Chapter 326: Star Status and Traffic
On March 14, the first “Weibo Night” Internet Honor Ceremony, created by Tengda Group, kicked off brilliantly at the Beijing International Trade Center.
This annual event attracted much attention. Not counting sports celebrities and socialites, there were more than 200 people from the entertainment industry, including stars, directors, etc., attending, which was unprecedented.
The organizers divided the entire waiting area of the huge backstage of the China World Trade Center into several modules.
The highest-class room is the VIP room, of which there is only one, and is used by the group’s chairman, Song Ci, to receive distinguished guests.
The mid-range VIP lounge is exclusive to the top artists in the entertainment industry and is equipped with a separate dressing room and Michelin coffee breaks.
The most common one is the public waiting area, which is a temporary resting place consisting of folding chairs and mobile changing sheds.
As the highlight of the opening, the first part of the ceremony, the red carpet show, starts at 5 pm and lasts until 7:30 pm, and the award ceremony officially begins at 8 pm.
At this moment, the stars have already started walking on the red carpet. The first ones to step onto the red carpet are some small characters in the circle or newcomers who have just debuted for one or two years.
According to industry convention, the order of the red carpet is jointly determined by the organizer and the artist team, taking into account a number of factors such as celebrity status, popularity, and recent topics.
Basically, the default rule of the entire industry is that the higher the star's status, the later the appearance will be.
Of course, nothing is absolute. If a brand spokesperson needs to cooperate with the sponsor to display jewelry, dresses and other endorsed products during prime time, he or she can pay extra money to negotiate and adjust the timing of the appearance.
At around 6pm, the red carpet event was halfway through.
At this time, in the VIP room, Song Ci was thanking the distinguished guests: "Thank you all for your presence. I am deeply grateful."
"Mr. Song, you're welcome." At the side, Wang Changtian, the CEO of Guangguang Media who had just arrived, had a big smile on his face. He looked around the scene unnoticeably, and was extremely shocked inside.
The people in front of him were all well-known figures: CCTV Deputy Director Jiang Tao, Huaying Group's helmsman Han Sanping, Dongying Group's head Wang Jianer, and Wanda Group's chairman Wang Jianlin.
The first three are bigwigs in the propaganda system, and the latter is one of the top ten richest people in mainland China, and his status is only higher than his own.
He originally came to support "Weibo Night" because Light Media was about to go public and he wanted to do the richest man a good favor.
Before a company goes public, it can use Weibo to create publicity and momentum, which will help boost investor confidence.
I didn't expect to meet propaganda giants and business leaders here. I was secretly glad that this move turned out to be an unexpected success.
There was still some time before the ceremony started. The VIP room was filled with the aroma of tea, and several bigwigs were drinking tea and chatting.
Jiang Tao picked up the Ruyao teacup and sipped the fragrant tea. "Mr. Song, the recent Weibo campaign of taking photos to rescue beggar children and fight against human trafficking was launched.
It attracted national attention, formed a powerful force for public opinion dissemination, and was praised by superiors and the editor-in-chief of the central station.
Before I asked the organization for permission to attend the Weibo Night, the editor-in-chief specifically told me that the comprehensive channel "Focus Interview" would be doing an anti-trafficking column, and asked me to invite you to be interviewed by the program team."
"Mr. Jiang, you are too kind. The anti-trafficking campaign on Weibo is promoted by the person in charge of the platform. I don't know much about this..."
Before Song Ci finished speaking, Jiang Tao pretended to be unhappy: "Mr. Song, is it because I, Jiang, don't have enough face? Then I will go back and report to the editor-in-chief, and let the editor-in-chief send you a letter personally?"
Song Ci waved his hands and smiled bitterly: "Mr. Jiang, your words are serious. I will cooperate with the interview."
"That's right!" Jiang Tao achieved his goal and looked relaxed and comfortable.
"During the last ministry meeting, my superiors mentioned that you are too low-key. As a business leader and a role model for young entrepreneurs, you should appear on camera more often to set an example."
Song Ci's heart was slightly moved by these words. He knew very well the importance of what Jiang Tao said to his superiors: "Yes, yes, the leader is right."
"Although I am only in charge of the financial channel, I will make the decision on behalf of the sister channel today. In addition to appearing on Channel 2's 'Dialogue' program, you cannot shirk your duties on other channels' programs such as 'Face to Face' and 'News 1+1'."
"Okay, I'll make the details later." Although Song Ci didn't want to be so high-profile, he had to deal with it for the time being since his leader had mentioned him and he had to give face to CCTV.
"Mr. Wang, when will the light be available on the market?"
"Director Han, how is the preparation for "Building D Great Cause" going?"
"Director Wang, I heard from Simong that Wanda Pictures is preparing to make a big splash in the film and television industry this year, and there is a chance to cooperate with Tengda Culture."
While several big men were talking and chatting, Song Ci looked at his watch, called in his secretary Song Xueying who had been waiting outside the door, and whispered:
"Go to the VIP lounge to see if Shishi has arrived. If she has, ask her to come over and meet the guests."
"Okay, Mr. Song." Song Xue nodded and stepped back, then turned and left the VIP room to look for the chairman's wife.
Tengda only prepared a few VIP lounges for this event, and behind each door is the light and dark order of the entertainment industry.
In the first room, several big directors including Zhang Yimou, Feng Xiaogang, Jiang Wen, Teng Huatao and other seniors in the industry were gathered together with Chen Daoming, Zhang Guoli and other seniors in the industry, demonstrating the top lineup of the entertainment industry.
The two lounges next door are reserved for famous actresses and popular actors such as Huang Xiaoming and Deng Chao.
The fourth room is for Tengda stars, including Wang Luodan, Wang Kai, Yang Mi and others. Now, in terms of status and popularity, they are qualified to enjoy a separate VIP lounge.
The fifth room in the deep end is used by the top male and female stars of Tangren Film and Television and the two male protagonists of the "Startling by Each Step" crew, all of whom are also very popular.
Although this arrangement is not fair, Tenda is aiming for popularity and attention. Whoever can bring traffic and users to Weibo will be the guest of honor.
Of course, Tengda also gives due respect to senior veterans in the industry, clearly demonstrating the human relationships and status in the entertainment industry.
Song Xueying came to the fifth lounge, knocked on the door and entered. Three popular male stars, Hu Ge, Nie Yuan and Yu Bo, were chatting enthusiastically inside, while Yuan Hong, Lin Gengxin and Sun Yizhou, who were taking advantage of the situation, were listening quietly.
When everyone saw Song Xueying coming in, they thought she was the staff who arranged the red carpet walk. Just as they were about to ask, Liu Shishi, who was originally chatting with Cai Yinong, took the lead and walked over and said with a smile: "Secretary Song, why are you here?"
Song Xueying bowed slightly and responded in a low voice: "Madam, Mr. Song wants you to come over and meet the distinguished guest."
"My husband is looking for me?" Liu Shishi was slightly stunned, then nodded, "Take me there."
"Madam, please follow me." Song Xueying made a gesture of invitation with one hand and led Liu Shishi to the VIP room.
Looking at the backs of the two people leaving, Nie Yuan was a little confused: "Where are you going, Shishi? It will be our turn to walk the red carpet soon."
Cai Yinong knew Song Xueying and knew that she was Song Ci's secretary. He called Yijie away, presumably to go to Song Ci: "Shishi has something to do, you two can walk the red carpet first."
Yu Bo and Nie Yuan looked at each other, both showing disappointment on their faces. Their careers had reached a new level due to the huge hit of “Startling by Each Step”, and they were subtly challenging top male stars like Huang Xiaoming and Qiao Zhengyu.
Originally, the two wanted to walk the red carpet with Liu Shishi. If Ruoxi appeared in the same frame with the fourth and eighth princes, it would definitely become a hot topic.
Unfortunately, the female lead had something urgent to do, so only the two male leads walked the red carpet, so the popularity effect was naturally greatly reduced.
Over there, Liu Shishi followed Song Xueying to the door of the VIP room and suddenly stopped: "Secretary Song, help me check if there is anything inappropriate in your clothes."
Song Xueying looked carefully at her. The lady had chosen a Dior early spring series pearl white silk short skirt today. She had a slender figure, half-tied long hair, and a drop of aquamarine on her earlobe. She looked as cool as frost under the moon. "Madam is very beautiful, like a fairy."
Liu Shishi smoothed the hair at her temples and smoothed out the non-existent wrinkles on her dress before gently knocking on the door.
When he saw his wife coming, Song Ci's eyes were filled with stars, and a gentle smile appeared on the corners of his mouth. He quickly stood up and took a step forward: "I'm here."
Liu Shishi smiled sweetly, gentle and quiet, and nodded slightly at her husband.
"Everyone, this is my wife, Liu Shishi." Song Ci supported his wife's back with his palm and introduced her to the big men.
The couple stood side by side, the man was extremely handsome, the woman was elegant and dignified, a perfect match.
"Hello, Mr. Han! Uncle Wang!" Liu Shishi's eyes flickered. She greeted the two acquaintances first, then looked at her husband: "Husband, who are these people?"
"This is CCTV Director Jiang Tao."
"Hello, Director Jiang." Liu Shishi was well-spoken, had an outstanding temperament and was very graceful.
"Hello, Miss Liu." Although Jiang Tao was very surprised that the wife of the richest man turned out to be the famous star Liu Shishi, he did not show it on his face. He nodded and responded politely.
Song Ci then introduced: "These two are Wang Jianer, Chairman of Dongying Group, and Mr. Wang Changtian, CEO of Enlight Media."
After greeting the two Mr. Wangs, Liu Shishi showed her hostess's grace and said, "Thank you all for coming. My husband and I thank you all."
"Ms. Liu, you're too polite." "Mr. Song and I are friends. Madam, you're too polite."
It was seven o'clock in the evening and more and more celebrities were walking on the red carpet.
"Walking towards us are the famous actors Yang Mi and Lü Yi."
Two actresses under Tengda, Yang Mi and Lv Yi, wore haute couture gowns, the former in a gilded off-shoulder gown and the latter in an ink-and-wash cheongsam, each with its own merits.
As soon as she stepped onto the red carpet, reporters in the audience started snapping photos frantically.
"Pinru! Ai Li!" The audience immediately cheered enthusiastically. The urban drama "Temptation to Go Home" starring the two is currently on the air.
The ratings of this drama are extremely impressive, not inferior to "Palace" and "Startling by Each Step", and it is another phenomenal hit drama.
Although Yang Mi and Lu Yi are "mortal enemies" in the play, they are arm in arm in front of the camera at this moment, reflecting the harmony of the "family" under Tengda. Facing the interview with the host, they both praised each other.
After the Tengda duo walked the red carpet, it was the turn of Wang Kai and Wang Luodan, the two protagonists of "Love Is Not Blind", to appear on stage, followed by several big names from the entertainment industry.
Among the female stars, except Xu Jinglei, the other five who performed as the four leading ladies were all present today.
Inside the VIP room, Liu Shishi saw that time was running out and the red carpet segment was coming to an end, so she hurriedly said goodbye to her husband and headed straight for the red carpet waiting area.
At the starting point of the red carpet, the big star Zhang Ziyi had a cold expression on her face. Among all the female stars, the organizer actually arranged her to walk the red carpet before Zhao Zhetian, Zhou Xun and Fan Bingbing, which made her furious.
Zhao Zhatian and Zhou Xun are fine, but Tengda wanted to build momentum for Painted Skin 2 and arranged for her to walk the red carpet after them, which is barely acceptable. But why should Fan Bingbing, the least experienced among the group, be the last to appear!
When he was feeling aggrieved, he caught a glimpse of Liu Shishi arriving late from the corner of his eye, and he was instantly furious!
Zhang Ziyi could no longer suppress the pent-up anger in her heart. No matter how the four Dans and Shuang Bing were ranked, they were at least female stars of the same echelon.
You, Liu Shishi, are a young and emerging actress who got to the top by luck thanks to a TV series. Yet you dared to delay on purpose and walk the red carpet after me. It's obvious that you don't take me seriously at all.
The big star became angrier and angrier as he thought about it. Even though he had been surrounded by negative news recently, his status was not something that a small-time actress could challenge.
If she were to walk the red carpet today, she would probably be on the hot searches after the party, and "International Zhang" would completely become a laughing stock in the entertainment industry.
Furious, Zhang Ziyi gritted her teeth, stomped her feet, and turned to walk towards the lounge. She had to delay today and walk the red carpet in the end to see who could outlast the other.
Liu Shishi was standing not far behind Zhang Ziyi, waiting to walk on the red carpet one by one, but she didn't expect her to turn around and walk towards her. When they passed by, she glared at her fiercely, and the fierceness in her eyes was chilling.
Seeing Zhang Ziyi returning to the lounge, Liu Shishi didn't care. She was not deliberately acting like a big shot and had a clear conscience, so she didn't stay for long and walked straight to the starting point of the red carpet.
In front of the autograph wall, the host heard an emergency report from the backstage staff through his earphone. Upon learning that Zhang Ziyi had left and Liu Shishi had taken over, he quickly adjusted his words.
"Next, please welcome Liu Shishi, the heroine of "Startling by Each Step."
The spotlight suddenly lit up, and Liu Shishi walked slowly onto the red carpet with light lotus steps, a swaying figure and graceful manners.
"Ruoxi!" "Zhang Xiao!" "Shishi!"
The audience's shouts rose one after another, and reporters pressed the shutter buttons frantically to capture the charming figure of the next sister.
If we talk about which female star is the most popular in the entertainment industry in 2011, I wouldn’t say Liu Shishi is definitely number one, but she must be in the top three.
"Welcome, Shishi." Before the host finished speaking, the flashing lights had already turned the red carpet into a river of stars.
Inside the venue, Song Ci and several big guys entered the venue through a special passage and were already seated in the first row.
At this time, Weibo President Liu Yan came close to the chairman, bent over and reported in a low voice: "Director Song, Zhang Ziyi and Fan Bingbing are competing for status, and both want to be the last to walk the red carpet. The two of them are wasting time, and neither of them is willing to go first. What do you think we should do?"
Song Ci's eyes were deep, and after a little thought, he directly ordered: "If it's over time, put away the red carpet. Since you don't walk the red carpet within the time specified in the link, then don't walk!"
Liu Yan was very surprised. He did not expect the chairman to be so tough. He hesitated and said, "Boss Song, this may not be a good idea. How about I send someone to persuade him again?"
"No need!" Song Ci said in a firm tone. In his previous life, Xin Lang dared to do all kinds of things. Now Tengda's size is at least ten times larger. Why should he care about a star?
(End of this chapter)
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