Chapter 470
However, the biological information found on the envelopes, especially inside the envelopes, was insufficient to provide any clues.
It's unclear who sent this envelope to Lu Yanhe.
Chen Ziyan said, "Judging from the current situation, firstly, it is highly likely that it was done by one of your crazy fans, especially those fans who recently insisted on fighting for you but were ultimately rejected by you. Secondly, someone close to you may have used this incident to deliberately send it at this time to release their malice towards you."
"In either case, it sounds pretty creepy."
“This kind of thing happens to almost every artist. You don’t need to worry too much. Just keep it in mind and be careful,” Chen Ziyan said to Lu Yanhe. “Generally speaking, every popular artist will have one or two crazy fans. Chen Bige and Jiang Yuqian have both had people rush up to them naked and hug them at events.”
Lu Yanhe stared at Chen Ziyan in shock.
He had never heard of this before.
Chen Ziyan: "Huang Kairen was even followed to his home by female fans."
Lu Yanhe: "I'll go."
He was somewhat surprised, "Then why is Li Zhibai so popular, and why has this situation never occurred before?"
He and Li Zhibai have been together day and night for years, so if there's anything going on, he'll definitely know.
Chen Ziyan said, "You guys have always been a group, rarely doing solo activities, so those crazy fans haven't had a chance to make a move. Plus, Li Zhibai... he probably rarely goes to school, right? I heard he even delayed graduating this year, so even if others wanted to do something, they wouldn't find an opportunity. It's common knowledge that you study at Zhenhua University. If you want to know your dorm building number, just ask on your school forum, it's not difficult. Don't be fooled by this person sending the envelope directly to your dorm building, as if they know you well and are right next to you; that's not necessarily true."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
-
However, just to be on the safe side, Lu Yanhe moved back to Ziyuanqiao for the time being.
Yan Liang has joined another production team.
However, Li Zhibai is still alive.
He's been making preparations, and once Liu Bige's side is ready, filming will begin.
Aside from some routine work, Li Zhibai spent most of his time studying scripts during this period.
Li Zhibai also invited He Shuyi, the acting teacher who had previously taught Lu Yanhe, to guide him through the character's development step by step.
Once Lu Yanhe moved back, he became Li Zhibai's sparring partner.
After returning home, Li Zhibai would often ask Lu Yanhe to help him rehearse his lines.
Lu Yanhe couldn't help but say, "You're working so hard, it doesn't feel like your style anymore."
Li Zhibai: "Get out of here! Stop ruining my reputation! How am I not diligent usually?"
However, Li Zhibai himself felt guilty saying this.
He knew that he usually did many things in a carefree and irresponsible manner.
Li Zhibai himself never expected that he would be so enthusiastic about acting.
But he was too embarrassed to admit he was really into it. This mentality is similar to how many people find it difficult to open up about what they truly like. The more they like something, the less comfortable they are to admit it.
Lu Yanhe saw through Li Zhibai's thoughts but didn't expose them.
"However, 'The Silent River' is about to premiere, so why are you so free lately, without having to do any promotions?" Li Zhibai asked, somewhat surprised.
Lu Yanhe said, "We discussed it and felt it was better for me not to participate in the promotion. I have a group of fans now, and they keep causing trouble, you know?"
"Is it all because of your billing order?" Li Zhi asked.
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"You're really bored," Li Zhibai complained. "Trying to use the fan culture tactics in the film and television industry, creating a complete mess. Have you and Zeng Qiao had a rather awkward relationship lately?"
"It's alright, but it's affected to some extent." Lu Yanhe frankly admitted, "We're trying our best to avoid any disruptions in our relationship. But I think it's quite difficult to completely control emotions with one's rationality. Let's wait for this storm to pass."
The current situation is that some of Lu Yanhe's fans are furiously criticizing Zeng Qiao, while some of Zeng Qiao's fans are also furiously criticizing Lu Yanhe.
Both of them were in an awkward situation, and even their publicity efforts were completely halted.
The production team only promoted the show online, and neither of the two actors made an appearance.
"What about the drama 'The Silent River'...?" Li Zhi asked, "Will it be affected?"
"I might get hurt," Lu Yanhe said helplessly. "Many people are boycotting this drama, saying they will continue to boycott it until I am changed to the lead role."
Li Zhibai: "He's really out of his mind and has nothing better to do."
He clicked his tongue.
Lu Yanhe: "Sigh, forget it, don't sigh with me. Hopefully, this rumor will pass quickly."
Li Zhibai: "No, I just suddenly thought of myself. Although my situation isn't as serious as yours, I'm in the same boat. Basically, everyone who works with me gets attacked by some of my fans. I feel really bad about it, but there's nothing I can do. There are always some people who say I don't stand up and guide my fans. To be honest, if my fans were so easily swayed by me, what would I be doing? It's just that some people insist on using my reputation as a fan to do some extreme things."
"However, no matter what, we must make our stance clear and tell everyone that I do not support those actions, nor do I think their actions are right," Lu Yanhe said firmly.
Li Zhibai: "Aren't you really worried at all about losing fans?"
“Well, the problem is, I don’t think this is my problem.” Lu Yanhe hesitated for a moment. “If you really want to stop being a fan, then stop. I have been trying my best to practice my own values, and I have also been trying my best to improve my professional skills, film every scene well, and do every job well. If you insist that I be a puppet in their hearts, following their commands to play a perfect idol, then I’m sorry, I will cut off all those strings. I am not a puppet.”
Li Zhibai stared at Lu Yanhe with wide, shining eyes.
Lu Yanhe: "What's with your eyes shining like light bulbs?"
Li Zhibai: "I'd like to quote your words."
"ah?"
“I showed it to my fans,” Li Zhibai said. “You’re absolutely right. Why should they make me play the role of a perfect idol? From the first day of my debut, I haven’t been playing a persona to cater to their preferences. Now they’re starting to criticize and tell me whether they like it or not.”
Lu Yanhe: "Don't escalate the conflict."
"You just said that we must make our stance clear and unequivocal."
"That doesn't mean you should directly confront them."
Just as Lu Yanhe finished speaking, his phone suddenly started buzzing.
Several people messaged him at the same time.
Including Chen Ziyan.
Lu Yanhe picked up his phone and looked at it.
The news surprised him somewhat.
It turns out that one of his fan clubs issued a statement saying that if Lu Yanhe and his team insist on refusing to fight for their legitimate rights and ignore the efforts of their fans, they will disband the fan club in three days and will no longer promote any of Lu Yanhe's works.
Lu Yanhe took a deep breath.
Chen Ziyan's message was: Don't give any random replies, wait for my message.
Lu Yanhe handed the phone to Li Zhibai.
Li Zhibai was completely confused and asked, "What are you doing?"
“You can check the messages first,” Lu Yanhe said. “Don’t give me your phone, or I won’t be able to resist.”
Li Zhibai: "Can't help what?"
"I can't help but argue with people."
Li Zhibai burst into laughter, "Who was just now lecturing me, telling me not to escalate conflicts and not to argue with people?"
He looked down at the messages on Lu Yanhe's phone.
He was suddenly taken aback.
"Holy crap! What the hell is this? What kind of attitude is this?!" Li Zhibai was instantly furious. "If they want to disband, they can disband! What kind of threats are they making?!"
Lu Yanhe: "...Let's disband then."
"I'm really fed up. They're threatening to disband the fan club to force you to listen to them? Seriously, even Zhou Ping'an wouldn't dare threaten me like that." Li Zhibai lashed out in frustration. "Do they think you got to where you are today because of their power? I'm speechless."
Lu Yanhe: "Don't say I'm not responding, but you're not. You need to control your temper."
Li Zhibai: "...Alright then."
-
The statement from Lu Yanhe's fan club caused a huge uproar online.
This news can be seen on the trending topics of various platforms.
This was the first time Lu Yanhe had encountered such a large-scale "threat of unfollowing" from fans. Before this, compared with the fans of other celebrities, Lu Yanhe's fans had always been relatively quiet, low-key, and not prone to causing trouble.
When this incident first came to light, no one expected that the issue of billing order in "The Silent River" would suddenly escalate into such a divisive situation.
Fans are "forcing the palace" (a metaphor for a power struggle).
Within the industry, Lu Yanhe's attitude has actually been praised by many people.
There are very few actors who, like him, so unequivocally oppose "fighting for top billing" and "relinquishing top billing."
Given his current position, it is of great significance that he can do this so openly and decisively.
They didn't expect that Lu Yanhe's fans would have such strong opinions on this matter.
The aggressive "coup" caught everyone in the entertainment industry off guard and surprised. They hadn't seen anything like it in a long time.
How will Lu Yanhe respond?
In the entertainment industry, no celebrity—not even a top star—can confidently say that they don't need fans and cut ties with them directly.
Let alone Lu Yanhe, even Shang Yongzhou and Chen Bige would not say such a thing.
Fans are the bread and butter of celebrities—this is not just a saying, it's the truth.
-
A new episode of "The Days of Youth" has aired.
Lu Yanhe posted his promotional photos as usual, seemingly unaffected or undisturbed.
His Weibo post was flooded with messages interrogating him.
Lu Yanhe pretended not to see it. However, the voices pressing him for answers grew louder and louder.
Chen Ziyan said, "Now there must be someone who has seen this situation and stepped in, instigating your fans to cause trouble in an organized way."
Lu Yanhe asked, "So we're just going to stay silent like this?"
“Not responding is a response in itself. It’s not just about not responding, but also about keeping everything as usual,” Chen Ziyan said. “The airing of ‘The Days of Youth’ is an attitude. After the show airs, I’ve arranged for several trending topics about you to appear, all focusing on your performance in the show.”
Lu Yanhe immediately understood Chen Ziyan's arrangement. "You want me to appear unaffected, right?"
“Yes.” Chen Ziyan nodded. “That’s right. A direct response will always be exploited by some people, who will then amplify it and create articles that are not what we intended. It’s better to use this attitude to explain the issue. After ‘The Silent River’ premieres, we’ll see how the show performs. If it does well, then the so-called farce of ‘they no longer supporting you’ will automatically end. Their support or lack thereof won’t affect your performance. If it doesn’t do well, then there’s a reason; this incident will only have an impact. Of course, judging from the current data, even with the huge online controversy, there are still many people who are not speaking out online who are very interested in this show. Currently, the number of people who want to watch and subscribe on Bingyuan Video has exceeded three million, making it a highly anticipated hit.”
Lu Yanhe nodded.
“On this matter, you just need to stick to one stance: those fans who threaten to unfollow you with all sorts of reasons—you must believe that they are not your true fans, but just paid trolls,” Chen Ziyan said. “You can’t say things like you don’t need fans, you don’t care about fans, or you can unfollow if you want, out of spite. That will hurt many fans who weren’t involved in this, even if you have reasons for saying that, even if you try to make amends afterward. Your words weren’t directed at them. You must always show that you value your fans, but you don’t want to be threatened by people who ‘love you to the point of trying to control you.’ You are a person, not a puppet.”
Lu Yanhe fully understood Chen Ziyan's approach to this matter.
“Okay, I understand.” Lu Yanhe nodded and said, “Thank you, Sister Ziyan.”
Under Chen Ziyan's arrangement, Lu Yanhe made it to the top three trending searches as soon as the latest episode of "The Days of Youth" aired.
The entries are all pre-arranged.
Meanwhile, another piece of news arranged by Chen Ziyan was also spread through marketing accounts: Lu Yanhe's movie "Road to Glory" will be released in the United States and compete in the awards season. A person in charge of the American distribution company Green Valley said that Lu Yanhe's performance in the movie is outstanding and they will nominate him for the Best Supporting Actor award.
This is an award.
Another marketing account has posted that the number of pre-orders for "The Silent River" on Maxine has exceeded expectations, and Maxine is in talks with director Chen Lingling's team about the production of a second season, with plans to invite the original cast to return.
This is a work of art.
A fashion blogger with millions of followers posted a message: It is said that Lu Yanhe shot the covers of two top Italian fashion magazines during the Venice International Film Festival, both of which were paid for by Math, the brand that Lu Yanhe endorses.
This is influence in other areas.
...
One message after another was released, conveying the same message: no matter how fierce the online uproar or how intense the fan protests were, Lu Yanhe's work was not affected in any way.
In fact, no one really thought that this matter would affect Lu Yanhe.
At most, it will only make him a little embarrassed during this period.
However, there are always people who daydream.
For example, Chen Ziliang.
He asked with a hint of schadenfreude, "After all this commotion, will Lu Yanhe lose a lot of fans?"
Chen Ziliang's agent, Yan Wei, looked at his almost naive gloating expression and sighed silently in his heart.
The past two years have been a period of bad luck for Chen Ziliang.
Nothing I do works out; it's like I used up all the good luck I had in the first few years after my debut.
Yan Wei said, "Lu Yanhe may have fewer fans, but it will have almost no impact on him."
"The number of fans has decreased, yet it has almost no impact on him?" Chen Ziliang looked at his manager incredulously, as if his manager was trying to fool him.
Yan Wei: "Because Lu Yanhe has never been an artist who relies on fans to gain a foothold. His biggest advantage is not his fans, but his popularity with the general public and his good relationships with the general public."
Yan Wei was also feeling very frustrated when she said these words.
If it weren't for this, a successful artist like Lu Yanhe would have had his background thoroughly analyzed by countless agencies to create countless "little Lu Yanhes."
Chen Ziliang's gloating mood was greatly dampened.
Yan Wei said, "Ziliang, stop looking at Lu Yanhe now. We need to figure out a way to create a good new work so that everyone can accept you."
Chen Ziliang: "Do you think I don't want to? I was even prepared to act in an art film, but Director Yu Qin refused to make it again."
Yan Wei thought to himself, "Isn't that because Ning Xiulian dislikes you?"
“I’ve enrolled you in an acting training course; you’ll attend one class per week,” Yan Wei said.
Chen Ziliang immediately frowned.
"Isn't this unnecessary? I'm already busy enough as it is, why would I need to attend a training course?"
"Do you want to keep acting and getting criticized?" Yan Wei asked.
Chen Ziliang: "If I get criticized for my acting, you can't blame me. I didn't come from a professional acting background. Even if I go to an acting training class now, does that mean my acting will stop being criticized?"
Yan Wei: "If you don't improve, won't you just keep getting criticized?"
Chen Ziliang frowned and remained silent.
After a while, he said, "Can't we hire a separate acting teacher? It would be too embarrassing for me to go to class with other people."
Yan Wei sighed inwardly.
Chen Ziliang is really lucky. He has never experienced a period of dormancy, nor has he experienced the torment of working his way up from the bottom.
Even with his current reputation suffering, he still enjoys considerable fame and popularity. If he wanted, he could still easily make money by acting in bad movies and participating in short-lived events. Not to mention, he has the backing of Ruyi Pictures. Despite his mediocre acting skills and the ridicule he's faced for so long, he still has plenty of projects to choose from with Ruyi Pictures.
Yan Wei wanted Chen Ziliang to realize the importance of professional skills. He always felt that Chen Ziliang simply didn't understand because he lacked experience. But after several attempts, Yan Wei also felt that it wasn't that Chen Ziliang didn't understand the importance of professional skills, but rather that he didn't want to endure hardship or put in the effort. He had won the support of fans too easily before and didn't think that he needed to work hard to gain others' favor.
Ironically, this is a bizarre world.
Many hardworking and talented people just can't break through and gain the approval of others. Meanwhile, many lazy and empty-headed people can be packaged and managed into highly popular idols.
Even an artist like Lu Yanhe, who is considered to have no weaknesses in the eyes of their agents, is now getting into this kind of trouble.
It makes no sense, leaves one completely bewildered, offers no explanation, and leaves one with no choice but to accept it. This is a bizarre world where nothing is surprising, no matter what happens.
-
Amidst much anticipation, "The Silent River" premiered.
It's a web series, not a TV drama, and it's not broadcast on television, so there's no such thing as viewership ratings.
The drama "The Silent River" has received a lot of attention recently due to the heated conflict between Lu Yanhe and his fans.
As director Chen Lingling's latest work, and starring two popular actors, Zeng Qiao and Lu Yanhe, this drama, judging from its production values, is unlikely to flop if the quality is up to par. At most, it might receive poor reviews, but its popularity and viewership will certainly be good.
The fact that there were as many as eight commercials in the opening credits of the very first episode of this drama shows how much advertisers value it.
This also presents a situation where it seems that no matter how much the fans who are dissatisfied with Lu Yanhe's billing cause trouble, it will not affect the broadcast of the drama.
-
On the night of the premiere, Lu Yanhe and Li Zhibai watched the premiere together at their house near Ziyuan Bridge.
They turned on the projector and watched it from the living room.
The first episode will be released online at 8 PM.
The show airs at 8 PM on Fridays, seemingly emphasizing a "prime time" concept, but in reality, it coincides with Maxine's online release.
Maxine went live an hour ago, just as everyone finished watching the first episode and the first wave of viewer comments began to emerge.
Icefield Video clearly has high hopes for the reputation and audience quality of the series "The Silent River" and wants to use Maxine's viewership ratings to generate buzz.
Li Zhibai brought over a plate of braised chicken wings and lotus root slices, sat down cross-legged, and said to Lu Yanhe, "You're really something, another weekly drama, and it only has eight episodes, and it'll be over in a month."
Lu Yanhe: "What's so great about that?"
"With both short dramas and weekly broadcasts, you're the only one in China who can turn this format into a huge hit," Li Zhibai said. "There are quite a few platforms and companies making these short dramas now, but almost none of them are truly successful and profitable. Advertising doesn't fetch high prices, actor salaries are too high, the broadcast time is short, and weekly broadcasts can't maintain viewership, so many viewers will drop the show halfway through... Anyway, you're the only one who can truly make this kind of drama a huge hit and make a lot of money right now. That's what Lin Suyang told me."
Lu Yanhe: "Ziyan didn't tell me either."
"No need to tell you." Li Zhibai clicked his tongue twice. "Awesome."
Lu Yanhe glanced at him and said, "I'm not that nervous, you don't need to try so hard to comfort me or encourage me."
Li Zhibai: "...You're overthinking it. I didn't have that thought."
"oh."
At 8 o'clock sharp, "The Silent River" went live on time.
-
Suspense and crime dramas have always been a popular genre, especially in recent years.
Some people even say they're sick of watching this type of drama over the past few years.
Because there are just too many.
Nevertheless, a large number of fans of this genre still eagerly await the show's release.
Chen Lingling is a very experienced director.
The series begins with Lu Yanhe's appearance.
He plays an ordinary person who starts an ordinary day, quickly advancing the character's development, and then, at the fifteen-minute mark of the first episode, the story enters the main plot.
Lu Yanhe heard about a murder case from his colleagues, and everyone was filled with unease. While Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised by the news, he was also aware that it was just a news story and hadn't actually happened to him, so he could still eat his steamed bun as usual.
Just as everyone was discussing this, suddenly, the sound of footsteps came from behind.
Zeng Qiao and several policemen appeared.
When they took out their identification and asked Lu Yanhe to come with them, everyone looked incredulous.
Lu Yanhe himself was the same.
Although the police did not say he was a criminal suspect, his sudden appearance at this time made it clear to everyone that he was not involved in the case.
He stood there dumbfounded for a long while, and only when the police came forward to take him away did he suddenly seem to come to his senses and fiercely question them, asking why they were taking him away. His angry, agitated, and incredulous reactions ignited the first climax of the drama.
At that moment, everyone was watching him.
The police officer's eyes were silent, scrutinizing, and complex.
My colleagues looked at me with surprise, astonishment, and fear.
At this moment, everyone's gaze froze into a silent, moving oil painting.
From this moment on, Lu Yanhe in the drama begins his irredeemable descent into crime as a suspect.
Zeng Qiao emphasized that they only found out that Lu Yanhe might be related to the case, so they asked Lu Yanhe to go with them.
Zeng Qiao reassured him that he could come back once he understood the situation.
Subsequently, Lu Yanhe was taken away and had some discussions.
This scene is very long; the script alone contains over ten pages of dialogue. If it were filmed as is, it would definitely be tedious and boring. Chen Lingling also filmed many of the flashback sequences.
Thus, the scene transformed into a series of flashbacks as Lu Yanhe recounted the events.
Zeng Qiao and Lu Yanhe engaged in a question-and-answer session.
In the last twenty minutes of the first episode, the reason why Lu Yanhe became a criminal suspect is revealed to the audience through the dialogue and flashbacks of the two people.
At the end of the first episode, Lu Yanhe finishes cooperating with the investigation and is escorted out by Zeng Qiao.
Lu Yanhe could still see the suspicion in Zeng Qiao's eyes.
Lu Yanhe gritted his teeth, his face expressionless.
When Lu Yanhe returned to the company, he found that every colleague looked at him with confusion and a hint of nervousness that they themselves might not even be aware of.
The first episode ends at this point.
"It's great," Li Zhibai said immediately. "This show is going to be a hit."
He then asked, "Are you the murderer?"
Li Zhibai looked at Lu Yanhe seriously and asked.
Lu Yanhe: "Watch the show yourself, I won't give away any spoilers."
"That's going too far, given our relationship."
(End of this chapter)
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