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

Chapter 340 The Nightingale of the Domestic Entertainment Industry

While Cai Huaijun was preparing three variety shows, the first episode of the fourth season of "Running Man" was launched on Mohen Video.

Thanks to Shen Mo's deep involvement, this season's production scale can be described as an aircraft carrier in the variety show industry.

The first episode is a special edition titled "The Lonely and Brilliant God".

The core cast remains impressive: Deng Chao, Li Chen, Chen He, Zheng Kai, Wang Baoqiang, Sha Yi, and Bai Lu.

The guest stars are the "Godly Faces Group," consisting of Zhu Yilong, Zhang Ruoyun, Zhang Ruonan, and Meng Ziyi, the four main actors of the TV series "The Lonely and Great God."

The 11 people were divided into two groups: "The Lonely God" and "The Brilliant God".

In addition to the intense battles, it also incorporates complex and mind-bending logic.

Two third-party members are lurking in the crowd: a heroic spirit and a ferryman.

The winning team in each round can exchange members, and this suspense of catching the mole instantly raises the level of anticipation.

The first round of the game was a word singing relay race. The production team gave a keyword, and the two groups took turns relaying it. If a group couldn't finish the sentence within five seconds, they would lose points.

When it was Meng Ziyi's turn to face off against Zhang Ruonan, the atmosphere on the scene changed dramatically.

"Keywords: Natural weather, 3, 2, 1, Action!" the director commanded.

Meng Ziyi, who considers herself a genius singer and a walking encyclopedia of songs, was the first to step forward without hesitation.

She gracefully lifted her skirt, her eyes revealing an air of unparalleled confidence, and when she opened her mouth, her unique voice shattered the silence of the room.

"I listen quietly to the sound of snow falling—!"

The originally melancholic melody, under Sister Meng's interpretation, was filled with the penetrating power of a physical attack.

Chen He, who was sitting to the side, laughed so hard he fell onto the sofa.

"Sister Meng, I don't know if it's snowing or not, but I feel like the ceiling is about to fall!"

Zhang Ruonan, on the other hand, looked as if she were walking on thin ice.

She's the kind of person who's clearly on track, but Meng Ziyi's confidence throws her off-key.

She looked left and right, and spoke cautiously in a soft voice.

"Let this heavy rain—all of it fall."

Meng Ziyi didn't feel shy at all; on the contrary, she was inspired to fight. She straightened her chest and exuded a domineering aura of "I'm going to sing the other person to death." She almost shouted as she continued.

The first snow of 2002 came later than usual!

Zhang Ruonan was startled by this momentum, and while singing, she secretly glanced at Meng Ziyi's expression, taking her time to continue.

"You understand my feelings about rainy days~"

"A cloudy day, in a room without the lights on~"

Meng Ziyi not only sings off-key in a unique way, but he even added a few soulful vocal transitions to his own style.

At this moment, Zhang Ruonan finally regained some confidence.

Looking at Meng Ziyi's determined eyes, she thought: So I sing this well?

Then the voice grew louder: "The rain falls in torrents, the old hometown is overgrown with weeds and trees."

Meng Ziyi cupped her face in her hands and gave Zhang Ruonan a beautiful, affectionate smile.

"One is like summer, the other is like autumn."

Zhang Ruonan completely let go, her voice even trembling slightly.

I'll always remember the summer breeze~

Meng Ziyi shook her little head, as if she were at her own personal concert.

"Please believe there will be a rainbow~"

The two sang faster and faster, almost exchanging glances with each other as soon as they finished singing.

Meng Ziyi's eyes sharpened: "You answer it!"

Zhang Ruonan's momentum returned: "You answer it!"

When this scene aired, the barrage of comments on Mohen Video was completely dominated by "hahahaha," with the dense barrage even obscuring the faces of the two people.

"The Nightingale! The Nightingale of the Chinese Entertainment Industry!"

"Two of the most prominent figures in the Chinese entertainment industry are sharing the stage! Sister Meng is firmly in the top spot, unshakeable!"

"Sister Meng's singing is beautiful. When she doesn't open her mouth, she's like a fairy; when she opens her mouth, she's like a cultivator!"

"Looking at Zhang Ruonan's eyes, all it took for her to go from self-doubt to overflowing confidence was Meng Ziyi!"

"This is exactly what Teacher Guo meant when he said it's all thanks to the contrast with our peers!"

"Zhang is in tune but lacks confidence, Meng is out of tune but is the most beautiful."

"I'm truly impressed by Meng Ziyi's determination to smack her opponent to death!"

"Did Sister Meng feel like she performed exceptionally well after her song? I laughed so hard in front of the screen when I saw her smug little look."

Within just three hours of the first episode of Running Man Season 4 being released, Mohen Video occupied seven of the top ten spots on Weibo's trending topics list.

#Meng Ziyi, the Nightingale of Chinese Entertainment#

#Meng Ziyi sang the opponent to death#

#Zhang Ruonan gained confidence from singing#

#A showdown between two of China's biggest entertainment stars#

Each of the three topics was followed by a bright purple "Explosive" sign.

The entire internet's self-media and video editing bloggers went crazy, frantically capturing Meng Ziyi's "sound of falling snow".

There were even content creators in the parody video section who worked overnight to create parody clips of Meng Ziyi's songs, with extremely venomous titles: "The Real Nightingale: A Physical Salvation at the Soul Level".

The comments section was filled with jubilation: "I declare myself a fan of Sister Meng!"

"Sister Meng isn't singing, she's clearly brainwashing us!"

"I watched the whole thing, and Sister Meng's confident look made me wonder if there was something wrong with my ears."

"I strongly urge Mohen Video to release a single for Meng Ziyi. I've even thought of a name: 'Confidence'!"

Late at night at Ziyu Villa, the lake outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was quiet and still, but the interior was filled with a subtle, coquettish atmosphere.

Meng Ziyi had come excitedly to watch the premiere and get feedback, but as she scrolled through the videos, a hint of grievance gradually appeared in her originally bright eyes.

Looking at her own expression in the video, and then at the screen full of "hahaha" comments, she couldn't stay calm.

"Brother Mo————"

Meng Ziyi turned around and wrapped her soft hands around Shen Mo's arm, leaning against him as if she had no bones, her lips pouting so much they could hold an oil bottle.

"Am I singing really weird?"

She looked up, her voice filled with a heartbreaking self-doubt.

Shen Mo suppressed a laugh and reached out to pinch her cheek.

"What, even our lark has moments of insecurity?"

Upon hearing the words "lark," Meng Ziyi became even more anxious.

She shook Shen Mo's arm, her curves rubbing against his elbow with each movement, and said coquettishly.

"Brother Mo, you're still laughing!"

"Isn't that how everyone sings it?"

"I think Ruonan responded quite smoothly!"

The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. So she threw her phone aside, hooked her arms around Shen Mo's neck, straddled his lap, stared into his eyes, and spoke in a tone that was half threatening and half coquettish.

"Brother Mo, confess the truth!"

"Tell me honestly, did I sing well or not?"

Looking at the beautiful face so close to his, Shen Mo noticed how alluring the distinctive beauty mark at the corner of her eye was.

He slid his large hand down to her slender waist, and with a slight pull, pressed her closer into his arms.

"It sounds nice."

Shen Mo's voice was deep and tinged with amusement.

"That kind of confidence that disregards the lives of the audience is unparalleled in all of China."

"I love your passion for singing Ruonan to death."

"Hey! Shen Mo! You're making fun of me again!"

Meng Ziyi's pretty face instantly turned red, and she lowered her head in embarrassment and indignation to bite Shen Mo's shoulder.

"I don't care, since you say it sounds nice, you have to reward me!"

"I want to sing the theme song for the company's next project!"

Feeling the warm and tight body in his arms, Shen Mo leaned down and whispered in her ear. His hot breath made Meng Ziyi tremble slightly.

"Want some background music? That depends on whether your voice can be more rhythmic tonight than it is on the show—"

"Ugh—you're so mean!"

The lights went out, and only the moonlight outside the window witnessed yet another unique solo performance by the lark.

The next day, as Shen Mo watched the rapidly increasing playback data and new membership numbers on the Mohen Video platform, a knowing smile appeared on his lips.

This is the kind of entertainment effect he wanted.

While Tencent was still struggling to produce blockbuster films, it had already taken the "contrast" and "topicality" to the extreme.

This program is not only for promoting TV dramas, but also to create a consensus among viewers: if you want to watch the most witty and stress-relieving content, you can only come to Mohen Video.

This battle cemented the reputation of Running Man Season 4 upon its premiere, further strengthening the competitive advantage of Mohen Video.

On the other hand, looking at the trending topics online, Sun Zhonghuai was very unhappy that Shen Mo had removed "Running Man" from his platform, but there was nothing he could do about it.

This year marks the fourth season of "Running Man," and with an unknown number of regular viewers across the internet, he could imagine the explosive growth in new user acquisition data on Mohen's platform right now.

But there was no other way; they could only try to save face from other angles.

The recent collaboration between "Lost in Hong Kong" and Mohen Video is worth learning from, but now is not the time to analyze it slowly. He decided to leverage Tencent's traditional strengths.

Over the next two weeks, Tencent Video completed a shameless, pixel-perfect imitation.

Sun Zhonghuai looked at the joint action plan and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Shen Mo's strategy of "movie IP + short video behind-the-scenes footage + platform privileges" is indeed brilliant, but he forgot how Tencent started out.

Tencent Video, together with other producers, launched a comprehensive campaign to promote "Skiptrace," a film in which it has invested heavily and which stars Jackie Chan.

"Let him see what the popularity of an international blockbuster really means."

For a time, the entire internet was filled with thrilling behind-the-scenes footage of Jackie Chan filming in Russia and Mongolia.

Tencent leveraged its dominance on social media platforms to insert pre-order links for Skid into every user's chat window.

The slogans they put forward were even more touching.

"Watch Uncle Jackie's last desperate gamble."

In the public discourse, the tide has begun to turn.

As a major film scheduled for release during the summer, "Skiptrace" is indeed outrageously strong on paper.

With its Sino-foreign joint venture background, the support of a Hollywood director, and the first collaboration between international superstar Jackie Chan and top-tier celebrity Fan Binbin, this powerful combination almost monopolized all the buzz.

In comparison, the copy of "Lost in Hong Kong" in Shen Mo's hands seemed rather shabby.

Even with the title of a sequel to "Lost in Thailand," theater managers believe that while the "Lost Trio" of Xu Zheng, Wang Baoqiang, and Huang Bo are funny, they don't have the same appeal to all age groups as Jackie Chan.

The July 1st screening schedule was released: "Skiptrace" secured a dominant 35% of screenings, while "Lost in Hong Kong" only managed to get 25%.

Ink Trace Pictures.

"Mr. Shen, the situation is not good."

There was a hint of anxiety in Chen Zhixi's voice.

"The theater chains are more optimistic about Jackie Chan's international films, so our prime-time screenings have been significantly reduced."

"Moreover, Tencent is spending a lot of money to buy trending topics, which has suppressed our momentum considerably."

Shen Mo stood up.

"On paper, a company's financial strength does not equal its final box office performance."

"Jackie Chan is indeed a legend, but the film market has changed now."

"Audiences no longer just pay for the name; they want happiness, the kind of revelry that allows them to release stress."

His long, slender fingers tapped heavily on the film schedule.

"25% of the screenings are enough."

"If their 35% screening rate shows even the slightest sign of weakness, these cinema managers will immediately turn their attention to them."

On July 1, 2016, the summer movie season officially kicked off amidst fierce competition.

In the cinema lobby, a huge poster for "Skiptrace" occupied the most eye-catching position, with Jackie Chan's signature smile and Fan Binbin's stunning good looks attracting the attention of countless passersby.

In contrast, Xu Zheng's bright bald head on the poster for "Lost in Hong Kong" appears much dimmer.

"Mr. Shen, the pre-sale results for the first day are in."

Rebecca rushed into the office with the data in her hand.

"Skiptrace has surpassed 100 million in pre-sales, while we only have 60 million."

"There are already press releases online saying that we peaked on the first day and it will be difficult to replicate the success of 'Lost in Thailand'."

Shen Mo's expression remained calm.

"The real show has only just begun!"

With its dominant 35% screen share and the star power of Jackie Chan and Fan Binbin, "Skiptrace" enjoyed a phenomenal opening day, raking in 2 million yuan in box office revenue, including pre-sales, setting a new single-day record for the summer season.

Despite being limited by its screening schedule, "Lost in Hong Kong" still managed to gross 1.5 million yuan on its opening day thanks to its hardcore humor, closely following behind.

The following day, Jackie Chan's influence remained strong, demonstrating remarkable staying power, and the company grossed 2.1 million.

To the cinema manager's shock, "Lost in Hong Kong," which only had 25% of screenings, had an occupancy rate as high as 90%, defying the headwinds and grossing 1.8 million yuan. The box office share was significantly higher than the screening share.

July 3rd marked the beginning of a turning point in the box office market.

"Skiptrace" dropped to 1.8 million, while "Lost in Hong Kong" defied the trend and rose to over 2 million on Wednesday, a non-holiday, thanks to its explosive word-of-mouth across the internet, officially completing its comeback!

Meanwhile, an in-depth article titled "[The Twilight of Dragon-Style Sentiments: The 'Awkward' Situation of 'Skiptrace']" swept across Weibo and Douban, garnering over 100,000 likes.

"Skiptrace is a film with a subtle sense of its era. Its action choreography and plot design have a strong sense of cliché, just like the classic Dragon-style comedies of thirty years ago."

Whether it's the "big-breasted girl" bound by the laminator or the "matryoshka doll" with layer after layer of laminators, both provided plenty of laughs and will surely bring back many familiar memories for fans.

But the most striking feature of the entire film is that it's a veritable treasure trove of old tropes.

It's hard to imagine that in 2016, we would still have to endure such old tropes as "No zuo no die" (a Chinese internet slang term for someone who is naive and unrepentant) and "resurrected with full health" in movie theaters.

The scene of the Mongolian people singing "Rolling in the Deep" was not humorous at all; instead, it was so awkward that it gave me goosebumps.

It's a hodgepodge, more like an "encyclopedia of outdated internet slang," a mix of popular and unpopular elements, yet still utterly bland.

But the laughter echoing in the cinema and the polarized reviews online prove that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," and there are still people who like it.

Skip to Heaven wasn't a complete failure, it was just incredibly boring.

The top-rated comment below the article became the final straw that broke the opponent's back.

"Since this is a version of 'Lost in Hong Kong,' why don't I just watch 'Lost in Hong Kong'?"

The article's viral spread instantly ignited long-suppressed emotions among viewers.

"That's absolutely right!"

"I took the whole family to see it last night. Uncle Jackie is still the same Uncle Jackie, but it doesn't have the same feeling as before."

"After watching 'Skiptrace,' I went to see 'Lost in Hong Kong.' The part where Xu Zheng and Wang Baoqiang caused a ruckus in Hong Kong was absolutely hilarious! That's the real stress reliever!"

Just then, another bomb that Shen Mo had planted exploded.

Mohen Video seized the opportunity and directly launched an exclusive behind-the-scenes featurette for "Lost in Hong Kong", titled "Tsui, Wong, and Wong: The Story of the Three Musketeers on Their Journey to Hong Kong".

The manager's office of a Wanda Cinema in Shanghai.

"Adjust the screening schedule, cut half of the screenings for 'Skiptrace' and add all of them to 'Lost in Hong Kong'!"

Looking at the constantly updated refund rates and ticket requests in the backend, the manager made a decisive decision.

"We can't turn down money! Shen Mo's movie is amazing, the attendance is outrageous!"

Sun Zhonghuai sat at the headquarters of Hai'e, looking at the report that the box office curve had been reversed, his face ashen.

He looked at the huge "Skiptrace" poster outside, and at that moment, in his mind, it was no longer a medal, but a huge irony.

He had to admit that Shen Mo's method of using "Lost in Hong Kong" as bait to lure tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions, of moviegoers into Mohen Video was effective.

In this battle, "Lost in Hong Kong" not only won at the box office, but also won hearts and minds.

Shen Mo proved with facts that in this era where content is king, even if Qian is an international superstar, if the content is extremely boring, he will still be ruthlessly crushed by the wheels of time.

On July 11, the total box office of "Skiptrace" had reached 700 million yuan, but "Lost in Hong Kong" had already exceeded 12 billion yuan and no longer posed a threat.

Shen Mo stopped paying attention and turned his attention to the TV series.

Today, "Goblin" (also known as "The Lonely and Great God") will be available on both Mohen Video and Hunan TV.

The game "The Long Song of the Buddha's Beautiful Rivers and Mountains" by Lin Xinru, which is being played in the battle against kiwifruit, is now available.

Are you ready, leads?

As usual, I'm asking for your monthly votes!

If you're passing by, feel free to give your child a monthly pass!

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