Chapter 118 Joining Forces [VIP]
Chapter Summary: Who gave them the courage?
On the way back to the hotel.
Listen to Minmin recount the details of why she trended on social media twice today.
The first trending topic today, #Muzhi cheers for Xia Xinyan, Zhou Jingzhu, and Liu Cai's new show#, is a widely used promotional title. Last night, Muzhi also saw a trending topic, #xxx cheers for xxx's new drama#.
It's a common practice in the entertainment industry for big-name celebrities to post on Weibo to promote another celebrity's new drama or program, and then get their names trending on social media.
The first trending topic on Muzhi was unsurprisingly orchestrated by the show's production team to drive traffic to "Their Stars and Seas".
For Mu Zhi, who is currently filming in seclusion, getting on the trending topics list for free and gaining exposure is not a bad thing.
There's nothing wrong with this trending topic.
The second trending topic was after the variety show "Their Stars and Seas" was released, which actually happened just 5 minutes before Mu Zhi finished filming.
Minmin: "This program went live 30 minutes early, and by 8 p.m., it had already made it onto several trending topics."
The first episode is about 90 minutes long.
Basically, before the show even aired, the production team had already prepared trending topics for promotion based on the content of the first episode.
Before the show was recorded, Minmin was really hoping that Muzhi would participate. Now that the show has started airing tonight, she's wondering if the production team will bring Muzhi up, or if someone will mention Muzhi on the show.
I fast-forwarded through some boring parts and finished watching the first episode.
Minmin's review: Aside from the sharp interview segment, the interactions between the nine people were quite boring. A trending topic aptly describes it: #TheirStarrySeaIsAwkward#.
I wonder if this topic is a reverse marketing tactic arranged by the production team?
Also, when she watched Lin Xuan and Zhang Mengyu's interviews, her heart skipped a beat; it seemed their interviews were subtly criticizing Mu Zhi...
Quickly click into the trending topics to take a look.
In the comment sections of the show's official Weibo account and marketing accounts, fans from different groups are battling it out over the number of likes.
Scroll down to see some real-time comments from casual netizens about the show:
"The girl group Five Flowers disbanded just last year, and they're already scheduled to appear on a re-employment program this year?"
"Besides Xia Xinyan, Liu Cai, and Zhou Jingzhu who gained popularity through her relationship, everyone else is completely forgotten. The first episode was uninteresting, so let's move on."
"#TheirStarrySeaAwkwardness# The biggest awkwardness of this show is that it's boring. These people aren't from the same year, so they're forced together and have nothing to talk about. They were all so reserved when they first met in the first episode... I remember there are two or three of them who aren't exactly easy to deal with. If this show wants to be a hit, they need to start tearing each other apart."
"Didn't they hype up the show that Mu Zhi would be on? I checked and she's not there. I've lost interest."
"Lin Xuan and Lü E had a really ugly falling out while filming 'The Legend of the Flying Fairy,' yet they can still appear on the same show as if nothing happened. Celebrities really have thick skin, haha."
"The interview segment was quite entertaining; the questions were sharp and to the point. However, their daily interactions were just too awkward and boring."
"Their dreams should be renamed #TheyAllGotActing#. After watching interviews with all nine of them, it turns out that only Xia Xinyan has remained a full-time idol, one has faded into obscurity and retired from the entertainment industry, one has focused on the fashion industry, and the remaining six have all gone into acting."
......
Judging from the posts above, most of the netizens had watched previous talent shows and had some understanding of the guests.
The number of discussions surrounding the trending topics on social media was generally low.
Basically, it's all about fans of each group working hard to generate data.
In Ji Binghe's words, the program failed to generate widespread attention and discussion.
Minmin breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that no one was paying attention to the interviews with Lin Xuan and Zhang Mengyu.
Just as I was about to quit Weibo, my worst fears came true.
A trending topic suddenly appeared on the entertainment charts: #Lin Xuan and Zhang Mengyu seem to be talking about the same person#.
Upon entering, the top trending topic is a screenshot of a post from an entertainment gossip forum, reposted by a marketing account. Someone started a thread titled "After seeing their 'Starry Sea,' Lin Xuan and Zhang Mengyu's interviews seem to subtly criticize a certain two-character top female star."
The post included a long screenshot of the interview with Lin Xuan and Zhang Mengyu.
Lin Xuan's interview questions:
"It seems that the fantasy drama you and Lü E collaborated on before didn't go very well?"
Lin Xuan: "Actually, a lot of things on the internet are not true. We are just standing on our different positions and reasonably fighting for our rights. So after we received the invitation from the program team, we met privately and had a meal together."
He shrugged and said, "If we were so incompatible, would we still appear on the same show together?"
The response could have ended there.
Lin Xuan sighed helplessly and continued, "I'm not good at expressing myself or explaining myself, which puts me at a disadvantage. Like before, the claim that I suppressed a female artist in the same company, causing her to terminate her contract and leave, is completely untrue."
Actually, my agent arranged for me to try acting. The first role she got for me was with a newcomer who was competing with me for the same part in her own way. I didn't say anything. We were all competing fairly based on our abilities, and she didn't use her status to pressure me...
Another question was: "Everyone says that you made the wrong choice to become an actor. Do you regret it now?"
Lin Xuan shook her head and said calmly, "No regrets. I won't turn back until I hit a wall, because I'll always want to try something I haven't tried before. But I'm really grateful to my fans who have always been so tolerant and supportive of me."
Netizens highlighted the key points: contract termination and leaving, competing for the same role, and it seems that someone previously revealed that Lin Xuan and Mu Zhi auditioned for "The Legend of the Flying Fairy" together.
So the person Lin Xuan mentioned was Mu Zhi? I'm curious, how could Mu Zhi, a newcomer at the time, compete for resources with Xinghe Culture's top star? Did she really have someone backing her up?
The second Zhang Mengyu.
When asked, "Why did you transition from being an idol to becoming an actor?"
Zhang Mengyu played the victim by claiming she was a "recycled" contestant from the same year's talent show "Chasing the Light," and that she was older than everyone else.
"My agent at the time told me: 'You can't compete with the others. They're all 3 or 4 years younger than you, and better looking. In two years, you won't be able to dance anymore. You should take advantage of your current popularity and switch to acting; that would be more promising...'"
"You switched to acting, but after acting in several films, it seems like none of them made a splash."
Zhang Mengyu nodded silently, her eyes reddening, and fanned herself with her palm.
He replied that he had not received any systematic acting training, had no background or connections, and the resources he received were of poor quality; he did not want to act in bad films.
"I had no way out but to try my best to find work opportunities and recommend myself everywhere. Later, I found a friend who was an artist. She was very famous at the time, and I wanted to use her connections to get an audition for a supporting role in a movie."
I've completely let go of my pride and self-esteem. Her career used to be less successful than mine, but now I'm the one playing a supporting role to her, not even the second female lead. I don't care anymore, as long as I have a role to play.
She then said I wasn't good enough for her, and those words hurt me deeply.
A netizen once revealed that Zhang Mengyu wanted to play the third female lead in "The Edge of the Blade" but was rejected.
Based on Zhang Mengyu's interview, the person who refused to help with the introduction and even said that Zhang Mengyu was unworthy is undoubtedly Mu Zhi, right?
Therefore, the person Lin Xuan and Zhang Mengyu were referring to was Mu Zhi.
The comments section is full of questions: Is it Mu Zhi?
One minute later, #Muzhi# also became a trending topic.
Minmin: "That's how it happened..."
After listening to Minmin's story, Muzhi felt that the screenshots on the trending topics might be taken out of context, so she went to the Owl platform to find and watch the two interview videos of Lin Xuan and Zhang Mengyu.
After reading it, just like the agent, his expression also turned sour.
Back in the hotel room.
Looking at the trending topics list again, the hashtag #Muzhi# has already topped the entertainment trending list.
Ji Binghe placed her phone on the coffee table: "The show's director sent me a message denying that the trending topic about Lin Xuan and Zhang Mengyu was arranged by the show's team, saying it had nothing to do with them."
The show's producers' previous attempts to capitalize on Mu Zhi's popularity were within acceptable limits.
The show has only aired its first episode, and they're already using unrelated people to create hype and gain attention. If this is truly the production team's doing, they've offended not only the Muzhi team but also Lanxing Media.
Ji Binghe is Mu Zhi's agent and also Xia Xinyan's agent. In the show "Their Stars and Seas", Xia Xinyan is the most popular artist. Unlike other guests who have faded into obscurity, she is currently very popular, and both of her endorsements are with sponsors of this show.
The production team and Ji Binghe have fallen out, and it will be important whether the artist's team will cooperate with the production team in subsequent promotions.
The production team needs to think twice; they probably won't dare to exploit Mu Zhi in such a provocative way...
However, now is not the time to investigate; the priority is to solve the problem.
Ji Binghe and Mu Zhi discussed how to deal with the situation.
Although Lin Xuan and Zhang Mengyu did not name names, the comments section was full of mentions of Mu Zhi, and #MuZhi# even topped the entertainment search list.
Under the influence of online trolls, the hot topics surrounding Mu Zhi now include:
"With such a powerful background, no wonder she's risen to fame so smoothly."
"She's not qualified to mock others? She also transitioned from idol to actress, what's with the attitude?"
"She won't even help with an audition? She's so materialistic!"
"Didn't some child actor come out before and sincerely praise Mu Zhi for taking care of actors from lower socioeconomic backgrounds? That was just a persona, wasn't it?"
......
If they simply remove the trending topic and give it the cold shoulder, netizens will see it as a sign of guilt, which will only confirm Lin Xuan and Zhang Mengyu's statements.
However, if Mu Zhi were to step forward to respond and clarify, it would increase the heat and discussion surrounding this matter, making it known to more people.
Lin Xuan and Zhang Mengyu, who instigated all of this, could easily step forward and make a "pure and innocent" statement:
I wasn't talking about Mu Zhi, I was talking about someone else. Sorry for causing any misunderstanding.
The reason this matter can be brought up on camera is because it's in the past, and we don't want to discuss it anymore, as we don't want to waste public resources.
The implication is that Mu Zhi took it personally, and it has nothing to do with me.
Therefore, Mu Zhi was unable to respond by posting on Weibo.
Some people in the industry came forward to expose the allegations, but refused to name names directly, mainly to leave themselves room to retreat, rather than to cover up for anyone else.
Minmin couldn't help but say from the side, "People in the industry have to maintain a facade of respectability. It's like those two conspired to deliberately target Sister Zhizhi."
Mu Zhi was equally puzzled. She had left Xinghe Culture more than two years ago and had long since lost contact with Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan was rarely seen online now, and Xinghe Culture's momentum had waned; they had long since changed their promoters.
The only connection she had with Zhang Mengyu was even more outrageous. Over a year ago, she directly asked Mu Zhi for an exorbitant role, only to then twist the truth and fabricate baseless accusations to smear him? After Five Flowers disbanded, Zhang Mengyu lost all exposure and popularity within the group, making her the least successful of the five members...
This show is a rare opportunity for Lin Xuan and Zhang Mengyu to gain exposure, and even a chance to revive their careers.
Ji Binghe: "Most artists in the industry wouldn't dare to offend other artists like they do."
This behavior not only openly offends the artist's team and the company behind them, but it will also make them a target for other people in the industry to avoid.
Who would dare to associate with you or cooperate with you? They'd better be careful not to become the next person you scheme against.
Who gave Lin Xuan and Zhang Mengyu the audacity to act so recklessly?
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