Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

Chapter 301 The 'Incompetent' Little Zhao (4.5)
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"Liu Tianxian? I should avoid her?!"

"Zhao Xiaodao! You need to step up your game!!!"

Upon receiving Gu Qing's encouraging message and the subsequent link to a CP (couple) poll,

Sister Zhao (Zhao Liying) felt a rush of heat to her head, and her cheeks instantly became hot!
What does "avoiding the enemy's sharp edge" mean?
This is nothing short of a blatant provocation.

A surge of heroic spirit, swearing to "fight for the sake of a beauty" and defend his "official" position, was instantly ignited!

"Call for votes! We must call for votes! Let's go!"

Zhao Liying sprang up from the sofa, gripping her phone, her eyes burning with fighting spirit, and immediately dialed her team to start a meeting.

in the conference room,

After hearing her "battle declaration," her new agent, Huang Bing, hesitated noticeably: "Liying, is it appropriate for you to personally campaign for votes?"

"You are, after all, a female celebrity. Won't your fans have something to say about that?"

He tried to dissuade him tactfully, but he was also worried—this guy in front of him was shrewd and capable in his career, but once he got involved with that "younger brother," that little flame of romantic love was impossible to extinguish.

Can they really persuade them to stay? It's doubtful!

In the past, which of those love-obsessed female celebrities in the entertainment industry could be persuaded?

If you can really persuade someone to stop, would they still be someone obsessed with love?
"Brother Bing, you may not know much about the relationship between Sister Liying and Brother Gu Qing."

"A senior assistant in the team couldn't help but interject, her tone certain, "From 'The Journey of Flower' to Running Man, Happy Camp, and now the wildly popular 'The Mystic Nine,' Sister Liying's career is deeply intertwined with Brother Gu Qing's."

In the eyes of the audience, their relationship is simply too good; they are the most compatible and well-matched "sibling duo."
It's perfectly reasonable for her to personally campaign for this couple; fans will find it genuine and relatable. It would be strange and distant if she didn't do anything at all!

"As for fans?"

Zhao Liying picked up the conversation herself, her chin slightly raised, her tone clear and focused, "How many of my fans do you think are female? The kind who would get jealous?"

She wouldn't have been criticized so harshly if she had female fans before.

There might be male fans.
What's the use of male fans in the entertainment industry?

Her looks aren't outstanding among the post-85 actresses; her only redeeming quality is her good eye for scripts and her willingness to put in the effort to act.

Therefore, Sister Zhao has her own sense of pride.

She considers herself an actress, not an idol, who relies on her looks to please fans.

She has works!

If idols can't date, what does that have to do with the actress?

"Uh...that's true..." Huang Bing was speechless at the barrage of reasons and awkwardly touched his nose.

"Then... will Gu Qing send out campaign appeals?" he asked subconsciously.

As soon as he finished speaking, an eerie silence fell over the meeting.

Everyone was looking at Huang Bing as if he were an idiot.

Even Zhao Liying couldn't help but rub her forehead; anyone could sense her silent sigh.

I previously thought my former agent was too shrewd and calculating, so I specifically chose a more "honest" one.
Was it just too naive?

Huang Bing instantly realized he had asked a stupid question, and his face burned with embarrassment.

The top six CP rankings are all Gu Qing, so how could his team possibly campaign for Zhao Liying alone?

There's no third possibility; it's either a cold shoulder or a blanket approach.

"Something terrible has happened, Sister Liying!"

The team assistant's voice, tinged with alarm, broke the awkward silence, "Nazha! Nazha just posted on her blog to ask for votes, directly urging fans to vote for her and Gu Qing's 'Word Spirit CP'!"

"So fast?!" Zhao Liying's eyes widened, her round face filled with astonishment. She asked doubtfully, "Didn't she...didn't she discuss it with her team?!"

Nazha: "Hehe, no need."

Hesitate and you will lose!

There are different levels of being obsessed with love, you know!

Everyone immediately clicked on Nazha's blog.

Her post was completely devoid of any formulaic politeness; it was more like a playful, coquettish comment on social media.
Waaaaah~ Please, everyone! [Pity][Pity] Please vote for our "Word Spirit Couple"!
[Voting Link] I really miss my little brother so much! I haven't seen him in so long! [Crying] Please, everyone! [Heart][Heart]

This direct and affectionate approach perfectly hit the sweet spot for the CP fans.

In just a few minutes, the number of votes for "Yanling CP" began to rise visibly!
"I...I've become the second one?!"

Looking at the real-time rankings, Zhao Liying felt a mouthful of blood stuck in her already meager chest.

"No...it's the third one..."

The assistant's voice lowered even further, cautiously reminding, "Liu Shishi... Sister Shishi is also going down... She said... if..."

If she and Gu Qing's younger brother's "anime convention sibling CP" wins first place, she promises her fans that she and her brother will do another cosplay set..."

Zhao Liying: "..."

She held her phone, questioning the meaning of life.

What kind of people are in the entertainment industry these days?
She thought she was being incredibly aggressive by personally campaigning for votes, but how come Nazha and Liu Shishi were even more frantic than her?!
Crazy!

Aren't you two supposed to make a living based on your looks?

Aren't you going to consider the fans?
"Don't tell me... Liu Tianxian is also campaigning for votes?" Zhao Liying's voice was filled with a sense of despair and helplessness.

"No, not at all!" the assistant quickly replied. "It's very quiet on Liu Yifei's side. Given her status and public image, her team would never allow her to campaign for votes; it would be too beneath her."

Their team has remained inactive.

"That's good……"

Zhao Liying let out a long sigh of relief, her tense face relaxing slightly.

She said she wasn't afraid, but she knew perfectly well that if Liu Yifei really got involved, given her popularity and huge fan base, she would be in serious trouble.

She, Gulnazar, and Shishi combined are no match for them.

As long as the celestial beauty doesn't descend to earth, Zhao Xiaodao is still confident that she can "fight" with the other two!

Soon after, Zhao Liying's blog was also updated:
'Er Yuehong and Ya Tou need everyone's support! [Voting Link] Thank you to all the friends who like Er Ye and Ya Tou! [Go Er Ye][Go Ya Tou]'

Although not as "sweet" as Gulnazar, it wins in its simplicity and power, and carries the radiant glow of a hit drama.

The "Second Master's fans" and "Little Girl's fans" instantly went wild, their fighting power off the charts!
Fueled by the immense popularity of "The Mystic Nine," Gulnazar and Liu Shishi quickly fell behind in the votes.

Zhao Jie, the number one on the list, seems to have her position as secure as a mountain.

Many netizens were thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.

"What kind of magic does Gu Qing possess? Is the harem on fire?"

"Don't joke around like that, okay? Is this a harem? Those are all kind older sisters!"

"Who doesn't like a younger brother? He's handsome, has a great figure, and is talented. Actresses who work with him all see their careers take off. He can even create on-screen couples without causing any annoyance. He's practically a walking lucky charm!"

"Don't ask, just ask, it's this face! [Gu Qingshen's beautiful face]"

Industry insiders, however, were scratching their heads in disbelief:
"That's strange, why is Gu Qing so popular? Is it just because of that pitiful face?"

"If it were any other male celebrity, he would have been torn to shreds by the criticism if he were trending with so many female celebrities!"

"But look at it now? The female fans are happy, the male fans are proud, and bystanders are enjoying the show—a win-win-win situation! It's simply bizarre!"

"If all else fails, I'll arrange for one of my artists to get his face surgically altered so he can appeal to both men and women!"

The only thing that made me unhappy was...

Even those in the industry, especially the teams from other competing companies, simply couldn't figure it out and didn't know how to replicate Gu Qing's persona.

They could only gather together to discuss and try to solve the "Gu Qing phenomenon".

"Surgery? You could spend millions and still not look like that. Even if you did, what good would it do? Do you think Gu Qinghong looks like this just because of her face?"

"I think the key is that Gu Qing and his team have such good marketing skills!"

"First, he has a friendly and warm image as the nation's little brother, which is very down-to-earth. And whenever Gu Qing gets a endorsement deal, he sends a batch of gifts to these people, who then post on their blogs to express their gratitude. Every time, it makes it to the trending topics."

Over time, the audience realized that they had a very good relationship, so when they trended on social media and went to a poll, most people were happy.
In the eyes of netizens, this doesn't seem like a rivalry or jealousy between female celebrities, nor does it seem like a fabricated scandal.
Instead, it's a playful, everyday kind of banter, with a lot of family-oriented elements—isn't that quite endearing?

The professional team provided a very thorough analysis. They explained exactly how Gu Qing became so popular.

However, if we were to apply the same assembly-line production model to their artists based on Gu Qing's character, it would be a real challenge.

This isn't the typical character type: 'foodie, beauty, idiot, sharp-tongued, cute, cool, sweet...' etc.

It's not something that can be easily created for an artist by simply practicing, buying a few press releases, and appearing on some variety shows.

The first step to learning from Gu Qing is: 'becoming famous overnight'.

That effectively shut down 99% of artists.

If they could become famous overnight, why would they bother to develop a persona?

But without the foundation for overnight fame,

How can he maintain good relationships with so many celebrities?
If you're really nobody, who's going to even glance at you when you try to strike up a conversation?!
"I can't learn it, I really can't learn it."

These people were desperate.

Gu Qing's fans, on the other hand, are facing a "happy dilemma":
"Ugh! Why do I only get one vote for signing in every day? I have to do tasks to vote again. It's so troublesome. I don't even know who to vote for anymore."

"We must vote for Second Master and his daughter; they are the best!"

"But I want to see the new cosplay of my senior sister and brother. I'm really looking forward to their collaboration."

"Aren't the Word Spirit Couple great? The little fox duo is adorable."

"Nobody's voting for my little ears? Let's go, Qingling CP!"

"I'm just timidly raising my hand... Actually, I want to see my younger brother and the fairy together in the same frame... Just seeing them appear together would be a treat."

Four days have passed in the blink of an eye, and there are only three days left until the voting deadline.

The rankings have also changed dramatically!
Huang Xiaoming demonstrated his financial power, forcefully elevating the "Master Couple" into the top four!

Deng Chao and the Empress, this "model of loving couple", have also made it into fifth place!
Chen Duling and Gulnazar, who were relatively less popular, unfortunately fell to ninth and tenth place respectively, becoming "gatekeepers".

Those who made it into the top five were all couples with strong fan bases and high topicality on both the male and female sides.

Neither of them clearly possesses this ability.

The pairings related to Gu Qing still dominate the top three, but Liu Shishi, who is in third place, has been far surpassed by the top two in votes, and her momentum is clearly waning.

Zhao Liying remains firmly in first place, maintaining a lead of hundreds of thousands of votes.

With the popularity of "The Mystic Nine," it seems that no one can shake its dominance.

Looking at the list, Zhao Liying couldn't help but smile, as if she could already smell the champagne of victory.

however,
Just when she thought victory was in her grasp,

She's been exposed!

The incident of being terminated by the endorsement company has once again become a trending topic.

Immediately, comments saying she was "uncool, lacked fashion sense, and had no class" were everywhere.

The focus shifts directly to: the Harper's Bazaar gala dinner!

Fashion resources have always been Zhao Liying's deepest pain and most sensitive nerve!
Even with multiple hit dramas under her belt, in the dazzling world of fashion, the quantity and quality of her endorsements are definitely at the bottom among the post-85 actresses.

This precise strike instantly shook the morale of Gu Qing's fans. In the previously enthusiastic fan groups, doubts began to spread:
"Wait a minute... if we vote so hard for Sister Liying and her brother... won't it end up hurting her brother?"

"Yeah! I heard that the big shots in the fashion industry are really arrogant. If they think an artist is tacky, then everyone who works with them will be looked down upon..."

"Oh my god! What if this affects my brother getting luxury brand endorsements? We can't do something good that turns out badly!"

"Sisters... how about... we take a break?"

For Gu Qing's fans, supporting the CP (couple pairing) is secondary; protecting their idol's career and future is the core!
Once they sensed a potential threat, their enthusiasm for voting cooled instantly, and they even began to waver.

"Who?! Who on earth is plotting against me?!"

Zhao Liying was so angry that she trembled all over and threw the pillow hard on the ground!
Why did they have to reopen old wounds from two years ago at the most crucial moment of the Bazaar voting? It must be sabotage by a competitor!
"Is it Liu Tianxian?!"

Her first thought was to target her biggest competitor: "If she defeats me, she can rightfully take first place!"

"Sister Liying, I don't think it's likely."

One member of the team analyzed, "If it was Liu Tianxian's team that did it, wouldn't that be too obvious? It doesn't fit their usual style."

It's more like... someone wants to kill two birds with one stone, instigating a conflict between you and the celestial being, while they reap the benefits themselves!

"Who else could it be but her?!"

"..."

The team fell silent, their faces etched with solemnity and helplessness.

It's not that we can't guess it, it's that too many people can guess it.

It's all too common in the entertainment industry to buy dirt on competitors, and it's incredibly difficult to tell who's behind it.

After all... anyone could buy it!

People on this list will buy it, and people off the list might also buy it.

Even artists from the same company, vying for the top spot, would buy dirt on each other behind their backs, all in an attempt to destroy one another.

Especially in a company as big as Huayi, aren't there any other female artists who dislike her?
Are you willing to let Xiao Zhao climb over them?
There are enemies everywhere!
not to mention,
Xiao Zhao's works have been hit one after another, and her career is soaring.
Among the actresses born in the 85s who were in the same cohort as her, she probably disliked the most.

If you're this fierce, what if people use you to put us down?
If you really start to suspect them, they all have problems.

But would you dare say it to my face?
Sister Zhao broke down, and there was no way to make amends.

After all, fashion resources are her Achilles' heel.

She could only watch helplessly as her position as "Number One on the Ranking List, Sister Zhao" was taken away by another "Sister Liu".

The "incompetent" Xiao Zhao ultimately lost.

On the evening of the voting deadline.

"Little brother, I've lost!!"

Disheartened, Sister Zhao called Gu Qing and began to sob uncontrollably, pouring out her heartache.

Having just finished rehearsing for the Bazaar performance and returned to the hotel exhausted, Gu Qing listened patiently to Sister Zhao's "stormy crying" on the other end of the phone and comforted her for a long time.

I agreed to spend two days with her after Bazaar ended before I could stop feeling sad and hung up the phone.

"Who did this?" he muttered to himself.

Liu Tianxian's team?
Unlikely.

We've never met, have no grudges against each other, so there's no need to resort to such despicable means, which could easily backfire.

If it wasn't her... then who could it be?
Gu Qing shook her head, forcing herself not to think about it.

If it's a male artist from the same industry,

He didn't need to guess; he knew it was either Li Yifeng or Chris Wu.

Just catch them when they're caught, and let them go one by one. There will definitely be some who slip through the net.

Female artists from other tracks...

He was kind, friendly, beautiful, and generous to everyone he met.

Gu Qing couldn't guess, and had no way of guessing.
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The voting results are now finalized.

The number one celebrity couple in terms of "heart-fluttering moments" is Gu Qing and Liu Tianxian.

Unexpected, but reasonable.

Soon, Su Mang, the director of Bazaar, called, her voice filled with enthusiasm and an air of unyielding authority:

"Honey, congratulations on you and Qianqian getting first place! Tomorrow afternoon, I'll be treating everyone to a meal at the restaurant so we can get to know each other beforehand and discuss the details of the red carpet event the day after tomorrow with our teams."

After all… everyone's been eagerly anticipating your collaboration!

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(End of this chapter)