Huayu Entertainment: The Birth of a Succubus Top Star

With seven days left until the first day of the Lunar New Year, the promotional campaign for "The Swordsman" has officially entered its final sprint.

The PR team internally referred to the coming week as the "Seven Days of Hell," setting a strict schedule.

We release at least one major piece of material every day, with the entire production team working around the clock, conducting interviews and visiting major companies in turn to ensure that we consistently occupy more than two spots on the trending topics list every day.

At 10:00 AM, the trailer for the final battle of [Escort Mission] was released on all platforms.

The two-and-a-half-minute trailer, without any extra dialogue, opens with a vast desert landscape, showing a lone rider slowly moving forward, his long sword dragging across the sand, carving out a long furrow.

The camera switches rapidly, bombarding the viewer with a series of intense fight scenes: close-quarters combat, sword clashes, rooftop chases, and life-or-death battles on horseback.

Abandoning the excessive use of slow motion and the absence of fancy suspended wire work, every punch and kick collision carries a heavy weight.

A fist slams down, scattering yellow sand; blades clash, blood droplets trace arcs in the sunlight, and the muffled thud of bones colliding clearly conveys a chilling pain.

The trailer ends with a stunning scene: Gu Zhiyan, covered in blood, stands under the setting sun, his hands gripping a long sword tightly, his voice calm and resolute: "The dart is here, and I am here."

The screen suddenly went black, and the subtitles slowly appeared: "On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the courier service begins in the desert."

Within just one hour of its release, the trailer garnered over five million views on Bilibili, with a dense barrage of comments like "Explosive!" and "Holy crap!" sparking heated discussions among netizens.

"As a long-time viewer who has watched Hong Kong action films for thirty years, to be honest, this fight scene is genuine. The power of close-range throws and the angle of long sword parries are not something that can be achieved in a short period of time. It would be difficult to complete without years of martial arts foundation. The fact that Gu Zhiyan can achieve this level of skill across different fields can only mean that he has put in a lot of hard work and training."

"I just rushed to finish editing the analysis video. The action design of 'The Swordsman' is full of homages, blending close combat from 'Fist of Legend', long weapon duels from 'Once Upon a Time in China', and desert chases from 'New Dragon Gate Inn.' Master Eight has poured almost all of his martial arts experience into this work."

"I originally planned to watch a comedy during the Spring Festival, but now I'm completely swayed. This trailer is too impactful."

"There's nothing to hesitate about. Just watch Yan Ge's movies without thinking, you can't go wrong."

"Ahhh, Xiao Yan is so handsome! I can't wait to see it! Can it be released soon?"

In the afternoon, the theme song music video was simultaneously released on major platforms.

Gu Zhiyan sang "Passing By the World," a song with a desolate and expansive melody. The chorus incorporated operatic singing, and the camera panned out the various aspects of life in the Western Regions at the end of the Sui Dynasty.

Lone swordsmen, street vendors, courtesans, officials, and displaced people piece together a turbulent and chaotic world of martial arts.

At the end of the music video, a line of small text quietly appears: "Heroes rise and fall with the times; once you enter the world of martial arts, time flies by."

[The Guardians of the Blood Brothers Final Trailer: Hardcore Action Scenes]

[Gu Zhiyan's "The Bodyguard" Theme Song: Passing By the World]

The two terms quickly rose to the top of the trending search list, and their popularity continued to grow.

Gu Zhiyan plunged into a packed promotional schedule, embarking on the most intensive interviewing period of her career.

At 9:00 AM on February 11th, the Sina Entertainment exclusive interview took place as scheduled.

The reporter asked, "Was there immense pressure sparring with Wu Jing on the same stage?"

Gu Zhiyan smiled frankly: "There is definitely pressure. Brother Jing is a benchmark for Chinese action films. When acting with him, the action rhythm cannot be slow or fake. There was a close-quarters fight scene where he threw me down and we filmed the scene seventeen times before it was finalized."

After filming, my back was covered in bruises and welts, but Brother Jing was even more exhausted than me. To keep up with my pace, he had to consciously control the force he exerted, which was even more mentally taxing than filming at full power.

The reporter continued to inquire about director Yuen Woo-ping's situation on set.

Gu Zhiyan said, "Eighth Master is seventy-four years old, but his energy surpasses that of many young people. He rarely sits down to rest on set, always standing and giving instructions. He often holds a chopstick in his hand to demonstrate the moves. He also often personally demonstrates the moves, which are fast and steady. At that moment, I truly felt what a master is."

Carrying each other in a sedan chair, mutual flattery in business—it's basic practice.

At 2 p.m. that same afternoon, a live stream exclusively on Douyin began, and the host suggested that Gu Zhiyan demonstrate a set of long fist techniques on the spot.

He did not refuse. He got up and stretched his body in the limited space of the live broadcast room. He slowly performed a set of basic long fist punches. The moves were not fancy or flashy, but each move was solid. He finished the set with steady breathing and a calm expression.

The live stream chat exploded with comments.

"Genuine, real skill!"

"This Golden Rooster Award-winning actor possesses martial arts skills; who can rival him!"

"A top student from Tsinghua University, a five-time Golden Rooster Award winner, and a master of martial arts—what other hidden skills does Gu Zhiyan possess?"

On February 12th, we arranged to visit the buildings of major internet companies.

He went to ByteDance in the morning, Tencent in the afternoon, and Meituan in the evening. At each stop, the office staff waited for him early and surrounded him.

Gu Zhiyan patiently posed for photos and signed autographs for everyone. When she met fans, she would stop and chat for a few minutes.

At ByteDance, a programmer handed over a custom-made T-shirt with the humorous slogan: "No bugs in the code, no crashes in the car." Gu Zhiyan burst into laughter on the spot, put on the shirt, and posed for a photo.

This photo quickly went viral online, spawning countless memes and becoming a popular internet meme.

From February 10th until the eve of the film's release, the production team continuously used this behind-the-scenes footage of the martial arts training during the Investiture of the Gods as the core of their buzz, consistently generating buzz across the internet.

The highly anticipated trailer for the final battle of "[The Escort!]" has been released, showcasing the intense and realistic combat scenes in the main feature. The skillful training moves shown in the behind-the-scenes footage perfectly complement the visceral and realistic fight scenes, and the fierce and ruthless aura of the chivalrous heroes. This confirms to the audience that all the highlights on screen are the result of countless hours of hard-earned skill.

The music video for the theme song "Passing By in the World" sung by Gu Zhiyan went viral online, and the main storyline of Gu Zhiyan's transformation from a naive young man to a ruthless bodyguard deeply resonated with the audience.

With the release date approaching, the official team released some joyful behind-the-scenes footage, showcasing the contrast between the hardcore martial arts training and the humble and gentle personality in private. This has completely won over audiences of all ages, making the film a top contender for both popularity and anticipation during the Spring Festival season.