Chapter 40 Fan Meeting
The fan meeting for Juyu was scheduled to start promptly at 5 p.m., and the complete list of attendees had been finalized by noon.
An hour and a half before the official meet-and-greet, all the lucky viewers who had won tickets online arrived at the nearest spaceship station according to their invitations, waiting for their spaceship tickets to refresh and reveal their final destination.
Peng Ya kept clicking the refresh button nervously in the app, her typing speed was almost as fast as when she was arguing with someone online.
She never expected to be so lucky.
The probability of receiving an invitation was ridiculously low. When she saw that red card on the splash screen the day before yesterday, she almost felt her heart stop beating.
As the cards activated, layers of fireworks exploded, and an intricately patterned piece of paper emerged from the stone tablet in the arena.
She couldn't remember what she was feeling when she checked the new message on the short drama app's backend; she only remembered that the moment she saw the invitation, she couldn't help but run back and forth in her room, squeaking and yelling like a cat that had just finished pooping.
The next second, she posted the screenshot to every group and platform she could, successfully receiving countless private messages filled with envy. Even her fans on her contact list asked her to help them collect the screenshot remotely.
The post featuring Xiu Ou on the StarNet homepage garnered thousands of likes, surpassing the views of even the meticulously edited photos she had previously taken of Ranran during her set visit.
At 3:30 PM sharp, Peng Ya refreshed the flight destination at the time officially announced.
399 stars?
Isn't that Giant Entertainment's owner's privately owned star, accessible only by invitation?
The Juyu Short Drama APP popped up a new notification, which turned out to be a 399-star access permit.
She had never been to a rich person's private planet before, and she never expected that her first opportunity would be earned by luck. Yay!
After a short 20-minute flight, she had just followed the crowd out of the shuttle station on Star 399 when she was greeted by a shower of pink and white rose petals.
Following the exit direction of the transfer point, two rows of staff members, dressed in clothing with a design style very similar to that in the short drama, gave a slight greeting to the audience: "Hello everyone, welcome to the world of cards."
Before Peng Ya could even take out her device to take a picture, a tote bag from a certain mid-range luxury brand was shoved into her hand.
"Miss, this is for you, it will make it easier for you to pack the materials later."
Peng Ya stared wide-eyed at the tote bag worth several thousand yuan, completely dumbfounded—the bag was quite heavy, and a third of its interior was filled with valuable gifts.
The scenery outside the dock resembled the layered, verdant hills described in an old Nordic fairy tale, and once she arrived at the port, she suddenly realized that the bag in her hand didn't seem so extravagant anymore.
There was a giant cruise ship here, at least twenty stories high, pure white, and at least three hundred meters long.
Peng Ya was completely stunned.
How rich do you have to be to hold a fan meeting on a giant ship? Is it really free to get in?
Before the staff checked the invitation, she paced a few steps nervously at the entrance, fearing that the staff would ask her to pay for the boat ticket.
Every step forward felt like walking on gold. It was Peng Ya's first time boarding a cruise ship, and her movements were so cautious that they had an almost superb stealth quality.
At the entrance of the cruise ship, ribbon-shaped screens, each tens of meters long, hang on either side of the long corridor. The screens display excerpts of highlights from the later parts of a short drama featuring several main characters.
Upon entering, her view gradually opened up. The main hall in front was a space with a height of four or five stories. The screen, which looked like a long ribbon, circled around the escalator and floor to the ceiling, giving her the illusion that she was actually in a card space.
Shocked gasps echoed around her; it seemed she wasn't the only one awestruck by the upward-spinning screen.
The deck stage where the meet-and-greet was held was even more luxuriously furnished.
The circular area, spanning several thousand square meters, gradually descends, leading to a massive curved screen over thirty meters long and nearly four meters high. Underfoot is dark-colored interactive glass, while gentle sea breezes blow on both sides of the ship.
The event hasn't started yet, but Peng Ya, guided by the staff, received interactive cards featuring Tao Mi and Mo Mo, and casually drew one physical exclusive card from each invitation.
The front of the card features the same jade pot design as the main character in the short drama, while the back feels somewhat smooth to the touch.
Peng Ya curiously turned the card over and discovered that it was covered by a thick sheet of gold banknotes.
Her eyes looked three times bigger than usual, and she quickly stuffed the gold coins into her bag like a thief.
Good, good, good! The good fortune I always say online, "Brother Fang has so much money he can give me," has finally arrived. This time, it's like gold has truly fallen from the sky.
She knew this trip would definitely not be in vain.
Meanwhile, on the support table in the middle of the venue, there were all sorts of materials, including keychains with the main characters' portraits, cotton dolls with the same style as the main characters, matching doll clothes, stamps and keycaps engraved with the symbols of the four major families in the drama, etc. Peng Ya's eyes were dazzled by the choices, and her right hand started to buy things on the spot without her control.
She finally understood why they gave out tote bags when people entered.
Not enough to show off, really not enough to show off.
After packing the package halfway full, Peng Ya looked up and realized that everyone in the room looked just as bewildered as she had ever seen anything like it, which immediately put her at ease.
Besides the staff, there were at least six or seven hundred people on the deck. Only a small number of them were lucky viewers who had won the invitation to the meet-and-greet online. The rest included fans carrying professional cameras, as well as the top two live streamers who were dressed in extraordinary clothes and had a different temperament from others. There were also a few mainstream media invited by the event.
Curious, she clicked on the StarNet homepage and, sure enough, found a live stream with nearly 200,000 viewers under the top trending topic.
[Why hasn't the event started yet? And why is everyone here carrying a tote bag? Haha, don't tell me it was provided by Juyu Entertainment.]
[My conjunctivitis is acting up, give me the bag, and get out of here.]
[Wait, the live stream angle just shifted, and this location looks a bit like it's at sea. Is this the five-star floating restaurant on the 35th floor...? But that restaurant doesn't seem to have such a large curved screen.]
[Is it possible that this is the deck of Fang Ge's private cruise ship?]
Thank you for reminding me, but I can't read Chinese characters.
[Can't you understand the Star Federation's official first language? Do you need me to translate it into English for you?]
[No need, I can't understand English anyway, I'm married to a man.]
[This is the first time I've ever seen a fan meet-up held on the deck of a giant ship. I'm so jealous I practically shit my bed... When Fang Ge saw the Star Federation's rich list, he thought it was a poverty alleviation list; when he glanced at the villa district on the main star, he thought it was a garbage dump.]
[Not that poor]
[Aaaaaaah, why did it start so soon? Jingbao's mom is here! Please, can you zoom in on my baby's face? I want to interact with my baby too!]
As the various streamers entered from the back of the crowd, the entire venue instantly erupted in a commotion. Several fans in the front row shouted louder than anyone else, their voices practically hoarse from yelling.
This distance was much closer than the stage at the Federal Center Stadium, and Jian Yujing could clearly see the excited, screaming young faces in the front rows.
He was wearing the same costume as in the short drama, and the subtle patterns on the hem of the costume had an even more realistic and gorgeous texture under the sunlight.
With his heart pounding, Jian Yujing took a few steps to the center of the main stage. This time, he had prepared a half-body dance with minimal movements for the audience.
The girls in the front row almost jumped out of their seats, and one little girl looked like she was about to faint, watching the whole performance while keeping one hand pinching her philtrum.
As the sun sets, the sky glows with an orange-pink afterglow, making the waves appear like layers of unfolded gold paper.
The setup offstage was slightly different from what the anchors had done during their morning rehearsal, with every detail revealing meticulous attention to detail.
The corridor was decorated with large, fresh pink roses, and the interactive screens under everyone's feet were shaped like giant cards. Even the pastries prepared by the staff were engraved with the patterns of the major card families in the show.
During the Q&A session with the host, Jian Yujing even had a momentary daze, feeling that the person standing on the stage receiving the fans' love was not herself, but some unfamiliar, dazzling superstar.
Everything started the moment Mr. Fang sent him the contract invitation; his fate seemed to have taken a turn onto another timeline.
"Jingjing, I'm a big fan of your career. I've been a fan since your very first group broadcast. You have no idea how much strength you've given me..."
The girl was third in line in his interactive queue, and she wanted to say as much as possible within the short one-minute interaction time.
The girl spoke with an almost choked voice about her predicament before she came across the group's live stream. She also mentioned that she had watched all of Jian Yujing's live stream recordings of him drawing cats in the calligraphy and painting section. While she was happy for him to see the light at the end of the tunnel, she couldn't help but shed tears.
"Did you also upload the video of me painting in the calligraphy and painting section?"
When Jian Yujing learned about the stories behind these people who liked him for the first time, he smiled and handed them a thick commemorative book of short dramas prepared by the company.
"What did you think of those videos? I think I was a bit green back then."
The girl still had marks on her face from the strap, her eyes were red, she shook her head vigorously, and said solemnly:
“You are exactly the same now as you were then, but you lacked confidence back then. You are really beautiful and genuine, you need to believe in yourself.”
Jian Yujing was taken aback.
He had heard this phrase countless times at the company—it was something that President Fang often used to comfort them before they went on stage, when everyone was feeling uneasy.
Everyone who comes to Giant Entertainment carries a long history of frustration and setbacks. At the beginning, everyone's face is often gloomy, and back then, even a little bit of negative feedback online can cause them to have a mental breakdown.
What Mr. Fang gave them was not just financial support and preferential treatment from the platform, but more like a powerful foothold for those of them who had been working at the bottom of the entertainment industry for many years.
From this pivot point, the planet began its orbit.
The door to the high-rise terrace not far away opened, and a group of CEOs dressed in suits and uniforms came out.
The group looked to be at least in their forties or fifties on average. The few people at the front were frequent visitors to various federal news outlets; they were either executives of top 100 companies or the actual operators of major brokerage firms.
Since the broadcast of "Card Making", dozens of brands have extended olive branches to them. These small-time live streamers, who have never been able to enter the mainstream entertainment industry, have now become high-value spokespersons that brands are vying for.
Mr. Fang walked at the front of the group, tall and straight, wearing a well-tailored custom-made suit, and was talking eloquently about something.
The moment Jian Yujing saw President Fang, she suddenly remembered the private message she had replied to more than a month ago—
"Are you interested in signing with a guild?"
That one short sentence brought an end to three long years of distress, confusion, pain, and helplessness.
Jian Yujing took a deep breath, and as she turned to continue interacting with her fans, she suddenly heard the girl opposite her say in a panic:
"Hey, why are you crying? Don't cry..."
"Did I cry?" Jian Yujing dazedly wiped her face, which was ice-cold.
Fang Zhuo, who had been facing away from the crowd on the lower deck, suddenly turned around and saw this scene. He beckoned Jiang Yu over:
"Ask Jian Yujing if he is not feeling well, and have the staff take him down to rest for a while. Today's meeting will be extended by half an hour."
Jiang Yu nodded quickly and jogged down the deck.
The vice president of Jinghe Daily Chemicals joked, "President Fang, have you been promoting a family culture in the company lately? It seems you have a very good relationship with the artists. Someone couldn't help but cry as soon as you appeared."
Fang Zhuo: "President Liu is joking. There's no need to deliberately promote a family culture. As long as we genuinely treat our employees well, they will naturally feel more involved in the company."
Those present were all seasoned businessmen who had been in the game for years. Even though they were skeptical of the rhetoric, some still applauded in support.
The vice president of Baisheng Entertainment then followed up with a joke, rubbing his right thumb and forefinger together with a smile: "President Fang mainly relies on this."
They had only been standing on the high-rise terrace for about ten minutes when many people in the area below noticed them, the media's live broadcast cameras moved over, and many spectators greeted them enthusiastically.
Fang Zhuo gave a simple hand gesture to the crowd below, then gave a look to the staff member beside him, signaling for the process to continue, and then gestured for the executives to proceed.
"We've arranged a short stage performance indoors, everyone come this way."
The indoor banquet hall is almost larger than the one on the deck, covering more than 3,000 square meters. The rear area is filled with various beverages, drinks and tea breaks, while the front is a stage surrounded by a huge curved screen.
To Fang Zhuo's left sat Charent's chief designer and current COO, and to his right was the vice president of Deshen Film and Entertainment, the current leader of Star Federation Entertainment Company.
Similar to the rating system for directors in the Star Federation, the industry association has also set a strict rating system for major talent agencies, with the conditions for reaching S-level being incredibly stringent.
A top-tier talent agency must not only sign three top-tier artists simultaneously, but also provide at least four hundred jobs and plan a new film or television project every six months. In addition, the company must be listed on the main stock exchange and have annual profits exceeding 1.5 billion.
The first three points alone are enough to shut down most companies, not to mention the last requirement of revenue generation.
The biennial industry association assessment is a major hurdle, and every year some companies unexpectedly fall behind.
For example, Ruan Zihan's Xinghan Media unfortunately failed to reach the A-level threshold in the last evaluation due to insufficient new projects, and is still only at the B-level. In terms of its years of establishment, it can be considered an established company, but it is certainly not the best place for top celebrities to sign contracts.
There are only five entertainment agencies that have consistently maintained an S-level rating for years. In the past, only these five companies were considered industry leaders, and Deshen Film & Entertainment is undoubtedly the leader among them.
The emergence of Giant Entertainment has undoubtedly brought a new reshuffling opportunity to the top tier, with countless eyes watching to see how far they can go.
Although it wasn't obvious to everyone, there were undercurrents at the banquet, and the occasional casual remark often contained hidden meanings.
Fortunately, Fang Zhuo was a frequent visitor to the world of fame and fortune in his previous life, and he was already used to this kind of subtle observation and investigation.
As the performance on stage began, the lights in the audience area gradually dimmed.
Shen Mingzhao, the vice president of Deshen Film and Entertainment, subtly moved closer to Fang Zhuo and said in a joking tone:
"Mr. Fang, when does your company plan to go public? With your current growth momentum, it's only a matter of time before you get an S-level rating."
Fang Zhuo had anticipated the other party's probing questions and simply replied, "We don't plan to go public."
Seeing the shock in the other person's eyes, Fang Zhuo gave a slight apology: "Excuse me, I'll be right back."
Going public means having to disclose financial reports, but the system's tenfold return is completely inexplicable.
Although he is skilled in business operations, it doesn't mean he can cover up billions of dollars in fraudulent accounts.
The title of "S-level agency" is just for attracting artists and investors, and he happens to have both, so there's no need for him to fight tooth and nail for this reputation.
But while that's what he thought, his words took on a different meaning when they reached Shen Mingzhao's ears.
Looking at the empty seat in the middle of the first row, Shen Mingzhao frowned slightly.
He never expected that the CEO of Giant Entertainment had such great ambitions, completely disregarding the industry association's grading regulations and intending to re-establish the authority of the entire industry.
Thinking about the mission he was carrying at this banquet, Shen Mingzhao felt even more uncertain.
The success rate of this mission is estimated to be even lower than he initially anticipated...
The performance on stage had reached its fifth act. Fang Zhuo stood alone in the darkness of the back row and looked at his watch.
At this time, Ruan Zihan should be on the court.
The curved screen emitted a soft light, illuminating the faces of the guests in the first two rows. Melodious background music played, and a top female singer waiting on the other side made a gesture.
Ruan Zihan, holding the microphone, responded listlessly.
He was absent-minded all afternoon, so much so that he was too lazy to even turn on his personal computer after being bombarded by Yao Mengran's fans. He only managed to snap out of it when the music started playing.
The organizers made thoughtful arrangements, providing transportation all the way. Upon arrival, they even prepared a private rest room for his seasick assistant, while he stayed backstage rehearsing and getting his makeup done.
This business dinner was truly high-class; the people sitting in the front row were all big shots, and any one of them could have enough resources to revive the popularity of "This Young Master".
With this in mind, Ruan Zihan sang with extra seriousness, and when he got emotional, he even waved and interacted with the audience, blowing them a few passionate kisses.
Even though he wasn't feeling well today, he didn't sing off-key or forget the lyrics even once, thanks to the fact that he practiced backstage again and again.
After a song ended, he interrupted the host for a few seconds, picked up the microphone, and said:
"Hello everyone, our new drama from Xinghan Media, 'Chasing Dreams in Card Duels, I'm a Pro,' was released the day before yesterday at noon. It tells the story of a simple young man's struggle in the world of cards."
"I'd like to take this opportunity to promote our new drama. I hope you all can give me a chance, and give this drama a chance as well."
Before coming, he memorized this passage dozens of times, making sure he knew it better than the script, so he could deliver it in one breath.
Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, the bigwigs below couldn't help but whisper among themselves.
It seems to be working well; at least the big shots should have heard of this short drama. If he comes over for a chat after the banquet, it'll be practically a done deal.
Although he couldn't hear what was being said on stage, he couldn't help but widen his fawning smile.
Shen Mingzhao, the vice president of Deshen Film and Entertainment, covered his mouth and asked Baisheng next to him in confusion, "Why is he promoting his own drama in this setting?"
Baisheng's vice president shrugged with a smile: "Who knows? We don't know how President Fang managed to get the rival of the currently airing drama to come and perform."
"The two shows had vastly different receptions, one was like heaven and the other like hell. To be honest, I'm a little embarrassed for President Ruan."
Shen Mingzhao sighed softly: "Doesn't Ruan Zihan realize that there's a problem with his drama?"
"Sigh, you know, once you get to that position, you can't hear a single truth. Everyone around you is eager to praise the show to the skies, and we're all the same."
After explaining, the vice president of Baisheng added a hint:
"But I heard that President Ruan doesn't have a very high level of education. I remember it was because of family reasons that he dropped out of school after junior high. Maybe he empathized with the protagonist of the short drama..."
"Sigh, I was just talking nonsense, just making things up. I still admire people like President Ruan who are hard-working and have worked their way up from the bottom. I don't have any prejudice against the show itself."
After the group around him finished discussing, Ruan Zihan remained on the stage, tirelessly promoting his drama.
He reluctantly put down the microphone and turned back to the backstage area only after the host finally couldn't stand it anymore and interrupted him.
Five minutes after Ruan Zihan left, Fang Zhuo received two messages from Jiang Yu on his personal terminal.
[Mr. Fang, Ruan Zihan seems to be a little seasick too; the staff helped him to his room.]
[Everything in the room is as you arranged. He and his assistant are separated, and we have also blocked his personal computer signal.]
Fang Zhuo: [。]
It's human nature to gossip, and since Ruan Zihan had just finished his performance, the chatter in the banquet hall was twice as loud as before.
There's no better way to prove your strength than by inviting your competitors to perform.
After one round of performances, the lights in the entire banquet hall gradually came on.
The content displayed on the indoor curved screen was divided into two parts: one half was a view of the fan meeting outside from the high-rise terrace, and the other half was the first-person perspective of the media's live broadcast room.
The stage, spanning several thousand square meters on the deck, was operating normally, and the number of online viewers in the live broadcast room displayed in the upper right corner was over 200,000, all of which demonstrated Giant Entertainment's superior operational capabilities.
Fang Zhuo nodded slightly to the people around him, then went on stage and took the microphone from the host.
As the core operator of a leading brokerage firm, Shen Mingzhao had attended many social events and knew that this was the part where the organizers would say some empty words and make their statements, so he guessed that the banquet was not far from over.
He straightened up a bit more, intending to approach Mr. Fang again as soon as he came down.
However, although Fang Zhuo's words were brief, they were enough to shock everyone present:
"It is an honor for Giant Entertainment, a newly established company, to gather with you all here today, and it is also my honor."
"I'll keep it short, I have two pieces of good news to share with you today."
"First, starting today, Juyu Short Drama APP will officially open up content collection to the public, with two models: a 20/80 revenue sharing model and a buyout model. We will also provide platform streaming packages at various prices."
"After passing the content review, short dramas released on the Juyu platform this quarter and next quarter will receive a traffic trial package worth 500,000 yuan from us. There are only six dramas available, first come, first served."
"Secondly, some public areas of the 399 Star will be open to tourists, and the large shopping mall located in the center of the public area will be open to business from now on."
"Currently, the mall has a single-floor area of 3,350 square meters and a total of four floors. The first phase has attracted 65 shops."
Before he could finish speaking, the expressions on the faces of the CEOs in the audience varied. Some looked delighted, while others wore their sense of crisis on their faces, and still others had already opened their personal computers to urgently contact headquarters.
Fang Zhuo concluded his remarks with a concise and powerful statement:
"Giant Entertainment plans to become the first mature short drama platform in the industry and the first entertainment company to combine online and offline culture. We hope you will support us."
In fact, Shen Mingzhao's heart had already turned cold after Fang Zhuo had only said the first few dozen words.
As his body temperature dropped, Shen Mingzhao almost reflexively jumped up from his chair and was the first to stop President Fang, who was about to step down.
Even though he had prepared his words, he couldn't quite bring himself to say them: "Mr. Fang, would it be convenient for us to talk in private?"
Shen Mingzhao lowered his voice, knowing that his expression must be quite troubled:
"I'm just an ordinary worker too. The board of directors of Deshen asked me to come and talk to you about the acquisition..."
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