Chapter 124
By the next morning, Vogue had officially announced the last celebrity to attend the red carpet. From the announced lineup, it can be seen that today's stars are dazzling.
At this time, Zhou Xiao also received a message from Lin Qianxia that the media work badge she prepared for Zhou Xiao had been delivered to the front desk of the hotel where she was staying, and she could pick it up now.
With her phone in hand, Zhou Xiao took the elevator to the first-floor lobby. Just as she received her media badge from the receptionist, several people carrying cameras suddenly arrived, following a middle-aged woman wearing glasses.
The staff member who was about to step forward to ask questions stopped when he saw the face of the leading woman and waited for her and the others to take the elevator to their hotel rooms.
Zhou Xiao watched the staff member skillfully pause as he was about to walk over and pretend to be doing nothing while "cleaning" a large blue and white porcelain vase placed on the left side of the hotel lobby. She looked over with some curiosity. As she moved her gaze over, she was apparently noticed by a male photographer with a ponytail.
The reason why he was called a photographer was because he was carrying a certain model of camera, and even in a hurry, he was very skilled in protecting the lens.
As he passed Zhou Xiao, the man nodded confidently. Then, the middle-aged woman leading the group glared at him impatiently before entering the elevator. All of them seemed impatient.
Zhou Xiao didn't take it seriously. Just as he was about to leave with his work badge, he heard the receptionist's quiet complaint from behind him, "This is so annoying! The room is going to be messed up again."
Seeing Zhou Xiao turn around and look at her in confusion, the receptionist glanced at the empty lobby and, without waiting for Zhou Xiao to inquire, said with interest, "Look, these are photographers who came to take pictures of the young celebrities staying at our hotel."
She curled her lips. "Last time, that guy with the ponytail moved our hotel's mattress to the balcony, saying he wanted to use it as a backdrop for a celebrity photoshoot. He messed with the room for a while and then just walked away. It rained heavily that afternoon, and the mattress got soaked and heavy. Our hotel lady had to call in help to fix it."
The red carpet venue used by Fashion Magazine is a well-known spot here, often rented for major local events. It was from the receptionist that Zhou Xiao learned that some celebrities actually hire photographers just before a red carpet appearance.
On the way to the red carpet that afternoon, Zhou Xiao occasionally recalled the receptionist's somewhat disdainful words, "Celebrities make so much money. If you really want to give your fans a good photo, just take it in advance."
Their hotel is a disaster zone during these crucial times. Because of its proximity, many celebrities rush to film right before departure. The hotel itself isn't a good filming location, and the resulting photos are prone to fan criticism. Especially for a prestigious red carpet publication like Vogue, it's unclear whether they're taking it seriously or not.
As Zhou Xiao passed the red carpet, she spotted Yu Du, who had already blended into the fan section. Seeing Zhou Xiao in the crowd, Yu Du excitedly waved at him. Knowing he had a connection to the media area, she urged him to hurry over and secure a good spot.
After a brief chat with Yu Du, Zhou Xiao followed the security guard who had led her to the red carpet media shooting area. When she arrived at the media area, many media personnel had already gathered there.
Zhou Xiao had already put on the work badge Lin Qianxia had given her upon entering. As she was about to leave, she put on a mask and headed towards the group of media professionals. The badge fluttered in the wind, emblazoned with the Blueberry Video logo.
Just like that, Zhou Xiao successfully passed through the fan area and entered the media area. As she stepped into the media area, a familiar voice rang out from inside, "Teacher Zhou, come here!"
Zhou Xiao glanced in the direction of the voice. Who else could that person be but Zhang Hongyu? As if noticing Zhou Xiao's gaze, Zhang Hongyu's arms swung even more vigorously. He then patted the friend who was helping to hold a seat next to him, and Zhang Hongyu let Zhou Xiao stand in the good spot next to him.
"I thought you were busy." Zhou Xiao was initially thinking that Lin Qianxia asked her to help take a group photo of NINE STAR, maybe because their "official" Zhang Hongyu didn't have time to take the photo. Unexpectedly, she met her offline.
"Would you like to see my work badge?" Zhang Hongyu gestured to Zhou Xiao to look at the sign he was wearing. Unlike the Blueberry Video that Zhou Xiao represented, he represented Huayao Star Entertainment+.
As the two of them were talking quietly on the red carpet, the host had already taken his place. Zhou Xiao noticed that someone else seemed to be stepping onto the red carpet in the distance. However, she couldn't help but feel a little curious when she saw the indifferent expressions of the media nearby.
Zhou Xiao leaned closer to Zhang Hongyu and whispered, "Why doesn't anyone have a camera? Is it still not allowed to take pictures?"
The photographers who came to the scene did not have a specific purpose like Zhang Hongyu and Zhou Xiao, for example, they came specifically to shoot NINE STAR, while others were mostly entertainment reporters representing their own companies.
"The person walking over here is an internet celebrity, not an artist." Zhang Hongyu stood on tiptoe to look at the person walking towards them and answered Zhou Xiao.
The entertainment industry is quite powerful, especially since many established figures don't even consider internet celebrities to be stars. Unless you're a top influencer, people won't be interested in snapping photos. After all, the post-production buzz from these photos counts as a performance KPI. Instead of wasting time on influencers without a following, it's better to focus on artists who can generate both viral and viral attention.
As more and more celebrities walked the red carpet, accompanied by exclamations from the fan section ahead, Zhou Xiao knew the competition for glamour on the red carpet had fully begun. The exquisite makeup and exaggerated costumes were just right for Fashion.
However, Zhou Xiao was like a wild animal in a melon field at this moment, especially since she was accompanied by Zhang Hongyu, who was as leisurely as her and had no KPI pressure.
Most artists look better in person than online, as the screen ratio greatly exaggerates their facial features and body shape. This is one reason why many fans exclaim, "They're so thin!" when they first see a celebrity in person. Of course, there are also artists who look even better on camera; these individuals are clearly gifted by nature.
Soon, under the prompting of the red carpet host, Zhou Xiao saw an "acquaintance" next - Wang Jiangchang
She was wearing a pink princess gown, her long curly hair cascading over her shoulders, creating a rather adorable princess-like illusion. She was sweetly greeting the reporters in the media area. The camera rolls were picking up speed, and suddenly, Zhang Hongyu, who was standing nearby, asked Zhou Xiao, "Do you know why so many people are still taking pictures of her even though she's not famous?"
Wang Jiangchang's outfit today was in his comfort zone, and it wasn't particularly eye-catching among the crowd on the red carpet. For entertainment reporters, who are used to seeing red carpet looks, it was nothing out of the ordinary, and they wouldn't have bothered to take such a generous photo opportunity.
Zhou Xiao guessed, "Because she's an artist from New Town?"
Zhang Hongyu chuckled, "That's partly the reason, but the most crucial point is that she's been included in the 95 flower echelon. Even if New Town doesn't hire entertainment reporters to take red carpet photos for her, the other 95 flower families will buy them for her. At the very least, they'll take photos just for the traffic~"
Zhou Xiao understood what Zhang Hongyu meant. Wasn't this just a beauty contest? She didn't even need to open the forums at this moment to know that there were probably a lot of red carpet beauty contests in the entertainment forums.
Although Zhou Xiao is a fan of celebrities, her experience of the artists on the red carpet is limited to seeing them as celebrities. Especially under the flashing lights, it is difficult for the artists to capture the audience.
Occasionally, when a few veteran actors from fantasy dramas came on stage, Zhou Xiao would grab his camera and snap a few pictures. After all, many of them were actors and actresses Ms. Zheng had admired as a teenager. Was this a way to fulfill her mother's dream of getting firsthand information? Zhou Xiao thought, weighing the camera in his hand.
"Next, let us welcome the up-and-coming artist Zou Wenming!" The host began to introduce the male star walking on the red carpet with a smile, introducing his recent hit drama and his popularity.
Zhou Xiao, sitting in the audience, was already preoccupied with the stretch limousine in front of the red carpet. According to the red carpet sequence chart Zhang Hongyu had shown her, which was distributed to various media outlets by the internal "Fashion" magazine, Ji Shao and his group should be next. Of course, this sequence was subject to some variation, but it could still serve as a general guide.
Zhou Xiao was soon able to confirm that Zou Wenming's next one was NINE STAR. Just as he was about to go down the stage and was signaled by the host to take a photo with the red carpet sponsor's Z-brand car, a scream was heard from the red carpet waiting area in the distance, and the decibel of the scream continued to rise.
Zhou Xiao immediately raised her camera and aimed it at the red carpet. At the same time, she also used the system props—[360° Panoramic Direct Shot]
When she stood in the media area, she already knew that she probably wouldn't be able to take a picture of Ji Shao getting off the car, but Zhou Xiao thought for a moment and quickly exchanged this prop with the system for backup.
Black leather shoes stepped onto the red carpet. The young man wore a blue and white striped shirt with black trousers and matching leather shoes. He was the first to walk onto the red carpet, his shirt collared with an adjustable leather tie in the style of punk metal.
As he walked down the red carpet toward the media area, his steps were brisk yet graceful. His youthful energy brought a refreshing breeze to the red carpet tonight, instantly stealing countless photos.
The eight members behind Ji Shao also wore the same outfit, but the blue and white shirts on each member were unique. When Zhou Xiao was photographing Ji Shao, he noticed that the red carpet host's smiles became more sincere when the young people walked on the red carpet.
"Ji Shao, look this way!" "Look in the middle." "Ji! Shao! Look to the left." "Chu Cheng, look in front." "Come on! Yes, yes, yes, look at my side." The reporters carrying cameras shouted desperately below, making the young men standing on the stage feel flattered.
"Nine Stars! Nine Stars!" Zhang Hongyu, standing beside Zhou Xiao, stood out amid the shouting. But she soon noticed the nine teenagers on stage were all looking in her direction. Oh my goodness, it looked like this must be the earthy mousse code they'd agreed upon earlier. While everyone was looking in her direction, Zhou Xiao took the opportunity to snap several NINE STAR group photos.
After signing on stage, Ji Shao was about to put the cap back on his gold-colored pen when he noticed Chu Cheng, who was still waiting with his own pen. Ji Shao then handed the pen to Chu Cheng. Turning around, in that instant, he seemed to see his fangirl figure in the flash of light. Ji Shao thought back to another familiar face he had seen when he got off the bus.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, finally locking onto Zhou Xiao, who was standing beside Zhang Hongyu. As if noticing his gaze, the person in the audience snapped their camera a bit faster. Finally, Ji Shao smiled faintly, revealing a dimple, and waved in that direction before leaving the stage.
As they approached the red carpet sponsoring car, they all huddled like monkeys and scurried past, a stark contrast to their appearance on the red carpet. Finally, ignoring the staff's signals, they stepped off the stage and followed their managers closely into the backstage area of the Fashion Gala, the highlight of this year's Fashion Show.
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