FLBOTCP Chapter 71.1
Full Level Bigshot Only Takes the Career Path Chapter 71.1
Zhao Yao started taking notes after receiving Pei Mingzhan’s list of preferences. When he planned to go online and browse the super topics1, he found that the content within had completely changed. Originally, he could find many beautiful pictures by clicking in, but now it was all about checking in and dealing with anti-fans.
He scrolled through the posts for a while, and among dozens of Weibo posts, he could only find one about Pei Mingzhan’s pictures, and it was one he had already seen before.
Zhao Yao frowned slightly, exited Pei Mingzhan’s super topic, and entered Mi Ying’s super topic.
He found that this place had also been occupied by a group of hardcore fans. Now he was a bit confused. It was clear from the content on Weibo that they were clarifying rumors about “Mi Ying,” but wasn’t that supposed to be Huihua’s job? Why were the fans so active now?
Since Zhao Yao started following Pei Mingzhan’s super topic, he had become familiar with several bloggers whom he had even started following. But he noticed that today, the bloggers who usually posted nine-grid photos had stopped their usual activities and were actively involved in the super topic discussions.
Out of curiosity, he clicked into one of their profiles and discovered that these bloggers had a significant number of mutual followers with him.
Zhao Yao didn’t typically pay much attention to his own fan base. He was not deeply involved in the entertainment industry and considered fan engagement to be more important for celebrities seeking fame and popularity. So, he often heard people like Chen Xi mention various things about his fans but didn’t pay much attention to it.
But what made him recognize his fans was the fact that many of them had changed their profile pictures to feature a certain photo of him.
And as he browsed through their posts and comments, he noticed that quite a few of them were using his image as their profile pictures.
These profile pictures included promotional images from his time working at the Zhao Group, screenshots from moments when he accidentally appeared in the camera, and even photos taken during an internal meeting at Huihua just some time ago… Looking at all these fans using his image as their profile pictures, Zhao Yao felt an unusual sense of embarrassment.
【Wow, there’s even a hater trying to argue with me!】
【Laughing to death, they’re using the brainwashed plotline to argue with us. I asked them if they could provide evidence, and they said the evidence can be seen by everyone??? 】
【Hahahaha, these eater armies probably didn’t graduate from high school. They’re talking big without any evidence.】
【Haiyaa, I’ve been so busy clearing things up today that I haven’t even finished updating Mi Ying’s fanwei.】
【Did you guys hear the news? They’ve started a new column on the platform featuring behind-the-scenes stories of the filming process. Good guy, there’s so much footage of Zhao Yao!】
Zhao Yao usually only follows the main plot when watching a series. He didn’t pay much attention to behind-the-scenes content. He was aware that these segments were created by the production team to maintain long-term interest in the show but didn’t know much about them.
Did his fans actually watch the behind-the-scenes footage?
-*
Chen Xi was watching the online situation reverse. He was actually waiting for the situation to develop further before wrapping it up. But when the public relations department came to brief him on the situation, he was still in the dark. Isn’t this just a matter of one day? Are the online fans really that powerful?
The online public opinion has a certain driving effect. Just issuing a clarification notice by itself is not enough. After all, the sensational scandals on the hot searches have deeply impacted people’s minds. To clarify, they need to gradually and systematically present the true nature of the main events. If they were to buy a hot search to clarify, it would seem like they are trying to cover up the truth. So, the public relations department is still waiting for the online public opinion to ferment.
The head of the public relations department said, “The credit here goes to the fans of the show and fans of other actors. In most cases, the accusations are baseless, making it relatively easy to clarify. Additionally, we’ve noticed that Mr. Zhao’s fans are also among them…”
Actually, they knew that Mr. Zhao had fans, and the size of his fanbase was similar to that of other second-tier artists. However, most people in the company didn’t take Mr. Zhao’s fans into account. The main reason is that Mr. Zhao’s fans are not typical celebrity fans. They may seem active in discussions, but since Mr. Zhao doesn’t have any recent works or a presence on Weibo, a significant portion of his fans have gradually lost interest.
So, they never expected that this group of fans would actually demonstrate such strong collective power in this recent incident. What’s more,the key point is that each of them is a logical thinker with a clear mindset. They don’t engage in chaotic and fanatical circle behavior that could easily damage Mr. Zhao’s reputation. They use concise language to refute criticisms from haters, without wasting any words.
“…That’s god,” Chen Xi felt deeply moved after listening to the department head’s words. If Mr. Zhao were an artist, he would probably be the most worry-free artist in the entire Huihua. He doesn’t engage in Weibo, but his fan base is so united and well-organized. It made him wonder what kind of person attracted such dedicated fans.
The department head continued, “”When I just arrived, I met people from the publicity department. They told me that because of Mr. Zhao’s fan club activities, even the Huihua official Weibo has been taken over…”
Chen Xi, “……?”
The department head didn’t notice Chen Xi’s increasingly awkward expression and continued frankly, “It’s not a big deal, they’re just urging the official account to post more pictures of Mr. Zhao. They’ve been saying that the neighboring Zhajiang Mian platform updates more frequently and asking when Huihua can catch up.”
Chen Xi, “…?”
“I think posting a few more pictures wouldn’t hurt. Mr. Zhao might not be active on social media, but this time the fans have also contributed a lot. It wouldn’t look good if we didn’t post some pictures,” the department head continued, “I heard that there are still a lot of materials that haven’t been released for ‘Mi Ying.’ I actually suggest that after this situation calms down, we should release some of that material to solidify the hype.”
Chen Xi understood. So, these fans were also playing psychological warfare with Huihua. “Alright, I’ll send a couple of pictures to the official Huihua account later.”
-*
In the face of marketing rumors, with the strong efforts of netizens to clarify the situation, the crew of “Mi Ying” has also issued a statement of accountability, stating that they will hold those who spread rumors and false information accountable. Huihua has always been known in the industry for being able to afford legal actions, so some marketing accounts that took money to promote quickly deleted their related comments, while others, lacking experience, were directly caught by Huihua.
You should know that Huihua’s legal threats are not just empty words. Think about how many people have been sued by Huihua, forced to apologize and pay fines. Yet, there are still those who dare to provoke Huihua?
In the blink of an eye, “Mi Ying” had already aired a third of its episodes and entered a new climax in the plot. The fans online were very satisfied during this period because Huihua had finally played the role of a philanthropist! “Mi Ying” itself had behind-the-scenes footage, but since the new fans primarily came for the male and female leads, the focus of several episodes of the behind-the-scenes footage was on the main cast. But after the recent controversy, the format of the behind-the-scenes footage had completely changed.
The crew introduced a new behind-the-scenes segment called “What Happened on the Set.”
Instead of simply showing footage from the filming period, it featured interactions between the cast and the crew. So, the rumors about the outrageous perks for the cast and crew during the production period, which had emerged during the controversy, were finally confirmed. Most importantly, this episode of behind-the-scenes footage included a significant amount of footage featuring Pei Mingzhan and Zhao Yao. Fans of both actors felt like they were celebrating Chinese New Year every day with these new updates.
In one of the clips from the behind-the-scenes clip, an assistant brought back some bubble tea, and there was a scene with Zhao Yao and Pei Mingzhan drinking it together. When the man in the wheelchair reached for the bubble tea, he seemed slightly puzzled by the coldness of the ice-cold tea against his hand, as if he were trying some kind of dark cuisine. His eyebrows furrowed slightly until he took the first sip. At that moment, his previously tense expression relaxed, and Pei Mingzhan, sitting beside him, asked if he liked it.
【Haha, Zhao Yao is so young, why does he drink bubble tea like my dad?】
【Haha, this is so cute! He can’t be this adorable!】
【Haha, they are even making fun of this, which bubble tea shop is this? The ingredients seem generous!】
【The person bringing the hot bubble tea must be Zhao Yao’s assistant. Hahaha, Pei Mingzhan is going too far!】
【Pei Mingzhan’s image is shattered, he actually tricked Zhao Yao into drinking iced bubble tea.】
【I’ve seen the cold Zhao Yao on screen, but I never thought he could be this cute in real life.】
There was also a scene where the entire cast and crew shared fried chicken together. One time, as they were preparing to wrap up for the day and take a break, Zhao Yao’s late-night snack order arrived just as they needed to do some additional shots.
In the behind-the-scenes footage, Zhao Yao was sitting not far from the table with the fried chicken. Pei Mingzhan was sitting next to him, diligently tearing apart the fried chicken. Other crew members were also holding pieces of fried chicken while working. Even the director, who was monitoring the scene on the screen, had a piece in his hand. The only ones not indulging in the fragrance were the male and female leads, who were focused on their additional shots.
【Hard Working Pei Mingzhan.】
【I’ve noticed that in every behind-the-scenes clip related to food, either Pei Mingzhan is coaxing Zhao Yao to eat, or he’s preparing something for Zhao Yao to eat.】
【Now that I’m watching these clips, I feel like their relationship probably improved because of their time together on set.】
【Ah ah ah, I agree! At the beginning, Zhao Yao seemed a bit aloof, but later on, he started initiating conversations with Pei Pei.】
【”Behind-the-Scenes of Mi Ying: Pei Mingzhan Teaches You How to Make Friends?”】
【Haha, Pei Mingzhan’s image is shattered!】
There were a lot of comments like these. Along with the rising popularity of “Mi Ying,” it quickly became the hottest web drama of the season, even a potential contender for the drama of the year.
Many artists from Huihua also shared promotional content and actively supported the drama. Even Ji Heyu, who hadn’t been active online for a long time, made a return to promote “Mi Ying.” He enthusiastically retweeted the official account’s promotion when the drama’s views crossed 1.5 billion. He didn’t even forget to give a shoutout during his own live stream or promotional activities.
【Xiao Ji examines himself three times a day. Did he make money for Zhao Yao today? Did he cheer for Zhao Yao today? Did he livestream today?】
【Hahaha, I’m laughing so hard! Ji Heyu is definitely Zhao Yao’s number one superfan!】
Mi Ying encountered many problems when it was initially seeking investments. The main issues were the high production costs for this fantasy mystery drama, and the relatively small target audience market. Many investors decided not to invest due to various reasons, including the genre. It eventually ended up in the hands of the financially strong Xingchen and later it was transferred to Huihua.
Now, looking at the huge success of “Mi Ying,” it brought popularity to the new actors, and Huihua Culture has undoubtedly hit the jackpot. Numerous business activities are beginning to contact the production team and various actors. There are also many activities considering collaboration with the “Mi Ying” IP for promotion. There were many popular dramas last year, but a phenomenon like “Mi Ying” is the first of its kind, directly elevating the fame of Huihua to new heights.
Some netizens say that “Mi Ying” has exploded in popularity, and in the future, works from Huihua Culture may not necessarily reach the same level. They suggest that others shouldn’t have too high expectations, as there are many companies in the industry like this.
Chen Xique doesn’t think that the beginning of “Mysterious Shadow” marks the end. You should know that the most significant effort since Huihua’s revival has been put into “Li Meng.” He believes that the outcome of “Li Meng” will definitely be even better than “Mi Ying.”
Chen Xi even wanted Mr. Zhao to come to the company to give advice, but the latter continued to live a carefree life as usual. He didn’t even bother to pay attention to the news about “Mi Ying.” These days, no one knows what he’s busy with, and he’s not even enthusiastic about company meetings. As a result, the promotional team that wanted to take more photos had no choice but to create a series of behind-the-scenes videos.
Please buy the raws to support the author if you can.
If there are any mistakes/error, feel free to comment it down below.
9
- super topics/fan forum [↩]