Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

Chapter 359 The Old Master (Shocked Face) 6k
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……

"Oh my gosh! Little Gu! I've missed you so much!!"

As soon as the door to the lounge opened, Gu Qing didn't even have time to see who it was before he was grabbed by a tight bear hug, the force of which made him stagger.

Then,

With a burst of energy, Chen Sicheng, whose face was filled with "longing," pouted and leaned in, as if to kiss him.

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing! Sicheng! Stop! Men shouldn't touch each other like that! Mind your image!"

Gu Qing was terrified. While laughing, she hurriedly raised her hand and pressed it against Chen Sicheng's forehead, forcefully pushing the head that was trying to "commit a crime" away by an arm's length.

"Haha, what are you afraid of? There are no outsiders here!"

Chen Sicheng laughed loudly and finally let go of him. He then turned around and pulled Tong Liya, who was smiling, over. "Your sister Yaya is a woman. She talks about you every day at home, worrying that you are not eating or sleeping well. I'm so jealous."

"I don't see what you're jealous of. You're never home, and what nonsense are you spouting in front of your brother!"

Tong Liya was dissatisfied, but she had no choice but to keep quiet in such a beautiful setting.

She stepped forward, carefully examining Gu Qing. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and her eyes were full of genuine concern: "Little brother, I feel like you've lost some weight? Your cheeks are all flat."

Tong Liya naturally raised her slender hand and tenderly touched Gu Qing's cheek, then straightened his collar, which had been slightly wrinkled from Chen Sicheng's hug.
A gentle reminder: "No matter how busy you are at work, remember to take care of yourself, eat on time, and get plenty of rest, okay?"

"Sister Ya Ya, I'm really fine, I haven't lost much weight."

Gu Qing was a little embarrassed and said, "I'm probably just a little tired from working non-stop these past few days. Once this promotional campaign is over, I'll definitely have a good meal to make up for it."

He vaguely learned from Chen Sicheng that Tong Liya had a younger brother who was about the same age as him and with whom she had a very close relationship, but unfortunately he died in an accident at an early age.

She is now clearly projecting some of the deep feelings she had for her deceased brother onto herself.

Although this care was touching, Gu Qing still felt a little uneasy.

Although it won't take two years
Sicheng, who treats his brothers like limbs and women like clothes, will cheat on his wife, leading to his divorce.

But the two are not divorced yet.

This intimacy made him subconsciously want to keep some distance.

"Brother Baoqiang!!"

Seeing Wang Baoqiang behind him, there's not much to worry about.

Gu Qing immediately opened her arms to greet him, her smile becoming exceptionally bright and relaxed.

"Oh my! Little Gu! I've missed you so much!"

Wang Baoqiang, with his signature, innocently honest smile, gave Gu Qing a tight hug.
He even patted him on the back as was his habit, and the two of them smiled so wide their eyes disappeared, exuding familiarity and intimacy.

They met on the variety show "Running Man" and have supported each other all the way. Their friendship has become incredibly deep, and they feel no pressure when they're together.

"Tsk, these guys..."

Watching the three men hugging and embracing each other, seemingly having endless things to say, Tong Liya couldn't help but click her tongue slightly, a strange feeling rising in her heart, a mixture of amusement and a touch of sourness at being excluded.

She's such a beautiful woman standing here, and she's been completely ignored?
This scene made her both angry and helpless.

"Brother Baoqiang, what have you been up to lately? I haven't heard from you in ages."

After exchanging pleasantries, Gu Qing put her arm around Wang Baoqiang's shoulder and asked curiously.

"I wasn't busy with anything, just... I made a movie by myself."

Wang Baoqiang scratched his head, smiled somewhat embarrassedly, and spoke as if it were a trivial matter.

"Making a movie?!"

Gu Qing's eyes widened in surprise and delight. "Wow, Brother Baoqiang! You've become a director?!"

Amazing!
Why didn't you say so sooner? Do you have any suitable roles for me? I'd love to have a cameo role for you!

"That's all, that's all. It was all filmed a long time ago, and the post-production is almost done."

Wang Baoqiang felt a warm glow in his heart; he knew Gu Qing would react this way upon hearing the news.

However, he cherished this pure friendship, so he deliberately waited until the movie was fully completed before revealing it, just so that Gu Qing wouldn't feel embarrassed or be interpreted by outsiders as taking advantage of her popularity.

"Brother Baoqiang, that's really not fair of you!"

Gu Qing said, "You only tell me after filming is finished? Do you need a theme song? I'll write one for you. I guarantee it will fit the storyline perfectly!"

"There's no shortage of songs, there's no shortage of songs,"

Wang Baoqiang quickly waved his hand and explained, "I bought the copyright to that old song 'The Girl from Tianzhu,' which was in the 86 version of 'Journey to the West.' I thought it was very suitable, so I used it."

The surrounding staff members were stunned, their eyes filled with undisguised envy.

This is Gu Qing!

Currently, Gu is riding the wave of popularity from the Spring Festival Gala, making him an absolute top star!

He actually offered to make a cameo appearance for free and even compose the theme song! This is an opportunity that many directors would dream of!
Who doesn't know?

Given Gu Qing's current momentum, a single promise from him could mean hundreds of millions in box office revenue!
however,
What shocked them even more was that Wang Baoqiang so casually and sincerely refused!
In the entertainment industry, where interests are intertwined and human relationships are exceptionally cold, this is nothing short of a miracle.

Such a friendship is unbelievably pure.

"Brother Baoqiang, you..."

Gu Qing was speechless for a moment, overwhelmed with emotion.

He certainly understood Wang Baoqiang's good intentions.
It is precisely because I understand this that I feel the depth of this friendship even more.

No wonder Wang Baoqiang was jokingly called the first "succubus" in the Chinese entertainment industry, as even his closest confidants couldn't dig up any dirt on him.

Such a person is sincere, kind, and always considerate of you, making it impossible not to cherish and be close to them.

Whether in the complex world of entertainment or in ordinary life, such friends are incredibly precious.

"hey-hey,"

Wang Baoqiang's signature squinty smile reappeared as he affectionately put his arm around Gu Qing's arm. "Little Gu, you can skip the cameo in the song, but when my movie is released, you have to come and support me!"

"Don't worry, Brother Baoqiang!"

Gu Qing agreed without hesitation, smiling sincerely, "Even if you didn't say so, I would definitely come!"

"I'm here! I'm not late, am I?"

At this moment, Xiao Yang also rushed in through the door, his forehead still covered with fine beads of sweat.

So far,

The main members of the "Detective Chinatown" family have now been assembled.

"Alright, alright, everyone's here, let's go!"

Chen Sicheng waved his hand with a smile, "The movie's about to start, let's go!"

The premiere lineup for "Detective Chinatown" was indeed simple, with only five main actors, which seemed rather "shabby" among all the big films released during the Spring Festival.

But this did not diminish their status as the focus of attention, solely because Gu Qing was among them—he alone was an unparalleled star.

Inside the premiere theater,

In addition to ticketed audience members, there were also many media reporters, with their cameras and microphones already in place.

Using the dim lighting in the theater, Gu Qing and his group quietly made their way to the reserved seats in the back row and sat down.

"Little brother, do you want some popcorn?"

As soon as I sat down, Tong Liya handed me a bucket, saying, "I specifically asked them to put less sugar in it, because I know you're worried about gaining weight."

"Thank you, Sister Yaya."

Gu Qing gave her a thumbs-up, picked up two and popped them into her mouth. While chewing, she leaned towards Chen Sicheng on her right and asked in a low voice:

"Brother Sicheng, have all the cameras I asked you to prepare been arranged?"

"Don't worry, it's installed very well behind that decorative light in the upper right corner of the screen, just as you said. The view covers most of the audience seats and can definitely capture everyone's facial expressions clearly."

Chen Sicheng responded in a low voice, his tone tinged with a mixture of confusion and curiosity, "But Xiao Gu, why did you make me go through all this trouble? What is it for?"

"To promote."

"Publicity?" Chen Sicheng was even more puzzled.

"Um,"

Gu Qing nodded, "I'll teach you how to edit it... I guarantee it will make movie fans who haven't seen it yet so eager to see it that they'll... no, they'll willingly line up to buy tickets and come see our 'Detective Chinatown'."

He silently lamented that, for the sake of "Detective Chinatown's" box office success, he would probably have to personally open the "Pandora's box" of film promotion.

As a viewer who had been poisoned by various "fraudulent" movie marketing tactics in his previous life, he knew all too well how effective those methods were at arousing curiosity.

As a viewer who was deeply influenced by film marketing in my previous life.

Gu Qing had been tricked into going in many times. Every movie was hyped up to be amazing and hooked the audience's curiosity.

But when you actually see a masterpiece in the theater, it's all just a thesis defense.

And the first shot that ignited the myth of film marketing:
It has to be 'Jia Ling'.

Her film's marketing strategy focuses on emotional resonance.

"Hi, Mom" ​​is a story adapted from a skit, with a plot that is rather illogical, yet it still managed to gross a staggering 54 billion yuan at the box office.

Gu Qing had a good impression of the movie, thinking it was not bad and not terrible.

Most moviegoers who watched the film shared his opinion.

It did not affect Jia Ling's reputation.

But what truly broke the hearts of all casual moviegoers was the sequel, "Hot Hot".

An adaptation that is far inferior to the original, completely abandoning the core essence of cinema.

It relied solely on marketing to lose weight and overwhelming publicity, ruining its reputation, yet still managed to rake in a whopping 34 billion yuan at the box office.

A film with no special effects, no big-name celebrities, and filmed in ordinary street-side houses, yet its investment reached a staggering 3.5 million yuan!
It's unbelievable just thinking about it.

The production cost of the sci-fi blockbuster The Wandering Earth 1 was just over 320 million.

This shows how much money was spent on marketing and promotion for this product.

So far,

Chinese film production teams have officially entered the "Great Promotion Era"!
After Jia Ling, three more extraordinary figures emerged.

Three main methods for promoting the film were developed:
Wu Jing visits the set

Huo Siyan sheds tears at the premiere.

Zhang Yimou was shocked!
Even later on,
Some film crews go so far as to arrange for pet dogs to watch a movie together in order to gain sympathy, and when making a military film, they always use terms like "classified" or "top secret"... so that no one can hear it.

The publicity methods employed were so diverse and astonishing.

The method Gu Qing had Chen Sicheng use today was Zhang Yimou's "shock" style!
By using the camera to precisely capture and edit the audience's most genuine reactions such as laughter, tears, surprise, and tension during the viewing process, this information can be used for viral dissemination in post-production. This will definitely give movie fans who are still quite "naive" a little "shock".

Gu Qing wasn't afraid that this move would backfire.

Because he has absolute confidence in the quality of "Detective Chinatown 1".

This is definitely a high-quality commercial film that is full of sincerity, laughs, and logical consistency during this year's Spring Festival season. Its reputation is enough to support any well-intentioned promotion.

……

"They're here! The movie's about to start!"

The lights in the theater went out completely, the screen lit up, and the whispers of the audience gradually subsided.

When the dragon emblem swept across the screen, the movie officially began.

The first shot shows Qin Feng (played by Gu Qing) with his back to the camera, sitting in an interrogation-style room, undergoing a police academy interview.

"Qin Feng, why do you want to apply to the Criminal Police Academy?" a voice-over asked.

"..."

Is this question difficult to answer?

"Huh? That voice... is that Dapeng?"

Some audience members immediately recognized it.

"There are quite a few celebrity cameos."

"Tsk, just thinking about his 'Jianbing Man' makes me sick. It's pure fraud. If I had known he was in it, I would have thought twice before buying a ticket."

The appearance of Dapeng drew some quiet complaints and grumbles.

As a comedy film released in 15,
Da Peng's self-directed and self-acted film "Jianbing Man" has received a lot of attention.

The cast of stars numbered over thirty, more than the current "The Great Wall," attracting a large number of movie fans.

however,
When audiences entered the theater to watch the movie, they discovered that most of the stars were only making cameo appearances, with very few scenes or even no lines, making it a complete case of "selling dog meat under the guise of mutton".

The film's weak connection to the main storyline weakened the narrative's integrity, despite its box office exceeding 10 billion.

This also marked the beginning of Teacher Dapeng's journey to 'pay off his debts'.

Fortunately,

The next second, the camera switches.

The camera gives a close-up of Qin Feng, played by Gu Qing, in profile—he is lying on his dormitory bed, the dim light outlining his features, his eyes closed in a dejected manner, listening to his grandmother's nagging.

"Wow--"

A chorus of suppressed gasps, primarily from the female audience, erupted in the theater.

The slight unpleasantness about Dapeng was immediately forgotten.

"The director knows exactly what we want to see!"

"Were there a lot of books piled up on the bookshelf just now? Did you see what was written on it?"

"With such a great face right on the screen, who would be interested in looking at anything else?!"

Hearing these whispers, Chen Sicheng in the back row couldn't help but grin smugly; his little scheme had succeeded.

Then,

The film's pace quickens, the scene shifts to Bangkok, and Wang Baoqiang's character, Tang Ren, makes a dazzling entrance—

His Mandarin, delivered with a thick Cantonese accent, coupled with a smug and smug expression, and especially his blindingly large gold tooth, instantly ignited laughter in the theater.

"Hahaha! Baoqiang's look is so cheeky! That slap was so smooth."

"Huh? Is this background music Ms. Deng's 'Memories Can Only Be Relived'? It's a bit of a nostalgia trip."

"Holy crap! Baoqiang and Xiaoyang are kissing on the lips?! Is Director Chen really going this far?!"

"No way! Please don't schedule a kissing scene for my younger brother! I can't handle that!"

"Hahaha--"

The effect was surprisingly good in the first few minutes.

Even the male audience members who were dragged there by their girlfriends were drawn in by the hot and novel exotic nightclub atmosphere and the hilarious scenes.

The atmosphere in the entire theater gradually became more and more enjoyable.

Meanwhile, in another theater.

Several actors from the "The Great Wall" crew are also conducting their "grassroots research."

Compared to her companions who were fully armed, Da Tian Tian only wore a baseball cap and a mask, which made her seem quite "bold".

As she passed by the audience waiting in line, she even deliberately pulled her mask down, revealing the carefully made-up lower half of her face.
Secretly, I was hoping to be recognized and enjoy the joy of being surrounded by fans asking for autographs.

However, the reality is cruel.

People came and went, but no one stopped, and no one even glanced at her.

Da Tiantian: "..."

She awkwardly pulled up her mask silently, quickly walked to her seat, and sat down, feeling half-dejected.

What's more coincidental is that

A young couple sat in front of her, and their conversation came through clearly:
"Baby, why do you suddenly want to watch 'The Great Wall'?"

The girl asked jealously, "You wouldn't happen to have fallen for that Jing Tian, ​​would you?"

Da Tiantian immediately perked up her ears, leaned forward slightly, and couldn't help but secretly raise the corners of her mouth under her mask.

Wow, she actually has male fans?!
However, upon hearing this,

The boy looked completely bewildered: "Who? Who is Jing Tian? The woman on the poster at the door?"

I came here to watch the Taotie fight! Those monsters in the trailer are so cool!

For most viewers who came to see The Great Wall, aside from fans of the actors, most male viewers were looking forward to this movie which was marketed as a fantasy and mythology film.

Da Tiantian: "..."

That woman... could I possibly be a man?!

She was so angry that she gritted her teeth inwardly.

The actors on both sides quietly moved their bottoms to the side, away from the little princess who was starting to exude a low-pressure atmosphere.

However, the most hurtful words were yet to come.

On the other side, several groups of spectators were also chatting:
"Okay, okay, it's a deal. After watching 'The Great Wall,' you have to come with me to see my brother's 'Detective Chinatown' next."

"Okay, okay, I promise I'll go with you."

"Tickets for 'Detective Chinatown' are so hard to get! The premiere sold out in seconds!"

"You guys didn't get tickets either? Me too! I wanted to see 'Kung Fu Yoga' but couldn't get a suitable showing."

"We can only make do with this for now, and we'll see when there are more screenings later."

Da Tian Tian felt her vision go black and almost fainted.

So, most of the people in this theater were just using her "The Great Wall" as a backup plan, just there to make up the numbers?!

Her dream of instant fame... is it going to end up like before?

Did it shatter into pieces with a splat?
"Hmph! Just you wait! Once the movie starts, I'll dazzle you with my unparalleled production and plot!"

Da Tiantian crossed her arms and stared intently at the screen.

Finally, the movie started.

The resounding bugle call rang out, and a rustic and desolate frontier scene came into view.

"Immediately summon General Lin and the Crane Army!"

"Urgent message to Lu Jun! General Zheng!"

"Get out of the way!!"

A messenger carrying a command flag swiftly moved through two rows of heavily armored soldiers, their armor gleaming and their spears like a forest, creating a grand and disciplined scene.

Wow! This is a big production!

"It has that feel of Zhang Yimou's old 'Hero'! They're all real people, no CGI tricks!"

"How much money will this cost?"

The film's opening did indeed captivate some viewers, delivering a brief moment of shock.

Jing Tian couldn't help but smile, her eyes crinkling into crescents—she's got potential! She's really going to be a star!

However, this positive review lasted for less than ten seconds.

As the camera panned across the so-called "five armies" representatives and their brightly colored, uniquely designed armor, discordant snickers began to ripple through the theater.

"Pfft—what the hell is this? Death Barbie pink armor? Gay purple armor?"

"Huang Xuan is wearing purple, Lin Gengxin is wearing red, Peng Yuyan is wearing orange... Is Zhang Yimou having a grudge against rainbows? This color scheme is just too awful!"

"The plume on the back of that helmet was still swaying back and forth... I was so embarrassed, my toes were already digging into the ground..."

The positive reviews vanished instantly, and the entire audience was stunned by the overly "avant-garde" aesthetic.

The more abstract part was yet to come. The messenger ran all the way to a group of female soldiers dressed in bright blue armor.

The female soldiers quickly separated.

Da Tian Tian, ​​sporting a tacky, off-the-beaten-path hairstyle, rested her elbows on the sand table, staring at the map with an air of profound mystery.

The armor of the female soldier next to her was even more outrageous: a highly saturated bright blue with a distinctly plastic texture.
In particular, the armor on the chest area was deliberately sculpted into a very prominent curve...

audience:"……"

For a moment, everyone had a strong sense of disbelief: Had we wandered onto the wrong set?
"Damn it, is this still the Northern Song Dynasty?!"

"You can't form a rainbow team even in a parallel universe!!"

"Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, violet... Are you trying to collect the rainbow to summon a dragon?!"

"I can't stand it anymore... Who was the genius who came up with this aesthetic?!"

The suppressed complaints from the audience grew louder and louder.

The spark that Da Tiantian had just ignited was completely extinguished by a bucket of ice water, leaving her feeling utterly chilled.

Her dream of instant fame... seems... to be shattered again and again, beyond repair?
……

……

(End of this chapter)