Chapter 146
Cheese, who was carefully arranging a flower basket at the press conference entrance, looked up and saw his fangirl approaching. "Xiaoxiao!" Cheese, who hadn't seen Zhou Xiao for a long time, looked at her with a hint of surprise.
Zhou Xiao, approaching, first stepped aside to let the media pass. After greeting Cheese, her gaze naturally drifted to the flower basket she had been fiddling with. The flower basket was funded solely by the fan club. Zhou Xiao had heard from Zhu Jian that Huayao had originally not even planned to grant them any support.
But after persuading the fan club with both reason and emotion, they finally agreed to a spot in the flower basket. Cheese is currently arranging the flower baskets everyone sent for Ji Shao's first variety show after the group formed. The purple and white flowers intertwined, and the card containing the flower baskets even had a beautifully written congratulatory message – a truly thoughtful gesture.
The entrance to the press conference was crowded, mostly familiar media professionals standing outside chatting. Zhou Xiao and Cheese met up, thought for a moment, and then headed inside. There were so many smokers outside that the entire corridor was filled with smoke, making it difficult to breathe.
"A Meal" is a program that purchased foreign copyright and then entered ordinary people's homes to eat meals. This is also a new attempt by Shanghai TV. Although it is a test, it still has all the necessary combinations: a well-known local host, a popular TV actor, and a new star with high traffic.
Besides Ji Shao, the MC lineup rumored online also includes Tang Yuan, the host of a Shanghai children's program, and Li Moying, the host of a long-running dating show. While these two may have faded from the memory of young people, they were once considered "housewife killers" by the locals. The production team chose to feature the newly acquired popular figure, Ji Shao, as their signature attraction for the younger audience.
After entering the press conference with Cheese, Zhou Xiao's first impression was that it wasn't very large. Furthermore, the stage was very close to the audience. However, there were a ton of media on the scene. Almost every entertainment reporter was accompanied by a photographer armed with a camera.
Zhou Xiao followed the number on her ticket and took her seat before greeting Cheese, who was sitting behind her. After greeting her, she finally had a chance to take a closer look around her. She was in the second row, surrounded by nothing but entertainment reporters.
Before the press conference began, the reporters were mostly socializing. The scene was peaceful, completely devoid of the usual competitive struggles for news KPIs.
"Please Take My Time for a Meal" had both a press conference and an offline live broadcast. Zhou Xiao, who had been sitting in the audience for a long time, saw new staff coming in to adjust the live broadcast equipment, and guessed that Ji Shao and others should be coming too.
As expected, not long after, the gate, which had been closed for entry, was reopened. The six MCs for the show, escorted by security personnel, entered the backstage area to prepare.
As soon as the MCs entered, the sound of shutter clicks filled the press conference hall. To Zhou Xiao's surprise, a seemingly quiet male reporter sitting next to her suddenly started screaming Ji Shao's name at the top of his lungs the moment he appeared. Even in the noisy atmosphere, the sound was quite noticeable.
Ji Shao, who followed the security guard in, was also a little surprised, but after figuring out the direction from which the screams came, he cooperated and greeted them before following his seniors into the backstage.
Zhou Xiao's screams finally stopped when Ji Shao completely disappeared backstage. She turned to look at the reporter beside her, whose face was flushed with excitement.
Zhou Xiao also heard the photographer next to him, carrying a camera, say in a thick accent, "Hey, bro, be reserved! Look how scared you've made that girl!"
Well, she wasn't frightened... but Zhou Xiao finally understood why some variety shows tend to target non-fans. While she found the person quite interesting and felt he could be a major source of offline support, it was clear that easily exposed fandom traits would lead to the production team immediately banning him.
The live broadcast equipment was quickly debugged, and soon with the appearance of the host, the "Troublesome Meal" press conference officially began. Zhou Xiao took the camera out of his bag and began to wait for Ji Shao to appear.
——Live broadcast begins——
As the host introduced the show, the program's philosophy and purpose unfolded before the audience, both on-site and on screen. Zhou Xiao listened intently; after all, she hadn't heard of the original version before, and this was a good opportunity to get a closer look.
"Please Take My Time" had already pre-recorded an episode during Golden Week, and judging by the reactions of the guests, it seemed like it was finished pretty quickly. After all, most Chinese people are known for their hospitality.
"Knocking on the door of home is not just a simple meal, but also the various aspects of life behind it, and the warm feelings! Next, please watch the theme song MV of "Trouble a Meal"——"
The electronic screen behind the stage began playing the theme song for "A Troublesome Meal." Among the music production team listed, Zhou Xiao saw not only Ji Shao's name as the singer, but also a second Ji Shao in the lyricist column. Not many people realized this, and Zhou Xiao could hear the excited cheers from both sides and behind him. So, Ji Shao also had a hand in writing the lyrics for this song?
[Ahhh, were there two Ji Shaos in that fleeting scene just now? ? ?]
[The theme song is pretty good. I hope Huayao can do better in the upcoming promotions!]
[It’s a pity that I didn’t participate in the first recording.]
After the theme song played, the host, listening to the discussion from the audience, smiled and said, "Not only everyone here and the audience in front of the screen, but I also thought this music video was great when I saw it!" He paused and said, "Well, since our MCs are all here today, do you want to hear them sing the theme song live for everyone?"
Before Zhou Xiao finished speaking, the man next to him shouted at the top of his lungs, "Okay!!!" As if infected by his emotions, there were quite a lot of responses from the audience, and the whole press conference looked very lively.
"Hahaha, everyone is so enthusiastic! Okay! Then let's invite our teachers Tang Yuan, Li Moying, Ji Shao, Shi Jin, Xue Chaoliang, and Miao Yujie to the stage!" After the host invited the six MC members to the stage, he handed the stage to them neatly.
As the six of them took the stage, nearly every camera in the audience subconsciously swung to Ji Shao, standing on the far left. The young man in the red and white baseball uniform was undoubtedly the most conspicuous among the young and middle-aged hosts and actors. It's no exaggeration to say that this stark contrast made the photographers feel as if the person on the left seemed younger.
Perhaps in an effort to strike a balance, the audience watching the livestream tragically became the casualties. Seeing the camera never turn towards the artists they wanted to watch, the anticipating netizens waited until the performance was over before finally erupting in comments.
[That was my son's voice just now! Why didn't you give the camera to Ji Shao!]
[[Speechless] Get the person in charge of the live broadcast to get out. The song is only four or five minutes long, and they only gave Ji Shao a few shots?]
[I don't like seeing ordinary men who are shy and forget their lines on stage]
Here, Ji Shao, who was originally the youngest on the stage, became the "teacher". When he realized that the other MCs seemed to have forgotten the simple dance they had arranged earlier and were confused, Ji Shao simply stepped forward and began to guide and demonstrate for everyone.
While the dance was relatively simple, the performance of the young man on stage was incredibly captivating. Zhou Xiao, watching from the audience, tilted his head to the side as he earnestly instructed the others, suddenly recalled Ji Shao, the longtime leader of Star Path 101. Watching the MCs on stage, their necks craned to watch and follow Ji Shao's dance, Zhou Xiao could only stifle a smile and control the shaking of his camera hand.
…
The event featured not only stage performances but also a food segment. Since the theme was "food," sharing delicious food was a natural part of the event. China boasts a vast array of delicious cuisines, and the stacks of Shanghai local delicacies served were generous.
As Zhou Xiao was still aiming his camera at Ji Shao, who was sorting food, he heard the sound of someone cleaning up nearby. Turning around, he saw the photographer next to the reporter placing his camera on the small table between them. Seeing the man clearly taking a break from work, Zhou Xiao's mind slowly formed a question mark.
A moment later, a individually wrapped wet wipe was handed over. "You've been taking pictures of Ji Shao, are you a fan? This is for you!" The reporter had regained the calm demeanor Zhou Xiao had initially observed.
Seeing Zhou Xiao's puzzled look, he explained simply, "This kind of program has a food distribution segment, and the staff or artists will give it to you later." After that, he rubbed his hands together and looked at Ji Shao who was still busy at the press conference stage, putting food into a plate.
[Help, such an honest person, hahahaha, you’re pretending so much]
[Why didn't anyone mention the feeding part? I'm so jealous! I took it from Ji Shao personally.]
[[Angrily] Ji Shao, eat more yourself! Why do you keep sending it to the audience?]
…
The press conference for "A Meal for You" not only trended in China but also generated significant discussion in the country where the show originated, generating several trending posts. The talent show "Star 101" is particularly popular in Korea, with Ji Shao, who debuted as the center of a Chinese show, frequently appearing in their discussion threads.
These remarks were quickly reposted by domestic marketing accounts that followed the trending posts in Korea. This is what is known as export-to-domestic sales.
——A certain blog——
@Kimchi Porter V: [Hot Post] Ji Shao participated in the recording of a meal [Picture] [Picture]
【hhhhh you really shouldn’t love too much】
[Kimchi Girl said she would treat Ji Shao well. Please, she said it as if everyone wouldn't do that.]
[It’s so funny, it’s really exported and sold domestically]
[It's strange to see a Chinese artist here at the porter's place, but if this person is Ji Shao, I feel like it's totally fine.]
[Haha, why am I still obsessed with Ji Shao’s debut in China? Ji Shao has been debuted for a long time.]
【……】
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