Actor: Thank you.

Unlike many celebrities, Zhang Yuan is neither afraid of nor hates paparazzi.

It's not because he hasn't been harassed by paparazzi.

He's faced this situation many times; otherwise, what would he need bodyguards for?

Moreover, compared to other threats, the threat from paparazzi is relatively minor.

They're just working and making money.

It's not that he sympathizes with working people, but rather that everyone knows working people have a "vulnerability."

Unlike other actors, he wouldn't curse at Zhuo Wei, his "superficial" old friend, just for mentioning him, let alone seeing him.

No need.

There must be a Lich King, because the Frozen Throne cannot be empty.

This person could be Zhuo Wei, or someone else.

For a celebrity to befriend paparazzi is tantamount to asking a tiger for its skin.

Many colleagues have tried to open up to the media and reporters, but in the end, most of them just end up being treated like fools and given a bunch of information they want.

So being buddies is out of the question.

But he can be a father.

Zhuo Wei smiled in response to his question.

"Of course I'm here to exchange feelings," he said insincerely.

"I'm busy then, see you later." Zhang Yuan said and was about to hang up.

"Slowly, slowly..."

You want to play this game with me?
Stop with the pretense and just tell me what you want.

"Actually, what I wanted to say was something like this magazine news article."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Yuan corrected him, "It's a fabricated scandal."

"Hehe, news like this happens all the time."

“I think it will also be helpful to your work.”

"If there's an opportunity, we could cooperate."

"You provide the content, and I will report on it."

"It can be your artist, or it can be another artist."

Are you treating me like a pig, trying to trap me with feed?

Zhang Yuan sneered inwardly, "Making excuses to lie to me, trying to expose me."

I don't believe you at all, you old man are such a bad guy!

Zhuo Wei has some manners, but not much; you could only say he's considered well-mannered among paparazzi.

"Is this considered a service?"

Is there a service fee?

"Or are there any copyright fees for the use of photos, images, or content?"

"Should I buy from you, or sell to you?"

"Or you need advertising fees, hush money."

Zhang Yuan rattled off a string of words, and the person on the other end remained silent for a few seconds.

Because he pointed out the tricks paparazzi use to make money.

Since the beginning of this industry, the most basic way to make money has been through copyright fees.

Independent or contracted journalists take various photos and then sell them to magazines and newspaper groups.

In the old version of Spider-Man, the one starring Tobey Maguire, Peter Parker made money by selling "selfies" to his boss, JJ.

After being possessed by Venom and "turned evil," all he did was buy a discounted suit and force his boss to give him a raise.

They weren't contract workers; they were all temporary workers.

The original Spider-Man was too kind.

These are what are called freelance journalists or freelance writers, which is roughly equivalent to doing odd jobs; the only difference is that the names sound nice.

Most paparazzi who have gone offline, their informants are of this type.

They follow and photograph celebrities, then sell the photos to paparazzi or magazines.

Just like Zhuo Wei's studio, which actually has less than ten people, it's impossible to send them all out to find news.

They will only start monitoring after they have a clue and some proof.

Copyright fees are the most basic way to monetize copyrighted content.

In late 06, the Navarre couple from France established the famous paparazzi website X17.

They specialize in selling candid photos of celebrities.

X17 was one of the earliest paparazzi organizations to benefit from the internet boom.

However, China's copyright law and copyright situation dictate that this approach will not work.

We do not support reporters taking photos without permission.

Furthermore, there are stringent review and accountability mechanisms in place.

Therefore, Zhuo Wei found that after starting her own studio, she couldn't earn much money from copyright fees.

This led to the development of a second way to make money, which has existed since ancient times: "hush money".

In addition to hush money, there are also public relations expenses.

Zhuo Wei is a bit different.

He's not the kind of paparazzi who cleans up after others; he's the kind of paparazzi who gets into trouble.

Therefore, Zhang Yuan believes that he most likely wants to sell the copyright to make money for himself.

It's equivalent to hush money.

Besides these old tricks, there are new ways to play in the internet age.

Through streaming media, paparazzi can transform themselves into KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders).

Similar to the short video era, it involves creating an account and then selling products.

Paparazzi can also create accounts and websites, and then increase clicks and attract advertising investment by making a big news story.

It's even possible to take a self-media company public.

Zhang Yuan knew that this was the path Zhuo Wei would later take.

However, they started down this path too late, and it was too late to transform.

There's a saying that character determines destiny, and he has some flaws.

He believed that Zhuo Wei enjoyed controlling others, especially destroying those who were stronger than him.

What he does to celebrities is actually similar to this.

Use photos and scandals to make you socially miserable and enjoy the thrill of manipulating "big shots".

The so-called "revealing the truth" and "helping audiences to pursue celebrities rationally" are just excuses and pretexts.

His true purpose was to satisfy his inner desires while making money.

But that's also where the problem lies!

If he's only in it for the money, that's fine.

But he really did reveal the truth!
Because he wanted to be famous, to be the king of this industry.

Offerings are required for the investiture ceremony.

Just like later when he exposed the most popular celebrities, he became the recognized king of paparazzi in mainland China.

At the same time, it also triggered a collective backlash from the entire entertainment industry.

Everyone is on edge; can we expose what's going on in our lives?

The matter was reported directly to higher authorities, and the Cyberspace Administration of China launched a special campaign to deal with him.

After that, I couldn't start a company anymore; I could only operate as a guerrilla.

Zhang Yuan directly exposed all his paths.

Let's chat.

Zhuo Wei remained silent for a long time.

He hadn't expected the other party to know so much about his industry.

I thought he was amazing when I first met him, but I never imagined he would be even more amazing now.

Moreover, they are now more assertive in their speech and actions than before.

Being a boss is a great thing!
"Let me put it this way," he said, seeing that the other person remained silent.

"First of all, I can't give you any information."

Even if he wanted to expose someone, he would have to do it secretly or have his own people do it.

Zhuo Wei wasn't one of their own, so they didn't trust him and sold him off.

"Secondly, regarding copyright fees, do you have my photos?"

"It will happen, it's possible," Zhuo Weiyi said through gritted teeth.

"Okay, whether you're confident or arrogant, you can contact me if you want."

"As for advertising fees, I will not pay them to you or your partners."

"I only pay copyright fees, mine, including those of my artists."

"But I want to make it clear to you that I can pay the copyright fee, but the price must be reasonable."

"And you have to approve all the news about my people first."

"If you publish content without my permission even once, especially if it causes a negative impact, you can forget about ever getting a single penny of copyright fees from me again."

Want to make money? Sure, kneel down.

Now I'm Master Zhang, do you have the guts to be a table full of scoundrels? He can't show any sign of backing down. Paparazzi are very sensitive. As soon as they hear you back down, they know there must be something shady going on, and they'll immediately swarm around you like flies or vultures.

If you back down, the other party will demand an exorbitant price.

"You're being so domineering; that's not the attitude of a friend. And I'm not your subordinate," Zhuo Wei replied, clearly dissatisfied.

"You fabricated rumors about me first, and I haven't even bothered to argue with you about it."

"Have I ever criticized you in front of the media?"

"I've already given you a lot of face, just because we've known each other for a while."

"I'm not just an artist now, I'm also a businessman, you can't mess up my business."

"You do business, and so do I. I am a self-disciplined writer, and my goal is to expose the truth to the public."

"Including my truth?" Zhang Yuan suppressed a laugh at the word "self-discipline".

"The truth about anyone."

"I understand. The conditions remain the same. Contact me if you need anything."

After saying this, Zhang Yuan politely took his leave.

Clearly, they didn't reach an agreement.

The other party's appetite was bigger than I had imagined.

"Looks like there's something wrong with it."

"I want to earn money while standing up."

"This is an illness, and it needs treatment."

He not only had to protect himself and his loved ones, but also his subordinates.

Completely yielding to a major paparazzi is impossible.

Zhuo Wei, on the other hand, was also unhappy because she didn't get a satisfactory answer.

His studio is now struggling to make ends meet, and he doesn't have enough content to draw on.

He wasn't that powerful yet; he wasn't so arrogant as to think of himself as the god of paparazzi, daring to expose anyone.

So after searching around, he found that Zhang Yuan was famous enough and had a lot of people involved, but he didn't have a strong background!

Unlike other elite circles, the people in the Shanghai circle have been important figures for generations.

Moreover, not only him, but most of his artists also come from humble backgrounds.

Compared to someone like Sister Hua, Zhang Yuan's agency is practically a "worker-peasant alliance".

Most of them are ordinary people, or even from the lower classes.

They can band together because none of them have any powerful connections.

Those with connections won't associate with you.

Looking at it this way, Zhang Yuan is fat enough, there's little resistance, and I even know him.

Moreover, he has climbed the ranks so quickly over the years, and his promotions have been so rapid, he must have a lot of substance to offer.

If you thoroughly understand him, you'll be completely in control!
Even if I don't fully understand you, if I can grasp one or two key points... I can take advantage of you for life!

You have to pay extra for everything!

Zhuo Wei decided to get some actual data first.

After several encounters, he discovered that Zhang Yuan's protection was far better than that of ordinary artists.

Zhuo Wei: My informant is incompetent; it seems I must step in!
Jing Tian's appearance on the Beijing TV station and his winning the Best Actor award at the Hundred Flowers Awards completely attracted the attention of paparazzi.

The paparazzi god cast a glance at Zhang Yuan.

Unfortunately, he hadn't read many of Nietzsche's books, otherwise he would have known.

When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.

"Brother Long, notify the security company."

"Strengthen security for all artists, refine the procedures, and be rigorous."

"All vehicles have dark window tinting."

"Add more people to provide shade during the day."

“Celebrities must wear hats, sunglasses, and masks when they go out; this is a strict rule.”

"I'll add hidden sentries around my two frequently used houses and keep an eye out for strange people."

After arranging everything, I also spoke with the two agents about Zhuo Wei.

"Tell all artists that they must report to their companies if they are in a relationship."

"Especially those who are involved with married women or men, must be informed, otherwise the company will not be responsible for public relations if problems arise."

"Those who cheat should also be careful."

"Even if you're dating on set, you're not allowed to have any intimate actions on set."

"Let's get back to the room and cuddle up some more."

"Everyone should especially remember to keep the curtains closed at all times."

"You are not allowed to book hotel rooms outside; the records will be checked."

"They are only allowed to do it at home, but both parties must go separately and leave separately."

"Also, you are not allowed to date women with technical skills, and you are not allowed to engage in illegal activities."

After listening to his words, Zeng Jia quickly wrote them down and carried them out.

Yang Siwei knew that the boss was a little unhappy after hearing this, and said that she would make sure all the artists understood the spirit of the speech.

But the fat woman asked one more question.

How long will this situation last?

"I'm afraid that if this goes on for too long, the artists will become dissatisfied."

"I don't know, I'll handle it as soon as possible."

"But we are in a passive position; we are being targeted, not the other way around."

"It depends on the other party's actions."

Is there no room for negotiation?

"If you were an entertainment reporter, would a pre-arranged deal be useful?"

Yang Siwei shook his head. Among journalists, entertainment reporters are the least trustworthy.

They make a living by manipulating people.

"The main problem lies with me, so as long as you do as I say, I will take responsibility for handling any problems that arise."

"So that everyone can work with peace of mind."

"They'll most likely come after me."

"After all, I'm the most popular."

Zhang Yuan is not boasting, but his whistleblowing alone is worth more than all the rest of the whistleblower company.

Zhuo Wei wants to become famous and a KOL, so he will definitely be targeted.

Zhang Yuan was afraid that the other party might not be after money, or even more money, but would use him as a stepping stone.

Even if he was attacked and banned because he exposed himself.

But what's the point of this one-for-one trade? I'm losing a fortune.

But "raising ghosts to eat people" is also not allowed.

As stated in "On the Six States," the destruction of the six states was not due to inferior military strength or poor strategy, but rather to their bribery of Qin.

Offering land to Qin is like carrying firewood to put out a fire; the firewood will never run out, and the fire will never be extinguished.

When dealing with paparazzi, you can't negotiate terms; you can only accept them as your dogs.

Otherwise, you are giving the other party more means to threaten you.

"Looks like we'll have to be on edge for a while," Zhang Yuan thought with a worried expression, resting his chin on his hand.

However, given his current fame, it's only a matter of time before he's completely targeted by paparazzi.

He has always kept his private life, especially his love life, private, which makes him even more of a target for paparazzi.

I need to be more careful lately and keep my distance from the actresses on set.

I'm afraid some female celebrities might want to use me to gain fame and then collude with the paparazzi.

"What's troubling you?" Qin Hailu asked, seeing him squatting in the corner looking utterly miserable.

"It's nothing." He moved a few steps to the side.

"Oh, you're trying to avoid me, but you didn't avoid that Korean woman."

"Shh!" Zhang Yuan quickly gestured, "Don't talk nonsense."

"From today onwards, I intend to be a self-disciplined actor."

"Hehehe..." Qin Hailu laughed heartlessly: "You're quite funny."

"What's the difference between what you're saying and the Chinese Quyi Artists Association saying they want to oppose vulgarity, obscenity, and vulgarity?"

Zhang Yuan thought Qin Hailu's one sentence was a masterful satire of both families.

The film crew was quite peaceful, with no voluptuous or flirtatious older women.

Zhang Yuan decided to work hard and accumulate Yang energy along the way.

After saving up for a while, Ning Hao said he was going to Northeast China for research and would visit the film crew on the way.

Having a famous director can increase the film's popularity.

Then we can have him post a movie review on Weibo, which will help sell more tickets.

Moreover, given the quality of this film, he wouldn't feel guilty writing advertorials about it.

However, he didn't come alone... (End of Chapter)