Chinese entertainment industry has been booming since 2008.

Chapter 186 What's it to you?

While Zhang Yang was fast asleep, the internet was already in an uproar.

The hashtags Zhang Yang kicked someone, Yan Yalun pushed a fan, Yan Yalun's bodyguard assaulted someone, and the responsibility that the entertainment industry should have, etc., went viral online late at night.

Especially as people at the scene kept uploading photos and blurry videos taken with their phones, the night owls who were just watching the show went crazy with laughter.

When a Weibo account named "Level 8 Gale" posted a blurry 23-second video, Yan Yalun stood with an icy expression. In front of him, a thin girl and a well-built older woman were sitting on the ground. Then, Zhang Yang rushed out and kicked her. Finally, the camera tilted sharply upwards, and the video abruptly ended.

The caption was just three words: "Holy crap! Awesome!"

This Weibo post from Xinlang was forwarded over 10,000 times within ten minutes, and the comments below were also numerous.

"This kick brought out a belated sense of justice in the Chinese entertainment industry!"

"I'm a fan now! Zhang Yang is a real man; this is how you deal with trash who lays hands on your fans!"

"The point isn't kicking people, it's standing up for vulnerable fans!"

"The entertainment industry has suffered from arrogant celebrities for far too long! Zhang Yang did a great job!"

"What does it mean to take responsibility? This is responsibility! Protecting your supporters is the most basic bottom line for an artist!"

Of course, there were also Yan Yalun's fans who came to defend him.

"Hitting someone is wrong no matter what! Zhang Yang's actions constitute violence!"

"Abu was just too tired and in a bad mood at the time, and it was completely an accident!"

"The video was maliciously edited! Someone is trying to harm our brother!"

"Zhang Yang is a piece of trash, a horny male dog!"

Some netizens who like to be impartial also talked about it at length.

"Putting aside fandom affiliations, to be fair: it's a fact that Yan Yalun pushed someone first, and it's also a fact that he was indifferent. Zhang Yang's behavior was excessive, but there was a reason for it. Both sides have problems, but Yan Yalun's problem is more fundamental—he forgot who his benefactors are."

"Am I the only one who noticed that pretty lady who rushed over to help? She looks like an actress? So brave!"

"As a complete bystander, this scene is more entertaining than any variety show, but after laughing, it's a bit sad. The most basic right and wrong have to be demonstrated through 'violence begets violence'?"

When Zhang Yang woke up, it was already 8 o'clock.

He reached for his phone on the bedside table, and lo and behold, dozens of missed calls.

Zhang Yang rubbed his temples, showing little surprise. After checking who had called, he put down his phone, walked to the window, and drew back the curtains.

Sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, casting a bright spot on Zhang Yang's face. He squinted, fully waking up.

The phone was still vibrating in my palm, its heat radiating through the casing.

At this time, major portal websites also began to follow up on the Zhang Yang and Yan Yalun incident, and some busybodies began to compile a timeline,

After analyzing videos and interviewing eyewitnesses, a series of related articles sprang up like mushrooms after rain.

"The Alienation of the Relationship Between Idols and Fans in the Chinese Entertainment Industry: A Case Study of Zhang Yang's Flying Kick"

Violence is unacceptable, but indifference is even more hurtful: On the professional ethics of entertainers

A conflict revealed two faces in the entertainment industry.

Zhang Yang's "Impulsiveness" and Yan Yalun's "Calmness": Which is More Terrifying?

Zhang Yang stretched comfortably, and his phone rang again. This time it was Sun Yu calling.

"Mr. Zhang, the public relations team is all set!"

What's the trend online?

"The opinions are polarized, but more than 70% of the voices support you, and the comment section of your Xinlang Weibo is almost bursting!"

'

Sun Yu's answer wasn't too unexpected for Zhang Yang. After thinking for a moment, Zhang Yang asked, "Has Yan Yalun made any moves?"

"He hasn't made any public statement yet, but his fans are frantically controlling the comments, saying that you injured him and sent him to the hospital. They even posted photos that looked like they were from the hospital, but I had someone check and the photos are from last year."

"Have the PR team monitor the online sentiment and release the full video if necessary."

After saying that, Zhang Yang added, "Watch the pace, don't condemn everything at once."

"clear!"

The phone vibrated again as soon as I hung up.

Looking at the name displayed on his phone screen, Zhang Yang raised an eyebrow slightly.

Han Shanping.

This person never visits the temple without a reason.

Pressing the answer button, Zhang Yang said with a smile, "President Han, what brings you here to call me?"

Han Shanping's voice was deep and calm: "Xiao Zhang, I've heard about what happened last night."

"I'm sorry you had to see this."

"Please excuse my poor appearance?"

Han Shanping chuckled and said earnestly, "I think you did something that many people wanted to do but didn't dare to."

Zhang Yang didn't respond to that; he didn't want to be the one sticking his neck out.

"This industry is sometimes too rule-bound, so rule-bound that it forgets the most basic principle: to be a decent person, you must first have the manners to be a decent human being. What you said to your fans was very well said."

"You're too kind."

Han Shanping didn't respond to Zhang Yang's words, but instead changed the subject: "Little Zhang, with that kick you out, some doors might be closed to you."

Zhang Yang understood what he meant. The entertainment industry is a complex web of connections, and Yan Yalun also has capital and influence behind him. What happened tonight is destined to make some people hold a grudge.

Zhang Yang calmly said, "If one door closes, just kick open a new one. What this industry has in abundance is doors."

Han Shanping's hearty laughter came from the other end of the phone: "Good, that's the Zhang Yang I know. Since you're so open-minded, I have nothing to worry about."

After exchanging a few more casual words, Han Shanping hung up the phone.

Zhang Yang could understand Han Shanping's phone call. After all, Zhang Yang was currently the most capable director in Chinese-language films. If Zhang Yang were to be removed from his position, then with such a significant drop in box office revenue this year, who would he turn to for justice?

Zhang Yang let out a sigh of relief and called home again, followed by Liu Yifei, Jing Tian, ​​and others. By the time everything was finished, it was already past 10 o'clock.

Zhang Yang ate a rather late breakfast and then received a call from Fan Bingbing.

"Zhang Yang, you could have stayed out of it last night. You could have let security handle it or issued a statement afterwards. That would have been much safer than taking action yourself."

"Sister Bingbing, the method you mentioned is reliable, but I don't want to become a numb and indifferent person who can't just watch something wrong happen and choose to turn a blind eye."

Zhang Yang spoke with righteous indignation, but only he knew the truth.

Seeing Fan Bingbing remain silent, Zhang Yang continued, "My kick last night wasn't just out of anger, but to make people in the industry understand that there are some bottom lines that cannot be crossed."

Fan Bingbing:

While Zhang Yang was showing off to Fan Bingbing on the phone, the online discussion about Zhang Yang kicking Yan Yalun became even more heated.

At noon, Yan Yalun's team issued an apology statement, using cautious wording, saying, "We sincerely apologize for the accidental physical contact with fans due to the chaos at the scene," and promised to compensate the fans who were present that night.

The statement made no mention of Zhang Yang, nor of the specific details of the shoving incident.

An hour later, Zhang Yang's studio issued a brief response: "We accept the apology and hope that this will serve as a lesson. The virtue of an artist lies in respect."

It remains ambiguous, yet leaves ample room for imagination.

Neither statement quelled the controversy, and the full video began circulating online.

Although the key parts of the video are slightly blurry, the process of Yan Yalun pushing the girl away, Zhang Tong being pulled and staggering, and Zhang Yang kicking her is fully presented.

Now, Zhang Yang's fans have been empowered, and their fighting power has exploded.

"This is what an idol should be like!"

"I'm a fan now! Zhang Yang is so cool!"

"Aaron Yan, get out of the entertainment industry!"

Similar comments flooded related posts on major portal websites.

Despite Yan Yalun's fans' best efforts to control the comments, they gradually lost their strength in the face of overwhelming public opinion.

On the afternoon of New Year's Day, Li Zhen from Dolphin TV called me.

Zhang Yang could hear the weariness and helplessness in his tone: "Director Zhang, the station held a meeting this morning. Originally, Yan Yalun had three variety shows in talks and two endorsements pending signing, but now GG has withdrawn from all of them, and the variety shows have also fallen through. The station is worried about the impact on future cooperation, so it has decided to suspend all projects with him."

The entertainment industry is a harsh and fast-paced place.

Zhang Yang didn't think there was anything wrong with it; people always have to pay the price for what they've done.

"Thank you so much, Director Li, for mediating on my behalf. Thanks to you, our company's next TV series will still be shown to Dolphin TV."

Having received Zhang Yang's assurance, Li Zhen felt that all his previous efforts had not been in vain.

"Thanks."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Yang went to his computer desk, turned on the computer, and logged into Xinlang Weibo.

In an instant, my private messages exploded.

Zhang Yang ignored all of this. The next second, a pop-up window appeared. Zhang Yang clicked on it and saw that it was a statement from Yan Yalun's agency.

"In light of the negative impact of the recent events, and after consultation with the artist himself, it has been decided to suspend all of Aaron Yan's entertainment activities for a period of deep reflection..."

""

Fans of Zhang Yang and Yan Yalun engaged in a fierce online battle, reporting each other, controlling comments, and exchanging negative images, creating a chaotic online atmosphere.

Because Zhang Yang has many fans and occupies the moral high ground, he has caused Yan Yalun's fans to suffer repeated defeats.

In the afternoon, a reputable media outlet published a lengthy article titled "What Did This Kick Wake Up?"

The article does not take sides, but calmly analyzes the deep-seated problems in the industry reflected in the incident: the arrogance of some artists who are not worthy of their positions, and the public's deep desire for "truth" and "responsibility".

The article concludes: "Zhang Yang's approach may be debatable, but the person he defended—the ordinary girl who was treated indifferently by her idol—deserves everyone's empathy. Yan Yalun's indifference may have had its circumstances, but it violated the public's basic bottom line of respect and gratitude."

The greatest value of this farce is perhaps that it forces everyone to re-examine: What kind of idols do we really need? And how should idols treat those who have supported them?

This article was quickly reprinted by major media outlets, almost setting the tone for the entire discussion of the incident.

The promotion of "The Myth" had already sparked a lot of discussion. After all, Hu Ge is a very popular young actor in the Chinese entertainment industry, and with the support of the big brother Long, the TV series "The Myth" can be said to have received a lot of attention.

However, the news about Zhang Yang and Yan Yalun immediately attracted the attention of the audience, so much so that everyone started discussing Zhang Yang and Yan Yalun. As for "The Myth", apart from Hu Ge's fans, almost no one discussed it.

This really worried Brother Hu, but even if he had a hundred times the courage, he wouldn't dare to criticize Zhang Yang.

On New Year's Day 2010, Zhang Yang thought he would spend it alone in the hotel, but unexpectedly, he received a call from Yang Mi.

Okay, Zhang Yang forgot, Yang Mi is a girl from Beijing, a local.

Zhang Yang didn't dare wait for Yang Mi at the hotel. After thinking it over, he decided to meet her at the club.

What?

Is the club closed for the holiday?

Please, don't you even look where you are?

As the saying goes, cows moo, horses neigh, but cows and horses can only shout.

So, even during holidays, like Chinese New Year, the club will not close.

Upon arriving at the club, Zhang Yang gave the doorman his reserved private room number and was led to the room.

Seeing that Yang Mi hadn't arrived, Zhang Yang ordered some food and drinks, and started eating on his own without waiting for Yang Mi.

Just as Zhang Yang was enjoying his meal, the waiter brought Yang Mi inside, and then, understanding the situation, closed the door and left.

Yang Mi took off her baseball cap and mask, revealing what was hidden underneath... a tender beef square.

Zhang Yang always felt something was off about Yang Mi's face.

Staring at Zhang Yang with a somewhat strange gaze, Yang Mi asked in confusion, "Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something dirty on my face? That's impossible. I checked myself carefully before I came out."

"Honey, has anyone told you that your face looks a bit like a 'tender beef square'?"

Tender Beef Wrap?

Yang Mi was stunned at first, then she got angry.

Yang Mi admitted that her face was indeed a bit square, but even so, does that mean you can say that?

Da Mimi ignored Zhang Yang's teasing and snorted, "Director Zhang, don't you have a conscience talking about me like that?"

Knowing he was in the wrong, Zhang Yang picked up a glass of water and said, "I'll punish myself with a glass first. Later, I'll accept whatever amount you want me to drink as an apology."

Yang Mi rolled her eyes at Zhang Yang, annoyed. "Director Zhang, isn't this a bit too perfunctory? A glass of water is all you're going to do to apologize?"

Zhang Yang feigned surprise: "So what else do you want? Do you want me to dance for you?"

"Dancing is out of the question. How about you write me another song, Director Zhang?"

Looking at Yang Mi's burning gaze, Zhang Yang smiled and said, "I think your face is too square. Why don't you get two wisdom teeth removed? That will make your face look smaller."

"Director Zhang, does having your wisdom teeth removed really make your face smaller?"

Zhang Yang said very seriously, "Yes, there is scientific evidence to support this."

"If I have four teeth pulled, won't I end up with a skinny, pointy face?"

Yang Mi's words left Zhang Yang speechless: "What do you need a V-shaped face for? Do you want to use your chin as a bottle opener?"

Yang Mi thought Zhang Yang was terrible at conversation. It was only because Zhang Yang was a world-renowned director that she wouldn't even give him a second glance; otherwise, she would be a dog.

"What kind of look is that?"

Looking at Yang Mi, Zhang Yang felt a mix of emotions.

Although Yang Mi has been criticized by many people, to be fair, she is definitely one of the most outstanding people in the entertainment industry. In particular, most of the celebrities who play their own games in the entertainment industry have learned from Yang Mi.

"What are you looking at!"

"If you dare look at me again, I'll let you look all you want."

"7

Zhang Yang:

Having eaten until he was half full, Zhang Yang decided to savor the honey-glazed abalone that Yang Mi had brought.