Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 567 Anti-Chen Alliance
"It's really popular!"

In his office, Ning Hao browsed the web while sighing.

He hadn't expected "Ghost Blows Out the Light" to be so popular.

The internet is abuzz with arguments over who should play the lead role.

Who is the most popular?

Zhang Chen leisurely sipped his tea beside him.

"You mean the male lead or the female lead?"

"The male lead~"

"do not know."

"do not know?"

"Ah."

"What about the female lead?"

"do not know either."

Zhang Chen then realized that Ning Hao was playing a trick on him, and upon closer inspection, he saw a sly grin on Ning Hao's face, a sign that his scheme had succeeded.

"Tsk tsk tsk, the choice of Shirley Yang is really a stupid one. Fans are already digging up dirt on her. Jing Tian is also very popular, and there's also Hupu goddess Da Meiyuan, and the Chinese-American beauty Li Meiqi..."

Zhang Chen leaned over to take a look, and lo and behold, it's already torn!
This seemed like a great opportunity, so after thinking about it, I simply dialed Cao Guowei's number.

"Mr. Cao, when will Weibo be available?"

"The day after tomorrow? What's wrong?"

"Could you add a voting feature? We recently held a public vote on 'Ghost Blows Out the Light,' which was very popular. I'm planning to use this to drive traffic to Weibo..."

"No problem, I'll get the development team there right away, and we'll launch it together the day after tomorrow..."

"Okay, wait for my news then~"

……

Inside a villa in Beijing

Filming for "The Witch" has wrapped up and it is currently in post-production. Jing Tian has also returned to her home in Beijing.

Jing Tian had just finished applying a face mask in front of the mirror when Lu Zheng called.

"Xiaotian, have you heard about the 'Ghost Blows Out the Light' project?"

"Ok, I know."

Are you interested in the female lead role?

"Of course, but didn't Starry Sky Entertainment say that everything should be based on the opinions of netizens?"

"You're just too naive; those are all just gimmicks..."

Forget it, I won't talk about that. Anyway, if you're interested, I'll help you make it happen.

"Thank you, Uncle Lu~"

"No need to thank me. Your family entrusted you to me, so I have to be responsible for you."

Jing Tian knew that Lu Zheng's idea of ​​"operation" was to use money to achieve his goals, but he wasn't against it.

She got to where she is today by throwing resources at her; countless female celebrities envy her.
After hanging up the phone, Jing Tian looked at the comments online and smiled slightly.

Among the candidates for Shirley Yang, she has received recommendations and is quite popular.
This was a spontaneous act by fans; there were no paid trolls or any behind-the-scenes manipulations. It was purely out of love and support from the fans.
Seeing the messages from her fans cheering her on, Jing Tian had never felt as happy as she did today.

……

Elsewhere, Li Xue was also discussing things with Li Lianhua.

"Sis, I've been asking around these past few days, and 'Ghost Blows Out the Light' is incredibly popular. I think this is a rare opportunity!"

Li Lianhua lacked confidence: "I think in the end it will most likely fall into that sly fox's hands."

Li Xue, however, had a different opinion: "I don't think so. Ning Hao isn't Zhang Chen; he might not use Fan Xiaopang. Besides, didn't Xingchen Entertainment say they would fully respect netizens' opinions this time..."

"Just a gimmick~"

"Even if it's just a publicity stunt, they can't go too far. They still have to consider the feelings of netizens. I've already hired online trolls to help you generate buzz..."

"Okay, I'll listen to you."

"Well, if you have time these next couple of days, try reading the novel. It would be best if you could post some reviews online; that would make it easier to gain recognition from 'Ghost Blows Out the Light' fans."

……

The online discussion has been very heated these past two days.

Liu Yifei, Fan Bingbing, and even Hupu goddess Da Meiyuan were frequently mentioned, and even Zhao Yanzi and Zhang Ziyi were included.

On Baidu Tieba, the top three are Liu Yifei, Fan Bingbing, and Li Meiqi.
Tianya Forum featured Fan Xiaopang, Li Meiqi, and Jing Tian.
NetEase Forum, Li Meiqi, Fan Xiaopang, Liu Tianxian~
Hupu forum features beauties like Da Meiyuan, Liu Tianxian, and Fan Xiaopang.
Mop, Liu Tianxian, Fan Xiaopang, Li Lianhua~
It's fair to say that opinions are very divided when it comes to female celebrities.

Aesthetic tastes are something that can never be satisfied with.

Zhang Chen's phone was ringing off the hook with calls, all from people trying to get in through connections, but Zhang Chen pushed them all onto Ning Hao.

"This is Director Ning's project, I can't interfere. Whether he uses you or not is up to him."

Those in the industry know that Ning Hao holds a very special position at Star Entertainment.

The company never interferes with his projects.

So all the calls ended up going to Ning Hao.

Ning Hao was also very patient. When Zhang Chen went to have lunch with Ning Hao, the latter was on the phone: "President Lu, it's really not about the money. The company said this time that it would respect the netizens' voting results. It wouldn't be right to go back on our word right after saying that, would it? We also need to be trustworthy..."

I'm really sorry, but it's not up to me to decide whether Ms. Jing Tian wants to play the role of Shirley Yang; it's up to the netizens to decide.

After hanging up the phone, Ning Hao saw Zhang Chen at the door and gave a wry smile.

Before he could speak, the phone rang again at an inopportune moment. Ning Hao shrugged helplessly and simply shoved the phone into the drawer.

"Too many people have been contacting me lately, all wanting a role. Looks like I need to change my phone number."

"It's alright, I thought you handled it quite well just now. Just push all the blame onto the company."

Lu Zheng was also a bit confused.

The methods that had always worked were ineffective this time.

Even throwing money at it won't work?

This industry is getting tougher and tougher.
However, he also had his own countermeasures.

If throwing money at it doesn't work, then use online trolls. It's just an online poll, right? Just boost the votes!
At the same time, many people who had failed to find connections realized this and began to hire online trolls, causing the price of such services to skyrocket.

……

In the private room of the restaurant

Zhang Chen and Ning Hao each ordered a plate of egg stir-fried noodles and slurped it down with relish.

The two chatted
"Haozi, to be honest, do you have someone in mind?"

Ning Hao took a bite of garlic, then a bite of noodles: "I've thought about it carefully. I don't think the overseas rights for a genre like 'Ghost Blows Out the Light' will sell very well."

However, the fact that Southeast Asian cultures share common roots should be widely accepted.

If we're considering box office performance, my ideal Shirley Yang is Fan Bingbing. She's the most suitable in terms of fame, age, and appearance.
But she's too expensive~

With one film, Pacific Rim, and another, 2012, Fan Bingbing is now an international A-list actress, far surpassing Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li in status.

Even at the friend's price, it's still quite expensive.

The fact that "Ghost Blows Out the Light" couldn't become a global bestseller meant that they couldn't afford Fan Xiaopang's salary.

"And what about Hu Bayi? Do you have an ideal candidate in mind?"

Just as Ning Hao was about to speak, Zhang Chen's phone suddenly rang. It was Dong Jianqiang.

"Brother Dong~"

"Director Zhang, I have great news for you! Zhong Lifang has asked to meet with us!"

"She's figured it out?"

"I just asked around, and apparently she and Li Ming had another big fight last night, probably because of this..."

"It seems even God is on our side!"

"Yes, she might have still harbored illusions about Li Ming before, but I doubt it anymore. I estimate she'll give us a formal answer tonight."

"What's the matter? You look so happy." Ning Hao asked, noticing Zhang Chen's beaming face.

"It's nothing, it's just that our company might soon be gaining another key member."

The search for Zhong Lifang was conducted discreetly in the village; no firing a shot was allowed.

Apart from him and Dong Jianqiang, no one else in the company knew about it.

……

night
Zhang Chen, Dong Jianqiang, and Zhong Lifang met.

"Director Zhang, Manager Dong, I'd like to ask if your company still considers my invitation valid?"

"Of course, Star Entertainment will always welcome Ms. Zhong~"

"Alright, I've decided. I'll officially join Starry Sky Entertainment!"

The two exchanged a glance, and finally Zhang Chen extended his hand: "Ms. Zhong, on behalf of Starry Sky Entertainment, I welcome you to join us. I can guarantee you will absolutely not regret the decision you made today."

Dong Jianqiang also offered his congratulations at the opportune moment, and then asked, "So, when will Miss Zhong be able to resolve things with Xiao Ma? We've been eagerly awaiting your joining us!" He had originally thought that it would take Zhong Lifang at least half a month to handle the aftermath, but to his surprise, Zhong Lifang said directly, "I can start tomorrow. I've already resigned from Xiao Ma's side. If Xingchen Entertainment doesn't accept me today, I'll start looking for another job tomorrow..."

"So fast?"

Zhong Lifang gave a wry smile.

The two suddenly realized that the rumored argument was more than just a simple argument.

……

The next day, Star Entertainment held a special high-level meeting to introduce Zhong Lifang to everyone.

"Ms. Zhong Lifang will assume the position of Vice President of Star Entertainment, effective today, and will be fully engaged in preparing for the company's IPO."

Everyone offered their congratulations. The circle is only so big; even if you don't know each other, you're still familiar with each other.

Everyone knows who Zhong Lifang is and what she does at Xiaoma Benteng.

Everyone was very happy that such a talented person had come to Star Entertainment to handle the listing matters.

These people present are all company veterans and shareholders; the company going public will greatly benefit them.

Star Entertainment announced the news, but the industry didn't react much. Star Entertainment has been wanting to go public for quite some time.

I only heard that Li Ming smashed a cup in anger in his office.

The news of Zhong Lifang joining Star Entertainment only circulated within a small circle, and the general public did not care about it.

What they care about is the ranking of "Ghost Blows Out the Light".

Just one night later, the internet was in an uproar.

The rankings on all the major lists have changed.

The online army displayed its remarkable abilities.

The effectiveness of online trolls is directly related to how much money is spent.

The one that cost 100,000 is definitely better than the one that cost 90,000.
By this time, Jing Tian had already made both forums number one, while Li Meiqi had completely disappeared from the leaderboard.

The most outrageous one is Zhao Youting.

Ning Hao looked at the name and asked, "Can anyone tell me who this Mark Chao is?"

Zhang Chen rushed over upon hearing the news: "This one is actually the male version of Jing Tian~"

On Zhihu in the original timeline, there was a question: Does the legendary Taiwanese influence in the entertainment industry really exist?
Of course it exists.

Mark Chao's rise to fame is the best example.

Search, So Young, Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe...

From the very beginning, they were all male leads, and all of them were male leads in popular works.

It's impossible to say that no one pushed for this.

In fact, the Heavenly Banquet was a product of Taiwan's promotion, and the methods were the same as Lin Chih-lin's.

The only difference is that Lin Chih-lin was forced to use mainland actors to elevate her status, while Mark Chao collaborated with top mainland actors.

……

Sina officially held a press conference to announce the launch of its Weibo product.

Many celebrities were invited in the first batch, and Zhang Chen was one of them.

As the unsung boss of Weibo, Zhang Chen's first Weibo post was announcing that a ranking list for "Ghost Blows Out the Light" would be set up on Weibo, and the selection of the film's lead actors would be based on this ranking list.

The subtext is that Star Entertainment does not recognize those previous rankings.

This is blatantly diverting traffic from other forums to Weibo.

And the reason is perfectly legitimate.

Zhang Chen specifically replied under the Weibo post, explaining that the reason for creating a new ranking system was that the ranking manipulation on other forums was serious, which affected the fairness of the rankings.

Netizens are wondering, is it really not allowed to manipulate Weibo's rankings?
It's really not possible~
The technical department takes measures to limit ranking manipulation and strives to obtain the latest data.

In an instant, some were happy while others were sad.
Liu Yifei is the one I like~
In the past two days, due to her manipulation of the charts, she has even fallen out of the top three on some lists.

After fans discovered that they couldn't manipulate Weibo's rankings, they immediately spread the word.

The fans of Tianxian are quite powerful, with many dedicated to their love for the brand.

Lu Zheng was the one who was worried.
The emergence of Weibo means that all those previous efforts to boost rankings were wasted.

However, when he was ready to spend more money to keep spending money on the game, he found that he couldn't do it and was instantly petrified.

Are we going to rely on real fans to keep things going?

……

After figuring out how to use Weibo, Yang Xiaomi posted a message on Weibo immediately.

Looking forward to its release!
Below that is a nine-grid photo collage, all taken on set. One of them is of a script supervisor using a clapperboard, with the title "Only You" clearly written on it.
Immediately, fans left comments below:

Mimi worked so hard~
Mimi is so dedicated!
We'll definitely support Mimi's new movie!
Zhang Chen was quite surprised; she was probably the first person on the entire internet to think of using Weibo to promote the movie.

The key point is that Zhang Chen didn't consult her beforehand at all, meaning that Yang Xiaomi figured it out entirely on her own.

No wonder she's become so successful in later generations!
Amazing!
……

A club
Wu Baige followed the staff to a private room and pushed the door open to enter.

A man and a woman were already sitting inside. When they saw Wu Baige arrive, they both stood up to greet her.

"Director Wu~"

Wu Baige replied with a smile, "Guofu, Yinong, you're all here now, let's all sit down and talk~"

The man and woman were none other than Chen Guofu of Huayi Brothers and Cai Yinong of Tangren Film & Television.

This is clearly a small group gathering.

"The reason I brought everyone together today is to share information. I feel like I'm being targeted more and more often here lately. I wonder if either of you has had the same experience?"

As soon as Wu Baige finished speaking, Cai Yinong immediately felt the same way: "Director Wu must be talking about Star Entertainment, I feel the same way."

Starry Entertainment and I both became fans of the same drama called "Scarlet Heart".

I bought the rights for a high price, but before I could even celebrate, Star Entertainment announced they were starting a drama with the same theme. It's basically just copying the trend; they have no sense of decency whatsoever.

Chen Guofu also sighed: "Me too. I had my eye on the script for 'The Message,' but they've already bought it."

I tried to negotiate with them to buy the film or collaborate on a production, but they consistently refused. I could only watch helplessly as "The Message" was filmed and released..."

Chen Guofu has always held a grudge about this matter.

"The Message" sold more than two years' worth of copies; this achievement should have been his.

After Wu Baige and the other two finished speaking, she said, "It's similar on my end. Star Entertainment has repeatedly provoked me. Zhang Chen is completely different from others. He seems to be deliberately targeting us filmmakers from other places. Before it was Hong Kong, and now it's Taiwan's turn..."

"Then what should we do? Are we just supposed to endure it?" Cai Yinong was unwilling to give up.

Chen Kuo-fu: "Director Wu, do you have any good ideas?"

Wu Baige comforted him, "He's riding high right now, so we'd better not provoke him, but we don't need to be afraid of him either."

People always make mistakes, and no one can win all the time.

The reason I called you two here today is to form an alliance, an 'Anti-Chen Alliance' to jointly resist Zhang Chen..."

The two people opposite each other exchanged a glance: "Of course we agree, but how should we do it?"

"Zhang Chen is incredibly strong. None of the three of us could defeat him alone, so we must stand together and support each other no matter what happens in the future..."

The two people opposite nodded.

Wu Baige continued, "Furthermore, we need more allies. Those Hong Kong people are no longer reliable. I want to bring Lu Chuan in..."

Chen Guofu frowned: "He's no good. This guy doesn't understand crisis management at all. If he had dared to show up on the previous 'Qiang Qiang San Ren Xing' show, the situation would never be as passive as it is now."

Facing two troublemakers, defeat is still honorable.
If we just hype this up, his popularity will be pretty good.

The audience might even think that two troublemakers are bullying Lu Chuan, and they might garner some sympathy points.
Then what did Lu Chuan do? He immediately chickened out and didn't dare show up at all. Someone like that might just become a liability.

Chen Guofu clearly had a very poor impression of Lu Chuan.

Cai Yinong neither confirmed nor denied the statement.

Wu Baige said, "But he is a local after all. If we get involved in many things, it will make people think too much."

But if he were to handle it, there would be far fewer problems.

I've met him a few times; he's a brainless jerk.

It's good that he's brainless; he's easy to control. We can use him to push our own people and strengthen our forces.

Moreover, being brainless has one advantage: you're more stubborn.
You might think that he has repeatedly lost to Zhang Chen.

I think it's because he repeatedly fought against Zhang Chen, suffering defeats but never giving up.

The two were stunned. "Are you trying to teach us Zeng Guofan's methods?"

However, he did not want to go against Wu Baige's wishes on the surface.

"Director Wu is right, we've been too superficial."

Cai Yinong also asked, "What are Director Wu's plans?"

Wu Baige had no idea what the two people opposite her were thinking, and said to herself, "I'm planning to have him cause Zhang Chen some trouble..."

(End of this chapter)