Chapter 473
When the sixth episode of "The Silent River" aired, the show finally topped Maxine's real-time popularity chart.
This is the first time since it started airing.
Of course, this first place didn't last long; it was taken over by an American TV series a few hours later.
But this also broke the record.
Prior to this, Chinese-language dramas had never topped the global real-time popularity chart on the Maxine platform.
However, due to its weekly broadcast format, "The Silent River" has attracted some criticism on the Maxine platform.
Many viewers who clicked in found they couldn't watch the whole thing in one go.
Currently, the domestic broadcasting model, whether on television or video websites, is to release episodes one by one. However, this is inconsistent with the common broadcasting rhythm of international streaming media—except for a very few major dramas that follow the weekly broadcast model, releasing only one or two episodes per week, most of the time, they are released all at once.
This is especially true for crime thrillers like "The Silent River".
Therefore, viewers cannot watch "The Silent River" all at once and have to wait for each episode to be released, which is really annoying for them.
Many viewers are indeed abandoning the show.
In this day and age, just because a show is of high quality doesn't mean everyone will keep watching it.
Slow update pace is tantamount to abandoning a portion of the audience.
This truly reflects the changing times—the idea that a good drama can overcome any obstacle is no longer valid.
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On this day, Lu Yanhe and Zeng Qiao attended the media conference for "The Silent River" organized by Bingyuan Video in Yuming.
Because "The Silent River" achieved excellent results, and because the two of them have been in the spotlight frequently during this period, bringing a lot of behind-the-scenes footage and trending topics, they have not only continuously increased the exposure of the show, but also continued to strongly attract new viewers to start watching it.
This media conference actually had a bit of a "victory celebration" feel to it.
Icefield Video intends to use this meet-and-greet to loudly announce the success of "The Silent River." By leveraging the public's perception that "this is a huge hit," they hope to attract more viewers through "herd mentality" to watch the show.
Even if "The Silent River" is popular in its niche and has a good reputation, in terms of viewership, it still can't compare to a true national blockbuster, such as "The Golden Era" and "Phoenix Terrace" starring Lu Yanhe. Compared to these two dramas, although Lu Yanhe's "Friends" and "Seventeen Floors" were also very popular, in terms of national popularity, whether people of all ages watched the drama, it was still a step behind.
The same applies to "The Silent River".
Given the large domestic population, there is still a significant untapped audience for "The Silent River".
Therefore, Bingyuan Video is trying every means to expand the audience of the drama "The Silent River", and has come up with a variety of methods. Holding a "celebration party"-like media conference before the drama has finished airing to create the public impression that "The Silent River is a hit" is a big move they felt was the most appropriate to unleash at this time after comparing many methods.
Despite having weathered so many storms, Lu Yanhe and Zeng Qiao still stood together, laughing and joking on stage, sharing various behind-the-scenes stories from filming, from Lu Yanhe's injury to Zeng Qiao's "darkest moment as an actor," from director Chen Lingling's high standards to everyone's high hopes for the drama, and so on.
The previous turmoil seemed to have never happened, and it all passed by in a calm and breezy manner.
When talking about his second collaboration with Zeng Qiao, Lu Yanhe said with a smile, "When we were filming Phoenix Terrace, I didn't have many scenes with Brother Qiao. So when Director Chen Lingling told me that I could continue to work with Brother Qiao in Silent River, I was very happy. It was a wish that came true."
Zeng Qiao also said, "When I first met Yan He, 'The Golden Era' hadn't even aired yet. My impression of him was that he was a very talented artist who had been admitted to Zhenhua University. On the one hand, I admired his academic achievements, but on the other hand, I was a little skeptical about how well he would act. Later, everyone knew that Yan He's talent and ability in acting are beyond question, which is common knowledge. What I liked most about him was his focus and enthusiasm for acting when filming 'The Silent River.' He didn't just stay at the level of being a good actor; he was always trying to break away from the old ways and explore new realms."
Lu Yanhe shook his head embarrassedly and said, "You praised me too much, Brother Qiao, my face is burning up."
Zeng Qiao laughed loudly.
Many audience representatives were also present at this media conference.
One segment involved viewers asking questions of Lu Yanhe and Zeng Qiao.
The first audience member to ask a question was: "We heard that a second season of 'The Silent River' is in the works. Would the two lead actors return for the second season?"
Lu Yanhe and Zeng Qiao exchanged a glance.
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "I've only heard about this news so far, and there's nothing more to reveal at the moment."
Zeng Qiao said, "Actually, this is already a very complete story. If we were to film a second part, we don't know what stories we could tell. However, in any case, if Director Chen Lingling and her team decide to make a second part and need us to come back, we will definitely consider it seriously. Director Chen Lingling is a very remarkable director, and I trust her judgment and decisions."
Lu Yanhe echoed, "An actor really needs to be himself, but also needs a director with whom we can entrust our whole heart. Without such a director, to be honest, we would definitely hesitate a bit when we perform."
When the second audience member asked a question, the question suddenly turned to Zeng Qiao.
"Brother Qiao, you have always been one of the most talented male actors in China, ranking in the top tier. However, many of Lu Yanhe's fans believe that you should not be the lead actor in this drama, and that Lu Yanhe should be the lead actor instead. What are your thoughts on these controversies?"
The host immediately said, "Excuse me, our questions today are limited to the play 'The Silent River' itself."
The viewer immediately said, "The dispute over billing order also stems from the drama 'The Silent River,' doesn't it?"
Zeng Qiao smiled slightly, raised his hand to signal the host, and said, "It's okay, I can answer."
Zeng Qiao turned to look at Lu Yanhe and gave him a look, indicating that he should not worry.
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"Actually, Yan He and I didn't really want to answer this question. It's not for any other reason than that we have such a good relationship. He was willing to play the second lead role for me, and I was willing to play the second lead role for him. When this controversy came out, Yan He was the first to respond to it, trying not to let it escalate. But I didn't expect that his response would only make it escalate even more."
Zeng Qiao shrugged at this point.
"Back then, with 'The Silent River' about to air, we didn't want to create any more trouble or bring any additional impact to the show, so we didn't respond at all," Zeng Qiao explained the background. He continued, "Now, you ask me if I think I deserve to play the lead role in Yan He's drama? To be honest, I've never felt I didn't deserve to play the lead role for anyone, because I have absolute confidence in my acting skills; I'm no worse than anyone else. And for Yan He, it goes without saying. So, whether it's the lead or second lead role, that's determined by the script and the character, and it was agreed upon when we contacted the production company. Most importantly, for a truly good actor, it's meaningless."
The entire audience erupted in cheers and applause.
Lu Yanhe nodded.
Zeng Qiao's words were truly insightful.
For truly good actors, billing order is meaningless.
Lu Yanhe also agrees with this.
The host breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the positive reaction from the audience.
He was genuinely worried that this issue would ruin the atmosphere at the event.
At this moment, the third audience member was selected.
The atmosphere at the scene was still relaxed from Zeng Qiao's answer.
The audience member took the microphone, looked at Lu Yanhe with some excitement, and said, "Lu Yanhe, I've really liked you for a long time!"
She held the microphone in both hands, her face even flushed with excitement.
Lu Yanhe nodded gently and said, "Thank you."
"But you betrayed my love!" The next second, she suddenly roared in a shrill voice, "You betrayed all of our love for you—"
This piercing roar caused everyone in the audience to instinctively show unpleasant expressions due to its harshness.
Lu Yanhe also stared in astonishment at the girl in the audience, his expression blank.
"I hate you. You have no idea how much we've done for you. From today onward, I will curse you every day, curse you to be disliked by everyone, and curse you to go downhill!"
It wasn't until then that the security personnel at the scene reacted, rushed over to her, and snatched the microphone from her hand.
However, at the same time she was stopped, another person stood up and shouted, "Lu Yanhe, someone like you who disrespects fans will be despised no matter how successful you are!"
Suddenly, someone in the third row stood up and threw something in their hand onto the stage.
Amidst the chaos before him, Lu Yanhe was stunned, and at the same time, he felt an indescribable pain.
How did things... turn out like this?
The object thrown by the person in the third row landed straight in front of Lu Yanhe.
It is an egg.
The egg shattered on the floor, splashing out murky liquid.
A drop landed on his shoe.
Before Lu Yanhe could react, Zou Dong, who had rushed up from the side of the stage, finally arrived, grabbed him, and moved him aside, blocking Lu Yanhe's view of the audience.
Zou Dong shouted, "Yan He, let's leave first!"
Lu Yanhe was taken away by Zou Dong.
Zeng Qiao was also taken away by his team.
They rushed backstage.
Lu Yanhe asked, "Is it chaotic outside?"
"Those people have been apprehended." Huang Cheng, the producer of "The Silent River," rushed over with a grim face, looked at Lu Yanhe and Zeng Qiao with concern, and asked, "Are you alright?"
Lu Yanhe shook his head.
He said, "It's okay."
Zeng Qiao also shook his head.
Huang Cheng patted Lu Yanhe on the shoulder and said, "This was our oversight. We didn't expect to let in a few such crazy haters."
Lu Yanhe shook his head, smiled wryly, and said, "How could this be your fault? I'm the one who brought you all this trouble."
Huang Cheng: "Yan He, you should know that we don't want you to blame yourself for what just happened. They're not just expressing their dissatisfaction normally; we've already called the police."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
Huang Cheng paused for a moment, then asked, "Yan He, everyone outside is still waiting. We need to decide whether this meeting should continue. Are you alright?"
Lu Yanhe was about to subconsciously say that he could do it, no problem.
Zeng Qiao raised his right hand, put it on Lu Yanhe's shoulder, patted it gently, and said, "You rest for a bit first, don't rush out. I'll go out first."
Chen Lingling, who hadn't spoken until now, said, "Yes, Yan He, you can rest in the back for a bit. If you really feel you want to show up again later, then come over."
Both Zeng Qiao and Chen Lingling said those things because they cared about Lu Yanhe.
The situation just now had pushed Lu Yanhe to the brink of a precipice.
Putting yourself in Lu Yanhe's shoes, it would be impossible for anyone to remain calm.
If Lu Yanhe were to take the stage again under these circumstances, no one could guarantee that he would perform well.
Or rather, given what happened, Lu Yanhe couldn't possibly pretend nothing had happened and return to the stage.
A response is definitely necessary.
How should we respond?
People in the entertainment industry know that in these situations, it's usually not just the artist who thinks about it alone; they also have their team to prepare what to say.
Both Zeng Qiao and Chen Lingling advised Lu Yanhe not to rush back onto the stage, in order to prevent him from saying something irreversible without careful consideration.
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The incident that occurred at the press conference for "The Silent River" has spread like wildfire across the internet.
The video of the scene went viral.
The Lu Yanhe incident quickly became a trending topic with the word "hot".
Li Zhibai was originally discussing the script with Liu Bige and Ji Miao.
Li Zhibai frowned when he saw the message that suddenly popped up on his phone.
Liu Bige was talking to Ji Miao when suddenly Li Zhibai shouted, "Damn it!"
Liu Bige and Ji Miao were both startled by Li Zhibai's "Damn!" and turned to look at him in shock.
"What's wrong?" Liu Bige looked at him nervously.
Having known Li Zhibai for some time, Liu Bige was genuinely worried that Li Zhibai's sudden outburst might have caused him some kind of trouble.
After all, Li Zhibai is a more genuine person than Lu Yanhe.
Li Zhibai's face was extremely grim. He said, "Something has happened to Yanhe."
(End of this chapter)
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