Chinese entertainment: Top stars have no holidays

Beijing.

In the backstage dressing room of the movie channel's program recording, Yang Yang lowered his head, held his phone, and frowned.

Even though there were no outsiders in the lounge, Yang Yang still sat upright with her back straight.

He only slightly lowered his head, his gaze fixed on the screen.

The Weibo app is open on the phone screen.

Even on the afternoon of the second day, the hashtags related to Jiang Bai were still in the top 10 on Weibo's trending topics list.

He stared at the comments on the screen praising Jiang Bai and the song "Slowly Like You," feeling extremely irritated.

Since the hit drama "A Love So Beautiful", Jiang Bai has emerged like a dark horse, carving out a bloody path from the campus heartthrob track that he had cultivated for many years.

The fame she finally managed to snatch from Li Yifeng with "Love O2O" was taken away by another newcomer in just one year.

Now, Jiang Bai has crossed over into the music industry, and his original song "Slowly Like You" has become an instant hit, gaining widespread popularity online.

With this song paired with the character "Jiang Chen," it feels like the term "campus heartthrob" is truly welded onto Jiang Bai.

As for himself, once the pinnacle of campus heartthrobs in the Chinese entertainment industry, few people mention him anymore.

Even the comparison comments I saw online last night were incredibly poignant.

"I used to think Yang Yang was the ideal girl on campus, but now that I've seen Jiang Bai, I know what true youthful spirit is."

Last night, he almost couldn't resist "accidentally" liking another comment praising him as a true campus heartthrob straight out of a drama...

Just as Yang Yang was struggling with his own internal conflict.

The door to the lounge was gently pushed open.

His agent, Jia Shikai, strode in, holding his phone in his hand. His face showed no gloom, but rather a confident and smug smile.

This contrasted sharply with Yang Yang's irritability.

"Are you still watching what's going on online?"

"Don't frown. We didn't lose anything from last night's operation; in fact, we made a huge profit." Jia Shikai walked to the opposite side of the sofa, sat down, casually placed his phone on the coffee table, leaned back slightly, and looked confident.

Yang Yang looked up, a hint of barely perceptible annoyance in his voice: "Trying to get a bargain?"

"The whole internet is praising Jiang Bai. There were nine trending topics overnight, and Douyin was full of clips of his performances. I watched it all night and it just felt irritating."

"It's normal for it to be glaring, after all, this kid is too powerful right now and is blocking too many people's way."

Jia Shikai chuckled lightly, a hint of disdain in his voice, "But do you think I just watched him consume data like crazy last night and did nothing?"

Yang Yang raised an eyebrow and sat up straight: "You made the move? I didn't see any obvious smear articles?"

"A smear campaign?" Jia Shikai shook his head, a sly look on his face. "Jiang Bai's public opinion momentum had already taken hold last night."

"Casual viewers, drama fans, and variety show fans are all praising him, so publishing negative articles at this time will have absolutely no effect."

"Several media outlets published articles smearing Jiang Baifa last night, but netizens aren't stupid. They all said it was because his rivals were jealous and were up to no good."

"Instead, it's giving Jiang Bai more attention!"

"Maybe it can even get some fans to vent!"

"I won't do this kind of losing business."

"So what did you do?" Yang Yang pressed, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

Jia Shikai leaned forward, lowered his voice, and said with a smug tone, "I pulled off a media stunt, turning our biggest negative label into a universally positive one online."

"And incidentally, they planted a time bomb of flattery that would ultimately destroy Jiang Bai."

"You mean... a hidden gem?" Yang Yang realized instantly.

This phrase has been used by haters to mock him ever since he accidentally liked a Weibo post by a Song Qian CP fan last year, posting the line "Those who possess treasures will always encounter hungry wolves."

Whenever a hater mentions it, it becomes a sarcastic comment, the label he dreads most this past year.

"That's right, that's it." Jia Shikai slapped his thigh. "Last night, the whole internet was praising Jiang Bai. I saw that the opportunity had come, so I directly asked the online marketing company I was working with to standardize all the praise into 'treasure boy'."

"Think about it, this term used to be used to insult you, but now I've got the whole internet flooded with it."

"When I saw people on social media saying 'treasure boy,' their first reaction was that the term was used to praise Jiang Bai, meaning that the artist is talented and capable."

"Once this wave of popularity passes, the meaning of the word will be completely reversed."

"If anyone uses this word to describe you again, strangers will only think it's a compliment; who will remember the scandals from before?"

Yang Yang was stunned for a few seconds, then most of the gloom in his eyes dissipated, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his lips: "Your move was indeed brilliant."

"They removed the filth from me without making a sound, and even used the excuse of praising Jiang Bai liquor to whitewash their bad reputation."

"This is just the first step," Jia Shikai sneered, continuing, "I have a second trick up my sleeve!"

"To praise someone to death!"

"Jiang Bai trended on Weibo nine times last night; that's already bordering on excessive marketing."

"Public patience is limited, especially for a newcomer like him who hasn't yet established a strong national presence. Posting on social media all night is bound to annoy people."

"I had online trolls mingle among the fans and casual observers, praising him to the skies, exaggerating his abilities to the extreme, calling him the 'ceiling of the Chinese entertainment industry,' 'crushing all singers,' and 'an all-around talent descended from heaven.' The more exaggerated the claims, the better."

"It's cute when fans praise it, but it's just annoying when paid trolls blindly praise it."

"Once passersby get tired of seeing it and their rebellious mentality kicks in, they will feel that Jiangbai's marketing is excessive and that it is not worthy of its reputation, and its goodwill will plummet."

"We don't need to resort to dirty tricks; we can just go with the flow and make him crash and burn on his own."

As Jia Shikai spoke, he became more and more smug, tapping his knee with his finger as if he could already see Jiang Bai being scorned by passersby for its excessive marketing.

"I bet Jiang Bai's team is still gloating and thinking about striking while the iron is hot to continue buying trending topics and generating buzz."

"They simply don't understand that in the entertainment industry, too much hype can be just as bad as too little."

"If they keep pushing Jiang Bai to the top of the trending topics today, the public's backlash will explode."

"Then, we'll be able to get back all the humiliation we suffered before."

Yang Yang leaned back on the sofa, her tense expression completely relaxing.

He picked up the ice water on the table, took a sip, and said in a much more relaxed tone, "You've thought of everything."

"I thought I could only watch him steal the spotlight, but I didn't expect you to have this trick up your sleeve."

"We've been in this industry for so many years, we've got some skills in manipulating public opinion," Jia Shikai waved his hand.

"Jiang Bai's team is a newly established studio under Huace."

"Dai Lu, the person in charge of the studio, used to only do TV series promotion and had no experience in managing artists."

"These new studio teams are prone to being impatient for quick success and instant benefits. They only know how to rush forward and don't know how to hold back. Sooner or later, they will stumble and fall."

"Let's wait and see. It won't be long before he pays the price for his excessive marketing."

The two exchanged a smile, both feeling that this move was a sure win.

This not only cleared Yang Yang's name but also planted a seed of betrayal for Jiang Bai, killing two birds with one stone.

......

at the same time.

Inside the office area of ​​the Shanghai-based drama studio, "Cute."

In the large, open-plan office area, five or six staff members from the publicity team sat around their workstations.

On their computer screens, real-time interfaces of Weibo backend, Douyin data, and trending public opinion were flashing.

The screen was filled with densely packed data curves, trending search terms, and netizens' comments.

Dai Lu stood in the center of her workstation, dressed in a sharp black business suit, her long hair pulled back, her makeup exquisite, and her eyes calm and sharp.

She held a tablet in her hand, her gaze sweeping over the persistently high popularity data on the screen. Her expression was calm, showing not joy, but rather a cautious composure.

"Sister Lu, the latest data is out."

The young woman in charge of data statistics looked up, her voice filled with barely suppressed excitement, "After the premiere of 'Masked Singer' last night, Jiang Bai's popularity across the internet exploded."

"Nine trending topics on Weibo, with the highest-ranking hashtag exceeding 28 billion views; related videos on Douyin garnered over 50 million views; the company gained 3 million new followers across all platforms; and the number of check-ins on its supertopic surged to 280,000!"

"Yesterday's total check-in count even surpassed Lu Han's!"

"Public opinion across all platforms is positive."

"Netizens are all praising Jiang Bai's acting skills, songwriting, and singing ability. The hashtag 'treasure boy' has completely gone viral and become a universally recognized label of praise!"

The surrounding staff echoed, their faces beaming with joy: "Sister Lu, last night's joint marketing campaign was a huge success!"

"Should we strike while the iron is hot and push this trending topic again today to completely cement Jiang Bai's all-around persona?"

Dai Lu raised her hand and gently pressed it down, signaling everyone to be quiet. She placed the tablet on the table, immediately shattering everyone's excitement: "We're not pushing any trending topics today."

The office area fell silent instantly. Everyone was stunned and looked at Dai Lu with puzzled expressions.

"Sister Lu, why?" the boy in charge of publicity couldn't help but ask. "The hype is so high right now, it's the perfect time to capitalize on it. If we don't push it to the trending topics, wouldn't we be wasting last night's explosive popularity?"

"And our rival's online trolls have been infiltrating the group and causing trouble all night. Shouldn't we retaliate?"

Dai Lu glanced around, her gaze sharp, her words succinct: "A waste?"

"Let me tell you, pushing for trending topics now is a real waste, even self-destructive."

"You only see the hype, not the risks."

"What is Jiang Bai's current status?"

"A new actor who becomes a hit with a drama has not yet fully established his national recognition, and his casual fan base is still being cultivated."

"Last night, it went viral nine times across the internet. It was all over Weibo, Douyin, and Xiaohongshu. Every passerby who opened their phone saw Jiangbai. It has reached the threshold of over-marketing."

"There is an ironclad rule in the entertainment industry: when a newcomer becomes popular, the worst thing is to stay on the charts for a long time."

"Popularity is a double-edged sword; if used well, it's a boost; if used too much, it's a backlash."

"Last night was a pleasant surprise, but today's constant flooding of social media feeds is just annoying."

"Yesterday he was a hidden gem, today he's a marketing whiz."

"People who didn't dislike him initially might become annoyed by seeing his posts so frequently."

"Originally neutral netizens may turn against the government due to excessive marketing."

"Many celebrities in the industry have suffered this kind of loss due to excessive marketing; we can't afford to step on that landmine."

Dailu's words hit the nail on the head, instantly waking everyone up.

The staff in the office area nodded in agreement, their excitement fading and replaced by deep thought.

"But Sister Lu, if we don't push it to the trending topics, and the popularity drops, won't all the efforts from last night be wasted?" someone asked unwillingly.

Dai Lu chuckled softly, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.

"We don't need to tough it out. Shifting the focus is the best way to cool things down. We also have some scores to settle."

Everyone's eyes lit up, and they all crowded around: "Sister Lu, what do you mean?"

"I, Dai Lu, always hold grudges. I never intended to let Jia Shikai get away with setting a trap for Jiang Bai and publishing smear articles to ruin his reputation."

Dai Lu raised her hand, signaling the staff to open the movie box office and word-of-mouth monitoring backend. The relevant data of the movie version of "Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms" instantly popped up on the screen.

"Look carefully, this is the big gift I've prepared for Jia Shikai and Yang Yang."

The screen clearly displays: "The movie version of 'Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms' has grossed 4.5 million yuan in five days since its release, which seems like a remarkable achievement."

"This 4.5 million was entirely covered by Yang Yang and Liu Yifei's fans, as well as contributions from casual viewers who were nostalgic for the TV series 'Three Lives Three Worlds' IP."

"After five days, the audience's true opinions have been released."

Dai Lu pointed to the negative audience reviews on the screen, her tone icy, "This movie is a complete and utter rubbish."

"Yang Yang's ramen-style haircut is outrageous, and Liu Yifei's makeup is bland and tasteless."

"The special effects are cheap and perfunctory, the plot is drastically altered and fragmented, the logic is flawed, the pacing is chaotic, countless viewers were tricked into going to the cinema, and now the whole internet is full of complaints."

"These complaints are scattered in various corners, but without a trigger, they can't gain any traction."

"No one promoted it before because no one wanted to offend Yang Yang's team or the investors."

"But now, the time has come."

Dai Lu's voice was strong and clear: "Contact the three online marketing companies we cooperate with, and compile all the viewers' complaints, real-life flaws, negative reviews, and styling issues, and then spread them in batches."

"Get the trending search terms ready!"

#Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms - Terrible Movie#

#Once Upon a Time Box Office Inflated#

#YangYangRamenHairstyle#

These keywords all trended on social media, generating massive buzz and causing the film's negative reviews to explode across the entire internet.

"Sister Lu, that was a brilliant move!" The staff member reacted instantly and clapped excitedly.

"Once the entire internet's attention was drawn to the negative news about the terrible movie 'Three Lives Three Worlds,' Jiang Bai's trending topics naturally dropped."

"Passersby won't feel like he's spamming the internet with marketing, so his goodwill is preserved, and the hype can settle down smoothly—this is the best way to cool things down!"

"That's not all," Dai Lu sneered. "The male lead of this movie is Yang Yang."

"Jia Shikai previously smeared Jiang Bai, spread rumors, and ruined Jiang Bai's public image."

"Now I'll nail his artists to the pillar of shame for bad movies, and let him taste what it's like to have his hard-earned artists scorned by the entire internet."

"We'll pay back the debts from before, with interest, all at once."

The staff in the office area were instantly excited, their previous concerns vanished, and their fingers flew across the keyboard.

"Sister Lu, the online trolls are in place, now start mass-posting your complaints!"

"The keyword has been purchased; it'll be trending on social media soon!"

"We've already contacted six influential film critics and simultaneously published lengthy negative reviews, igniting a storm of word-of-mouth!"

Dai Lu stood by the window, listening to her subordinates' reports, nodding occasionally, feeling extremely satisfied.

She always does things in a step-by-step, meticulous manner, with each step carefully planned.

As early as when designing this joint marketing campaign between "A Love So Beautiful" and "The Masked Singer", she had already figured out how to wrap things up and cool things down so that Jiang Bai's popularity could land smoothly.

Jia Shikai?

The bones in the grave are gone!