Chapter 574: All four main actors were blacklisted.

On a sweltering summer day, the air conditioner in an ordinary residential building in Hangzhou was running at full power.

The online literary master Shenji is out of sorts today.

On the computer screen in front of me, the document cursor blinked forlornly, and after a long while, it struggled to move forward a few characters.

He frowned slightly, his gaze occasionally shifting from the screen to his friend Potato, who was on the phone by the window.

Beside him, another renowned author, Feng Huo, known for his writing skills and for creating plot holes, slammed his laptop shut.

My fingertips tapped unconsciously on the aluminum alloy casing, and I had no heart to type at that moment either.

Potato put down his phone, turned around and met the focused gazes of his two friends, and couldn't help but laugh and say, "What's wrong with you two?"

Feng Huo sat up straight and asked, "Is it another editor contacting you? Or is it about promoting 'Joy of Life'?"

“That’s right!” Potato nodded. “He’s come to me three times already.”

Not only me, but every author with any reputation on the entire Qidian Chinese website was mobilized.

The editorial department issued a strict order this time, with unprecedented force.

Feng Huo paused his typing, seemingly lost in thought: "It seems that Qidian, or rather Tengda behind it, attaches more importance to the adaptation of 'Joy of Life' into a film and television series than we imagined."

“This was expected.” Shenji, who had been silent all along, finally spoke, his words carrying a precise insight into the industry’s trends.

"The adaptation of 'Joy of Life' into a TV series is not just an adaptation of a novel; it is also a touchstone."

If the adaptation is successful, it will be a major upheaval for Qidian, and even for the entire male-oriented online novel community.

He paused, glanced at his two friends, and continued his analysis: "This means that we online writers will no longer be just wordsmiths who rely on subscriptions to make a living."

We will become the source writers of IP, and our works and the worlds we build will have broader channels for realizing their value.

From now on, those in traditional literary circles will have to think twice before treating us as second-class citizens. We now have a voice in the industry.

The brilliant analysis, delivered with unparalleled insight, instantly ignited a surge of passion within Potato. He slapped his thigh forcefully:

"Shenji is right! The adaptation of 'Joy of Life' into a TV series and my 'Battle Through the Heavens' into an anime both prove that the path we've been sticking to is the right one!"

The grand world and epic saga we envision possess immense value in themselves, in no way inferior to serious literature that focuses on a corner of reality!

Shenji added, "This is a battle to vindicate us, and we have an inescapable duty to fight it! I'll write a separate chapter in the book later to encourage readers to spread the word!"

These words surprised both Potato and Beacon Fire.

Shenji had a major copyright dispute with Qidian.com back then, and eventually left in a huff to join Lianheng.com, taking a large number of talented authors with him. It was a major earthquake in the online literature circle at the time.

Now, he has surprisingly expressed his willingness to endorse and promote a key project of his former employer.

Seeing the undisguised surprise in his two friends' eyes, Shenji understood perfectly, smiled calmly, and explained:

"Don't look at me like that. I'm not doing this for Qidian, but for ourselves, and for the brothers who are still struggling to survive at Lianheng.com and the entire industry."

If "Joy of Life" becomes a huge success, it will be equivalent to completely breaking through the market ceiling of male-oriented IPs.

The copyright price of top-tier novels by renowned authors could very well jump from the millions to the tens of millions.

Even works by mid-tier authors will see their value rise and enjoy a resurgence as a result.

“That makes sense!” Potato wholeheartedly agreed, adding, “In the past, our income came from reader subscriptions, but what about in the future?”

With diversified revenue streams including film and television rights, animation adaptations, and game licensing, the income ceiling for online novelists has truly been shattered. This is fantastic news!

Upon hearing this, Feng Huo couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "In the end, it's still better to have a big corporation as a backer."

Previously, when Singularity was in the hands of Shanda, although it was also a giant, it was always the one being leeched off, and it was also very exploitative of its authors.

After being acquired by Tengda Group, the situation has truly been transformed.

Top-tier authors saw the potential for novel adaptations and career advancement; for lower-tier authors, benefits also improved significantly, with full attendance bonuses and stipends becoming more generous than before.

Not to mention, the continuous influx of traffic from WeChat and Weibo, two super traffic portals, has led to a surge in the number of paying readers, making the entire website thrive.

If this continues, the male-oriented novel market may truly become a monopoly for Qidian.

He lowered his voice, "I heard that some of my brothers are thinking of leaving and are preparing to return to the Singularity."

Shenji listened silently, his own thoughts running deep; he thought further ahead than Fenghuo.

If "Joy of Life" is successful, Qidian can simply follow the script and leverage Tengda's powerful cultural and entertainment ecosystem to create several successful benchmark cases.

At that time, Tengda Qidian's siphon effect on top authors in the entire online literature industry will be immeasurable, and its dominance of the industry will be no exaggeration.

His feud with Qidian three years ago is long gone; not only has the website changed owners, but the management team has also undergone a major overhaul.

For the sake of future development, returning to the singularity is not impossible.

This promotion of "Joy of Life" is not only for the sake of the industry as a whole, but also a gesture of goodwill, leaving a way out for the future.

He sighed inwardly, realizing that circumstances were ultimately beyond his control.

Singularity has gained an overwhelming advantage by leveraging the massive traffic portals of Tenda such as WeChat and Weibo.

Any individual author, even a renowned one, appears insignificant and powerless in the face of such a powerful trend. Those who understand the times are the true heroes.

"Oh, right." Feng Huo seemed to remember something and turned to Tudou, "Tudou, when exactly will the 'Battle Through the Heavens' anime be released? Any news?"

Potato shrugged, looking somewhat helpless: "The specific time hasn't been decided yet."

The copyright has already been sold, and I have absolutely no say in the adaptation process; I can only wait for further notice.

Moreover, the editor-in-chief had previously hinted to me that the plot might undergo major changes, that censorship had been considered, and that a significant portion of the harem content would be cut.

A hint of regret flashed across Feng Huo's face: "It's such a pity that the copyright of such a popular IP as 'Battle Through the Heavens' was sold off so early."

Potato, on the other hand, was quite nonchalant, chuckling, "I was young and inexperienced, my vision wasn't that far-reaching. But every cloud has a silver lining."

"I used that copyright fee to buy property. Look at housing prices now, they're rising every day, so I might not be losing money, maybe even making a killing?"

His tone was relaxed, with a hint of pride, which dispelled the somewhat heavy atmosphere of the conversation.

"Yeah, you've got some good luck." Feng Huo chuckled and then said seriously, "I should also do my part for 'Joy of Life' and promote it on Weibo."

Upon opening the Weibo app, a meticulously designed animated poster instantly filled his entire field of vision.

It is the official promotional image for "Joy of Life", with Fan Xian standing proudly in the middle, and the broadcast information and slogans prominently displayed next to him.

"Holy crap! Screen flash! This Fan Xian looks alright!"

Feng Huo couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, turning his phone screen towards Shenji and Tudou, "See? This is Weibo's top-tier promotional resource, burning money by the second!"

Tengda really went all out!

With resources of this caliber, as long as the TV series isn't too outrageous, the ratings and popularity of "Joy of Life" are basically guaranteed!

At 8 PM on August 6th, amidst the anticipation of countless netizens, "Joy of Life" premiered exclusively on Toutiao Video, with four episodes airing consecutively on the first day.

The seventh floor of the technology building was brightly lit, with almost all the employees of Toutiao Video working overtime.

In the open-plan office area, several screens simultaneously displayed the real-time data monitoring interface of "Joy of Life," while the sounds of keyboard typing and hushed conversations mingled at the workstations.

Inside the CEO's office, Zhou Juan paced anxiously back and forth while speaking on the phone with Wu Wenhui, the CEO of the Reading Group:

"Mr. Wu, it's only been online for an hour. How can users react so quickly? Please be patient!"

I had just put my phone down when it rang urgently again, and the screen displayed "Liu Rong of Tengda Culture".

Zhou Juan took a deep breath, answered the phone again, and reassured him gently, "Mr. Liu, the data is still in the climbing phase."

She walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the dazzling night view of Beijing outside, her heart filled with unease.

As the head of Toutiao Video, she understands the significance of this project better than anyone else.

The production investment of 400 million yuan for "Joy of Life" has already set a record in the film and television industry. With the addition of the entire group's channel promotion resources, the total cost exceeds 500 million yuan.

If this drama flops, not only will the huge investment go down the drain, but it will also make Tengda Group a laughing stock in the entertainment industry, which will be a heavy blow to Tengda, which is building a closed loop of cultural and entertainment ecosystem.

The office door was ajar, and Chu Jingzhao walked in with documents in hand, reporting:

"Mr. Zhou, the preliminary data is in. Currently, the site's popularity score is 9300, the average viewing time is 27 minutes, and we have attracted 170,000 new users."

Zhou Juan took the report, quickly scanned it, and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The opening statistics weren't particularly impressive, but they were still in the upper-middle range of expectations.

"The key is the subsequent trend. The platform chose to launch on Tuesday so that when episodes eleven and twelve air on Saturday, it can catch the first small climax of the series and let users watch it all at once."

Just as I was about to ask for detailed information about the changes in data over different time periods, the secretary rushed in in a panic.

"Mr. Zhou, something terrible has happened! A large number of negative messages about the main actors of 'Joy of Life' have suddenly appeared on platforms such as Weibo, Baidu Tieba, and Zhihu, and the related topics are rapidly escalating!"

Zhou Juan's expression hardened; she thought to herself that what was bound to happen had finally arrived.

Yesterday, Zhang Zhao warned at the entertainment conference that traditional forces would never sit idly by while Tenda built a closed loop in the entertainment industry.

In retrospect, this media attack came faster and more fiercely than expected.

She immediately returned to her computer and opened Weibo. After searching for the keyword "Joy of Life," a dense barrage of negative comments instantly flooded her screen.

One popular comment reads: "How can Zhang Ruoyun, a newcomer who has just started out, be able to outshine veteran actors like Chen Daoming and Wu Gang and play the male lead in a super big production?"

Isn't it all thanks to his father's connections? A blatant example of someone who relies on connections; it's disgusting!

Zhou Juan frowned. This comment was aimed directly at the male protagonist, Zhang Ruoyun, and its intentions were extremely malicious.

By fabricating a character who is unworthy of his position and denying the actor's personal efforts and talent, the intention is to incite the public's natural aversion to social injustice. This tactic can be described as vicious.

Some people even extracted the most complex dialogue and action scenes from Fan Xian in the drama, maliciously edited them, and added suggestive captions:

"His acting is so wooden, and he relies entirely on a stunt double for his action scenes. Is this the male lead that Tengda is pushing? He gets completely outclassed when acting alongside veteran actors!"

The video deliberately selected subtle facial expressions from Zhang Ruoyun's performance, and through slow motion and repeated playback, created the illusion of poor acting skills.

"This was really meticulously planned," Zhou Juan muttered to herself, continuing to browse through the comments related to the other lead actors.

The attack on the female lead, Jing Tian, ​​took a different turn: "The title of the number one rich and beautiful woman in the capital is well-deserved. Even Tengda's big productions have to carry her sedan chair!"

The financial backing she has is unfathomable; no wonder she was able to be thrust into the lead role!

The comment also included screenshots of Jing Tian's previous works, deliberately selecting moments when her acting was somewhat immature, asserting that her acting skills were not up to par for big productions.

"President Zhou, Zhang Yishan is being unfairly targeted; the online trolls are going too far." Chu Jingzhao, who was also reading the comments, spoke with indignation.

Zhou Juan noticed a comment that read, "How did Liu Xing grow up to be so ugly? He has a roguish look, a pointed mouth and monkey cheeks. He doesn't look like the son of a Vice Minister of Revenue at all."

Several maliciously photoshopped stills were attached, distorting Zhang Yishan's face.

Some even directly denied his acting breakthrough: "Isn't this still the same talkative Liu Xing from 'Home with Kids'?"

"After all these years, he hasn't improved at all. His acting is formulaic and cringe-worthy!"

The attacks on the second female lead, Chen Yao, were even more insidious. Someone spread so-called inside information from the production crew:

"The original choice for Fan Ruoruo wasn't her. It was her sugar daddy who spent a lot of money to force her into the program! She looks quite innocent, what a pity."

Some people even fabricated a so-called "script page comparison chart," claiming that "Chen Yao's screen time far exceeds that of the female lead, Fan Ruoruo's storyline has been drastically altered and expanded, severely compressing the plot of Fan Xian and Lin Wan'er!"

Chu Jingzhao said urgently, "President Zhou, we must take immediate action! If this continues, the reputation of 'Joy of Life' will be completely ruined!"

"Don't panic!" Zhou Juan steadied herself. Although the situation was serious, it was all within expectations.

She turned to her secretary and decisively instructed, "Notify the public relations department to activate the anti-blacklisting plan. Have our partner marketing accounts immediately take action, focusing on genuine reviews of the drama's quality and the actors' performances."

"Okay, I'll take care of it right away." The secretary hurriedly left.

Zhou Juan immediately picked up the dedicated phone on her desk and dialed the number of Liu Yan, the president of Weibo:

"Mr. Liu, this is Zhou Juan from Toutiao Video."

The newly launched TV series "Joy of Life" on our platform is being attacked by organized online trolls, and related topics have become trending topics.

Please have your technical department intervene and shut down these malicious marketing accounts one by one, especially those influential figures who spearheaded the rumors.

After ending her call with Liu Yan, she dialed Wu Wenhui and Liu Rong's numbers one after another, proceeding according to the original plan.

After making some arrangements, Zhou Juan became increasingly calm. A cold smile appeared on her lips: "Just a clown, trying to fight Tengda."

"Xiao Chu." She turned to Chu Jingzhao, "You go ahead and get busy. Report the data again at 10 o'clock sharp. Focus on the two core metrics: user retention rate and completion rate."

"Understood." Chu Jingzhao gripped his phone tightly, the trending search terms on the screen such as "Zhang Ruoyun is a resource-backed celebrity" and "Zhang Yishan has become ugly" still glaringly obvious.

He walked out of the office with a worried expression and gently closed the door behind him.

(End of this chapter)