40 chapter 40
◎Top Stream in the Universe◎
The last time the StarNet live streaming hall was overwhelmed was hundreds of years ago. Even when the Third Prince and Lan Ye's wedding was a dramatic and melodramatic event that caused the number of online viewers to reach a new high, it still didn't crash.
Now, Lan Ye's comeback debut has crashed the live stream, showing that his popularity is far greater than when he married the Third Prince.
After all, the public's attention to Lan Ye now is not just because he is a top-tier, pretty face, but also because of the story behind him.
His life is not only entangled in a melodramatic love triangle involving royalty and nobility, but also in the mysterious reasons for his disappearance. Did he disappear voluntarily or was he persecuted by a powerful force? And the fact that he was able to make a successful comeback amidst the entanglement of various forces only fuels more speculation.
In particular, many speculate that he was forced to disappear due to persecution by royalty and nobility. His return to the public eye was marked by investments in films that satirized and parodied high society, accompanied by lavish press conferences. So, is the speculation about his disappearance incorrect, or was he truly driven mad and simply chose to remain insane?
Furthermore, this film even subtly alludes to the Crown Prince. The only royal member entangled with Lan Ye is the Third Prince; the Crown Prince and Lan Ye are from two completely different worlds and have no connection whatsoever. Moreover, the Crown Prince is deeply loved by the people; such fabricated plots alluding to him are like stepping on a minefield—a slight misstep could backfire irreparably.
With such a high level of attention, the staff maintaining StarNet naturally dared not let the live broadcast hall crash for too long. After all the technical staff worked against the clock to fix the live broadcast hall, the StarNet team finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"My God, I've never seen anything like this before! This is the first time I've ever witnessed the legendary phenomenon of a live stream hall being crashed due to overcrowding."
"I guess no one would deny that Lan Ye is the top influencer in the universe now. Jia Ni's popularity can't compete with his."
"Tch, Lan Ye's popularity is partly due to Jia Ni's contribution. Go ahead and enjoy the spotlight all to yourself!"
"Phew~ thankfully it only crashed for a short while, the interview hasn't officially started yet."
*
At the press conference, Lan Ye's appearance immediately caused a stir among the media, and the atmosphere in the entire conference hall became boiling.
When Lan Ye appeared before the crowd, his appearance was radiant, even more dazzling than before his disappearance, showing none of the disheveled look some had imagined. He sat in the main seat in the center, relaxed, showing no restraint in front of the media cameras, as if he had never left the entertainment industry.
"Oh my god, is it just my imagination? I think Lan Ye looks even more beautiful! I'm completely stunned, is this even humanly possible?"
"I also think he looks better... Is Stafal Sanatorium not a mental hospital, but a beauty salon?"
"What an absolutely stunning person! Ahhhhh!!! My pants flew off!!!!"
"My mom asked me why I was kneeling and watching the live stream with tears streaming down my face. I told her it was because I was worshipping him, sob sob sob. As long as Lan Ye's beauty remains undiminished, I will always be his devoted fan."
...
The live stream lobby was flooded with comments, and with the number of users constantly increasing, StarNet's operations and maintenance team worked together, monitoring the situation in the live stream lobby and maintaining it in real time, to ensure that the live stream lobby was not overwhelmed again.
After the routine introduction of the film, it was finally time for the Q&A session with the media. If it weren't for the requirement to sign an order commitment to obtain an invitation, the media would have practically shoved their equipment in Lan Ye's face, stepping over other media outlets to rush and interview him. But now, they could only stand up one by one to ask questions according to the number they had received, and there was a barrier between the media area and the area where the main creative team was located.
Media: "Can you tell me why you suddenly disappeared? Was it because the Third Prince broke off the engagement midway under the gaze of the entire universe, making you feel ashamed to appear in front of people again?" Clearly, this is a malicious question. But it certainly grasps the key to generating buzz. Simply asking why you disappeared would be too mundane.
Lan Ye smiled and said, "As everyone knows, I just went to the mental hospital to relax."
Everyone: "..." This answer is very Lan Ye-like...
The media asked, "So why choose to make a comeback now? Is it because the Third Prince and Gani are about to get married?" This is still a question that forcibly creates a cause and effect to grab attention, while also bringing in the other two parties in the love triangle and forcibly linking them together. A slightly careless answer could lead to various interpretations, thus creating a lot of material for the media.
Lan Ye casually remarked, "I was discharged from the hospital because my mental illness has improved."
Everyone: "..." In the end, Lan Ye was still one step ahead, reserving all the attention and hype for herself... She's practically a born hype generator. Only she dared to answer like that without fear of damaging her image.
After two rounds of confrontation, the media discovered that during the six months Lan Ye had been missing, she had not only remained as sharp as ever, but had become even more difficult to deal with. In previous interviews with Lan Ye, the media had never gotten a favorable response from her.
The only time the media had an advantage over Lan Ye was before his wedding to the Third Prince. Jia Ni posted a photo of her hand wearing the Third Prince's seal ring. Coincidentally, the press conference for "The Chronicles of Passy," in which Lan Ye starred, was being held that day. The unexpected situation caught Lan Ye off guard, causing him to leave in a panic with a pale face.
"Tsk, entertainment reporters are still the same old thing. They first try to see if the other party is an easy target, and then they act accordingly."
"I thought Lan Ye had become easier to manipulate after leaving the entertainment industry for a while, so I decided to test the waters. Turns out, your dad's still your dad, hahaha~"
"Ye Ye Zi is still so unique. She used to be a witty comeback machine, so good that the media would forget about the questions that followed. Now she has evolved again, it's hilarious."
"But Lan Ye didn't actually say anything. The reason for his disappearance is still a mystery..."
"Judging from his behavior and the fact that he dared to invest in this movie and cause trouble, we know that he must have disappeared on his own initiative. His backing is probably much stronger than we think, so we don't need to worry about him."
...
After two rounds of probing interviews following Lan Ye's comeback, the media discovered that Lan Ye seemed to have evolved into someone more difficult to work with. He abandoned his aggressive, attention-grabbing questioning style and began conducting normal interviews. After all, while such aggressive interviews generate high viewership, one side has to play the role of the monkey, and the media naturally prefers the interviewee to be the monkey. Now, Lan Hua is the monkey trainer; if they continue interviewing him, their own backside will be exposed.
Lan Ye's gaze swept over the media area. Seeing the frustrated and speechless expressions on their faces, he smiled with satisfaction. Being in the entertainment industry sometimes brought him a lot of unexpected fun.
Discovering that Lan Ye's fighting power had surpassed even his earlier self, the media finally quieted down and began asking questions in a more respectful manner. After all, Lan Ye is now a veritable top influencer, and getting an interview with him will only become more difficult in the future. Meanwhile, this oddly titled movie, "The Crown Prince's Romance," had already topped the movie charts in terms of popularity, even before filming began, thanks to the fame of Lan Ye, the Crown Prince, the Third Prince, and Jia Ni.
Media: "Director Cavensch no longer makes live-action films, and judging from the creative team, 'The Crown Prince's Love Affair' is likely a digitally composited film, is that right?"
Lan Ye nodded: "Yes, this movie is a virtual composite film."
Media: "Are the characters' appearances original, or are they based on real people?"
Lan Ye answered directly: "The main character's appearance was based on a real person, while the appearances of the other characters were original."
Lan Hua's answer caused an uproar in the live broadcast room:
"The protagonist's appearance was based on a real person? Meow meow meow??? Could it be that Ides really used his face? I suddenly admire him, he's really amazing... Anyone with a dream is remarkable... He's truly remarkable!!! I was just daydreaming about His Highness the Crown Prince, and he actually turned his dream into a movie!"
"Although Lan Ye is beautiful, what right does he have to fantasize about His Highness the Crown Prince! What is his status, and what is His Highness the Crown Prince's status? Does he even deserve it? Doesn't he have any self-awareness? He can expect a warning from the Perles Palace!"
"The person upstairs has missed the point. The ending is that he ends up with the Third Prince. He was probably haunted by the Third Prince's broken engagement, which is why he did this."
“Using his own face is fine, but he should be able to get authorization from His Highness the Crown Prince! After all, Agares and that Vinet are 70% similar to Agares, so the faces of these two crown princes should be based on His Highness the Crown Prince. It’s just a pity that he can only use his own face to have fun, and the crown princes’ faces can’t be based on His Highness the Crown Prince’s image.”
"Indeed, he's a toad trying to eat swan meat. If he could take His Highness the Crown Prince as an example, I'd apologize live on air, kneel on a durian shell, and call Lan Ye 'Daddy'!"
...
The interviews continued in the conference hall.
Media: "Was Ides inspired by your image? If so, were there other characters inspired by other people, such as Agareth and Vinay?"
Lan Ye smiled, put his index finger to his lips, and gently shushed, "It's a secret, you'll find out when the time comes."
Everyone: "..." I really want to curse him! It would be best to boycott this movie to prevent him from becoming too arrogant! But—when the movie is released, will they be able to resist the temptation and not go see it? Most likely... unlikely.
...
Lan Ye's comeback interview ended "successfully" in a "harmonious" atmosphere.
As is customary, before the press conference ends, the production team will open and display a few items from a pile of congratulatory letters and gifts in front of the media. Of course, while it's said to be random, it's actually all planned. This press conference was no exception.
Lan Ye deliberately avoided interfering in this process, leaving the selection of letters and gifts to the hotel staff. His main purpose in making his comeback was to lure the snake out of its hole and probe the true nature of the person spying on him. He had a premonition that this person would take action, because the audacity and aggressiveness of that gaze told Lan Ye that the person would not be content to remain silently in the shadows.
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