The Entertainment Industry in Turmoil: Young Actresses All Want to Rise to the Top

On the night of October 10th, at the very moment the clock struck 9:10.

In the viewership monitoring room of Blueberry TV, the red curve representing Running Man suddenly shot up!

Two hours passed, and the curve broke through one threshold after another, finally settling on a number that left everyone present speechless.

With a 3.5% rating, it unsurprisingly took the top spot in national viewership that night.

In terms of overall online variety show ratings in 2013, it was second only to the recently concluded "The Voice of China Season 3".

The reaction in the online world is more direct and violent.

The traffic surges on the backends of Kiwi and Penguin Video are refreshed every second.

The number of views jumped so fast it was dizzying. Two hours after the first episode was released, the total number of views exceeded 150 million, and the total number of real-time comments exceeded 5 million. The server even experienced a brief lag half an hour after the show started.

The top 20 trending topics seem to have become a special column for Running Man, with related terms occupying nearly half of the spots.

#RunningManFirstEpisode#

#ShenMo tears apart Kim Jong-kook#

#Bai Lu, the Genius of Acupressure Mats#

#Sha Yibailu and her father#

#DilrabaRun#

#ShenMo's Ejection Chair#

#LiChenInstantlyDefeated#

Related topics have repeatedly topped the charts, with discussions growing at a rate of thousands per second.

"Ahhh, Mo Ge is so cool! I watched the name tag ripping scene ten times over!"

"My god! Shen Mo's turn to tear off the name tag was so smooth! I was stunned! His strength and agility were off the charts!"

The biggest beneficiary of this program was none other than Bai Lu, who was singled out by Shen Mo for more screen time. Her quirky actions and genuine reactions were repeatedly appreciated, leaving fans laughing and sighing at the same time.

"Hahaha, I'm blessed by the goddess of variety shows! I could laugh for a year at that scene where she charged headlong into the railing on the acupressure mat!"

"It was so pitiful to be repeatedly launched into the water by Shen Mo, but why was it so funny! That last scene where he covered his head with a towel as revenge was hilarious!"

"The father-daughter chemistry between Sha Yi and me is amazing! We bicker all the time, yet he always cares about me when it matters. I don't believe we're not related! This father-daughter duo should do a few more movies!"

"Bai Lu is such a treasure! Her 'Satay, save me!' scene was both pitiful and hilarious! This girl has absolutely no idol baggage, I love her!"

Dilraba, who has only played the second female lead in "My Love from the Star" and "Anarhan" and has not yet become a household name, has a small number of fans who offer her both gentle pity and unwavering support.

"Dilraba worked so hard drilling the acupressure mat, her knees must be hurting, I feel so sorry for her."

"My heart skipped a beat when Dilraba fell! The 'Dilraba, run!' line felt so reassuring! Dilraba, be careful next time!"

"Dilraba didn't have the most screen time in this episode, but several of her moments were very captivating."

Sha Yi's Weibo comment section became a sea of ​​sympathy and ridicule, his tragic persona deeply resonating with the public.

"Satay, a daughter grows up and is no longer under her father's control!"

"Teacher Sha is truly pitiful, but it's also genuinely hilarious!"

"Abandoned by her daughter, persecuted by Shen Mo, launched into the ejection chair countless times, and finally killed by Kim Jong-kook... Teacher Sha, what a tragic story!"

"Shayi: In the end, he shouldered it all alone!"

Of course, there were also many comments from other MCs, who were generally happy about the show's success and actively discussed the highlights of their own idols.

Most fans also welcomed the guests' outstanding performance, believing that "a good show benefits everyone."

There were only a few minor complaints about the uneven distribution of shots, but these were not the norm.

-----------------

Yang Mi scrolled through the trending topics, lightly tapping her nails to save the animated GIF of Shen Mo tearing off name tags from the screen, and then sent it to the group chat of the three beauties from "My Love from the Star".

Then he turned to his agent and said.

"We should try to avoid promoting our show on Friday nights as much as possible. This popularity is terrifyingly high."

"I'll try to get a chance to participate in one of these sessions later."

Liu Shishi nestled on the sofa, watching Running Man on her iPad, her eyes crinkling with laughter, especially at the interactions between Sha Yi and Bai Lu, which made her laugh out loud.

She took a few screenshots and shared them in the three-person group chat, just like Yang Mi did.

[Teacher Sha is so cute, and Lulu is so fun. Tongtong, your company really struck gold!]

[However, Dilraba isn't really suited for variety shows; she's too quiet.]

In a private residence on the other side, Wang Zhonglei placed a tablet computer on the coffee table. The screen displayed viewership and online broadcast data, as well as screenshots of trending topics, that had just been sent by the publicity department.

"With these stats, Running Man should be a success!"

Wang Zhongjun's voice came from the tablet, "Li Chen, Zheng Kai and the others have now had their exposure maximized. As a partner, our stock price should surge tomorrow."

"It's time to divest the shares we're planning to sell."

"You handle this personally. Make contact as soon as possible, within the next few days, while the opportunity is still fresh."

"If we don't take action soon, I'm afraid Stephen Chow's side will smash our plates."

After taking a shower, Li Chen dried his hair and saw countless messages on his phone congratulating the show on its huge success. A feeling of relief washed over him, as if the clouds had parted and the sun was shining through.

Unexpectedly, after making so many TV shows and movies without any success, I finally saw hope in a reality TV show.

However, when he saw the famous scene on Weibo where Kim Jong-kook decisively tore off his mask, he couldn't help but twitch his lips, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Thirty minutes after the first episode of Running Man ended, the backstage staff of major entertainment media outlets almost simultaneously completed a round of "emergency revisions".

The press release that had been prepared in advance now seemed a bit too conservative.

When real-time data, trending topics, and social media discussion are presented to the public.

Headlines like "Running Man Premieres, Blueberry TV's New Variety Show Debuts to Enthusiastic Response" were quickly deleted one by one.

It's not that there aren't enough, it's that they're not good enough.

Blueberry TV's official account released its first official press release 40 minutes after the program ended.

The title is not exaggerated; in fact, it is extremely restrained.

"Running Man's premiere topped the ratings charts, ushering in a new era for Friday night variety shows."

The main text does not use words like "explosion," "bomb," or "deification."

Only three facts were released: the premiere topped the charts among all national satellite TV channels in the same time slot; online viewership and real-time comments broke records for the same time slot; and related trending topics on social media platforms continued to dominate the charts.

The final sentence sets the tone for Running Man: "The show attempts to return to the essence of real competition, using physical ability, judgment, and teamwork to construct its variety show narrative."

The meaning is clear: Running Man's popularity wasn't due to gimmicky marketing, but rather the inevitable result of a systematic methodology in variety show planning.

Following this, major entertainment channels simultaneously launched in-depth reports.

Sohu Entertainment published a long article: "Running Man's premiere became a phenomenon: variety shows are finally no longer just scripted."

The first paragraph directly points out the industry's pain points.

"Amid long-standing criticisms that reality shows are overly scripted, the first episode of 'Running Man' shattered viewers' preconceived notions about domestic variety shows with its intense competition."

NetEase Entertainment went even further: "Shen Mo didn't come to record a variety show, he came to change the way things are played."

The article evaluates Shen Mo without using terms like "popularity," "young heartthrob," or "traffic driver," but instead takes a different approach.

"His screen time on the show wasn't because of his popularity, but because of the variety show effect his behavior created."

What truly shook the industry were the various film critics and bloggers who stayed up late into the night, originally just wanting to find fault with the films.

However, the content that was actually released seemed to be a purchased marketing press release.

One of the articles that was widely shared was titled: "Running Man Episode 1 Redefines the Value of 'Ability Users'".

The article's core argument can be summarized in one sentence: "True ability is not about a persona, but about verifiable physical and decision-making skills."

The press release explicitly states that Shen Mo's extraordinary memory during the ejection chair stage, his logical ability to manipulate people's minds and guide their choices, coupled with his physical abilities to defeat Kim Jong-kook, make him the "strongest ability user".

In addition, some media outlets have published articles stating, "This is not just a variety show episode; it's a direct clash with industry inertia."

Even more ruthless, one entertainment commentary account directly stated: "From now on, if you say 'variety shows are boring,' please ask first if you've even watched the first episode of Running Man."

"Even if this show falls apart in one episode, it has already won."

"Because this first season has already raised the bar for competitive games."

The success of Running Man extended beyond the show itself to all the guests the following day.

Among them, Bai Lu is undoubtedly the most outstanding.

Overnight, her popularity skyrocketed, breaking through all conventional popularity advancement curves.

On the third day, Baidu's artist search index was updated, and Bai Lu's name suddenly rose to prominence, with search volume surging by 1620%.

The curve representing her popularity suddenly rose from its previously almost flat baseline, piercing through the search ceiling of all other actresses of her generation, a truly dramatic rise.

The more direct impact comes from her business side.

Within 48 hours of the program airing, the business department of Mohen Media was overwhelmed with calls to their work phone and email inbox.

Snacks, sportswear brands, girls' clothing, fast-moving consumer goods, cosmetics and personal care products...

Inquiries and cooperation intentions from various brands poured in like snowflakes, with quotations that were vastly different from her endorsement fees after the broadcast of "A Little Reunion," and the sheer number of offers was astonishing.

Yang Tianzhen quickly made a judgment: suppress it.

She knew it all too well.

It's only the first episode, and the hype has just started, yet Bai Lu's market value has already skyrocketed.

After two or three more episodes, as she presents a more multifaceted and stable image on the show, her commercial value and public recognition will experience a qualitative leap.

By then, the label "rising star" will no longer be a suitable title for her; her prefix will at least have to be changed to "well-known actress."

She's just one step away from becoming a true "top-tier actress"—she needs a blockbuster film or television work that proves her ability to carry a show or her box office appeal.

The first to feel this change were not Bai Lu herself, but the crew of "Twenty Your Life On".

The location shooting for "Twenty Your Life On" took place on a university campus in Shenzhen. Although students passing by would occasionally gather to watch, the situation never got out of control.

However, on the third day after Running Man aired, as soon as the crew arrived on set, the security guards had already issued a reminder over the walkie-talkie.

"Director, there are too many people outside."

It didn't attract much attention at first; after all, it's a university, so it's normal to have a lot of people.

"Director, there are too many people outside."

It didn't attract much attention at first; after all, it's a university, so it's normal to have a lot of people.

Until Bai Lu's familiar minivan stopped and the door opened.

The crowd of seemingly ordinary students, who were originally scattered along the roadside, under the trees, and at the entrance of the teaching building, suddenly gathered from all directions!

Countless mobile phones were held high, their lenses aimed at Bai Lu in the center, the sound of shutters mingling with excited shouts.

"Bai Lu—!!"

"Lulu! Look this way!!"

"Haku Mengken!!!"

Immediately afterwards, someone started it, and dozens of voices shouted out a playful cheer in unison.

"Meng Yan has milky-skinned beauty!"

"The stunningly beautiful Bai Mengyan!"

"Bai Mengyan, a fairy descended to earth!"

The voices were uniform and echoed in the morning air of the campus, carrying a tremendous energy that could instantly kill the person involved.

Bai Lu's steps suddenly stopped beside the car, her mind went blank for a moment, and she almost instinctively lowered her head deeply.

A blush spread across her neck and ears at a visible speed.

She dared not turn around, or even look up to confirm, her mind filled only with the survival instinct to escape.

Surrounded by his assistant and the crew's security guards who suddenly tensed up, he hurried towards the filming isolation area with his head down.

Meanwhile, the film crew security guards, who had been leisurely for more than half a month and spent almost every day slacking off, finally experienced what it felt like to escort a popular star.

Five or six people formed a barrier, shouting "Don't push! Be careful!" while struggling to clear a path for Bai Lu.

The fans' enthusiasm was beyond imagination; people kept trying to break through or handing over notebooks, and the security guards' backs were quickly soaked with sweat.

Until I rushed into the crew's rest area, the temporary partition door closed behind me, blocking out most of the noise.

Bai Lu sat down on the recliner before daring to breathe heavily; even now, her heart was still pounding wildly.

However, the chatter and occasional shouts from outside the door could still be faintly heard.

The assistant director hurried over, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Lulu, judging by the looks of it, there are at least a hundred people gathered around now."

"There were quite a few people lying in wait with their phones and cameras in the corridors and by the windows of the surrounding teaching buildings."

"The number of people outside the film crew's location continues to increase."

He glanced at director Wang Jun and said, "Director Wang, judging from this situation, it seems that Bai Lu's outdoor scenes scheduled for today will be difficult to film."

"The environment is too noisy; we can't record any sound at all. Should we adjust the schedule and shoot other people's interior scenes instead?"

"In addition, it would be best to let Bai Lu make a brief appearance to appease and persuade everyone to leave. Otherwise, this commotion will affect the filming and disrupt the school's order."

Bai Lu finally snapped out of her embarrassment and shock, realizing that she seemed to have caused trouble for the crew.

She immediately stood up straight and bowed deeply to Wang Jun and the assistant director.

"I'm sorry, Director Wang, Assistant Director, for causing everyone trouble. I didn't expect things to turn out this way."

Wang Jun, who had recently officially joined Mohen, waved his hand. He had experienced the peak popularity of Shen Mo, Li Yitong, and others during the productions of "A Little Reunion" and "A Little Joy," and remained relatively calm at this moment.

"It's okay, it's not your fault."

"It's perfectly normal to encounter this kind of situation while filming. Your brother Mo and sister Tong were even more extreme back then."

"It's just that you got angry too quickly, catching us off guard."

He picked up the walkie-talkie and began to calmly redeploy.

"Attention all departments, the filming schedule has been temporarily adjusted. We will skip Bai Lu and start filming the indoor scenes of Reba and Ziyi in Building 3 first."

"Stage staff, send more people to work with the school security guards to maintain order around the perimeter and absolutely prevent fans from entering the filming area."

After finishing the arrangements, he looked at Bai Lu, a slight smile even appearing on his face.

"Besides, your popularity is a huge boon for our show 'Twenty Your Life On'!"

"Growing hype before airing—how much effort does that save on subsequent promotion?"

"This is a joyous occasion."

"Take a break first. Go out with the publicity team later, say a few words, take a group photo with everyone, and ask them to support the crew's work and cooperate with your departure."

"Be careful, don't stay too long."

In the dressing area of ​​the lounge, Dilraba had already applied some of her base makeup and was scrolling through Weibo on her phone.

On the screen, there were newly emerging trending topics such as #BaiLuSurroundedOnCampus# and #BaiMengyanWithMilkSkin#, accompanied by a candid photo of her ears turning bright red.

She watched for a while, then suddenly chuckled softly.

Bai Lu couldn't help but turn her head to look at her, her eyes full of curiosity.

Dilraba raised her eyes and looked at Bai Lu in the mirror, her expression carrying a familiar teasing tone.

"See?" she waved her phone. "You're really famous now."

She paused, as if joking.

"I'm afraid next time, you won't even need to guard against me."

"Your bodyguards will be able to keep me out of the way first, making it difficult for me to get close to you."

Upon hearing this, Bai Lu was taken aback at first, but then a slightly smug smile returned to her face.

Her eyes darted around, and she suddenly stood up, adopting a frivolous and dissolute demeanor. She walked a few steps to Dilraba's dressing chair, reached out, and hooked Dilraba's chin with her index finger.

"Hey, little girl," she said in a low voice, mimicking the tone of a hooligan.

"Come on, why don't you cry for me?"

Caught off guard, Dilraba's beautiful eyes widened instantly. She spat out angrily and made a move to bite the mischievous finger.

Bai Lu reacted even faster, swiftly withdrawing her hand and pinching her smooth face as she did so.

He left a slightly cool touch, then smugly jumped two steps away, made a face, and grinned at her.

"Hey! Bai Mengyan!" Dilraba covered her cheek where she had been ambushed, both amused and exasperated.

"I'm still putting on makeup!"

Seeing Bai Lu's smug look, Dilraba's slight ripples caused by the drop in popularity strangely subsided.

She knew that Bai Lu's sudden rise to fame was not due to good luck.

She also participated in the show, but the variety show effect she created was not as eye-catching as hers.

Variety show appeal, personality, camera presence, and timing—all these elements came together.

It is full of chance and uniqueness, and is almost impossible to replicate.

Does she envy this luck and popularity with the audience? A little.

But jealousy? Not really.

Meng Ziyi sat to the side holding a pink thermos, not saying much. She was feeling unwell today because she was on her period.

Seeing her best friend, with whom she used to practice, suddenly become famous, made her uncomfortable.

The thought that she was still with the person she liked made her even more uncomfortable.

She mechanically scrolled through her phone, the screen displaying various news articles and funny clips about Bai Lu.

Suddenly, she saw something and let out a long sigh.

The next second, she threw aside her phone and thermos, jumped up from the sofa, and clung to Bai Lu's back.

Then, with a grin, she whispered in Bai Lu's ear in a voice that was almost a shout, yet clearly playful and teasing.

"Meng Yan has milky-skinned beauty!"

"The stunningly beautiful Bai Mengyan!"

"Bai Mengyan, a fairy descended to earth!"

"puff--!"

The makeup artist, who was drinking water, almost choked and quickly turned her head away.

"Meng! Zi! Yi!"

Bai Lu's face flushed red again, the blush that had just faded suddenly rising to its peak, spreading all the way down her neck.

She turned her head sharply, feeling both ashamed and anxious, and reached out to cover Meng Ziyi's mouth.

The hand was a bit too big, and it completely covered Meng Ziyi's mouth and nose!

"Ugh! Ugh!!"

Meng Ziyi waved her arms and legs wildly, trying to pry her hands off, and stared wide-eyed as if she were suffocating.

Bai Lu was startled and quickly let go.

Meng Ziyi quickly bent over, panting heavily.

After finally calming down, she raised her head and glared at Bai Lu with her lips pursed high.

"Are you trying to kill me?! You almost suffocated me!"

She patted her chest to catch her breath, "Bai Mengyan! You have to treat me to a meal!"

"To calm my nerves! To heal the wounds I've suffered, both physically and mentally!"

Bai Lu also came to her senses, put her hands on her hips, and straightened her chest.

"Who told you to shout that? It's so embarrassing."

Meng Ziyi glanced at her, taking advantage of her height, her eyes carrying a hint of contempt and half-serious disdain.

"Isn't this the support message your fans gave you?"

"How resounding, Bai, Meng, Yan, Tong, Xue—"

She even deliberately dragged out the tone.

Bai Lu's eyes darted around, and she blurted out.

"Sister Meng, are you jealous?"

Meng Ziyi paused for a second, then nodded decisively.

"Yeah, I'm so envious."

She made no attempt to hide anything; her straightforward personality was on full display at this moment. She disliked beating around the bush.

"It's like eating two lemons."

Bai Lu was taken aback. "Only two?"

Meng Ziyi pouted and nodded earnestly.

"Two, that's the most I can have, or I'll get sour."

Looking at Meng Ziyi, Bai Lu felt as if something had gently bumped into her heart, a warm and soft sensation.

The next second, she opened her arms and pounced on Meng Ziyi, hugging her tightly and nuzzling her head against her shoulder.

"Sister Meng! You're the best!"

"Get away from me! Your makeup is ruined!"

She complained, but she still wrapped her arms around him.