Taking Liu Yifei back to Northeast China for the Chinese New Year has sent the entire internet into

the other side.

As the "newbie" incident continues to escalate.

The popularity of "Idol New Generation" has also risen accordingly.

In the program's data operations center, the real-time curves on the big screen are constantly breaking records since the program's premiere.

"Cai Kun's solo performance video for his debut stage has surpassed 50 million views across the internet!"

An excited staff member pointed at the screen and shouted:

"The total number of views and bullet comments for the first episode is skyrocketing; the long-tail data is terrifying!"

"At this rate of increase, won't the next performance take off immediately?"

Another staff member slapped the table and laughed:

"Just a few days ago, some people were worried that Cai Kun would be the subject of memes all over the internet, which would drag down the show's reputation."

"And now? He's practically carrying the entire hype on his own!"

The monitoring room erupted in laughter.

In the first few days after the show started airing, there were indeed a lot of arguments within the production team.

Some people believe that Cai Kun's "black-red" approach is too risky.

If public opinion gets out of control, even "Idol New Generation" might be dragged down with it.

But who could have imagined that Xingyao Entertainment's series of moves would turn the tide of the game?

The production team did almost nothing and still reaped a massive influx of viewership.

Cai Kun's popularity skyrocketed, and the entire show became a runaway success.

Director Liu Feng suppressed his excitement and turned to look at the business manager.

"Contact the Ministry of Commerce immediately."

"The prices for all new joint sponsorships, special collaborations, and Google integrations in the next round will be increased."

The business manager's eyes lit up.

"clear!"

Liu Feng then pointed to the editing team.

"Cut several versions of Cai Kun's personal behind-the-scenes footage."

"We're also working on the fan-made special effects, and taking advantage of the hype, we're building up a dedicated section for the show."

The head of the editing team nodded repeatedly.

"Don't worry, Director Liu, I'll arrange it right away."

The monitoring room erupted in cheers.

Some people have already started counting on their fingers how much higher the numbers will go after the next episode airs.

However, behind all this laughter and joy, some people just couldn't laugh.

……

Early the next morning.

Shengshi Entertainment, CEO's Office.

Vice President Zhao Leiming held a tablet computer, his expression not looking good.

On the trending search list—

#CaiKun's Vision#

#Official memes are the most lethal#

#LittleChickenBlindBox#

Several prominent entries were displayed prominently, as if they were there specifically to undermine his actions from a few days ago.

"Mr. Wang..."

Zhao Leiming finally couldn't resist and put the tablet on the coffee table.

"Has Xingyao gone mad? What kind of PR is this?"

Mr. Wang, sitting opposite, remained quite calm.

He put down his celadon teacup and stared at the Q-version little yellow chick holding a basketball on the tablet for a good ten seconds.

After a long silence, he finally spoke:

"Old Zhao, do you think Old Li, the PR director at Xingyao, could come up with this strategy?"

Zhao Leiming was taken aback, then shook his head.

"I've dealt with Old Li before."

He's steady and conservative in his work, good at maintaining the status quo but lacking in ambition. It's impossible for him to take such an unorthodox path...

"That settles it then."

Mr. Wang leaned back on the sofa and slowly closed his eyes.

"This is not Xingyao's style."

At this point, he reopened his eyes and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"That's Fang Yu's style."

Zhao Leiming's face turned even uglier.

"It's him again?"

"Who else could it be but him?"

Mr. Wang sighed, his expression somewhat complicated.

There was admiration, but also apprehension.

They had always thought that Fang Yu was just someone who could write songs, sing, and incidentally had a bit of a sense of variety.

Ultimately, he's just an incredibly talented artist.

But now it seems that Fang Yu's real challenge lies not only in music.

The most troublesome thing is his line of thinking.

They completely deviate from the conventional rules of the entertainment industry.

Turn scandals into intellectual property, crises into business opportunities, and ridicule into traffic.

You won't find another player like this in the entire entertainment industry.

"But I still can't figure it out."

Zhao Leiming rubbed his temples, his voice sounding somewhat deep.

"Is Mr. Zhang of Xingyao just going to let him run wild like this?"

"This is gambling with a newcomer, even the entire company's reputation. What if it all goes wrong?"

"bet?"

Mr. Wang chuckled self-deprecatingly, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

"From our perspective, it's a gamble."

"But in Mr. Zhang's eyes, this might be a sure-fire way to make money."

He looked up at Zhao Leiming and suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question.

"Old Zhao, tell me the truth."

"If you were given the S-level variety show spot for 'Going Home for the New Year,' and asked to hand it over to a newcomer who had only debuted six months prior, had no background, and no representative works—"

"Do you dare give it to me?"

Zhao Leiming shook his head without even thinking.

What a joke.

S-level variety shows are top-tier resources that the company's leading artists would fight tooth and nail to acquire.

How could we possibly entrust this to a newcomer whose future is uncertain?

"I wouldn't dare, and neither would you."

Mr. Wang put down his teacup, his tone becoming serious.

"But Mr. Zhang dares."

"He bet everything on Fang Yu."

"As a result, Fang Yu brought back a national goddess and incidentally turned Mohe into a national internet celebrity city."

"Later, he sent Fang Yu to take Cai Kun with him."

"Fang Yu casually wrote a song, which made a trainee famous and even developed a golden IP for Xingyao."

Mr. Wang spoke very calmly.

Zhao Leiming, however, sensed a deep sense of powerlessness in those few words.

"In terms of business acumen, Mr. Zhang may not be that strong."

"But his most brilliant investment in his life was signing Fang Yu."

Mr. Wang stood up and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window.

Outside the window, traffic flowed like a river.

The office fell silent.

Zhao Leiming sat on the sofa without saying a word for a long time.

After a long while, he spoke again, his tone still filled with resentment.

"So what do we do now?"

"Are we just going to stand by and watch them squander all the hype?"

"Otherwise what?"

Mr. Wang turned around.

"The online battlefield has been lost."

"Since we can't outmaneuver him in the public discourse, let's bring the competition back to the main stage."

"At the end of the day, 'Idol New Generation' is still a boy group talent show."

"Whether you can ultimately stand out depends on your solid stage presence."

He raised his head, his gaze darkening.

"Fang Yu can write a song for Cai Kun, and he can also do a marketing campaign for him."

"But can he play every time?"

Success on one stage does not guarantee success every time.

"Pass the word down."

"Double all the resources originally allocated to Wei Zhe for his next performance."

"Give him the best arrangers and the best stylists."

Zhao Leiming's eyes lit up.

Wei Zhe.

Among the trainees of Shengshi Entertainment, he is undoubtedly the ace.

He is good at singing and dancing, has a good appearance, and a steady personality.

In terms of both professional skills and stage presence, he is a model idol.

"We don't do those fancy things."

Mr. Wang's voice turned cold.

"Since Fang Yu wants to make Cai Kun the new face of the Star Idol competition..."

"Then we'll show everyone with top-notch stage quality—"

"In the face of absolute strength, marketing and memes can only be icing on the cake."

"I want the audience to see it for themselves."

"Who is the true king of this stage?"

Zhao Leiming stood up and nodded emphatically.

"clear!"

Since we can't win in the public opinion arena, let's change the battlefield.

Fight a fair and square battle.