Huayu: Starting from retirement, sweeping across the domestic entertainment industry

Li Ran cut to the chase, skipping the pleasantries, "Auntie, did you see the trending topics about 'Yearning' on Weibo?"

"I saw it."

Long Danni's voice was calm, "The current public opinion trend has not had a negative impact on you. On the contrary, it has maintained the exposure and discussion of 'Minglong' outside of the filming period."

"The feedback from the production team is also good; your debut has garnered a lot of attention."

Li Ran looked up at Zhou Ye, who was seemingly eating but actually listening intently, then turned slightly to the side and lowered his voice: "Hasn't Dong Shen contacted you to communicate? This wave of public opinion isn't good for their newcomer, is it?"

Long Danni chuckled, understanding in her heart: "This wave of public opinion was originally orchestrated by Dong Shen. For a new actor, before any works have been broadcast, the first priority is to be remembered by the audience."

"They assessed that this level of discussion was more beneficial than harmful. Afterwards, they issued a clarification announcement, and if her work is good when it airs, her reputation can easily reverse."

"This is also beneficial for you, as it helps maintain your current popularity, so I agreed."

Li Ran understood. This was a common practice in the entertainment industry; even negative publicity was still publicity!

"Okay, I understand."

He paused, then said seriously, "However, Auntie, I will still use my Weibo account to explain tonight, at least to show my attitude."

He recalled Long Danni's warning not long ago and continued, "You also reminded me before that in the entertainment industry, even a seemingly insignificant little thing can trigger an unexpected chain reaction when placed under the spotlight."

He then mentioned a recent case.

"Take Xiao Zhan from our company, for example. How long has it been? His work is almost completely at a standstill!"

"This is the most direct consequence of 'fans' behavior, idols pay the price,' and I don't want a similar situation, even just a hint, to happen to me."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone; Long Danni was clearly thinking.

A moment later, her voice came through, filled with approval and decisiveness: "It's good that you've thought of this. It shows that you're really considering the rules and risks of this industry."

"Okay, I'll have the PR team take your feedback into account and draft a sound response plan, which I'll send to you later."

She changed the subject and sighed, "Speaking of Xiao Zhan, he is indeed a troublesome person. The whole company has been racking its brains over this matter for a long time, and it still hasn't been completely resolved."

"For a top-tier celebrity like him, this is a complete loss."

Following up on the topic, Li Ran said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Auntie, if you ask me, after this incident, the company's public opinion monitoring, fan management, and crisis public relations team really need to be reorganized or even replaced."

"Some traditional methods are too risky in today's online environment. Even after all this time, the team still doesn't know how to handle the public relations; they have absolutely no sense of crisis!"

"Alright, these are none of your business," Long Danni interrupted him, returning to her work.

"Focus on filming 'The Dragon's Roar' first. After filming wraps, come back to the company and we'll discuss your future work arrangements in detail. Bye."

The call ended, and a busy tone came through.

Li Ran put away her phone and turned her head, only to meet Zhou Ye's probing gaze.

"You looked so serious on the phone just now."

Zhou Ye spoke up, his tone slightly sarcastic, "What's wrong? Are you nervous? So worried about your junior getting scolded?"

Li Ran shook his head: "That's partly true. After all, this whole thing started because of me, and she was just an innocent bystander."

"But more importantly, I've seen some of my more extreme fans start attacking me indiscriminately."

He recalled Li Mingde not long ago and explained, "Last time, Li Mingde deserved it, I don't care."

"But some of the comments made about Zhang Jingyi this time have gone beyond the scope of normal discussion and are purely malicious insults."

He looked at Zhou Ye and asked, "You know about Xiao Zhan's matter, right?"

Zhou Ye blinked, his face showing genuine confusion: "Huh? What's that?"

"It was an online incident that severely damaged his career, and he hasn't fully recovered yet," Li Ran explained.

Zhou Ye understood. "Oh, I know that, but what does that have to do with what you're doing now?"

Li Ran sighed helplessly and patiently explained in more straightforward terms: "You've heard the saying 'fans' actions are the idol's responsibility,' right?"

Zhou Ye nodded: "Yes, I know."

"Right now, some of my fans are attacking a female celebrity who is actually not involved in this matter and is even a victim, in the name of defending me."

Li Ran looked at her and said solemnly, "If this trend is not guided and stopped, and is allowed to develop, who do you think will ultimately be the target of public opinion? Will I be labeled as 'condoning cyberbullying by fans' or 'an idol who has lost her voice'? Xiao Zhan's example is right before our eyes."

"I have just transitioned to a new career path and my foundation is not yet stable. I must nip this extreme trend in the bud as soon as possible. This is also a responsibility to my own long-term development."

Zhou Ye listened with a look of half-understanding on her face. She roughly understood Li Ran's concerns, but quickly realized a problem.

She glared at Li Ran, her jealousy rising again: "All this talk about grand principles, going around in circles, isn't it just because you're worried about Zhang Jingyi getting criticized? Otherwise, why didn't you take care of your fans sooner?"

Li Ran's eyes widened slightly, and he was speechless for a moment. How did his train of thought end up here?

Seeing Zhou Ye's "don't try to fool me" expression, Li Ran knew that the more she explained, the less clear things would become, so she quickly changed the subject.

"Alright, my little darling." He reached out and gently flicked her forehead. "Hurry up and finish your meal. We still have several scenes to film this afternoon."

Zhou Ye wasn't completely unaware of the risks Li Ran mentioned; she was just a little awkward and concerned.

He deliberately acted as if he was jealous and needed to comfort him.

Hearing his affectionate address, the corners of her mouth curled up almost imperceptibly, and she stopped pursuing the topic.

……

In his hotel room that night, Li Ran logged onto Weibo and posted the carefully worded announcement from his team.

He clarified that his relationship with Zhang Jingyi was simply that of schoolmates, called on fans to focus on his work rationally, and subtly expressed his disapproval of any form of cyberbullying. His attitude was clear yet gentle.

After a moment's thought, he found Zhang Jingyi's WeChat and made a video call.

After a few seconds, the call was connected, and Zhang Jingyi's face appeared on the phone screen.

She also appeared to be in a hotel room, dressed in comfortable loungewear, her hair flowing smoothly over her shoulders, against a clean background.

Upon seeing Li Ran, she slightly widened her eyes, then a faint, somewhat dependent smile curved her lips as she softly called out to him.

"Brother Li Ran".