Huayu 2011: Starting with Hilarious Men

Zheng Nan didn't lie to Yuan Bingyan. Despite the popularity and high level of discussion surrounding "Hilarious Men" online, free distribution doesn't earn them a single penny.

However, Zheng Nan has no regrets. Although she didn't make money, she gained fame, which is enough.

"Holy crap, why are you pinching me!" Zheng Nan was startled by Yuan Bingyan's sudden attack.

"I don't believe it!" Yuan Bingyan said with a smug look on her face.

The classroom, which had been noisy, suddenly fell silent for half a second the moment Zheng Nan shouted.

A month ago, if Zheng Nan had yelled out like that, she would have only attracted a few mocking glances.

After all, at the time, Zheng Nan was seen by everyone as a madwoman who ranked last in her professional courses and spent 26,000 yuan to make a "film" on a whim.

The gossip behind our backs never stopped back then.

"It must be him. He squandered all his living expenses and even tried to cheat his family out of money."

"Twenty-six thousand for a film or television production? You must be kidding me."

"I think he just wants to pursue Dilraba and is using this as an excuse to get close to her."

"It might not be Dilraba Dilmurat, it could also be Yuan Bingyan."

Now that "Hilarious Men" is a success, the classmates are much more enthusiastic.

Privately, they would also show concern for Zheng Nan, chat with her, and try to get close to her. Some even asked her in advance what her next film would be and whether she wanted to make a cameo appearance for free.

The implication was that Zheng Nan would be given a helping hand once he became successful.

Students who study acting mature much earlier than those who study academic subjects.

The students' inconsistent attitudes had little impact on Zheng Nan.

Having spent over a decade in the entertainment industry in his previous life, Zheng Nan had seen and experienced everything.

Huang Bo once said something quite apt: "When you become famous, everyone around you is a good person."

When you're unknown, even the crew members on set can boss you around; once you gain some popularity, even distant relatives will come knocking on your door.

"Why would I lie to you? It's free on all platforms, I haven't signed any exclusive contracts with any platform, there's no revenue sharing with Google, no copyright fees, I don't earn a single penny." Zheng Nan patiently explained to the clever Yuan Bingyan.

…………

By early May, the first season of "Hilarious Men" had aired six episodes, with only the last two episodes remaining.

The popularity and discussion surrounding "Hilarious Men" online have been steadily increasing.

Recently, more and more people have been trying to contact Zheng Nan.

From its humble beginnings as a small, unregulated platform, Popcorn.com has now proactively contacted Zheng Nan in the background to seek further cooperation.

Young people born in the 2000s may not have even heard of the name "Popcorn.com".

The website was launched in 06, focusing on user-generated short videos, with the slogan "Everyone is a director".

Around 2010, it had over 10 million users and tens of millions of daily views, making it a top-tier short video platform.

At this point in time, Popcorn.com is a force to be reckoned with, capable of competing with Youku and Tudou.

Unfortunately, Zheng Nan knew clearly that Popcorn.com had no future, so he did not reply to Popcorn.com.

"The vast horizon is my love, and flowers are blooming at the foot of the rolling green hills..."

The phone suddenly rang. Zheng Nan glanced at the caller ID; it was an unfamiliar local number from Shanghai.

In the past, Zheng Nan would never have answered an unknown number.

Recently, Zheng Nan has been receiving too many calls from unknown numbers, and fearing she might miss an opportunity, she has been answering them all, even those from northern Myanmar.

"Hello, who is this?"

"Professor Long? I can tell from your voice. What do you want to see me about?"

"I have time, I have time. You can definitely find the time if you ask."

"Two o'clock in the afternoon, okay, okay..."

After hanging up the phone, Zheng Nan was surprised to find that the number was actually from Professor Long of the Performing Arts Department.

Professor Long is the head of the Acting Department at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, holding the rank of a full-fledged department head. He is a recognized authority in acting education within the industry, having dedicated decades to the field.

Professor Long said that he has a friend named Zhang Ling on Sina Shanghai who wants to interview him and asked Zheng Nan if it would be convenient for her to accept the interview invitation.

An interview isn't a collaboration, and Zheng Nan would naturally prefer something that could boost her profile.

…………

A coffee shop in a cultural and creative park in the JA district of Shanghai.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows are lush green foliage, while soft jazz music plays inside, and the air is filled with the aroma of lattes and caramel.

Zheng Nan arrived ten minutes early, dressed in a simple white T-shirt and jeans, looking clean and fresh, without any sign of deliberately dressing up.

"Hello, are you Zheng Nan, the director of 'Hilarious Men'?"

"It's me. Are you Ms. Zhang Ling?"

"Zhang Ling is our general manager. I am a reporter from 'Sina Shanghai' and I am here to interview you today."

The reporter who interviewed Zheng Nan was surnamed Xu and named Xu Yuanyuan. She looked to be in her early twenties, wore black-rimmed glasses, and had short hair.

She had a capable demeanor, wore a camera, and held a voice recorder and notebook in her hand.

Xu Yuanyuan extended her hand and said politely, "Let's sit down first, and chat while we drink."

After they were both seated, Xu Yuanyuan looked at Zheng Nan with some curiosity.

She received a last-minute notification from her supervisor this morning to interview a first-year student at the Shanghai Theatre Academy.

At the time, Xu Yuanyuan was puzzled. She wondered what kind of background this student from the Shanghai Theatre Academy must have to be able to get an interview arranged by her general manager in her freshman year.

Later, Xu Yuanyuan learned that this freshman was the director of the currently popular online drama "Hilarious Men".

The words "freshman" and "director" are both quite ordinary when taken individually, but they become quite special when put together.

In Xu Yuanyuan's mind, someone who had achieved success and gained some fame at the young age of eighteen should, if not become arrogant and lose his way, at least have a bit of an overbearing and proud temperament.

Unexpectedly, he was a handsome and composed young man.

"Don't be nervous, let's just chat casually." Xu Yuanyuan set up the camera and turned on the recorder: "I'll ask the first question. According to statistics, 'Hilarious Men' has now surpassed 100 million views across the entire internet. As the director, screenwriter, and lead actor, did you initially expect it to be this popular?"

"To be honest, I've never thought about it."

"Uh, what do you mean by 'I've never thought about it'?" Xu Yuanyuan was a little confused. Was that even an answer?

"Let me ask you, did you ever think about going to Tsinghua or Peking University when you were a child?" Zheng Nan didn't answer the reporter's question directly, but instead asked in return.

"I've thought about it." Xu Yuanyuan nodded. Ninety percent of elementary school students dream of going to Tsinghua or Peking University.

"Many people dreamed of going to Tsinghua or Peking University when they were young, but as they get older, they don't dare to dream about it anymore. There are both subjective and objective factors involved."

When I created "Hilarious Men", I was like a primary school student who wanted to get into Tsinghua or Peking University. Naturally, I hoped that "Hilarious Men" would be seen by more people.

Who wouldn't want their work to be a hit? Even online novelists often fantasize about becoming a legend with a single book.

That's why I said I've thought about it.

"I understand. So why didn't you think about it?" Xu Yuanyuan continued to ask.

"Because the entire cost of the work 'Hilarious Men' was only 26,000 yuan, a cost that I dare not even imagine."

Zheng Nan has laid the groundwork enough; now it's time to begin the story.