Chinese entertainment: Top stars have no holidays

Chapter 107: The enemy calls GG, a new high-end endorsement, album preparation!

It was a little after 8 p.m.

Outside Shanghai Hongqiao Airport.

Jiang Bai, fully armed, discreetly boarded a nanny van that had come to pick him up and take him home.

In the car, Xu Xu, who was sitting in the passenger seat, said as soon as he saw Jiang Bai, "Chris Wu sent someone to deliver a message."

Xu Xu then brought up the latest situation regarding Chris Wu.

"They want a settlement."

"How do you plan to reconcile?" Jiang Bai asked curiously. Had Chris Wu already surrendered?

He released a so-called response single, "Face," in a suicidal move. It only took half a day for it to gain traction, and when he saw that it wasn't working, he realized he had shot himself in the foot and regretted it.

That's not like him at all!

Xu Xu glanced at Jiang Bai strangely through the rearview mirror: "Your trick of using the 'big bowl of wide noodles' meme to write a song to mock him is just too underhanded."

"Once we release this song, 'Big Bowl Wide Noodles,' we've already won and are in an invincible position."

"No matter how Kris Wu responds afterward, he can't wash away the damage caused by this meme. In fact, the more he responds, the more the meme will spread."

"His wisest move would have been to not respond at all from the beginning and to suppress the trending topics on social media."

"But he was so desperate that he did something stupid that backfired."

"Now that Kris Wu has been slapped in the face by netizens several times, he has finally come to his senses."

"His team told him that they would not respond to this matter further, and Chris Wu would also delete the song 'Noodles' that he posted on Weibo."

"And he will also restrain PG1, make him mute and obediently admit defeat."

"However, we need to cooperate with him and work together to suppress the heat of this matter."

This is actually a very big concession.

The other party did not ask Jiang Bai to delete "Big Bowl Wide Noodles".

This song will be permanently displayed on his Weibo and Bilibili accounts.

Moreover, although this song has not been released online, Jiang Bai does not plan to release any singles in the future.

However, the song was released as a video and has already been downloaded and saved by countless netizens, spreading across various platforms on the Internet.

Now Chris Wu wants to delete his own posts, but doesn't want Jiang Bai to delete his posts either.

This is practically tantamount to surrendering and accepting ridicule.

It can only be said that people with real strength are indeed more daunting.

If we say that when Jiang Baifa released "Big Bowl Wide Noodles," Chris Wu still had the mindset of finding a top-notch music team to ghostwrite him and fight back head-on.

But when he responded with a song, he didn't get any positive feedback. Instead, he was ridiculed even more severely and almost ended up in the hospital a second time. After that, he developed a deep-seated resentment towards Jiang Bai.

He was genuinely scared and just wanted to quickly reduce the heat of the matter.

Anyway, this wave of fan abuse will only purify the Meigeni fandom, and he'll still make money, date girls, and sleep with fans as usual.

Jiang Bai smacked his lips, feeling a little regretful, but also knowing that this was the best possible outcome.

He couldn't possibly have made Chris Wu fall from his top position just by dissing him with "Big Bowl Wide Noodles".

Only a collapsed building, and only a collapsed building, can destroy a top influencer.

"Alright."

"However," Jiang Bai changed the subject, his tone turning cold, "his underling PG1 can't be let off so easily."

Accepting Kris Wu's surrender and admitting defeat, and then working together to reduce the heat of this matter, is only because Kris Wu is also a top star, and it is destined that he cannot be completely destroyed.

Therefore, we cannot push him too far, lest we push him to the brink and he suffer the consequences of his actions.

But what's so great about PG1?

Jiang Bai's silence on him doesn't mean he's letting him run rampant.

"That PG1, he's in the hip-hop scene, his ass's definitely not clean," Jiang Bai said with a sneer. "Let's find a few paparazzi studios and have them follow PG1's every move!"

"And his dirty laundry—let the paparazzi collect it all and release it at the right time!"

"The entertainment industry isn't for him; those who work underground should stay underground!"

Xu Xu nodded in agreement, also finding it somewhat offensive that PG1 was jumping out to try and gain attention.

She participated in a variety show and won first place, and now she really thinks she's someone important.

Even top influencers like Yang Yang and Chris Wu would face severe retaliation if they offended Jiang Bai.

Besides, we absolutely cannot let that little punk PG1 get away with it!

"Okay, I'll arrange it right away. A rapper like him has tons of dirt on him, it'll be easy to destroy him," Xu Xu said confidently.

Meanwhile, in the capital city.

PG1 made a fortune after becoming a sensation with "The Rap of China" and recently bought a new home.

He was browsing Weibo. Ever since he posted that post about fighting Jiang Bai, his Weibo had been flooded with a large number of onlookers mocking him.

The comments were absolutely awful.

[Hilarious! Is this the current top rap star who's all the rage? Getting completely humiliated by the real top stars' fans, it's ridiculous!]

[The glory days only lasted a few months. They really thought they were going to be a long-lasting top star. It was just a flash in the pan.]

[He became arrogant after gaining fame through the show, his values ​​are completely warped, all he does is chase girls, he's a bad influence on children, and he even dared to try and extort money from Jiang Bai on the moon?]

[They were so arrogant before, posting provocative messages, but now they're being verbally abused by Jiang Bai's fans. Why don't they dare to come out and fight back? They've chickened out, haven't they?]

[Confirmed to be a cancer in the hip-hop scene, constantly forming cliques and excluding others, their minds are not on making music at all!]

[It's all just a bluff. Once the hype dies down, it will quickly fade from public view and be forgotten.]

PG1 gripped his phone tightly, his face was ashen, his chest heaved violently, and he was filled with resentment and anger.

He wanted to post a comment in response, but the song "Big Bowl Wide Noodles" kept playing in his mind, and the fact that his older brother Chris Wu's response only made his reputation worse and he was ridiculed by the entire internet.

This guy outside the industry actually wrote it really well, better than 99% of the so-called rappers in the industry. The melody, rhythm, and flow are all perfect.

PG1 was blinded by the sudden surge in popularity and became a bit arrogant, but he didn't completely turn into an idiot; he still has at least some basic rap aesthetic sense.

He knew that even if he released a song to diss Jiang Bai, just like Chris Wu, it wouldn't make much of a difference.

When an actor's dabbling in a genre produces songs that are nearly on par with his best work, he has already lost completely.

Just then, a phone call came in.

Upon seeing the contact person, PG1 immediately answered the phone.

"Uh-huh."

"Okay, Chris, I got it."

"I will cooperate."

"I'm sorry, I'm the one who caused you trouble."

After listening to a long, stern reprimand, the other party finally hung up the phone.

Switching back to Weibo on his phone, PG1 gritted his teeth as he looked at the Weibo post he had made yesterday. After a great deal of internal struggle, he finally clicked delete.

The blog post that attacked Jiang Bai immediately disappeared from his Weibo homepage.

This certainly won't erase everyone's memories; this action has only one meaning.

That means surrendering and admitting defeat.

After deleting his Weibo posts, PG1 seemed to have shed a psychological burden.

Once you accept your own garbage, the world will immediately open up before you fall into a new chapter.

He immediately dialed another phone number.

I'm feeling very sad right now.

"Yes, they have too many connections in the industry. They're using those connections to threaten me, and I can't respond anymore."

"Kris Wu is like an older brother to me, it's only right that I speak up for him!"

"It's okay, he's a top star, it's normal for me to suffer some grievances."

"Yeah, how can there be such a bad person!"

"So, can you come keep me company? I wrote a rap song just for you."

""

"Okay, I'll wait for you."

After hanging up the phone, PG1 breathed a sigh of relief, his mood instantly improving.

He stood up, rummaged through drawers and cabinets, and found a Christmas reindeer costume.

I remember it was left over from the last time I hung out with a female rapper, but it can still be used after washing.

There's no problem that riding a little deer can't solve.

If it doesn't work, try riding it a few more times!

Jiang Bai, on the other hand, didn't have such an enjoyable experience.

After Xu Xu took him back to his apartment, he didn't leave immediately but instead talked to him about his upcoming work arrangements.

His online diss of Kris Wu was undoubtedly a great success.

By now, Chris Wu's "Big Bowl Wide Noodles" meme, thanks to a song by Jiang Bai, has become a viral sensation across the internet and deeply ingrained in people's minds.

And there is absolutely no possibility of a reversal.

Netizens will likely keep mocking him for at least a month.

As for this meme, it's estimated that people will play it for a year or two without getting tired of it, and it will continue to have a negative impact in the long term.

In the future, whenever people see Kris Wu's face, the first thing that comes to mind won't be his high-end endorsements or his handsome photos.

I can only think of "Big Bowl Wide Noodles" and Jiang Bai's song first.

In a sense, Jiang Bai has also tied Chris Wu to his side.

As long as Kris Wu remains a real person, he can maintain his popularity.

Mentioning Chris Wu immediately brings to mind Jiang Bai.

Isn't this a tragic love story?

As for his underling PG1?

A month later, once his scandalous past was exposed, everyone realized that not just anyone could try to piggyback on his fame or ride his coattails.

It might even become a precedent, making others think twice before trying to ride on Jiang Bai's popularity or try to piggyback on his fame.

Do I have any scandals? If I offend Jiang Bai, am I sure I can withstand his retaliation?

If you can't withstand the pressure, then you should be prepared to not only fail to gain attention but also risk your own downfall.

This can be seen as establishing Jiang Bai's top-tier image to the outside world. In the future, when some nobodies face Jiang Bai, they will be much more obedient and dare not cause trouble.

This incident also has a long-term negative impact on Chris Wu.

That's the LV endorsement deal that Chris Wu is currently negotiating, and it definitely has an impact.

Once LV sees him being ridiculed, his prestige plummeting, and his fashion sense being ruined, they will inevitably reassess Kris Wu's commercial value and his compatibility with the brand.

He certainly won't be able to obtain the title of the first global ambassador in LV's history as smoothly as he did in the original timeline.

Even Xu Xu mentioned this point: "Now we also have a chance to compete for the LV endorsement."

"It was common knowledge in the industry that LV favored Kris Wu. Kris Wu's contract with Burberry had not yet expired, but he was already flirting with LV."

"But now that Kris Wu has gotten into this mess, LV headquarters will naturally have some reservations."

"If you can delay their negotiations and prevent Kris Wu from reaching a deal with LV this year, then you'll have a chance to compete with Kris Wu for the global brand ambassadorship."

What's the difference between Jiang Bai and Chris Wu?

It's simply a matter of accumulating time.

Both of them have popularity overseas.

Moreover, Jiang Bai is the only male celebrity in the Chinese entertainment industry who did not return from a Korean group but still enjoys popularity and fame overseas.

However, Jiang Bai's achievements in the film industry are not significant. After "Sewing Machine Band" was taken off the screens, it ultimately grossed 6.8 million yuan, 2 million yuan more than in the original timeline.

Jiang Bai, as a special guest star, is known in the industry to be the biggest selling point of this film. The high level of buzz the film generated in its early stages was largely due to him.

But ultimately, it's not as solid as actual achievements.

Chris Wu has a number of box office hits to his credit.

If Jiang Bai wants to catch up with him, he either needs to achieve greater success in the film industry or accumulate more hit dramas in the television industry.

All of this takes time.

Xu Xu has always had full confidence in Jiang Bai, believing that given time, he will become the most famous and outstanding artist in the Chinese entertainment industry.

After all, this was a promising artist he had spotted at first glance.

"What about Armani?" Jiang Bai asked.

If they plan to compete with Kris Wu for LV's market share, what will Armani, which is currently pursuing a collaboration with them, do?

"Armani's ready-to-wear line has been declining in recent years."

Xu Xu shook his head and said regretfully, "If I had a choice, LV's ready-to-wear line would definitely be better and more prestigious."

"As for Armani, Jia Shikai has been actively contacting them, but since Armani is already cooperating with us, we naturally don't consider Yang Yang."

"If we can negotiate with LV in the future, Yang Yang will naturally come and take over the Armani that we don't want anymore."

It's perfectly normal for celebrities to switch between luxury brands. Kris Wu, for example, is also holding a Burberry endorsement while flirting with LV!

I don't intend to discuss this topic any further.

Xu Xu changed the subject, saying, "Next, let's talk about your upcoming work arrangements."

"You should have a relatively relaxed December."

"First of all, Warner Music has already assembled the production team for your debut album."

"The album producer we invited is Mr. Qian Lei, the one who wrote 'Big Fish.' He is considered one of the most outstanding young music producers."

"The entire music production team is currently in Shanghai. You will be working with them to create and produce your debut solo album."

"I don't know much about this, so it's up to you to create it yourself, but I'll take care of the logistics."

"Then there are some business tasks that can't be turned down."

"Marie Claire invited you to be on the cover of their January issue; it was a direct invitation from the magazine."

"This is a good thing. Marie Claire is one of the top five women's magazines. Very few celebrities are invited by them. Most of them are promoted by the brand."

"Then, ELLEMEN, one of the top five men's magazines, also invited you to shoot the January cover, which is Armani's cover shoot."

.

"Then I negotiated a new endorsement deal for you, making you Tiffany's brand ambassador for China."

"This endorsement is excellent. Although Tiffany has signed many close friends in China, its only brand ambassadors are Shi Ni and Zhao Youting."

"You are the third one, and you will be the sole spokesperson for a product line, the T series launched by Tiffany in 2014."

"Tiffany has reached an agreement with us. There will be a one-year evaluation period next year. If there are no problems, we will upgrade your title to Tiffany T series spokesperson next November."

"Then, we've also finalized the ambassadorship for Chanel's perfume line, but we'll announce our collaboration after Chanel's partnership with Hugo expires."

Jiang Bai was somewhat surprised. Had Tiffany already started looking for a spokesperson for its T-series in China so early?

For luxury brand endorsements, the order is: brand ambassador > brand friend > brand confidant.

Geographically, global > Asia-Pacific > Greater China > China region; the wider the scope of a title, the more valuable it is.

The spokesperson has the closest relationship with me, pays me the most, and is a true partner.

Close friends, on the other hand, are more relaxed. It's more like the brand gives an artist a title as a token gesture, without much money involved, but it does add a touch of prestige.

As for the ambassador, he falls somewhere in between.

Before 2021, major luxury brands were very stingy with bestowing titles, and the highest title a domestic artist could get was only a spokesperson for the Chinese region.

At the very top level, only one or two Asia-Pacific regional brand ambassador titles are occasionally given out.

As for global brand ambassadors?

The global LV ambassador that Kris Wu is currently in talks with is the first and only one.

It wasn't until after 2021, in the post-mask era, that major luxury brands began to mass-produce titles and endorsements for the Chinese market.

Tiffany & Co. doesn't have a brand ambassador now; they only have two: Shi Ni and Zhao Youting.

The former will be promoted to brand ambassador next year, but only in the Chinese region.

Jiang Bai got an ambassador title right away, and next year he will have the opportunity to be promoted to spokesperson, even if it is just a spokesperson for a series, that would be a very good title.

No wonder Xu Xu was so proud of securing this endorsement deal.

With the titles of ambassador for Armani, Tiffany & Co., and Chanel, and a spokesperson for them, Jiang Bai will truly be at the forefront of the elite, holding the reins of three luxury brands!

After introducing his new endorsement, Xu Xu continued, "Besides shooting fashion magazine covers, you also have to attend this year's Star Awards on December 3rd."

"A Love So Beautiful is the most-watched web series on Tencent Video this year. As the male lead, you have to go to the Tencent Video All Star Awards to support it, and you'll even receive an award."

"Then in December you have an offline event with Kans and a Vivo to attend, both of which are for brand promotion."

"Han Shu is their regular brand event. Vivo is launching the Starry Red Christmas Limited Edition of the X20 model that you endorse. You need to shoot print advertisement posters and also go to offline events."

"But the locations are all in Shanghai, which is very convenient."

Jiang Bai's endorsement of Vivo replaced Lu Han's original endorsement.

At the time, vivo announced Jiang Bai, Eddie Peng, and Zhou Dongyu as brand ambassadors for the vivo X20.

They are only endorsing this one model, not the entire line, and their contracts are only for one year.

vivo paid a generous sum, so it's only right that Jiangbai cooperates with the promotion.

He replied matter-of-factly, "No problem."

"So, for the rest of December, I only have these five business events to attend?"

"You'll spend the rest of your time making an album?"

"Okay." Xu Xu nodded: "I've done my best to make up these 45 days for you, including these five days in November and the first half of January."

"If we can't finish making it by then, we'll wait until 'The Thunder' wraps up filming before continuing with the album. Anyway, this album hasn't been officially released yet."