Chapter 53 The Money Tree Purification Battle and New Customers
The three-day recording ended quickly. Due to the tight schedule, Shi Yao didn't have time to chat with the clients. Although she still had some questions, she wasn't in a hurry.
Originally, she planned to return to the drama set after filming the third public performance, but a collaboration stage was added at the last minute, which delayed her by three days. Now that the collaboration stage is over, Shi Yao still can't go back because the recording of "Sam Soon" is the next day, and she has to find a way to get the real ranking.
And shortly after Sam Soon ended, there was a trainee meet-and-greet, at which time she would most likely have to come back to film. Shi Yao called Lu Jiang to inquire about the situation. After learning that everything was fine with the crew, she decided to stay in Yuyang Dachang for the time being, going out to film when there were schedules, and taking a break when there weren't.
She's been running around every day lately; even the production team's oxen aren't as hard-working as her.
After the last mentor collaboration stage ended, Shi Yao packed up her camera and prepared to leave the recording studio. This last stage was for Ye Jingyu's group. Because the props and set design were quite special and the filming method had changed, it was scheduled to be the last group to record.
Pei Zixuan's group was produced by his own team, so it wasn't within the scope of the production team's concerns. He had strong execution skills, and the group members he recruited were all obedient and motivated. Their progress was the highest among the five groups, so they were the first to finish recording.
After finishing the recording, Shi Yao immediately rushed to other venues, managing to film all five stages.
The name tag she was wearing was very useful, and Director Hu, whom she had become more familiar with in the past two days, had also started to treat her kindly. She could freely enter and exit various factories without being stopped most of the time. On the rare occasions when she was stopped, she could always use Director Hu's name to save the day.
It must be said that although Director Hu was a bit too enthusiastic because he misunderstood her identity, he did bring Shi Yao a lot of convenience.
The second group was Fang Xuran's performance. Their song was a refreshing tale of a young man's unrequited love. It was in his comfort zone, and the dance wasn't too difficult. The final result was unexpectedly good.
The third and fourth groups were Zheng Cong and the actress. These two groups were just average. At least the actress's group completed the performance without any problems. Zheng Cong's group, on the other hand, had problems everywhere. Even after recording three times, there were still obvious flaws. There were too many people in the group who were just slacking off. After practicing for three days, he still couldn't sing his two lines of rap properly. In the end, the director got impatient and simply yelled "cut".
The last group, Ye Jingyu, did quite well. However, Shi Yao followed the whole thing and felt that this group might be the biggest talking point after the broadcast because they had so much intimate interaction on stage. If the interaction level of the other groups was 3, then this group was 8 or even 9.
One of the most shocking moves was the staged kiss between Ye Jingyu and a male trainee. Although it was staged and required for the camera, the show's camera made it look like they really kissed.
Shi Yao could easily imagine how shocked or devastated the fans of Ye Jingyu's group would be after this performance aired, since such intimate interaction was far too much for the trainees.
Shi Yao didn't know what the production team was thinking. Idols are a very special profession. They are essentially selling dreams. A large percentage of their fans are female fans, which is why idols can't date. They have to be very careful when interacting with male celebrities. Yet they put on such an intimate stage in a talent show.
Of the six trainees who chose this group, two are in the debut positions. Moreover, based on Shi Yao's observations over the past few days, everyone in this group wanted to join this group as their first choice. They were not left over from other groups. It is said that the program team played the choreography video when the trainees chose their songs, and the level of intimacy was very clear when watching the video. In the end, they still chose this song, which can be said to be very bold.
Risk and reward go hand in hand. Perhaps these two are trying to use this opportunity to boost their popularity and strive to break into the upper echelons of the rankings.
However, if the final response is not good, then it is very likely that they will lose their debut position, which can be said to be a very high-risk choice.
Besides, Shi Yao was also puzzled about why Ye Jingyu, the mentor of this group, chose this song. In the past few days, when she was free and not filming, she would chat with the selection and stage staff and ask about all kinds of gossip. She learned that four of the five songs in this collaboration stage were prepared by the production team, from the arrangement to the choreography. Only Pei Zixuan was responsible for it independently.
However, those four songs were not fixed. The production team provided the guests with a song list with many songs to choose from, all of which had already been arranged and choreographed. The guest mentors selected the songs independently after watching all the song selection videos. In other words, this song was chosen by Ye Jingyu herself.
The strange thing is that Ye Jingyu herself is currently in the midst of the airing of her new drama, and she is paired with the male lead of the same drama as a popular CP. The CP super topic has been at the top for a week, and the CP fans are very powerful. The super topic is basically at the point where they are calling the two of them "parents" and urging them to get married as soon as possible.
Upon learning that Ye Jingyu was going to appear on a male idol group audition show for the first time and even collaborate on a stage, the CP fans were already very unhappy. Recently, Ye Jingyu's Weibo has been flooded with CP fans urging her to go home and focus on her work.
However, some rational fans of the pairings compiled a list of the mentor collaboration stages from the first season of "Shining Idol" to reassure the fans and prevent them from making a fuss.
If you watch the collaboration stage in the first season, you'll find that the interaction between the mentors and trainees is actually very superficial. They just sing a few lines together or dance a couple of times, and the mentors mainly serve to make their faces known.
Unfortunately, the rules have changed this season. The production team probably felt that the previous collaboration stage was not quite a collaboration and didn't really count as one. This season, the mentors' presence and the interaction between them have been greatly enhanced in all five songs. Among them, Ye Jingyu's group had the strongest interaction among the five groups.
Ye Jingyu is already facing a situation where CP fans are too powerful and the fan circle is abnormal. She still dares to accept such a stage at this time, and there are very intimate interactions with the opposite sex. I really can't imagine how much she will be scolded by CP fans after the stage is broadcast.
Based on Shi Yao's experience, Ye Jingyu's choice is likely to become the fuse for a battle to purify the CP fans. Many CP fans are already dreaming about the CP while still shipping it. Now, one party is actively promoting their CP while the other is interacting with other male celebrities. To fans with CP purity standards, this is like the sky falling. They might either quit or continue to endure it until they can't stand it anymore. For those who are only dreaming about the CP while still shipping it, it's like Ye Jingyu is not keeping herself clean, and they will immediately switch to being a male solo fan.
Shi Yao didn't know why Ye Jingyu and her team would make this choice. Perhaps it was to untie the CP, or perhaps it was just for the sake of popularity and discussion. But whatever the reason, it was not a very wise choice.
Purification is a technical skill. Every popular drama couple eventually has to undergo purification. The losing side in this battle will be severely weakened, while the winning side will ascend directly. But the couple fans aren't stupid. If you just write "I want purification" on your face, they won't follow you.
The real purification tactic is subtle and gradual, like slowly boiling a frog. You establish a good persona without people noticing, making the other side lose their advantage and transferring the hearts of the CP fans to your side. Then you can gradually sever ties with the other side. At this point, people won't blame you; instead, they will praise you for being a decent person.
Of course, this kind of operation is difficult to carry out and requires a certain amount of timing and luck. In many cases, the best outcome of the purification battle is to make the CP fans detach themselves from both sides and return to the position of pure colleagues.
If Ye Jingyu's choice this time is to be the first to purify the product, then she is too stupid. The CP fans will only be angered by her, and those who are already biased will switch sides without hesitation. The advantage will completely tilt towards the male side.
Even if she hadn't made the choice for purification, this decision would have prompted the purification process to begin.
The drama hasn't even finished airing yet, and the popular couple is already showing signs of breaking up. At that time, Ye Jingyu will definitely be labeled as the "table-flipping woman".
Shi Yao hadn't watched the whole series, but because it was quite popular recently, she watched all the trailers, promotional videos, and trending short videos. The pairing of the male and female leads was a classic one: a young actress who had been in the industry for many years paired with a young actor with resources. Although Ye Jingyu debuted two years earlier than the male lead Zhou Qixue, and Zhou Qixue only started acting last year, he was the lead actor in this series.
Zhou Qixue is very active in promoting his on-screen couple image, selling it every day and often making a big splash. Ye Jingyu also cooperates, but not as frequently, since being too deeply associated with a single artist is not a good thing.
But Zhou Qixue seems to have no need for solo fans at all. He sells himself the moment he opens his eyes. In nearly half of his interviews, he mentions Ye Jingyu. He is jokingly called a solo fan hell by the fan community.
However, according to Shi Yao's observation, Zhou Qixue is actually very good at engaging with his solo fans. Although he sells his content every day, he also frequently visits the super topic and interacts with fans every day. This is even more evident in his music app, where he posts short videos that are all boyfriend-themed. Therefore, many people who ship the couple secretly dream about it while still enjoying the relationship.
These people won't reveal their true colors at this stage; they'll join the main group in calling for their parents to get married. But once the purification process begins, they'll immediately and without hesitation switch to Zhou Qixue's solo fan camp.
Ye Jingyu went on this show to actively start the purification process, choosing the most hellish starting point among many purification battles.
After observing for the past few days, Shi Yao found that Ye Jingyu was quite easy to get along with. She was actually quite introverted, so it was even more surprising that she would choose such a bold stage. If this choice was made by the company, then it can only be said that they had no planning and were completely harming their own artist. If it was Ye Jingyu's own choice, then it was quite interesting.
Shi Yao marked Ye Jingyu, feeling that there might be an opportunity to cooperate in the future. Although Ye Jingyu had almost no role in the original story and was probably not a key supporting character, Shi Yao felt that she had great potential.
Of course, the main reason she chose to mark Ye Jingyu was actually because of her CP partner, Zhou Qixue. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite remember why it sounded familiar, so she could only mark it first and check the plot when she had time.
Just as Yao had made her plans and thought it would be some time before she could work with Ye Jingyu, Ye Jingyu actually took the initiative to approach her.
Ye Jingyu's group was the last to record. Shi Yao packed her things and prepared to leave. Pei Zixuan and Fang Xuran were still waiting for her in the dressing room.
But before she could finish getting ready, Ye Jingyu hurriedly came down from the stage and ran straight towards her, stopping her with her hand.
"Hello, I'm Ye Jingyu." The girl in front of me was wearing glamorous stage makeup, and the sparkling glitter shimmered under the stage lights. She seemed very nervous, staring at Shi Yao without daring to move, just nervously counting on her fingers.
Shi Yao was a little confused. Her position was not particularly conspicuous. She had specifically chosen this spot. Moreover, anyone who has been to a stage or a program recording site knows that it is actually very dark for the people on stage. This is because the stage lights are very bright for the final effect. Under such lighting, it is very difficult to see what the people in the audience look like, and it is even difficult to see how many people there are.
Shi Yao wasn't a regular staff member on the show, and she had never met Ye Jingyu before. In fact, the two didn't interact at all after meeting here. Just now, Ye Jingyu came down from the stage and walked directly towards her location. This series of moves was too smooth, and it was obvious that she already knew she was here.
Ye Jingyu waited until the end of the meeting before coming to find her, and even memorized her location beforehand.
Shi Yao blinked in confusion. Did the other person recognize her?
She quickly scanned her memories and confirmed that the original owner and Ye Jingyu had never been to the same event before, so they had definitely never met. This was the first time they had met.
Is this the place where I met her?
A guess formed in Shi Yao's mind, and she slowly nodded: "I know, Teacher Ye, is there something you need? Do you know me?"
Ye Jingyu swallowed hard, her face showing more embarrassment than nervousness. She nodded, touched her nose shyly, and looked around to make sure no one was watching before speaking in a very low voice, "Could I talk to you alone later? Just the two of us. I'll find a private restaurant, is that alright?"
Shi Yao raised an eyebrow slightly, her tone leisurely: "What...would you like to talk about?"
Ye Jingyu seemed conflicted, and after gritting her teeth, she said, "I heard that you opened a studio, and your business scope happens to cover the problems that have been bothering me recently, so I would like to consult you, is that alright?"
After saying that, she looked at Shi Yao with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness, as if afraid that Shi Yao would refuse.
Shi Yao was even more surprised that Ye Jingyu had actually taken the initiative to come to her door wanting to become her client!
Which of her clients promoted her again?
But with so many people and eyes in the recording studio, Shi Yao couldn't ask the other person too many questions about who recommended her, as it would cause trouble if someone with ulterior motives overheard. So she nodded and accepted the invitation: "Okay, today, right? Just tell me the time and place later."
Ye Jingyu immediately breathed a sigh of relief and kept bowing slightly: "Okay, teacher, thank you."
Shi Yao was really struggling to accept it. Although her clients were all quite polite, Ye Jingyu's attitude was downright humble. She wasn't used to being treated like that, so she quickly stopped Ye Jingyu.
"My surname is Shi. You can call me whatever you like, no need to be so polite." Shi Yao stuffed the business card into Ye Jingyu's palm. "My contact information is on it. Let's add each other on WeChat and chat."
Ye Jingyu was even happier after hearing this, her face even showing emotion. She nodded vigorously and said, "Okay, Teacher Shi, I'll add you right away!"
After saying that, he happily turned and left, clutching the business card.
Shi Yao stared at the other person's back, somewhat puzzled.
Suddenly, Director Hu appeared out of nowhere and said coolly, "Xiao Shi, did you know Teacher Ye before?"
Shi Yao was startled by this person. She turned around and almost couldn't help but glare at him. She forced a smile and said, "No, we just met. Director Hu, when did you arrive?"
"Oh, I just arrived. As soon as I got here, I saw Teacher Ye smiling and saying goodbye to you. I thought you two knew each other."
Director Hu's words eased Shi Yao's anxiety somewhat, and she was once again glad that she hadn't said too many things she shouldn't have, otherwise it would have been a real problem if this loudmouth had heard it.
Not getting the answer he wanted, Director Hu continued, "Why did Teacher Ye suddenly come over to chat with you? She seemed quite happy."
Shi Yao casually made up an excuse: "Oh, Teacher Ye thinks my photos are pretty good and wants to ask me for a few to use for publicity."
Upon hearing that Ye Jingyu was doing this for the show's promotion, Director Hu's furrowed brows immediately relaxed, and a smile returned to his face: "Oh dear, Teacher Ye is too kind, taking the initiative to ask for them. We usually give them to our guests on our own initiative."
Shi Yao simply shrugged: "Maybe it's because I'm not a regular staff member on the show, and she was afraid she wouldn't be able to find my picture."
Director Hu then remembered Shi Yao's true identity and was momentarily speechless, but then felt something was strange: "Xiao Shi, aren't you one of Teacher Pei's people? Why are you filming here?"
Shi Yao knew he would ask this question. These days, because she had been chatting with him from time to time, Director Hu had let down his guard a lot and even forgot that she was not an outsourced employee of the group, but a staff member of Pei Zixuan's side.
Logically, an artist's dedicated staff should only work for that one artist, but Shi Yao is running around everywhere every day, shooting this and that, not at all like a dedicated staff member.
Yao had already prepared a plan for this. She said calmly, "This was specially instructed by Teacher Pei. He said that there is only so much practice content, and it is not interesting to keep filming. He told me to film more when I have nothing to do, so that other groups can use it if they have publicity needs."
When faced with a dilemma, the best course of action is to shift the blame to someone with a stronger backing. After all, others might not bother to verify the information, and even if they do, Pei Zixuan will cooperate with her.
Director Hu was indeed moved after hearing this, and he found Shi Yao much more pleasing to the eye. He was a mid-level variety show director at Coolfish TV, but he didn't have the ability to lead a variety show on his own. He usually worked as an assistant director in the teams of other big directors on the platform, doing small tasks. His main job was coordination, which is basically managing people.
But he always wanted to prove himself. In recent years, the economy has been sluggish and people have been laid off everywhere, including within the platform. Since the beginning of the year, many directors have left the station one after another, all of them were dismissed. Director Hu had been with the station for a long time, but if he didn't produce something soon, he knew that his career would end there.
After working at the station for so many years, he looked back and realized that he had really left nothing behind. He had no connections and no resources. He wanted to build his own team, but he couldn't find anyone. That's when he started to panic. So he began to prepare by building connections and resources everywhere to prepare for his future.
That's why he was so enthusiastic when he met Shi Yao. In fact, any more professional and experienced director would have seen that Shi Yao's identity was just an empty shell, but Director Hu was fooled by this identity and was single-mindedly trying to win Shi Yao over.
After all, she has Pei Zixuan behind her. Who is Pei Zixuan? He is a top star and a cash cow for the platform. If he can get in touch with him, will he still have to worry about not being able to attract sponsors or people for his future shows?
Pei Zixuan debuted with Coolfish and had a good relationship with the station for the past few years, returning every year to be a flight instructor. But this year, he suddenly stopped cooperating and refused to come no matter how the station called him.
Later, when the Jian Mingzhou incident broke out, the station realized that Pei Zixuan had found out about it. He was almost replaced in the center position back then, so it's normal for him to be angry.
To appease Pei Zixuan, the station's leaders offered him a lot of resources and made grand promises, but he refused to accept any of them, asking for nothing in return, and simply wouldn't cooperate.
Later, they even announced the termination of their contract with YueDong, which gave the station's leaders a headache, knowing that it would be difficult to cooperate with Pei Zixuan again this time.
There are many entertainment platforms in China, and Kuyu is not irreplaceable. Other platforms are also trying their best to extend olive branches to Pei Zixuan. Kuyu was very proud of its good relationship with Pei Zixuan before, but who knew that the relationship would disappear so easily, and it was all because of its own actions.
The leaders were devastated and could only shift the blame onto YueDong, which led to other artists from YueDong also no longer wanting to work with them.
But then things took a turn for the better. After it was confirmed that the mentor collaboration stage would be recorded, the PR person in charge of the coordination habitually sent an invitation to Pei Zixuan's studio. Only after sending the invitation did they suddenly realize that the other party had already broken up with their platform. But to their surprise, they received a reply from Pei Zixuan's side, saying that they agreed to accept the invitation.
That night, the leaders were almost overjoyed and thought that Pei Zixuan had calmed down and was willing to take the initiative to repair the relationship with Kuyu. So they started calling Pei Zixuan again to try to build a relationship, but she still hung up on them without hesitation. They then asked the person in charge to reply that it was just a normal working relationship and that she had no other intentions.
The leaders were all bewildered, but dared not make any further moves. Pei Zixuan's agreement to come was already a great joy for them, as this program would reap a huge wave of traffic. At this moment, they would agree to whatever the other party asked for.
Pei Zixuan didn't have many requirements, just two: first, he had to be fully in charge of the stage performance; second, he needed to have a personal photographer and be given a work badge.
The platform agreed to everything in one go; this was hardly a request.
As one of the assistant directors, Director Hu knew a bit about the inside story, which was why he was so enthusiastic about Shi Yao. Since Pei Zixuan specifically mentioned her, Shi Yao must be at least one of Pei Zixuan's core staff members, so it was always a good thing to get along with her!
Once he gets along well with her, it means he's also on good terms with Pei Zixuan. Then, once he's booked a variety show, inviting other people won't be difficult.
Director Hu was very pleased with himself, and his gaze towards Shi Yao became even more enthusiastic.
This is a total money tree!
Author's Note: Sorry for being late again, my darlings! But I'll be resting tomorrow, and I'll definitely update on time! (Clenched fist)
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