Huayu became famous overnight

Chapter 270 Who is more noble than whom?
"Nonsense."

Fan Bingbing was furious.

"I'm not kidding, I was only nine years old when I watched 'Princess Pearl 1'," Xu Ming said with a smile.

hiss--

The group of people who were enjoying themselves were taken aback by what they heard.

I did some calculations silently.

The first season of "My Fair Princess" premiered in 1998. Xu Ming was born in 1989, so he watched it when he was nine years old.

The crowd initially thought there was nothing wrong with the two standing together.

I instantly felt a generational divide.

The astute reporter had already noted down this sentence and would use it as a headline in the press release.

Fan Bingbing was stunned, then quickly said, "I was only 16 when I played Jin Suo, okay? It's not like I'm that old."

As she spoke, she slapped Xu Ming's arm.

The force was more like a caress than a pat.

"just kidding."

After teasing Fan Bingbing, Xu Ming looked at the reporter seriously and said, "I must give a heads-up to my fans and moviegoers that the new drama will not be a grand production."

It's just a simple idol drama, where I just show off my good looks and act cool..."

The simple language left everyone present speechless.

People always try to embellish their work, constantly claiming it has value.

Xu Mingke, on the other hand, just spoke plainly.

Even Fan Bingbing, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but cover her face, as it was the first time she had ever seen someone promote their work like this.

"Given your current status, wouldn't it be more beneficial to society and your fans to create more meaningful and insightful works?"

A question suddenly popped up.

The others felt a jolt of fear; those standing there must all be one of their own.

Why would anyone ask such a provocative question?
Xu Ming squinted and looked over; the microphone the other person was holding had the CCTV logo on it.

"I don't think I have any special status. I'm just an artist, and my job is to enrich the entertainment life of the audience."

More meaningful and profound works are not something I should consider, nor is it my place to consider. I must first do my job well.

Xu Ming paused for a moment, "A chef's job isn't judged by how well he cooks, a hairdresser's job isn't judged by how well he cuts hair, and a doctor's job isn't judged by how well he treats patients. Isn't this just chaos?"
"Like now, as a journalist, do you think interviewing me is meaningful and insightful?"

Damn it, if we're really talking about significance...

These damn reporters have no right to question me, especially entertainment reporters.

They're all lowlifes, who's more noble than whom?

The other person was stunned and didn't wait for her to come to her senses and respond.

Xu Ming waved his hand and led Fan Bingbing away from the impromptu interview site.

The information he just revealed is enough to generate buzz; anything more would be inappropriate.

"No wonder you're a screenwriter, your reactions are so quick. If it were me, I would have been stumped by the questions." Fan Bingbing said with admiration in her eyes.

"Don't be silly, when it comes to dealing with media reporters, I'm no match for you," Xu Ming said with a faint smile.

To be honest, feeling the admiring gaze of the beautiful woman beside him did make him feel elated for a moment.

However, he quickly regained his composure.

He's completely drained now, and his resistance to beauty has reached its maximum.

Fan Bingbing pursed her lips and asked, "Hey, by the way, is our show really just about showing off and being cool, without exploring anything deeper?"

Even if there are places to dig, it's not necessary.

Xu Ming shook his head, "Make things easier for yourself and for the audience. That's the meaning of this show."

Of course, when you act, your performance should have layers, but don't over-complicate certain emotions. Sadness is sadness, and happiness is happiness; don't try to make it look like you're laughing through tears.

In his mind, "My Love from the Star" was a fast-food movie specifically for the Asian market.

Fan Bingbing nodded thoughtfully.

Upon arriving at the styling studio, the two went to their respective dressing rooms.

Xu Ming said he didn't think he had any status, but when it came to the treatment on set, he still divided people into different classes.

He and Fan Bingbing each had their own dressing room and personal makeup artist, while the rest of the people shared a large dressing room and several makeup artists.

Xiao Juan walked in a little while later.

"We found out the reporter's identity. He's an intern at CCTV, and his family is in the media system, but he shouldn't have any conflicts with us. He's just too idealistic."

From the moment that reporter asked the pointed question.

Her identity was then included in the investigation.

Ordinary interviews are fine, but for interviews with an insider feel, he has to wonder if someone has infiltrated the team.

"Hehe, just graduated from university, and your family is still in the media industry, no wonder."

Xu Ming raised an eyebrow. "If there are no problems after being placed on the continuous observation list, we will try to hand over similar announcements to CCTV in the future."

"Yes."

A hint of doubt flashed in Xiao Juan's eyes, but she subconsciously obeyed the order.

"Isn't it strange that I would choose to continue cooperating with her even though she offended me?" Xu Ming chuckled.

"A little." Xiao Juan nodded.

"A naive rabbit that makes mistakes is much safer than a seasoned veteran."

Xu Ming sighed softly, "We can't cut off contact with CCTV, so we might as well choose a safer channel for cooperation."

In the past, he wouldn't have worried about cooperating with CCTV.

But things are different now. You have to know that the media is the best at praising the powerful and belittling the weak.

Neither I nor my mentor were on the Spring Festival Gala this year.

Even if many people don't know that he's been caught up in the controversy, they can guess that he's in trouble and that future collaborations won't be as harmonious as before.

This is why Xu Ming didn't hold a big celebration when filming started for "My Love from the Star".

But even so.

His collaboration with Fan Bingbing was revealed online.

It also immediately occupied the top three spots on the trending search list.

Both of them are top-tier influencers individually, let alone when they're together.

Xu Ming's interview clips went viral online.

"Damn, I didn't even realize it until Xu Ming mentioned it. It turns out that 'Princess Pearl 1' is already so old."

"It really is a mark of the times. I was wondering why Sister Fan looks both old and young. I forgot that she debuted so early."

"Yeah, Xu Ming really understands me. I love idol dramas where people act cool and pretentious, preferably with a brain storage device."

"Although I'm not a fan of his, his answer to the CCTV reporter really resonated with me. I just want to entertain myself when I watch TV dramas, don't give me any meaning or values. I've received enough education throughout the year, is it so hard to relax?"

Netizens shifted their focus from the drama itself to discussions about 'meaning and happiness'.

The more they argue, the more popular it becomes.

Instead, it brought immense popularity to "My Love from the Star".

This was unexpected for Xu Ming, and it had a wonderful feeling of unintended consequences.

"Card!"

"Let's move on to this one, get ready to change venues," Guo Fan shouted.

The entire crew got to work.

Xu Ming took the warm milk tea that Xiao Juan handed him. May should be summer, but who would have thought that it would still be so cool today that it gave people goosebumps.

"The popularity of 'My Love from the Star' remains high, and there's a lot of discussion about it. President Zhuo asked if you wanted to change the promotional plan," Xiao Juan said.

According to the original plan, "My Love from the Star" should be neither a big hit nor a flop at this point.

The public is aware of it, but they don't participate excessively in the discussion.

Unexpectedly, an interview disrupted Xu Ming's well-prepared publicity plan.

"Let's make changes. Let's add fuel to the fire and keep it going until the show starts. We haven't finalized the sponsorship yet, so let's raise the price even higher."

Xu Ming was helpless; it would be a waste to refuse such free publicity.

The original plan was to start with a downturn and then build up, but now it's all over, and we can only build up first and then keep building up.

"By the way, have there been any other news stories from our industry lately?"

Xu Ming didn't say his last sentence. Are people really that bored?

Xiao Juan scratched her head: "Does Wang Feng's first stop of his tour concert at the Workers' Stadium in Beijing count?"

Xu Ming was taken aback, then a look of relief flashed in his eyes.

This is an uncontrollable force of the rules—as long as Wang Feng wants to trend on social media, there will inevitably be other trending topics vying for the top spot.

Then it's understandable.

"boss."

Guo Fan walked over.

"What's wrong?" Xu Ming looked over.

"I see there are quite a few scenes in the script where the male and female leads eat fried chicken and drink beer. Has the product placement been finalized? Or should we use plain packaging first and then edit it later?" Guo Fan asked.

Fried chicken and beer?

Xu Ming frowned slightly. He remembered that after the drama "My Love from the Star" aired in his previous life, the combination of these two foods was a huge hit.

Fried chicken brands across the country all benefited from this trend.

He turned to look at Xiaojuan: "Are you familiar with this area?"

“We’ve contacted relevant brands, and Wallace has offered the highest price so far at 120 million. If nothing unexpected happens, we’ll probably go with the former,” Xiaojuan said.

Was the Splatoon the highest bidder?
Xu Ming clicked his tongue. He didn't know it before, but now that he understood how valuable this sponsored spot was, selling it for only 120 million was far less than he expected.

Xiao Juan noticed her employer's conflicted expression and reminded him, "Generally, the sponsorship price for clothing and jewelry is relatively high, while the price for other items like food and home appliances is generally not high."

Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that the male and female leads of "My Love from the Star" were Xu Ming and Fan Bingbing...

It would be difficult to sell it for 120 million.

After all, it wasn't a personal endorsement from either of them, but rather a sponsorship of the TV series.

"Let's ask again and see if we can negotiate down to two million," Xu Ming said.

"Okay," Xiao Juan replied.

……

People who follow "My Love from the Star".

Not only are Xu Ming and Fan Bingbing's fans watching closely, but their peers in the industry are also keeping a close eye on them.

They didn't really care at first.

TV series and movies are two separate circles with different approaches.

Xu Ming's move from the film industry to the television industry is seen by many as an admission of weakness.

But the overwhelming popularity of "My Love from the Star" made them a little restless.

A buffet dinner following an industry event.

I saw the topic of "My Love from the Star" constantly trending on the hot search list.

Someone couldn't help but speak.

"This Xu Ming is incredibly audacious. His master has already gone into hiding in Lotus Village, but he's only been hiding for two months, and now he's back to his old ways, isn't he afraid of anything..."

He opened his mouth but swallowed the rest of his words.

There are some things that, given his identity, would be suicidal to say.

"He's just an actor. No matter how much trouble he causes, he's not respectable. Who's going to keep an eye on him?" another person said with disdain.

Even though Xu Ming is already a powerful figure in the industry.

However, his identity as an actor is still criticized and looked down upon by many people in the industry.

Since one's abilities are inferior, one can only seek confidence from other aspects.

"This TV series is not the same as the movie. I saw through his three tricks a long time ago: first, he gets a celebrity to join him, then he hypes it up, and once he achieves a little success, he buys some press releases and gets online trolls and fans to praise him. Hey, he's become a star."

The portly man chuckled, completely forgetting that the so-called 'achievements' were a hurdle that most of the people present could not overcome.

Not content with his own sarcasm, the man turned his attention to the central figure in their small circle.

"Chairman Fu, you're the leader in the domestic TV drama industry, wouldn't you agree with what I said?" The man gave a thumbs up, his tone slightly obsequious.

"Ahem, we can't be too sure of things. Xiao Xu's personal achievements are quite considerable, and Qi Ming has also made some contributions to the TV drama field. I welcome him to join the competition."

Chairman Fu waved his hand and said with a smile, "Competition is the only way to produce better works to give back to the audience. Huace welcomes and encourages everyone to get involved in the production of domestic TV dramas."

clap clap clap!
Everyone applauded as a gesture of respect.

Look at him, no wonder he's the head of Huace, his words are so grand and insightful.

"If that Xu guy were more down-to-earth, I'd be more willing to respect him, but I've heard that his production team doesn't even consider the competition in the domestic market."

The man kept everyone in suspense, and when they saw that everyone was looking at him, even those outside the small circle were drawn in.

His emotions were rising, and he sneered, "They're targeting the entire Asian market. As soon as filming started, they contacted copyright holders in several East Asian and Southeast Asian countries."

I think that while we're laughing at them, they might not even care about us.

Even though everyone knew this guy was stirring up trouble, they still felt uneasy.

This is similar to how everyone in the class is working hard to improve their class ranking.

When a liberal arts student transferred to the science class, everyone wondered what rank he would get, but he went straight to participate in the school-wide math Olympiad selection.

My first reaction wasn't that this guy brought honor to the class, but rather, "Why is this guy so pretentious?"
"Hey, you're being a bit petty and judging others by your own standards."

Chairman Fu frowned and reprimanded the man.

The latter chuckled twice, his mind racing with thoughts. Could it be that the Xu fellow had a good personal relationship with Chairman Fu?

"However, this young Xu is indeed a bit too ambitious. He hasn't even figured out the domestic TV drama market yet, but he's already thinking about the Asian market."

Chairman Fu sighed and said earnestly to those around him, "You should take this as a warning. Don't try to become a big fat man in one bite just because you've achieved a little success."

Our company, Huace, is doing quite well domestically, but we're still not in a hurry to expand overseas. Why? Because if we don't cultivate our internal strength, even if we manage to go global by chance, it will only bring shame to the Chinese people.

Confidence is a good thing, but blind confidence is not.

If someone else said this, it might sound like they were taking advantage of their seniority.

However, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Huace is currently the number one TV drama company in China.

Chairman Fu is indeed qualified to give Xu Ming a condescending assessment.

Even before "My Love from the Star" had started filming, he had already sentenced it to death.

The others all looked on in agreement.

Regardless of what you think in your heart, you must at least give Chairman Fu face in person.

In this setting, Chairman Fu's words quickly spread throughout the industry.

Subsequently, people in the industry also learned that "My Love from the Star" was targeting the entire Asian market.

Mockery and sarcasm abounded, and some even reached Xu Ming's ears while he was on set.

(End of this chapter)