get a response. It wasn't just you, but also other TV stations like Hunan TV. In the end, we only managed to get it on Shanghai TV through connections," Wang Yao said truthfully.

"You should have called me directly back then. I didn't even receive the message. It's such a missed opportunity," Wang Gang sighed.

"Actually, I called, but you didn't answer," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Huh? I've probably been too busy lately and haven't noticed." Wang Gang paused for a moment, then laughed, "Anyway, on behalf of all my colleagues, I welcome Mr. Wang to the variety show industry. From now on, we're all in the same boat, so we can share what we have."

This variety show category seems simple, but it's actually more complex than TV dramas. The lower the barrier to entry, the easier it is to fail. Even a small problem can lead to the show being canceled. If you ever have any questions about the show, Mr. Wang, feel free to ask me for advice.

Wang Yao seemed to sense the threat in the other person's words.

"I will definitely learn from Director Wang and ask him for advice," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Actually, your program isn't really suited for the 9 PM weekend slot. Niche programs might have some novelty at first, but they generally lose their appeal later on. Besides, the main audience in China is middle-aged."

"I suggest you move to the weekend afternoon slot. There's less competition, and it's mostly young people or teenagers there," Wang Gang suggested, seemingly sincerely.

But when combined with the preceding sentence, it becomes quite obvious.

He did not want "Fairy Robe" to be broadcast at the same time as "If You Are the One".

“The 9 o’clock slot is indeed too crowded with competition. I will seriously consider Director Wang’s suggestion.” Wang Yao squinted his eyes, his tone sincere.

Wang Gang didn't expect Wang Yao to be so perceptive, and then, in the tone of an elder, he imparted some 'experience' to Wang Yao.

Wang Yao expressed his humbly acceptance and murmured after hanging up the phone.

"This time slot is indeed a bit too crowded."

(End of this chapter)