Chapter 218: Internal Strife, Yu Yan Falls
The Beijing Circle is very chaotic.
The circles are chaotic, and the people are even more so.
Director Yang usually likes to chat with a few actresses when he has nothing to do, talking about life, talking about philosophy.
But in the past few days, especially in the last five days, his mindset has been on the verge of “collapse” and “explosion.”
If only the purple Magic City Fortress was the only one stinking, it would be fine, but the neighboring purple Big Shot, who is a cheap small-budget film, is like a clown jumping up and down, posting “over X hundred million” posters punctually every day.
Chi Ye, Wu Zhenyu, and other lead actors are celebrating New Year’s every day, singing and dancing.
In contrast, purple Magic City Fortress has transformed into purple Magic City Thunderclap, not only cursed by the whole internet, but even “famous” in the Asian region—everyone knows that a big country that sang classics like purple Blue and White Porcelain at the Spring Festival Gala this year has produced a “science fiction film” comparable to the greatest thesis defense in history.
Director Yang’s “lifetime of fame” is ruined, and the Beijing Circle has paid the price of two companies going bankrupt and losing all face within the industry.
——The better the box office performance and reputation of purple Big Shot, the more it highlights how trashy and stupid they are.
Who can stand it?
Director Yang now dares not retort to the audience, but he dares to “retort” to Chi Ye: “I’ll fuck it, what kind of scumbag can shit on us now? Is that box office he got himself? That’s him eating our human blood steamed buns!”
“Shameless! Vile! Scoundrel!!”
“…The team in that broken studio is doing smear marketing every day. Do they think no one knows about his little tricks… This grandson is really cunning, he’s too good at this marketing game.”
Director Feng frowned along with them, but there was a hidden hint of schadenfreude in his expression—purple Magic City Fortress is not his work, and he didn’t invest in it before, so he suffered no personal loss from this.
“No… I can’t stand it.”
Director Yang got angrier the more he thought about it. That day, on Weibo, which had already had its comments closed due to public outcry, he posted an implication-filled Weibo:
【Heaven sees what people do, some people are really skilled at playing dirty tricks in private, but remember, after chasing ducks all day, you’ll eventually get your eyes pecked, for your own good! 】
After this Weibo was posted, at first, bystanders and the audience didn’t understand what he meant.
But soon after, Director Yang accidentally liked several hot searches about purple Big Shot eating purple Fortress’s steamed buns, and then people understood—you’re going to fight with Chi Ye?
So how did Chi Ye respond?
——He expressed his “gratitude.”
Chi Ye, using his account, which was now the number one traffic on Weibo, went to Director Yang’s Weibo below, screenshotted it, and @ed the other party: 【@Director Yang, it’s 2.1 billion, thank you. 】
Director Yang, who was waiting for Chi Ye to “confront” him, was stunned. He confirmed it three or four times before his eyes rolled back, and froth appeared at the corners of his mouth, his blood pressure reaching 888: “I’ll fuck your mother… you bastard! He’s thanking me?! 2.1 billion, your mother!”
“…Old Yang, calm down. Are you stooping to argue with a traffic star? Doesn’t that lower your status?”
Director Lu persuaded him, then suggested: “He’s a public figure with such high popularity. If he dares to reply to you like this, we’ll use this to attack him!”
“I think that’s a good idea.”
“Let Little Yan also ‘accidentally’ like it! We also have disparity traffic!”
“…Don’t mention him, bad luck, every movie he acts in flops.”
As they were talking, they remembered Yu Yan. They hadn’t contacted each other for several days, and they instinctively looked at Ling Han, who usually liked Yu Yan the most.
Ling Han seemed to realize something and looked at the others with some displeasure: “…Brother Yan hasn’t contacted me recently.”
“He’s probably dealing with crisis public relations.”
Dealing with crisis public relations?
……
It’s too much of a crisis.
Yu Yan’s recent days have indeed been difficult. Since the release of purple Magic City Fortress, he has basically become a target—who made him have the highest traffic, far exceeding that of big shots behind Director Yang and the Beijing Circle.
Coupled with the comparison of acting skills between Chi Ye and Zhao Tai, comparing goods makes them unwanted. If Chi Ye weren’t there, Yu Yan might be uncomfortable, but he definitely wouldn’t be as “miserable” as he is now.
Yes, he is “miserable.”
In the two days since purple Magic City Fortress was released, the first day’s scheduling was 45%, taking away 10% of purple Big Shot’s scheduling. The box office was a dismal 20 million. On the second day, it dropped to 9 million.
Now… five days later, the scheduling for purple Magic City Fortress has been completely divided among purple Big Shot and the movies released by Shen Bin and Ma Li, so today’s single-day box office is a mere “impressive” 300,000!
It can be said to have broken the lowest box office bottom in the history of the Beijing Circle, and broken the lowest box office bottom in the history of Chinese cinema.
— Fading through the earth? NO, fading to outer space.
As for Yu Yan, the male lead, he lost two major production scripts and two high-end endorsements within five days… This is an operation that, without his persona collapsing, managed to make him seem worse than a collapsed persona through his strength and acting skills, also setting a precedent in the internal entertainment circle.
“Yesterday, a few more big fans switched to Chi Ye… we’ve dealt with it as quickly as possible, but the impact is still there, and it’s not good.”
Yue Na Company.
The agent sat in the office, looking tired, and said to Yu Yan: “Do you think we should try some fan retention tactics… If this continues, your fans will all be absorbed by Chi Ye.”
Yu Yan’s eyes were dull, and he remained silent.
“Little Yan? Little Yan?”
The agent tried calling him a few times.
“Ling Han sent me a message… they have a lot of opinions about me.”
Yu Yan replied with a hoarse voice: “The Beijing Circle… has also become much colder towards me.”
The agent was startled.
“…I feel like this time… it’s over.”
Yu Yan closed his eyes.
He was the first-generation undisputed top streamer. In his prime, his birthday would have over 100 million comments on Weibo, breaking Guinness World Records.
But since purple Xing Ni aired, his undisputed position was taken. Now, not long after, a major production he saw as a chance to turn things around has instantly become the last straw that will crush his top-streamer status.
Yes, with the release of purple Magic City Fortress, losing fans is secondary. Because he and Chi Ye both rely on traffic and fan circles, they have their own fan base, and there’s a bottom line no matter how bad things get.
But purple Magic City Fortress directly crushed two companies and caused the largest investor behind it to lose the opportunity to go public… this is the most fatal.
——In the industry from now on, who will use Yu Yan?
Who would dare to use Yu Yan?
Will a generation of undisputed top streamers fall just like this?
Yu Yan is confused. In the past, he cared least about resources, but now he seems to have personally ruined everything he had.
The agent is also confused.
Because from Yu Yan’s negative attitude, she also sensed another signal—why has the Beijing Circle suddenly “neglected” Little Yan?
……
On the day purple Magic City Fortress’s single-day box office dropped below 200,000, the Douban rating, which the film producer and investors had been desperately suppressing, could no longer be held back. Thus, amidst widespread attention, purple Magic City Fortress’s opening rating was dazzlingly revealed.
——2.8 points.
A new historical low rating on Douban. Whether it’s a coincidence or not, it just happened to be the inverse of purple Big Shot’s 8.2. One can only say that the two are indeed destined.
That night, #MagicCityFortress#2.8 points# plunged to the top of the hot search, continuously contributing various negative traffic and popularity.
At the same time, various young actors and competitors in the industry began to step forward to “carve up” Yu Yan’s “legacy” after his sudden explosion of wealth.
For example, Lao Peng, who has been releasing press releases 24 hours a day, secretly slandering Yu Yan with all sorts of cunning tactics.
Chi Ye did not carve up.
His existence itself is the biggest draw. At his current star power, he no longer needs to be as “desperate” as when he was competing for Lao Ji’s legacy with other traffic young actors.
To put it exaggeratedly—he just stands there, doing nothing, and he can accept the vast majority of Yu Yan’s “legacy.”
This is the confidence and star power of a popular undisputed top streamer + a newly minted 2.5 billion box office movie young actor.
He is currently busy with other things… well… very personal matters.
……
Inside the hotel.
Jin Xia’s fingertips curled and uncurled on the silk fabric of her clothes. The indoor lighting was dim. She had been bending over for a while, her pair of beautiful peach blossom eyes fixed on Chi Ye, who was carefully “studying” her. Suddenly, she straightened up, gathering all her stunning beauty within.
“Hmm?”
Chi Ye was startled and looked up in confusion: “What are you doing?”
“Have you seen enough?”
Jin Xia’s face looked a little flushed under the light, but her coy voice remained “steady”: “I promised you, and I’ll do it, so, Teacher Chi, you have to behave too.”
Chi Ye nodded, then shook his head.
“What’s wrong?”
Chi Ye said sincerely: “I haven’t seen enough.”
Jin Xia asked curiously: “…It’s been twenty minutes, don’t you get tired of looking?”
“Mainly, I’m studying your body structure. Your structure is not right.”
Chi Ye said with a serious expression: “For example, you’re so thin, why are you so big? And your shape and skin are so good. I think this is a disease, and you need to see a doctor about it…”
Jin Xia bit her lower lip, staring at Chi Ye, silent for a long time.
Chi Ye felt a little uncomfortable under her “strange” gaze and raised an eyebrow: “What? Am I wrong?”
“Teacher Chi, you’re getting more and more blatant.”
Jin Xia said earnestly: “Do you want to touch? You can just say so if you want to touch.”
“I do.”
Jin Xia: “Oh, you can’t touch.”
Chi Ye: “?”
Jin Xia’s lips curled slightly. After thinking for a moment, she leaned in again: “Just once… be gentle, and then you’ll agree to my previous condition…”
Chi Ye’s outstretched hand froze: “Condition? What condition?”
“You have to keep up with my lifestyle habits. Your eating, wearing, living, and using… you have to be the same as me.”
Jin Xia lowered her face: “You’ve forgotten everything, haven’t you?”
Chi Ye’s expression remained unchanged: “I haven’t forgotten.”
It’s just a little difficult.
Empress Dowager, from childhood, has been pampered. Therefore, her lifestyle habits have penetrated into her bones, and have even become somewhat “outrageous” beyond normal people.
For example, when they were on purple Jian Ni, she was constantly “teased” by Chi Ye because of her various small habits, and then… that’s how they started.
The variety show has long ended, and the novelty has worn off. The affectation cultivated for more than twenty years naturally still exists, and she absolutely cannot change it.
Since she won’t change, only Chi Ye can change. Otherwise, if they were together in the future, wouldn’t they always be out of sync?
One sleeps late and wakes late, the other sleeps early and wakes early, they wouldn’t even see each other!
Hmm…
But who is Chi Ye?
Not to mention that he wasn’t from such a family background in either of his lives, but even then, he couldn’t accept drinking only “spring water” every day, and he couldn’t do the same with what he ate, used, played with, etc.
“Can we go back to that afternoon when we drank gutter oil together?”
Chi Ye asked wistfully.
Empress Dowager thought seriously and chuckled: “I’ll drink when you drink.”
Chi Ye: “…Then I won’t change.”
“?”
Jin Xia looked at him with grievance: “Why? Don’t you think about the future?”
“The future? I don’t know if you’ve heard a saying.”
Chi Ye thought for a moment and said: “Two people together need to adapt.”
Jin Xia was stunned and recalled: “It seems… that’s what it says online.”
“See? Since you know, how can you not adapt?”
Chi Ye revealed his chicken feet: “I suggest we can adapt first. As we adapt, then…”
“Hey, where are you putting your hand? Chi… Chi Ye, you’re so bad. You said adapt… don’t…”
Inside the room, Jin Xia’s “panicked” voice could be heard.
One minute later, Jin Xia walked out of the room dejectedly, meeting Sister Mi’s anxious gaze: “What did you guys do?”
“What did we do? Do you think anything could be done in this short amount of time?”
Jin Xia retorted.
Sister Mi: “…”
She muttered mockingly: “That’s hard to say…”
“Sigh.”
Empress Dowager ignored Sister Mi’s muttering. Normally, she would have subconsciously told Sister Mi not to comment on Teacher Chi, but now she was very annoyed and forgot about it.
“Sister Mi… do you think my demands are too high?”
The two walked downstairs. Empress Dowager’s “vacation” had actually ended long ago, but to spend a few more days with Chi Ye, she took the liberty to stay a few more days.
But no matter how long she stayed, she had to return to the film crew. She said with some annoyance: “If I had known, I would have gone back a little slower… He doesn’t seem to like my lifestyle habits very much.”
Sister Mi: “…What’s there to say? When two people are together, they don’t have to be exactly the same.”
“You don’t understand.”
Jin Xia paused before saying with insufficient confidence: “If he can’t even stand this, then in the future… I can’t pretend forever, can I? That would make us both very uncomfortable.”
Sister Mi thought seriously, recalling Jin Xia’s “spoiled” behavior since childhood, and sincerely nodded: “That’s true. Xia Xia, I didn’t expect you to have so much ‘self-awareness’ now.”
Jin Xia: “…Don’t discourage me when I’m in a bad mood. I… I’ll deduct your money!”
“I’m sorry, it’s me who lacks self-awareness. I dare not comment. Don’t ever ask me about your affairs in the future. I don’t dare to speak rashly.”
Sister Mi waved her hands, but inwardly she also mused, yes, who would normally like a girl who is full of “acting spoiled” skills?
Well… if that girl is Xia Xia, she felt that everything would be fine.
……
Meanwhile.
Chi Ye didn’t expect Jin Xia to think so deeply. After Empress Dowager left, he finally had time to prepare a big move against the Beijing Circle and Yu Yan, to make the other side “feel comfortable.”
But before he could make a move, Director Yang of purple Magic City Fortress, who had been “cyberbullied” for N days, miraculously accepted an interview with a certain media outlet.
And in the interview, he stated frankly: “I used Yu Yan incorrectly.”
