Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

Chapter 3 Character Design and Couples

Chapter 3 Character Design and Couples
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Among these seven members, the most prominent are clearly Deng Chao and Wang Baoqiang.

They are both undeniably top-tier male celebrities!

The second tier consists of Li Chen and Chen Chichi, who are well-known but lack representative works of significant merit.

The last tier naturally includes: Wang Zhulan and Da Baobei.
Most mainland audiences are completely unfamiliar with them, essentially having no knowledge of them at all.

As for Gu Qing himself, he was an outlier among outliers.

He hasn't even debuted, let alone produced any works.

However, through this period of marketing, they have linked themselves with the four returning members of EXO, creating a massive and widespread buzz.
In addition, her outstanding looks attracted a large number of casual viewers in a short period of time, and she gained considerable popularity.

She's definitely a top influencer!

With all the artists present

Director Lu Hao gestured to the staff next to him to distribute a detailed plan to each artist.

"Everyone, our 'Running Man' this time is based on the copyright of the national variety show 'Running Man' on the Korean Peninsula, so naturally we have to learn from their success."

Director Lu Hao got straight to the point, "The main reason I called everyone here for this meeting is to inform you in advance about each person's character and role in the show."

It's a well-known fact in the industry that reality shows are scripted.

Deng Chao and the others present did not show any surprise, and even Gu Qing, a 'novice', was already mentally prepared.

"Brother Chao, stay strong."

Lu Hao first looked at Deng Chao and Wang Baoqiang, who were undoubtedly the core of the team.

"Brother Chao, you have the heaviest task. You are not only the captain and elder brother of the brothers, but also responsible for controlling the atmosphere. Try to make the atmosphere more lively and don't let it become dull."

"Director Lu, don't worry, no one knows how to liven up the atmosphere better than me."

Deng Chao excitedly raised his eyebrows, fidgeting even while sitting in a chair, just like someone with ADHD.

"Brother Chao, there's no need to be too outgoing."

Lu Hao smiled helplessly and continued, "Baoqiang, you're the honest guy in the show. Just show your honesty and straightforwardness, and you'll be responsible for creating contrast and laughs. It's basically a natural performance."

"I'm not stupid either."

Wang Baoqiang scratched his head. "Never mind, I'll try my best not to hold you guys back."

then,

Lu Hao turned his gaze to Chen Chichi and Li Chen.

"Chichi, you're the comedic relief. You're responsible for helping Brother Chao liven up the atmosphere, catching his jokes, and creating entertaining moments together. Just relax and have fun, don't hold back."

Chen Chichi grinned, and Zeng Xiaoxian's image vaguely appeared in his mind. "Being funny? I'm a professional."

"Li Chen, you are the strength specialist, responsible for physical tasks and combat. You are also the strongest among all the members, and we will highlight your combat strength in the later combat phases."

"And Zhu Lan, you're the brains of the group, responsible for solving puzzles and strategizing. Your main strength is using clever tricks. If you encounter any female guests, you need to act a little ruthless and be a ladies' man!"

……

quickly,

Lu Hao's gaze fell on Gu Qing and his precious Yang Ying, pausing slightly.

A middle-aged man wearing glasses suddenly walked over from behind him and stood next to Lu Hao, speaking to him.

"It's in Korean."

Gu Qing raised his eyes slightly. His predecessor's four years of training on the peninsula had naturally given him Korean language skills.

"CP... siblings... immoral... exciting..."

The few words she vaguely heard gave Gu Qing a sudden sense of unease.

"Ahem, next up is our Gu Qing."

After listening to the translation, Lu Hao coughed lightly and said with a smile, "You've just turned 19, so everyone here is like an older brother or sister to you. Naturally, you'll be the 'youngest brother' on the show."

Now he's really the younger brother...

After hearing his instructions, Gu Qing quickly stood up and bowed somewhat reservedly to Deng Chao, Wang Baoqiang, and the other members: "Seniors, I am Gu Qing. Please forgive me if there is anything inappropriate during the recording of the program."

"Hey, don't call me senior, just call me Brother Chao from now on."

Deng Chao was completely unpretentious, smiling as he patted Gu Qing on the shoulder and pressed him back into his chair: "We're already filming Running Man, why are you being so formal?"

"Yes, we don't follow that kind of thing."

Wang Baoqiang echoed, "Meeting is fate; we're all family."

"Brother Chao, Brother Baoqiang."

Gu Qing wasn't a dull person, and immediately changed his tune.

"That's right."

Deng Chao and Wang Baoqiang exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of a smile in each other's eyes.

Their overtures weren't entirely out of consideration for newcomers—after years in the entertainment industry, who isn't shrewd and calculating?
Firstly, Gu Qing is currently a very popular young idol, and befriending him would be more beneficial than harmful.

Secondly, the young man's humility was just right; his address of "senior" was incredibly pleasant. Although he said there was no need to be so formal, who in this circle doesn't like being fawned over and treated like royalty?

Thirdly.
"Hey Gu, you really know how to grow your face."

Chen Chichi suddenly leaned over and lightly tapped Gu Qing's nose with his fingertip. "Look at your eyes and chin, there's not a single flaw. After so many years in the arts, this is the first time I've felt defeated in a competition of looks."

"Chichi, you have absolutely no good looks."

Amidst the laughter of the crowd,
Li Chen joked, "If I looked like this when I was young, I wouldn't have needed to build this muscular physique." He then deliberately tensed his arm muscles as he spoke.

"Chen, the key point is that your muscles aren't that big."

Deng Chao pinched it, looking quite disgusted.

Laughter filled the conference room.

No one noticed Yang Ying in the corner, using her phone's front-facing camera to fix her hair.

In a reflection on the mirror,
The boy's awkwardness reminded her of her embarrassment and anxiety when she first entered the Hong Kong entertainment circle and attended parties.

"Okay, let's stop fooling around, I haven't finished speaking yet."

Lu Hao turned his gaze to Yang Ying, who had just finished tidying her hair.

“Baby, your persona is also the biggest highlight of our show. While maintaining the image of a goddess, I hope you can also show your ‘tomboy’ side.”
"Your everyday makeup should be simple and elegant to get closer to the audience. As long as you're relaxed, you'll definitely shine!" Lu Hao said earnestly.

Yang Ying smiled slightly and nodded: "Director, I will try my best."

Today she was wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans. Her pure appearance, paired with light makeup, made her look exceptionally fresh and charming.

As Huang Xiaoming's girlfriend whom he hasn't publicly acknowledged yet, the resources behind her are naturally considerable.

The leader spared no expense to help this female artist, who had no connections in mainland China, stand out on the show.

Not only did they get the darling into the show, they also secured the best possible persona for her.

I thought it was over.
But Director Lu Hao continued, "In addition to that, our production team also wants to create a 'popular couple'."

Considering that the Monday Couple pairing of "Gary" and Ji-hyo from the current Korean version of "Running Man" is too classic,

It's difficult for us to replicate, so we decided to start with the earliest version of the 'Song-Song sibling couple'.

This suggestion, of course, came from the man from the peninsula behind him.

In order to film a good program,

Moon TV specifically poached several VJs and PDs from the Running Man production team for planning purposes.

In today's world
Domestic idol dramas are still generally about the domineering CEO falling in love with me.

Idol dramas on the peninsula

They have already begun to develop relationships with 'strong women and weak men' and 'younger men' relationships.

The concept of younger-older couples, in particular, is practically ingrained in the very bones of people on the Korean Peninsula.

This is mainly due to its abnormal seniority system.

Younger people must unconditionally obey older people, and peers should only befriend peers. Even if there is a one-year age difference, one must use polite language when responding.

If a senior slaps you a couple of times out of the ordinary, it's considered a sign of affection and guidance. To resist is to challenge the entire social system.

'Younger man/older woman relationship' is a kind of fantasies of resistance.

The aloof and tough senior is infatuated with the weak and pitiful junior, losing all sense of propriety and revealing various ugly and contrasting behaviors, which precisely satisfies the fantasies of those in lower positions.

"Gu Qing, Baby, I hope that during filming, you can not only show familial love and affection, but also subtly highlight some ambiguity. Can you do that?"

Lu Hao said it very directly.

This is the real inside story of how celebrities create on-screen couples.

There's no such thing as eye contact indicating love or not.

Any couple that appears on camera and makes you feel sweet and smitten is fake.

As for those that you feel you can't bring yourself to try, they are all failures.

This was the first time Gu Qing had witnessed such a scene.

"No problem, director, I'm a 'professional' actor."

Yang Ying, with a graceful and elegant demeanor, waved her hand and smiled playfully, saying, "Little brother Gu Qing, call me 'older sister'."

“Sister Baby.”

Gu Qingmu said.

"That's all for now. If you have time, you can watch a few episodes of the Korean version of Running Man to learn about the basic filming methods."

Lu Hao glanced at his watch and said, "We'll be filming the opening sequence for the first episode tonight."