How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 94 It Won't Be a Trap [10,000-word Update, Please Subscribe]

2010 was probably the most fulfilling year for Chinese netizens.

From before the Lunar New Year to after, this news kept coming one after another.

Each one is more addictive than the last, each one more exciting than the last!
Immersed in various platforms every day, navigating discussions, netizens feel like they are emperors.

Why are there so many memorials every day that I need to review and consider?
But I really enjoyed it.

Because of Jackie Chan's negative publicity, even though "Big Soldier" was a major film promoted during the Spring Festival, major cinemas had to quietly reduce its screenings.

The biggest beneficiary is naturally the one who is most interested in "All Love". Because they fell in love quickly, coupled with Yang Ying's positive image on Myspace, their popularity and reputation have increased significantly.

Huayi was very happy and made a special call to Ren Quan to say that the annual contract was worthwhile. However, he suggested that next time they were going to make news like this, they should notify them in advance, otherwise they might be caught off guard.

After all, the relationship between Yang Ying and Huang Xiaoming could easily be mistaken for something else.

The unpredictable changes on the internet during this period have indeed had a significant impact on these old guys. Faced with this new type of media, they are finding themselves somewhat powerless.

Making movies used to be so simple. As long as there were enough press releases and the box office figures were hyped up enough, you could keep attracting audiences.

But things seem different now. Any inappropriate part of the film, such as the involvement of any actor or even the plot, can ruin the entire production due to the spread of information and public opinion on the internet.

The influence of traditional media seems to be slowly fading, but the influence of new media is just too great, and the reaction is too fast. It can be said that news is released in the morning and has a real impact in the afternoon. The speed at which netizens follow the trend is comparable to that of seasoned stock market investors.

This is like treating the film industry like the stock market.

Previously, only earth-shattering incidents could drive a big shot like Jackie Chan to desperation, but now, a single post and a group of netizens, or even a trivial affair, can affect a movie's box office.

This is no longer just a matter of public opinion.

It can almost be described as a situation where a single outburst of anger could terrify the feudal lords, and a peaceful existence could bring tranquility to the world.

This sudden instability is enough to make them nervous, and they really need to be more careful in selecting films and actors in the future.

Ren Quan made a special call to gossip with Wang Yao.

"Great! This is the first time I've seen Lao Wang be so humble." Ren Quan couldn't hide his joy.

"So they're planning to sign Yang Ying?" Wang Yao raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing this.

"Huang Xiaoming was already strongly recommending her, and now that Yang Ying has such a good persona, they're not stupid. But, why do I see your shadow in Yang Ying's remarks?" Ren Quan came back to his senses.

“Zhou Yougen’s company is ready to be acquired by Tianhuo Media.” Wang Yao smiled.

"Tsk, I knew it, there's no such thing as a coincidence." Ren Quan slapped his thigh.

"Has the 'Big Soldier' ​​team contacted you?" Wang Yao asked.

“Someone in Berna is testing the waters, but it hasn’t officially reached me yet. I guess they’re still trying to struggle, or they haven’t realized what’s going on yet?” Ren Quan chuckled. “But you’ve really put Big Brother in the eye of the storm this time.”

Ren Quan is a kind-hearted person who participated in the TV series "The Myth" and has a good relationship with Jackie Chan.

"It wasn't me, it was him. If he didn't do it, what can I do to him? Brother Quan, we're not paparazzi who fabricate gossip for publicity; we're just conveyors of objective facts."

It's simply bringing what has already happened into the public eye for discussion. After all, the money celebrities earn includes the portion that is discussed by the public. They can't just enjoy the public's adoration without bearing the public's judgment, can they? Otherwise, are they celebrities or emperors?
"When something goes wrong, it's a private matter; when it's time to make money, you're a public figure. Celebrities can't be so flexible in playing both sides," Wang Yao chuckled.

"Cough cough, thankfully I've already semi-retired. I plan to focus on running the company this year and stop showing my face in public. This industry will definitely get harder and harder to navigate in the future," Ren Quan sighed.

"If you haven't done anything wrong, what are you afraid of?" Wang Yao joked.

"Are you collaborating with Myspace?" Ren Quan asked curiously.

Recently, almost all the news from the [Women's Supporters Association] has been released through this platform. This platform has emerged as a dark horse since Sina Weibo shut down. The second most popular platform is Weibo, which has benefited from the popularity of Qu Shou.

Ren Quan was a smart man, so he could naturally see the connection.

"We took over their operational projects, but it doesn't conflict with Kanpianer.com," Wang Yao did not deny.

"Director Hu asked me to remind you not to get too entangled," Ren Quan advised.

"Don't worry," Wang Yao replied.

"The New Year is over, when are you coming back? I've prepared a small gift for you." Ren Quan changed the subject.

Kanpianer.com now boasts a user base of millions, with an average of nearly 100,000 daily active users and several million daily page views (PVs), making it arguably the most active film and television forum currently available.

More importantly, the daily online box office revenue has stabilized at 200 million yuan, with more than 5 tickets sold every day. Although this is due to the Spring Festival season, if this trend can be maintained, the website will have a significant impact on the entire film industry.

Ren Quan naturally knew who was the most important person behind all these achievements.

"It'll be soon, in the next day or two." Wang Yao had almost finished dealing with the matter in Korea and ended the call with Ren Quan.

Wang Yao returned to the private room.

Today is the post-Lunar New Year company dinner in Korea. Wang Yao, the major shareholder behind the scenes, also brought Ni Ni and Gulnazar to join the dinner.

The main reason is that Ni Ni and the others grew up influenced by the Korean wave and are very interested in girl groups, so they clamored to join. Today, Li Rongyu also invited the members of "Invincible Youth" to the dinner party.

Kim Ji-won wasn't there; after the Lunar New Year, her manager took her to Shanghai to get used to the environment.

Wang Yao was specially placed in the girl group by Li Rongyu, a green oasis amidst a sea of ​​beauties.

Places with lots of girls tend to be noisy. Unlike the occasional bursts of noise at boys' gatherings, girls seem to have an endless supply of topics to discuss, and they can seamlessly chat about different things at the same table.

Perhaps this is a girl's natural talent for leapfrog thinking.

Wang Yao felt like he couldn't hear enough of them all.

The girls were also curious about this unfamiliar boy of the same age, especially since people like Kang Ho-dong and Lee Yong-woo treated him differently.

Korean girl groups all start receiving industry training from junior high school. Debuting at eighteen or nineteen is practically considered being a veteran with five or six years of experience in the industry. Although they may not be very mature yet, their ability to read people is definitely not bad.

They knew perfectly well that Wang Yao's identity was definitely not simple, so they treated him with special care.

"Sunny unnie, how many copies of your album have you sold? Have you broken 20 yet?" Goo Hara of Kara asked curiously.

"Probably not. We sold 150,000 on the first day, but sales slowed down afterward. What about you? 100,000?" Lee Soon-kyu sipped his sake, his eyes glancing at Wang Yao and Song Qian beside him.

"No way, I'd be so grateful if I could get 100,000 next month," Goo Hara sighed.

"Are you two trying to annoy us? We don't even have a new album this month, and the company is already planning to make two new songs and add them to the first album for re-release. Isn't that just exploiting our fans?" Park Hyomin said with a mournful face.

"Your company really doesn't treat its fans like human beings," Wang Yao couldn't help but exclaim.

Park Hyo-min blushed, feeling somewhat embarrassed for the company.

"Oppa, have you heard our songs in China?" Goo Hara asked, taking the initiative to strike up a conversation.

“Our company has many of your fans,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Then I'll give you a few autographed copies. You can have them help us promote this in China," Goo Hara said with a grin.

Korean idols have a near-muscle memory for this; they never miss a single opportunity to promote themselves.

“Great, I can buy a batch later as company benefits.” Wang Yao nodded.

“Mr. Wang, don’t be biased. I personally signed many of these for you,” Lee Soon-kyu interjected.

She is the niece of Lee Soo-man from SM Entertainment, so she knows a lot about Wang Yao's background.

“I also help your company make a lot of money, with at least tens of millions in royalties every month,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Wow? The royalties alone are this much? What are you selling, oppa?" Goo Hara and Park Hyomin's eyes lit up instantly.

“These small cards.” Wang Yao found a picture in his album.

“Tens of millions every month, but when it comes to me, I only get about a million. Hmm, enough for coffee, I guess,” Lee Soon-kyu said with a grin.

"Sunny unnie is so extravagant, she drinks more coffee every month than I earn." Before she was transformed into a sexy wild horse, the introverted and shy Kim HyunA timidly complained.

One million Korean won is roughly a few thousand yuan. A cup of coffee in Korea costs about five thousand Korean won (20 yuan). Koreans, especially those in girl groups, drink at least four cups a day during their work, and occasionally they have to treat others. So, coffee costs a lot of money every month.

It's not that the coffee is expensive, but rather that Hyuna's group is currently too poor, and the exploitation of idols by Goryeo is indeed quite outrageous. A 37% revenue split is considered a fair deal for a company, while newcomers are even split at 19% or 28%.
“I bought the copyright to Hyuna’s music video. I might get a lot more money next month.” Wang Yao glanced at her.

HyunA has just gone solo and released a life-changing album, "Change," which sparked the "pelvic dance" style in Korea, making her the originator of all subsequent borderline dances.

It was because of the style of this album that Kim HyunA became popular, which led her to pursue a sexy career path that she didn't like.

However, it must be admitted that these Korean idols who have made it this far do indeed have a terrifying obsession in their bones, and they can completely distort their own personalities through brainwashing.

Of course, the price was also very high; in the end, they all went astray.

The inability to express oneself properly, coupled with prolonged repression and coercion, can lead one's soul towards nihilism. "Really? I have fans in China too?!" Kim Hyun-ah's eyes widened upon hearing this.

"Yes, there are some." Wang Yao smiled.

"Wuhu, take off, little sister! You can treat us to coffee next month!" Lee Soon-kyu praised.

"No, I don't have money, but I have money to use!" Kim Hyun-ah said confidently.

"Did President Wang buy our copyright? Do we have fans in China?" Park Hyo-min asked curiously.

"I'd like to buy it, but your company president isn't selling it." Wang Yao scratched his head.

He did ask Lee Yong-woo to help with the copyright of Tara, but the president of the company directly refused.

"Huh? But that's normal, our president is a very closed-off person." A hint of embarrassment and indignation flashed in Park Hyomin's eyes.

After chatting for a bit, they seemed to have opened up. They were very curious about the girl group members who had experienced a distorted history since childhood. When they heard that Wang Yao gave his models at least 46% of the profits, they all drooled with envy.

"President Wang is so generous," the women exclaimed in unison.

A score of 46 is probably only achievable by top groups like Super Junior, Super Junior, and Girls' Generation in China.

"By the way, President Wang, is Han Geng's career development and treatment very good after returning to China?" Lee Soon-kyu asked with a smile.

Song Qian, who was chatting with Ni Ni, suddenly became nervous.

"As far as I know, it's pretty good. She even got shares in the company, probably worth several hundred million, and her annual revenue in China is estimated to be several billion Korean won," Wang Yao said deliberately, glancing at her.

After returning to China, Han Geng joined Moonflower Entertainment. The company's owner, Du Hua, is rumored to have started the company specifically for Han Geng. A few years prior, when Han Geng was dating Li Xiaolu, Xiaolu, feeling sorry for her brother's hardships in Korea, recommended him to Du Hua, who wanted to start her own business.

After more than a year of contact, Du Hua finally saw Han Geng's commercial value in China and secured investment from a second-generation rich kid. In the end, they founded Yuehua Entertainment and signed Wanrenmi, who had been abandoned by Chengtian Entertainment. When signing Han Geng, they gave him a lot of shares and also absorbed the star-making system of Korea.

The once lively dinner table instantly fell silent.

Han Geng's contract termination is almost the hottest news in the idol industry recently, even more so than the disbandment of TVXQ. They have been discussing behind the scenes how much money China could make to make Han Geng give up such a promising future.

But hearing Wang Yao say that still shocked them.

With annual revenues of billions, even top male actors would find it hard to achieve that. China is so rich!

"Well, congratulations to him then." Lee Soon-kyu's lips twitched slightly.

Girls' Generation's total revenue last year was close to 60 billion won, which is almost the ceiling. Moreover, it was achieved by all nine of them working themselves to the bone all year round without a break. But now that they hear that Han Geng alone can achieve this revenue, they are instantly a bit mentally broken.

"If Girls' Generation is willing to switch companies, I can offer similar terms," ​​Wang Yao joked.

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's eyes first focused on Lee Soon-kyu's face, after all, she was a relative of SM Entertainment, and then fell on Wang Yao's face.

I never expected him to be so capable. It turns out he's from a chaebol family. No wonder senior Kang Ho-dong had to curry favor with him.

"Okay, President Wang, pinky promise. If I ever can't make it in this industry, I'll come to you." Lee Soon-kyu squinted and smiled, extending his hand in an attempt to ease the tension.

Unexpectedly, Wang Yao reached out and hooked his little finger with hers, saying, "Okay, it's a deal."

"Unnie, I will report your betrayal of the organization to Yuri unnie truthfully," Kim HyunA threatened in a low voice.

"Then you're dead meat." Lee Soon-kyu smiled wickedly.

Laughter and cheerful conversation returned to the dining table, as if the previous chat had never happened, but everyone was secretly plotting something.

When Wang Yao finally left, he found several extra notes in his pocket with their personal contact information written on them.

"Mr. Wang, you're really making things even more dangerous for us migrant workers in South Korea," Song Qian said with a wry smile as she saw Wang Yao off.

The controversy surrounding Han Geng's contract termination caused a huge uproar, especially among those still working in Korea, who were almost all negatively impacted.

"This is just the beginning. There will be more and more in the future. Korea is a place that can nurture people, but it is difficult to develop them. I heard that your company will also have a new boy group debuting next year?" Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Yes, I have a few junior brothers, and they're quite outstanding." Song Qian nodded.

"And more importantly, can you handle the strange social culture of Goryeo?" Wang Yao asked with a smile.

Song Qian fell silent.

“We always say that the entertainment industry in China is chaotic, but compared to this place, it’s much cleaner. Actually, I need a partner in Korea to act as a spokesperson.” Wang Yao suppressed his smile.

"Huh?" Song Qian was taken aback, staring wide-eyed, somewhat confused.

"Have you been surfing lately? Have you heard of the [Women's Supporters Association]?" Wang Yao asked.

"Of course, I've been so caught up in all this gossip lately that I'm dizzy. My mom calls me every day to ask if I'm being bullied here, and if so, she tells me I can go to this organization." Song Qian said, both amused and exasperated.

“That’s certainly possible.” Wang Yao smiled. “The plight of women in Korea is even more brutal. I hope to gather materials through typical cases from Korea to expand the international influence of the Women’s Aid Association. So, Ms. Song, have you ever thought about being an unsung hero?”

"Huh?" Song Qian was stunned.

and many more.

I'm just a working idol!
The atmosphere here makes it feel like we've been given a spy mission in a time of crisis.
"If you discover anything around you that you find unpleasant or unbearable, feel free to let me know. You might just accidentally become a hero who saves the world." Wang Yao's smile was particularly genuine under the moonlight.

When Song Qian returned to her dormitory, she still felt a little dizzy.

Wang Yao didn't say anything, but it seemed like he said everything.

It was almost midnight, and the younger girls were all asleep. Song Qian tiptoed to the study, turned on the computer, and began browsing information about the Women's Supporters Association on Myspace.

The more he looked, the more complicated his expression became.

Myspace now has over 100,000 registered members, and its daily activity is extremely high, almost ten times the daily active pageviews of a similar number of members. Moreover, its information is easily accepted by women.

Song Qian is not someone who likes to read the news or surf the internet, but on this platform, she unknowingly watched until dawn.

"Oh, unnie, why are you up so early?" Choi Sulli, who got up early, passed by the study and asked Song Qian in confusion.

Looking at Cui Xueli's face, Song Qian's eyes, which had been glazed over from staying up all night, gradually focused.

"Sherry, have you been going to church lately?"

On his last day in Korea, Wang Yao had a meal with Kim Beom-joo of Kakao.

The investment in Kakao was signed before the Lunar New Year. The $264 million plus technology joint venture was exchanged for a 49% stake, making Kakao the second largest shareholder. We're just waiting to see how it performs after the software goes live in March.

Zhou Cong and his mother Luo Yan have already gone to Shanghai ahead of schedule to prepare for the start of the new year's work.

Ni Ni and Nazha boarded a plane to Beijing. Nazha was preparing for the entrance exam for the Beijing Film Academy, while Ni Ni was also going to Beijing to participate in the training for the film crew of "The Flowers of War".

Wang Yao, on the other hand, wanted to take a trip around the capital to see if there was anyone he was destined to meet.

After landing, Ren Quan personally came to pick them up from the airport, since they were now on his territory.

"Good brother, you're finally back." Ren Quan had gained a lot of weight after the New Year.

"Brother Quan looks much better," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"People are in high spirits when they have good things happening. Thanks to my brother, I'm now a pillar of strength. Come on, let's get in the car and talk." Ren Quan led them into the van.

We chatted about our recent situations along the way, but there wasn't much talk about work, probably because Ni Ni and others were there.

After settling Ni Ni and the others in the hotel, Wang Yao went with Ren Quan to attend the welcome banquet.

"Ah Yao is back." Hu Mei, who hadn't seen him for over a month, greeted him at the door.

"Happy New Year, Director Hu. There's nothing good from Korea, so I brought back some tonics." Wang Yao presented the gift.

"You're too kind. We have everything we need." Hu Mei smiled and accepted the gift, leading him into the antique-style villa.

This location and style suggest that it was once the private residence of a prince, which was later bought and converted into a private villa. The owner must have been someone of extraordinary status.

"This is Elder Wang, he's from the same clan as you." Hu Mei led him into the main hall and pointed to an elderly man in a Tang suit sitting at the head of the table.

"As expected of a young talent, please have a seat." Old Wang smiled kindly and waved to Wang Yao.

"Hello, Mr. Wang." Wang Yao was taken aback for a moment.

This scene and this outfit clearly belong to a powerful figure who can't be mentioned.

Could this be a trap?
　Chapter 91 was locked yesterday, but it's been released now. Readers who haven't read it yet can skip back and read it now.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)