Chapter 32 - Happy Clothes
The next day, posts mocking Zhao Junnan sprang up in various forums. Zhao Junnan was accused of being old and invisible. Once he finally became popular, he was ugly. There were also taunts that Zhao Junnan was raising his price.
“Weren’t Zhao Junnan’s fans bragging about how many top fashion brands their artist was going to win every day? It is a pity that the brand side directly said they didn’t intend to cooperate with your artist.”
“A pure passerby, embarrassed and silently blushing for Zhao fans.
“Oh, I had long guessed that this villain Zhao Junnan would capsize. I just hadn’t expected him to capsize so fast. Since his performance in Heroic Ruler became popular, his team bought articles every day. Fortunately, he isn’t a woman. If he is a woman then he would crush the entire entertainment circle.”
“Upstairs didn’t see a report a few days ago about a male artist so charming that there are no female artists. I went in to take a look and almost blinded myself. The Zhao fans made him into a woman and compared the beauty to a group of female artists.”
“Zhao Junnan’s publicity team is really arrogant. I just want to know the mood of the fans of the female artists he was compared to.”
“The victims’ mood is very unstable. Their female artist is a fairy. What type of devil is Zhao Junnan to crush their female artist?”
This was the first time that Zhao Junnan had been ridiculed by the entire Internet since he became popular. He was so angry that he became furious with the public relations employees, feeling that their ability was too low.
“Brother Nan, looking at today’s attitude, there should be several parties taking advantage of you.” The publicity assistant appeased Zhao Junnan’s mood. “Let’s keep a low profile for a while. Film with ease and it will be fine after some time.”
Other insiders knew that he had been stood up by three brands. There was no way to endure the ridicule apart from lying down. In this situation, it was more useful to keep a low profile than respond. An actor should talk with their work.
“After a while?” Zhao Junnan was raging. “After some time, all the drama fans of Heroic Ruler will be gone. How can I acquire fixed fans?”
“Brother Nan, your drama has good word of mouth. It is unlike the online dramas performed by Li Zhao who will only attract some temporary fans at most. You have both strength and resources. You don’t have to think about the follow-up development at all. What are you worried about?”
What was he worried about?
Zhao Junnan slumped in his chair because no one knew better than him how terrible it was to fall from a high to low place. The producers and directors who he once fraternized with turned their faces one by one. His fans left one after another. At first, some people mocked him for his decline but later, no one even mocked him.
Everyone seemed to forget him. Even if he didn’t wear glasses or a mask, no one recognized him. In order to win roles, he drank until he vomited and endured the eyes of the younger generation of new artists.
He became popular at the age of 18 and thoroughly ignored at the age of 25. Today, he was 35 years old and finally rose. Fans praised him for his youth and good looks but years of drinking and smoking had made his skin terrible.
He had injections in his face and went under the knife, living every day for the fans praising his photoshopped photos. Seeing those young, fresh and beautiful faces, his heart couldn’t help feeling panic. He wanted to shoot dead on the beach all his competitors.
Whenever fans praised his good fight scenes and his elegant and charming posture, his inner pride turned into hatred for Li Zhao. The charm and elegance that fans praised were all Li Zhao. The one they loved wasn’t him at all but Li Zhao, who had no chance to show his face in front of the camera.
Once he discovered that Li Zhao suddenly became popular, he had a nightmare. All the fans chasing him surrounded Li Zhao to confess and he returned to his lowest period where he had no dramas and no one caring about him.
Li Zhao was his constant nightmare. It would be hard for Zhao Junnan to sleep if Li Zhao kept staying in the entertainment circle.
“He can’t rise up.”
“What?” The publicity assistant didn’t hear Zhao Junnan’s words. “Brother Nan, what did you say?”
“I said, I can’t let Li Zhao’s popularity continue to rise.”
The propaganda assistant frowned. He couldn’t understand why Brother Nan was so obsessed with an 18 tier actor. Even if Li Zhao had Strawberry Entertainment behind him, the resources that Brother Nan could access were beyond Li Zhao’s imagination. Why do this?
Zhao Junnan wasn’t willing to listen to the assistant’s dissuasion. He arranged a water army to deliberately build up hype on the Internet, stating that a male artist who became famous through an online drama would cooperate with a big brand. This would soon be officially announced.
The taunts he suffered, he would let Li Zhao also experience it.
“Li Zhao, are you going to endorse a big brand?” Song Yu was in his lounge when he saw news that a male star of an online drama would soon cooperate with a big brand. Based on the content, it was obvious that Li Zhao was the main actor of the online drama mentioned in the report.
“What big brand?” Li Zhao was bowing his head to pick up a packed meal when he heard Song Yuc all out to him. Li Zhao looked up from the huge meal box and looked at Song Yu. “Me?”
“Ah, there is news that you are going to endorse a big brand. They think your career is rising.” Song Yu felt that something was wrong. Strawberry Entertainment didn’t normally use this type of public relation means.
“However, I haven’t talked about any endorsements lately.” Li Zhao held up his drink and drank two mouthfuls. “Is it a mistake?”
“The most popular online drama in the past three months, a fresh white shirt, the warmest smile and the man loved by an overbearing woman...” Song Yu read these key adjectives. “The marketing accounts made it clear that they are speaking of Li Zhao.”
Song Yu saw Li Zhao’s dazed face and sat up straight. “Is someone messing with you?”
Deliberately release this type of material to make the fans feel hope and disappointment. Finally, they would stop being fans. This type of thing was nothing new in the circle. The even more disgusting thing was that these accounts didn’t give any names. Even if the party involved wanted to clarify, they couldn’t speak too clearly or they would be ridiculed.
“Ah?” Li Zhao finished the rest of his meal. “Who would be so boring to spend money on the Internet to buy marketing to pit me, an 18 tier artist?”
“You relied on Overbearing Female President to gain a wave of fans and signed to Strawberry Entertainment. You are already seventh or eighth tier.” Song Yu saw that Li Zhao was ready to eat the small cake in the meal box and couldn’t help worrying for him. “You are eating and eating. Do you still have the mood to eat despite someone acting against you?”
Li Zhao put the small cake back in place and glanced at Song Yu. “Then what am I going to do now?”
“Contact your team and have them think of a solution.” Then Song Yu couldn’t help scolding. “My brain is really soaked in water. Why I am helping you with this...”
historical
Li Zhao replied, “Because you are handsome and have a good heart.”
Song Yu exclaimed, “Get out of here!”
As Li Zhao’s executive agent, Luo Rong received news that the marketing accounts were preparing to blacken Li Zhao. He sent a message to the team chat to tell them not to respond to this matter.
“Mr Luo, if Mr Li has no opinion on the cooperation between the two sides then we hope to take the publicity photos as soon as possible.” The heard of the commerce department shook hands with Luo Rong. “After all, it will take a while to prepare the photos.”
“Please rest assured that our artists will fully cooperate with your publicity.” Luo Rong shook hands with the head of the commerce department. He was still in a state where this was unreal.
As a world-renowned family business, Cang Huan always had a high status in the hearts of the Chinese people. Artists getting their product endorsement was often proof of strength and popularity. If fans fought with each other then Cang Huan’s produce endorsements could be played 10 times.
Now such a brand suddenly took the initiative to find them and said that Li Zhao’s image was very suitable for their product image. He hoped the two people could cooperate.
This was like the father of brands or a grandfather in a martial arts novel taking the initiative to hand over famous martial arts techniques. Not to mention, the conditions on the brand side were so favourite that they would sign without hesitation even if the price was only one-tenth of what was offered.
For many artists, they were willing to accept a loss as long as they could get Cang Huan’s endorsement. This wasn’t an endorsement. It was clearly a force from Heaven. This endorsement meant that the current rhythm on the Internet trying to send Li Zhao to death was simply helping them save on publicity costs.
Fry it more so it was hotter. They could afford it.
“Li Zhao!” Song Yu yelled from among the crew. “I have a box of cakes here. Do you want to eat it?”
“I’m coming.” Li Zhao quickly put down the script and ran to Song Yu. Song Yu’s assistant was carrying a large bag of ghosts. Li Zhao ate fast and soon finished the cake.
“Were you hungry when you were a child?” Song Yu looked at Li Zhao’s mouth doubtfully. This person’s mouth was small but he looked good while eating. How could he eat so fast?”
“Yes.” Li Zhao nodded. “As a child, my family wouldn’t let me eat if they were in a bad mood. Thus, if I had something to eat, I would tuck it into my stomach first. This was much safer.”
“You are just exaggerating.” Song Yu sneered. “In this age, what child wouldn’t have enough to eat?”
Li Zhao giggled.
“Cough.”
There was a familiar coughing from behind Li Zhao. Li Zhao looked back and his smile became more brilliant. “Ting Ting! Why did you call me? How did the crew let you in?”
“Zhao Zhao, I met Mr Ting outside. I knew he was going to visit the crew and brought him along.” Da Ke found he had no sense of existence and waved. “You talk slowly. I’ll pour water.”
“Ting Ting, you sit first.” Li Zhao pulled Yan Ting to sit in his own lounge chair. Then fearing that Yan Ting’s legs were cold, he used his blanket to cover up Yan Ting.
Li Zhao was wearing a wig, a gold-encrusted crown, big red wedding clothes and had red lips.
“You didn’t come to the crew yesterday so I thought you didn’t have time to come.” Li Zhao took a small stool and sat down in front of Yan Ting, instantly become shorter than him.
“I completed my work and wanted to come and see it.” Yan Ting’s eyes fell on Li Zhao’s red clothes under his warm clothing. “I was afraid I would disturb your filming so I didn’t make a phone call.”
“My phone is with Da Ke when I’m filming. You won’t disturb me even if you call.” Li Zhao saw that Yan Ting wasn’t wearing gloves and took them off. “It’s windy here. Put on my gloves first. I have a spare pair over there.”
The moment the warmth of the gloves wrapped around his cold fingers, Yan Ting looked at the handsome boy in front of him. “Are you getting married?”
“It isn’t that I’m getting married. The character I’m playing will get married.” Li Zhao waved his hands repeatedly. This type of thing couldn’t be confused.
Sky Song was a historical drama and the characters in the drama were based on historical facts. The role he played might’ve died early but he had a wife in historical records.
“I am going to shoot a scene of the bride and groom kneeling in a wedding ceremony. If you have time today then you can stay and take a look.” Li Zhao pointed to the golden crown on his head. “Listening to the director, the golden crown and clothes I’m wearing are imitations of the real thing. It is a top costume made using the production team’s production cost and it is a rare opportunity. Stay and take a look.”
Sky Song was a large crew and the requirements were very demanding. Many accessories were real gold and silver. For example, Li Zhao’s costume took nearly a month to make but it was only used for a few scenes.
Li Zhao’s body temperature left in the gloves were gradually dispersing. Yan Ting looked at the red costume embroidered with a dragon and phoenix pattern before giving a slight nod. “Good.”
“I’ll stay.”
The author has something to say:
Baby Zhao Zhao: Look at my baby’s happy clothes, beautiful and expensive.
Silent Baby Ting Ting: ......