Chinese entertainment: Top stars have no holidays

Late at night, the film crew wrapped up work.

Jiang Bai and Tian Xiwei returned to the hotel where the film crew was staying by car.

The production crew booked an entire hotel, and there were still many empty rooms. Tian Xiwei, led by her assistant, simply found a room to stay in.

Jiang Bai went back to his room first.

Because someone was waiting for him in his room.

As soon as Jiang Bai entered the room, he saw his agent, Xu Xu, sitting on the sofa.

Xu Xu, who was looking down at his documents, looked up when he heard the sound, his face filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"You're finally back!" Xu Xu stood up abruptly, walked a few steps to Jiang Bai, his excitement almost overflowing. "I've been waiting for you for almost two hours."

"The crew hasn't wrapped up yet, so I can't just leave alone. After all, I'm a newcomer, not a big star like Sister Shuangzi," Jiang Bai said nonchalantly.

Seeing Jiang Bai so calm, Xu Xu scratched his head, somewhat exasperated: "Why aren't you excited at all?"

"Your portrayal of Lu Zhiang in 'Rush to the Dead Summer' was a huge hit!"

"My Weibo followers increased by three million, and my Weibo super topic jumped into the top 20 of the celebrity rankings!"

"The industry is in an uproar! Nobody expected that a supporting male character in an idol drama could propel you into a rising star!"

"How come you're still so calm?"

Jiang Bai glanced at Xu Xu.

It wasn't that he was calm; it was that he had been bombarded with messages from Tian Xiwei and Xu Xu on WeChat almost every day for the past few days, with various forwarded data and positive reviews.

Then, in real life, his assistant kept telling him that he had become famous.

Even if you get excited, their constant chatter helps you calm down.

Moreover, Jiang Bai was already mentally prepared. He knew that "Rush to the Dead Summer" would be popular after it aired, and that Lu Zhiang would be very popular.

"Let's get down to business." Realizing what was happening, Xu Xu didn't waste any more time and said directly, "Before, we had to beg them for resources, but now, resources are coming to us on their own!"

He bent down and picked up several exquisitely bound magazine invitations, placing them one by one in front of Jiang Bai: "Look, these are all mainstream second-tier magazines in China."

"In the past, it was incredibly difficult to get on a magazine cover, but now everyone is actively extending invitations."

"Not only will you have a cover shoot, but you'll also have an extended inside interview, which will be a great boost to your personal promotion."

Jiang Bai casually flipped through the magazines; the names were all familiar to him. They were indeed publications with a high level of recognition in the industry, a rare opportunity for newcomers.

"That's not all." Xu Xu pulled out several more business contracts, his mouth practically agape. "The sponsors for the ad placements in 'Rush to the Dead Summer,' milk, snack, and clothing brands—they're all eyeing you."

"They all want to invite you to their offline events, and the appearance fee is quite high."

"It's just for supporting the event. The event itself only lasts 1-2 hours, and with the round trip, it only takes a whole day, yet they're willing to pay 50 for one event."

"This price is comparable to that of a second-tier celebrity. For a top star like Lu Han, the price for attending an offline business event is only 80 to 150 million."

"The price for a top-tier celebrity is only 50 to 80 yuan, while that for a second-tier celebrity is 30 to 50 yuan."

"The reason why the brand is willing to offer you 50 yuan per episode is because they believe that your popularity has reached the top level of a second-tier drama during the current broadcast period."

Jiang Bai listened and nodded in satisfaction.

The quickest and most direct benefit of a hit idol drama is commercial monetization.

This is also one of the core sources of income for popular celebrities.

Xiao Tian's "Chasing Jade" became a hit, and the number of check-ins on the super topic increased by 3 to 4, nearly half of the total number of followers. Immediately after that, various business activities came flooding in.

This week I was promoting Lux shampoo at a shopping mall in Shanghai, and next week I might be promoting a cosmetics brand in Hangzhou.

In between, we also need to cooperate with the brand to conduct online brand promotion live streams.

The prices offered by the brands that are approaching Jiangbai now are indeed not low, and the difference from those ten years later is not significant.

It's just that the top celebrities will charge even more in ten years; they can ask for 200-300 million for a single event appearance.

Prices for other mid-range items haven't changed much, and may even have decreased slightly.

There's no way around it; it's a downturn in the film and television industry, so brands are more willing to focus their money on top celebrities, making the pyramid effect even more pronounced.

Now, because it is the golden age of the film and television industry, brands are generous with their spending.

For an artist like Jiang Bai, who has just debuted and only gained minor popularity with one role, brands are willing to offer the top price that second-tier celebrities receive.

This is like raking in money with a sack of potatoes!

"No problem, I'll definitely cooperate!" Jiang Bai said, his eyes wide with greed.

"The most important thing is this," Xu Xu said before he could finish.

He carefully picked up a formal invitation with gold-embossed edges and handed it to Jiang Bai: "Film and Television Fashion Influence Awards Ceremony, to be held on June 20th."

"You've officially received an invitation from the organizers. This is your first time attending a public event as an independent artist, a chance to gain exposure, build connections, and boost your professional standing—all in one go!"

"A Film and Fashion Influence Awards Ceremony?" Jiang Bai took the invitation, quickly searching his memory, but couldn't recall anything. "How come I've never heard of this event before?"

He looked up at Xu Xu, his tone filled with curiosity and anticipation: "By the way, Brother Xu, the Weibo Movie Night is also held in June, and it's much more prestigious than this one. Could I attend that one? I'm more interested in that event."

In his mind, the Weibo Movie Night was backed by a major platform, and the guests were all big names and powerful actors in the film industry.

Being able to attend means having one foot in the mainstream film circle, which is far more significant than attending a small, unknown event.

Upon hearing this, Xu Xu immediately rolled his eyes at him, then lightly tapped his forehead: "You little brat, you've gotten a bit famous and you're already getting cocky?"

"Wake up! Is the Weibo Movie Night something you can afford to attend right now?"

"Think about it, what do you have now?" Xu Xu counted on his fingers, "You have popularity, but it's all from idol dramas."

"It has high brand awareness, but its audience is mostly students."

"The most crucial point is—you don't have a single film released!"

He paused, his tone becoming serious: "What is the nature of the Weibo Movie Night?"

"Although it's also a prize-giving event, it's a party where everyone who attends receives a prize. The organizers invite film crews and guests who will win awards, as well as the award presenters."

"It's impossible to invite a newcomer with no film achievements to fill a quota. There's no reason for it, and there's no suitable award for you."

"Best Newcomer Award? You haven't even had your screen debut released yet, what makes you think you can win that?"

Jiang Bai fell silent; he was indeed getting impatient.

Seeing that he understood, Xu Xu softened his tone, picked up the invitation again, and patiently explained, "Let's take it one step at a time, first getting to know each other at small and medium-sized events, and making steady progress."

"The full name of this grand event is the China Film and Television Fashion Influence Ceremony and ISTAR Star Alliance Fashion Film and Television Night. Don't be fooled by the long name, the lineup is by no means weak."

He rattled off a long list of names: "Jiro Wang, Hu Xia, Ma Ke, Dylan Kuo, Sun Yizhou, Jike Junyi, Janice Man, Li Chun, Yingzi..."

"These people are either veteran idols, second-tier actors, or talented singers."

"For a newcomer like you who's just starting out, being able to share the stage with them is already a top-tier exposure opportunity. You don't have the right to be picky right now."

"I understand." Jiang Bai nodded slightly and placed the invitation on the table. "I'll follow Brother Xu's arrangements."

Becoming a top star takes time and effort. Instead of aiming too high, it's better to seize every opportunity you can.

Next, the two huddled together and carefully checked the itinerary for the month.

The magazine photoshoot was scheduled in Shanghai, with two studios involved, each taking up most of the day.

Both offline business booths are located in Shanghai's business districts.

In order not to delay the filming schedule of "Sewing Machine Band", Xu Xu made the most compact arrangements.

I took two or three days off and flew to Shanghai to get all my business work done.

After the discussion, Xu Xu grabbed his briefcase and hurried out. At the door, he turned back to remind him, "Get a good rest tonight. Filming will proceed as scheduled tomorrow. Wait for my message."

The door closed, and the room returned to silence.

Jiang Bai sat alone on the sofa, picked up his phone and opened Weibo.

My name was prominently featured on the trending topics list, my super topic was filled with fans' declarations of love and support, and my private messages were overflowing.

He scrolled through the screen, looking at those unfamiliar yet passionate expressions of affection, and for the first time, he truly felt it in his heart.

His path to stardom has truly begun.