Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 375 The First Generation Top Streamer
On December 31, 2011, the National Convention Center in Beiping was brightly lit as the 2011 National Drama Awards, hosted by Anhui TV and co-organized by Enlight Media and Toutiao.com, grandly opened.

The grand ceremony was a star-studded affair, with nearly two hundred celebrities from Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong gathering together – a truly top-tier lineup. Its scale and grandeur rivaled even the "Three Major Television Drama Awards" ceremony, making it an unprecedented spectacle.

In the backcourt rest area, Hu Ge looked around but didn't see the leader. She asked with a hint of doubt, "Sister K, isn't Shi Shi here?"

Cai Yinong spread his hands and said helplessly, "She didn't come. Tomorrow is New Year's Day, and she's going to stay home to spend the New Year with her man."

Hu Ge suddenly realized: "Oh right, tomorrow is Chairman Song's birthday."

Beside the two, Tang Dynasty stars such as Lin Gengxin and Gulnazar greeted the leading man.

They all came with Cai Yinong to broaden their horizons, make connections, and ride the wave of the event's popularity. If they could even get on the trending topics list, that would be even better.

During the conversation, Cai Yinong remembered something: "By the way, I was organizing my emails this morning and I received a movie script that invites you to play the male lead."

Hu Ge's eyes lit up, and she immediately became interested: "What specific project?"

“It’s an urban romance film,” Cai Yinong explained in detail. “It’s invested by Emperor Entertainment, directed by young female director Mai Xijun, and the lead actress is Hong Kong actress Joey Yung.”

Upon hearing the news, Hu Ge's interest waned: "Sure enough, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Joey Yung wants to transition from singer to actress, and Emperor Entertainment is clearly using me to elevate her status."

Nowadays, the mainland entertainment industry is very familiar with the methods used in Hong Kong, which involve releasing some ordinary resources as bait.

Then, they collaborate with mainland film emperors and empresses or popular actors and artists that the Hong Kong entertainment circle wants to promote, in order to quickly elevate their status.

Cai Yinong analyzed: "Urban romance films are not high-quality resources to begin with, Joey Yung lacks box office appeal, and the director is a newcomer. The prospects of this film are really limited."

Hu Ge was annoyed by the Hong Kong entertainment circle's actions and waved her hand dismissively, saying, "I'm not acting!"

"It's fine if we don't accept the offer. Let's wait a few days and see how well 'Goodbye Mr. Loser' performs at the box office before making any decisions."

Cai Yinong pondered to himself that if "Goodbye Mr. Loser" really broke the box office record for Chinese films as the top female star said, Tangren's top star's value would naturally rise. It would be better to wait and see for a while.

"Could you please reply for me, Sister K?" Hu Ge said with a bitter face, lowering her voice: "I heard that Zhen Zidan and Zhao Wenzhuo have been having a lot of unpleasantness lately."

The conflict between Hong Kong and mainland artists is becoming increasingly apparent. "K-sister, we should probably reduce our contact with the Hong Kong entertainment circle in the future, to avoid pleasing neither side."

"Do you need to remind me of that!" Cai Yinong glared at Hu Ge. How could she not understand the current situation?

When Tangren Media was founded, it relied entirely on the team that Li Guoli brought from Hong Kong, and it did indeed have close ties with the Hong Kong and Taiwan circles. However, with the rise of Liu Shishi and conflicts over resources, Tangren gradually severed ties with the Hong Kong and Taiwan circles.

Originally, because the company was based in Donghai, it should have been integrated into the Shanghai circle. However, after the identity of the top female star, the wife of the boss of Tengda, was revealed, Tangren has clearly taken sides and can be considered an external force of Tengda.

Hu Ge hesitated for a moment and said, "Sister K, I'm not taking on any roles for now. I'll wait until 'Goodbye Mr. Loser' is released and see how the market reacts. We can talk about it again after the New Year."

"Alright, you can focus on getting things sorted out at the studio first."

While the president of Tangren Media and the top star were discussing movie promotion matters, a commotion arose not far away.

"What's going on over there?"

Hu Ge looked up and said, "It's Wen Zhang and Ma Yili."

"So it was them." Cai Yinong looked at the couple who were surrounded by a crowd, his expression inscrutable.

"Among the new generation of male stars, Wen Zhang has the strongest momentum. His godfather is Li Lianjie, so he has no shortage of resources. It won't be easy for you post-80s male stars to compete."

Hu Ge wholeheartedly agreed. Among the 80 male actors, he, Wang Kai, Wen Zhang, and Feng Shaofeng were known as the "Four Little Fresh Meat," all of whom had strong financial backing and whose competition for resources never ceased.

Wen Zhang and Ma Yili were seen holding hands, chatting and laughing in the crowd, their every move exuding smugness.

Cai Yinong squinted and carefully examined Wen Zhang, noticing the undisguised arrogance between his brows. He chuckled and said, "You're young and reckless! You'll stumble sooner or later."

"What rumors did you hear, Sister K?" Hu Ge asked curiously, sensing the hidden meaning in her words.

Cai Yinong explained cryptically: "The entertainment industry is not what it used to be. If you want to become a big star and stand firmly in the top tier, it's not enough to just have a hit work. You also have to withstand the onslaught from your rivals."

In the internet age, the rules of the entertainment industry are quietly changing. After all, top-tier resources are limited, and while major entertainment companies are vigorously promoting their own stars, they are also trying their best to curb the development of artists from other companies.

A group of film and television companies have basically reached a tacit understanding that second- and third-tier artists will not be targeted, but once a hit work is produced and an attempt is made to challenge the first tier, they will definitely take decisive action, and negative press releases will be flying everywhere.

It's gotten to the point where celebrities are like they're undergoing a tribulation to ascend to godhood; if they survive, they become top-tier stars, but if they don't, they can only continue to linger in the second or third tier.

These words made all the newlyweds prick up their ears, and Gulnazar was even more stunned: "Is the entertainment industry this cruel?"

"Otherwise, where do you think all those negative stories on the internet come from?" Cai Yinong looked around at the group of artists in the company and solemnly instructed, "So you all need to be careful with your words and actions, and don't give anyone any leverage against you."

Sensing the boss's stern gaze, everyone quickly replied, "Understood."

Cai Yinong sighed softly, saying that the entertainment industry is no longer an era where works speak for themselves. Film and television companies not only need to know how to promote people, but also need to know how to handle crises.

In the information-saturated internet age, the cost of making an artist famous is far greater than imagined. Fortunately, Tangren's top male and female stars have already broken through the encirclement, and the new generation can only rely on their own fate.

Hu Ge secretly rejoiced that she was born at the right time. Just as she was pondering, the red carpet host announced, "Sister K, it's our turn to go on stage."

Cai Yinong composed himself, elegantly adjusted his suit collar, and prepared to step onto the red carpet.

Meanwhile, inside the Jingyuan Villa, Song Ci and Liu Shishi were enjoying their New Year's Eve dinner. The chef had prepared a table of exquisite dishes, but Liu Shishi seemed to have no appetite, frequently glancing at the time on her phone.

Song Ci noticed his wife's absent-mindedness: "Shishi, do you have plans for tonight?"

"I don't have any plans." Liu Shishi hurriedly swallowed the food in her mouth. "I'm waiting for the National Drama Awards at 7:30."

Song Ci said gently, "It's still early, let's eat properly first."

"Okay," Liu Shishi readily agreed, but after quickly eating a few bites of rice, she thoughtfully put a few pieces of food on her husband's plate. "I'm on a diet, so I can't eat too much. Enjoy your meal, honey."

After saying that, he rushed to the living room and eagerly turned on the TV.

Hearing the commotion, the housekeeper, Sister Li, came to the dining room and saw that the master of the house was still eating. She took the initiative to go forward and said, "Sir, the white fungus and lotus seed soup is very delicious today. Shall I serve you a bowl?"

"It's sweet but not cloying, the taste is indeed good." Song Ci nodded. "Serve another bowl and take it to Shishi. She didn't eat much tonight, let her have a taste."

"Okay." In the living room, Liu Shishi lazily nestled on the sofa, watching the red carpet segment of the National Drama Awards with great interest, occasionally commenting on the guests' red carpet looks.

"Madam, the master was worried you hadn't eaten enough, so he asked you to have some more lotus seed soup." Sister Li gently placed the porcelain bowl on the coffee table.

Another servant quickly brought over several kinds of washed fruit.

"Just leave it here." Attracted by the fresh fruit, Liu Shishi picked up a bright red strawberry and took a bite.

At 7:30 sharp, the grand ceremony officially began. After Luo Jin opened the show with his performance, Yang Mi ignited the entire audience with her rendition of "The Power of Love."

"This song has become Yang Mi's signature song, even more popular than the works of professional singers." Song Ci had already stood aside at some point.

Liu Shishi then noticed her husband's arrival and said indignantly, "My 'Because of Love' is just as good, okay?" She then patted the empty seat next to her.

"I'll just stand and watch. I just finished dinner, and it's not comfortable to sit. It might rain in a bit, otherwise I'd like to go for a walk."

Seeing that her husband rejected her kindness and was unwilling to sit next to her, Liu Shishi gave a haughty snort: "Sit if you want, don't sit if you don't want to."

On television, a host of celebrities, including Lin Zhiying, Zhong Hanliang, Li Xiaoran, and Ning Jing, appeared one after another.

After Luo Jin and Yang Mi's opening performance, the host took to the stage. Following some opening remarks, Tang Yan came on stage and sang "Sweet Honey," her long, beautiful legs particularly eye-catching.

"Tang Yan's bangs hairstyle is really hard to describe, it's so tacky."

Faced with her husband's merciless criticism, Liu Shishi defended her best friend, saying, "This hairstyle is all the rage this year."

After several performances, the awards ceremony quickly began, with Hu Ge and Zhong Hanliang presenting the "Best Newcomer of the Year" award.

"Best New Actress: Gan Tingting!"

"Best New Actor: Li Yifeng!"

A handsome young man with a neat buzz cut excitedly walked onto the stage, accepted the trophy from Hu Ge, and delivered an enthusiastic acceptance speech.

Song Ci gazed at the spirited Li Yifeng on the screen, rubbed her chin, and muttered to herself, "The first generation of top idols, interesting. Is he already starting to show his talent?"

As one of the top award ceremonies among provincial satellite TV stations, the National Drama Awards, although not as authoritative as the "Three Major TV Drama Awards," still has considerable influence, otherwise it would not have attracted so many celebrities to attend.

Li Yifeng's winning of the Best Newcomer Award at the China TV Drama Awards demonstrates that he has already gained some fame in the film and television industry, and there is clearly capital behind him.

"Honey, what did you say?"

“I said, the new generation of male stars corresponding to the 85 Flowers are also starting to rise.”

The awards ceremony continued, with awards for Best Supporting Actor and Character of the Year being presented. One by one, the awards were announced, and soon it was time for guest performances.

The host announced with great emotion, "Please welcome Liu Kaiwei to perform 'Forget Love Potion' for everyone."

"Honey, it's him!" Liu Shishi pointed at the screen, excitedly sharing the gossip, "MiMi's new boyfriend!"

Song Ci raised an eyebrow slightly. Yang Mi didn't go to Hong Kong to develop her career, so how did she end up getting together with Liu Kaiwei? She remained expressionless and said, "Never heard of him. What kind of nobody is he? How could Yang Mi be interested in him?"

"A good woman is afraid of a persistent man. The two spent a lot of time together on set. Liu Kaiwei was very attentive to Mimi, and they fell in love on set. He won Mimi over."

Liu Shishi carefully examined Liu Kaiwei, who was wearing a hat on the screen, and felt indignant for Hu Ge: "No matter how you look at it, he can't compare to Lao Hu! But Mimi is also conflicted. I feel that their relationship is very unstable and they probably won't end up together."

Liu Shishi was well aware of some things. She knew that she had married too well, which made many female celebrities in the entertainment industry envious and unconsciously raised their standards for choosing a partner.

Especially popular actresses like Yang Mi and Tang Yan are secretly competing with each other, hoping to at least find a partner whose career is on par with their own.

Liu Kaiwei and Yang Mi's careers are completely unequal, and their close friendship likely developed from working together on set. They will definitely break up once this period passes.

The awards at the National Drama Awards were diverse, including the Most Popular Overseas Actor on the Internet. Popular stars from South Korea and Thailand, Han Chae-young and Nawat Khunranarat, were invited to the event to receive their awards, making it quite a grand occasion.

"The nominees for Best Producer of the Year are: Cai Yinong for *Scarlet Heart*, and Lin Xinru for *The Glamorous Imperial Concubine*..."

"Sister K has been nominated!" Liu Shishi sat up straight with surprise. Although this kind of award is insignificant to producers, she still hoped that Cai Yinong could win the award, after all, it is an honor.

On the screen, the award presenter flipped through the list of winners, his voice brimming with excitement: "Congratulations, Lin Xinru."

"The National Drama Awards have no taste! What a worthless award!" Liu Shishi was greatly disappointed. Thinking of the "Special Media Recommendation Award of the Year" that Cai Yinong accepted on her behalf, she felt even more bored.

On screen, Lin Xinru gracefully took to the stage with a radiant smile. The success of "The Glamorous Imperial Concubine" marked this Qiong Yao heroine's glamorous transformation into a producer.

Liu Shishi pouted, her tone full of defiant coquettishness: "It's just being a producer, what's so great about that?"

"If you want to be a producer, just let Cai Yinong mentor you."

Liu Shishi was slightly taken aback by her husband's suggestion. She had indeed considered moving behind the scenes, but not now.

She's only 25, in the prime of her acting career. She'll only consider transitioning to producing if she reaches the very top of the female stardom.

The awards ceremony of the National Drama Awards finally reached its most important climax. Wen Zhang and Ma Yili, a married couple, both won the Best Actor and Best Actress awards of the year. The two embraced each other affectionately on stage, enjoying the moment and their loving relationship was the envy of everyone.

"Wen Zhang is so gentle with Ma Yili." Watching Wen Zhang's tender affection for his wife on the screen, Liu Shishi praised him repeatedly. She and Song Ci were deeply in love, so she especially admired this kind of considerate husband.

Song Ci said casually, "It's all just superficial stuff."

Liu Shishi stared wide-eyed at her husband in disbelief: "Darling, do you mean Wen Zhang was faking it?"

"Anyway, he has ambiguous relationships with other women."

Liu Shishi believed her husband without a doubt, and for a moment her eyes were filled with disdain as she looked at Wen Zhang. But then she asked curiously, "Husband, you're not in the entertainment industry, how do you know such secret things?"

Song Ci casually replied, "What secrets could the entertainment industry possibly hold for me? The paparazzi are all informants I keep; they report important information to me."

Liu Shishi's mouth gaped open, speechless with surprise. After a long while, she came to her senses: "Husband, does that mean the entertainment industry is under your surveillance?"

"It's just a small trick for gathering intelligence. You should keep it to yourself and not tell anyone else." Song Ci nodded slightly, not denying it. Some things are taboo once they get out.

(End of this chapter)