Chinese entertainment: Top stars have no holidays

Shanghai, Henderson Celebrity Shopping Center.

Today marks Jiangbai's first offline business event in Shanghai.

The partner is a national milk brand that has partnered with the TV series "Rush to the Dead Summer".

The brand originally prepared the atrium space according to the standards of a rising star, estimating that there would be three or four hundred fans present, and even the security was arranged according to the standard configuration.

However, they underestimated the popularity brought by Lu Zhiang, and even more so, they underestimated Jiang Bai's current fan appeal.

Even before the mall opened in the early morning, long queues had already formed at the entrance.

When it officially opened, crowds poured in like a tidal wave.

In just half an hour, the entire mall, from the basement to the fifth floor, was completely filled with dense crowds of people along all the railings, escalator entrances, and guardrails.

As far as the eye could see, it was a sea of ​​people.

The girls held up banners and light boards with Jiang Bai's name on them, and hugged homemade posters with stills of Lu Zhiang from the drama, crowding the entire atrium.

Even the mall's passageways were completely blocked.

The security team urgently deployed three times the manpower and set up multiple layers of cordon, but it still couldn't stop more and more passersby and fans from pouring in.

The mall's loudspeakers kept playing "Please do not crowd, be careful" on a loop, but it couldn't drown out the increasingly loud screams and cheers.

"I took the high-speed train here last night just to get a front-row seat!"

"Jiang Bai's portrayal of Lu Zhiang is so touching, I'll like him forever!"

"I wonder if he'll be even more handsome in person than on camera..."

Fans from all walks of life, whether they knew each other before or not, were all chatting enthusiastically about their experiences of becoming fans of Jiang Bai and how adorable the good-looking couple in "Rush to the Dead Summer" was.

Until 10:40 a.m., the host came on stage to warm up the audience.

"Next, let's give a warm round of applause to our star of the day—the young actor, Jiang Bai!"

The moment the words were spoken, the entire audience erupted in a chilling scream.

"Jiang Bai!!"

"Lu Zhiang—!!"

"Jiang Bai, look here! I love you!!"

Screams exploded from all directions, layer upon layer, making people's eardrums vibrate.

The moment Jiang Bai appeared, a tsunami of cheers erupted.

He was wearing a simple, clean white shirt today.

With his sleeves casually rolled up to his forearms and two buttons undone at the collar, he exuded a clean and dazzling youthful charm.

The mall lights shone on his face, highlighting his handsome features and high nose bridge, making him even more stunning than he appeared on camera.

It didn't die from exposure to light, so the scene immediately spiraled out of control!

The female fans in the front row covered their mouths, beaming with excitement at seeing such a handsome man, calling his name over and over again, unable to even finish their sentences.

On the second-floor railing, several girls huddled together, waving banners wildly, their voices hoarse from shouting, yet they still wouldn't stop.

The third, fourth, and fifth floors were all packed with people. Some were filming the whole thing with their phones, their hands trembling, some were jumping up and down with excitement, and some blushed with excitement when they saw the real people.

"He's so handsome...a hundred times better looking in person than on camera!"

"Lu Zhiang is someone I can't let go of! Jiang Bai, your acting was superb!"

"Jiang Bai, look at me! Look here!!"

"Jiang Bai, please look after us! We're upstairs!!"

The shouts that rose and fell almost lifted the ceiling of the mall.

The few passersby present were stunned by the scene and stopped to take photos, posting them on their WeChat Moments: "I bumped into a celebrity's offline event, this popularity is terrifying!"

Jiang Bai stood on the stage, looking at the dense crowd that stretched as far as the eye could see. He was shocked and his emotions were hard to calm down.

The show has been over for more than half a month, but only now does Jiang Bai truly feel the impact of his popularity.

In fact, he cannot be considered a top-tier popular actor yet; at best, he is a dark horse in terms of popularity.

But who can blame him for having such a beautiful new face?

Fangirls love to see newcomers emerge. When a newcomer first becomes popular, the public opinion is at its best, and that's when the fans are most excited.

A newly popular male star can quickly gain popularity comparable to top-tier stars.

However, most of the newly popular artists are unable to maintain their popularity.

Maybe after two or three months, people will lose interest and become less enthusiastic, and their popularity will drop rapidly, turning them into a third or fourth-tier celebrity.

In severe cases, the person may not even exist.

For example, Sheng Yilun from "Go Princess Go" was famous all over the internet when he was popular, but his popularity faded very quickly.

Most popular celebrities are like this: they become famous quickly, but they also fade away just as quickly. Only those who can truly establish themselves and maintain their popularity are the top stars.

Fortunately, Jiang Bai felt he wouldn't end up fading into obscurity so quickly, since he still had "A Love So Beautiful" waiting to be broadcast.

If this drama also becomes a hit, then his superficial popularity can be consolidated, truly establishing his confidence as a top star!

Thinking of this, Jiang Bai, standing on the stage, did not rush to speak, but instead bowed deeply and earnestly in all directions, including the front, left, right, and upstairs.

As he straightened up, a gentle smile played in his eyes, and his voice, clear and crisp, came through the microphone:

Hello everyone, I'm Jiang Bai.

"Thank you so much for coming so early in this hot weather. We are truly grateful."

As soon as he finished speaking, another tsunami of screams erupted from the audience.

Jiang Bai's gaze swept across the audience, noticing that many girls had flushed cheeks and their foreheads were covered in sweat.

Some people even used small fans to blow on themselves, but they were still so hot they could hardly breathe.

It wasn't actually hot; it was the combination of excited emotions and the feeling of being crammed together that caused the problem.

Seeing this, he turned to the brand staff member next to him and asked, "Could you prepare more water and small fans to distribute to the people here?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent for half a second, followed by a chorus of "Wow!"

"Wow...he's so gentle..."

"They actually offered to get us water... I'm so happy I could cry."

"Lu Zhiang is such a wonderful person! I'd love to admire him for a lifetime!"

Staff quickly brought over boxes of bottled water and small fans, which were then distributed by security guards along the cordon.

The girls who received the water waved their bottles at Jiang Bai, their eyes filled with undisguised joy.

The formal interactive session has begun.

The brand arranged for lucky fans to be drawn to come on stage for an interactive session.

The first girl to be chosen walked quickly onto the stage, her face beaming with surprise and excitement.

Unexpectedly, the fans, who were initially in a normal mood but were just a little excited, suddenly burst into tears when they stood in front of Jiang Bai and looked into his eyes.

"Jiang Bai, I really love your portrayal of Lu Zhiang. I've liked you since the very first episode..."

Jiang Bai was a little overwhelmed by the "enthusiastic" treatment she received during her first face-to-face interaction with fans.

However, he quickly realized what was happening, took the tissue from the staff member, handed it over, and gently comforted her:

"Don't cry, don't cry. Thank you for liking me, and thank you for liking Lu Zhiang."

To make sure the girl was nervous, he proactively asked, "Did you come all this way just to see me? Did you wait long?"

The girl nodded frantically, wiped away her tears, and said softly with a flushed face, "I came from Suzhou by high-speed train, and I arrived at six o'clock this morning..."

"Jiang Bai, you must film more movies and take good care of your health. We will always be with you."

Jiang Bai looked at her earnestly, his eyes serious and sincere, and nodded gently: "I will. I will definitely do my best in filming and work hard to live up to each and every one of you."

The audience immediately erupted in thunderous cheers.

It was as if Jiang Bai had made some kind of pact with them to stay together through thick and thin.

A fan standing in the front row boldly shouted, "Jiang Bai! Can you say 'Go Jiang Bai!' to all the fans upstairs?"

"So many of them were crammed up there, it must have been incredibly tough for them!"

He looked up and waved towards the second to fifth floors, his voice gentle yet firm: "Friends upstairs, thank you for your hard work! Be careful, I see you!"

Each time it turns to a different direction, that floor erupts with a corresponding frenzied scream.

"He's looking this way!!"

"Jiang Bai! I'm here!!"

"Ahhh, he smiled at me! I don't need to sleep tonight!"

A fan shouted from below the stage, "Jiang Bai! Remember to rest! Don't overwork yourself!"

Jiang Bai looked toward the source of the sound, smiled, and gave a "received" gesture. His smile was so gentle that it softened one's heart.

Outside the venue, in the mall's monitoring room.

Looking at the massive crowd on the monitor, agent Xu Xu couldn't help but exclaim, "This isn't a business event; it's a top-tier fan meeting!"

"These fans are so enthusiastic!"

To be honest, Xu Xu was also surprised when he was managing such a high-profile artist for the first time, and he truly felt the changes of the times.

These days, celebrities become famous too quickly and gain fans too easily.

Just one idol drama and one suitable role can instantly create a short-lived A-list celebrity!

"This is insane," Xu Xu murmured.