Chapter 098 Chapter 98
There was a knock on the door. Zhou Xiao asked Zhu Jian to continue eating while she left the table to open the door. After lunch, Qi Sisi quickly rushed over after learning from the group chat that Zhu Jian had arrived at Huashang, carrying a package.
As she was passing through the hotel lobby and about to board the elevator with her housekeeper, she heard a courier announce Zhou Xiao's name at the front desk. Qi Sisi took the initiative to go up and bring the package up for Zhou Xiao. Of course, this was only allowed after the hotel front desk called Zhou Xiao's room number and got a signal.
Upon entering, Qi Sisi realized that Zhou Xiao and Zhu Jian had just started lunch. Seeing the time, Qi Sisi couldn't help but ask curiously, "Why are you two eating so late?"
"Ahem." Zhu Jian's face turned red when he was asked. Zhou Xiao helplessly spread his fingers and pointed at a bag of peripherals wrapped in a canvas bag placed on the sofa.
After learning that Zhou Xiao had customized new merchandise, Zhu Jian couldn't help but open a bag and take a look. After seeing it, she started to get itchy. At first, she took a family photo of all the merchandise, but she wasn't satisfied yet. Later, she started taking more photos one by one. By the time she finished, it was already 1 p.m.
Qi Sisi's eyes lit up when she saw the new canvas bag. She turned around and asked Zhou Xiao, "Is this a new peripheral?"
Qi Sisi knew that Zhou Xiao had been packing supplies at the hotel for the past few days, and she had initially considered coming over to help. However, Zhou Xiao declined, saying that the hotel staff would be able to help her.
Seeing Zhou Xiao nod, Qi Sisi first waved the courier envelope at him, then placed it on the nearby cabinet. She immediately drifted over to the merchandise section. Upon seeing the new merchandise in the canvas bag, she exclaimed, "Xiaoxiao, don't forget me! I want one too!" Qi Sisi was, of course, joking. Besides anything else, whenever there was a new merchandise item, Zhou Xiao would always leave a copy for everyone in the group.
After Zhou Xiao and Zhu Jian finished their meal, they gathered to watch the behind-the-scenes footage of the trainees released by Modern Fashion. It's a shame the magazine truly understands what people like to see. They directly guided the trainees to ship their own couples, much to the amusement of their fans. The footage also revealed a side of the trainees that people don't usually see, which was both fresh and eye-catching.
Watching the trainees' anticipation for the stage in the video, Qi Sisi suddenly recalled a rumor circulating on online forums a few days ago. It was rumored that Chen Shilin's fan club had resold all the tickets given to fans by the production team to scalpers. The scalper had posted this story on his WeChat Moments, attempting to prove the authenticity of his large ticket stock. These scalpers were instrumental in driving up the prices of tickets for the Star 101 finals.
Seeing Zhou Xiao beside him also become curious, Zhu Jian simply reached out and paused the video, looked at Qi Sisi and said, "What a coincidence! You asked at the perfect time!"
Zhu Jian only got to know the whole story in the fan club group last night. To get such gossip from various parties, one needs some connections.
Logically, the production team had given each fan a fixed 10 tickets to the finals, but the trainees' management companies still held a significant number of tickets, which they would choose to distribute to the media or fan clubs. For example, the package Qi Sisi had just brought contained five tickets to the finals from New Town Entertainment for Zhou Xiao, delivered directly to her at the Huashang Times Hotel.
As for the reason Chen Shilin's fan club sold tickets, according to some of their CP fans, they alleged that the club had embezzled a large amount of money. Big fans pressured the club to use the finals ticket revenue to fill a shortfall, which naturally came from funds previously provided to the fan club by wealthy fans in their circle.
"Aren't you going to keep that one for your family?" Zhou Xiao couldn't help but ask after hearing what Zhu Jian said.
"Yeah," Zhu Jian shook his head. "Keep it for the fan club? Anyway, if you don't sell it, you don't know if the fans will go. You're lucky to get the money to fill the gap."
She despised and didn't understand this behavior, not even mentioning others but her own. Ever since they took over the fan club, they'd reserved most of the tickets they received from the production team for the fans. When distributing tickets, they followed the rules, striving to ensure every fan who supported Ji Shao had a turn.
"It would be so hurtful if Chen Shilin didn't have any fans in the audience!" Qi Sisi recalled the trainee Chen Shilin and felt a little emotional.
From its early popularity to its current survival, the efforts of his company are evident. Among other things, the initial marketing efforts undoubtedly cost a fortune. Unfortunately, Star 101's fan base is too large, and Chen Shilin's performances were lackluster. Later on, he was overtaken by others, and his ranking plummeted. His failure to make the top ten in the latest Fashion magazine issue was a devastating blow to his fan base.
"Given their behavior, they'll definitely be forced to pay after the finals," Zhu Jian concluded. In fact, as Zhu Jian stated, Chen Shilin's fan club was indeed forced to pay after the finals. However, they weren't the only fan club to be pressured into paying.
Ji Shao's family's finances are managed by a professional accounting firm, hired out of pocket by the fan club's president, Digital Sister. The fan club announces the weekly spending figures the following day after the weekly rankings are released. Because they consistently hold the top spot, they're confident in their rankings, so they don't worry about anyone stealing their money during the broadcast.
Zhou Xiao felt a rare sense of relief after hearing this news. Her fan club was rebuilt by capable fans. Even if she had a system to help Ji Shao, managing a fan club with corrupt officials was a headache. Furthermore, this news was revealed late in the competition. It was hard to imagine how much of a headache it would be if it really happened.
…
After receiving the text message notification that the flower wall was being installed, Zhou Xiao casually placed his phone on the table and said to the two people who were still exchanging online and offline gossip, "The workers on the flower wall are here. Do you want to go and see it together later?" The two people who were still chatting instantly shut up and nodded at Zhou Xiao in tacit understanding.
Soon, on the way to Huashang Times Square, a scene unfolded. Three men, carrying a roll-up banner taller than themselves, moved like ants, carrying it from the hotel to the support venue. The process attracted considerable attention. Arriving in front of the fountain, Zhou Xiao discovered that the workers installing the flower wall had already laid a simple foundation.
This time, Zhou Xiaohe customized the flower wall with a starry sky theme, combining the Star Path 101 finals and wishes for Ji Shao's smooth future career.
Placing the roll-up banner on a dry surface near the fountain, Zhou Xiao suddenly realized something was amiss with the flow of people at Huashang Times Square today. Based on his experience with previous offline events, Huashang Times Square should be bustling at this time, with members of various fan clubs, illegal workers, and various trucks bringing supplies to the square. But today, it was noticeably quieter than usual.
Seeing Zhou Xiao's expression as he surveyed his surroundings, Zhu Jian, standing beside him, clearly realized what Zhou Xiao was thinking. He grinned, "Don't look at me. Supporting the finals is just so shabby!" He paused, then chuckled and continued, "Except for our family!" He then briefly explained the reason to the two of them.
At this final stage, it would certainly be nice to pour money into support. However, if the trainees' rankings didn't match expectations, no one could afford the risk. The fan club's original support funds were pooled from several members of the group. They hadn't planned to build a flower wall, as it was too expensive. In the end, they did, thanks to Zhou Xiao helping the fan club sign XS.
After all, it's the finals, and money should be used more for buying cards and voting. If a fan club is still spending a lot of money on support in the later stages, it can basically be determined that they are taking advantage of fans' lack of understanding of prices and preparing to make a fortune before running away. Any reliable fan club will focus on voting at this time.
However, Zhu Jian looked around and realized that this situation might be a bit unpleasant for fans of other teams participating in the offline finals. If everyone prioritized value for money when supporting, then that was fine. If they wanted to be shabby, then they could all be shabby, but...
Zhu Jian thought about the fans who would come to the offline event tomorrow, and finally couldn't help but smile wildly. This can't be blamed on us. He glanced at Zhou Xiao who was watching the progress of the flower wall next to him. Zhu Jian smiled in his heart, if there was anyone to blame, he could only "blame" someone~
…
——【Forum】——[August 18th afternoon]
[Topic] If you don’t understand, just ask, is the trend of chasing stars so violent nowadays?
[Main Post] I'm a casual fan, not particularly involved in fan clubs, but I do send a fixed amount of money to my fan club every week for voting. That's the premise. Later, my fan club posted a link to support the finals, which clearly stated that the money would be used for the finals, so I sent it in. But yesterday's support announcement was a complete mess and a bit shabby...
Then I asked under the fan club's blog post if this support was different from what was originally said. Many of my fellow fans called me a hypocrite. When I wanted to reply, I found that I had been blocked by the fan club.
1L
WOC feels sorry for you... If I were the OP, I'd be so upset right now, and anyone who can send money every week is already a big shot...
5L
Maybe they think it's more meaningful to use the money to vote. I haven't seen any of the teams really support the finals, but blocking them is just too much.
11L
Then why are the Ji Shao family the only ones who actually support them? I just saw their fan club's flower wall. Why should they support them? Don't they just pay for it? Fan clubs that take the money and don't do anything really disgust me!
19L
Reply to 11L: Please, didn't you see the joint announcement from the fan club and the XS official account? The flower wall is sponsored by their sponsor...
27L
Damn, why is his family so lucky? He's the only Star 101 trainee who got a business deal before debuting, right? And the treatment XS gives Ji Shao is so good, even their own son wouldn't get this much, right?
34L
Many people know but don’t say it, the best star-chasing experience in Xingtu 101 is Ji Shao’s family… I suggest the OP to switch to chasing Ji Shao, it’s really cool~
…
This time the installation of the flower wall took longer than the previous times. By the time the workers finished assembling it and left by car, it was already dark.
However, everyone who was waiting for this flower wall in Huashang Times Square did not feel that the flower wall had been installed for too long. At this moment, the complete blue and purple [Vast Starry Sky Flower Wall] presented in front of everyone really amazed every pair of eyes present.
It was like accidentally stumbling into a fantasy dimension. Suddenly, a dazzling array of stars began to illuminate the hazy void. "Shooting stars" occasionally streaked across the "starry sky" crafted from the blue-purple florals. A closer look revealed them to be the silver-white material inlaid around the florals. The moment the streetlights in Huashang Times Square were switched on, the absorbed light flickered back and forth between the blue-purple florals, like the brilliant reflection of a cat's eye.
The entire flower wall resembles a silent galaxy, beautiful yet filled with mystery. To the right of the flower wall is a full-length line chart. A closer look reveals Ji Shao's rankings from each period. A chibi acrylic figurine of Ji Shao is affixed to each rising inflection point. The chibi acrylic figurine features Ji Shao in exquisitely detailed clothing, reminiscent of his attire from each period of his Star 101 career.
Having finished the flower wall early, Cheese had originally thought of coming over to check on Zhou Xiao's progress and see if there was anything she could do to lend a hand. But when she saw the finished flower wall, she froze in place. It was truly overwhelming, dominating her view.
Zhou Xiao smiled faintly at the enthusiastic compliments, thinking this wasn't over yet. When she reached the flower wall and flicked the light switch, the entire wall seemed to be imbued with a soul. Those standing before it suddenly felt as if they were immersed in a starry sky. The moment the lights came on, it seemed as if the entire sky was encased in this dreamlike flower wall.
Many fans who remained in Huashang Times Square, watching the flower wall being constructed, couldn't help but gasp in wonder. The scene before them was truly breathtaking! Song Xiao, who had originally seen the fan club members approaching and had followed them, was stunned like everyone else. He quickly stood there, pulling out his phone to record the moment.
After putting his phone away, Song Xiao noticed that there seemed to be quite a few people standing in front of the flower wall. He quickly stepped forward and found his "old acquaintance" Zhou Xiao and the fan club member he was looking for.
"You're Cheese, right? I'm Ji Shao's assistant." Song Xiao first explained his identity to Cheese, then nodded to Zhou Xiao and the others beside him. After receiving Cheese's response, Song Xiao continued, "How many of our fans are still offline?"
Cheese looked at Song Xiao in confusion. Her mind was now full of confusion. She didn't know why the Xincheng staff wanted to see her. Seeing that Cheese was still a little confused, Zhou Xiao took over the conversation and asked Song Xiao, "Is there a problem?"
Song Xiao chuckled, "I'm here to deliver food to everyone on behalf of someone online!"
Qi Sisi, who was standing by, couldn't help but exclaim in surprise after learning Song Xiao's identity. "Someone...? Are you referring to Ji Shao?"
Song Xiao nodded after hearing what Qi Sisi said and continued, "Could this friend from the fan club please count the number of people?" He paused briefly and said, "Ji Shao told everyone to feel free to eat!"
——【Forum】——[August 18th evening]
【Topic】Ahhhhh Ji Shao is giving offline support!
[Main Post] Who knows! I saw some offline fans posting food and milk tea on the super topic. I thought they were just sharing their life, but! This! Was actually Ji Shao treating them!!!
[picture]
In the picture, a fan of Shao Ji posted a meal with the logo of Huashang Times Hotel on the super topic, and there was a cup of milk tea next to the meal.
1L
Out of curiosity, I searched for the Huashang Times Hotel on the lunch box... Damn! Why didn't anyone say it was a five-star hotel? Jealousy is tearing me apart! Tell me if it tastes good or not.
3L
Why are you cheering for my fans when I'm not around? Ji Shao, you're spoiling your fans like crazy!
9L
Isn't it just rice? I can buy it myself, you're talking like you're so awesome. Haha, I don't care. Oh, there's also milk tea? No, I can't pretend anymore, I'm really greedy TAT
16L
Wow, I wonder if I can learn from them, look at their methods of flattering fans...
23L
The last time I went offline, I had food at the Huashang Times Hotel. It was delicious, despite the price. But I was really envious!
37L
Reply to 16L: This is obviously a pampering for fans~ I can support you before you debut, but you are so stingy that it seems that you can't do that~
…
The forum post discussing Ji Shao Ni's support was quickly reposted by a marketing account to a Weibo account. Star Path 101's recent trending searches have dominated the charts this week. The hashtag #Ji Shao Ni's support# quickly became a trending topic, sparking widespread envy among fans of fellow Star Path 101 trainees.
This also made many passersby have a very good impression of Ji Shao, and Ji Shao's fame value also increased significantly. Artists' substantial efforts for fans often gain more public support and goodwill than verbal "pampering fans" and other various personality settings.
Early that morning, fans of other trainees arriving at Huashang Times Square were utterly stunned. All the way from home to the event hall, they could see the giant screens their trainees had arranged for Ji Shao. Once they reached the square, the only two flower walls were still Ji Shao's. Looking at the towering flower walls and the cheerful smiles of Ji Shao's fans nearby, they could only feign indifference and then, in the group chat, rant and rave about their own group's crappy support.
Although the number of fans who arrived early was small, they all stood the longest in front of the flower wall supporting Zhou Xiao. Many fans of other trainees even came to check in. At first, everyone was a little embarrassed, but once the first non-Ji Shao fan stepped forward to check in, the flower wall instantly became the most visited spot in Huashang Times Square.
Chen Zhuzhu, accompanied by her younger sister, was like a proud peacock, inspecting her fan club's flower wall to prevent anyone from getting jealous and vandalizing it offline. She also exchanged friendly greetings with the security guard nearby. Behind her was her younger sister, Chen Yuyu, who had been too lazy to go out the previous day, looking regretful.
After learning last night that her sister had accidentally gotten Ji Shao Ni's support, Chen Yuyu practically had the word "regret" etched across her face. This is truly despicable. If she had known, she would have gone offline with her sister yesterday!
Because there's no other way for ordinary fans to get tickets for the Star 101 finals besides the official blog raffle. Chen Yuyu didn't attend the live event yesterday because she didn't have a ticket and didn't want to join the crowd like her older sister. As for why she came today, it was all thanks to the heart-pounding offline flower wall scene Chen Zhuzhu captured on her phone!
It's common for fan clubs and fan clubs to embellish and filter their offline fan posts. Many even resort to specialized copywriting and fan club compilation services to create a high-end, yet often overly exaggerated, fan posts. But not for "Pianren Xindong." Her flower wall is always more beautiful than the overly embellished "samples" of other fan clubs!
As they made their way toward the flower wall, they discovered a number of people heading for the same destination. Upon seeing the flower wall before them, Chen Yuyu couldn't help but gasp in amazement. It was truly beautiful! She couldn't imagine how much more beautiful the support flower wall would be when night fell, even more so than the video in her sister's photo album.
Chen Zhuzhu watched the crowds of people coming and going near the flower wall. Some people even considered pulling the silver-white material out of the flower wall to take a look. Although they were quickly stopped by the security guard nearby, her heart was alarmed.
Someone in their group had joked last night, wondering if anyone would maliciously sabotage the support. Seeing that person's eyes still darting after being stopped by security, Chen Zhuzhu immediately walked towards him with her sister and began to spontaneously act as the flower wall's "bodyguard."
…
Zhou Xiao and Li Ruoshi had discussed the tentative time for the food truck support event. They all agreed to send out the support items first and then get in line. Therefore, the food truck support event would have to wait until after theirs, as they worried that the offline event would be too chaotic and hinder their entry.
After Dong Xiaoyu and Li Mo also arrived at the Huashang Times Hotel and met up with Zhou Xiao and the other two, the five of them transported 1,000 support gift packs to Huashang Times Square in advance. Of course, this time they borrowed the hotel's transport truck.
As the group following the transporter arrived at Huashang Times Square, they noticed a large crowd of people checking in and watching from the flower wall. They were somewhat relieved to have staggered their support. To avoid crowds during the distribution of the support items, Zhou Xiao deliberately chose a seat further away from the flower wall.
After thanking the hotel staff for helping with the unloading, as they moved the boxes to the open space nearby, some offline fans who recognized their own fans came over to help carry the support supplies.
After everything was ready, Zhou Xiao edited the blog post——
@FlippedPan Ran Xin Dong·Ji Shao:#Ji Shao Super Talk#
Set sail today and wish Ji Shao a bright future from now on @星路101-纪韶V
[Food Truck Support]: 800 servings of desserts and 800 servings of coffee
Limited to one copy per person, first come first served.
Requirements: Follow @星路101-纪韶V
[Offline Support Gift Pack] *800 pieces: hand banner, laser baji, music card, bus card holder, keychain, cotton doll, umbrella, sticker, coin purse, electric fan, aromatherapy card, baseball cap, support headband
Limited to one copy per person, first come first served.
Requirements: Follow @星路101-纪韶V, and level of Ji Shao's super topic > 10
Share this blog post and 200 people will be drawn to receive a Ji Shao Support Package. The prize draw will be at 12:00 PM on August 20th. The shipping fee is 6.21 yuan, which you can give up. Thank you for your support along the way!
P.S. Another 1,000 copies of the [Ji Shao Support Gift Pack] will be sold at 6.21 yuan at 18:00 on August 20. To find out how to purchase, please visit @纪韶国后卫会V’s blog.
[Image][Image]
The two pictures are the support food truck designed by Zhou Xiao and the surrounding details.
[Fuck... I was really shocked.]
[Oh my god, please stop being so generous, sister. You're really moving me to death.]
[What should I do to get Sister Xindong's attention? Please help me, my child is really greedy!]
[I was born to vote for Ji Shao! The voting group not only gives you the teacher's weekly video annual membership bonus, but also gives you additional eligibility to purchase peripherals. I'm really crying! [Tears]]
[The surroundings are so pretty, and there's even the cotton doll I've been dreaming of!!!]
[Xindongjie has a new Q version! It’s so cute! I love you so much!]
[The denominator is here [smile] I'll go vote in the group first to get ranked, maybe I'll be chosen]
【……】
After clicking send, Zhou Xiao put the phone back into his bag. Zhu Jian had discussed with Zhou Xiao in advance about letting the fan club be responsible for screening the qualifications for the voting group.
Zhou Xiao's weekly video rewards for annual memberships did indeed boost the group's enthusiasm for voting. However, the fan club soon realized that many people were taking advantage of loopholes, with multiple people voting and one person posting screenshots to get the annual membership. However, the voting data was real, so they didn't interfere. However, regarding the merchandise Zhou Xiao wanted to distribute in the group, they felt that a second round of review should be conducted based on the number of votes, at least to prevent those who were cunning enough to take away the merchandise.
Zhou Xiao placed a box containing support gift packages at her feet in advance. She planned to give it to the fans who were helping on the scene after the support items were distributed.
Soon, under Qi Sisi's arrangement, the team collecting the support items began to split into two teams. Zhu Jian and Qi Sisi, who were dividing the teams, looked at each other. Neither of them had expected so many people to come to the offline event this time.
The lucky person who got in first in line handed Zhou Xiao the super topic level displayed on her mobile phone. She said excitedly, "Sister Xindong, your support is really awesome!" The offline support and the overwhelming number of her own fans made her feel so happy when she came offline for the first time! Especially when she was bathed in the unintentional envious eyes of other fans, she was really overwhelmed.
Many fans shared her sentiments, especially since they were able to receive merchandise from their own fan club members! What no one expected was that the required level in the online chat to receive the merchandise was quite high, yet there were still so many people in line. Considering that a level 10 online chat participant would still need around 20 days to receive the merchandise, this means that most of the fans who came to receive the merchandise were also quite active online.
As Qi Sisi and the others were organizing the queue, Zhou Xiao even had the system estimate the number of people in line. When the number of people approached 800, she asked Qi Sisi to tell the fans who came later that they didn't need to queue any longer.
The peripheral gift packages were delivered smoothly and orderly with everyone's quick distribution. After the crowd dispersed, several fans who had been helping were about to leave when they were stopped by Zhou Xiao who had been paying attention.
"Let's go later," Zhou Xiao bent down, took out the surrounding support gift bags from the box at his feet and stuffed them into the hands of several people, saying, "The support food truck is coming soon. Thank you all for helping to maintain order just now!"
Li Ruoshi had just texted her, saying the food truck was on its way. As soon as the truck arrived, Zhou Xiao distributed desserts and coffee to everyone. A few fans who had helped out took theirs and then left. Zhou Xiao and the other five sat down under the flower wall to refuel.
"The food truck arrived at the perfect time!" Qi Sisi, who had finished her mousse cake in big mouthfuls, took a sip of iced coffee with enjoyment, and received unanimous approval from the others.
After a while, Zhou Xiao stood up and explained the precautions to the staff responsible for delivering desserts. Then he smiled at the few people who had already rested and said, "Get ready to go!"
Target - Star 101 Finals Studio
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