Chapter 145
Here, NINE STAR's offline reverse support just became a hot topic, and the next second, "Dream Come True", another boy group audition, took advantage of the popularity and tied it to the topic of official announcement.
Zhou Xiao, who had already moved to the lounge and was eating a box lunch, was watching the heated discussion on trending searches and forums with gusto. While NINE STAR was seemingly dominating the other team, something was clearly off. He'd have to take a closer look at the new KOL press release for the Dream Come True program—#Dream Come True also has its own heartbeats#
Zhou Xiao put down his chopsticks: Why do I have a role in this wave?
Just as she was about to take a closer look at this so-called dream-come-true version of herself, Zhang Hongyu on the other end of the line had already called Zhou Xiao.
"Hahahahahahahahahahaha!" Zhang Hongyu on the other end of the phone laughed out loud when he saw Zhou Xiao answered the phone. "Teacher Zhou, it's only been a short time since you started, how come there are already fakes?!"
"Have you seen those photos?" Zhou Xiao, who was being teased by Zhang Hongyu on the other end, did not follow his thoughts. At this moment, she was also looking through the photos taken by the person on the marketing blog.
She does have her own composition and style, and it's clear she's a professional imitator. Ordinary fans, like Yu Du, whom Zhou Xiao knows, or professional fans like Wenger, all have their own unique shooting styles and don't deliberately copy others.
There's a certain taboo in fan circles about similar styles. If a fandom suddenly changes its style, it's fine if the imitation is from outside the fandom, as long as the resulting videos are eye-catching and excellent. But if the imitation is from within the fandom, and the imitation is pointed out, not only will the fandom itself be criticized, but the fandom and the artist behind it will also be looked down upon.
"Ahem," Zhang Hongyu's tone grew serious after hearing Zhou Xiao's words. "I've been asked by Huayao to tell you that there are trolls involved in this."
While Zhou Xiao was listening to Zhang Hongyu's words on the other end of the phone, she suddenly remembered that there was a period of time when her private messages in the background were flooded with a large number of messages hiring her to shoot with high salaries, including some from major companies that had participated in Star 101.
At the end of her call with Zhang Hongyu, he told her Huayao would resolve the issue and reassure her. Zhou Xiao remained silent. As if struck by a thought, she opened her app's backend and did a keyword search. She then compared the company that had sent her the private message with the agency involved in the new talent show, and quickly discovered a significant overlap.
Thinking of what Zhang Hongyu had said, Zhou Xiao searched the trending search list. Unexpectedly, he found the entry for the marketing account at the bottom of the entertainment list. Zhou Xiao put a piece of food into his mouth and thought to himself, "There's a heat exposure card, but why isn't there a heat reduction card?"
The electronic voice in her head seemed to be waiting for her words - [Beep! In view of the host's needs, the system prompts - please open the last grid in the second row of the system store to exchange for [Fixed Heat Card]]
[Fixed Heat Card: This card can maintain the current heat for one hour, requiring 10 points. Note: The heat cannot be increased or decreased during this period.]
Zhou Xiao immediately ignored this item because it didn't fit the trending search rankings mechanism. It was based on cumulative popularity. If it were a fixed popularity, it would be overtaken by the following trending searches. However, according to the system, this feature could be used to reduce negative trending searches.
Zhou Xiao simply waved his hand and said, "Ten points is a small thing. If you exchange it for five or more, it will probably be buried in the hot search terms in the background within an hour."
After Zhou Xiao used the "Fixed Popularity Card," the Dream Come True production team began to wonder. There were so many KOLs in the plaza, so why hadn't their popularity budged? After adding more "trolls" to their fan base to no avail, they contacted Weibo's customer service. However, they only kept repeating, "Dear, our popularity is fair and just!"
…
There was a knock on the office door. Zhou Xiao, who was working on a drawing, looked up. A staff member dressed in casual fashion smiled at him and pointed upwards at the light in the room, which was still on.
Zhou Xiao then realized that the sky outside had darkened. She was so engrossed in editing her photos that she didn't even realize the room was dark. She looked up at the time displayed on the lower right corner of her computer - 18:57
"Click" the lights in the studio were turned on, "Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Zhou. Our sister Qin asked me to tell you that we will have dinner together later!" Seeing Zhou Xiao behind the computer making an OK gesture to himself, the staff member left first after finishing what Qin Shi asked him to do.
Zhou Xiao, her photo editing skills broken, saved some of her edited photos and prepared to wrap up work for the day. When she opened her messaging app, she saw a flood of unread messages. There were messages from her celebrity-chasing friends like Ren Heqi and Yu Du, as well as from Qin Shi.
I briefly replied to the messages from my friends. They were basically people who had found out about the press release for that topic. The messages from Qin Shi were mostly just awkward messages asking for dinner. The most recent one was from five minutes ago: "We've finished filming our commercial. Is Mr. Zhou still editing the photos?"
Because of the large number of fans arriving, XS staff initially thought that everyone would leave after NINE STAR delivered the food to the fans. However, unexpectedly, perhaps because of this, more and more fans arrived in the afternoon.
To ensure everyone's safety, Qin Shi asked Zhou Xiao and the other employees to stay in the XS studio temporarily, waiting for NINE STAR to finish filming the commercial. But she didn't expect that this wait would last until now.
Zhou Xiao also received a call from Qin Shi at this time. She told him she was waiting for her in the tea room. After putting the laptop and camera on the desk back into her bag and returning it to the desk, Zhou Xiao turned off the light that had just been turned on and walked towards the tea room.
When she arrived at the tea room, she saw Qin Shi and several staff members stuffing photos into envelopes on the coffee table. Zhou Xiao looked at the dozens of stuffed envelopes on the side of the coffee table. Before she could say anything, Qin Shi, who was busy stuffing photos, had already noticed her.
"Let me make it clear first, I didn't come to see you on purpose." Qin Shi threw the wrapped envelope aside, put his hands on the table and took a long breath. This action made the girls next to him laugh in good faith.
"Here," Qin Shi handed Zhou Xiao an envelope that had been placed aside. "Here's the signature I asked for!"
Zhou Xiao was a little surprised, realizing that they were stuffing autographed photos. She looked at the envelope Qin Shi handed over, but she didn't rush to take it. Instead, she whispered, "Thank you for your kindness," and then took it from her.
On the exquisite envelope with the XS embossed on it were some words written in a casual and flying manner. In the middle of the envelope, it said, "Presented to: @Flipped 悸然心动·Teacher Zhou Xiao——Ji Shaoliu"
Qin Shi here was looking at some photos that Zhou Xiao had edited today with great interest. Several staff members who were originally busy stuffing signed photos into envelopes also gathered over to look at the photos.
One of the girls with short bob haircuts took a look at the photo and couldn't help but say, "Sister Qin, why don't you ask Teacher Zhou to take the photo of your work badge next time? I think Wu Yanyan looks even more handsome in this photo than in real life!"
"Help!" "Hahahaha!" "Sister Qin and the boss can ask for help!" "..." Several people laughed together, and the look in their eyes when they looked at Zhou Xiao seemed to be a little fiery.
Seeing them bragging so openly about themselves, Zhou Xiao simply took out his camera from his bag and jokingly said, "Meeting is fate. How about I take a photo for you? It's free~"
XS is a young and vibrant brand, as evidenced by their bold decision to hire newcomer Ji Shao as their spokesperson. The new employees were also quite generous, and seeing how approachable photographer Zhou Xiao was, they all stood up to allow him to take their pictures.
Just as Zhou Xiao raised his camera to take a picture of them, Qin Shi's phone rang. Seeing her frown after answering the phone, the atmosphere in the tea room suddenly quieted down.
After hanging up the phone, Qin Shi seemed to realize that everyone was looking at him. He sighed, "There are also a lot of fans at the back door. The security reported that NINE STAR was blocked at the door and couldn't get out..."
After saying this, Qin Shi felt a bit guilty. It seemed like she had been a bit too clever. She had let the members go out through the back door instead of the front door. Little did she know that the entrance and exit had already been scouted by bored fans offline. The two security guards who were originally in charge were no longer able to escort NINE STAR out properly.
After a moment's consideration, Qin Shi quickly dialed the number she was calling. The number she called was the number of a security company located within the park. Many of the people there were truly talented and experienced, so having them come and escort NINE STAR shouldn't be a problem.
Because they knew that NINE STAR's bus was at the back, they could see through the surveillance that many people went through the back door, but there were still a lot of fans waiting at the front door.
The security guards, all dressed in black, arrived quickly, reaching XS's back door in less than ten minutes. The surveillance footage showed that these dozen or so men were highly experienced, having split into two teams, forming a human barrier to clear a path from the bus door to the back door, with one of them also providing cover.
Zhou Xiao followed Qin Shi towards the back door of XS Studio. He originally expected that all the members should have gotten in the car, but instead, a loud scream was heard outside.
The few who had been walking slowly suddenly quickened their pace, watching as the security guards, now forming a tight circle, pushed the last member inside. After the bus doors closed, most of the surrounding fans fell silent. From inside, only the loud voices of a dozen security guards could be heard, directing the bus to clear any fans who were posing a safety risk and allowing it to start safely.
But when the car's engine started, the crowd, which had been quiet, became lively again, and the shouting started again. Some people even jumped up and banged on the car windows, although they were quickly stopped by security.
Inside the car, someone had accidentally opened the curtains, allowing the warm yellow light to stream through the glass. It was already pitch black, and the streetlights in the park had already been turned on. Zhou Xiao, standing inside, looked at the drawn curtains. From her angle, she could just spot Ji Shao sitting in a chair on the other side.
The warm yellow light shone on the side of his face. Ji Shao, who was sitting in his seat, was looking down at the letter in his hand. The lower half of his face was covered by the mask, making it impossible to tell his current emotions.
The car finally started, and just as it was about to drive off, Zhou Xiao, who was inside, raised his camera to capture the scene. Although he hadn't witnessed the tragedy firsthand, it solidified in Zhou Xiao the idea that one must maintain a proper distance when chasing idols.
…
Several days had passed since the last photoshoot at XS, and Zhou Xiao had been immersed in photo editing. Each of the nine members had their own unique characteristics, which needed to be captured and edited carefully, but the fact that they formed a cohesive whole emphasized the overall aesthetic.
As a photographer, the biggest taboo is to photograph people and edit photos in the same way. Although it may look good on the surface, it is very easy to become homogenized. This is why Zhang Hongyu, despite his relatively good skills, is often criticized by fans for not taking good photos.
As time passed, the latest episode of the group variety show arrived as scheduled. Zhou Xiao, who had already packed up the edited photos and sent them to Qin Shi, was finally able to relax and turn on the TV to watch the episode.
As previewed, this episode revolved around member Zheng Shulin's birthday. Unlike domestic and international variety shows that often feature pranks followed by surprises, Zheng Shulin, the main character, was already enjoying his birthday privileges from the very beginning. Even with the preview of the hilarious scene to come, Zhou Xiao couldn't help but burst into laughter when she saw Ji Shao's gift and the reasoning behind it.
The happy hour passed quickly, and at the end of the group variety show, national brand Shujiu, which had previously suspended official announcements due to the leak, also took the opportunity to send blessings on Zheng Shulin's birthday. Although there were previous rumors that Shujiu was collaborating with the sub-group, this time he was given the title of a close friend of the entire group.
Zhou Xiao was watching the group variety show with the comments turned on. When she saw comments like "Go check out Shujiu's official Weibo," she curiously opened her phone. It turned out the reminder was actually Shujiu's official announcement post. Unlike everyone else, Zhou Xiao, who had just shot the hilarious promotional photos for NINE STAR, looked at the promotional photos already on the homepage. After a moment's thought, she wondered if the brand had re-shot them.
——【Forum】——[October 7 evening]
[Theme] I declare that "NINE STAR Growth Diary" is the most "golden" group variety show!
[Main Post] Which group variety show has both endorsements and big-name stars? Huayao, don’t make too much money! I heard that there seems to be e-commerce endorsements in the future, I don’t know if it’s true~
1L
While the next door talent show hasn't started yet, hurry up and expand your territory 2333 I hope the group variety shows are all advertisements for the sponsors, I don't mind (but I have to make up for it later)
16L
NINE STAR’s last perfume shooting packed the offline venue. I wonder if it made their competitors crazy jealous. I hope XS won’t appear in the next group variety show?
29L
I think the value of an endorsement doesn't just depend on the endorsement, everyone also performs well in the group variety show. Just like when Ji Shao gave Shu Lin a brand new hair dryer, the reason was to stop him from running to their room to borrow a hair dryer every day. I just wanted to laugh hhhh
47L
If this hair dryer brand knows anything, it should discuss cooperation! Many sisters around me have been attracted by this brand by Ji Shao.
71L
Shujiu cursed and left the live broadcast room. Shouldn't the protagonist today be him? He even re-shot the material! The result is really hilarious, but the forum is flooded with hair dryers hahaha
…
Meanwhile, a major hair dryer brand saw a surge in sales over the past two days. While the market wasn't lacking, sales had doubled before Singles' Day (Double 11). The brand's public relations department, after searching online for keywords like "Did you buy Ji Shao's hair dryer?" and seeing these posts, found them.
Brands that have already tasted the sweetness of cooperation with NINE STAR before even cooperating with them say they can understand a little bit! After all, the customer is king, of course, the premise is that the cooperation partner can bring real value!
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