At twenty-two years old, Hu Yang was undoubtedly one of the hottest rising idol artists in the entertainment industry.
Just over half a year earlier, he had still been a contracted artist under a small agency affiliated with Gande Film & Television. Because he played Han Taixi, the first male supporting role in ''Autumn in My Heart, he shot to fame almost overnight and amassed a huge fan base.
Hu Yang was undeniably lucky and also quite shrewd. After becoming famous, he sued his old agency to terminate his contract and defected to the powerful Juxing Talent Agency, where he received strong backing.
Strictly speaking, Lu Chen had been Hu Yang's benefactor. Without Lu Chen, Hu Yang would never have landed the heavyweight role of Han Taixi that made him an overnight sensation.
Moreover, during the filming of 'Autumn in My Heart', Lu Chen had given Hu Yang plenty of guidance. Hu Yang had been extremely respectful toward Lu Chen, calling him "Brother Chen" all day long. Anyone who didn't know better would've thought the two shared a very deep bond.
But in an entertainment industry where profit is above all else, any gratitude could be discarded at will. Especially after Lu Chen refused to let Hu Yang participate in 'Full House', the latter had essentially turned against him.
What Hu Yang never seemed to consider was that Jin Hongwei, the boss of Juxing Talent Agency he had signed, had longstanding grudges with Lu Chen. Unless Lu Chen had been kicked in the head by a donkey, how could he possibly still work with Hu Yang?
Early fame was the easiest way for a young person to become inflated. If Hu Yang, before success had been humble and cautious, then once his wings had hardened, his reckless side began to show.
Issuing a challenge to Lu Chen was partly the result of behind-the-scenes scheming meant to stir hype, but it was also very much in line with Hu Yang's own temperament.
Hu Yang wanted to prove that he was fully qualified to carry a leading role, that he had the ability to step out of Lu Chen's shadow.
At the same time, this also served to build momentum for 'Vast Seas of Love', which was set to air during the summer slot.
In truth, deliberately creating conflict and storylines for marketing purposes was extremely common in the entertainment industry. Whether such hype could really catch fire depended first on the strength and promotional power of the mastermind behind the scenes, the people pulling the strings, and secondly on whether the topic itself was eye-catching enough.
As for who was backing Hu Yang, the media basically knew it without saying it out loud. Xiangnan Satellite TV and Juxing Talent Agency were both seasoned players when it came to manipulation and hype. Their ability to push stars and stir topics was unquestionably top-tier in the country, with plenty of successful cases to their name.
Xiangnan Satellite TV also had a history of bad blood with Lu Chen, Lu Chen had slapped their face more than once.
And Xiangnan Satellite TV's face wasn't something to be slapped lightly.
Of course, they weren't foolish enough to charge into battle themselves. Hu Yang was, without a doubt, a perfect knife.
If 'Vast Seas of Love' managed to suppress 'Full House' during the summer slot, Xiangnan Satellite TV would win both substance and prestige, delivering Lu Chen a heavy blow.
As for Zhedong Satellite TV and Capital City TV standing behind Lu Chen, they were Xiangnan Satellite TV's rivals to begin with.
The summer film and television market was a battlefield, and there were always only a few winners.
Precisely because so many complex interests were entangled, Hu Yang's challenge to Lu Chen via 'Vast Seas of Love' was hyped into a frenzy by entertainment media, effectively preheating the summer TV drama season.
On top of that, other film and television production companies and TV stations hoping to grab a slice of the summer market also took advantage of the chaos, muddying the waters further. All kinds of gossip filled the air.
On July 2nd, Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er returned to the capital.
As it turned out, the two were surrounded at the high-speed rail station exit by entertainment reporters who had no idea where they'd gotten the news.
Although 'Full House' hadn't completely wrapped yet, their scenes were basically finished. What remained were only a few scattered shots, while dubbing, music, and other post-production work had already begun.
This trip back to the capital was mainly for Lu Chen to attend an important ceremony.
"Mr. Lu Chen, I'm a reporter from NetEase Entertainment. May I ask you a few questions?"
"What's your comment on Hu Yang saying he wants to defeat you?"
"Hu Yang's agent revealed through the media yesterday that Hu Yang suffered unfair treatment during the filming of 'Autumn in My Heart'. Is that true?"
"Mr. Lu Chen, what ratings do you predict for 'Full House'?"
"Chen Fei'er, Miss Chen Fei'er, "
There were more than a dozen reporters crowding the station exit, NetEase channels, entertainment weeklies, New City Daily, and others. With cameras snapping and videos rolling, the scene became noisy and chaotic, drawing a large crowd of onlookers.
If it weren't for the assistants blocking them, and for security personnel arriving in time to guide the crowd, the two of them probably wouldn't have been able to move an inch.
Chen Fei'er lowered her voice and said, "Ignore them."
She was experienced and knew just how relentless entertainment reporters could be. Answering questions unprepared, especially in a place like this, made it extremely easy for one's words to be twisted.
Lu Chen nodded. "I know what I'm doing."
Suddenly, he turned around and walked toward where the reporters were gathered.
The entertainment journalists immediately became excited. Even with security holding them back, they desperately stretched their microphones forward.
"Lu Chen, may I ask…"
Facing the cluster of microphones, Lu Chen said calmly and unhurriedly, "Everyone's worked hard. However, this is a crowded public area, and it's not convenient for me to accept media interviews here, so as to avoid any accidents."
"Additionally, everyone is welcome to attend the press conference at the Capital City Hotel tonight at 7 p.m. If you have any questions, please raise them then. Thank you all."
That evening at 7 p.m., representatives from the South Korean Embassy in China and the Jeju Municipal Government would hold a press conference in the conference hall of the Capital City Hotel, officially conferring upon Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er the title of "Jeju Island Tourism Ambassadors."
As for whether the media present had received invitations or could manage to snag a seat in the conference hall, that was none of Lu Chen's concern. He simply didn't want to give these reporters any opportunity to twist his words.
After speaking, Lu Chen quickly returned to Chen Fei'er's side. Under the escort of assistants and security personnel, the two swiftly left the station exit, boarded the nanny van that had been waiting outside, and drove away.
"Really, knowing someone's face doesn't mean knowing their heart. I never thought that Hu Yang would turn out to be this kind of person…"
Sitting in the front passenger seat, Li Feiyu spoke indignantly. "I even thought he was pretty decent before. I must've been blind!"
Li Feiyu knew Hu Yang. Back when they were filming 'Autumn in My Heart', Hu Yang had even treated Li Feiyu to a meal and had been very polite to him. Li Feiyu had spoken well of Hu Yang before and had a fairly good impression of him.
Now, there was nothing left but utter disgust.
Hu Yang was clearly trying to step on Lu Chen to climb higher.
Lu Chen smiled indifferently and said, "It's nothing more than one's own interest, a butt decides the brain, no need to get angry."
"'Your butt decides your head'?"
The phrase sounded extremely novel. Li Feiyu didn't quite understand it, and both Chen Fei'er and A'Xuan, who was driving, were curious as well.
Lu Chen explained, "A person's position determines their way of thinking and attitude."
"Hu Yang is signed with Juxing Talent Agency, and he's starring in a new drama from Xiangnan Satellite TV. They're our opponents. It's perfectly normal for him to say things like that. If we argue with him, we're just giving him hype material, so there's no need."
Chen Fei'er laughed softly. "That saying is really interesting, and very accurate. Though it sounds a bit… blunt. But yes, we really don't need to play along with their hype. It would lower our status."
If Hu Yang heard that last sentence, he'd probably be furious.
But Chen Fei'er was absolutely qualified to say it.
Lu Chen concluded, "In the end, everything depends on results."
Strength couldn't be hyped into existence, and TV ratings couldn't be faked. You could spray ten thousand lines of verbal attacks, but if you couldn't raise the ratings by even 0.01%, it would all be meaningless. Only results decided everything.
There were certainly many blind fans, but sharp-eyed viewers were by no means few.
Lu Chen had confidence in 'Full House'. So whether it was Hu Yang, or the Juxing Talent Agency, or Xiangnan Satellite TV backing him, Lu Chen feared none of them.
Perhaps half a year ago, Juxing Talent Agency and Xiangnan Satellite TV still had the power to crush Lu Chen. But the Lu Chen of today was no longer a lone fighter in the industry. Behind him stood Capital City TV, Zhedong Satellite TV, Crown Film, Flying Stone Records, SPG, and other industry giants. In terms of lineup and influence, he was only stronger, not weaker.
Most importantly, Lu Chen believed in his own work. He believed that the carefully crafted 'Full House' could once again create a ratings miracle.
Therefore, Hu Yang's various postures and statements seemed downright laughable to Lu Chen.
The same hands that lift you up can also press you down!
If Xiangnan Satellite TV were smart enough not to confront 'Full House' head-on, they might still have some room to maneuver.
But the chances of that were slim.
In that case, bring it on!
(End of Chapter)
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