After getting off the plane, Xiao He and Xiao Chen didn't dare to relax, fully armed as they left through the special passageway.
Only after getting into the car sent by the studio to pick them up did Xiao He and Xiao Chen both sigh with relief simultaneously.
"What's wrong?"
The driver responsible for driving asked somewhat puzzled.
"Brother Qi, you have no idea, Brother Xiao and I almost got trapped at the airport in the United States."
Xiao Chen immediately leaned eagerly against the back of the front seat, excitedly telling Driver Lao Qi about the situation at the time.
Lao Qi, now in his forties with a burly build, was also a relatively senior staff member in the industry. He had worked as a bodyguard, also as a driver, had fought with anti-fans, and raced with stalker fans, belonging to the well-experienced type. After hearing Xiao Chen's words, he just raised his eyebrows faintly.
"Oh? There was actually such a thing?"
"Yes! Yes!" Xiao Chen nodded. "Brother Qi, do you know about the overseas release situation?"
"I heard it wasn't very good at first, but recently the box office has actually started to rise. I'm not too clear about the details, you can go back and ask Manager Liu."
It was then that Xiao He noticed from the rearview mirror that Lao Qi's left eyebrow was a broken eyebrow, which made him look somewhat fierce, but his eyes were very upright, and the aura around him wasn't dangerous either. He seemed like a decent person.
As if sensing Xiao He's gaze, Lao Qi's line of sight also fell on the rearview mirror, meeting Xiao He's eyes for a moment.
Then he politely nodded slightly toward Xiao He before returning his gaze to the road conditions ahead.
Xiao He raised his eyebrows.
This was a very perceptive guy.
Where did Sister Liu find this person? He seems pretty good...
-
More than half an hour later, they successfully arrived at the studio.
This time when returning, Xiao He noticed that the studio had more workstations and many more people. The empty rooms nearby had even begun new renovation phases.
The entire area presented a thriving and prosperous feeling.
When Xiao He and Xiao Chen entered, many people greeted him.
Xiao He nodded in acknowledgment one by one, then walked along the corridor to Liu Rulan's office.
"Knock knock—"
"Come in."
Xiao He pushed the door open just in time to see Liu Rulan sitting at her desk, holding a pen in her hand, swiftly signing documents.
"You're back."
Liu Rulan glanced at Xiao He, wrote the final stroke, then closed the document. "Perfect timing, let me inform you that the drama 'Imperial Decree' that our studio invested in has completed filming and has now entered the post-production stage. It's expected to make it for the upcoming summer season."
"So fast."
Xiao He expressed surprise.
'Imperial Decree,' Linghui Studio's first independently produced web drama, tells the story of a white-outside-black-inside delicate female lead, and how she relies on her own wit and strategy to climb step by step in this ruthless imperial harem.
If Xiao He remembered correctly, the female lead of this drama was someone he discovered from Beijing Drama Academy.
But that was before the Spring Festival, right? Now only a few months have passed, and filming has already been completed. This efficiency is truly high.
Liu Rulan explained: "This is basically the standard speed for filming web dramas now. With Manager Ma overseeing it, as long as they can guarantee the quality, it's fine."
"True."
Adhering to the principle of not suspecting those you employ and not employing those you suspect, Xiao He didn't dwell on this matter further, instead shifting the topic to himself: "How is the overseas release situation for 'Law of the Jungle'? Xiao Chen and I almost got trapped at the airport in the United States."
Liu Rulan looked somewhat surprised, then apologetically held her forehead: "I forgot to tell you about this."
"Actually, when 'Law of the Jungle' was first released overseas, it didn't immediately attract audiences. The theater box office didn't reach the ideal growth rate."
Xiao He frowned: "Then what happened to me?"
"But these past few days, you've blown up on the largest overseas video platform, and along with that, recent box office numbers have started to recover and are rapidly climbing."
"Huh?"
Xiao He was stunned for a moment, then widened his eyes: "What?"
"Originally, the production team planned to release some trailers on that platform to attract audiences, but unfortunately, the results were minimal."
"Then somehow, your interview video from participating in the GT3 endurance race suddenly went viral on foreign websites. Immediately after, the production team's personal edited promotional video about you also saw its popularity skyrocket at the same time."
"Ah?"
Xiao He never expected that his sudden overseas popularity was for this reason.
"Appearance truly is the primary productive force."
Liu Rulan stood up with deep emotion and handed the tablet to Xiao He. "Actually, at first many people thought you were a K-pop idol from next door, but then your fans on foreign websites helped clarify things and promoted the production team, so a large number of foreign film fans came to the production team's account."
After watching 'Law of the Jungle,' these audiences who originally came for Xiao He's looks spontaneously began promoting this drama, recommending and promoting 'Law of the Jungle' on foreign websites.
Thus, relying on the gradually spreading word-of-mouth online, 'Law of the Jungle' saw a significant numerical growth in box office after three days of cold reception.
Meanwhile, perhaps because Xu Ning's "violence" and "power" in the movie were more eye-catching to audiences, especially since the overseas version had more bloody content, combined with Xu Ning's mysterious background, large numbers of foreign audiences fell straight into the pit, exceptionally fascinated with this mysterious man from the East.
Xu Ning's name even appeared on multiple overseas platforms' film character popularity charts.
And related secondary creations about 'Law of the Jungle' have now begun to be produced in full swing.
Regardless of how long Xiao He's unexpected viral popularity can maintain its heat, the production team genuinely seized this opportunity, bringing considerable boost to the movie's box office.
"Just... like that?"
Xiao He was shocked.
"What? Isn't relying on looks enough?" Liu Rulan retorted. "Sometimes even we ourselves can't predict whether audiences will like something or not. Having the opportunity to get exposure on major platforms is something many domestic artists can't even achieve."
Xiao He: ...Although, but—that makes sense too.
"So what do I need to do now?" Xiao He humbly sought advice.
"Your overseas account is managed by the Operations Department, you don't need to do anything." Liu Rulan waved her hand. "They just need to forward the vlog videos that Xiao Chen previously filmed for you to the overseas account."
The racing vlogs filmed earlier were originally meant to reward fans, considered fan-oriented videos. Now that Xiao He has gone viral because of the racing competition, forwarding these vlogs to foreign websites will definitely attract more attention, perfect for attracting a stable group of overseas fans.
"Alright."
"What you should be doing now is this—"
Liu Rulan placed a prepared list in front of Xiao He.
Xiao He picked it up and examined it carefully.
"Award acceptance speech, award failure speech, post-award winner press interview, post-award loser press interview, winner's remarks to losers after winning, loser's remarks to winners after losing..."
Xiao He's eye twitched, looking at Liu Rulan incredulously: "Sister Liu, what is this?"
Liu Rulan: "Your preparation process for the main segments of the upcoming television festival."
"Various situations, various interviews and speeches, I've already organized them for you. You can add some content yourself as you see fit."
"Oh right."
Liu Rulan tapped her forehead. "Also red carpet etiquette, expression management, award ceremony general procedures—"
"Stop stop—"
Xiao He held his forehead in pain. "One item at a time, otherwise I'll get a headache."