Chinese entertainment industry has been booming since 2008.

Chapter 189 The Most Special Existence

On January 2, 2010, "The Myth" premiered. On January 3, the ratings for the premiere were released, with a single episode rating of 3.9% and a peak rating of 4.3%, which was really good.

Admittedly, the ratings of the opening dramas of 08 and 09, "Crossing the Guandong" and "Going West", far surpassed those of "The Myth". However, with the development of the Internet, the ratings of TV dramas have been declining year by year.

Although the TV series "The Myth" had good ratings, the promotion couldn't stop. As a result, Hu Ge's Weibo became a disaster zone, with more than a dozen updates every day, ranging from stills and behind-the-scenes photos to fun stories from filming, from character interpretations to interactive giveaways. He practically treated Weibo like his WeChat Moments.

Yang Mi, Tang Yan, and Liu Shishi, as longtime co-stars of "Chinese Paladin 3," naturally went out of their way to help out, making Xinlang's Weibo account extremely lively.

Yang Mi: "Hu Ge's new drama 'The Myth' is currently airing on CCTV-8, everyone remember to watch it! (PS: When are you going to keep your promise to treat us to dinner? @HuGe)"

The accompanying photo is a funny picture of the two on the set of "Chinese Paladin 3".

Tang Yan: "Supporting Lao Hu, I'll definitely watch 'The Myth'! But seriously, you look a tiny bit more handsome in period costume than in modern clothes. @Brother Hu"

The accompanying image is a still from the TV series "The Myth".

Liu Shishi: "Keep it up! (Concise and clear, with a group photo of the cast and crew from the 'Chinese Paladin 3' era) @Brother Hu"

Hu Ge replied earnestly to every comment: "I'll definitely treat you to dinner! We'll have a celebration party after the show airs!"

"Tang Yan, are you implying that I'm not handsome enough usually?"

"Shishi is still so concise..."

Fans from several groups also joined in, and the comment section was flooded with messages like "May the friendship between the Legend of Sword and Fairy family last forever."

As for why Huo Jianhua isn't on the list, well, this guy is too sensitive and can't handle attacks from haters, so he doesn't dare to open a social media account.

However, amidst this harmonious and lively atmosphere, a few discordant voices quietly emerged.

A marketing account called "Veteran of the Entertainment Industry" published a long article with an eye-catching title: "The Three Beauties of Chinese Paladin Support Hu Ge? Is it Superficial Sisterhood or Mutual Commercial Promotion?"

The article first reminisces about the deep friendship between the individuals, then shifts its focus: "But it's clear to anyone with eyes that behind this interaction is a pre-release promotion for the upcoming broadcast of 'Chinese Paladin 2' on February 14th."

Yang Mi, Tang Yan, and Liu Shishi appear to be promoting Hu Ge's "The Myth," but in reality, they are just trying to boost the visibility of their own starring role in "Chinese Paladin 3." Their so-called friendship is nothing more than mutual commercial support based on shared interests.

The article concludes by taking a jab at Zhang Yang: "In comparison, Zhang Yang, who is also in the eye of the storm, is much more low-key. Apart from promoting 'Swords of Legends,' he's almost never seen. Is he genuinely focused on filming, or... is he feeling guilty?"

This article, which appeared to be a rational analysis but was actually inciting trouble, was quickly reposted by several marketing accounts, and the comment section began to see various speculations and provocations: "Come to think of it, it seems to be true, what a coincidence that they're promoting it together?"

"There are no true friends in the entertainment industry, only fake sisterhoods."

"Zhang Yang's side is unusually quiet. Could there really be a problem?"

When Hu Ge saw this article, he was in the dressing room preparing promotional materials for "The Myth". His assistant carefully handed him the phone and observed his expression.

Brother Hu glanced at it a few times and laughed: "This is written... it's quite imaginative."

95

"Should we respond?"

Brother Hu handed the phone back, continued fixing his hair in front of the mirror, and said casually, "No need. The more we respond, the more excited they'll get. Let them write."

That being said, he knew in his heart that the purpose of this article was not analysis, but to sow discord and plant a seed of discord in the relationship between the main actors before the broadcast of "Chinese Paladin 3".

After thinking for a moment, Brother Hu took out his phone and posted a new Weibo post.

"Thank you for your support, Mimi, Tangtang, and Shishi! 'The Myth' is currently airing, and 'Chinese Paladin 3' is about to air. Both are great shows and worth looking forward to. As for treating everyone to dinner... how about this, after both shows finish airing, I'll treat everyone to a big meal? @YangMi @TangYan @LiuShishi"

The accompanying photo is a picture of the four people at the wrap party for "Chinese Paladin 3", laughing carefree.

The moment this Weibo post was published, the comment section exploded: "Old Hu is so generous!"

"The Legend of Sword and Fairy family is real!"

Looking forward to "Chinese Paladin 3"!

Yang Mi and others quickly forwarded and replied: "Got it, the bill is ready @Brother Hu"

"Then I'll have to starve myself for three days in advance."

"it is good."

A series of interactions easily defused the negative impact of that provocative article.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yang was discussing business with Zhang Tong at Xingchen Entertainment.

Star Entertainment, Meeting Room!

Zhang Yang sat down opposite Zhang Tong and quietly watched her until Zhang Tong felt a little uneasy. Then Zhang Yang suddenly laughed.

"Zhang Tong, are you really sure you only want one female lead?"

Zhang Yang's words made Zhang Tong's breath catch in her throat. Zhang Tong also wanted more, but she knew her own situation. She was already so old, and Zhang Yang was only interested in the novelty. Once the novelty wore off, she would lose her appeal.

Seeing that Zhang Tong didn't speak, Zhang Yang pushed a script in his hand in front of Zhang Tong.

"have a look."

Zhang Tong opened it, her pupils contracting slightly; it was a contract for the female lead.

Upon seeing the figure of 300 million in the salary section, she looked up, disbelief flashing in her eyes: "Director Zhang, this..."

2

Zhang Yang leaned forward slightly, looking directly at her: "I won't comment on what happened in the dressing room that night, but that's how it is in this industry. I've given you the opportunity; whether you can seize it or not is up to you."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Tong remained silent for a few seconds, then said earnestly, "Director Zhang, I understand what you mean, but I hope that when you no longer need me, you will tell me, and I will leave on my own."

Honest and clear-headed.

This pleased Zhang Yang greatly.

"I'll have my secretary bring you the script for 'Lost in Thailand' later. Although I've already cast you as the female lead, you still need to audition. I'll give you a month to prepare. If you get the part, this film will be the start of a new chapter for you; if not..."

'

"If it doesn't work out, it means I'm not good enough yet, but I will keep trying until I am good enough."

Seeing Zhang Tong's serious expression, Zhang Yang was quite satisfied and said with a smile, "You can take the contract back and review it, consult a lawyer, there's no rush."

After saying that, Zhang Yang blinked at Zhang Tong.

She gave him a knowing wink.

"Director Zhang, I think I might have a fever."

"Yeah?"

"Really, Director Zhang, if you don't believe me, touch my heart, it's beating really fast right now."

11

As she spoke, Zhang Tong got up from her seat, came to Zhang Yang's side, took Zhang Yang's hand, and let him feel her heartbeat.

I must say, my heart was beating really fast; I definitely had a fever.

Speaking of which, every woman has different favorite flowers and plants. Some like roses, some like daffodils, and some like chrysanthemums.

Therefore, Zhang Yang was also very curious about what kind of flowers Zhang Tong liked.

"Zhang Tong, what's your favorite flower?"

What flower?

Zhang Tong was taken aback at first, then smiled foolishly and said, "Director Zhang, other people's flowers are a bit special."

"Oh, what's so special about it?"

"I like mugwort, Director Zhang. Do you think my hobby is a bit unusual?"

I have to say, Zhang Tong is really good at this.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Yang lifted her fair and smooth chin: "Oh, really? Then you like mugwort very much."

Zhang Tong tiptoed and whispered in Zhang Yang's ear, "I like it to the point of madness, so I really love mugwort."

.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang grinned mischievously: "Then you'd probably really like those moxibustion sticks and health-preserving hammers made from mugwort, wouldn't you?"

"I like anything as long as it's mugwort, no matter what it is."

"Oh, I see. Then I'll give you some mugwort later as a gift."

After speaking, Zhang Yang paused for a moment and said seriously, "The tables and chairs in this reception room are all newly purchased. Could you check them for me and see how the quality is?"

Since Zhang Yang had said so, Zhang Tong naturally had no choice but to comply.

So she shook the desk with her hand.

Hmm, it doesn't budge at all. It looks like it's made of solid wood, and the quality is excellent.

The desktop is long and wide, so even if she lay on it, there wouldn't be any problem.

After gesturing around for a while, Zhang Tong wanted to try it out and see if she could actually lie down on the table.

Seeing this, Zhang Yang spoke up: "You've finished checking the table, now hurry up and check the sofa, see how these two are?"

Zhang Tong didn't refuse and sat down on the sofa, carefully feeling the surface, occasionally shaking it to see if it would tip over.

After some fiddling around, Zhang Tong finally gave his evaluation: "Director Zhang, the sofa has good elasticity. When I move even slightly, there's a counter-force."

Just as Zhang Yang was about to say something, Zhang Tong, feeling the springiness of the chair, suddenly sprang off.

Zhang Yang quickly helped Zhang Tong up, but Zhang Tong stumbled and fell to the ground.

Then, Zhang Tong looked up at Zhang Yang.

With a snow-white neck, slightly flushed cheeks, and dreamy eyes, Zhang Yang is no saint.

Zhang Yang swallowed hard, having to admit that the older sister really knew how to have fun.

Zhang Tong noticed Zhang Yang's Adam's apple bobbing up and down, and felt secretly pleased, but she didn't stop moving. Her pretty face flushed as she reached out her hand to Zhang Yang.

One hour later.

When Zhang Tong left, her clothes were a little disheveled, her forehead was covered in sweat, and her steps were a little unsteady, but her eyes were exceptionally bright.

After seeing Zhang Tong off, Zhang Yang returned to his office, where Sun Yu was already waiting at the door with a tablet in his hand.

"Mr. Zhang, Ye Weiming has made some new moves."

"explain."

"Based on available information, it is speculated that Ye Weiming wanted to acquire Xuewei Beer at a low price after Xuewei went bankrupt and was liquidated."

Sun Yu's deduction made Zhang Yang sneer repeatedly, and he scoffed, "You've got a pretty shrewd plan."

"In addition, the negative information about you on the Internet continues to ferment. We have detected that several marketing accounts have started to work together to link you with the negative news about Xuewei Beer and hype it up, trying to destroy your image with a saturation attack."

"They can't smear my image as long as I don't make any mistakes myself."

Zhang Yang spoke with great confidence.

After hesitating for a long time, Sun Yu finally spoke up: "Mr. Zhang, are we really not going to retaliate? What about Ye Weiming's side..."

""

Zhang Yang interrupted Sun Yu, asking in return, "Sun Yu, do you know what the most powerful weapon in this circle is?"

"Power? Capital?"

Zhang Yang shook his head: "Neither."

Then, he walked to his desk, picked up a pen, and drew a line on a piece of white paper: "All of Ye Weiming's methods, such as spreading rumors, smearing, and using connections, are to buy time. His purpose in doing this is to force Xue Wei into a corner in the shortest possible time. Otherwise, as long as I don't collapse, Xue Wei Beer won't collapse."

Zhang Yang's words made Sun Yu thoughtful, and he chimed in at the opportune moment: "So, we don't need to retaliate."

Zhang Yang did not answer Sun Yu's question, but instead drew a dot on the other end of the line, which can be considered as giving his answer.

"We just need to stall for time, until Xuewei Beer completes its rectification and is sold off. Even if Ye Mingwei is powerful, can he still invalidate our contract?"

"But during this time, your reputation..."

,"reputation?"

Zhang Yang laughed, a hint of sarcasm in his smile: "Sun Yu, the entertainment industry is different from other places. The entertainment industry relies on the number of fans. As long as you have enough fans, as long as you don't break any laws, even if you're utterly discredited, it's not a big deal."

At this point, he put down his pen, his tone firm: "Ye Weiming wants to throw dirty water on me, so I'll let him. The more he throws, the stronger the backlash will be when the truth comes out. At that time, those who once cursed me will become my staunchest supporters: because they will feel guilty, angry, and feel used."

Sun Yu finally understood Zhang Yang's plan. This was not a passive response, but a strategic retreat, using his own reputation as bait to catch a bigger fish.

"So now we..."

"Proceed as planned. Increase the promotional efforts for 'Gu Jian Qi Tan' to divert netizens' attention. We don't need to worry about anything else."

"Yes."

After Sun Yu left, Zhang Yang sat alone in his office.

As night fell completely, the city lights stretched out in a dazzling sea of ​​light outside the glass windows.

My phone vibrated; it was a new message from Jing Tian.

"Zhang Yang, I miss you."

How much do you miss me?

I miss you as much as the Yellow River overflows its banks.

"Is the longing so overwhelming? What should I do?"

"You have a magic staff that can stabilize the seas, yet you can't even handle this small matter. Is your magic staff fake?"

"Tian Tian, ​​why do you always get the name wrong? It's called Ruyi Jingu Bang (the Golden Cudgel), okay?"

The next day, the official Weibo account of "Gu Jian Qi Tan" released a new set of stills and behind-the-scenes footage, which immediately sparked heated discussions.

"Zhang Yang looks so good!"

"Zhang Yang is so handsome! Yang Mi is so ethereal!"

"Can't wait!"

"Tangtang is so beautiful."

At the same time, several marketing accounts also began to expose Zhang Yang's diva-like behavior on the set of "Swords of Legends".

But this time, different voices emerged in the comments section.

"Not again? Can't you come up with something new?"

"I said, can we change the news to something else? Even if you say that Zhang Yang, Yang Mi, and Tang Yan are having an affair, it would be more believable than this."

"These smear articles are obviously fabricated; the time and place don't match up."

"Trying to bash it, huh? We're going to discuss 'Gu Jian Qi Tan' anyway!"

As a result, the online sentiment shifted, with some continuing to follow the trend of criticizing, while others began to question the frequent smear articles.